Title: Learn to be Lonely
Summary: "Don't you see?" Hinata whispered to the empty space where Naruto once stood. "You're just like him, Naruto. Lonely." A story of betrayal, revenge, love and - above all else - loneliness.

Disclaimer: I don't really own Naruto but a girl can dream, right?

December

This is my December, these are my snow-covered dreams. This is me pretending this is all I need.

xx

Neji Hyuuga prided himself in being a patient person. Over five years now he had spent, watching Naruto's every move; every single step the blonde took, Neji would be there, lurking in the shadows and silently watching. At first he had simply been captured by the boy's bright hair and even brighter personality. He wanted to steal Naruto's foxy smile and keep it locked away, hidden from the rest of the world. He was selfish and wanted to keep that smile - so blindingly innocent and pure - all to himself. But Naruto never even looked his way, his attention was always focussed solely on his best friend - Sasuke Uchiha.

Oh, how Neji hated Sasuke. Each time Naruto directed his wonderful smile towards the undeserving Uchiha, Neji felt the white hot rage and darkness consume him a little more. Neji wasn't stupid; he saw the way Sasuke looked at Naruto, like he was the only person he cared for in the world. But Neji didn't consider Sasuke to be a threat. Not at first.

As the months went by, Neji watched as Sasuke's feelings for Naruto grew and grew and he noticed Sasuke staring, watching the happy little blonde like Neji himself had spent so long doing. Neji simply couldn't risk losing Naruto to the new competition. So, he did the only thing he could think to do and confronted the Uchiha.

"Imagine what your dear parents would say if they knew their littlest son was having improper thoughts about his best friend? His male best friend? Very bad for business in these unforgiving times, wouldn't you say?"

An ugly smile twisted itself onto his lips at the memory.

"...You don't want to give your parents another reason to favour your older brother, do you?"

It was a shockingly bitter smile with a sharp edge of resentment to it.

"You might as well be selfish, Sasuke. His birthday party. Next week. You'll be giving him a very special present. If you don't... Well, you can say goodbye to your future."

"Cousin?"

"So what will it be?"

"...Neji?"

Neji's pale eyes snapped up to meet Hinata's own. He didn't offer her a smile but she hadn't expected him to. It had been years since she'd last seen him smile in a way that wasn't mocking or bitter. "What do you want, Hinata?" He asked impatiently.

Hinata tucked a lock of her dark hair behind her ear and moved to stand next to him, staring out at the late-night traffic. "I was just wondering... Do you really still hate him after all these years?" She asked gently, not wanting to anger him. Her cousin had a vicious temper.

"He made a fool out of me-"

"You made a fool out of yourself, dear cousin!"

Neji's gaze hardened and his hand twitched, as though it were itching to slap some sense into the girl before him. But he didn't move. "You know nothing of what happened that night," he said calmly.

If Hinata was scared by her cousin, she didn't show it. She was strong - like Naruto had always told her she was. "No. I don't know what happened that night but I do know you loved him then... So why can't you just allow him to be happy?"

Neji's eyes were wild as he turned to look at her. He looked almost like a cornered animal, defensive and pathetic but still dangerous. "Because... Because if I don't get to be happy, why should I allow him to be?"

"Because," Hinata said softly. "That's the right thing to do, cousin. He doesn't even remember what happened that night with you..."

Neji was silent for a while, gazing up at the moon-lit sky as though he were searching the stars for answers. "There was a time," he spoke very softly. It was barely louder than a whisper. "Where I would've given anything to make him happy, to see him smile and come to me willingly but now... Now I want to see him cry; I want to watch as his walls crumble and break around him until he has no choice but to crawl back to me on his hands and knees, begging. Because I love him."

Hinata nearly shivered at the cold honesty. Was it right to call it love when it was so ugly and twisted? There was jealousy and lust but where were the beautiful and caring feelings that came with it? "You're playing them against each other-" She began.

"No," Neji said quickly and a small smirk formed on his lips. "They chose to play this game themselves."

"As a result of your actions all those years ago!" Hinata pointed out.

Neji shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "Maybe so. And I'll be there to pick up the pieces of Naruto Uzumaki's broken heart and then crush them into dust in front of him. Just so I can see those beautiful tears on his cheeks..."

Hinata turned her face away from her cousin. "You're disgusting for doing this..."

Neji chuckled. "I suppose you think your precious Naruto is disgusting too? He's just like me, afterall - set on revenge."

Hinata shook her head and refused to believe his words. "No, he'll see sense before it goes too far! No matter what he might think Sasuke's capable of he'd never do something so cruel for petty revenge!"

Neji gave a bitter, harsh laugh. "Is that why you don't tell him the truth? Because you have faith in him, that he'll do the right thing? How very foolish you are, my dear cousin."

