[Wayward] Part Two (Patreon)

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MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Fate, or any other anime I use in this story. They belong to their respective owners…

12/25/24

Wayward (A Christmas Story)

Despite Naruto's initial protests at their lack of time, once they had reached the airport they found out that unfortunately their flight had been delayed… for about four hours. The airline mentioned something about how most flights were being delayed because of the holidays, it was Christmas Eve after all and they gave a half-hearted apology that he didn't really care for.

The flight they were supposed to get was supposed to leave at around 10:30 AM, but now with their delay, it wouldn't be until 2:30 PM that they left. The flight took about 11 hours, and through time dilation and the change in time zones, they would arrive roughly around noon time.

The flight for all intents and purposes was pretty boring, they flew coach, but luckily Rin had managed to pull a few strings and get them a few seats next to each other. He got the window seat and spent the majority of time during their flight looking out the window and listening to the movies that had been provided for them. He had chosen a movie that had been called The Martian, a film he unexpectedly enjoyed seeing as how its main premise was about a man trapped on a distant planet alone and he had to use the resources he had available to keep himself alive for help to arrive and come back for him. In a way, he found a kinship with the man, Mark Watney, as he too had been stranded in another world. However, he couldn't imagine himself being smart enough to do the things the man had done in the movie, like making an entire food supply with nothing but a bunch of potatoes and his own fecal matter. That seemed more like an Ino type of thing, seeing as how her family was all about plants. Although he doubted he would ever ask the girl if she could accomplish such a task, seeing as how he didn't want to receive a Sakura-level beatdown from the Yamanaka blonde's fury.

Though, he would admit, he always had a enjoyment for movies, especially in his home world. He was very fond of the Princess Gale stories, tales of heroes and princesses, and all sorts of action he had desired in his youth upon becoming a ninja. And now, with the stories he had accomplished, he didn't doubt his tale could become a great movie or film, or even a novel if he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his late sensei. However, he would have to change the ending a little, seeing as how he doubted the ending he received would be just as glamorous as the ones in the films.

That thought heaved his heart, but he quickly pushed it aside.

Spending the rest of looking out the window was pretty neat as well. Though he could fly, he had never really done it for anything besides fighting. He never had the time to actively look around at those times, he found looking at the clouds from above to be a new experience. Maybe Shikamaru was right to look at them so often?

Rin spent the majority of the time on the plane sleeping, and when she wasn't she did things like: watch the movie with him or read a book on magecraft she had brought along with her.

Soon the whole 11 hours were over, and he could say it was an interesting event, though not something he would like to do again if he were being honest. The seats were far too cramped, and as a person who was always hyperactive in his youth—he still was if he was being honest— he never liked sitting down in one spot for so long. If only there were an easier way to travel across all the continents he hadn't thought of.

"Damn it!" Naruto realized, slapping himself on his forehead as he realized something.

"Naruto, what is it?" Rin gave him a questioning look at her traveling companion. They were just exiting the airport, both of them carrying their bags, Naruto carrying a few of hers as well.

"Oh, it's nothing," Naruto sighed.

He just realized something… if he wanted to, he probably just could have run to Japan, or flown if her were being honest. He could walk on water and had traveled just as vast distances during his time as a shinobi, he probably could have arrived faster too. Of course, he only realized this after his 11-hour flight… well, he supposed he could always use this information on their way back, so it wasn't totally useless.

"Well okay then. But I would suggest you don't beat yourself up like that any longer, after all, I'm not sure how many more brain cells we can afford for you to lose," Rin said with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah," the blonde brushed her off, before looking out over the city of Fuyuki. The place was strange, with buildings taller than even the Hokage monument, he was reminded of tales that Jiraiya had told him of the village hidden in the rain, Nagato's home village. Though, this city seemed alot happier than how the leader of the Akatsuki had described it, with people roaming about in good spirits in the winter air. It was a little chilly, and he neglected to bring a coat, something Rin knew but didn't warn him about, seeing as how she was currently wearing a red coat as part of her outfit. Though he did notice that the girl still left her thighs exposed, which he figured would be slightly cold with that much exposed skin, but he didn't mention it

"So, Rin, where are we going?" Naruto asked, his hands on his head, he didn't know if they had some sort of car or if they were walking to their destination.

Rin thought about it, "Well, like I said, the two of us are going to be staying with my sister and her boyfriend. But currently, at the moment I think they're going to be cooking for a while, so we got a few hours to kill to explore the city."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and what exactly are we going to do?" Already having his suspicions about what the dark-haired magus wanted to spend their time with.

This brought a smirk to the mage's face, "Well, we're going shopping of course!" She smiled.

Naruto paled.

XXX

They went shopping, which was a novel experience he didn't want to participate in ever again. With the number of people shopping for last-minute Christmas gifts, last-minute sales, and irritated store workers ready to get the day over with.

He didn't really buy anything and had been forced to spend a great majority of his time 'choosing' outfits that Rin thought he would like. It reminded him of the few times Sakura and Ino would drag him around to see if they could 'get a man's opinion on things' which usually ended with them concluding that he didn't have any fashion sense. Could they blame him? He ran around in a bright orange jumpsuit as a kid, that was the only outfit he wore, he didn't have any sense of mind when it came to clothes that weren't a mixture of the colors red and yellow. Sue him.

Nonetheless, he did have to say, Rin was rather good-looking, practically in every outfit she chose. She was undoubtedly pretty, more so than either Sakura or Ino. And while she wasn't overly busty like Tsunade or Hinata, she had a figure that was neither too big nor too small, as it complemented her proportions.

That had been how they had spent the majority of the day, though they did do some sightseeing as well, namely looking atop the buildings or visiting the parks. Overall he would say the day had been quite peaceful, enjoyable to say the least, and a nice break to contrast the unbearable test days and lectures he had been used to at the clock tower.

"Alright, we're here!" Rin said as they walked through the residential district, pointing Naruto to a single house that he was not expecting.

The Emiya household was an old Japanese-style building with a classically elegant design, that stood out among the other houses he had seen in London. Though the place reminded him of a few homes he had looked at before, particularly those built in Konoha, right after Pein's attack. It was quaint, with a nice homely feel to it as they stood within the residence's courtyard.

Honestly, he was too enraptured by the home's feeling to pay attention to anything else, which was why he didn't notice when Rin walked up to the home's door and knocked on its entrance.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Rin's fist hit the hardwood and the rumbling was heard.

"Huh? Oh, that must be Tohsaka! Don't worry, Sakura; I'll get it!" a muffled voice was heard within the building. The dark-haired magus heard footsteps walk closer and closer, and the lock finally gave way, opening the door.

