~WARNING: The following story contains Shounen-Ai, BoyxBoy love, or very mild Yaoi. It will contain SasuNaru(Sasu). If you don't like who the Seme is, the pairing, or Yaoi/Shounen-Ai in general, please refrain from leaving any comments about it and do not read any further. Thank you and enjoy~






Secret Santa







"Alright guys! It's time for the 'Secret Santa' gift swap!"

It was cold, but we were the warmest people in the area. Me and friends (I know it's not grammatically correct. I get that enough from the Teme) wanted to share a nice Christmas Party together before we went our separate ways for that special day. Since we all knew that everyone would be spending Christmas in town, we were holding the party over at Kiba's house. Why? Because his family would be out for the night, he knows how to throw one badass party, and most importantly, he had access to his sister's 'secret stash' of alcohol. It was going to be one hell of a night.

So at the party was, of course, me, Uzumaki Naruto, the bright ball of sunshine that could brighten anyone's cloudy day. I had the looks and grin to prove it. Then there was the party host, Kiba, no doubt; wild and parent-free for the night. The girls came along as well. Ino, Tenten and who else but Sakura, and Hinata. Accompanied with the shy Hyuuga was her cousin, Neji and Rock Lee showed up as well. Then there was Chouji and Shikamaru and Shino was hiding somewhere around there. And last, but in anyone else's book but mine, not least, the reason why the party had to be "friends only," was Sasuke. Too many girls were trying to be Sasuke's "date" to the party even though he always turned them down. And Kiba was mentally kicking himself from the number of bribes girls were offering him to let them in the party, along with a portable missal-toe they wanted to try smuggling in. Those girls were seriously crazy!

Anyway, back to the party. So there was food, there was booze, and there were the best people anyone would want to hang out with. And we had a bit of fun trying to keep little missions going on for the party. For instance: Under no circumstances was Lee allowed to have even a drop of alcohol. Whenever he gets drunk, he ends up trashing the entire place. It was funny at someone else's house, some guy we really didn't know, but I'm pretty sure that our parents would end up killing their children for their own holiday present if we let this happen. Second: Ino and Sakura had to be as far away from Sasuke as possible. They also had to be as far away from each other as possible. Look, they may be best friends, but the claws come out whenever a boy is between them. And that unfortunate boy had to be the Teme.

So along with the other festive things I did there, I had to jump from Sakura to Ino to Sasuke. Ino was pretty much handled since Shikamaru spent a lot of his time with her at the party. Then there was Sakura. I wanted to spend more time with her, but she tried avoiding me whenever we were anywhere close to the stationary missal-toe in the room. Well, me and Lee. And he was so damn determined that night. It was hilariously sad every time she turned him down accompanied with one of her "warning" punches. I dunno. Maybe a little bit of the booze was causing me to laugh at other people's pain. Schadenfreude.

Then there was Sasuke. Not that the whole thing was bad, but I would rather spend my partying time with someone a little livelier. But after a couple of drinks, he started to loosen up….a little. I always thought he was so intolerant of alcohol, but once again that damn Uchiha perfection curse thing proved me wrong. I'll get it back someday. But anyway. If I wasn't dancing or singing with the others, I was off in the corner of the room chatting it up with Sasuke. You'd be surprised, but we had a lot to say with each other even though we pretty much knew what was going on in each others' lives. We're often labeled as being joined to the hip. Yeah right. If that ever happened, I would saw my own legs off. And I know the bastard would be right there handing me the dullest and rustiest saw he could find. But honestly, it was actually was a bit of fun, and I found a large chunk of my time with the dark haired boy. Especially since Kiba was trying really hard to warm up to Hinata. He doesn't think I see that between them, but I know.

The party was starting to wind down when Sakura declared it to be time for the "Secret Santa" thing, her idea from the start. About a week before the party, we all put our names in a bowl and pulled out a different slip of paper with someone else's name on it. Then we would spend the week buying a gift for that person. We weren't allowed to tell the others who we were buying for, no we couldn't go and ask the person ourselves, no swapping names, and most importantly, no joke gifts. Damn. There goes mine and Kiba's pranking streak (more ungrammatical uses here!). So anyway, we were given our people and we were set to find the gifts.

