AN: So sorry this took so long, but after the last chapter I wanted to make sure I got this right. I'm still not completely happy, but this is my third rewrite from scratch and I figure a lot of you are just wanting to know what happens next. Thanks to everyone who reviews and enjoys this story. Hopefully I won't have such a hard time next time.
Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue.
Chapter 4: Growth
Ino tried to calm herself down for the nth time that day as a mother and daughter walked passed her down the sunny park path. She'd been jumpy and nervous all day, today she'll finally tell Sakura the truth and hope her friend didn't kick her ass and storm away to never talk to her again. 'Come on she wouldn't do that. It may take her a few months to get over it, but she would...probably.' She wiped her hands on her capris again as her palms were sweating. She was wearing a light flowery yellow tank top and capris with sandles and her hair pulled back in a ponytail as usual. She'd applied light makeup and gotten there an hour early to try and settle her nerves.
She'd been debating all morning about if she should henge back into the guy form she had taken the night before. But she promised herself when she first used the henge it was just to get her attention and it wouldn't be any good if she didn't face Sakura as herself. She nearly jumped and felt her heart pound in her ribcage as a dog walked out of the bushes on the path. She took a deep breath trying to relax herself and make sure the flower was still behind her ear but not hidden. 'Come on you promised sensei you would never loose in love, well never loose to Sakura...well how does it work now that I'm trying to win Sakura?' She felt like pulling her hair out. She had absolutely no idea on how Sakura would react and if she reacted badly she didn't know how well she'd be able to hold herself together. She was shaken from her thoughts again as she heard all too familiar humming.
Instantly her mouth went dry and her heart tried to escape her rib cage but she held her ground. 'I can do this. I have fought enemy ninja, I have taken lives, I have saved lives. I can do this!' Sure enough this time the person who came into view was none other then Haruno Sakura. She was humming to herself, wearing jean shorts with a light green tank top that seemed to accent her eyes. Her hair was pulled back by a clip on the left side of her head and her lips seemed to shine, probably lip gloss, 'I wonder if it's flavored?' She was brought out of her less then pure thoughts when Sakura finally spoke noticing the girl.
"Ino-chan?" The girl seemed genuinely confused as she came to the predetermined spot only to see her friend instead of the guy she had met the night before. 'What's going on, did he stand me up,' Sakura thought to herself and scanned the area, only to find just Ino standing there. Ino worked up all the moisture she could in her mouth to finally reply.
"Hi Sakura-chan." Sakura came to a stop a few feet in front of her and she looked around the area to see if anyone else was around before her eyes landed on Ino again.
"What are you doing out here?" She seemed genuinely confused and Ino hoped she started picking up the hint, she knew this was going to be hard but she didn't want to have to spell this out. She lifted her hand and pushed non existent loose hair behind her ear showing the flower they had agreed upon for her to wear behind her ear.
"This is one of my favorite spots, it's beautiful don't you think?" She did and didn't answer her question at the same time. Sakura looked around the area noticing the warmth coming through the trees, and then looked at the still young cherry blossom tree behind her and smiled.
"Yeah it really is nice. But what are you doing our here right now? Are you on lunch break?" Sakura sounded confused but also a little timid. Ino felt her heart clutch and had to try and keep smiling though she thought i wasn't very convincing. 'Shit she's not getting it. Oh well I figured it probably would end up like this.'
"I told you last night...you definitely wouldn't understand the situation. But this is what it is." Sakura's confusion slowly started to turn to shock though she still seemed to be in denial. Her eyes got wide and she saw the pieces of the puzzle coming together in her friends mind. Sakura's eyes shot to the flower in Ino's hair and Ino's slightly dressy appearance.
'No way, this...this can't be right,' were Sakura's thoughts as she stared at the blond in front of her. She figured that Ino was helping the guy but this seemed...
"Last night? Look I know you were probably asking those questions about me dating to help that guy out, but I don't understand this. Ino what's going on?" Ino sighed and might have laughed at how wrong her friend had gotten it if it wasn't such a bad situation.
"I-I really hoped I didn't have to spell it out but this is why I said if you took one look and wanted to walk away I wouldn't stop you. I still won't," she said unable to meet her eyes through the whole conversation, her voice had lost it's confidence and she seemed as timid as Hinata right now. "I was the guy you met last night, I was the one who asked you to meet me here today because...because I think I-" Her heart was stuck in her throat and she felt like she might be sick and moisture still wasn't coming to her mouth. 'Come on! You've come this far! You can't back down!' "I think I like you!" Sakura felt her heart skip a beat, she told herself it was from shock, but even she couldn't be sure. She felt her face heat up slightly, she'd never had such a direct confession before. The last part was all but shouted as Ino closed her eyes tightly too afraid to look and see Sakura gone. She heard nothing, not a rustle, not a poof, nothing. It was dead silent as Ino still refused to open her eyes though she felt panic well inside of her with every second that ticked by. 'This...can't be right. I mean we've been friends since we were kids. We stayed the night at the others house, we've bathed together, we told each other our darkest secrets, this...this isn't...,' Sakura thought to herself half in shock.
