Chapter 3 - Be Mine {Valentine's Oneshot}

Be Mine {Valentine's Oneshot}

"Valentine's Day." Nozomi smirked and rolled her eyes. "What a stupid, pointless holiday. Not to mention insulting. I mean, come on, it's only around for one thing, and that is so that couples can rub it in the faces of people like me that we're single." The cat girl sighed softly, a small, sad smile on her face. "Hard to believe it used to be my favorite day of the year...yeah, back before...that..." The girl sighed again, letting her shoulders droop.

"What is it with you and rooftops, anyways?" came a nearby voice.

Surprised, Nozomi glanced up and looked around, her gaze finally landing on Naruto Uzumaki, her fellow teammate and, though she'd never admit this outloud, her secret crush.

Nozomi's ears sprung upward, eyes widening slightly in surprise. How long had he been sitting here next to her?!

"N-Naruto! L-listen, this isn't a good...uhh...I mean...can you...umm.." there was a pause as she struggled to think of an excuse to make him leave. "What are you doing up here anyways?!"

Naruto snickered, amused by the jumpiness in her voice. "I was looking for you," he began, "and I figured this was a good place to look since you seem to love hanging out on rooftops." He glanced at her curiously. "Why do you always come up here?"

"Heh, no real reason." Nozomi said, staring down at her toes. "I guess it could be the affects of having a feline side...or it could be that I find it peaceful up here." she smiled slightly. "I do come up here to think about things, and I like that I can be alone since nobody ever cares to follow me." A drop of sweat trickled down the back of her head. "At least," she began, looking up at the blond haired boy, "I thought nobody did...how many times have you followed me here?"

A sheepish grin spread across Naruto's face as he said, "Well...pretty much ever since you first came to live here."

Nozomi face palmed at this and groaned. "Stalker!"

"Hey! I'm no stalker!" Naruto protested. "Following you was the only way to learn about you in the beginning, since you wouldn't talk to me...and now it's the only way I can keep up with you since you've been avoiding me for some reason you won't even tell me!"

Nozomi didn't say anything. She just sighed deeply, and looked away. "Whatever."

'I still think you're a stalker!' she screamed in her mind.

"So." Naruto said after a few minutes of silence had passed. "What happened?"

"Hm?" Nozomi glanced at him in confusion. "I'm not sure I understand your question."

"I mean, what happened to make you not like Valentine's Day?" Naruto said bluntly.

Nozomi sweatdropped at this, and the fur on her ears and tail spiked up a bit. "...So...you heard that." she mumbled, embarrassed. "Well, I'm sorry, but it's not any of your business."

"Aww! C'mon, Nozo-chan! Please?" Naruto begged.

Nozomi raised an eyebrow at him. "Why do you want to know, anyways?"

"I'm curious." Naruto replied with a grin.

"Sorry, not telling." Nozomi folded her arms and looked away again.

"Aww, Nozo-chan! Tell me! If you tell me your reason, I'll tell you mine." Naruto bribed.

Nozomi looked at him in surprise. "You don't like Valentine's Day either? How come?"

"I'll only tell you if you tell me yours." Naruto repeated, grinning, glad that his bribery was working.

"Ohhh! Fine!" Nozomi sighed.

Naruto just grinned and watched her, waiting for her to begin.

Nozomi took a deep breath and lowered her head, shadows casting over her eyes. "...When I was three, my Mom died of pneumonia...I always felt like it was sorta my fault, cause she caught it while trying to make me come indoors during a storm. My Dad knew how bad I felt...and because of that, he always treated me like I was the most important thing to him. Like a princess. He even called me Nozo-hime. Especially on Valentine's Day. He would do everything he could to make me feel loved...every single day." she paused. "I loved him so much...we were so happy together...but, like every other happy story, tragedy struck."

Nozomi stopped talking then, fighting back the tears that were forming in her eyes. Crying in front of somebody else...even if that somebody was Naruto...it went against her number one rule; never cry when others are present, no matter how great your pain may be.

A few minutes went by, and Nozomi was able to talk again. "It all happened just a few days after I turned 7. Our village was invaded by enemy shinobi, and my father was killed. From that day forth, I was alone. The only thing I had of my dad -which I still have to this day- was the kunai that was used to pierce his heart. After that happened, I never knew the feeling of being loved or cared about again."

Her story done, Nozomi lowered her head, once again fighting back tears, leaving Naruto to just stare in shocked silence.

"Nozo-chan, I'm sorry...it sucks, what happened to your Dad."

Nozomi raised her head so their eyes met, and Naruto was able to see the tears that clouded her eyes as she spoke. "It's ok," she said, her voice cracking, "Now you know, though, why it is that I don't like Valentine's Day. It brings up too many memories for me."