And guess who I had to get a gift for? It was actually the most difficult person to think of a good gift for. And believe it or not, it wasn't Sasuke. So why don't you, right now, think of a good gift to get for Shino? I'm serious. I want you to stop reading right now and actually think of a good gift. I mean, everyone knows he's into bugs, but you don't exactly go out and buy bugs for the guy. Or what about something to feed them, huh? You don't exactly know what which bugs favor or hate what kinds of foods or tastes. I'm serious. Take a small break and think of what to get this guy right now.

….

Done? No? Well, that's exactly how I felt. I thought I could get him a magnifying glass so he could get a better look at them, but then I remembered Kiba and I (there. Happy now?) used them to burn those little son-of-a-bitch ants to a one-way ticket to Bug Hell. I was pretty sure that would have been offensive to him or be considered a joke gift, so I tried avoiding it at all costs. But I considered it my back up gift because for the week I had absolutely no idea what to get for this guy. I could just debate how my reasoning makes more sense, but then that would be me against everyone else at the party. I was sure to win against the majority, but Sakura can throw a mean punch. And Sasuke just finds any sort of way to piss me off. Oh and there's Shikamaru….and that reasoning thing….

Okay. Back to the main topic. The Secret Santa thing. So we all gathered around Kiba's Christmas Tree and started to open the gifts one by one. First up was Kiba and his gift since it was his house. Kiba was given the new Halo game and a large cow bone, which was actually for Akamaru. Buy the way Ino gave a small sigh, I bet she was the one who got him a gift. Lucky for her, he and his pup actually enjoyed them. I will too since I'll be the one wasting hours of study time and sleeping on online game play with him.

Next up was Sakura, which I'm sorry to say that her present was hilarious. No, it wasn't a joke present, just something that I couldn't help but laugh at and feel sorry for her at the same time. It was her picture framed in gold, a huge diamond necklace and matching earrings. It wouldn't take an idiot long (insert Sasuke's smart-ass comment here) to figure out that Lee was the one who gave her the gift. Also because the gift was wrapped in pink and green, something Lee thought of months ago about how their colors seemed to match. It actually haunted the poor girl for weeks. Nevertheless, she nervously accepted her overpriced and outspoken gift with a small laugh. You could see the hearts in Bushy-Brows eyes when she didn't throw it on the ground and declared it one step closer in their (imaginary) relationship.

Then there was Tenten…..you know what? I know there aren't that many of us, but I'm just gonna zip through the rest of the gifts and get to me because coincidentally, I was last. I think Kiba made me last on purpose just to piss me off. So Tenten got a new knife set since she really likes weapons and sharp objects. Ino got perfume and flower seeds to expand her garden. But they were such rare flowers that Ino favored that she knew they were from Shikamaru who only sighed and asked why the people giving gifts had to be confidential. Lee got nun chucks to match his mentor Maighto Gai; Shikamaru got a new shogi board which he accepted just because it was there. He didn't seem too excited about it; Hinata got makeup and Sakura said that she had a pretty face and would look even better with a touch of makeup (Sakura's cover blown here); Sasuke just got a black jacket (which match the many other black articles of clothing in his emo closest); Neji got some special hair conditioner and shampoo which, believe it or not, he gladly accepted (we all didn't say anything else); Shino got a jar of honey. (Let me say right here that I seriously had NO IDEA what to give him and just stopped by the grocery store at the last minute. Seriously! It would be nice for someone to tell me what to give that guy!) He actually gave a (slight) reaction and commented that he would use it to attract certain bugs in the winter. Yeah; Then Chouji got a bunch of gift cards to various restaurants. That's about it.

Now I didn't zip by just because I thought their gifts were boring and everything should be about me. This is my story and should focus a little more around me. If you want to hear someone else's story, go ahead and ask them. Now I'll just continue on with my story.

So when my turn finally came, I picked up the box not expecting much.

"Gee," I said with a joking tone while picking the box up. "I wonder what this could be."

