Title: Vows
Pairing: Ino/Sakura (but sort of one-sided), past one-sided SakuSasu, and SasuIno (but not really)
Rating: PG
Spoilers: If you haven't read up to manga chapter 182 and/or seen up to anime episode 110.
Warnings: Shoujo-ai. Don't like, don't read. Slight angst.
For: pigxforehead LJ comm challenge #2. Prompt is the song "Pretty When You Cry" by Vast.
Word Count: 1,547
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Author's Notes: This is really sort of cliched. And the InoSaku is sort of one-sided only. Bleh. And it's kinda the same as my last entry, but very different. Argh. I don't know how to explain. Just read it yourself and you'll probably understand. Anyway, written in about 2 hours or so. Enjoy.

Vows

Ino stared out of the window, at the pale yellow orb that hung outside, a strange contrast to the blackness that swallowed the skies. It was a starless night, but it was still very bright outside because of the full moon and the street lamps on the streets of Konohagakure that were always lit throughout the night till dawn peeled away the darkness.

She felt Sakura's soft hair run through her fingers and the weight of Sakura's head resting on her lap as she lay in her deep slumber, and she thought that this all felt familiar somehow. She had been here before. It was such a long time ago that she almost wondered how she remembered it. But it felt like yesterday at that moment. At that moment as she leant down and placed a soft kiss on Sakura's big forehead.

It was exactly the same.

Maybe Sasuke had a tendency to leave the village for long periods. Long periods up to half a decade or so. That was a 'maybe'. But there was one thing Ino knew for sure. Sasuke had a tendency to break Sakura's heart. Ino couldn't really say about the 'maybe', since Sasuke had only left the village twice, but goodness knew how many times her best friend's heart had been broken. Ino knew Sakura didn't even love Sasuke in that way anymore, because Sakura's heart was Ino's,

(Ino's heart swelled up at that thought. She didn't know why. Was she proud? Was she proud that she'd stolen her best friend's heart and hadn't given her own heart back in return?)

but Sakura still loved Sasuke as a teammate, as a friend. As a child, she'd doted on Sasuke, made him her crush and idol. When Sasuke left the village for the first time, Sakura had been there. She was the only one there, but she was weak and helpless, and just a naive girl who believed that love was everything. Love wasn't everything. It was quite the opposite, really. An abstract noun, useless and frail. A weakness, in other words. Sakura hadn't been able to save Sasuke with her love.

Sakura took that fall hard, even though she didn't show the depth of her sorrow to other people. She'd cried once, and then cried a few more times, and then people thought she got over it. But Ino knew better. Ino knew that Sakura probably still hadn't got over it right now. The night Sasuke left probably still replayed itself like a movie in Sakura's dreams every night, haunting the girl. Reminding her of the limits of love, and just how overrated it was.

Once, Ino heard Sakura swear that she'd never fall for anyone again. That vow was made about a year after Sasuke left for Sound. And one night, Ino invited the girl over for a sleepover because they hadn't had one in a long time. That night, Sakura cried rivers of tears as Ino hugged her tightly, and Ino comforted her and told her that she just as upset too.

(Ino thought Sakura was stupid and crying was such a pointless thing, because not only did it do no one any good at all, but Ino's clothes were soaked with Sakura's salty tears in the process. Ino wasn't upset over Sasuke, of course, why would she be? She was a girl free of the binds of love, unlike Sakura. Love meant nothing to her.)

And when Sakura finally fell asleep, exhausted after crying her eyes out, it was just like tonight. Sakura's head on Ino's lap, and Ino's fingers combing through her pink hair slowly. That had been a starless night too. Starless, with a beautiful full moon shining out from the darkness.

Ino hadn't changed much throughout these years. She was still the same girl, mischievious, carefree, and all in all, Yamanaka Ino to the very core. She laughed in the same way, styled her hair in the same way, dressed herself in the same dark purple, and did many other things just the same. She was still full of arrogance. Still untouchable by the grasps of love.