Hinata gritted her teeth but said nothing. She wanted to tell him the true reason she'd said nothing to Naruto - because she had always hoped that one day her cousin would redeem himself and speak the truth. She desperately wanted him to right his wrongs before the darkness consumed him completely. She would always believe in her beloved cousin, who had once been so nice before love - supposedly the most beautiful thing in the world - had destroyed him. And she would always believe in Naruto, too, even if he hadn't been her Naruto for five years now. Her Naruto had smiled, laughed and forgiven people without a second thought. It was one of the reasons she'd found it in herself to forgive Sasuke so easily - it was something the old Naruto would've done.

She missed him so badly...

xx

"You're such an idiot!"

Naruto pouted and crossed his arms across his chest defensively. He pulled a face as his bare arm brushed across the sticky sauces that covered his t-shirt. "Hey, I wasn't the one who squirted mustard all over that guy with the moustache!" He exclaimed. A foxy smile spread across his lips as he laughed, the light and care-free sound carried down the street. He attempted to wipe some of the sauce from his hair with a relatively clean spot on his shirt but only succeeded in spreading it more through the golden locks. The tomato sauce made him look as though he had red streaks!

Sasuke, like Naruto, was covered from head to toe in various sauces from the restaurant they'd just left. Or rather, they'd been kicked out of for 'disturbing the other customers'. Mustard dripped down from his dark hair in clumps, making him cringe. "Only because you ducked at the last minute, you complete moron!" He grumbled. He wouldn't ever admit it to it to the blonde but he was the happiest he'd been in a long time. Their friendship was back on track and Sasuke enjoyed spending all the time he could with Naruto. Making up for the time they'd lost.

Naruto wiped a tear of laughter from his eye. He could taste mustard on his lips and his tongue darted out to lick it up. Sasuke's dark eyes unconsciously followed the movement. "Do you remember when we were eleven and we had that massive food fig-" Naruto babbled excitedly, before realising what he was talking about and stopping mid-sentence. He looked down at the ice-covered floor. It had become an unspoken rule between them to never talk about their past. It made things awkward and Naruto struggled even to pretend to be friendly when he thought about the hurt Sasuke had put him through...

"Let's go back to yours and shower," Sasuke suggested after a beat of silence. He reached over to wipe some red sauce from the blonde's cheek. His eyes widened as his brain caught up with the near-affectionate action. He pulled his hand back, wiped the sauce onto his black jeans and began walking quickly in the direction of Naruto's apartment.

Naruto hesitated, bringing his fingers up to touch his cheek. It was still warm from Sasuke's gentle touch. He shook his head and followed after the dark-haired boy obediently, ignoring the strange looks they received from people they passed. "Why do we have to go back to mine? Yours is closer!" He whined like a child.

"Hurry up... Dobe."

xx

Ino wrapped her arms around herself, tears slipping slowly down her cheeks as she stared at the test in her hands. How was this happening? She was only seventeen, not old enough for this... She'd only had sex twice in her life and now... A sob caught in her throat, burning, and she lowered herself down to the floor and buried her face in her knees. She cried and cried until there were no tears left.

Trembling, she reached for her phone and scrolled down to 'S' in the contacts list. She dialled the number with shaking hands and brought the phone up to her ear. She held her breath and waited for the other person to pick up. It was a phone conversation that would begin the change of his life as well as hers and she was terrified of how he'd react.

"Hello?" A voice on the other end of the line answered. He sounded annoyed, as though she'd interrupted something important.

Ino took a deep, shaky breath and replied, "Hey... It's Ino. I need to talk to you... It's kind of important. Can you meet up with me later today?"

She heard a sigh on the other end of the line. "I'm kinda busy-"

"Please," she whispered, nearly choking on the words. "It's really, really important..."

"I can meet up with you tomorrow at lunch?" He offered.

Ino rubbed at her eyes and chewed on her lower lip. If tomorrow was the earliest he could manage, it would have to do... "Ichiraku's Cafe at lunch, then?"

"Sure."

xx

Naruto shivered as he looked out at the falling snow from the library window. It had been snowing constantly over the past couple of days and, although the blonde had been excited at first, he was starting to become sick of the cold. It didn't help that he kept slipping up on the ice-covered floor whenever he dared to venture outside. Naruto sighed and glanced over at the deserted chess board. Sasuke had left mid-game to hand in some homework he'd forgotten about. Naruto's lips twitched upwards into an amused half-smile. He doubted the raven-haired boy had ever handed homework in late before today.

Heh, maybe he was a bad influence on the Uchiha...

Not that they were actually friends. Not really. Naruto's smile faded and his soft gaze morphed into a hard glare, one so heated it could melt the snow outside if he concentrated hard enough. Sasuke Uchiha had ruined his life five years ago and Naruto wanted to ruin his in return. It was only fair... Right?