She was met with a familiar figure, one he had not seen in a while. Rin's aqua-colored eyes met with gold as she observed her longtime friend, Shirou Emiya. The boy, of a similar age to both her and Naruto, had a spikey red hair the color of auburn, and a rather unassuming face. His clothing choice was also different than the last time she had seen him, with the boy forgoing his usual blue-sleeved white T-shirt, as he now suited a more neutral plain white shirt with a green button-up on top, which was the only change she noticed about him.

The red-haired boy smiled, "Oh, Tohsaka! Sakura and I were expecting you a little earlier, what took you so long?" he asked.

"Yeah, I still can't believe it, the plane we were on got delayed for a while, and held us back for no reason which was really annoying," Rin complained.

"Well that's unfortunate, I hope the plane ride wasn't too much trouble for you and…?" Shirou gave a confused look towards the back of Rin's direction, right towards where the very distracted blonde was, who was still admiring the house's architecture.

Rin hummed at his unasked question, "Hmmm? Oh, yeah, I mentioned I was bringing a guest over, his name is—" before she was interrupted.

A new voice made itself known within the building, as it echoed into earshot, "Hey Shirou? What's taking so long, is it more Christmas carolers again?" a female inquired, as a girl stepped into their view, just a few years younger than the three. She had a similar appearance to the Tohsaka mage, with their facial structures being very much the same. The difference was that the girl's long, lustrous hair that fell in its place was violet in color, as a single red ribbon held it in place along her left side, and she had purple eyes as well. She wore a long dress with a pink cardigan over it, and currently, she held an old dish she was washing with a rag, preparing for dinner later. From the moment she saw them, she sported a warm smile, as she put the plate away.

"Oh, sister! It's so good to see you again!" the girl, Sakura Matou, Rin's biological sister stated in delight, as she walked up to the girl and gave her sister a nice warm hug.

"It's nice to see you as well Sakura!" Rin said with a smile, a slight flush across her cheek seeing as she still wasn't used to the close contact between the two of them.

"Shirou and I were just preparing dinner! You came just in time, it's almost ready and… I'm sorry, it seems it seems your friend over there and I haven't been introduced yet," Sakura stated, noticing the blond who was standing behind the girl. Naruto looked back at her, seeing as he had noticed the girl's arrival as she called out to them.

"Oh, Hello… I'm Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet ya!" Naruto said slightly awkwardly, not knowing what to say as the two strangers stared at him as he walked up. Luckily, Rin stepped in between their view to explain for him.

"Yeah, he's the guy I talked to you about, sorry about not telling you sooner, I hope it isn't too much of a bother inviting him, especially because it was so last minute," Rin stated.

Her sister shook her head, "No, it's no trouble at all."

"Yeah, we have plenty to eat, and there's always room for one more!" Shirou interjected, giving the two a warm smile, "It must be cold, why don't you come inside?"

The two did just that, Rin discarding her coat by the door as Naruto brought in several of the bags that Rin had bought as well as their suitcases.

"Here! Why don't you put your bags in the storage room, and then I'll show you where you'll be staying," Shirou said, as he helped Naruto carry a few.

"Hey, Shirou!" Sakura said, calling to her lover's attention.

"Huh? What is it Sakura?" the red-haired boy asked her.

"Don't you remember, since we were given such short notice we didn't have time to clear any of the rooms, so now there's only the one guest room at the moment," she reminded.

As Rin's eyes widened, "Hey! I thought there were going to be more rooms here, what happened to all of them?"

"Well, about that…" Shirou said, his hand.

"We kind of filled them up with stuff already," Sakura finished, explaining their situation.

"That can't be, isn't there some places for us to sleep? Surely all of them can't be full?" she asked to which her sister shook her head in the negative. "What about the storehouse? Surely one of us could sleep there?"

"We can't possibly have one of you stay there, the insolation isn't very good and we wouldn't allow you to sleep in that temperature, so unfortunately you two are going to have to share a room!" Sakura told her.

Naruto, who had previously had a rather confused expression, realized what they were talking about, "Hey Rin, I'm sure it won't be so bad, a single room shouldn't be too small of a space if it's just the two of us. Plus, if you really want me to I can sleep on the floor or something somewhere else," the blonde said.

"No, I don't want you to do that," Rin said, her ears sprouting a blush across them, but she supposed if she was just sharing a room with Naruto for a couple of days it wouldn't be so bad. "Fine, we can share a room I suppose."

"Alright, then, now that that's sorted out. Uzumaki-san, right? Why don't I show you to the room you'll be staying in? Tohsaka? You remember where it is, right?" Shirou said as he led the blonde across the building, all the while leaving the two sisters to converse with one another.

"What?" Rin said, seeing the look her sister was sporting at her.

"Oh, nothing," Sakura said, although by the expression she was giving Rin could tell she was interested, as the dark-haired mage gave her a firm look. "I just think it's interesting, your friend, that's all," she said with a smile.

Rin raised an eyebrow, "Huh, Naruto? What about him?"

"Well, you didn't mention him being a boy when you messaged us," her sister said.

"W-what? So what if he's a boy, we're just friends!" Rin insisted, not liking where her sibling's mind was going.

"Yeah, but he's just the first boy you brought home with you! Of course, I would be a little excited!" Sakura told her.

"Look, it's like I said, we're friends from the clock tower together, that's all," she insisted, although the blush on her face was all too telling for her sister. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm starving, airport food isn't all that it's cracked up to be," she said, as Rin walked into the dining room.

XXX

A few minutes Later.

Soon the four found themselves sitting at the table, as, just like how Sakura had said, all the meal required was a few finishing touches, which were happily applied by the resident couple as they always favored cooking. Naruto soon found himself at a table filled with home-cooked foods of various kinds, a sight she had never quite seen before. In front of him was a set of multiple dishes of all kinds, curry, stews, sushi, and sweets of all kinds that gave off such a pleasurable aroma that not he could deny it didn't seem appetizing.

And, with a quick shout of "Itadakimasu!" by all the patrons they all began eating.

Rin was at his side of the table whereas Sakura and Shirou were sitting across from them as they sat along the cushions. And as the blonde began eating even the blonde had to admit that the food was good, really good, it was a far cry from the bad food he had eaten in the clocktower. And Sakura and Shirou had really outdone themselves from what he expected, though, he would still say Ichiraku ramen was better, if only by a little.

He was so engrossed in the food, that he only barely noticed Rin and Shirou conversing. "Wow, Emiya, this is good, you and Sakura have gotten alot better, I didn't even think that would be possible!" Rin said.

"It was nothing, just a little something Sakura and I cooked up, tomorrow's meal will be much better than this," Shirou informed sheepishly.

Sakura nodded her head. "Yeah, Shirou and I purchased some special meat from the market that we hope to prepare for lunch tomorrow."