"I-Ino, this isn't funny..." Ino's eyes snapped open to see the incredulous look on her friends face not sure she was believing what she was hearing. Of all the reactions this wasn't one she was expecting. "Really this is a bit too much." 'She thinks this is a joke? That I would joke about something like this?' Her heart was flip flopping in her chest when it wasn't trying to squeeze itself to death, and Sakura thought all this pain was a joke? As scared as she was, as raw as she felt with her emotions boiling over, she felt anger welling inside of her. Ino's face went from shy and meek to ablaze with anger. Sakura felt herself back up a little.
"How dare you! I go through all of that last night, I try and get you to like me in a form you might be more comfortable with, to get you to finally see me and you think this is a joke! I'm laying myself open in front of you and you think it's a joke," she said the last part a half choked sob. She held it back, she refused to cry in front of her. She wouldn't cry because of Sakura, because of a crush, she was a much stronger woman then that. Sakura's eyes widened and pure shock was etched on her face, she finally started to understand the situation.
'It can't be...but it is. Ino is here, in front of me, looking like she's either going to hit me or start crying, telling me she...she...likes me.' Sakura felt her heart start to beat a little faster and she had to take a deep breath and hold it for a second to try and get it under control. This was too surreal, she had no idea how to feel but the way Ino was talking and acting...she couldn't just brush it off like it was a joke. "You're not joking. So you...you really, like me?" Ino felt her face go a deep red as she failed to control the blush, but she wouldn't back down, not now.
"Y-yeah." Ino could find no other words to say to reply to the woman looking completely floored in front of her. There were many thoughts going through her head about what she should say to Sakura, if she should hold her hand, if she should try to comfort her. But really she was the one who wanted to be comforted and told things were going to be all right. She felt a bit light on her feet and decided to sit down on the grass under the tree. Sakura took a second but followed suit sitting about a foot to her right. She still had that gobsmacked look on her face.
Sakura didn't know what to do but the look on Ino's face, made her want to hug her and tell her everything was going to be all right. It wasn't nearly as bad but she hadn't seen Ino look this fragile since Asuma died and she'd been shell shocked. What Sakura considered just a date with a cute guy she was flirting with last night was a lot bigger then she imagined and she knew that for someone like Ino to do something like this she had to take this seriously. "I-I don't know what to say."
"Please, don't hold back. Please just tell me what you're thinking right now, please? It's painful not knowing what you think," Ino pleaded. She wanted the honest truth and nothing else right now would do. Even if it hurt in the end, she needed this, her nerves were on end with the unknown.
"I'm seriously shocked. I mean I hear about how you always go out with guys and you're always really girly, girlier then me even. I'm just surprised. I mean...how long?" She was still trying to figure out what had changed her friend, the thing is Ino never actually changed. 'If she never changed though, does that just mean I've been blind this whole time. That I never actually knew my friend?' She felt kind of hurt, like Ino had been keeping this a secret forever and thought Sakura wasn't important enough to know. But thinking back it was probably after Sasuke, when they still weren't quite friends. So she let her petty anger go and instead felt bad she and Ino had drifted apart for a while because of Sasuke.
"I-I don't know," Ino said "It's like, there's no when or anything. I just know I've had crushes on a couple girls and I tried dating guys but I never seem to really be into them. I-I just want you to know I'm really serious. I-I'm putting a lot on the line right now by even confessing this. It's like I'm finally confessing to myself, not just you, the feelings I've started having for you."
In that moment Ino looked so...cute. She was so timid and shy and everything not Ino, but at the same time that bit of her that was always courageous peaked through as she continued talking even though it was hard. 'I can't help it even though she's so girly I've never seen Ino so...cute.' Ino heard a giggle and felt her heart jump as she turned to see Sakura smiling. 'Finally a good sign!' Even if it wasn't Sakura confessing her feelings it was enough to put Ino at some ease.
"That seems so like you, jumping in without planning ahead," Sakura said. Ino felt herself blush for a whole other reason this time. Of all the people to fall for she had to fall for the one that knew her best.
"And it would be just like you to come with five backup plans prepared for any situation," she shot back. Sakura smiled feeling them slip into how they normally were with each other. It felt more relaxed then before.