Honestly, I didn't think anything big of it. The box was pretty small and I was a pretty simple guy despite what others may say. I never asked for much during the holidays and I have very simple tastes. It was either bathed in orange or noodles and broth. That was pretty much it. And seeing how mu gift was too small to be any clothes, I figured it was a couple of gift cards to ramen shops. I gave a quick look among the people who circled around me. No one had any looks of anticipation, or at least the way I could read emotions. So much for finding my Secret Santa. So without further ado, I pulled on the small orange ribbon and unwrapped the paper on the outside of the small box and opened the white container to see what was inside.


I was sure that I had a few too many that night. I saw something that really shouldn't have been there. It was something that I saw in my past, something that crept in the deep corners of my memory to where I was sure it was only my imagination when someone described it to me. I barely gripped on the string and slowly pulled out my gift for everyone else to see. But in reality, I pulled it out so I could hold it up and see that I wasn't dreaming or hallucinating such a thing.

"Wow, Naruto! What a beautiful necklace!"

I barely heard Tenten's comment as I watched the stone dazzle in the lights that were shining from the roof above. The necklace had a basic string, but it was the jewel that caught the most attention. It was a breathtaking aquamarine blue that shone in the light so magically I really thought I just passed out from the eggnog. A little away from the rock were two pieces of silver that hung from the same string. I could hear the girls gasping and whispering the comments on how pretty the jewel was. It was obvious that the girls didn't get this for me, but that was plainly obvious to me the second I laid eyes on the jewelry.

"Jewelry? Isn't that a bit girly? I thought we weren't getting joke presents?"

"Shut it, Kiba!" I heard Sakura shout at him. "Guys can wear jewelry as well! And don't be so insensitive about other people's gifts!"

"What?! I'm just saying!"

"You're always 'just saying,'" Ino added.

"From then…"

I couldn't help the words barely escape my lips. I just couldn't even let the reality set in my head. This necklace was something from my past and even beyond that. It was a necklace from generations ago, before even my father's birth. It belonged to my great great grandfather before he gave it to my grandmother Tsunade. Shortly after, he died of a heart attack. Tsunade then handed the necklace to my father as a wedding gift when my parents got married. Not long after she was in an accident and fell into a coma. A year passed as she never woke up, so we pulled the plug for "her sake". No matter how much I fussed, my dad said it was for her own good so she would no longer in pain, but I didn't want to lose her.

The final gift was from my father to me when I was very young. I believe I was five. But when he gave me the necklace, I got into a huge fight with my dad saying the necklace was cursed and I would lose them. After about two days, somehow I was convinced to get the necklace and my father said that no matter what he would never leave me. I was skeptical for two months. Nothing had happened. So I believed it was just a huge coincidence with my family for about two years. But one night some robbers broke into our home. We were still there and my father tried to fight them off while my mother tried to protect me. Right in front of my eyes, they were both shot, each with their bodies lying on top of me in order to protect me. Along with their lives, the necklace was taken as well. I wanted my parents back, but the burglars could keep the necklace. But at the same time, it was the only way to remember the people who I cared for most, and then it was gone from my life forever.

"What was that, Naruto?" I barely heard Shino asked.

"It was a gift….from my parents when I was young…"

I put the box down and rested the large stone between my index finger and thumb. I tried to hide any pain or distant look on my face with a large grin.

"But that was so long ago. Plus, it looks really similar. There's no way it could be the sa-"

I couldn't believe it.

I tried not to.

Right on the small surface of how the stone was shaped was a small cut. Not a scratch, but a smooth cut made by a knife. I remembered putting it there to see if it was real. My father said it was so valuable I could by two mountains with it, but I honestly didn't believe him. I thought someone would sell it before it got to me or if Tsunade would have gambled it. But the stone was real, and so was the one in my hand.

That's when I couldn't stop. The tears started to run down my face and they just couldn't stop. I used the back of my free hand to wipe away some of the water from my right eye.

"Huh? Why….am I crying?"

