Title: Good Enough
Characters/Pairings: Sasuke/Ino
Genre: Romance/Tragedy
Summary: They were both doomed to fail from that start. He knew it. She knew it. But both ignored it because the memories were good enough. SasuIno
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. –reaches in pocket- I have a quarter, a candy wrapper and some lint if you want some. XD
Warning(s): Some OOCness
A/N: Strange pairing, I know. Some OOCness may occur because, bloody hell, Sasuke's so bloody hard to write … romantically. Bleck. And Ino's a tad bit more mature than normal. But heck to that! Read, review, and all that jazz!
They were doomed to fail from the start.
She knew it. She wasn't as foolish as people liked to believe, but she was too stubborn and headstrong to back down. She knew it was partially due to an old challenge, one that would tear a friendship apart and grow into a heated rivalry. But once their relationship started, she couldn't back out, at least not yet - it was too soon to lose something that she had been striving for forever. She kept hanging on despite the consequences she knew they could not avoid.
He knew it too. He wasn't stupid, wasn't called a prodigy for nothing. At first he avoided it, knowing it would just simply hinder his goal. But it was inevitable and he soon found himself in love despite how strongly he railed against his emotions, cursing himself for his stupidity. But in the end, he hung on anyhow, grasping for the chance before it slipped through his fingers. He had one life, and only one life to live. A life of a ninja is short with all the constant danger; the life of a missing nin is even shorter. And for once, he decided to give love a chance and to live his life to the fullest.
At first, they met under the new winter frost, skirting cautiously near the edge. They both eyed each other warily and Ino had her hands jammed deep in the pockets of her winter coat, shivering a little; despite the cold weather and against common sense, she still wore short skirts. They stared at each other as the snow fell prettily around them and in the end, Sasuke ended up giving her his scarf and they both walked away, knowing that if they stayed too long, they would be caught.
Sakura asked Ino where she got her scarf from. Ino shrugged and replied that she bought it. Her friend raised an eyebrow but said nothing else.
Kabuto asked Sasuke where his scarf went. He simply growled that he lost it.
The second time they met was right after a huge snowstorm. It took Ino a little longer to reach their rendezvous point, but he was waiting there, just the same. He had a small scowl on his face as they both stared at each other uncomfortably, unsure of what to say. Finally, breaking the silence, he asked how she was doing and she replied she was fine, thank you very much, how about you. Sasuke 'hn'ed and she took the response as a yes. They both ended up sitting on a snow laden tree branch, staring at the white landscape around them. They parted in silence a few minutes later.
The next time they met, Ino had been a little bit chattier than usual, making small talk as he stood there, his usual scowl on his face. However, she noticed his shoulders were a little less tense, his posture a little more relaxed, and that the upward twitch of his mouth signified he was comfortable in her presence. She grinned. When he asked why she was feeling so happy, she smirked and gave him a small peck on the check before sprinting off, grinning manically. They both left feeling strangely satisfied.
On Christmas morning they met again, Ino grinning cheekily as she arrived. At first, he wondered why in the world she was so perky and was going to demand an explanation when he spotted the mistletoe in her hand. She smirked at his almost panicked expression and grabbed him by his arm, hanging the mistletoe above them, and demanded he kiss her. Sasuke was a little startled but quickly covered it was a scowl and stated flatly, that he, Sasuke Uchiha, was not going to participate in such a silly tradition. Ino pouted and made the first move, clumsily crashing her lips against his. They both left with slightly flushed expressions, but Ino's cheeks were redder - it was her first kiss.
Sakura questioned Ino's reddening face when they saw a couple kiss under a mistletoe. Ino hastily replied that she had a strange dream. The pink haired girl looked skeptical but did not press the issue.
Kabuto smirked and asked about Sasuke's flushed expression when the younger boy glanced at mistletoe. Sasuke snappily retorted he had a cold.
When the snow started to thaw, they met each other at three in the morning and quietly watched the sunrise from the border of their respective countries. At first, Sasuke snorted and said it was a waste of time. Ino rolled her eyes and stated that sometimes the most simple things were the most beautiful. And when the sky became a colossal canvas of colors, she smiled brightly and leaned on his shoulder, causing him to stiffen; it had caught him completely off guard. But as he watched her bright smile and the myriads of color lighting her hair like fiery moonlight, he decided that simple things really could be beautiful.