"Hey, blondie!"

Naruto fixed his glare on the speaker. It was Suigetsu and for once Juugo was nowhere to be seen. "Neji told me to give you this," Suigetsu continued speaking. He held out a small orange, gift-wrapped box with a big blue bow on top. Naruto wondered how Neji knew his favourite colour but dismissed the thought and continued to eye the present warily, not taking it. "He said to tell you it was an early Christmas present."

The blonde boy finally took the box and turned it over in his hands. It was very light - perhaps there was no present, just an empty box. Naruto's brow furrowed as he considered why Neji would get him a present. They weren't friends and Neji had always hated him for some reason... It didn't make any sense. "Thanks for bringing this to me," Naruto said, eyes flickering back up to Suigetsu.

Suigetsu, who had been hesitating, seemed to realise the blonde didn't intend to open the gift while he was there and gave a small nod before leaving.

Sasuke brushed past Suigetsu as he entered the library and his dark eyes immediately fell upon the orange box in his dobe's hands. A nagging feeling of jealousy flared up in his stomach. Who was sending Naruto gifts? Did somebody like him? Why did he even care? Shaking his head of the thoughts, Sasuke seated himself at the table. "What's that?" He asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Naruto quickly shoved Neji's present into his school bag, away from Sasuke's prying eyes. Whatever it was Neji had gotten him, he doubted it would be wise to open it in front of other people. Quickly forcing a bright, happy smile towards his so-called 'best friend', Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "It's nothing... Hey, Sas?"

"Hn?"

"What are you doing for Christmas this year?"

Sasuke lined up the chess pieces, a small frown on his lips as he considered the question. "I... Don't know," he admitted. He sounded almost lost, as though he'd only just realised this himself.

Naruto pulled himself up onto the table, swinging his legs and looking down at the Uchiha boy. "Isn't Christmas a day you should spend with your family? So won't you be spending it at home?"

Sasuke avoided the searching blue-eyed gaze and answered dismissively, "They won't be here at Christmas."

"Oh? Then it's settled!" Naruto exclaimed happily.

"What is?" Sasuke asked, looking up at the small blonde in confusion.

"You can spend Christmas with me this year, teme. We are best friends, right?"

Sasuke's answering smile was more genuine than Naruto had ever seen it be before. It should've made him feel guilty. Guilty for the pain he was going to cause over the next year... But the blonde felt nothing. Nothing but a starving hunger for revenge which burned deep within him like a fire. "Yeah... Yeah, we'll always be best friends, dobe."

xx

Hinata smiled softly as she watched Kiba picking out snacks, an excited smile on his face. "Do you like strawberry or chocolate best, Hina?" He asked, chewing on his bottom lip as he tried to decide on a flavour of pocky. It had taken weeks for him to work up the courage to ask the Hyuuga girl on a date and he was going to try his hardest to make it perfect for her.

She deserved as much after all she'd been through.

"I-I like... Strawberry?" Hinata replied uncertainly, a light pink blush dusting her cheeks. Kiba really did remind her of the old Naruto, so much so it was almost painful. He was sweet, charming and there was something endearing about his child-like attitude and toothy smile.

"Strawberry pocky it is, then!" Kiba announced to her happily, picking up the strawberry pocky and paying for it at the counter with the other snacks. "C'mon, Hinata - we don't want to miss the start of the film!"

Kiba would never be able to replace Naruto in her heart but... Who knew, maybe it was time for her to finally move on with her life. Move on from Naruto.

xx

Ino was too nervous to eat or drink when she arrived at Ichiraku's cafe. She was ten minutes early and had nothing better to do than stare into space as she waited for him to show up. Her stomach was twisted with nerves and her heart pounded in her chest, deafeningly loud. Her icy blue eyes stared at the small menu in front of her but saw nothing.

The chair opposite hers was pulled out with a loud screeching noise and she looked up, meeting the familiar dark eyes. Her breath caught in her throat. "Ino, it's nice to see you again..." Sai said in a pleasant, business-like tone of voice as he took a seat.

Ino tried to smile but it came out as more of a grimace. She decided it would be easier to get straight to the point, no messing about. "I'm pregnant, Sai," she said in a voice much calmer than how she felt.

Sai was silent and his friendly smile faded, his expression becoming carefully guarded and blank before her very eyes. Ino wasn't surprised. They barely knew each other, things hadn't really worked out after their date and their encounter had been a one-time thing. "Is it..." He faltered slightly. "Is it definitely mine?" He asked, avoiding eye contact as best he could.

Ino lowered her gaze shamefully, blue eyes hidden by curtains of dark lashes, and admitted in a soft whisper, "There's only one other person who could possibly be the father..."

Oh, how she hoped the baby didn't belong to him...

