Ino looked out the window at the snow that gently blanketed the pavement outside. She had always loved the snow, even if it did mean that it made her business more difficult to run. The frost threatened her plants in transit, as well as slowed the flow of customers coming in. None the less, Christmas was one of her favorite times of year.
It was hard to get into the spirit though, the last few months of whatever weird dance she was doing with Genma putting a damper on her usual joyfulness. She didn't feel strung along, per say. She could, in theory, walk away at any time. She had even stopped grumbling to Sakura about her love life woes. If she could even call them woes.
Now she was just silently pining like a teenager. Ino sighed to herself. Getting emotionally attached to yet another emotionally unavailable man. She would never learn. It hadn't even particularly been the most spectacular romp she had ever had. But there was just something about him that drew her near.
The chiming of the front door made her snap out her silent contemplation and she smiled at Kurenai as she brushed the snow off her coat.
"Kurenai-sensei! How are you today?" She asked cheerfully, walking to her and giving her a hug. She had just seen her last week, but it was always good to see her.
"I'm doing well. I'm sorry this isn't much of a friendly visit. I need a specialty arrangement to be made on short notice. I can help if you need me to, of course, but it's for tonight and I need it for before I walk out of here." Kurenai said, a small smile on her face. Ino raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Flowers won't last very long at Asuma-sensei's grave in this weather. Are you sure you want to make one for today?" Ino asked, looking at the frost on the window pane in doubt. "I wouldn't want you to waste your money."
"It's for a dinner party, not the graveyard. I got a sitter for tonight and a night in with friends sounded divine. I'm sorry it's on such short notice." Kurenai said, crimson eyes wide with hope. "Can you help?"
Ino relaxed a bit, nodding her head. "Of course I can. Thanks for thinking of me." She said, smiling as Kurenai rolled her eyes and pulled a small slip of paper from her coat.
"As if I would think of anyone else." Ino took the sheet and looked down at the relatively short list of flowers. Nodding her head absently, she started to formulate the placement in her head.
"Let's get started then!" She said, pulling Kurenai to the back. She pulled a vase from under the island, setting it on the counter before gathering all the flowers she needed.
"So, is Shikamaru going to be there or is this an 'adults only' occasion?" Ino asked as she began grouping flowers together. Kurenai snickered at her question.
"Shikamaru is spending the holiday in Suna, so it's 'adults only', as you so eloquently put it." She teased, and Ino let out a small giggle.
They worked together, chatting about nothing as they put the eclectic bouquet of dahlias, daisies, tuberoses, and tulips together. She added some greenery and baby's breath to pulling it together and admire the finished product. It was vibrant, and she hoped it would bring joy to the other team leaders.
Ino wrapped the vase in cellophane before bringing it out to the front. She felt like she had been dancing around with Kurenai the whole time she had been here, circling a subject neither of them wanted to breach. She rang up the arrangement, handing her the change before the words spewed out of her like vomit.
"I haven't seen Genma around for a bit." She said, and she could have kicked herself at the desperation in her voice. For any information about him. It had only been one night, for fuck's sake.
Kurenai just gave her a knowing look. "He's been on back to back missions lately. He just got home yesterday." She said, and Ino nodded, moving to walk Kurenai to the door.
"I'm glad to hear he got home safely, then." She said, trying to get some semblance of a cool demeanor back. He didn't matter anymore. He couldn't.
"He misses you." Ino froze with her hand around Kurenai's shoulder. He missed her? Why? He barely made eye contact with her now a days, let alone spoke to her.
"He knows where to find me if he wants to tell me that." Ino said, gentle but firm. She tried to squelch the hope that blossomed in her chest. She walked Kurenai to the door, waving as she walked into the cold of the evening.
She looked at the clock and realized it was close to closing time. The vase had taken longer to make than she had realized. She weighed her options, deciding that no one else was going to come in and demand flowers at this time of night, and locked the front door. She flipped the sign to close before setting off to clean and cash out the register.
Men always complained about women being complicated, but honestly, men made no sense sometimes. He missed her but doesn't talk to her. Actively avoids her, even. It had been months and the most she had seen him was at the bar. Just like before all this happened.
