Title- More Tiny Things

Rating: Mixed

World State: Mixed

Word Count: 1883

Prompts: Sable, Cure, Mark, Treat

Prompt: Sable

Rating: T

Word Count: 358

Purple had always been her color. It made the golden length of her hair that much brighter, complimented the cerulean of her eyes, and made her skin that much more luminous. In the heat of high Summer, she wore whites and yellows; light and airy sundresses that turned her into a cheery sunbeam to match the breezy chime of her laugh and her fiery passions.

But black...

Black made her a work of art. Majesty in monochrome. Sensuality in sable.

"You look amazing," Sakura breathed when Ino knocked and Sakura opened up. The tiny black slip rode Ino's hips snugly and showed off more thigh than it hid. A plunging neckline traded in modesty for pride, but Ino was a firm believer of "flaunt it if you got it," so it did not matter either way. A massive black pearl nestled comfortably in the hollow of her throat, hanging by a tiny chain from the black lace choker around her neck.

"Hello to you, too," she smiled, stepping inside. "I could say the same to you, though, forehead," she teased, lasciviously running her eyes up and down the slightly more conservative, but no less beautiful silver sheath Sakura had picked for their evening out. Ino drew close and slipped one hand to Sakura's waist, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "And don't tell anyone, but I look amazing out of this dress, too."

The touch of Ino's lips just below her ear had Sakura reconsidering dinner in favor of testing that claim, but there were steps to this dance that when followed would only make latter half of their night that much more satisfying. Particularly for being magical date number five.

"I'll just have to take your word for it," Sakura replied as non-chalantly as she could despite the blush across her nose. "But the restaurant won't hold our reservations forever, ya know?" She regretfully disengaged from Ino and picked up the tiny clutch that matched her dress. "Shall we?" she asked, offering Ino her arm. The blonde laced her arm smoothly with Sakura's with a smile.

"Let's," she said and they struck off into the night.

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Prompt: Cure

Rating: T

Word Count: 299

There are a multitude of perks that come with dating a medic-nin.

For one, Sakura could spot the beginnings of a cold from a mile away and insist that Ino increase her vitamin C intake. Even when an illness would take root, Sakura would know exactly what to bring home whether it was a nasal spray or a pill the size of a thumbnail.

For two, when she wasn't working herself to the bone at the hospital, Sakura was a natural housekeeper. Ino would have trusted her if she had said they wouldn't need to dirty any plates for dinner because the floor was clean enough. Maybe.

For three, though Sakura was more concerned with the physical health of the body, she was more than enough mental and emotional stability for Ino when her own job became too much to bear alone.

But, arguably, most importantly...

"'M grna tn nta pda," Ino groaned into the pillow, stripped above the waist while Sakura's magical hands went to work. Chakra loaded at her fingertips kneaded and massaged knots out of Ino's back and shoulders that the head of T&I hadn't even known were there.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Sakura asked, cocking one ear closer. Ino lifted her head and repeated the previously muffled declaration.

"I'm gonna turn into a puddle, forehead," Ino groaned. "Just what the doctor ordered."

"I'd write you a perscription if I didn't think you'd abuse it," Sakura teased, gliding her thumbs up the back of Ino's neck. Ino thumped back into the pillow, a snarky reply dying as a wordless whimper of ecstasy.

To hell with it. There would be time for sarcastic jibes later Ino thought before even that was driven from her head as Sakura found a new muscle to turn to liquid.

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Prompt: Mark

Rating: K

Word Count: 331

Her weapon of choice poised and ready, Ino froze as her target sleepily shifted, fortunately remaining face up.

Good. It wouldn't have worked any other way.

She lowered the fine sharp point to unsuspecting skin and traced slowly; the thin red line left behind as she went from chin to cheek, up around eyebrows with a sharp dip between them, and down the other side to return to chin.

Satisfied, Ino labled her target and left her own signature below the name.

And now, to wait...

Ino was up the next morning and already at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee before Sakura woke. She fought to keep her face straight as the pinkette shambled in with a sleepy grunt of "Hey, pig."

"Mornin', forehead!" Ino chirped brightly, ready to taste blood in her mouth from biting the inside of her cheek so hard. "Sleep good?" Sakura muttered something unintelligible, seemingly torn about pouring a cup of coffee of her own before deciding the call of nature was far greater. Ino finally let a wide grin split her face as Sakura turned and made for the bathroom.

3...2...1...

"WHY?!" came the shriek a moment later as Ino finally busted her gut with the hitherto successfully held laughter. Sakura stormed into the kitchen, green eyes practically on fire as Ino waved the red permanent marker at her. She couldn't tell if Sakura's cheeks were red from scrubbing or indignant fury, but it so didn't matter. The red heart outlining Sakura's face was just as cute as it had been last night, as was the Forehead + Pig 4ever on her forehead.

