"I've read that it would be most suitable for a gentleman to bring flowers to his love interest. However, i see no point in bringing you flowers since you own a shop full of them" he smile his usual fake-smile. Something that Ino just noticed she hate about him.
"(sigh) Sai, please stop smiling like that"
"Like what?"
"Like that" she points at his face
"But that's how i smile. Do you not like the way i smile?"
"No. If you don't feel like smiling please just don't even bother to. It was cute when you first met us, but honestly, you're just making people uncomfortable at this point"
"Really? Well, okay. Now how about food? People go on culinary dates, yes?"
"Yes. But i can't right now, no one is tending the shop if i leave"
"Then i'll bring food here, what would you like to have?"
"I'm not really hungry right now" she say flipping her magazine
Since the day she came back to his hospital room and told him that he had to take things slow, Sai hadn't left her alone. And it's beginning to get under her skin. Like an itch, a terrible pale self-help books loving itch.
"Then what will we do?"
"Tell you what. I'll do my job around the store like I've planned to do, and you-" she give him a pointed look "should go do something of your own... somewhere else" she say clearly
"But i don't understand. I thought you said we should go on dates, and we haven't done one right just yet"
"And who's fault is that?" she mumbles while massaging her temples "Look, Sai, you really should give me some space here"
"R-right. I'm sorry. I must have came on too strong" Sai turn and leave without sparing her another glance, completely missing her guilty expression when he exit the store.
Sai keeps kicking pebbles while he walks, slightly sulking. He remembers the night when Ino left, puffing her cheeks 'see you around' she had said. Even he knows that that was a rejection of his proposal. Very stupid indeed, the way he just frankly ask her hand in marriage, he had realized. But the rejection was hurtful non the less. He was so overwhelmed by the new sensations in his loins that he abandoned everything he'd read about romantic relationship and decided to gamble his luck. Even Naruto's not that stupid.
"Oi" Sai heard the biju vessel himself "whatcha brooding about?"
"Eh, haven't you heard Naruto?" Shikamau appears from behind him "he was... how to put it? Rejected"
"He? Rejected? You should know better than expect anyone would date your weird-ass..."
Instead coming up with an insult for Naruto, Sai just sulk even further, sitting slouched on the park bench
"Whoa, you're really bummed out aren't you?" Naruto take a seat beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder "Ja, come tell me what's wrong and i'll help you out 'tebayo"
"Since when are you the expert in girls anyway?" Sahikamaru put his hands lazily behind his head
"Since i could manage to get myself a wife, excuse you no-Mrs-Nara-cause-my-girlfriend-is-a-Suna-dragon-boss-lady" Naruto shift his attention back to Sai "Now tell me who's the girl, c'mon Sai, i know you want to"
"It's Ino" Shikamaru answer for him, Naruto give him a questioning look "She told me, my team-mates tells me everything" he shrug
"Right, right. Now, what kind of self-help books had you read this time?"
"Kakashi's books and some female magazines" he answer hopefully
"Uhh, Kakashi-sensei's books?! You mean, ehh Sai, those were written by ero-senin himself, that's the last thing you should be reading when researching on how to get a girl"
Shikamaru nod in agreement "And those girly magazine are just as helpless"
"Then what am i suppose to do now?"
"Hmm, let's see. How far have you gotten?" Naruto ask
"Well, i've asked her to marry me, and ask her on a date, we went twice but she seem to be in a bad mood after both times"
"Ma-marr-. Okay, this is worse than i thought" he scratch his blond messy spikes and squint his eyes, frowning
"You shouldn't consult Naruto if you don't want things to go further south" Shikamaru suggest
"Well, i suppose he's right. Oh, i know! You should go to Sakura-chan!"
"Ugly? But why?"
"She's a girl" Nauto retort dumbly
"And she's Ino's best friend" Shikamaru reason better
"She'll know what to do for sure. Come on! We'll take you to her!" Naruto pull on Sai's arm and drag him to the direction of the hospital
"Hhh... How troublesome" Shikamaru lazily follow them from behind
"You need what?" Sakura put away the bottles in her hands. It contains delicate matters, some antidote she's been working on for several days now
"Come on please, we've been looking for you all day 'tebayo. You weren't in the hospital, or at home"
Sakura sigh loudly "I get why these two idiots are here, but you-" she point to Shikamaru "I believe you have a job, somewhere in the Hokage tower" she cross her arms
"My day off. Kakashi said he'll manage on his own" he shrug
"Are you sure. Kakashi's the lazy type, you must know it better than anyone that he wouldn't pass on any help even if he could afford it"
"But hey, so am i" he smile sheepishly "besides, two of my friends are having troubles, might as well offer my assistance"
"Hngg, you just want to dwell on someone else's pathetic love life to escape your own huh" Sakura shake her head
"H-how.. Tch, troublesome woman. All women, just a drag" he mumbles
"Oh?" Naruto look between them dumbly "So, are you gonna help out or what? Shikamaru, Sakura-chan?"
"Well, i guess it's kind of in the contract of being a girl friend" she sit back in one of the lab chairs "Hmm, first of all, Sai, stop reading those useless junk about romance, it doesn't really work. Not for someone like Ino anyway"
"H-hai! Then what else?" Sai squats down with Naruto in front of Sakura while Shikamaru lean on a table, acting cool hile eavesdropping
"Well, have you tried being yourself?"
