Vulnerable
It hadn't started out the way she thought it would. Not that she thought she would end up sleeping with the leader of a foreign country, but if she was going to, this wasn't how it would have happened in her head. She had a pretty broad imagination, but never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined herself drinking silently and alone in a dark corner of a bar, nursing her sake and just wishing she could go home and sleep. She loved sleep, really, at least she used to; at least before said foreign leader had been inside her. Now…now she was just brooding and disappointed because he was gone and she was alone and all she wanted to do was go home and not smell him in her sheets.
But she was a ninja and as one, she kept a finite amount of chakra in her senses to enhance them in case of stalking or genjustu and if she cut off one of her senses she could be in big fucking trouble. But on the other hand, no matter how many times she washed her sheets they still smelled like Sabaku no Gaara, Godaime jerk. Ino shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clenching her thighs to relieve some of the building pressure. This is why she was trying to get drunk; he wasn't in Konoha to ease her suffering, so she was left to pick up her own pieces. It sucked being left behind, but he was Kage and she was…her life was so complicated.
Sometimes she was ANBU and Ibiki's interrogation officer, sometimes she was a medical nin who assisted Sakura or Shizune, sometimes she was even sent on missions with Shikamaru and Choji, but whatever she was, it was never in charge.
So complicated, such a pain in the ass. Ino snorted lightly to herself, she sounded like Shika. It didn't matter what she did with her life, she was a ninja, and a damn good one; good enough that the Kazekage noticed her, and not just because she was nice to look at. He'd actually seen her, which was a nice change to what she usually got as first impressions.
Ino blinked down at her empty sake cup, the bottle in her hand completely upturned and not even dripping. She was out, and unfortunately at her alcohol limit for the night. It wouldn't do for her to go home actually drunk, especially if she was needed in the morning from either Ibiki or Sakura. Ino sighed and placed her sake bottle on the tabletop with a little click and pushed herself up off the cushion she was sitting on. The rest of the bar was dark and relatively loud, but it was still early and there was still enough time for the noise level to reach ear splitting. She quirked her eyebrow at Kotetsu in greeting as he walked out of the restroom, and received a half smirk in return.
"Want a drink?"
Ino shook her head. "I'm done for tonight." Kotetsu nodded in understanding and turned to head back to wherever he'd come from, leaving her to walk out of the bar in peace.
Ino folded her hands behind her head as she made the slow trek back to the flower shop and consequently her apartment over it. Her liquid blanket kept her from being too bothered by the fall air and she had to wonder if it was any better or worse in Suna. She cursed under her breath as a flash of red hair entered her mind immediately. Thinking about him wouldn't do her any good, it wasn't like he cared.
She swore a little louder this time, startling a little old man closing his shop as she passed. Ino ignored him, glaring up at the night sky. She shouldn't be thinking about Gaara like he was a monster, or someone who wouldn't care about the people he slept with. It was just her emotions flipping out at being rejected, because he left. It didn't matter to her that he had to leave, it mattered that he had to leave. So she was contradictory, she was Yamanaka Ino, she was allowed to be; it was her charm, it was her kekkei genkai, and if she wasn't then how was she supposed to psyche out her enemies? Ino was a girly-girl, she killed big bad men after they dropped their guards in front of a pretty little blonde with big blue eyes who stomped her foot like a petulant child. And they always died with a tone of surprise.
"You're very pretty when you cry…do you practice often?"
Ino shook her head, blocking out the rest of her memory before it started looping in her mind. She didn't need the reminder, not then. Ino paid little attention to her surroundings as she pulled her keys from her pocket, stopping on the welcome mat in front of her families shop she slipped the silver key into the locked and walked in. Not bothering to turn on any lights she managed to maneuver her way around displays and the empty boxes her dad must have been too lazy to throw out when the shop had closed…seven hours ago. Ino shook her head, taking the stairs that lead to the apartments above. She lived alone above the flower shop, after turning 18 she had put her foot down and told her father she wasn't going to live with him any longer. He was a grown man, and she was…well, it hadn't gone over very well at first, until she mentioned living at the store. It still didn't make her dad happy, he didn't understand why she wanted to live with her mother instead of her father. She told him her reasons were her own, that no she wasn't choosing between them, and she really just needed her own space.
