A/N - The mere mention of stopping for a bit got me more reviews.

You guys are sneaky. I see what you are doing.

ENJOY THE CHAPTER

DISCLAIMER - I do not own Naruto.

Song used for this chapter - Mikky Ekko - Pull Me Down (Emperor Remix)

As summer slowly started to end, I found myself dreading the new year. I wouldn't admit it to myself, but I knew I was worried.

Worried of me and Tayuya's track record.

Worried about how we used to operate in the past.

School was our demise, it was the reason we hardly spoke to each other. With it creeping closer and closer, I grew more anxious. Would we stop talking? Will we grow distant? And what about at night? Who would stay with me until I fell asleep?

I was slowly crumbling with all these new found worries. I found my thoughts wandering in the middle of conversations, thinking of all the things I would miss about Tayuya the most. I don't know why I felt like it was the end of the world, but I did. And eventually, it started to become too noticeable to ignore.

One summer night, just a couple of days before school started, Tayuya was laying down with me. Her arm was wrapped around my waist with her fingers snaked against mine, as usual. We were watching the same movie as we always did, our conversation falling silent during the same scene build up. Usually during this point we simply didn't talk for the rest of the movie.

But Tayuya's sigh that slipped out and danced across my ear seemed like she was finally giving up. I waited a couple of seconds, wondering what was about to happen. Sometimes she did this, but simply never spoke up. I always figured it was a problem she will eventually tell me later when it had tormented her enough.

But no, she decided to speak up tonight. With the tv silently humming in the back ground, I listened to her voice, "Are you scared of something?"

It was such an awkward question- if I didn't know exactly what she was talking about. Instead I faked it, feeling nervous about the problem I had been fighting with myself. Curling to hide from her whispers, I mumbled, "No, what do you mean?"

I felt her fingers twitch, and with my heart torn, I allowed her to pull away from my grip. Even as she sat up, dragging away the warmth she had so kindly given me for the past hour, I stayed curled while staring at my bed.

"Ino," She called evenly. When I didn't respond I felt her shift around. Seconds later I saw her eyes peaking at mine, only upside down. With a frown I rolled over, but that did nothing except make me face her fully. I went to roll back over, but she stopped me. Holding my shoulder, she gave me this begging look and asked quietly, "Don't lie to me, please?"

My stomach twisted as I curled. Muffled with the bed at my lips, I grumbled, "I don't wanna talk about it."

"And why not?" She asked softly, leaning forward but I only scooted away. With a huff, she sat back up and pressed, "You haven't been very subtle about it, Ino. I've noticed like a month ago, but I've just been hoping you would actually talk to me about it yourself. That's why I'm pressing the issue, I'm done waiting around."

"I dont wanna talk about it!" I said stubbornly, wiggling in frustration, "No no no no."

"I failed to realize how much of a child you were before I started coming over every day," She said as she rolled her eyes, giving me a point of her finger, "It's like you hid it until it was too late. Now stop being stupid, and tell me what is bugging you."

"Nothing," I pouted with another curl.

"Lies," She hissed, leaning forward and wiggling her fingers at my waist. I bit my lip to stop from giggling, wiggling away as I argued, "NO! That's cheating!"

"I'm sorry wuuut?" She taunted, tickling me even more. Eventually I was able to get away, and with a glare I repeated, "That is cheating, you cheater."

She laughed and gave me a small smile, "Alright princess. But come on..."

I twisted my fingers together, nervous again. I fought with myself, but there was no point. By the end of the night I would tell her, all because deep down I wanted to. It was embarrassing, but I wanted her to fix me- to tell me I was ridiculous and stupid and I was thinking too much.

I wanted her to tell me she wouldn't leave.

"Ino..."

Her voice was soft and pulling. Biting my lip, I tried to resist. But her eyes watched mine, and knowingly hurting her was impossible. Against my will I mumbled out my confession while sitting up, "I'm scared."

I avoided her gaze, and thankfully she allowed me to. My eyes wandered across the floor as she asked carefully, "What do you think will happen when school starts?"

It wasn't surprising that she was asking all the right questions. With a shake of my head, I laughed miserably to myself. Of course she knew what I was upset over, she probably knew all along. Giving up completely, I answered, "That we'll end up drifting apart."

"Why are you worried about something so silly," She teased gently, but that didn't ease me. With a sigh, she ran her hand through her hair, "Princess, I'm not going anywhere."

There they were, the words I desperately wanted to hear. But they were too soon, premature, and I couldn't think of another reason why it did no justice hearing them. With a frown I looked away and murmured, "Alright."

"No," She said quickly, growing frustrated with a short huff. Scratching her head, she dropped her hand and fumbled them in front of her as she spoke, "No, it isn't alright. You are still worried. Why? What do you think will happen?"

I turned to her with a miserable look. She paused at my expression, but waited for me to answer all the same. With a sigh, I explained, "That we'll end up not talking, and not seeing each other as much as we do now."

"I get you are worried," Tayuya started carefully, knowing if she didn't speak right I would shut down completely, "But how stupid do you think we are? Do you honestly believe either of us would accept the other disappearing."

"No," I snapped with a glare, hating the way she was failing completely, "I would like to believe that we are smarter now about the friendship we have, but how off the wall is the idea really? In the past, we didn't want to accept it, but we did. We let each other skip around for months at a time before we actually had a decent conversation, only to fake plans and disappear again. It isn't impossible. Actually it's very possible. And sure we are close now, but what's stopping that from falling apart when school starts?"