"Well then you should feel pleased to know you've blown all my backup plans out of the water." It seemed comfortable again, like that night they lay on the floor just being themselves and enjoying each others company. "I knew the guy I met last night was way too familiar. I just didn't know why," she said being honest. Ino let Sakura's last sentence fly away on the wind. It wasn't a question or something for her to add to, it was just acknowledgment. It was so odd now that Sakura thought back on it, Ino was acting like Ino but with a quick gender change Sakura couldn't place her at all. It hit her at that moment, what Ino had done just to get her attention. She was right, if she would have hit on Sakura last night as herself she would have thought she was drunk or playing a joke. She felt a bit happy knowing Ino had tried so hard to get her to look at her.
They both sat there wondering what the next move was. Ino had made her move and now it was up to Sakura to figure out what would happen next. Ino still felt nervous, there was no way to tell how Sakura felt or what she wanted. But she felt better now that Sakura realized she was being serious, she didn't think Sakura was one to take advantage of this kind of situation. "Ino I'll be serious. I have no clue what to do. I don't know if I like girls, and I don't know if I have those kinds of feelings for you. I don't know what to do." 'I don't want to hurt her, but I'm not going to lie either.' She looked over at Ino and saw her face crumple a little but saw her stubbornness push her to hold it together and just look a little disappointed. If she didn't know Ino as well as she did she wouldn't have noticed, but because she did...
As much as Ino's heart hurt right now she was glad Sakura was being honest with her. "I-I told you last night, if you wanted to just walk away I wouldn't hate you as long as we could be friends still." 'But-' "But, you said you don't know. I, would you, I mean," she felt like freaking Hinata the way she was stumbling. She took a deep breath to stop her babbling and finally just put out what she wanted to say. "Would you give me a chance?" 'Well look at that I shocked her twice in one day,' Ino thought almost smugly. That gobsmacked look on Sakura's face might become a permanent fixture around Ino. "Would you please give me a chance? Just a little while, a date or two, to see if you could start to see me that way? If nothing happens then I won't push it because you would have at least gave me a chance. But you said it yourself, you don't know if you have those feelings. So would it hurt just to try, a little?" It took everything she could to get that out. She'd rather take on all the Akatsuki again then have to wade through that again.
Sakura was once again shocked and took a minute to think this over. 'Would it really be that bad to give Ino a chance? She tried to hard to get me to look at her, to see her, and even though I don't think it will change she's right...I don't know how I feel about dating a girl.' She screwed her face up knowing this could be more trouble then it was worth. But she looked over at the blond girl who was waiting with anticipation. This wasn't just some stranger or someone who came up after a night of talking to her and confessed. This was her best friend, her ex-rival, this was Ino. She remembered earlier when Ino had confessed, how her heart had skipped a beat and felt her face heat up slightly but pushed it away.
"Ino..." She seemed to really be thinking it over, and Ino had said all she could. It was up to Sakura now. Even though it was a warm summer day Ino felt chilled, and her heart was all over the place. It seemed like an eternity but it was probably only a few minutes before Sakura finally replied.
"Ino, I-I can't say no." Ino's heart was pounding joyfully. 'She said yes! ...kinda!' "Listen like I said I don't know if I have any of those feelings so don't take it as a confession or anything. I figure going on a couple dates couldn't hurt. BUT until I figure out what my feelings are I want to keep this just between us." She said all of this in a hurry trying to set down some ground rules before Ino ran away with the idea.
"Huh? You mean a secret?" Ino looked a little crestfallen and Sakura sighed.
"Like I said I don't know my feelings right now. So what good is it to tell everyone we're dating and then if I find out I don't like you more then a friend then people will think I started liking girls when I don't even know if I like girls." She sighed knowing she sounded like a bigot. "I'm not trying to be mean, there's nothing wrong with liking girls I just don't know if I do. Please don't take it the wrong way," she pleaded. Sakura was treading in new waters and didn't know how she was going to fare. But if she could give a little and give Ino a chance Ino could give a little to make this work too. 'Make this can work...,' her own thoughts gave her a start.
"I guess you have a point," Ino finally conceded but seemed a bit disappointed still.
"This is a bit newer to me so would you mind if we took it slow? I know I kissed you last night but I just want to get used to it you know?" Ino felt like sighing again but held back and smiled nodding. She had to give Sakura a little leeway. Hell she actually agreed to her half baked idea, and was giving her a chance! It's not like Sakura was like her and had crushed on a couple girls before, or hell even considered other girls before so she couldn't expect her to just jump on the bandwagon.
