***
Tomorrow marked the first day of winter and memories of Kiyomi surfaced. He wasn't sure what it was that couldn't stop him from thinking about her. Maybe it was where they left off....
Currently, he was sitting on a bench in Kohana that overlooked a pond. Its ice glistened below as tiny snowflakes were afloat in the cold winter breeze. He couldn't remember why he was sitting here but he knew it was nice to feel a temperature different from the scorching heat in Sunagakure.
And then he saw her. Her chocolate curls tossing in the wind with a snow-white scarf to hide her ruby lips. Her emerald gaze reflected nothing but happiness as she looked up to the sky and laughed in delight at the snow. Then, she fell backward into a thick pile.
Immediately, Gaara rushed forward to see if she was okay. As soon as he reached her, he jolted to a stop. She was only making a snow angel.
"Do I know you?" her soft voice left fog pooling into the air. As soon as she was back on her feet, her eyes widened. She took an involuntary step backward, startled to see him. Her balance faltered due to the ice below. She would have fallen if he hadn't of reached out to catch her.
"...Gaara?" she gasped, "What are you doing here?"
"The Five Kage Summit begins in three days" he explained. "Oh..." she trailed, unable to meet his gaze. "It's been some time, hasn't it...?" Gaara couldn't help but notice how long her locks of hair were; How more beautiful she seemed to become with age.
"It has, hasn't it?" she sent him a gentle smile. Truly, he was at a loss for words. Until he noticed she was shivering, of course. "You're shivering" he pointed out. "Allow me to buy you a Coffee" he offered, sending her a sliver of a smile. "Alright." she nodded, following after him.
As soon as they were seated at the Cafe, villagers began to stare. The two of them were used to it, although it did become annoying. "Here," he brought her a drink. "Hot chocolate for adults" she whispered, laughing to herself. "How did you remember?"
"How could I forget your lectures?" he sweatdropped, looking to the side. She always told him to quit drinking his coffee black, that he was missing out. "I'll try a different coffee as soon as you stop drinking Mochas" he rebuked.
"Fine, let's switch" she flashed him a smile. He released his hold on the cup and she took a sip of his coffee. She struggled not to show her distaste for it, earning an eye-roll from the man. "It's not so bad"
The wind speed picked up, whirling past them and throwing Kiyomi's scarf into his face. "Sorry" laughter bubbled from her lips, as she tucked her scarf back around her neck. "It's fine" he muttered. "Why don't we stop at my house?" she asked, raising her voice to compete with the wind. "Just until the weather calms down!"
As soon as they entered the home, Kiyomi let out an apparent shiver. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this weather" she laughed to herself, while placing logs of wood together in her fireplace. "Make yourself comfortable" she smiled to Gaara, as she left to get a lighter.
Gaara took a look around the home, and something about the place stood out. The walls were plain, no pictures hung on them. They were just plain white. The only thing that brought color to the room was the large windows that brightened up the kitchen area. He recollected her other home quite vividly. There was no way he couldn't, as it was designed so welcoming. Where was that now?
"How are you?" he asked softly, as Kiyomi returned to the room. She came to an abrupt stop and immediately her expression became perplexed. The atmosphere grew thick with dread. Still, he proceeded, "Your birthday is tomorrow..."
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Naruto Oneshots
FanfictionJust a few Naruto Short stories I came up with. [Will take requests if wanted, just message me]