"Is that so? It sounds great!" Rin said, only anticipating how the food would be this evening. Before another thought crossed her mind, "Say, Emiya, where are Taiga and Rider? I thought they would be here this evening."

"Oh, that, well Miss. Fujimura unfortunately is attending a family event she said she couldn't miss, she'll be back by the new year. Although she did threaten to hit me if we didn't at least save her some food for when she comes back," the boy said with an awkward grin. "As for Rider-san…"

"Rider said she wanted to visit Greece this Christmas, so she took a plane just a few days ago," Sakura informed the girl of the whereabouts of her servant.

This brought something to Naruto's attention, "Hey wait, if this Rider isn't here, what about the room you were planning for her to stay in, shouldn't that place be vacant for Rin or I to stay in?" Naruto questioned.

"Well, about that…" Shirou thought, trying to find a good excuse to come up with.

Luckily, Sakura went and pulled through to finish before him, "We didn't tell Rider that there would be another guest this evening, so it wouldn't be right to let another person stay in her room without her permission," she said.

"I see… well alright then," Naruto nodded, their explanation making sense to them. However, Rin still didn't 100% approve of what Sakura was trying, as she knew her sister was up to something.

The rest of the dinner was eaten amidst conversation, and soon they were ready to clean up. Rin, who had been largely the one who had started the conversations seeing as Naruto was still unfamiliar with her two friends, offered to help clean up, especially since Sakura and Shirou had prepared dinner for them that evening. Volunteering Naruto to help as well, to which he didn't refuse, seeing as how he didn't know how.

So the two ended up next to the sink together, Rin washing the dishes whilst Naruto was restricted to drying, both having rolled up their sleeves so water wouldn't get on them, as Sakura and Shirou added some last-minute Christmas decorations. All was silent, as the aura of blissful contentment permeated around, that was, until, Naruto spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Hey, Rin!" he said, as Rin looked at him.

"Huh? What is it, Naruto?" she asked, as the blonde got closer to her. Time seemed to slow down for the dark-haired girl, she watched as the shinobi closed the distance. She gazed into his cerulean blue orbs, as they reflected back at her, they were deep, like two pools of water that reminded her of the ocean. She felt as if she could look into the depths for what felt like forever, although, truthfully, it couldn't have been more than a few seconds.

"It's nothing, just hold still," Naruto said, inching further.

As she watched him steadily bring his hand close to her face, she wondered what he was going to do. Rin felt her heartbeat quicken at their proximity, her eyes wide as her face reddened, although she could do nothing to stop it. She stood still, completely taken by surprise as her eyes widened. She watched as Naruto got close, to the point she could feel his warm breath on her skin, and he only got closer. Her eyes gazed at his lips as his face got closer, she wondered if he was leaning in for a kiss. Right here? Right now? He couldn't be, could he? This was probably the least romantic scenario she could come up with as they were only washing dishes. She was wearing a apron for heaven's sake! But, even the slightest part of her couldn't deny that she felt as if the two were like a married couple in love, completing their daily chores in nothing but the contentment of each other's company. That same part of her also couldn't deny that the scenario wasn't desirable.

She wanted a life like that, one that was simple, with a family, a complete one, where family members wouldn't be ripped apart because of stupid magus traditions. A family where the mother wasn't hospitalized, and the father didn't go off to die in what she realized was now a pointless war.

And so she realized, that if Naruto went on the kiss her, she wouldn't refuse.

His hand reached her face, cupping her cheek, she closed her eyes, expecting something… but nothing came.

She felt Naruto's finger graze her skin for the slightest seconds, "There, all better!" Naruto said, muttering to himself.

"W-what?!" Rin stuttered, not knowing what to say after such a situation.

"Oh? You had an eyelash on your cheek, I was just getting it since it would be a real hassle if it fell into your eye or something," Naruto told her, as he once again, began drying the plate he was working on.

"R-really? Is that so?" the Tohsaka said, still trying to recover herself from what had just happened.

"Yeah… hey, Rin? Are you feeling okay? Your face is all red," Naruto noticed, worrying if the girl was alright, oblivious to the situation he had just put the girl in.

Rin tried to recover from how she was feeling, as she had stopped washing dishes completely, "N-no, it's nothing," she said brushing him off, trying to slow down her beating heart.

"Sister, do you mind if I speak with you for a second?" A new voice called out to them, it was Sakura, who had just stepped into the room expectantly.

Rin turned to look at the purple-haired girl, "Huh? Umm… sure you can, but we still have a few dishes, can it wait a bit?" she asked, seeing as how they still hadn't got their task completed yet.

"I can help with that!" Shirou stated, walking into the room. "Why don't I finish the dishes with Uzumaki-san? That way there isn't anything to worry about," the red-head stated.

"Well… alright then?" Rin obliged, a little confused at what the two were up to, nevertheless, she removed her apron, placed it near the countertop, and left to follow her sister, leaving the two males to finish washing the dishes.

The air of silence returned for the two of them, only this time both felt a sense of awkwardness seeing as how the two didn't really know anything about the other. There was a feeling that they needed to fill in the lack of sound in the area, although neither knew exactly how to satiate it.

Shirou was the first to speak, offering an olive branch to the blonde. "Sooooo… swords?"

Naruto sighed, shaking his head," No."

XXX

With Rin and Sakura.

"Whatever that look on your face is I don't like it," Rin stated after being dragged into Sakura's and Shirou's room.

"I'm not sure what you mean, sister," the purple-haired girl said impassively, although her expression was evident, Rin knew something was up. "... I just think it's interesting, that's all," Sakura said with a smile.

"You know, I'm not sure exactly what you mean," the dark-haired girl said, crossing her arms together at her sister. She didn't care if the girl thought she knew what was going on, well, it was sad to say that whatever ideas she was forming were wrong. Nothing was going on between her and Naruto, and that was that.

"Oh, it's just that… you like Naruto, don't you?" Sakura stated bluntly.

"W-What? Of course, I don't, who could ever like that blonde-haired idiot!" Rin stated although the blush on her face was clearly contrasting her previous thoughts, telling her sibling all that she needed to know.

"No, of course you don't!" Sakura said in shock.

"Thank You!"

"You're in love with him!" Sakura said in realization.

"What? No!" Rin said, shaking her head vehemently.

But the smirk on her sister's face assured her that Sakura wouldn't back down on this notion. "Sister, you know I've been watching you all my life, of course, I would how you're acting differently, especially when you're around Naruto," she stated.

Rin scoffed at this, "Oh please, Sakura, I don't think you know what you're talking about."

"But I do, after all… I know you used to love Shirou too," Sakura stated, much to the shock of her sister.

