#and now i'm too lazy to write/too shy to share my stories ASDFGHJKL RIP

[rimalupin]

Sasuke x MC: Our First Christmas Tree

A/N: Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Seasons Greetings/Wonderful Winter to you all! I hope everyone’s been doing alright this winter. :) I just wanted to hop on here and repost this story I originally published last year for an IkeSeries-themed Secret Santa. While I was making my masterlist, I couldn’t find this fic for the longest time, so I just assumed it was sucked into the Tumblr void asdfghjkl. Anyway, I hope y’all enjoy some cutesy Christmas time with our or at least my favorite ninja astrophysicist. Take care! <3 

(fic below the cut)

*Also quick definition time! In a nutshell (b/c my sources are a few Japanese cultural websites that came up when I Googled the term lol), furoshiki refers to the art of Japanese gift wrapping by using fabric, which is also known by the same name. Traditionally, furoshiki was used to wrap packages and supplies for transportation, and over the years it has transformed into an element of gift-giving.

*****

Kasugayama Castle, 500 years ago, Christmas Week

“Sasuke, could you hand me some more fabric?”

“Ah, of course.” Sasuke nods before handing you a freshly cut square of light blue-dyed fabric.

“Thanks! This color will be perfect for Kenshin’s present.” You take fabric from him and proceed to snugly wrap the warlord’s gift.

Sasuke watches you observantly as you expertly fold and tie the cloth. “It was smart of you to color-code everyone’s presents. I wouldn’t have thought of using *furoshiki until you brought it up.”

“Well, it was thanks to your idea of giving everyone presents.” After giving the knot on top a final tug, you place Kenshin’s present alongside the other gifts you and Sasuke had finished wrapping. You proudly smile at the pile of gifts crowding along the wall: you knew that the hours that you and Sasuke spent shopping and preparing the presents were going to pay off on Christmas day. “I still can’t believe you managed to get yours and Nobunaga’s teams to meet up.” Let’s just hope they don’t fight the moment they see each other, you think to yourself.

“I suppose that means I am an expert in Sengoku-era party planning.” He winks - or rather blinks - at you, indicating that it was a joke. “Plus, I thought it’d be interesting to teach some of the greatest men in history about Christmas.” He places the gift he had finished wrapping in the pile as well. “We might as well give them a heads-up about the most wonderful time of the year.”

You giggle at how seriously he made that adorably silly statement. "I wonder how they’ll react to the idea of receiving their presents from ‘Santa Claus.’”

Sasuke lowers his gaze, thinking for a moment. “My guess is that they’ll believe in Santa Claus more than reindeer that can fly.”

“Ieyasu will definitely be the most skeptical about that one.” You let out a laugh as you imagine the grumpy warlord protectively holding his dear deer Wasabi. “There’s no way in hell I’m letting any of you test out that ridiculous theory,” he’d probably say. 

As your giggles die down, you turn to the window to gaze at the dark winter sky. "I'm still amazed at how bright the stars are here. They remind me of the Christmas lights from back home." 

Sasuke turns to look with you. “You’re right. Though, it’s rather difficult to see the different colors of the stars from down here. Spectroanalysis could definitely help us to see them more clearly, but Christmas lights are more widely available in stores.”

“No need for any expensive telescopes: just some outlets and a whole bunch of cords.” A wave of nostalgia begins to hit you: you think of the winter holidays you had spent with your friends and family in the future. There was always something magical about Christmas that gave you something special to look forward to in the winter. “You know, every year my family and I would decorate the Christmas tree in our living room. We’d use everything: string lights, ribbons, ornaments that we made together…” Your heart starts to ache a little when you realize that this year is your first Christmas away from your family.

Noticing your expression, Sasuke moves to sit closer to you. “That sounds like a wonderful tradition.”

“It is.” You turn to look up at him and smile. “And I can’t wait to share that tradition with everyone here.”

The smile on your face eases his concern, and he takes your hands in his. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to show you something.”

