Grin and Bear it
Chapter 12
Sakura studied her friend's appearance from across the table. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail, she wasn't wearing any makeup besides lip gloss, and the only clothing she wore was a large t-shirt over a pair of shorts. She looked nothing like the usual flashy Ino she'd grown up with, though to her annoyance, she was still objectively hotter than most of the girls in the village. She was loathe to admit it, but the blonde had a natural beauty she'd give her left arm for. Well, maybe not, but she'd think hard about it. Raising her eyebrow, she said the only thing she could think of at the moment. "You look like shit."
"Thank you and fuck you," Ino returned sarcastically, biting into the cupcake she'd ordered.
She wasn't actually angry with her. The truth of the matter was that she did look worse than usual. Between her work in the interrogation department, having to stay up late to siphon Naruto's memories and just the stress of dealing with emotions that weren't hers was steadily taking its toll. It'd only been two weeks since she'd started Naruto's 'treatments' but it felt like months.
"I'm just saying. Is it because of Naruto?"
The blonde sighed. "No. Well, sort of, I guess."
"If he knew what you were doing for him he'd be pretty angry," Sakura said, finishing off her own cupcake. She brushed the crumbs from her hands and reached for her glass of milk, draining it in one large swallow.
"That's why he doesn't know." Ino narrowed her eyes at the pink-haired kunoichi, not so subtly threatening her against saying anything.
"What? I'm not going to tell him. It's keeping him alive, and that's what's most important right now. How's your dad taking it?"
Ino winced. "Not well." That was an understatement. Every time she walked into the prison to start work, her father leveled her with a disapproving glare that never failed to make her feel like a little girl again. He did everything he could to punish her by trying to relegate her to menial office work, but luckily, Anko realized what was happening and would personally request that Ino assist her in her interrogations. She'd really come to see the somewhat crazy woman as a friend, even if she could be overly rude and nosy.
That said, she didn't care as much about her dad's feelings as she did Naruto's life. Thankfully the treatments seemed to be working as he was much more like his old self again instead of the overly happy idiot his condition had turned him into.
Sakura laughed at her expression. "Figured as much." A serious look appearing on her face, she suddenly leaned forward and lowered her voice, bright green eyes lit up with amusement. "So, are you love with Naruto?"
A groan slipped out of Ino's throat. She'd known that it was coming–the rumors had been getting a lot worse over the past couple of weeks–but she was hoping that Sakura at least would be able to hold in her curiosity. It probably didn't help that, in a moment of weakness, she'd sort of let it slip that she had had a sex dream about Naruto. "Who knows? It's not like I've ever been in love before."
"True, but why Naruto?"
She frowned across the table at her friend, not quite liking the girl's incredulous tone. "He's actually not a bad guy, Sakura. You know that."
"Well, of course I do, but how can you see him like that? What about that guy you were dating last year...uh, Hitohira or something? Didn't you say that he was super rich and handsome?"
"Yeah, but he was also a jerk who knew that he was rich and handsome." And that wasn't all. He was constantly going on about all of the girls who wanted him and how she should put out more if she wanted him to stay with her. Yeah, she'd thoroughly enjoyed the free high class meals and gifts that he showered her with, but other than that there wasn't a single other thing about him that she liked. He wasn't even good in bed. "If you're just going to drill me about Naruto, I'm going home," she grumbled, shoving the rest of her cupcake into her mouth.
"I bet you're only so tight-lipped about Naruto because you've actually kissed him."
Ino choked on the mouthful of cake, beating her chest a few times to dislodge the bread currently trying to kill her. "What?"
"Oh my god! Seriously?!" Sakura shouted, drawing the attention of nearby patrons. Glancing around self-consciously, she lowered her voice. "You kissed Naruto?"
"Just a little one, and it was an accident!" It was a lie, but the last thing she wanted was for any more rumors to spread.
Sakura's face dropped from shock into a frown, a strange feeling developing in the pit of her stomach. It was weird. She was well aware of the rumors about Ino and Naruto, but she'd brushed them all off until now. What reason did she have to believe them?
As much as she hated to admit it, Ino was easily the prettiest girl in their age group. The thought that she'd settled for anything less than perfection had been laughable, and imagining her with Naruto sent her into a fit of giggles. They were both so hardheaded, loud, and brash that it was much more likely that they'd kill each other instead. Now that she had actual proof that something had happened between them, though, she felt...uneasy.