Sakura stirred and snuggled a bit closer to Ino. Then she stopped moving for several seconds. Her eyes flew wide open, and she sat up. "Ino," she whispered. "Yes, Sakura, I'm here," Ino replied softly, and put her arms around Sakura.

Sakura heaved a sigh. A sign that she had just woken up from a nightmare and was glad that there was someone there for her. "I love you," Ino said,

(Ino didn't love Sakura, but Ino liked saying that she did because the words tasted sweet on her lips, thrilling and enticing and delicious. She loved lying, and she was very good at it. But this lie was the best of all, and Sakura always lapped it up so willingly.)

looking into Sakura's emerald eyes, which seemed to give off a faint aura under the moonlight. Ino might not love Sakura, but she loved her eyes. There was no one else who had such lovely, perfect eyes. No one else had eyes of that particular shade of bright green. They sparkled like gems. Ino was a big fan of shiny things and glamorous jewellery.

"I know that," Sakura said. "I love you too, Ino."

Sakura had broken her vow long ago. The night she arrived at Ino's doorstep announcing that she wanted to forget about Sasuke and stay in the warmth of Ino's arms forever. Ino almost thought that the real Sakura had been kidnapped or killed and this was just an imposter, because standing there, in the doorway of her apartment, staring at her best friend turned lover, it all seemed ridiculous and unreal, and most certainly not something Sakura would do.

But Sakura's heart had been broken too many times, after all, and Sakura didn't want to have to stand it anymore, and she thought that with Ino, she would be safe, because Ino had been her best friend since their academy days, and she could rely on Ino for everything.

(Oh, if only you knew, girl, the blonde thought. She was only going to break her heart even more. And the day would come when Sakura would finally realize that no one could be trusted.)

Sakura pulled away, smiling at Ino so earnestly that the blonde nearly wanted to really devote her heart to Sakura, because oh god, when someone smiled at you like that, there was no way you could avoid melting into a pile of goo on the spot.

But Ino had decided, long ago, that love wasn't going to affect her in any way, and unlike Sakura, she was very firm about her vows.

---

"Sakura, I'm gonna marry Sasuke! We're already engaged; look at my ring!" Ino thrust her ring finger in Sakura's face, waving it. The diamond caught the glint of the sunlight and dazzled Sakura's eyes.

Perhaps Sakura had already seen it coming; she didn't look as shocked as Ino thought she might. After all, the whole village knew that Ino and Sasuke were going out. They had been doing so for more than a year. "Congratulations," Sakura said, with a smile. Ino knew Sakura, and she noticed that the smile was strained and dry.

That night, she sneaked past Sakura's house, and saw what she had expected to see. Sakura curled up on her bed, a pillow placed between her head and her knees. She was sobbing into that pillow, soaking it like she had soaked Ino's clothes so many years ago.

(The sight sent a shiver through Ino's body. Or maybe it was just the cold wind blowing that night. Ino frowned at the girl. You shouldn't let love tie you down. You can't trust love. Just like you can't trust anyone.)

Ino leapt away from Sakura's window quietly, and perched on the rooftop opposite Sakura's house. As she sat there, watching, the pink-haired woman looked up and peered out at the night sky. Even from that far away, Ino could see the tears still running down her face, pouring from her emerald green eyes. But Sakura didn't spot the ninja on the rooftop. She was only looking at the moon.

It was only then that Ino realized it was another starless night with a full moon. How ironic. Her lips twisted upwards into a smile. What was it with Sakura, Sakura's tears, and the moon? The latter two always made Sakura seem so much prettier, and she already was a pretty girl.

There was a part of Ino which wanted to jump back down to that window and hug Sakura and comfort her like she had always done. But most of Ino didn't like that idea. After all, she didn't love Sakura. No reason to get attached to her again now. She had her vow. Sakura broke hers, but she wasn't going to do the same.

(Ino's heart was beating frantically, tearing her in two, but she ignored it the best she could. She was a ninja. If she couldn't even stand a little pain like this, how was she to be a good shinobi?)

She turned away from Sakura's window and leapt further and further away. Sasuke would be waiting for her at his house.

The End