To Sasuke Uchiha.

xx

Naruto wrapped the towel loosely around his waist and stepped out of the steamy bathroom. His hair was dripping wet and beads of water travelled from the nape of his neck, down his torso. He shivered as the chilly air touched his body; he'd almost forgotten it was winter and so close to Christmas, too. Just a week until he'd be celebrating the happy festive season with Sasuke Uchiha... Would he be expected to buy him a present? He supposed so, they were 'best friends' afterall.

It had been almost two months since they'd become 'friends' again... Things had gone back to normal surprisingly quickly. It was effortless, really. They slipped back into the old routine like nothing had happened.

Like Sasuke had never broken Naruto's trust or condemned him to a life of solitude...

Naruto clenched his hands into fists at the thought and looked around the room for something, anything really, to take his mind off the raw anger that was bubbling up inside him. His blue eyes fell upon his school bag and the big blue bow that was peeking out of it.

Neji's present. He had almost forgotten! Crossing the room in a few big strides, the blonde plucked the gift from the bag and tore open the paper. It was a simple black box and inside it...

Huh?

A sprig of Mistletoe?

It was then that Naruto noticed the note hidden underneath it. He moved the Mistletoe to one side and scanned the neat, cursive writing:

You and the Uchiha seem to be good friends. Perhaps it's about time you stepped up your game and took things to the next level? This is just a little something for inspiration. Christmas is such a perfect time for new romance, don't you think? NH.

Naruto scoffed but just before he crumpled the note in his hand, he reconsidered. Maybe Neji was on his side? If he wasn't he would've told Sasuke about the plan the moment he'd suspected - right? He looked down at the Mistletoe thoughtfully. Perhaps it was about time he stepped up the game to the next level... Even if only to see how Sasuke would react to something more than friendship.

He smiled to himself.

Things were about to get a lot more interesting, that was for sure...

xx

Sasuke pulled his midnight-blue scarf tighter around his neck and tried his best to ignore the frosty air biting at his exposed skin. It was a week until Christmas and the shopping centre was filled with last-minute buyers, all rushing about in an attempt to get their shopping done. Sasuke had been struggling, ever since Naruto proposed they spend the Christmas holiday together, to find the perfect gift for the blonde. Nothing seemed good enough! He'd even considered just buying him cup ramen but then decided it wasn't the sort of thing you gave to your best friend for Christmas. No matter how much said best friend seemed to like it.

"This is hopeless," Sasuke grumbled to himself.

Maybe he should just give up? Was it really necessary for him to buy Naruto a present? But a part of him wanted to buy the blonde something meaningful, to make up for his mistakes in the past.

"What is he doing to me?" He whispered, voice laced with desperation.

Ever since Naruto had wormed his way back into his life (and Sasuke still couldn't understand why he had, after all the years of hate) the blonde was all Sasuke could think about. He'd hoped the feelings - which, years ago, he'd put down to out of control hormones - would disappear with time. But they hadn't disappeared. They'd just been frozen in time, preserved somewhere inside of him until the day Naruto returned and awakened them.

His only reply was the eerie whistling of the cold December wind.

xx

It was the last day before the Christmas Holidays and Naruto was happy spending his lunch with his real friends for a change. It felt as though he hadn't seen them in a long time. He'd been spending so much of his time with Sasuke, playing the part of the best friend. He hadn't really thought about how he'd explain it to the people he was close to. He knew they were all confused and curious about his relationship with the Uchiha.

Well, apart from Gaara who was never really confused or curious about anything really.

Naruto shivered at the cold and inwardly cursed Shikamaru who had dragged the group outside in order to do some 'cloud-watching'. Seriously? Naruto was freezing his ass off so Shikamaru could look at the clouds? They all looked the same to Naruto...

"Hey, Mr. Daydream!" Sakura called out, waving a hand in front of his eyes and successfully pulling him from his thoughts.

He waved her hand away with a grumpy smile. "D'ya mind backing up a bit? Your forehead is blocking my light-" Pain. Lots of pain. Naruto pouted and rubbed the newly formed bump on the top of his head where Sakura had hit him. "You're so mean!" He wailed pathetically but his eyes held amusement.

Shikamaru opened one eye in order to glare at the two of them. "Troublesome," he muttered before closing his eye again. It was beyond Naruto how the boy could claim to be cloud-watching when he had both eyes closed.

"You'd be more sociable if Temari was here, wouldn't you Shika?" Sakura teased. She had settled into Naruto's group of friends easily. It was like she'd never been part of the popular group to start with. Like she belonged.

Gaara, hearing his sister's name, narrowed his eyes dangerously at Shikamaru. "What are your intentions with my sister?"

Shikamaru swallowed nervously and tugged at his collar. "Uh..."