Rin's eyes widened, "W-What?! Of course, I don't love Shirou!"

But Sakura only shook her head, "Maybe not now, but I do know you used to," she told her, surprising her sibling. "You used to be in love with him, from the moment that you saw him on the high jump as he preserved I knew you started to love him… just like me."

Rin lowered her head, not being able to meet her sister's violet eyes. "Look, Sakura, that was a long time ago and…"

"You don't have to apologize, after all… I love Shirou too, so I know how wonderful it feels to fall in love with him," Sakura admitted, causing the dark-haired girl to look at her in surprise. "Although I'm not going to apologize for stealing him away, he's mine after all, I won't let anyone, even you, get with him," she said with resolve. "... But, I think it's wonderful that you've fallen in love again. This 'Naruto' seems nice, and I can tell he makes you happy, why wouldn't I support that and try to help you?"

Rin looked at her sister, as she truly contemplated her words and the conviction they held. She knew she and her sister had been through alot, more than each of them should have had to suffer. But now they were back together again, and she didn't want them to ever be apart again. That was why, when Sakura said what she said, she knew she couldn't lie to her sister— or herself, any longer.

"Alright, yeah I… I like Naruto," she admitted, more than liked him, although she wouldn't voice it aloud.

The look of satisfaction her sister sported was enough to brighten any room, as she smiled, happy that her sister finally allowed herself to be honest. "That's wonderful!" Sakura stated.

"Yeah…" Rin sighed, realizing the weight of her own words, and her sister's as well. It was true, she had been in love with Shirou from the moment she had met him, they had fought together, he had saved her, and he had been there and pulled through when she needed him to. Truthfully she had always kept those feelings a secret, after all, Shirou had already made his choice, and he had chosen her sister. And despite all the terrible things Rin Tohsaka might have done taking one more thing away from Sakura was something she wouldn't allow herself to do, especially not the person she loved. So she pushed her feelings to the side, even if it hurt to do so.

But now she was in love with another person, and she didn't want to lose him as well. Not to Luvia, not to anyone else."… Hey Sakura?" Rin stated, getting her sister's attention. "I don't want to lose this time, I don't want to be the runner-up this time," she resolved. She hadn't ever been able to admit her feelings for Shirou in time, and he had moved on to someone else, and she didn't want that to happen to Naruto as well.

She didn't want to loose him.

She just had to find a way to tell him how she truly felt.

Luckily, it seemed her younger sister knew exactly what to do, as a smirk grew across the purple-haired girl's face.

"Don't worry, I have just the thing to draw his attention."

Rin wasn't so sure about the expression Sakura was giving.

XXX

With Naruto and Shirou.

"Hahaha!.. And then, he just walked inside, and the eraser fell on his hair, and he didn't even notice!" Naruto laughed, explaining a tale from when he just become a shinobi.

"Ha! That's great!" Shirou commented.

Naruto nodded at the redhead, "Yeah, at the time it was really hard to believe that the guy was an elite trained assassin, I mean, what kind of killer arrives 2 hours late?" the blonde said, thinking of his old teacher Kakashi Hatake.

Shirou's laughter died down, "Well, I went through a similar experience with my teacher, although he was far more… intense, every time I met him," he said scratching his cheek, thinking of his own teacher Souichirou Kuzuki.

The two began to feel more and more comfortable with each other, a far cry from the awkward aura they started in. Naruto realized it had been a while since he had actually talked to a guy friend. After all, most of the men at the clock tower had stick so far up their asses that they reminded him of how Neji was when he was younger. But at least Neji had some backbone then, unlike most of the guys in London, who wouldn't know what to do when they were punched straight in the face. It felt… nice?

Although don't get him wrong, it wasn't that he disliked the friends he had nowadays. But it was nice to talk to a guy once in a while.

"Uzumaki…" Shirou started to break the silence.

"Dude, just call me Naruto, I'm not really into that formality crap. I tell Rin all the time but she still calls me by my family name sometimes, it gets annoying," Naruto told him.

"Yeah, Tohsaka can sometimes be a real handful," Shirou said in fondness, remembering his time with her during the Holy Grail War, he knew how pushy she could be.

"Yeah…" Naruto realized, smiling in contentment at the thought of his friend.

"All right then, Naruto…" the redhead started. "I just want to say, thanks for taking care of Tohsaka while she has been away. I know Sakura has been worried about her sister while she has been away. Although she's an amazing mage, much better than myself she's always had trouble when it comes to being approachable to people. And I guess, it just makes me glad to know she's had someone to look after her," he told him.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, gaining an embarrassed look at the other male's expression, "Hey, don't worry about it, it's nothing. Rin's had my back plenty of times, so it's not like I'm the only one there for her, y'know…"

Shirou smiled, "You can say that again, Tohsaka might be a lot to handle but she will always be there for the ones that she cares for when they need them most." If Rin hadn't given up on Sakura when she needed it most, well… neither of them would be here, so he was eternally grateful to her.

"Yeah… she has," Naruto said, gaining a similar expression to Shirou before his mind grew sour. His thoughts went down to a place he tried to hide and wouldn't let fester, adopting a small frown across his face, one which Shirou only barely saw.

"Alright then, we're ready!" A familiar voice came through the walls of the building, it was Sakura, and the sound of her voice instantly snapped Naruto out of his expression.

"Do I really have to go out there? This is embarrassing!" Rin's voice went through as well, seemingly talking to that of her sister.

"Of course you do, you look great! No, go out there!" As the two boys grew a look of confusion, not knowing what was going on. Soon they heard the door slide open, "We're coming in!" Sakura sounded, as they soon grew witness to a sight they weren't expecting.

It was the two girls, Rin and Sakura, although their outfits had changed dramatically. Gone were the two's usual red sweater or modest housewife clothing that they were used to seeing, as what the two had on shocked them.

The two were now wearing Christmas apparel that left all to be desired. Sakura chose a short dress that was low cut, and was red in color, and had white fur lining the edges that matched that of her small Santa hat that rested on the top of her head. She also had a black belt around her waist, and a white collar with a green ribbon around both her neck and arm, showing off that of her upper chest and thighs.

However, even then what her sister had on was far more revealing. She had chosen a crop top that showed off her midriff, with an equally small short skirt along her waist and crimson boots with white lining along her feet. A green ribbon wrapped around her neck like a necklace, and a pair of ribbons around her hair tying it up to fit her twin-tail style.

Overall, both were stunning, as the two boys didn't know exactly what to say, mouths open, ready for flies to fly in them.

Sakura near her lover, a coy smile across her lips, "Well then Shirou, how do you like your early Christmas present?" she asked, getting close to him as she kissed him across his lips.

