Short one shot Ino Sai fic, because the world needs more of this pairing. :)
Note: I don't own Naruto, beacause if I did Obito would never have died.
Please Read and Review. Sai's abs are on vacation but John Frandingo would be happy to take their place if any house calls need to be made...
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The Feeling with no Name
By Hammy Uchiha
It was the middle of February and Ino Yamanaka stalked the Yamanaka Flower shop in a tank top and fluttering skirt. As it were, it was not just any day in the very chilly month of February, it was Valentine's Day, and Ino was all alone working in her parent's flower shop while they were out of town for the weekend. So as you may imagine, the flower shop was busier than usual, due the flower-requiring holiday. It was around 11 o' clock in the morning when in stalked Sasuke Uchiha. Hands in his pockets, wrapped up in a navy blue jacket and a scarf wrapped around his neck.
"Good afternoon Sasuke-kun!" called Ino waving at the heavily wrapped up figure. After several moments in the steaming heat of the shop, Sasuke shed the coat and scarf. Ino kept an eye on him as he browsed through the rows upon rows of flowers. She couldn't help but wishing slightly that he would be buying flowers for her. He still was, after all, devilishly handsome. After a while he approached her with several red and pink flowers looking more embarrassed than she had ever seen Sasuke look.
She took one look at the flowers he was holding and she swept them out of his hand.
"No, no, no," she reprimanded him. "Those aren't right," she said.
"But…?"
"No." Flowers in one hand, Sasuke's wrist in the other, Ino dragged the Uchiha back through the rows of flowers and put back the large red ones.
"But…" he started again.
"No," Ino cut him off. "Can't you see how badly those two flowers look together, like they were fighting to be seen first? You have to get flowers that complement each other," she said dragging him down the row to some smaller red flowers. Picking them up, she arranged them next to the pink ones.
"See? Doesn't that look more balanced?" she demanded. Sasuke inspected it for a minute before shrugging. Ino slapped her forehead, handed him the flowers and grabbed his shoulders forcing him to look her in the eye. "Now see here," she said. "Any kunoichi who knows anything about flowers can see how off balance that was," she said. His cheeks were going red again. "C'mon, don't you want to look good in front of old Billboard Brow or what?"
His cheeks were turning redder, he lost eye contact. Smiling gently Ino pulled him up to the cash register and wrapped them up, tying it prettily with a red ribbon.
Sasuke stared at the flowers a minute as if he still didn't see what Ino had been saying.
"Oh," he stated at last. Ino nodded.
"Now when you take these outside get home as quickly as possible or to Sakura or what ever you plan to do, just quickly before the cold gets to them," she said. Sasuke handed her the money and obediently nodded. He bundled back up and was gone out into the cold February.
Ino sighed leaning against the wall. Sakura is so lucky… The rest of the day was filled with bustling men looking for flowers for their mothers and wives and fiancés and girlfriends and crushes. Ino tried to help them as best she could but some slipped under her radar of bad taste spotting. She saw Naruto come in, at least he had better taste than Sasuke. And Lee bought a bouquet for Tenten and for Sakura. Neji snuck in after Lee and attempted to get a bigger bouquet.
It was late in the afternoon as the rush to find flowers thickened that Ino spotted Sai in the shop. As she tried to keep up with the anxiously men she also attempted to keep an eye on Sai. He wandered through the aisles as if he did not know what he was looking for.
At last the line had thinned as the flowers became more picked over and finally Sai, the last it line, came up. Ino took one look at the streets full of desperate people looking for flowers and her well picked over merchandize trying to make a decision. Sai waited patiently as she thought it through.
"Could you hang on a moment?" she asked leaping over the register and running to the door. Ino flipped over the sign that read Open so that it now read Closed. Then she swept back up to the register and rang Sai up. What he picked was plain but okay, by Ino's standards. A deep melancholy feeling suddenly swallowed the Yamanaka as she realized the only possible person Sai would buy flowers for was Sakura. She tried to give Sai a friendly smile as she handed him his change.
"I hope Billboard Brow likes the flowers," she said to him. He looked at her awkwardly for a moment, as if he did not quite understand and then he turned and walked out the door. As the jingling of the door bells faded into the silence of the flower shop Ino sighed sadly. No one in Konoha would buy her flowers for Valentine's Day. Slowly she lifted up the broom and swept up the aisles of the shop, and then she flicked off all the lights and pulled off her apron hanging it on the hook all alone. Then over her tank top she pulled on a thick sweater and onto her bare legs, leggings. She switched her sandals for boots and pulled on a thick coat before venturing out into the frigid evening.
Ino walked home to an empty house and switched on the light as she entered. It's so cold when you're home all alone… She turned up the heat as she hung up her coat and kicked off her boots. She pulled on some thick socks and a pair of pajama pants and a sweat shirt. She ate a little dinner and then she got ready for bed, brushing out her long blonde hair and washing off her mascara and eyeliner.
Then she grabbed a blanket and stuck in a sad little romantic movie she had picked up that morning. Mid-way through the movie as she was curled up on the couch, her knees under her chin crying as the main character died and his lover was left all alone, there came a knocking on her door and then her door bell rang. Sniffling Ino got up and stopped the movie, before softly padding to the door and opened. She completely forgot that she looked like she had just crawled out of bed, her long blonde hair swinging against her back.
She opened the door to the frigid night and on her doorstep stood none other but Sai. "Sai?" she sniffled maybe thinking that this was some kind of joke. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. He was looking at her with his solemn onyx eyes. "Its cold out here," she said. "Come in," she said. The boy came in to the warm house. "What'd you come over here on a night like this for?" she asked crossing her arms.
"Here," he said at last, looking slightly embarrassed he held out the flowers he had bought that day.
"Why are you returning them?" asked Ino wiping her eyes again. "Didn't Sakura like them?"
"I'm not returning them," he answered. Ino's cheeks turned red now realizing precisely what was going on.
"Oh…" she whispered in awe accepting them. She clutched the flowers to her chest her eyes wide with amazement. "I…I…" she shook her head unable to find any words. "Oh, I must look like a mess," she managed at last tucking the flowers under her chin and reaching to tie up her hair.
"Don't," he stopped her hands. Ino allowed him to push her hands away from tying up her hair. He tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I like it down," he said softly. Ino found herself clutching the flowers again and now lost in his deep onyx eyes. She was dragged in. They were so close now. Their lips met in a soft kiss. He drew away at length, their eyes still locked.
"Well…I…have to be…going," he said at last quietly, now looking more embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I…I…" Ino struggled for the words again. "Thank-you," she whispered at last. "For the flowers, and the kiss,"
"Good night," they said at the same time. Ino's cheeks reached a new shade of red as he left. Then slowly as if she were in a dream, Ino walked into the living room and turned off the TV, then went to the kitchen, to put the flowers in a vase and water.
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-sniffle- I'm gonna go eat some ice cream now... -sniffle-
Ino's so lucky that when she's feeling bad on Valentine's Day someone shows up for her, I on the other hand have no such luck. -sniffle-
Please Review
-Hammy Uchiha