"Us," She argued fiercely, a frown on her face with sharp brown eyes eyes, "We are stopping that from happening, and if you are so worried about yourself, then I will have enough confidence for both of us- because I refuse to sit here and let you tell me that by some sick sort of twisted events, you have officially lost faith in me."

I looked away, my emotions mixed and confused, but the underlining feeling that was there was anger. I was angry that I seemed to be the only one actually worried, seeing as Tayuya didn't have any doubts at all. I was angry that I was being foolish, losing sleep about things that obviously didn't deserve the attention. But most of all, I was angry that Tayuya wasn't doing anything right.

I didn't feel any better. She wasn't fixing me like I thought she would.

Actually, I wanted to jump off a roof.

With a huff, I shook my head and glared at the wall. Snapping, I replied, "Fine, whatever. Let it go."

"No," Tayuya said firmly, holding my shoulder again when I tried to lay down and roll over. I directed my glare to her, but she only sat there with earnest eyes. My one sided anger wasn't enough, I found myself sighing and simply laying there while she stopped me. As I did, she stumbled softly, "I'm sorry. Ok? I'm sorry for anything that I have done recently to seriously make you question-"

"It isn't you," I groaned, this time shrugging off her hand and curling into my blanket for refuge, wanting nothing more than to abort this mission, "You haven't done anything. It's me. It's me thinking about the past and how we used to operate. I just don't want to fall back to that."

"But we won't," I heard her carefully say from the other side of the blanket I was hiding under. Seconds without me responding caused her to shift, and moments later I felt a tug. Soon enough, there was light invading my darkness, and there were brown eyes peaking at me, "Because Ino, I can make promises, and I can keep them. Tell me everything you are scared of changing, and I'll tell you everything I'll do to make sure it stays the same."

A small smile tugged at my lips and I couldn't help it. Just like that, I was starting to feel a bit better. Still, I curled into my blanket and shut my eyes as I mumbled meekly, "I think you'll stop coming over every day."

There was a moment of silence, but then I felt her shifting again. She decided to lay down, and with silent squirm, I felt her hand slide over my blanket covered waist as she wiggled closer. With a relaxed sigh as she finally got comfortable, she whispered sweetly, "Then I promise, everyday, I will check on you. I'll come over your house, say hello to the folks, and then see how you are doing. And that's just the bare minimum. I still think I'll be here every day just like I am now. Stealing cookies and watching movies."

Even though she was talking casually, I was extremely nervous. Unofficially, I was cuddling with her while facing her, which never happens. The blanket, of course, kind of covered me from actually being able to see her. But it hardly stopped the way her legs pressed against mine, or the way her chest was inches away from me with her hand carefully placed on my waist. And against my will, I found myself pressing against her shoulder, curling as I stayed under my blanket.

Taking a breath, I said softly into her blanket protected skin with my eyes closed, "And at night… I still want to fall asleep with you."

My heart pounded, but for all sorts of reason. I liked being against her while facing her, it brought new twistings in my stomach; The way she kept shifting closer was making me nervous; Then there was the fact that I just frankly admitted that I wanted to continue sleeping with her during the school year.

So to hide from the feelings, I stayed under my blanket. It was safe here. I could almost pretend I was dreaming.

"Mmm," She hummed carefully, and I felt her nuzzle against me as she tried to find my ear. With a smile, I wiggled away, and with a soft laugh she continued, "It might not be every night princess, I can't promise that. What I can promise is, for the nights that I can't, I'll still be here."

I didn't get what she meant, but it hardly mattered. As always, I found myself suddenly not worrying about anything anymore. Instead I just leaned more into her, closing my eyes because I was already sleepy. Eventually she tugged the blanket off of my face, but didn't bother trying to crawl in. She let me have my warm cocoon, all the while holding me and watching the rest of the movie as I simply drifted off to sleep.

And that is how that night went, not very impressive right? Well if mom was here when I woke up in the morning, she would taunt that Tayuya definitely was more impressive than she led us all to believe. Sitting next to me was this cute little fuzzy animal. It was red, had wide brown eyes, and this long make believe tale.

Of course there was a note. Of course this idiot had managed to completely drown my worries with her ability to make me smile.

I figured this would remind you of me the most.

Every night I'm not here, you can cuddle with him while on the phone with me.

It's simple Ino, I just don't plan on acting like the idiot I did for the last three years of high school. So I'm sorry for not understanding, but I will be keeping all my promises.

See you tonight. -T

*Edit. Fixed a minor issue

(1) - /watch?v=XdSpPAKExBs&list=PLM8k2ZmjGmH6MZDAIBKl8WN5EZMg3z2e2&index=66 (For your enjoyment.)

There you go. I have to jet out of here. No not because I have a glamorous life and plan on going out on a friday night. It's because I had to kick my brother off the computer real quick to post this. I usually steal it for the night, so I let him have it all day.

Yeah. Yeah I'm a super big sister. SO WUT.

COME AT ME

DO IT.

COME AT ME BRO.

I love all of you. Shout out to the constant reviews. I notice your names, and if you had accounts I should have replied to some. If not. JUST KNOW.

You. Are. Next.

Shycadet loves. Out.