This seemed to cause the redhead boy to reboot his brain, as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist, kissing her once again, "You look amazing," he told her, as her smile grew even more.

As Rin neared Naruto as well, a heavy blush upon her face, out of embarrassment at her outfit or otherwise he didn't know, as at the moment Naruto was still too delirious to register anything at all.

"So, Naruto? What do you think?" She asked, puffing her chest out slightly. The outfits were Sakura's idea, and although she had been hesitant at first she did want to know Naruto's opinion on the matter.

"I-I-I… You look nice," Naruto said, still surprised she came out wearing something so daring. She looked good, really good, and he didn't know how much more beautiful she could get to him.

"Good," Rin said, sighing in relief that the object of her affection enjoyed her appearance. Before she grew a little more confident, she didn't like being the only one embarrassed this evening, "Well then, Uzumaki-kun, what are you going to do now? Most boys would love the opportunity to have a girl wear something like this!" she told him.

"What? I'm not sure what you mean!" Naruto said, a faint dusting across his cheeks.

"Oh, you know…" she said, growing a teasing smile. As she leaned down, giving the boy a nice show of her cleavage, a finger across her cheek as she winked at him, causing the boy to grow even more embarrassed. "What. Will. You. Do?" Rin asked, sounding out each syllable.

A Heavy flush grew around Naruto's neck, and he could do nothing but stare, entranced by his friend's beauty to the point where his body would not cooperate with him.

Luckily, Sakura decided to interrupt the two, as she pulled away from Shirou's embrace "I know what will make this even better!" she sounded. Moving to the side of the room, right towards where the television and stereo were, she quickly turned on some music. It was slow, classical, and made not just to listen to, no, this music desired action. "Why don't we dance for a little bit? It could be fun" she questioned.

"Dancing? Sakura, don't you think you're taking this a little far?" Rin questioned, sure, she had agreed to wear the outfit, and she was fine with seducing Naruto a little bit. But she didn't agree to dance with him, she didn't even know it was going to happen.

"Yeah, dancing isn't really something I've been all that into, I'm not even sure how," Naruto nodded his head, remembering all those times Jiraiya had tried to teach him dancing, it was safe to say he had done poorly. The old toad hermit had originally called it training for when he was to become Hokage because at some point he would need to learn given that some daimyo frequently invited the village leader to balls and parties they had thrown. Not to mention the fact that dancing was a surefire way to 'woo a lady,' Jiraiya's words, not his. However, when they were done 'training' they found out he couldn't dance, and also that the toad he had summoned to help him would rather visit Gamabunta's personal dropping ground than help him again.

As he said this, Sakura gained a strange look on her face, flashing a sickly sweet smile his way that absolutely sent shivers down his spine. Cocking her head, as she eyed him, "Oh, don't worry, if you don't want to, I'm sure we can do something else…" she said, even Shirou grew silent.

Naruto gulped, remembering the times when Tsunade and Sakura would gain similar expressions, he knew how things would end if he refused her. "N-No, d-dancing is fine, the music is too good to not do it."

Just like that, Sakura's look disappeared, replaced with her usual homely expression, as the temperature in the room warmed up a few degrees in compensation. "Great! I'll show you two how to do it!" she said, as she neared Shirou to demonstrate. "First you have to lock arms with each other and get close," Naruto did as followed, much to Rin's embarrassment, the male not wanting to be the subject of Sakura's penance stare once again. "The man's arm wraps around the woman's waist, as the woman's arm goes on the man's shoulder and you sway to the music. See it's easy!" she explained as both Sakura and Shirou started to slowly dance to the music. The two locked eyes with one another, gazing at each other lovingly as each of them got closer. Soon Sakura got lost in their own atmosphere, as the purple-haired girl rested her head on Shirou's chest as she listened to his heartbeat and fell in love with its rhythm.

Rin and Naruto were more apprehensive, the blonde for the most part was still unsure of what to do, being a mixture of scared and nervous to say anything, lest the girl's sister look at him in such a way again. And so, their dance wasn't quite as romantic, as Naruto's movements were more robotic than anything. Not willing to let himself get too close, but also not let himself get too far so they couldn't finish their dance. It was only one, what was the worst that could happen?

"You know, if you don't get any closer, you might fall and take me with you," Rin spoke, trying to lighten the mood, she could tell Sakura's forwardness had put Naruto off. She would have to talk with her sister about being less pushy in the future.

Naruto shook his head, "You don't have to worry about that, I've been pushing chakra into my feet to keep myself stuck to the floor so that doesn't happen," he admitted.

"Right, that's one of your ninja techniques—Ow!" she said, as Naruto accidentally stepped on her foot. "I don't understand how a shinobi can be so uncoordinated, " she said with a wince.

"Sorry about that," Naruto said, embarrassed.

Rin smiled, "Don't worry about it, just dance with me like I'm not going to hurt you and we'll call it even," she stated, managing to get Naruto to crack a small smile.

"Alright then," Naruto said, as he got close.

Soon the music took off and Naruto slowly started to get into a good enough rhythm to where he wasn't completely stepping on his partner's toes. He even grew bold enough to twirl the girl as soon as he saw Shirou doing it to his girl, which caused Rin to laugh in response. He didn't know how long they participated in their reverie, but somewhere along the line, he found himself close to the woman in his arms, holding onto her as if she were a lifeline. It was as if they didn't have to worry about a thing, as if all of their troubles, their insecurities, were gone.

A shout came in to interrupt the two, as they turned their heads to see both Shirou and Sakura staring at them, likely for more than a few seconds. "Look, you two are under the mistletoe!" Sakura sounded, pointing above the couple as each looked up.

"Oh yeah, I guess we are," Rin said with a smile, she guessed when they danced around shuffling they ended up moving under it when they weren't paying attention.

Naruto grew a confused expression, "Mistletoe, what's that?" he questioned.

As his partner grew a smirk on her face, "Oh, well it just means that if two people stand under it they'll have peace and love for the rest of their lives."

The blonde raised an eyebrow, "Really? That's nice…"

"Yeah, although, the tradition only works if the two kiss under it," Rin finished her explanation, seeing the look on Naruto's face as he processed the information.

"I see…" Naruto said, a slight frown on his face.

His expression didn't deter the dark-haired girl, as she looked at him, a smug look still on her face, "Well then, aren't you going to kiss me, ninja-boy?" she asked, snaking both of her hands up to his neck.

And it was then the much shorter girl started leaning up to him, the music seemed to slow down. And before Naruto could react Rin was already nearing him, lips pursed as she closed her eyes. Naruto realized what was going to happen, not knowing what to do. Looking at her now, he recognized that Rin was beautiful, and a dear friend to him. She was one of the few that had been there for him during his time arriving in this world. He had been alone, without anybody there for him when he needed it.