Really though, her mother was gone six nights out of seven to spend time at either the greenhouse on Yamanaka land or and her father, who she knew loved her deeply and was only looking out for her best interests, was a shinobi and she was his only child, his daughter, his baby girl, and could not get over the fact that she had grown up into a woman with needs. And almost immediately after that thought crossed her head, the image of a naked red head replaced it and Ino groaned out loud.
She'd reached the top of the staircase and was just about to open the door when a chakra signature on the other side made her pause. It was suppressed slightly, enough that it wouldn't alert any other ninja in the vicinity to his presence, just his intended target. Her.
Ino restrained herself from calling chakra to her hands as she pushed open her apartment door, but only barely. Gaara was leaning against the wall across from the door next to her couch, his arms crossed loosely across his chest. He'd left the lights off, but the moonlight shining in from the window made his pale skin glow. His gourd was propped up against the couch at his feet and his vest was absent along with his cloaky-thing, leaving him in his long sleeved red shirt and black slacks. Ino turned her face up slightly, looking at him warily; tossing her keys onto the kitchen counter on her right, taking her time to make a point as she pulled off her shoes and dropped them next to his beside the door. He couldn't have been here long, she'd been in a bar full of ninja, someone would have gossiped about the Kazekage spontaneously showing up in the middle of the night.
Ino slowly shut the door behind her, knowing that when she did all hell would break loose. She pressed her fingers against the wood until the resounding click echoed through her apartment; if she had blinked she would have missed his disappearance from the wall. Her breath stopped when he appeared again, right in front of her, crowding her back against the door she'd just shut. Ino could feel the steady heat of his body against her skin like he was a heater, the slow deep breaths he was taking made her hair move flutter against her cheek. The energy was coming off him in waves and she had no idea how she could possibly still be standing with him so close and not touching her.
Composing herself as best as she could, Ino lifted her eyes up to meet his, her tongue darting out to wet her suddenly dry lips. "Gaara."
He gave her nothing in return, no pleasantries, no smile, not even a grunt to acknowledge he'd heard her speak. His eyes just dropped from hers to her mouth then back up again. His gaze was smoldering, a far cry from the expression he usually wore, which could be just as intense and nerve wracking, but didn't wet her panties nearly as fast as this one did. Ino swallowed, heat pooling in her core; she could feel her hands shaking and clenched them into fists to make it stop. He'd break first, he always did.
And just like with the door, as soon as she thought it, it happened. Gaara's mouth crashed over hers brutally, his hands going to her body without hesitation, one hand tugging up the hem of her skirt while the other dug into the small of her back and causing her to arch up into him, gasping at the feel of his hands on her bare skin. He took her lower lip between his teeth, tugging gently; it was the only assent he would ask from her until they were spent. She moved into action, raising her hands to either side of his face and kissed him back heatedly, sliding her tongue into his mouth and for him that was permission enough. Roughly, he grabbed her upper thigh, hauling her off the ground and pinning her against the door with his body. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist and she sunk into their kiss, running her hands through his hair and ignoring her oxygen starved lungs until she was gasping against his mouth. Gaara was breathing just as hard, but took the time away from her mouth to drag his lips down the column of her throat, sucking on the tender skin under her jaw until she caught her breath.
"Gaa-ra." her voice sounded breathless and strained in her ears, Gaara only pressed himself against her harder, making her groan. She could feel him against her; was going to die if he wasn't inside of her soon. Tightening her grip in his hair, Ino forced Gaara's face back up to meet hers, molding her lips against his already open mouth for a long, drugged kiss before pulling away again. He growled at the lose of her, his fingers digging into her thighs almost painfully. Angling her head up a bit so she could catch his eye, Ino twirled her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. "Bedroom."
He had the nerve to snerk at her, his heavily lidded eyes sparkling with amusement briefly and he finally spoke. "For what? Modesty?" his voice lowered to a whisper, his eyes falling down her neck and he leaned into press a kiss below her ear, mumbling against her skin. "I like you here."