Except now he didn't talk to anyone, save for his small group of drinking buddies. He never seemed to linger at the bar to flirt with the bartender, instead sitting at a table near the back. She hadn't even seen him take anyone home, not that she had been watching for it.
He also seemed to smile less.
Ino furrowed her brows as she marked the tally for the day in the books, snapping the ledger closed and putting on her coat. She pulled her purple scarf around her neck to block out the midwinter cold before setting out for home.
The journey wasn't a long one to her clan's compound, and the soft crunch of the snow lulled her into a calmed state once more. She stopped as she saw the outline of something placed in front of the iron gates to her home. She looked around in caution, but felt no other chakra signatures, and took a few slow steps closer until she could finally make out a familiar vase.
Kurenai's flowers.
Her eyes narrowed as they caught the glint of metal in the stone wall that blocked most of her home from view. A senbon. She made her way over to it after picking up the flowers, slipping her glove off to yank the note that it held to her.
She rolled her eyes as she read, slipping into the compound. She had half a mind to crumple it up as she walked around the outside deck to get into the warmth of her wing. Instead, she placed bother the note and the vase on her dining table. The arrangement looked almost garish in comparison to the table it sat on, the flowers casting a shadow over most of the table. Ino went to her wall where her phone was wired in and picked up the receiver. The voice on the other end sounded comically hopeful.
"Hello?"
"I can't believe you had Kurenai-sensei do your dirty work, you asshole." She grumbled into the receiver, walking over to a potted fern. She picked the dead leaves off with a more force with strictly necessary, but she couldn't help it. She had made her own first date proposal. She felt like an idiot.
She also hated how sweet she found it.
"…I'm sorry?" Genma said, and Ino huffed, turning away from the plant to instead tangle her fingers in the telephone cord.
"At least tell me you didn't make her pay for it too?"
"I'll have you know I gave her a ridiculous amount of money to get that bouquet." Genma said, and his indignant tone made her giggle.
"Oh, so my bouquets are a ridiculous waste of money?" She said, biting her lip as she goaded him once more. She had missed the sound of his voice.
"You know that's not what…" Genma groaned out, and she could hear the click of metal against his teeth. She briefly wondered how long he had sat by the phone, hoping she would call. "Look. I'm not hearing a yes…but I'm not hearing a no?"
Genma's usually cockiness was lost over the phone, Ino realized. He needed that smirk to really solidify it.
"I called, didn't I?" She asked, rolling her eyes as she tossed the dead leaves into the compost.
"Well, yeah, but you also just berated me. Not even a hello." He quipped, and she tossed her long pony tail over her shoulder before wedging the phone between her shoulder and her ear. "Forgive me if I'm feeling mixed signals."
"Well I've been feeling mixed signals for months, welcome to the club." She murmured under her breath. She fought the blush off her cheeks. She didn't particularly want him to have the pleasure of knowing his stupid grand gesture worked, but she had also been waiting for this moment for an embarrassingly long time. "Dinner better be nice."
"It will be. I've saved a few paychecks for it." Genma said, and she could almost see the grin on his face.
"I'm going to be wearing my nicest dress-"
"I can't wait to take it off you."
"-I don't want…" Her words died on her lips as she felt her whole body flush at the promise. "…that's bold of you to assume you're taking anything off of me, Shiranui."
"Good fortune never favored the meek." He said, and Ino scrunched her nose in a smile.
"You're a gross old man." She said, eyeing the note on the table.
"I'll pick you up at 7." He promised, and she felt her toes tingle at his words.
"You better." Ino teased before hanging up the phone. She slid down the wall she had been leaning on, feeling both light hearted and lightheaded. She sat on the floor for a moment, trying not to squeal like a child. She took a deep breath, letting her shoulders relax for a moment before deciding to make dinner. She stood slowly, passing the vase and the note as she made her way to the kitchen.
Ino
I'm sorry I'm so bad at being into you. I want to take you out tomorrow. If you would like that too, my number is at the bottom.
Genma
P.S. Kurenai says to tell you sorry for leaving the flowers out in the cold.
P.P.S I think I love you. If that's not something you can handle, please don't call.
P.P.P.S I hate writing in pen because I can't take that post-script away.