Wildflowers
A/N: 89-93
Previously - 84-88
89:
Naruto feigns nonchalance but you can tell that he is hesitant to leave you alone by the way he offers to sit next to you for hours while you draw at the fountain. Kiba, however, has completely ruined your creative mood, so you instead suggest continuing his shopping spree. He is concerned at first, but a couple of smiles and nods and he is grinning in response, and then the two of you move onto the next store.
You enter a store with price tags that make you gag, yet the allure of its fashion still makes your fingers twitch for a blue, cropped hoodie. You can see how people are easily convinced to buy something, despite the high exchange rate.
The hoodie is on a hanger against a wall; no mannequin, but you can imagine Sakura or Ino wearing it in the fall with high jeans, their every curve teasingly accentuated. It’s cute, you think, feeling rather bland in your own plain yellow blouse and jeans.
“What size are you?” Naruto asks, seeing your gaze.
“Um.” You’re not sure if that’s too personal to give out. Does it matter? Are you comfortable with telling him? Your mom is always telling you how boys like mysteries, but considering that her last few choices haven’t been the best, you’re unsure if you should take her advice.
“Grab it,” he urges. “I’ll pay.”
“N-no, I don’t need it,” you tell him.
“Do you want it?” he presses.
“N-not really,” you say.
Naruto feels the fabric anyway, pulling the sleeve out toward you as if checking the color against your skin tone. “You don’t think it’s cute, [Name]?”
You look back at it.
It is cute.
But, you’re just not sure you can pull it off.
“You’d look fire in it,” Naruto says, and before you can say anything else, he’s jumping up and reaching for the different sizes.
90:
You look down at the bag in his hand, rustling as the two of you weave your way through the crowd.
One cropped, blue hoodie led to a pink V-neck, which led to tassel earrings, which then led to shark-patterned knee-high socks.
You had tried to argue, but the blue hoodie was a given and Naruto said that he had a similarly hued pink shirt (which he unashamedly then said that matching would be fun), and then he simply wouldn’t take a no for the last two. He wouldn’t take no for any of them, actually.
Of course, you appreciate what he’s doing for you, and you really do like everything that he bought, and, if you were being honest, it feels really good to have someone shower you with such attention and spoil you with things, but — well, there really isn’t any nice way to ask this...
You lick your dry lips. “Do you...have a job?”
Naruto is not offended by the question. He looks at you curiously. “Yeah, why?”
“That store was pretty expensive.”
“Hm. Was it?”
“You don’t have to buy me so much,” you mumble. Then, you quickly stammer, “I-I really appreciate it, but I — it’s okay; it’s not really necessary...um.”
He’s grinning, and you don’t quite understand what the smile means, but you feel warm and tingly all the way down to your toes, snug in your sneakers.
“Don’t worry, Bambs,” he says, “I’m not hurting for money.”
“Yeah, but...”
“If you don’t like me buying you things, I won’t.”
The way the artificial mall lights reflect off his eyes make you think he’s lying.
“Just think of them as celebratory gifts,” he suggests. “For our new friendship and whatever else it may become.”
He sounds very sure that it is going to become something else, and you hope it does, so much.
91:
In another store, Naruto flips through jackets for part two of Shikamaru’s gift.
You peer at him from the other side of the rack, trying to identify Shikamaru’s tastes in clothing as the three that Naruto has grabbed are vastly different in design: one being a solid dark blue, another with a street art graphic design, and the last a light gray with brightly colored flowers.
Naruto clears his throat. “So, how do you know that asshole anyways?”
Oh.
Well, the question was bound to come. You were expecting it, but you are disappointed in yourself for not coming up with a clear excuse or reasoning in preparation. Despite your prediction, you are still caught off guard.
“We...went to the same middle school,” you say carefully. Even to your own ears, you can hear the way the words are filtered through a screen.
“I see,” Naruto says, pulling out a mustard hoodie. When you don’t elaborate, he asks, “Is this another one of Miss [Name]’s infamous secrets?”
“Something like that,” you say.
There is quiet.
He gazes at you over the metal and clothes. “Will you tell me some day?” he asks, voice quieter than you had ever heard or thought possible.
You look into his eyes, and then drop your stare to the jackets, pretending to sift through the items.
“I think so,” you tell him just as softly. “...I’d like to.”
92:
Naruto looks at the things he bought for both you and Shikamaru. You do not miss the fact that he bought you significantly more items.
“Alrighty, Bambs,” Naruto announces. “Gotta shove all this shit in your backpack.”
“Are we done here?” you ask, sipping at the soda you insisted on buying yourself.
“Yup,” Naruto says. “Let’s head back to my place. I don’t have cup holders, so, ya’ know, better chug it.” Even as he tells you to finish the Coke, he reaches across the table and grabs your cup. It is easy to grab it, as your hand has gotten slack with the sudden announcement that the two of you are going to his place.
He doesn’t expect anything, right?
Right?
You suddenly feel bad that you have these thoughts, but you have to protect yourself; these are the thoughts that come to mind to keep you from harm’s way. You want to believe in his laughter and gentle touch so badly, but you have been scarred so many times before by similar caresses.
As if sensing your hesitation, Naruto asks, “That alright with you?”
You nod, but hesitantly.
“You don’t have to come inside,” he says. “I just have to drop off everything.”
You almost laugh. He always proves your darkness wrong.
“Okay,” you say, and he smiles.
93:
In the parking lot, Naruto messes with his bike and your backpack. He shoves the items inside your bag and undoes the lock on his motorcycle, pulls out his helmet. As he shuffles about, you hear a loud swear echoing in the area, followed by group laughter and howls.
Across the way, you see Kiba with people you vaguely recognize. Perhaps you all went to the same middle school. Perhaps you passed them by throughout your days. These are small towns and small worlds, after all.
As you look at the way he laughs, fierce and fanged, you hold back a shiver, feeling the goosebumps on your arm and the hair on the back of your neck raise.
Your first instinct is to avert your eyes. Your heart starts to race and your hands get sweaty and you’re pretty sure you’re heaving loudly and heavily. Every bone in you writhes — look away — but you don’t.
Look, because you have to start somewhere.
Look, because you couldn’t say anything earlier.
Look, because he’s just a man — just a boy — just flesh and blood and cartilage, just like you; and if you can bleed, so can he; and if he can scar, then you can stitch.
“[Name].” Naruto interrupts your thoughts. When you turn to look at him, he’s holding out the backpack for you to wear. “You ready?” he asks.
You shrug the straps on and nod.
“Then, let’s get the hell outta here!”
You grab his shoulders, the muscle shifting beneath your palms, but never tensing. You wrap your arms around his waist, as tentatively as before — and as before, he pulls you closer and tighter.
Naruto coaxes the motorcycle into calling to the roads. It seems that he had noticed Kiba’s presence earlier as he purposely drives by the group. They are hanging around a deep red convertible that pales in comparison to Naruto’s loud and fluid motorcycle. The sound of the bike seems to turn into a low growl, like a rumble in the chest, or a thunder resounding in the distance, warning of storm to come.
You see Kiba and his friends turn to watch as you and Naruto peel out of the parking lot, cutting off several cars, the motorcycle tires screeching against the cement as if daring them to follow.