Written for Day 9 of Sakura Month: What Makes Her Special
Sakura cocked her head as she heard the front door, a smile tugging at her lips. "Okaeri, love!" she called. It was a rare enough day she got home earlier than Ino, habitually kept busy at the hospital until all hours when not on missions. Ino pulled very long days as well, of course, but they weren't needed quite so frequently.
The door closed, but no other sound followed. Sakura frowned.
Sakura returned the kettle to the still-cold burner and turned away. "Ino? Honey?" she called more quietly, making her way through into the front room.
Ino was slumped against the wall just beside the door, her hitai-ate held in one hand. Her special, brilliant eyes were blank and unfocused, her whole body loose and almost graceless, as though the support of the wall was the only thing keeping her upright. She was in her own mind, but at first glance it would have been easy to guess otherwise.
Sakura bit the inside of her cheek.
Seeing Ino like this wasn't unfamiliar, but she hated it every time. She wondered if Ino had wandered home alone - retracing her steps in vacant habit - or if someone had walked her to make sure she got here safely this time, and left once she was inside.
"Hello, love." Sakura said softly, brushing a hand over Ino's cheek and neatening her bangs. "Come here." she coaxed, tugging Ino up and away from the door. Once nudged into movement Ino was stable enough, just . . . alarmingly vacant.
Sakura strangled some choice imprecations on T&I in general. Ino was in charge of the department, but that was not an acceptable reason to let her do this to herself when they knew what happened if she ventured too deep into the wrong kind of mind. Particularly when it was done repeatedly, and without someone else to ground her afterwards.
Sakura's own subordinates wouldn't hesitate to tell her off if they thought she was going to overextend herself and leave herself weak or incapable - at least when it wasn't glaringly necessary, and often even then. Every medic nin knew there were times one had to make that trade-off or lose a patient, which was unacceptable. Even so, they hated to let her hurt herself, even if it wouldn't cause lasting harm, and would fight her on it if they thought she was going to do so. Ino's could very well do the same, damn it.
Sakura stroked her fingers through Ino's long ponytail, stretching up to kiss her cheek, then guided her through towards the little room in their house that had originally been intended as an office. Neither of them was at home to work in it much - pulling long hours at work instead, though sometimes Ino brought work 'home' to her flower shop; classified files crunched through at the counter alongside fallen petals - and it had slowly become a combination library and repository for plants.
It took a minute to divest Ino - who didn't help at all - of her coat, and Sakura abandoned it over the back of a chair before pushing Ino into movement once more.
When Sakura drew her down onto the lounge half-hidden behind an overgrown monstera she finally shifted of her own accord, lifting her head with a soft almost-whine. Sakura swallowed and settled a little closer, pulling Ino towards herself and giving a soft hum, as soothing as she could make it. Ino came to rest against her with another tiny movement, sighing as she tipped her head down again to lie on Sakura's shoulder. She took a deep breath, bringing one hand up to stroke Ino's temple and centring herself.
Sakura was no Yamanaka like her lover, could not make an arrow of herself and slip into another's mind - probably wouldn't be capable of it had anyone ever attempted to teach her any of the Yamanaka clan jutsu - but that would hardly have served well to put Ino back together in any case.
And Sakura was unfortunately practised at this task.
She kissed Ino's brow, winding one section of Ino's ponytail around her fingers, and began to retell one of the more interesting - and light-hearted - stories from her week at the hospital. Ino didn't really respond, other than slowly sinking more fully into Sakura's embrace, but Sakura didn't let it stop her, moving on to a story about a recent mishap in training. Well, perhaps mishap wasn't quite the right word. . .
Sakura had been hard-pressed to suppress her giggles enough not to draw Yamato's attention herself at the time - she had no desire to earn her own scolding, and it had been incredibly entertaining watching Naruto and Sasuke quail before him. She'd also had to elbow Sai in the stomach to keep him from asking a question and stepping in it himself.
"On the upside, I'm practised enough allowing for the boys' delicate constitutions by now," Sakura rolled her eyes, "that I didn't break his ribs by accident in the process."
Ino made a soft sound against her throat and Sakura smiled, relieved, running her fingers the length of Ino's silky hair.
"And I think Sai would actually tell me if I accidentally broke his ribs, these days." Sakura added with some satisfaction. She also didn't have to fight Sai so much to be allowed to patch him up when he was injured - whether in a training accident or result of a mission. "Unnecessary concern and effort. Hmph."
Ino shifted, nuzzling Sakura's throat. "Is there anyone you won't take care of?" she asked, voice a little faint but dry and playful.
Sakura closed her eyes and suppressed a sigh of relief. "You're one to talk." she said, forcing her tone to stay light and tugging Ino's hair. She grumbled at the pull, but only pushed closer to Sakura, all but forcing her to lie back on the couch. "Who was it who spotted a shy girl in her first days at the Academy and promptly took to defending her from all comers?"
"That's different." Ino said gruffly, winding her arms snugly around Sakura's shoulders and hooking one knee over Sakura's thighs. "You're mine."
"Even then?" Sakura said softly, tracing a fingertip along the side of Ino's face.
Ino shifted again, nuzzling Sakura's jaw and raising her head to meet Sakura's eyes. Her own clear eyes were bright and focused once more. "Mm. . . Always." She narrowed her eyes. "I knew you were something special then and a Yamanaka never gives up what they want." she said with a put-on sniff, lips curling.
Sakura tried to suppress a smile, winding her fingers more deeply into Ino's hair. "Mm. I love you too." she said, voice low, nuzzling Ino's cheek. She wouldn't ask what had thrown Ino into her own mind, what had been so awful or simply so much that it left her tangled up and lost - there would be time for Ino to share what she would or could later.
Ino stretched, pressing into her a little more and catching her mouth in a warm, consuming kiss. Sakura arched up into the weight of Ino's body, tilting her head to welcome the kiss deeper with a soft purr.