When one is known as a straight-A student, telling the truth usually comes naturally. For Sakura Haruno, this was the norm she'd always known, for Ino Yamanaka, it was a different story.
"Come on, Ino, you can do this. We've been over it a thousand times."
The pinkette brought her forefinger and thumb together against her brow in frustration, her long bangs hanging gently from either side of her face as her head lowered to meet the arm. Closing her eyes as she rubbed at them for a moment, she let out a sigh, her posture slouching slightly as she tried to keep her composure for fear of yelling in the school's library. The girl was standing but leaning back against the desk behind her, dressed in the traditional Konoha high uniform which consisted of a white and black sailor shirt with the school's emblem on the sleeve and a pleated gray skirt along with plain black shoes and knee-high white socks. She watched the girl who sat slumped over the desk beside her with the back end of a pen between her teeth and a hand supported by her elbow on the desk against her cheek, further accentuating the look of boredom on her face.
"Sakura, just 'cause you're acing biology doesn't mean I'm gonna catch up if you're helping me study."
The blonde slumped back in her seat with a sigh of her own, her knees rising to support herself with the desk as she balanced her chair on it's back legs.
"Besides, if I can't work it out, I can always use your answers."
The cheeky wink that followed only served to raise her partner's eyebrow, the unimpressed look Sakura shot back at her caused Ino's smile to drop as quickly as it came.
"No you can't." Sakura shifted in place, crossing one leg over the other as she sat herself on the desk. "I can help you study, but you can't keep cheating your way through the tests. It's bad enough that I let you do it this long."
The sudden impact of wood against stone caught the pinkette by surprise, Ino had risen from her seat and was making her steady way around the desk towards her long time friend. The slow sway in her hips and the half-lidded eyes fixated on her caused Sakura's cheeks to flush against her will, she knew exactly what Ino was trying to do and knew exactly what she needed to do to stop her. The only question in her mind, was whether she actually wanted to stop her.
"C'mon now, Sakura, you know I need your help." Giving a soft flutter of her eyelashes, showing off the full effect of the expensive mascara she used, she leaned in close to the sitting girl. "Can't you just give in for me? I can make it worth your while."
Trapped by the blonde with both hands being held against the desk by slender fingers, Sakura could only keep her eyes fixated on the two pale blue orbs that inched closer to her. Her face heating as she glanced at Ino's full lips, almost able to taste the cherry gloss she always coated them in between classes.
"I-Ino... We're in the library." Sakura's voice came shakier than she was intending, trying to talk the blonde down before she got them both in trouble. "Someone could see us..."
"Just a kiss, to get you to see it my way. I know you can't resist."
Ino licked at her slyly curled lips, her eyes locked on Sakura's as she steadily closed the distance between them. Had it not been for her backing up to avoid the contact, Sakura would've simply let it happen and eventually let Ino have her way like she often did. Had it not been for her backing up, she would've remained sitting.
The light bang as the back of Sakura's head bumped on the desk caused her to quickly look around in case anyone had heard, an action that distracted her long enough for Ino to take advantage and climb up to straddle the pinkette's legs. Practically hunched over the desk to bring them closer again, Ino grinned as she pinned her best friend beneath her.
"Ino... Someone might see us..."
She desperately hoped that repeating herself would push some sense into the blonde's head, the reply shattered her hope of escaping with her pride.
"Let them watch."
She could feel Ino's breath on her lips, her own catching in her throat as she wracked her brain for some kind of rapid response, anything to get Ino to back down before they got caught.
The blonde almost gave a disappointed groan as her lips met with Sakura's cheek, the girl beneath her having quickly turned her head at the last second, her eyes staring off towards the bookshelves on the far side of the room as she used everything she had to keep her expression neutral.
"Fine... I'll help you with your answers."
Ino pushed her bottom lip out in a childish pout as she crawled herself back from her pinned friend and slipped from the desk.
"You're no fun today."
Sakura breathed a heavy sigh, it wasn't the first time Ino had used their relationship to get her own way but it was getting more dangerous lately. The pair had known each other since they were around six years old and despite having their differences over the years, nowadays they couldn't be closer.
They weren't exactly keeping their feelings for each other secret, they would frequently be seen walking home together or holding hands in the hallways, but Sakura wasn't one to flaunt what they had. She always felt uncomfortable seeing other couples displaying their affection so openly, so she feared that having people see her acting intimate towards Ino in public would make her feel even worse. Not that she would ever admit it to Ino herself, she couldn't let her think she was ashamed of what they had.