"It's not like it's going to change a lot. I mean you remember the other night when we were just hanging out in your apartment and we talked and had fun and just laid on the ground together? Even things like that are just little moments that can be considered important." Sakura was a little taken aback. She thought back to that night Ino and her had talked and just laid on the ground staring at each other. At the time she had felt what she thought was nostalgia, but it was different. Now thinking back on it maybe it wasn't that at all. 'But then what was that I was feeling?' "It's not all making out and groping in back rooms or anything," Ino continued breaking Sakura's contemplative bubble. Sakura's face went from gobsmacked to beat red.
"Ino!"
"Huh? W-wait I'm not saying I did anything like that! W-what kind of person do you take me for," she said her face just as red as Sakura's. Ino took a deep breath and sighed. "What I'm trying to say is we don't have to completely change, a lot of dating is just having fun with the person you're with. If, if this is too much for you..." Sakura seemed a bit crestfallen and she leaned her head on Ino's shoulder with her eyes closed. 'Jeeze we've only barely started and I feel so guilty for jumping to conclusions about Ino. And yeah dating a girl is a bit different, but it's not something completely different. It's just dating...with a girl instead of a guy.' Sakura felt a bit like a heel.
"I'm sorry Ino I'm making this a lot harder then it has to be aren't I? I always tend to overdo things like that."
"It's fine, it's one of your greatest flaws and best qualities all in one." Ino had the urge to put her arm around her but didn't know if it'd be accepted at this point. 'You know what, I can't be afraid all the time. I only have one chance.' She slowly moved her arm up and around Sakura to rest it on her other shoulder pulling her closer. She felt her heart beat faster but tried to act calm as to not scare Sakura. Sakura on the other hand was trying to calm down. 'It's just her arm, come on she's not groping you, she's not doing anything lewd. Hell if this was before her confession it wouldn't be anything big at all, so knock it off before you blow this out of proportion.' Even as she said that her heart beat just a little faster, though probably not for the reason she thought. She decided to change the topic.
"So, what did you want to do the rest of the day?"
"Huh," Ino replied eloquently.
"Well I didn't turn you down, and we probably both have the rest of the afternoon off, so what were you planning on doing?"
"Why do I have to make the plans?"
"Aren't you the one who asked me out?"
"I was trying to keep myself together in case you said you hated me and stormed off, I never even thought that far ahead," Ino replied kind of embarrassed she was once again unprepared.
"Of course," Sakura said and giggled.
"Well fine then what plans did you have then," she said pouting.
"Actually some lunch at this little diner, then there's a bar where they have great music for dancing..." Sakura started trailing off.
"Sakura? Is something wrong?"
"Ah, well, not really, kinda. I was thinking about how we danced last night and...well I don't know if I'm kind of ready for that yet...with you...jeeze I make it sound like it's sex or something," she said her face heating up. Ino finally let herself laugh and rubbed Sakura's shoulder.
"That's fine, we can just have some lunch and do some window shopping, that sound safe to you?" Sakura grumbled but agreed. 'God I feel like such an idiot. It's just dancing, it's not sexual. And once again I'm making it seem like it's a bad thing. If this was before the confession you wouldn't think twice.' But that was the thing, Ino had confessed and now Sakura was seeing her and everything she did in a whole new light.
"Sakura, please don't hold yourself back, if you want to do something together let's do it. If in the end you think you don't want this and don't want people thinking you like girls I will personally go around and tell everyone we were just friends having fun. It's not like I'd kiss you in public or anything." 'Though it's not as if I don't want to,' she thought sadly but figured she had to do baby steps. Hopefully if she could get Sakura to see how much she cared for her, she might just start opening up. "Just please be yourself, like you were last night." Sakura thought back to the night before and the fun they were having, how at ease she felt with the guy she was flirting with. How much she was looking forward to seeing him again today, and she technically was. The person she had a good time with last night was still right here in front of her.
"Ino..."
"I'm sorry I kind of tricked you. But come on if I did that stuff how I am now you'd think I was drunk or something. I was still me, I just didn't look like me, so please keep that in mind." Sakura nodded and seemed to be deep in thought. 'I can do this, we'll have fun and I don't care what other people see or think. I really...I really wanted to see him again.' With that a picture of the kiss the night before came unbidden into her mind and she had to shake her head to clear it. She got to her feet brushing the grass off of herself, then she turned and offered Ino a hand up.
Ino knew it wasn't anything intimate, and if she had never confessed Sakura would probably do the same thing. But Ino had confessed, and that outstretched hand seemed like it held so much more. Like it was offering her a chance, and she didn't hesitate in taking it. When their hands touched she swore she felt a spark, but she didn't let go. 'Not now, or ever.'
AN: Thanks again everyone for reading!