"Huh? being himself. But Sakura-chan, Sai is dumb, if he be himself then he's done for for sure" Naruto adds in
"Well, if he's not himself then she won't ever like him. Besides, i don't think Sai could actually do 'charming', do you Naruto?"
"Eh?" Naruto shake his head "then what exactly does he need to do now Sakura-chan? Ask her out again?"
"No, i don't think it'll work. Just give her a week free of Sai, y'know absence make the heart grow fonder" Sakura winks at them "then, when you see her again, do something nice"
"Nice?" Sai ask
"Yeah, nice. Nice, but Sai"
"Eh, i don't get it 'tebayo"
"I think Ino would like something big and dramatic" Shikamaru suggest
"She's not 12 anymore Shikamaru, grown women basically want the same thing"
"One thing?" the three of them ask "What is it?!"
"Well it's..."
"They did what?" Ino furiously ask over the phone
"They basically came in like i was Dr. Phil. Anyway, sorry i convinced you to take him into consideration, now you have lots to hustle huh?"
"Y'know we all have our portion of bad luck in romance forehead"
"What do you mean Pig?"
"Well, you had to basically run trough hell and back before your iceberg of a husband, well... melted. Hinata wasn't even spared a glance until a year back. And me, i just couldn't find anybody"
"There's Sai" she try
"Don't push it"
"I mean, now that you're bashing about him, i actually begin to feel bad. His heart is at the right place, he's just over-the-top stupid"
"Oh you mean he's a man?"
"Yes, exactly"
Ino let a little laugh "what am i gonna do with him forehead? I can't tell him to piss off without feeling guilty"
"Really? You've never been one with a conscience"
"Forehead!"
"Could it be that you actually do like him?"
"He IS very very cute. BUT, my days of chasing boys based on looks are over. Y'know, after your husband went rogue and all, i learned my lesson"
"Well i didn't, and i got myself laid"
"Forehead!" Ino laugh at her remark
"Point is. If you give up on your man, you'll never get anything out of your scattered effort. Stop flirting with random guys and pick one, focus your attention to him and i promise things will look up from there"
"I don't flirt with random guys!"
"Oh please. After the war you're as popular as ever. You've went on more dates than you did mission. I heard from shishou you even flirted with the Kazekage on your last visit with your team to Suna!"
"Hey! First of all, only Shikamaru and i went. He was with Temari all the time, i might as well get myself some company. And you've gotta admit that Gaara-sama is... hmm, how to put it into words...very-"
"Stop it Ino, I'm married. Not the best topic to bring up when you're conversing with me"
"Okay prude. I get it, Sasuke-kun's the only one that knows how to undo the seal on your vagina"
"Pig! You didn't sleep with him did you?"
"Who? The Kazekage? Of course not!" she gasp "I'm not that lucky" she murmur the last part
"What was that Pig?"
"Betsuni" she shake her head "Anyway, what actually did you tell him to do?"
"Who? Sai?"
"Yeah"
"Well, i told him to back off. And to stop reading smutty romance books as reference. I mean, it's one thing that Kakashi-sensei's reading them, but he shouldn't encourage Sai to read it too!"
"Tell me about it, he kisses sloppily. But then again Jiraiya-sama wasn't successful at his love life either, what does he know about kissing a girl? And he tittled his book The Makeout Series, how misleading"
"Heeee? You made out with SAI? that SAI?!"
"Well yeah, haven't i mentioned it?"
"Uhh, NO! When did this happen?"
"Right before he proposed"
"Oh man, my head hurts right now. Great, Sasuke will be home any minute too, i haven't set up the table yet"
"Oh sure... I'll hang up, you guys have a good night. You haven't seen each other in weeks right?"
"Only five weeks, but it felt like years to me. Anyway, see you Wednesday Pig!" Sakura say before she hung up
"Being with someone sounds nice" she mumbles to herself. After her father passed she's all by herself at the house. Occasionally her relatives would come, but she still feel very much alone. Another Yamanaka wouldn't hurt. Maybe a little blonde boy or girl. She shake the thought, she's only 21, she has her life ahead of her. Sai's words about marriage had gotten into her it seems. "Stupid Sai"
For the next couple of days, she didn't see even a glimpse of him. Not even once. It's not much of her missing his presence, she's simply adjust to being pursuit or offered dates by him everyday. She found it odd that he actually listened to Sakura and managed to dodge her completely for 7 days straight.
On the 8th day. She was heading down the street to her shop after being summoned to help interrogate an intel by the Hokage, when she finally saw him again. "S-sai?"
"Hello" he smile. Something is different in his smile, it seems rather genuine
"Hey, haven't seen you in a while"
"Yes. I believe you asked for space and i wish to not bother you too much"
"Yeah, thank you for listening to my request"
"You're welcome"
There was a pregnant pause
"So, what now?"
"Well... i'm not sure, i've stopped reading so i don't know what to expect next" he admit
"Are you hungry?" she ask slowly walking past him
Sai recognizing the question as an invitation for a date, quickly turn on his heels and catch up to her "Yes. Where shall we go to eat?"