Pulling herself back up to a sitting position she glanced around the library once more, giving the once over to make sure there was nobody around before lightly swatting at her friend's shoulder, causing her to jolt from her pouting to over-dramatically rub at the spot with a shocked look on her face.
"What was that for?"
"You know exactly what it was for, what're you thinking trying to..." Sakura paused for a moment as the scenario played itself in her head again, causing her cheeks to flush despite the stern look she was giving. "Just.. Let me grab my books..."
She didn't like making Ino feel guilty, the look in her eyes always caused her heart to ache in the worst way, but from past experiences it was one of the only ways to get her to listen. Catching a glimpse of the blonde as she made her way back to her seat, it wasn't clear if she was really disheartened or just putting it on for sympathy, but the gentle smile Ino gave her when their eyes caught each other put her worries at ease for the moment.
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"So when pressure is applied, the heart reacts by-"
Both girls quickly turned their attention to the large clock at the far end of the library when the school's bell cut Sakura off from her explanation. A whole forty minutes had gone by in what only felt like ten, and Sakura gave a short sigh as she glanced over at Ino's notebook with only a few scribbles to show that anything had actually been achieved in their free period.
"C'mon, Ino, we better get to class. A few notes is better than none, I'm sure you'll do fine."
Standing to gather her things, the pinkette glanced back down at her friend who was taking somewhat longer to pack her belongings away. A fleeting thought that she may have hurt Ino's feelings before caused her stomach to tense painfully, though she didn't allow herself to show that she was worried for both their sakes.
"Wait, you didn't finish." Ino spoke up suddenly once she'd slipped her last textbook into her designer bag. "What does happen to a heart when you put pressure on it?"
Almost taken aback by the sudden interest in actually learning, Sakura had to think for a moment about what she was saying before the bell.
"Well, the first thing that happens is-"
Her eyes opened wide as she felt the touch of Ino's fingers on her chest, the palm joining quickly to grab a handful of her subtle curve. The blush that washed over her cheeks only fueled the heat in her body as her immediate response of crying out in embarrassment was halted by the cherry flavored lips that suddenly claimed her own. Ino's other hand held her firmly but carefully around her hip, the tender grip on her modest bust clamping down just a little harder which caused the trembling girl to gasp softly into her best friend's mouth, the action giving the blonde the opportunity to slip her tongue past the lips of her stunned prey. In the few seconds it took for Sakura to realize she'd been had, the pinkette had already slipped her own arms around the midsection of the slightly taller girl, her eyes closing as she allowed herself to indulge in the moment of passion.
Until the sound of several books hitting the stone floor caused both girls to pull apart and snap their attention to the source.
"Y.. you two are..."
Kiba Inuzuka, the resident class clown and general nice guy, his eyes wide and his mouth agape as he stood staring between the gap in the bookshelves, his study material scattered by his feet as his mind tried to process exactly what he was looking at.
"I can't believe you guys wouldn't tell me about this, I thought I was your friend."
The pair of blushing girls simply stared at Kiba, the shock of his sudden appearance still showing clearly on their faces as they tried to catch their breath.
"C'mon, Kiba, it's not like we do this all the time, we were just trying to avoid getting caught by the teachers."
The voice of Kiba's friend Shikamaru came from behind the nearby bookcase, slightly shaken at the accusation coming from the disgruntled teen.
"You were supposed to tell me when you were gonna go get the new game, I was gonna come with you guys."
The girls simply watched Kiba disappear behind the bookcase to lecture Shikamaru and Choji about the importance of sticking together as guys and never to leave him out of their gaming sessions. Once clear of any further interruption, the pair locked eyes for just a moment before breaking into uncontrollable giggling.
"Jeez, that was kinda a rush." Ino had to practically bite her finger to keep from laughing louder and catching the boys' attention. "I thought we were actually gonna get caught."
Sakura managed to stop her snickering long enough to let her blush return full force, her heart racing a hundred beats a second and her body starting to feel hot. She knew if she stayed here and Ino had any more time to think about it, things were going to get dangerous very quickly. Taking action before the blonde could snatch the opportunity, Sakura grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder with an awkward smile.
"Th-the heart, reacts by..."
The sly smile on her study partner's lips returned as she stepped forwards, her hand reached to give Sakura's hips a gentle pull towards her, planting one more quick but tender kiss on the blushing girl's lips before she too moved to grab her bag.
"Don't worry babe, I think I got it."