And I like you anywhere, thought Ino, tempting to say but she shook her head instead. "For the sake of my poor door," she said, smirking at the memory of waking up one morning to find splinters in her ass. "I don't think it can hold up to your stamina again."
He hummed against her neck, but hesitated, pressing his nose under her jaw and breathing in the sent of her skin. She let herself relax in the tenderness of the moment, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and they stood against her door for a few minutes in silence. The moments like this one, just standing in each others arms without making a sound, that was the cause of Ino's inner turmoil; he wasn't just after her for sex, he liked her company, her conversation, sleeping next to her. It made her want to keep him, even though she knew she couldn't.
Gaara's arms tightened around her briefly and he pulled his face away from her neck, stepping away from the door and ignoring the little creaks it gave from relief of the pressure against it. He walked blindly in the direction of her bedroom, knowing the way, catching her mouth again hungrily until their previous heat was back.
Ino was too distracted by his mouth to pay attention to where he was going; one minute he was pressing her into the doorframe of her bedroom and running his teeth along her neck, the next they were sinking into her comforter sharing long drawn out kisses that left them both breathless. Her fingers played lazily with the buttons on Gaara's shirt, taking her time even as his hips pressed against hers impatiently.
"I thought you were back in Suna," mumbled Ino, feeling one of Gaara's hands pull at the tie holding up her hair until it came loose. Gaara hn'd passively, pulling away for a second to push her bangs out of her face.
"Change of plans," he muttered. Ino took advantage of his distraction and finished unbuttoning his shirt, pushing the offending fabric off his shoulders and tossing it away from her bed. She sighed inwardly, raking her gaze down his chest.
Tentatively, Ino pressed her palm against his chest, her fingers touching the edge of a scar near his shoulder. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered, feeling a blush rise up on her face. Gaara nudged her cheek with his nose, bringing her focus back to him.
Gaara pulled at the hem of her shirt, the snaps holding it closed popping apart with one smooth jerk of his wrist, leaving her chest bare for him. His palm slid between flesh and fabric, his mouth falling to the valley between her breasts. Ino slid her hands between him, the action pushed her breasts into his face; she pulled the ties of his pants free with surprisingly steady hands. He growled against her, the sound vibrating through her chest. She was actually surprised how much he was holding back; their first round was usually hard and fast and desperate, until his hunger for her was sated -or at least under control. All he was doing right now was being a tease.
Ino pawed at his hip desperately, arching into his mouth as his teeth did devastating things to her breasts. "Gaara please."
His face appeared over hers, touching his nose to hers. He hissed at her. "Impatient."
Ino ran her lips over his gently. "I missed you." Gaara's eyes softened slightly, some tension in his shoulders relaxing at her confession; he deepened the kiss but kept it gentle and sweet while one of his hands shifted to her shoulder. He slid his hand down the length of her arm and settling on her hip, his thumb hooking under the waistband of her skirt and pulling it along with the black shorts down her legs. Ino growled into his mouth and dug her fingernails into his hips; she was impatient with the slowness, she wanted bruises on her thighs and imprints of his teeth on her skin. He only smirked against her lips and hooked his hand under her knee, drawing a pattern on her skin with his fingertips.
Ino pulled away from him suddenly, frowning up at him. He was teasing her. "Why are you in such a good mood?"
Gaara lifted a shoulder passively, still smirking down at her. "Does it matter?" Her expression became dry and with an unusually dramatic sigh Gaara pulled away from her, sitting back on his heels and leaving her cold. "Do I really need a reason?"
Ino smirked back at him, lifting an eyebrow. "Usually," she said lightly, ignoring the way his eyes flicked up to the ceiling in exasperation. She pushed him playfully in the stomach to get him to look at her. "C'mon…here I am, lying mostly naked beneath you and you're taking the opportunity to make conversation. Either you don't want me or you're in such a good mood that the idea of foreplay is actually appealing," Ino's eyes dropped to his crotch pointedly where his erection was straining his pants and slowly raised her eyes back to his face, taking every inch of sculpted muscle in as she did. "And since I know you want me…"
The softness in Gaara's eyes was back, and he paused for a moment before answering her. "…I'm happy to see you."