And now, here she was, asking him for a kiss.

He found himself drawing forward, placing his arms around her slim waist as she pulled into him. He wanted to kiss her, he wanted to feel how her lips would taste. Sure, she could be a handful sometimes, but so could he, he realized how hard he could be sometimes, and yet she remained by his side every step of the way.

He wanted to kiss her, he realized as such.

And, just as their lips were about to touch…

He stopped.

A trickle of doubt seeped into his mind.

Naruto stopped himself as their lips were only inches apart, each feeling the other's breath from their proximity. Rin opened her eyes, seeing a strange look on the boy's face.

"I'm sorry, Rin. But I can't do this any longer," he forced himself to say.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked, a look of confusion on her face as she didn't know what was going on.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go," Naruto said in a panic.

As Rin found the blonde free himself from her arms, she stood there, stunned as she watched Naruto run free, running out the door and leaving it open for the winter's cold breeze.

The girl not knowing all that happened, had a look of hurt on her face.

XXX

With Naruto.

"Dang it!" Naruto yelled, "I really messed up didn't I?" he said to himself more than anything.

Although, even though he was speaking in self-reflection, it seemed his inner occupant had something to add to the matter. "Yeah, you kind of did," Kurama spoke, voicing to him for the first time since Zelwretch's test.

The fox's words made Naruto clench his fist even more, he wanted to hit something, to punch a wall into the ground. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that he knew if he did actually hit something he wasn't sure whatever he struck would still remain standing, being strong in a world of paper was a constant reminder to keep himself in check.

A constant reminder of where he was and where he came from. He knew he wasn't from this world, knew that he had to return to his home at some point, and what would happen then. In truth, he valued the bonds he had made in this place and held them to the same standard as his true friends. But he knew that in the future they would be driven apart, and he wasn't so sure he could deal with it.

"I don't know, Kurama, do you think I made the right choice?" Naruto asked, wanting to know the fox's opinion.

Said kitsune was merely laying upon his stomach, as he lazing picked at his teeth. "Who's to say, your human interactions always amuse me with your courting rituals? To mate, or not to mate, I was never interested in such matters myself, though I will admit, that drama you small monkeys arise does always seem to get a chuckle out of me," Kurama laughed.

"Yeah, well screw you buddy!" Naruto shouted, if the dumb fox wasn't going to help him he would just turn to someone for help… although he realized there was nobody else.

He was alone. Or he wasn't, which was the problem.

He realized he had nobody else to talk to on such matters, and nobody he was close with to talk about his problems. It was ironic, if he were alone he would have nobody to talk about his problems with, but then he also wouldn't have any problems maintaining his relationships in the first place. Maybe this was why Kakashi had always remained distant, he mused, if you didn't know anybody then problems with others would just cease to be, that had to be why his jonin sensei had been so calm all the time.

Unfortunately, it seemed his inner demon sought to spoil his ponderings. "Pfft, yeah right, you and I both know that you couldn't push people away. You can't live with yourself being alone, that's why you ended up getting attached to that little vixen you're so fond of." Kurama stated.

He was right, Naruto had never managed well with being alone, he had spent the entire first 12 years of his life without anybody, and didn't want to live through that hell again. And, just when he had finally gotten his life sorted out, finally made bonds that he cherished and they had been ripped away from him.

After all, it was those same bonds that got him here in the first place.

When he had found Kaguya, right as they sealed the rabbit goddess with the sun and moon seals Hagoromo gave them it seemed she still had some chakra left in her. A final attack, one made only out of fear and spite at the fact that she had been sealed again. The problem?

… Kaguya Otsutsuki had not been aiming for him.

No, even though Naruto had been the major contributor in the fight with the woman, and the first one to actually lay a lasting blow on her she didn't aim her attack at him, likely because she assumed she wouldn't be able to catch him. She aimed for Sasuke, a portal, one that led to who-knows-where, it had been the first technique she thought to use. He had been the one to take the hit instead of his best friend, valiantly sending himself in his place as he violently was ripped from his whole world. That had been the situation that had caused him to enter this place. He didn't know how things would turn out after his disappearance, but he assumed that Sasuke would be able to free all of the people in his world from the infinite tsukiyomi with the powers of the rinnegan and the rest of the tailed beast left in his world.

Once he had arrived here he had been alone, and thought bothered him, he desired companionship, not just from the giant demon fox within his stomach but with others alike, he couldn't handle anything else. He had been lost, driven only on the path to return home, and yet very few ways to achieve it. Rin had been one of the few he had become close with in this need for a lack of loneliness, she had been the one to help him in this swamp he fell in.

They grew close, and yet… he wasn't sure why he turned her away.

Was it because they might be pushed apart again? Could he haven't that fact once more? Was that why he hesitated to kiss her?

He wasn't stupid or as dense as people wanted him to be, in the realization that Rin had actually wanted to kiss him he knew what that meant. But he wasn't so sure of his feelings on the matter, or what would happen even if he acknowledged them.

Did he love Rin? That was the question, sure, he knew she was attractive, probably more so than anyone he had ever met in his life, and she was fun to be around and got his heartbeat pumping faster on more than one occasion. But he wasn't sure what that all meant, he was just… so unsure of what to do.

That's why he ran away, that's why he was here, standing atop the tallest building he could find staring down as he thought of his actions. He needed some time to think, which was why he tried to find some semblance of familiarity. Trying to return to his old habit of standing atop the Hokage monument, the tallest point in all of Konoha where he could see everything that happened in the village.

The wind rustled through his hair as he watched the lights around him flicker in the night sky. He saw people, and cars pass by, moving about on Christmas Eve he saw parents, and couples shopping for gifts and presents that evening.

This place was… peaceful? It was nice, filled with an aura of tranquility as the cold temperatures licked across his skin.

But he knew this wasn't his home, he realized this wasn't his people. He didn't belong here and he knew his time here had to end.

It seemed he was so lost in thought in his contemplation, that he didn't realize another visitor was there to offer their voice.

"You know, Naruto, if you wanted to spend more time sightseeing, I could have taken you, all you had to do was ask," a person answered, as Naruto immediately looked in their direction. Seeing an encroaching figure reveal themselves in the darkness they headed up the stairs of the building that reached the rooftop.

Naruto's eyes widened, seeing and knowing exactly who it was that had found him. "What? Rin, what are you doing here?!" He asked

And indeed it was the dark-haired girl that had appeared before him. Gone was her strange seductive Christmas outfit she had on and it was replaced with the red coat and black skirt combination he had seen before. As she stood there, freezing in the cool wind even as she went to find him.