She gave a wink as she turned away, a wink that affected the pinkette a lot more than the cheeky one she had been given earlier, causing the blush on her cheeks to flush a deeper shade of pink as she sheepishly followed behind her cheerfully humming partner.
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The next few hours passed by as they normally did, Sakura listening and taking notes during her classes while Ino only managed around half as much. The other half of that time would be spent looking bored or mildly irritated, mostly due to the fact that the seating arrangements in the biology class had Sakura sitting two rows in front of her. It wasn't that she didn't want to learn from the classes she was taking, but she couldn't deny to herself that she was only taking those classes because Sakura was, and that she was in danger of being dropped if she couldn't keep up.
As she scribbled down a few notes, Ino gave a short sigh, slumped in her usual position with her cheek against her hand and the back end of her pen tapping against the desk in an imaginary rhythm. The highlights of the lesson came once every now and then, when Sakura would raise her hand to answer a question and briefly glance back to smile, which was met with a silent applause and childish grin from the blonde.
By the time the final bell rang, Ino had managed to chew yet another pen to death for her steadily growing collection. She slipped her books into her bag and slung it over her shoulder, moving hurriedly to the side of her best friend.
"You ready to go?" She grinned as she pressed her palms against Sakura's desk, the pinkette still seated while she calmly gathered her things and stowed them in her bag. "I am so hyped for movie night tonight, we decided on a rom-com this time right?"
Sakura simply nodded, closing up her bag and standing up to leave without so much as a glance as she passed. Watching her best friend's back with a raised eyebrow, Ino straightened up and started following behind.
Sakura stayed quiet for the majority of the walk home, only speaking up a few times to say goodbye to a handful of other students as they passed by. It was unusual for her to be so openly cold towards Ino, even when she was mad she would at least say so, with a slight skip to put herself in front of her pink-headed friend, the determined blonde decided to press the issue.
"Sakura, is something wrong?"
"We'll talk about it when we get home."
The stone tone that pierced her caused Ino to stop in her tracks for a moment, her eyes wide and fixated on the sight of the girl she called her closest friend, walking away without looking back, continuing along the path they always took.
The pair lived together in a sense, both girls technically lived with their parents across town from each other, but during the week when they had to be in school each day they stayed in a small apartment that was paid for by both families. The arrangement was made since the place was much closer to the school, and neither girl was able to hide their enthusiasm for the idea at the time, though they had come across a few issues at the start. There wasn't a huge amount of space to work with inside, but the girls had put in the effort to make it feel like a home: Sakura had picked out some paintings and ornaments that gave the rooms a more artistic air, while Ino had used her knowledge as a florist to brighten up the place with various flowers and potted plants.
The silence of their home was broken by the door opening and closing, neither girl had said another word since Ino had caught up and they didn't even look each other in the eyes until Sakura had walked through to the sitting room and settled on the couch. Her expression was hard to read, she was definitely mad but it felt different from usual, often her temper would show itself with a smack upside the head or a pillow thrown clear across the room. This was different though, she was calm, quiet. Ino felt pressure she hadn't felt since she was a young girl being sat down for a serious talk by her mother, and it was starting to scare her.
"Sit with me, Ino."
She didn't have the same cold demeanor she showed outside, but the way she was staring at the blonde still made her feel uneasy. Making her steady way over to the white, cotton seat, she settled herself down quietly and nervously fiddled with her skirt, waiting for whatever it was that had Sakura in such a scary mood.
"You lied to me, Ino."
The accusation caught her off guard, her eyes immediately locking onto the pinkette's cold emeralds, her back straightening as she seemed to almost jump in her seat.
"W-what? What are you talking about, Sakura? I would never lie to you, you're my best-"
"Don't give me that, you broke the promise you made to me."
Ino stared at the stern glare she was getting in return, her eyes flicking between the features on Sakura's face as she wracked her brain to work out what she was talking about. The sigh that escaped the pinkette's lips signaled that she was running out of time, her own mouth silently opening and closing as she tried desperately to come out with something.
"I.. You mean... The promise I made to prep your next bath? Borrow that movie from Karin?"
Sakura simply closed her eyes and shook her head, her sigh cutting through the quiet that squeezed Ino's chest while her expression dropped.
"It meant a lot to me, Ino... I thought it meant a lot to you too."
Realization struck her. Ino's form slumped forwards as she placed her hands over her eyes, the weight of the tension pressing down on her back as her mind struggled to come up with something to say that wouldn't make things worse.
"Sakura... I'm trying, I swear I'm trying."