Naruto just stared at her, not knowing quite what he should say. For awhile, neither of them spoke as they both just stared up at the sky. Finally, Naruto broke the silence.

"Well, since your Dad can't do it anymore, it's my job now!"

"Wait! What?" Nozomi sweatdropped, looking in bewilderment at him.

"Oh, c'mon, you know what I mean." Naruto scooted closer and put an arm around her, giving her a little hug. Then he said in a voice that was barely above that of a whisper, "Nozo-hime."

Upon hearing this, Nozomi's face flushed, and she turned her head to face him. "What?! No, Naruto! That's not your job! D-don't make it your business!" She sputtered, feeling her face heat up, an indication that she was blushing.

Naruto just grinned at her, not seeming to care or notice that she was going red in the face. "Sorry, but it's too late, kitty! As of right now you are my treasure, and MY Nozo-hime! It's now my job to make sure you feel loved, since your Dad's gone."

Nozomi's blush deepened, and she sweatdropped, pushing his arm off her and inching away.

"Hey, where're you going?" Naruto asked, stopping her by putting a hand on top of hers. "I still have to make you feel loved!"

"N-Naruto, that only works with parents." Nozomi stammered, blushing. "Because the parents make sure the girl feels special...but a BOY might do the same thing in hopes of showing that he likes that girl as more than a friend...and that he wants her. It sends an entirely different message!" As she finished her babbling, Nozomi jerked her hand away and got to her feet.

However, she was stopped from leaving yet again, as Naruto grabbed her tail, giving a tug. Gentle enough that she didn't pass out (as she did when he first met her), but firm enough that she was forced to sit back down. Which she did. Grumbling the whole time.

"How do you know I'm not trying to do both?" he said.

Then, before Nozomi could say or do anything, he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. This action earned him her claws digging into his arm, before she kissed back, surprising them both.

A few seconds later, Naruto pulled away, grinning like an idiot.

"Wh-what kind of cheap trick was that?!" Nozomi demanded angrily, her face bright red.

"It wasn't a trick." Naruto insisted. "I really do care about you. You're special to me."

Nozomi had to look away as he said this. She suddenly felt tongue tied. She couldn't say anything!

'What's wrong with me?! Why is my hear5t pounding so hard?!'

"Nozomi, what I'm trying to say is that I love you. Really I do. I swear I'm not just saying it like that Suoh guy did."

Nozomi, who had been listening in stunned silence until now snapped out of her speechlessness. "Wait! How did you find out about him?"

Naruto smirked. "This isn't the first time I followed you here and heard you talking to yourself. You came here last week, and you were upset. You kept ranting about that Suoh guy, cursing him under your breath, but just loud enough for me to hear."

"I was?" Nozomi sweatdropped. "I guess I talk to myself more than I thought..." she sighed.

"Well, anyways, I'm not just saying things like he did." Naruto said again. "I really do love and care about you...I don't care how long it takes me to make you believe that! I won't give up, not ever!"

Nozomi blushed, staring at him in shocked silence. "S-so...uh...what's yours? I mean, your reason for not liking Valentine's Day."

"Oh, that?" Naruto grinned. "Well," he winked at her, "I could never get anyone to be my Valentine."

Nozomi sweatdropped. "That was your reason?"

Naruto nodded. "Yep! But it looks like that's not a problem anymore, since you kissed me back!" He smiled. "So...you'll be mine? My Valentine and my girlfriend?"

Nozomi's face went scarlet red at his question. "I NEVER said I'd be either!" she protested.

"Maybe you didn't but your kiss did." Naruto smirked.

"Darn it, don't you even go there, you idiot!"

"If I'm such an idiot then why'd you kiss me?" Naruto teased.

"Like I care to know! Leave me alone!" Nozomi growled, starting to move away.

"I think you're forgetting something important." Naruto smirked, motioning to her tail, which he still held in his hands.

Nozomi facepalmed. "Paws off, ramen-breath!" she snarled, jerking her tail out of his grasp.

"Ramen-breath?" Naruto repeated, laughing a little. "If you say so, kitty cat."

"Don't call me kitty cat!" Nozomi growled, annoyed.

"Well don't call me ramen-breath." Naruto said evenly. "Why can't I call you that though? After all, you are my kitty now, aren't you?"

Nozomi's eyes doubled in size at this. "Who said anything about me being yours? You're wrong!" she shouted, getting to her feet.

Then, before Naruto could react, she jumped down from the roof (landing on her feet thanks to the cat demon in her), and took off running. "I don't belong to anyone!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Not now, not ever!!"

Naruto just watched, laughing. "Running away? Well, you can run, Nozo-hime, but you can't hide!"

He got to his feet, preparing himself for a long chase. "Shadow clone jutsu!"