I tried to laugh it off. I wiped my face a few more times, but the tears started getting heavier and my eyes wouldn't let the tears stop. My body started to shake from the tears and it was getting too blurry for me to see. It could have been the alcohol or the overwhelming emotions mixing over. I really couldn't tell at the time. All I know was that the bright cheerful person everyone thinks of me is balling his eyes out right in front of them, all over a small gift. And I couldn't give them a reason or try to play it off. I wasn't even really conscious of the room around me anymore. But the one thing I remember was Sakura's gentle hand placed on my back and her sympathetic voice ringing in my ear.

"Merry Christmas, Naruto."

-----------

The rest of the party went fine, or so I remember. But the next thing I knew was that I was lying on something soft in a dark room. I was pretty sure I passed out from exhaustion and drinks, and it wouldn't be the first time. But the good thing about being me was that I was immune to the massive hangovers from after a rough night.

"I see you're finally awake."

It didn't take long to register that deep voice. I heard it from the party not too long ago and plenty of times in my life. I sat up from the bed and saw the dark-haired bastard sitting at the end of the bed. His bed. It was his home.

"Oh, don't tell me you dragged me all the way to your home. My house was closer to Kiba's, genius."

"But how would you like to face Iruka the next morning when he sees you drunk off your ass, Dobe?"

I gave a soft Teme, knowing that he was right. He usually was, which annoyed the hell out of me.

"I already called him saying you would stay over at my house tonight. You can thank me tomorrow morning by doing my laundry and making me breakfast. And ramen isn't a breakfast item."

Before he could jump off the bed and make his exit to the guest bedroom, I grabbed his wrist and shouted for him.

"Sasuke! Wait!"

He turned his head showing his normal emotionless face.

"It's late, Usuratonkachi. I don't want you waking my family. Just save it for tomorrow."

"No. It can't wait tomorrow."

I turned my eyes down, knowing those black orbs were looking at me with such intensity like they always do. I knew that he never looked at anyone else like that with me as the exception. My eyes drifted down his arm to where my hand was wrapped around his wrist. It had a strong grip and was actually hanging off so part of my hand was touching the back of his. The small thought of the connection made my body heat up a bit.

"What…do you want for Christmas?" I asked in the smallest voice I ever made. And this wasn't because of the time of night.

"We did the Secret Santa thing. You don't have to get me anything."

"Yes I do! I have to!"

I looked him dead in the eye and showed him that I knew. No one knew of my family's history except my guardian Iruka. It was a secret that I planned to keep to myself and to my grave. No one was to know about this and if they did, they would never speak of it. Iruka and I were the only ones who knew. Us and one more.

He gave a heavy sigh and tried to pull his hand away. It wasn't too convincing that he wanted to leave since it wasn't a strong tug. Even so, my grip was much stronger, and I was determined that he wouldn't pull away. Seeing how he wouldn't escape so easily, he turned his head away a bit and talked a little above a mumble.

"I don't want anything. Now let go."

He tried to pull away again, but I countered by pulling him closer to me. As a result for my hasty actions, he ended falling on the bed, lying across my body. Sure it hurt, but it didn't compare to the amount of awkwardness between us. As soon as he got up, he looked at me with such an annoyed look, but the fact that he was looking more through me than in my eyes and the slight color in his cheeks completely cancelled the effects of his glare. For all I knew at the time, he was probably a bit tipsy from the party, so I didn't look too much into it.

"Just tell me what you want."

"Why do you care?"

"You know why!"

He looked at me again, his eyes a bit softer this time. But while I was trapped into his gaze, I noticed that something about him was starting to change. His eyes were suddenly splitting into two, a total of four eyes on his two faces. I was about to start asking him where he picked up such an ability when he opened his three mouths and spoke in one voice.

"Looks like your still a bit drunk from the liquor at Kiba's place."

"Hey. I drank the beer. Your high-class prissy lips would only touch the liquor."

"Wouldn't high-class people drink wine?"

"Whatever, Teme."

He seemed to like whatever was going on because a half smirk half smile crept on his pale face. I probably would have questioned it any other time, but I guess I was a bit more concerned with why two Sasueks were looking at me with that same smirk.

"Hn. I guess I could let you humor me a bit."