Sakura quickly changed the conversation, sensing the murderous aura. "So, you've been spending a lot of time around Sasuke Uchiha lately, Naruto. Word is, you and him are best friends!"

Naruto scratched the back of his neck, suddenly feeling as nervous as Shikamaru had been just a minute earlier. Should he tell his friends the truth and get them involved or should he keep it to himself? Well, Shikamaru, Neji and Hinata already knew but there was no need to get anybody else involved... Right? He shifted his gaze to the floor and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it was about time I forgave him. I can't hold a grudge forever..." He said simply.

Sakura seemed to accept this as a suitable response.

Shikamaru gave a knowing, subtle nod.

Gaara stared at him.

And the moment Naruto caught those brilliant green eyes narrowing at him, he knew that Gaara had seen straight through his lie. He also knew that Gaara would find out exactly what he was up to soon enough. Trying to keep a secret from Gaara was like trying to keep Winnie the Pooh from his honey. Impossible.

Naruto sighed and tried to pay attention to Sakura, who was babbling excitedly about the grades she would need in order to get into Medical School.

Shikamaru was right, things really were troublesome.

xx

Gaara caught up with Naruto after last lesson.

The blonde was busy chattering away to Sasuke, making a list of things the other boy would need to bring to Naruto's apartment seeing as he would be staying over. He had never decorated his apartment for Christmas before (he'd never seen the point in spending money on buying decorations) so after finding out Sasuke had boxes of decorations that weren't being used at home, Naruto was even more excited. "Have you got that sparkly stuff you wrap around the tree? Have you got it in orange?" He asked eagerly, not noticing the red-head stood behind him.

Sasuke's eyebrow raised at Gaara but he said nothing. He would wait for the blonde to notice for himself. "It's called tinsel, you complete moron. And even if I did have it in orange I wouldn't put that stupid colour up on the tree."

Naruto pouted miserably but gave up on the argument. There was no reasoning with Sasuke when it came to the colour orange and ramen. Noticing the darker-haired boy's attention was no longer on him, the blonde followed the onyx eyes and almost jumped out of his skin when he saw Gaara. "Gaara!" He exclaimed, sounding both happy and nervous. "Um... Gaara, this is Sasuke. Sasuke, this is Gaara!"

"I know who he is," both boys replied together through gritted teeth. Naruto was torn between feeling creeped out and impressed.

Gaara stopped glaring at Sasuke in order to look at Naruto. "Can I talk to you... In private?" He asked calmly.

Naruto nodded his head dumbly and allowed his red-haired friend to drag him away from a pissed-off Sasuke. "What's wrong, Gaa?" Naruto asked when they were out of ear-shot. The nickname caused Gaara's eyebrow to twitch in annoyance.

"I keep asking myself how you can be friends with him again after what he did," Gaara said. It was as though he were talking to himself. Naruto waited, picking at the hem of his school-shirt nervously, for him to continue speaking. "You might have everybody else fooled but I know you better than them, Naruto. I know how much you hated him for what he put you through. Or have you forgotten? He ruined your life."

Naruto scowled. "I hadn't forgotten," he replied bitterly.

"See, there's that hate again. It's still there in your eyes when you think about what he did to you. So, how can you be friends with somebody you hate?" Gaara asked.

"I'm not... Not really... It's complicated," Naruto replied, running a hand through his hair and glancing over at Sasuke.

Gaara's mind was quick to understand. "You're pretending to be friends with him," he stated. Naruto nodded. Gaara looked thoughtful. "I hope you hurt him ten times worse than he hurt you, Uzumaki."

Naruto smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. The numb feeling had settled in his stomach again. "Thanks Gaara... I just need to do this, you know?" His blue eyes looked at him, pleading with him to understand that he wasn't a bad person. He just wanted justice. He just wanted a chance to be truly happy and he didn't think that was possible while Sasuke - the cause of his life-long misery - went un-punished.

"If you need any help-"

"I know I can count on you for it, right?" Naruto interrupted, pulling the red-haired boy into a brief hug that wasn't returned. Not that he expected it to be. They'd been talking for too long and he could see Sasuke beginning to get annoyed at having to wait.

Gaara gave one of his near-smiles. "Right."

Naruto pulled away and his eyes met Gaara's for a short moment before he turned and walked away, back to Sasuke. From his real best friend, to his pretend best friend. From the only person who understood, to the only person who never could. "See ya, Gaara!" Naruto yelled loudly over his shoulder.

Gaara lifted his hand in a half-hearted wave and watched as Sasuke and Naruto left the school, bickering just like old time. He found himself wondering how long it would be until, once again, he was forgotten and Sasuke Uchiha took his place...

But as long as Naruto was happy...

As long as Naruto didn't ask him for his help or advice...