You raise your eyebrows in surprise. “Oh? Of course. What is it?”

“Come with me. And please stay close: it’s rather chilly outside, and I don’t think the snow is forecasted to stop tonight.” He begins to slowly stand up and you follow him outside, the two of you still holding hands.

~~~

As Sasuke had predicted, the snow continues to fall in a delicate descent. You feel the fresh snow lightly crunch under your feet as you and Sasuke walk out of the town and into the forest. The cold winter breeze makes you shiver, and - staying true to your promise - you move closer to Sasuke for warmth. He keeps an arm wrapped around you and checks in with you every-now-and-then to make sure that you are warm. 

Fortunately, the walk isn’t long: soon enough, the two of you are standing among several rows of flowering cherry blossom trees. You widen your eyes in awe at the beautiful sight: the pink flowers that decorate the branches are lightly brushed with the snow that had fallen throughout the day. The white snow lying below the trees and the stars glistening from above made the trees’ colors look more vibrant. “Wow,” you sigh, “I haven’t seen cherry blossoms at this time of the year.”

A small smile crosses Sasuke’s face as he admires your adorably enchanted expression. “Some cherry blossom trees do bloom outside of springtime. The ‘autumnalis rosea’, or the ‘winter-flowering cherry,’ has a long blooming season through the fall and winter.”

You continue to stare at the trees with childlike wonder. “They look so beautiful in the snow. Almost like the Christmas trees at home...”

“I agree. And although it’s not the usual evergreen conifer…” Sasuke steps closer to you and gazes at you earnestly. “Would you like to decorate a Christmas tree with me?”

“Wha-?” Just then, he reaches into his bag and pulls out a small box wrapped in cloth. You blink in surprise. “Sasuke, what is this...?”

“I was going to give it to you later, but I think that now is a more appropriate time to do so.” He places the box in your hand and gestures for you to open it. You take a breath before carefully unwrapping the cloth and opening the box. Inside is a small glass sphere painted to look like the starry night sky.

“Sasuke, this is beautiful,” you say while gently picking up the sphere by the string attached to it. As it slowly spins around, you notice that the silver spots and swirls that sparkle on the dark blue surface of the glass are lightly tinted with different colors of the stars. You also notice that the “stars” are carefully arranged and clustered in specific patterns as if to mimic constellations or a map of a galaxy. “Where did you get this...?”

“It was actually a DIY project of sorts: Yuki received some new shipments this week, and I asked if I could use some of the materials to make you a present.”

“You made this...?” Sasuke nods, a faint blush crossing his cheeks. You feel your heartbeat quicken for your loving boyfriend who never ceases to amaze you. “Sasuke, this is so thoughtful of you.” You make a mental note to give Sasuke his Christmas present early as well.

“I’m glad you like it. So,” he gestures at the tree standing in front of you both, “Will you do the honors?”

You nod enthusiastically. “I’d love to!” After handing the box back to Sasuke, you hold the ornament close to you and walk toward the tree. The nearest branch is slightly taller than you, and your fingers barely touch the lower end of the bough when you're on your tiptoes. You giggle a little, remembering the moments in your childhood when you would try to place an ornament on a branch much taller than you. Your little hands would reach as high as they could go until a loved one lifted you in their arms to help you reach the exact branch you wanted to hang your ornament from.

Noticing your struggle to reach the branch, Sasuke moves to stand beside you and grabs the branch easily, gently lowering it a bit more. You gaze up at him, your reliable and more-than-moderately awesome ninja who never fails to put a smile on your face, and you can’t help but press a light kiss on his cheek. “I like how we’re doing this together.”

He blinks in surprise before giving you a heartwarming smile. “So do I.” His hand moves to cup your cheek, gently turning you to face him so that he can press his forehead against yours. “I hope we get to do more things like this in the future.”

His cheeks grow redder when you guide his free hand to hold the ornament with you. “I know we will,” you say as you hang the ornament together.