In early spring when flowers started to blossom, they saw each other again. Sasuke brought up the topic of what would happen to them if they were caught. Ino replied without hesitation that she didn't care, and to hell with the consequences. After all, she had said, the present is now, go worry about the future when it comes. He snorted and silence settled between them. It didn't taken long before Ino started chattering away as usual, talking about Naruto's latest prank, how business was going, Rock Lee's latest attempt on winning Sakura's attention and so forth. Sasuke quietly listened to the lull of her voice as she yammered off. At the end, they both shared a brief kiss, light and unsure but one that turned all right in the end.
When the flowers were in full bloom, Ino brought a bouquet for Sasuke. He silently accepted it as she babbled on about the latest gossip in Konoha. He interjected a few times to add his own opinion on matters before hesitantly muttering about the happenings in the Sound Village. His conversations were always brief and short, while she could chatter on for hours. However, as they parted, they sealed it with a fleeting kiss, something they would do many times later.
When Sasuke arrived back at the Sound Village, he secretly looked up the flowers he had received. Gloxinia, love at first sight. The corners of his mouth twitched into the barest traces of a smile.
The next morning, Ino was pleasantly surprised when she found a single ambrosia on her windowsill. Ambrosia, love is reciprocated. She grinned and couldn't stop beaming for the rest of the day.
It was raining the next time the met. Ino had bundled together some pink camellia ("Longing for you," she explained as he stared at the almost fluffy looking flower, his eye twitching a little) and handed it over to him, smiling brightly. Sasuke looked a little uncomfortable as he shoved a bouquet of azaleas ("Love, romance, first love, temperance, fragile passion," she thought through her head as she glanced at the purple blossoms) into her arms, catching her by surprise. Some of the flowers looked a little squashed, a few were missing some petals, and others were soggy and bent from the pounding rain. His misery had been rewarded by an excited exclamation, a big grin and a hug that tackled him to the ground.
They both lay in the soggy grass for quite some time, listening to each other's quiet breathing as the sun set.
When the heat wave of the summer set in, they both discussed the flowers that best represented their love. She persistently argued it should be an acacia ("It can been taken as either chaste love or concealed love. Our love is rather concealed isn't it?") He retorted that it should be a fern ("Sincerity, fascination, confidence, shelter," he had muttered.). They had bickered on and on before both stubbornly refused to give in and both left, Ino in a temper and Sasuke even moodier than before.
Later, they decided it would be the agapanthus. Love and love letters. Except instead of letters, they communicated through flowers and brief meetings on the border. In the end, it turned out to be the forget-me-not. Memories would never disappear even if their flowers withered and died along with their lives.
They didn't see each other for months and when the leaves turned scarlet, gold, and crisp brown, they met again, both looking distinctly harried and worried. They both sat in silence together, the wind whistling through the tree branches. There was no need for words to be spoken; Sound was getting restless and Leaf was becoming increasingly anxious and paranoid. Any time now, war could - and would break out. They shared a burning, passionate kiss before silently looking at each other, bidding each other good luck and to stay safe. They flitted off, like the leaves that fell to the ground.
The last time they met was when it was the first snow again. This time, the snow didn't seem as gentle or peaceful - it frosty, biting. If it wasn't for the crimson patches splattered across the snow, it could almost be serene. For this time they met, it was in the heat of the battle. They both communicated silently through their eyes as they fought, weaving in and out the chaos. For a brief moment, they faced each other. They both battled; it was her duty, it was his duty and they would not neglect it.
"Do you regret it?" he had quietly asked her, his voice a little husky, a little raspy.
"Never," she replied without hesitation and they both disappeared into the mass of bodies in the battle, never to see each other again.
They both knew they were damned, cursed to fail from the very start. He knew it; she knew it. But the kisses exchanged at the border, the sweet scent of flowers, the smiles, and the understanding made it worthwhile, even for a small piece of time.
It was good enough for the both of them.