He wouldn't interfere.

xx

Naruto frowned at the box of decorations as he picked through all the blue, red and black in search of something a bit more... Well, a bit more colourful. But apparently colour didn't exist in Sasuke Uchiha's world. At least the red would look nice on the tree, contrasting with the green... "Our Christmas is going to be so depressing with all these emo colours, teme!"

Sasuke, who was stood on a chair trying to get the angel to balance on top of the tree, scowled down at him. "Shut up, dobe. Why don't you help a little instead of just sitting there, criticising everything I do?"

"But you have such a funny angry face!" Naruto laughed, ducking a bauble that Sasuke threw his way. It bounced a few times across the carpeted floor and then rolled behind the sofa. "You're lucky that didn't break!" The blonde exclaimed, crawling behind the sofa in search of the escaped bauble. He held it up with a triumphant grin and did a victory pose, all of which went ignored by the stoic Uchiha. "Ah-hah! Found it... Hey, it's one of those 'My first Christmas' ones... Aw it's got Itachi's name on it and every- Hey!" Naruto blinked as the bauble was snatched out of his hand by a fuming Sasuke. But there was something else in his eyes, too... Pain? Sadness?

Sasuke directed his glare away from the blonde and instead down towards the bauble. "It should've been broken," he said bitterly.

"What are you talking about, Sas- No, don't do that!" Naruto winced as the bauble shattered in Sasuke's hand, breaking into sharp pieces that pierced the pale skin and drew blood to the surface.

Sasuke's hand trembled and he dropped the pieces to the ground, glass and blood seeped into the carpet. Naruto didn't care, his gaze was fixed on Sasuke's bleeding palm. "I'm sorry..." Sasuke mumbled, looking thoroughly ashamed of himself for his outburst.

Naruto shook his head, dismissing the apology. He grabbed Sasuke by the wrist and led him to the kitchen. Turning the tap on he held Sasuke's bleeding palm beneath the running water, watching as the blood disappeared down the drain. "I don't think the cuts are too deep," he said, looking up at Sasuke and finding himself caught up in an intense onyx stare. "Sasuke?" He questioned, voice barely above a whisper.

Sasuke turned his face away, breaking their locked gaze and hiding the proof of his embarrassment. "Thanks... Dobe."

"Don't mention it," Naruto breathed in reply.

xx

"Naruto?"

"..Ngg.."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook the snoozing blonde's shoulders. "Wake up you idiot, it's midnight!"

Naruto shot up from the sofa with wide eyes and a bright smile. It was Christmas! As Naruto wasn't an early bird the two of them had decided to stay up until midnight and then exchange presents. It hadn't worked out as well as they'd hoped as apparently Naruto wasn't much of a night owl either and kept falling asleep. Much to the annoyance of Sasuke, who had to keep waking him up every five minutes. Eventually he'd given up and allowed the dobe to sleep until midnight, sprawled out across the sofa and drooling on the leg of Sasuke's jeans. The blonde smiled sheepishly as he realised exactly how he'd been lying and scratched the back of his neck as he caught sight of the darkened patch of warm drool on the other boy's jeans. "Uh... Merry Christmas, Sasuke!" He grinned.

Sasuke's eye twitched and Naruto knew the dark-haired boy was struggling to remain calm. But Christmas was a time for forgiveness and being nice to people so he took a deep breath and forced a very small, barely there smile. "Merry Christmas, idiot."

Naruto grumbled at the insult but ignored it in favour of collecting his present for Sasuke from under the tree. It was wrapped - messily - in dark blue wrapping paper with little snowmen and tied together with a big red bow. It looked as though it'd been wrapped by a creative five-year old but Naruto supposed it was the thought that counted. Such a shame that he hadn't put much thought into the gift at all. He had caught sight of a cheap snow-globe while he was out shopping the previous week and had decided to buy it on a whim. It didn't mean anything. But Sasuke didn't mean anything to Naruto, so it was quite fitting really. "Here's your present, teme!"

Sasuke took the gift and unwrapped it carefully. There was something about the way he held it - like it was something precious to him, despite not knowing what it was yet - that made Naruto's stomach clench for one, long uncomfortable moment. It wasn't guilt. But it was an emotion all the same; something other than the cold, hard numb feeling that Naruto experienced normally when he thought about Sasuke. And it scared Naruto so he buried it away, deep inside, in hopes that it would never dare to emerge again. "Thanks, Naruto." The blonde looked up, snapping out of his thought, to see Sasuke shaking the globe and watching the snow float around the miniature house inside.

"You're welcome!" He chirped, voice sounding oddly strangled.