"I had a feeling you would be in a place like this, after all, I had a friend who liked tall places. This is the tallest building in the city, I had a feeling you would end up in a place like this," Rin explaining, remembering a certain red-dressed servant she had under her command at one point. They had gone to places like this, where his sight had been unmatched and he could witness the whole city. And here she found her friend in a similar state, overlooking the city.

As Naruto was about to jump away, standing at the very edge of the building Rin noticed this, and her voice stopped him.

"Naruto, wait!" She shouted in a panic, trying to not get her friend to push her away. It seemed her plea had worked on the blonde, as for the slightest moments before his launch he paused, looking at her silently. Rin steeled her resolve under his gaze, as he watched her, his blue eyes flaring in hesitation. "Don't you think it's time we talk, about… everything?" She asked him, letting a breath out, gauging Naruto for his reaction.

Naruto looked at her, "What's there to talk about? Look, if this is about me leaving, I'm sorry I ran out, but I just needed some time to think," he told her honestly.

Rin only shook her head, "No, truthfully I'm sorry too," she admitted. "Sometimes, I know I can be rather pushy and get people to try to do things they don't want to do, and I'm sorry that backfired on you so hard," she said, opening herself up.

Naruto disagreed, "No, that's not it, I don't mind going on this trip, and I'd be lying if I said the dance was bad. It's just…" he frowned, looking at her for a second. "Rin, I don't think that things can work out between us…" he told her.

Rin too gained a sour expression, "Really? And why's that?" She said, crossing her arms as she raised her eyebrow.

As Naruto steeled his resolve, "Rin, think about it, I'm from another world, I have to go back there. You belong here, this is your home, but to me… I just don't," he admitted, averting his gaze, unable to meet the girl in her the eye. But he realized that his words needed to happen, even if he cared about her.

Even if he loved her.

Loved? Even so, he knew that it could never happen, and it was best to end things before it even started. He expected to see her angry, or at the very least frustrated at his decision, anyone would be.

However, what he didn't expect was to see the girl look at him sympathetically. Her eyes filled with a mix of both warmth and sadness.

"Naruto, are you sure that's the real reason you're afraid because you think you'll get back to your home eventually?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course it is, what else would it be?" He questioned.

Rin merely shook her head in response, "Maybe, but I don't think that's it. I think there's something else you're afraid of… I think, that you're not worried about what will happen when you return to your world. I think you're afraid that you won't," she stated.

As Naruto's head instantly snapped towards the girl's direction in shock.

"What? Rin, of course, I'm not afraid of that… it's just…" He tried to say, but a single look in Rin's eyes threw away all of his arguments.

Because it was then that Naruto realized that Rin wasn't just looking at him, but she understood. She knew of all the worries he held in his mind. He realized he could hide things from her, even the parts of the things he didn't want to admit. It was like he was naked to the girl as if she saw him in his entirety, but perhaps the more surprising part was the fact that she didn't want to run away after.

A deep breath escaped Naruto's lips, one filled with all the pain and suffering he had endured these past few years without anyone. "Okay, I'll admit it, I'm not sure I can even return home, are you happy?" He said, finally willing to speak on the thoughts that had plagued him the entire time he had been here.

But he was unwilling to look at the girl's gaze any longer, as he turned around and faced the edge of the building. Sitting down with his legs hanging over the edge, he spoke once again:

"Do you know many other worlds they say there are? How many other dimensions? What are the chances even if I do pass this test I still won't be able to find my way home?" He needed to know. He knew his chances of getting back were slim, if not downright impossible. Kaguya had sent him out randomly, not to one of the uninhabited worlds that she had chosen before but to a place not even she knew the destination. She didn't plan for him to come back, and she didn't plan for him to have a happy ending. No, Kaguya Otsutsuki wanted him to suffer, and she wanted him to feel pain for sealing her away again.

Rin got close to him, although he could barely feel her presence, too engrossed in his own thoughts as he stared down at the populace. Surely he was to stay in this world alot longer, he had already been here for close to two years, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad?

"I don't think the chances are impossible," Rin spoke to him, as Naruto looked toward her, surprised. She merely shook her head, "I don't. I think your chances of returning how are pretty high."

Naruto disagreed, "How can you say that? You know that even Zelwretch doesn't want me to return to my home. So how can you even say that out of the countless dimensions out there, I'll be able to return to my specific one?" he argued.

"Well of course you can, after all…" The Tohsaka mage merely gained a smile, "You're Naruto Uzumaki, you never give up, and you never go back on your word. You can get back to your home, I know you can," she told him with such confidence that even he felt he could believe her. It was as if she truly thought that he could do the impossible, that he could get back to his home, it made him want to believe it as well.

"Thanks," Naruto told her.

He wanted to believe it, he wanted to believe that he could but even he had doubts, as the dark-haired mage sat next to him. They sat like that for several minutes, even as it was cold, and even as the wind drew forward they felt content, peaceful. Watching the people go by and the lights flicker in the distance brought them no small measure of comfort as they reveled in each other's company without complaint.

Naruto was the first one to break the silence, "Hey Rin."

As the dark-haired girl raised an eyebrow, "Huh? What is it?" she questioned.

Naruto took a deep breath, and spoke, "It's just… I am sorry, for everything," he told her sincerely.

Rin grew silent for a moment, thinking about all that had happened and the things they did to end up in this situation. Before she grew determined, now knowing what to say next, "Hey Naruto, what do you think of me?"

Naruto grew surprised, "W-What? What do you mean?" he asked, not knowing what to say next.

But Rin only grew more distant as she looked off in the distance, staring towards the sky as she looked up at the stars. "Like, what do you think of when you think of me? What's the first thing that pops into your mind?" she inquired, wondering.

Naruto thought about it, and the expression she had caused him to consider his answer. Scratching his cheek a little, he finally found what he wanted, "Well, I'll say you're an amazing person, you're kind, and determined, although you're a little stubborn, and pushy sometimes. But that doesn't mean I don't value you as a friend, because honestly… you're amazing," he stated, a slight blush on his cheeks as he spoke. He liked being with Rin, she was interesting, and definitely not like anyone else he had ever met, more so than anyone else. In some ways, he was glad that he actually got the chance to meet her, and truly loved the time they had together.

Rin grew a small smile at his words, before a frown overtook her beautiful features, "Really? Because that's not what I think of when I think of myself." It was then that she drew her legs close to her chest, Naruto didn't like the expression she held. "Honestly, when I think of myself all I can think of is my regrets. My sister, my father, my mother… all of it comes to mind in my life," She thought, thinking of all the things she regretted in her life.

She should have been a better sister, she should have gotten her father to escape the grail war. In truth, she had always struggled with the big things, the things that absolutely matter. Sure; she could get the little pieces done easily, homework, magecraft, studying. But it was always the big things she struggled with that were the hardest parts. It was the things that truly matter, she already missed her chance with Shirou, and she knew she didn't want to miss her chance with Naruto as well.