Without ever breaking his eye contact with me, he readjusted himself to sit on the edge of the bed and lean himself closer to my face.

"So why don't you just go ahead and tell me what you think of me?"

"Huh? What kind of gift is that?"

"Just humor me."

I shifted uncomfortably in my spot. I told him what I always thought on a daily basis, so I thought I would just start from there.

"You're a real Teme. You're arrogant, think you're so smart when you're really stupid, always trying to show me up with your emo ass and can be a real dick sometimes."

He only looked at me as if waiting for me to continue. Maybe what I said was pretty harsh around Christmas time, so I decided to look at him in a different way.

"However….you do have pretty good grades, and second to me you are pretty good at sports…"

He gave a small chuckle at my last comment.

"…and you really look out for me when I tend to get into trouble, which is quite often. And spending time with you tends to be a lot of fun, despite your protests to do anything."

"Is that so?"

"I guess you really are a good brother."

He gave a questionable frown at which I couldn't understand why. It was the highest compliment I gave the guy ever.

"Brother? Is that all you can think of me as?"

"Uh…"

"Tell me. Can't you think of me as something more?"

"More? You mean more than a brother?"

"Yes."

"Closer than a brother? I don't know anything else other than a lover-"

My face instantly grew red as soon as I uttered that last word.

"B-b-but I n-never thought of you that way! Never!"

"Never?"

"N-no!"

I noticed that his face was getting closer, so I immediately slid back every inch he got closer.

"Never ever? You sure?"

"W-well…"

My back hit the wall and I knew I had nowhere to run. I was breaking under the pressure.

"So there was a time?"

"I….I guess…."

"When?"

"…..often…."

"So is this recent?"

I only nodded my head at his question. Before I knew it, his hand made its way to my chin and gently lifted my head. My face had to have matched one of the season's colors and I just couldn't get myself to stop. It could have been my impaired vision, or maybe I was just going crazy at that moment, but Sasuke's face was getting even closer and closer to mine. I was sure it was the craziness because I could feel the pain of my face from getting warmer and my heart ready to burst from my ribcage. I regretted closing my eyes because a soon as I did, I could feel his warm breath on the tips of my lips. I was absolutely sure he would- but he never thought of me like that! And I never thought of doing anything like that with him! I only thought such thoughts when I was younger and the occasional slip ups when some people I didn't know asked if I was obsessed with the guy. But I never thought this would happen! And more importantly, out of all the people in the entire world who throw themselves at his feet, why would he choose-

But instead, the bed next to me sank and I felt the warmth leave my chin but not my cheeks. I looked down to see the bastard slide under the sheets and tuck himself in. I would normally start a fight to why he would quickly switch subjects or argue why he should sleep on the floor rather than the same bed as me since I was the guest (even if there was a guest bedroom), but I couldn't get any of the words out of my mouth.

"Just go to sleep Dobe," he mumbled at me.

I squeaked in anger and was about to start a fight, but just as I said, I couldn't get anything out.

"And in case you're wondering: this is my room, so I can sleep wherever the hell I want and we did this when we were younger. Even if we're older, the circumstances are different than normal, so just be quiet and get in."

Him and his damn reasoning. I was too tired, too embarrassed and too drunk to put up a fight, so I just gave up and slipped under the covers. I know I shouldn't have gone in facing him, but something in the back of my head, the little unreasonable voice I tend to ignore when I'm around him made its voice loud enough for my body to act otherwise. His face was so clam and smooth and still just as handsome as in the day, if not more since I was much closer than before. I assumed he was asleep and was starting to doze off when his deep voice cut through the silence.

"And thanks for the gift."

"Huh? What gift?"

I saw his dark eyes crack open just a bit and see his lips curve into another half smirk while studying my own gaze with such amusement.

"The OK."

"The 'OK'?"

He leaned over in the bed and let his remarkably soft lips make contact with my forehead.

"The 'OK' to make a move."

I didn't know what to say. I knew everything he meant and was sure that we were still tipsy from the drinks and exhausted from the party. However, I let those three words slip my lips and even now don't regret my response to his gesture.

"Merry Christmas, Sasuke."




END