Still, her anxiousness quickly gave way to curiosity. Having never really thought of Naruto as someone she'd consider dating, she suddenly found that there were a million questions running through her head. "What did it feel like? Did he taste like ramen? I bet he tasted like ramen."
"I'm not answering that. Besides, I have to go." She could see the gears turning in the medic-nin's head. They'd been friends for over ten years now and could read each other like a book.
"Where?" Sakura asked, also standing up and grabbing her purse to pay her bill.
The blonde paused. Her first thought was to lie, but she figured it wasn't a big deal for her to know the truth. She'd probably find out soon anyway; Konoha's rumor mill was quick and vicious. "Well, Naruto's buying me dinner as thanks for my help or something."
"You mean like...a date?"
"It's not a date." As the words left her mouth she found herself doubting them. He had been awfully nervous while talking to her, unable to meet her eye for more than a couple of seconds at a time. Now that she thought about it, the words he used did sort of sound like he was asking her out and holy fuck she was stupid for not realizing it sooner. "Oh my god, all of my good stuff is at home!"
"Are...are you actually excited about this?"
Ino shrugged. "Hey, I haven't been out in months. I deserve this. I'll talk to you later, and don't tell anyone!" She quickly sped off, not giving the kunoichi a chance to say anything else. She had enough on her mind without worrying about Sakura's unneeded opinions.
She jogged through the village towards her parents' flower shop as fast as she could. She had less than hour to get dressed, put on some makeup, and just general prepping. Using chakra to stick the side of the shop, she snuck through her bedroom window with the hopes of getting in and out without anyone noticing. No such luck. She'd just barely grabbed a pair of panties from her top drawer when the door flew open, revealing her mother staring at her with excited surprise. "Ino!"
The kunoichi groaned. She didn't know why she'd thought she could slip beneath her mother's radar. "Hey, mom."
Her mother's eyes fell to the rather fancy underwear clutched in her fingers, and she raised an eyebrow. "Big plans tonight?"
"I...I was just tired of doing laundry all the time so I came to grab more. It was taking away from taking care of Naruto." She fought down a cringe at how lame the excuse sounded.
A mischievous twinkle appeared in the woman's eye, and a smirk played at the corner of her lips. "I'm sure you've done a great job of taking care of him."
Ino's jaw dropped open at the implication. "Mother!"
"I'm only joking." she walked over to the closet. "I'll pick out your clothes for you while you take a shower. Knowing you, you're already running late."
"You're not upset?"
The woman sighed, face falling into a slight frown. "Well, I'm not thrilled that you're living with a boy and sneaking around with him, but I do like Naruto-kun. He's a large step up from your last boyfriend." She squinted her eyes and leaned in towards Ino. She then raised her hand to the blonde's cheek, turning her head to look at her from a different angle. "You need to take better care of yourself. You don't look well."
"It's nothing a little makeup can't fix." Her eyes slid to the clock on the dresser and she gasped. She only had thirty minutes before she was supposed to meet up with Naruto. "I'll be right back!"
She ran into her bathroom and turned both faucets on, stripping while she waited for the water to warm up. Knowing she wouldn't have time to dry her hair, she was careful not to get it wet and only soaped and washed everything below her neck. She then ran a razor over her legs just in case, and not bothering to rinse off, she hopped out of the shower and wrapped herself up in a towel.
A lot of her makeup was still at Naruto's place, so she had to make do with the few items she'd left behind; mostly things that she'd stopped wearing years ago. She cringed at the gaudy stuff she used to wear during her 'dark' phase, but she really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. It took her a good five minutes to apply the few usable items she had, but thankfully, it'd come out better than she'd expected.
The door to the bathroom slowly opened, and she turned her head to see her mother holding a tiny, deep purple mini-dress. It was something she'd bought a few years ago on a whim, but she'd never actually worn it. The war had started so suddenly, and between the battle and aftermath, there just hadn't been a very good time to put it on. Until now.
"I forgot about that dress," she mumbled, running her fingers over the thin material. In its current state, it looked more like it was made for an academy student.
"It was tucked into the back of your closet. I didn't even know you owned anything like this."
"Dad would blow a fuse if he knew." She held it up to her chest and smiled. "This is perfect, thanks mom." Dropping the towel, she quickly stepped into the dress. It stretched and clung to her body like a second skin, and looking in the mirror, she realized that it was much smaller than it'd been a couple of years ago–which wasn't a bad thing since it only amplified all of her best parts. She hadn't worn something this sexy in years, and she was glad that she'd decided to go ahead and shave her legs in the shower.
