you’re struggling a little, arms full of packages that wobble with every step. the snow makes the path slippery, and your scarf keeps slipping over your shoulder. it’s… a lot, and you can’t help but mutter under your breath.

naruto rounds the corner and spots you instantly, eyes lighting up. “woah! hey, wait!” he calls, jogging over through the snow. your boots sink slightly with each step, and he can’t stop the way his chest tightens—something about seeing you like this makes him… uneasy in a good way.

“you’re carrying all that by yourself?” he asks, a teasing note in his voice, but his eyes are soft, concerned. “c’mon, lemme help.”

he reaches out, gently taking a few packages from your arms, and you hand them over, grateful. naruto struggles a bit with the weight, but he’s grinning, cheeks flushed, and somehow that makes you smile.

as you walk side by side, packages in his hands, he glances at you out of the corner of his eye. he notices the way your hair falls in the wind, the small frown when something slips, the determined set of your shoulders.

“you’re… really strong,” he mutters quietly, almost to himself. and just like that, he feels it—slowly, quietly, a warmth in his chest that has nothing to do with the cold. he’s falling.