"'Cuz, I love you~" Ino wheezed, half sprawled across the table and knowing it was the only reason she wasn't currently a smoldering crater in the floor. Sakura growled something about work in thirty minutes and how it was not going to come all the way off, but Ino had redoubled with fresh laughs and heard none of it.

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Prompt: Treat

Rating: K

Word Count: 856

"C'mon, just one more!"

"No."

"Please? I swear, it's the last one," Sakura begged.

Sakura had decided she wanted to learn the art of making sweets from Choji, a mutual friend they both knew from college, and took to it like a natural. So much so that Choji had decided he wanted hire Sakura full time for his bakery-slash-candy shop after nearly weeping in benedictive bliss when he tasted her "Cherry Blossom Cordial."

She had been at it nearly the entire day. A collection of neatly colored boxes had slowly stacked up on the counter as she rattled down the list of their friends intent on giving them each a unique Christmas treat. Sour rock candy for Sasuke who loved nothing sweet. Peanutbutter and chocolate chip cookies for rambunctious pro-am skater Naruto. Salted, dark chocolate fudge for former-professor-turned-close-confidant Kakashi. Tiny little cinnamon rolls for sweet Hinata. Dozens of little cubes of salt-water taffy for Kiba, who loved nothing more than something to chew and gnaw on.

The snow had steadily piled up on the window sill as the sun made way for the clouded navy sky. Ino had been out on her own shopping ventures earlier in the day and was flabbergasted to find Sakura still at it when she had returned.

Ino let her book thump down into her lap as she gave the apprentice confectioner and the miniature tart in her hand a critical look. She would, of course, try it. But there was no point in doing so if she wasn't going to give Sakura a hard time about it.

"You're just trying to make me fat so you look better in comparison, aren't you?" she accused. Sakura set one fist on her hip, eyebrows furrowing.

"And your amazing skills as a psychologist fail you. I would attempt no such thing because I already look better!" Ino raised a single pale eyebrow.

"You have a weird way of trying to talk me into ruining my diet even further." Ino picked up her book, a worn and battered copy of "The Doors of Perception," and made to lose herself once more in the mescaline-riddled brilliant madness of Aldous Huxley. Sakura seized her by the wrist, turned her palm up, and deposited the little treat in Ino's hand.

"Well, if it's already ruined and I already look better in comparison, it should be no issue for you to try just one more," she replied, turning on one heel smartly and marching back to their apartments little kitchen. Ino stared after her roommate, stunned at the leap in logic, before turning her attention to the final snack.

And damn it if Sakura didn't know how to tempt!

The tiny little tart was still a little warm on the bottom, clearly having just come out of the oven, the crust at that perfect spot between soft and chewy and crisp and flaky. The dollop of creamy white in the center gave her pause; it could have been anything. The whole cherry, seemingly Sakura's signature, pushed down into it was so shiny and juicy that it was beginning to stain the cream surrounding it light pink.

Ino sighed, diet smashed to flinders as she gave up her calorie count for the day, and bit the thing in half.

Sweet vanilla pudding. Ho...ly...shit...

The vanilla blended wonderfully with the cherry and the graham cracker crust bound it all together in a paste of pure deliciousness that stuck to her teeth. She waffled briefly between devouring the rest in one bite and stretching it out in little nibbles, knowing Sakura would never let her live it down if she went back for more. She settled for the former and decided it was worth it either way.

"So, uh..." Ino cleared her throat, leaning casually against the wall. "Any more of those? I think I need one more to be sure of my decision," she said solemnly. Sakura was just finishing neatly placing the rest of the tarts in one of her little boxes. She shot a knowing grin at her friend.

"Good, huh?" she asked, not even bothering to hide the taunt in her voice. She put the lid on the box and slid it onto the top shelf of their refrigerator. Ino's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Why are those going in there? Don't you have deliveries to make?" she asked with a poke at the stack of boxes. Sakura's grin only widened.

"Well, those are actually for you, but you can't have any until Christmas day rolls around," the utterly evil confectioner said. "Merry early Christmas!"

"That's just cruel! You're gonna make me wait? Do you really think everybody else is gonna wait until Christmas to start eating theirs?" Ino asked increduously. Sakura laughed at her friends obvious distress.

"No, I don't think they'll wait. But if you help me deliver everything, then you can have one more befo-"

Ino already had her coat on and had thrown Sakura's at her face. When Sakura disentangled herself, Ino already had several boxes in her arms and was making for the door.

"C'mon, then! We have Christmas joy to spread!"