Ino sat up quickly, her top sliding down her arms (she flung it away as soon as she remembered it was there and wrapped one arm around his shoulders), grinning stupidly up at the red head. "Was that so hard?"
Gaara shook his head, smirking, pushing her back into the mattress with his body, mouth hovering over hers. "You're impossible."
"You're an ass," she countered with a groan. He'd taken the opportunity to divest her skirt and shorts from her legs, settling between them even as she slid her hand down his pants just to feel his heat. He pressed an open mouth kiss to her neck, his tongue running over her pulse point. He bucked his hips into her hand, groaning against her neck. Ino pulled her hand away, pushing and tugging his pants down his hips until his erection was free of constraints.
A bit of shifting and one long kiss and he was pushing himself inside her, sucking in a breath near her ear while Ino just tried to muffle her cries. She turned her head, pressing a kiss to the side of Gaara's jaw at almost the exact moment he started moving, rocking his hips into her slowly. Ino snarled against his neck, her eyes squeezing shut in desperation. "I swear to Kami I will put you on your back if you don't give me what I want."
He had the audacity to chuckle at her, but he complied to her threat, slamming into her roughly and making her shriek, arching against his chest. He kept the pace, pleased by her reaction, reaching down to lift her hip off the bed at an angle and driving in deeper.
.
The Suna ANBU watched with thinly veiled amusement as their Leaf counterparts openly stared at the closed bedroom window where the Kazekage's chakra had moved to. The masked Suna guards were used to this sort of thing from their leader, at least whenever they were in this village. A scream from inside the Yamanaka's apartment had both Konoha ANBU straightening immediately, their hands going for their weapons without hesitation, until they realized Suna was not even perturbed.
"Is there a reason you're not alert?" asked one of the Leaf ANBU darkly, his Hawk mask mostly obscured by the hood over his head. One of the Suna ANBU chuckled lightly, half of his Sand Viper mask cracked through, leaving swatches of the fabric face cover beneath it visible.
"Ja…Don't tell me you don't know what he's doing in there," the other sneered behind the mask of a Hyena, leaning against the trunk of the tree all four of them were standing on with his arms crossed loosely over his chest, looking the perfect picture of boredom.
"The Yamanaka-"
"Enough, Hawk. I can smell them from here," snapped the other ANBU, quieting his subordinate. The Kazekage's guard shared a knowing look, and Hyena sighed wistfully.
"Kazekage-domo insisted on stopping in Konoha," he said offhandedly, eyeing the way Hawk's shoulders stiffened at his words, even more so when another muffled cry from the Yamanaka girl reached their ears. "Not that this was out of the way at all-"
"Does Suna breed incompetence, or are the teachings still just as ineffective as they've always been?" snapped Hawk, whirling around to face Hyena. The other Leaf nin shook his head at his young partner's stupidity, sharing a quick and knowing look with the quieter masked Viper.
"They are trained in a great many different ways, Hawk," he said gravely, his focus returning to the Yamanaka residence. There had just been a sudden release of chakra, but the Suna didn't seem to mind it. "For example, Hyena seems to have mastered the great art of knowing what sets off his enemies." Hawk turned back around, stiff at the level of venom he'd been addressed with.
"But…we're not enemies."
The Sand Viper sighed heavily, spurring Hyena to start talking, his voice filled with humor. "You took the wrong part of that lesson away, kid. Your sempai means I'm trying to piss you off - oh! I have, look at that."
Hawk snarled, but was cut of by another release of chakra, this time accompanied with another, slightly larger one. Sand Viper nodded, shifting his weight away in preparation to turn away from the flower shop. Hyena followed suit. "How about a little privacy, ja? He knows we're watching."
Hawk started, alarmed. "He does?"
"Kazekage-domo has been here seven times in the last six months, and every night he spends with her. If you have a problem with us taking a step back then by all means wait here for Suna's greatest weapon to deal with you, but we're gonna monitor the house from a safer distance."
"Safer?"
"Safer for us, ja."