If Sasuke noticed his strange behaviour, he didn't comment on it. The dark-haired boy placed the globe on the table, watched as the snow settled, and grabbed the present that was left under the tree. He handed it over to Naruto and tried to hide how nervous he was. The difference was obvious already. The gift was carefully wrapped in bright orange paper with ramen cups wearing santa hats and a silky blue bow. Naruto almost didn't want to tear the paper - he could only imagine how long it had taken Sasuke to find something like that. Ramen cups on Christmas paper? Really? "Are you going to stare at it for the night or are you actually going to open it?" Sasuke grumbled impatiently.

Naruto didn't need to be told twice. He ripped the paper and revealed a thin black jewellery box. "Jewellery?" He couldn't help but tease.

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and turned his face away. "Shut up and open it, moron."

The blonde turned his attention back to the gift and he carefully opened the box. He was almost blinded by the brightness of the crystal inside which hung from a simple black silk cord necklace. It was beautiful in its simplicity. Naruto felt his throat become dry and a tiny part of him, overshadowed by another part which screamed 'this boy deserves to suffer!', wanted nothing more than to go back and swap the tacky snow-globe for something... Better. "Sasuke..." He murmured, unsure of what else to say.

Sasuke stared down at his hands, trying to keep quiet for fear of saying something stupid. Like how he'd tried to find something that had matched the brightness of Naruto's eyes but he couldn't find anything that bright... Where were these thoughts coming from? "The person who sold it to me told me it's able to help a person through the darkest of times and help them to find the light again when they've strayed too far away."

Naruto's lips twitched into a smile. "Sounds like a load of crap to me, teme."

Sasuke smirked. "That's what I told her."

"Will you put it on for me?" The blonde asked, fiddling with the clasp. His tongue was stuck out in concentration.

"Ah... That seems more like something a boyfriend would do for his girlfriend, dobe..." Sasuke replied warily.

Naruto furrowed his brow as he thought about it. "I know but... I can't figure out how to work this stupid thing!" He huffed, pouting slightly as he gave up.

"Idiot," Sasuke scoffed, rolling his eyes. But he gave in quickly enough, "C'mere then."

xx

"So what's for Christmas dinner?" Sasuke asked, leaning against the door frame and watching as Naruto busied himself in the kitchen. It was early afternoon but the dark-haired boy had only just woken up.

Naruto looked up, surprised and shrugged his shoulders. "I was thinking ra-"

Sasuke closed his eyes. "Please don't finish that." Naruto obediently stopped mid-sentence and stared at him, confused. "You really are a moron. We can't have ramen for Christmas dinner!" Or any other dinner if Sasuke could help it.

Naruto blinked. "So wh-"

Sasuke interrupted him once again. "You know what? Leave it to me. You're obviously incapable of cooking anything other than your beloved ramen. Now go and do something useful."

The blonde slowly stepped out of his own kitchen, unsure whether to be amused by Sasuke suddenly turning into 'Mr. Mom' or terrified. He shrugged it off and wandered into the living room, clearing up all the wrapping paper they'd left strewn about last night. He frowned as he came across the orange paper which belonged to Neji's present - he had almost forgotten about the Mistletoe. Seeing as Sasuke was busy in the kitchen, it was the perfect time to set up for the next step in the plan...

"Sasuke?" Naruto called out a few minutes later, standing at one side of the doorway which joined the living room to the kitchen. He couldn't believe he was going to do this. "Can you come here a minute?" The blonde listened as Sasuke grumbled but obediently walked towards the doorway, meeting Naruto in the middle. Right under the Mistletoe which Naruto had hung up.

Sasuke, annoyed by the way Naruto was just staring at him, raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is it, loser?" Naruto's eyes travelled up to the Mistletoe, as though he'd only just noticed it. Sasuke followed his gaze and stared in horror. Naruto swallowed his nerves, licked his dry lips and placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, stopping him from running away. "It's just a stupid tradition-" Sasuke started.

"Shut up, teme." Sasuke was instantly silent.

Naruto leaned up (mentally cursing Sasuke for being an inch or so taller than him) and, trying not too look too disgusted by what he was about to do, firmly planted his lips on Sasuke's. The hand which had been resting on Sasuke's shoulder, moved to cup his pale cheek without there being any conscious thought behind the action. It was a gentle, chaste kiss which lasted only a few seconds and Sasuke didn't move.

Didn't react.

Certainly didn't respond.

He didn't even breathe.

Pulling away, hand dropping back to rest at his side, Naruto wondered if he was disappointed or not.

Sasuke snapped out of his daze and turned away, walking back into the kitchen like nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. "Do you think I'll need to make gravy to go with dinner?" He asked, voice calm and normal.

Naruto felt sick.

xx

Naruto had been surprised when Neji invited him to his New Years Party. He vaguely remembered being invited to the same party a couple of years ago. It had been his first time drinking and all the blonde could remember from the night was loud music, flashing lights and a very slurred countdown to the new year. The next day he had woken up back at his apartment with a massive gap in his memory and a killer headache.