"But…" Rin spoke once again. "I don't want to have any more regrets. That's why, when you go back to your home, I don't want you to return alone," she told him, looking him straight in the eye when she said it.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, "Rin, what do you mean…" he trailed off, not understanding the implications.

"What I'm saying is when you return to your home, I want to go there," Rin stated, speaking with full conviction. She knew Naruto would make it back to her home, just as she knew the sun would rise the next day and that the earth would spin again. She was confident that Naruto would make it to his home, if not through Zelwretch but through another way entirely.

He was just too stubborn to not make it back, and she wanted to be with him every step of the way.

"But, what about your sister? And your studies? Why would you leave all of them, just for… just for me?" He questioned, he needed to know her answer, needed to hear her reply to the matter.

"Are you really going to make me say it?" Rin said with a frown, a light blush on her cheeks, one that wasn't because of the cold temperature. "I thought it was obvious, I-I… like you, I like you alot," she admitted, not wanting to leave anything for regrets. Now all she had to do was wait, to hear Naruto's answer, and to find out where to go from there.

"Wow…" Naruto blinked. This wasn't the first time he had heard those words. Whether through his pink-haired teammate who had told him in the heat of a lie, or from Hinata, the girl who had risked her life to save him in the wake of Pein's assault. He never did appreciate the former, for he knew that the girl wasn't being genuine, and unfortunately, with the ladder, things just didn't seem to work out, especially because he had been sent here to this world. But this confession was different, he wasn't in the middle of a battle this time for him to be distracted, and he knew he wasn't being manipulated. No, he knew Rin's feelings were genuine, now all he had to do was give her his answer.

A small smile grew on his lips, he already knew that he loved her, even when he wanted to push her away. He realized that before he wasn't being genuine when he ran, all because he didn't want to admit his feelings. He didn't want to believe that he would never return home and that admitting he did want to stay with Rin would just be admitting it, even if he knew it was true. But he guessed he didn't have to worry about that anymore, did he?

"I like you too," He admitted, the faintest flush upon his cheeks as well.

Upon his answer, all the unsureness that Rin held on her expression grew to be one of pure and utter joy. "That's great!" she said with a smile.

Naruto grew a smile, but even so, he was still unsure of himself."Good, so what are we… Y'know, now?" he questioned, he wasn't all too knowledgeable on how relationships went to find an answer.

But Rin's expression didn't change, as she grew a serene look upon her features. "Well, now we're just how we always were, nothing has changed between us, we're just together now…" she told him, as she got close. Beginning to lean her head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat and feeling his breath rise and all before her.

Naruto instinctively raised his arms to wrap around her figure as she leaned into him, feeling her warmth as the night reigned above them. It felt… nice, being with her, knowing that things wouldn't change between them. Being alone, he realized how precious his relationships were to him, and he was glad to find that the person he was closest to in this new world would not leave him.

"Naruto?" Rin spoke, as she leaned up.

"Huh? What is it?" Naruto questioned, not knowing what the girl wanted.

A smirk started to form on Rin's lips started to form a smirk, Naruto realized the proximity of their faces, "You still owe me a kiss," she stated.

"Yeah… I guess I do," Naruto said, a smile forming on his lips as well. As Rin drew forward, Naruto did the same.

Their lips touched, expelling all the emotions they felt for one another. There wasn't any lust in the expression, and neither felt the inclination for anything else. No, the kiss they shared was one with nothing more than the love the two shared with one another, and the feelings they conveyed. The kiss was short, no longer than a fraction of a moment, but it was enough, the message was stated, and they were sure that there were more to come.

As Naruto pulled back, stunned, still feeling the phantom feeling of Rin's lips against his, they were soft and sweet, a feeling he could learn to yearn for and wouldn't mind receiving again.

Rin breathed out, satisfied. Before she realized something, as she looked up to the sky, she saw the small white crystals begin to form in front of her. "Hey, it's snowing," she said reaching up to catch a few falling snowflakes into her palm.

"Yeah, I guess it is…" Naruto realized. It rarely snowed in Konoha, and the few times it did it never lasted. From what he could remember the last time it had snowed was when he was a kid, he saved a young girl that day, or at least tried to. He liked snow, just as much as he liked the cold, it was a nice change of pace from the hot weather he was used to feeling, not that he disliked the weather in Konoha, it was just different.

As Rin lay on his chest and he felt her body press up to him, he realized he wasn't so alone anymore. Perhaps… being here wouldn't be so bad?

It was then that Naruto stood up, dragging the twin-tailed girl with him as she gave him a questioning look. "Naruto, what are you doing?" she asked in confusion.

Naruto grew a smirk on his face, "Well Rin? It's going to get cold out soon, we should probably get back now," he told her. But as Rin began trying to leave Naruto merely shook his head, "No, not that way?" he said, as the blonde began taking hold of her.

"Naruto? What are you doing—?" she questioned, as before she knew it Naruto had her within his arms in a bridal carry, and a heavy flush began to manifest on her cheeks.

Naruto smiled, "This way's faster. Plus, I like carrying you," he told her.

Her blush only intensified, but she didn't object to him, "A-alright j-just be careful…" she told him, not being able to meet him in the eye.

"Of course," Naruto said, as he leaped forward, jumping off the building with Rin in his arms as the snow fell.

Yeah… maybe things wouldn't be so bad.

XXX

The next morning.

The snow fell as the sun rose filling the area. White covered the trees, the ground and grass, the dirt, and the roofs of the building. Cool breezes permeated the area, swaying the plants in every direction, not a car was in sight, or people for that matter.

No, the streets were silent, as not even the birds were chirping, for it was Christmas morning, and everyone was inside and warm that morning as the sky parted.

Two people were up in the morning, and the smell of food and dessert filled the house, a testament to the two's hard work.

"Shhhh… Sakura, keep it down," Shirou stated.

"I can't I'm too happy, I mean you heard what they said when they came back last evening?" Sakura stated, giddy as she swayed the door open. It was slight, just enough for them to take a peak in the room.

What they saw was certainly unexpected, as when they peaked into the guest room they saw Naruto and Rin, fully clothed, and very intimate with one another. Both were next to one another, as Naruto pulled Rin into his chest under the covers, both had a peaceful expression on their faces. As Sakura and Shirou realized that Rin had truly grown happy in her time away.

Sakura grew a small smile on her face, happy that her sister had found someone she could be close with just the same as her. "See, I told you they would be a cute couple," she said.

They decided to let them sleep a little while longer, as they prepared the food for them that Christmas day.

The End.