Gaara had filled him in on the night though and the most embarrassing thing he'd done was try and play tag... With inanimate objects. Naruto shuddered and swore, as he knocked on the huge front door, that he would not drink as much as that this year.

The party was actually a lot of fun, even when Naruto was only a bit tipsy. He was able to spend a lot of time with his friends and forget all about Sasuke. He hadn't seen or heard from him since Christmas. He had made his excuses to leave as soon as dinner - which was very awkward and quiet - was over. He said something about going to see his family... But hadn't he said they wouldn't be there for Christmas?

A few more drinks later and the party was even more fun for the blonde. He had given up on dancing with Sakura and left her for Lee to deal with. He certainly didn't mind the opportunity to woo his beloved Sakura. Naruto stumbled away from the group of dancers, heading towards the couches so he could sit down. It was getting very close to the countdown already.

"-ooft!"

Naruto was knocked into by one of the many drunken teens, causing him to fly forward. He stumbled over somebody's outstretched leg and landed in a heap on another person's lap. He looked up, opening his mouth to apologise and was met with violet eyes. His hazy mind struggled to catch up. "Neji?" He garbled, sounding a lot more drunk than he really was. When had his speech started to slur so badly?

Neji looked down at the blonde heap that was Naruto, amused more than anything. His nose scrunched up slightly as he caught a whiff of the alcohol on the blonde's breath. "Well... This is all very familiar," he commented.

Naruto's brow furrowed at his words but before he could question him, he was pulled from Neji's lap by an excited Sakura. "They're about to start the countdown!" She said happily, dragging him by the arm to the balcony so they'd be able to see the fireworks clearly.

xx

Kiba wrapped his arm around Hinata. He'd made up an excuse about it being 'cold outside' and it was cold, but they both knew it wasn't the reason why Kiba wanted to hold her in his arms. "Are you sure you don't want a drink?" He asked, having to raise his voice slightly to be heard over the music.

Hinata shook her head and stared up at the sky, not wanting to miss the start of the fireworks. "No thanks... I don't like to drink."

..10..

Kiba smiled. Hinata was different to all the other girls but that was what he liked about her.

..9..

Hinata shifted her gaze towards him. "Do you believe what they say about the New Year kiss?" She asked him, tilting her head to the side.

..8..

"What do they say about it?"

..7..

"That the person you kiss first at the end of the New Year countdown will be the person you stay with for the whole of the next year."

..6..

"Oh? Well... What would I have to do if I wanted somebody to stay with me... Forever?" He asked, looking at her with a meaningful smile.

..5..

Hinata blushed bright red. "Y-You wouldn't have to d-do anything... Just b-be yourself," she stuttered, embarrassed.

Kiba held her close and whispered into her ear, "If I kiss you after the countdown every year... Can I stay with you forever, Hina?"

Hinata closed her eyes, smiled prettily and nodded her head. "Forever," she agreed softly. No stuttering or stumbling over her words.

xx

..4..

Sasuke pushed his way through the crowds, looking for the familiar head of blonde hair. He'd been unable to get Naruto out of his mind, ever since he'd kissed him... It was like an obsession. He dreamt about him, the less than innocent dreams which had only matured since he was twelve years old. He couldn't hide behind the excuse of 'out of control hormones' for the rest of his life.

..3..

He wasn't sure what it was. He just knew he needed to find him, talk to him...

..2..

Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the shoulder and turned him round. Anything he'd planned on saying, died on his lips in that moment. He couldn't control his actions as he leant in towards his best friend, eyes closing.

..1..

He could feel Naruto's hot breath brush teasingly across his lips, he shut off his thoughts completely and-

end chapter 4

xx

A/N: Heh, sorry about the slightly abrupt ending folks! I just figured at the end of the countdown it would be January 1st... And this chapter was December only, I'm afraid! Wooo! I'm so happy to have finished this chapter - I know I took ages! T_T

Also, it's 5:25 in the morning where I am so if you see any stupid mistakes... Please tell me? xD

Does the length make up for it? 8,000 words *faints from shock* and there was a lot of SasuNaru interaction in this one. I know you might think things are moving fast but every chapter is a month and I try and make it as clear as possible that I only really write snippets of what happens in that month - does that make any sense? D:

OH! I've started roleplaying as Naruto over on Bebo again if you want to check that out? Feel free to PM me if you're interested in roleplaying with me! You don't have to be a super-awesome writer or anything. It's just for fun, really! The link is on my profile if you just want to have a nosey at my account and see what it is. And if you want to give it a try, but don't know how or what it's all about, I'm more than willing to help you out/ give you info! *wants more people to roleplay with* (:

Again, I'm sorry for the super-late reply! I'll see you guys when I upload chapter 5.