After slipping into a pair of heels, she strode towards the window. She was already a couple of minutes late, and with such a tight dress on, she couldn't exactly use the rooftops to get to the restaurant.
Don't tell dad I was here," she said to her mother, one leg already hanging outside of the window.
Her mother rolled her eyes. "What, and end up embarrassed because he dragged you out of a restaurant kicking and screaming? I can do without being the hot topic of the rumor mill for the next month, thank you." She held out a small purple clutch that matched her dress so well it felt like they were made to go together. "Here, you might need this."
A smile appeared on the teen's face, and she leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. "Thanks, mom. Love you!" With that, she pulled her other leg over the windowsill. It was a bit difficult in the dress she was wearing, but she managed to slip out of the window and onto the ground without flashing the entire village.
Though the restaurant was only four blocks away, jogging in three inch heels proved to be much harder on the calves than she remembered–not that she made a habit of doing so. She was well aware of the many eyes raking over her body as she ran, but none of them mattered. There was only one person's opinion she cared about at the moment. Throwing open the door to the surprisingly upscale establishment she sped towards the maitre' d, slightly out of breath. "Um, I'm meeting a friend here? Uzumaki Naruto?"
The waitress frowned at her, gaze running up and down her body. "This way," she snapped, turning on her heel and walking off into the restaurant.
Ino blinked. She was a little put off by the young woman's rudeness since as far as she knew they'd never met. Granted, she did tend to garner a lot of hatred from other girls just for being, well, her, so she wasn't completely surprised.
What did surprise her was that Naruto was actually wearing something good for once. For someone who usually schlopped around in t-shirts and shorts, he cleaned up very nicely. He wore a deep black button up shirt that was slightly too small for him and a pair of black slacks. It did favorable things for his physique, his muscles seeming to bulge out of the thin cloth. "Hey, sorry I'm late. I had to stop at home to get dressed," she breathed, taking the seat in front of him.
She noticed his eyes darting over her body like they were unsure of what to look at first, and his mouth fell open a few centimeters as they took in the shortness of her dress. She couldn't help the small smirk that appeared on her face. Naruto may have been denser than most guys, but even he could appreciate hot. "It's okay! I just got here!" The blond awkwardly cleared his throat. "You, uh...you look beautiful," he finally said.
It threw her off that the word beautiful had been the first word he'd used to describe her. She'd expected hot or sexy since that's what she was more used to, but being called beautiful was a welcome surprise. "Thank you. You look handsome, too." He beamed back at her, and she couldn't stop herself from matching his grin. It was infectious, and that was putting it mildly. "So, why are you taking me to dinner again?"
Naruto took a deep breath, scratching at his unruly blond hair while he tried to get his thoughts together. "Well, I mean, you've just done so much for me these past couple of months and I wanted to repay you."
The corners of her lips twitched downwards. "Naruto, that stuff was part of our deal, remember?"
"Not that stuff. I mean the stuff you do involving...what's wrong with me."
Her eyes widened. How did he find out? Had he caught her? Did someone tell him? Her heart thumping madly in her chest, she cringed. You're not mad?"
"Why would I be mad? Having you there at my appointments with Baa-chan helps me relax more, you check up on me, and you even help me when I don't understand something at work."
"Oh, that stuff," she breathed, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed that she still had to keep her secret.
Naruto curiously cocked his head. "What else would I be talking about?"
Luckily the waitress returned with two cups of water and two menus. She handed one menu to Naruto but dropped Ino's on the table in front of her. It was almost amusing considering how the village used to treat Naruto before he saved all of their asses, but the way his jaw tightened was less so.
"Why did you do that?" Naruto asked, voice even despite the angry glare on his face.
Smiling hesitantly, the young woman turned to look at him. "Excuse me?"
"You handed me my menu but not Ino. Why?"
Ino could feel him getting more upset and quickly moved to calm him down. Negative emotions would only undo her progress. "It's no big deal, Naruto."
"It's a big deal to me. We want someone else who doesn't treat their customers like shit to serve us."
The woman's lips tightened, but she nodded. She turned on her heel and sped off.
"That really wasn't necessary," Ino mumbled.
"Of course it was. I'm taking you out and I want your night to be perfect."
She felt her heart suddenly start thumping, and blood began to rush to all of her extremities. Fuck, that was smooth. And not just for Naruto–for anyone.
She hid her burning cheeks with her menu, biting her lip to stop herself from smiling. She didn't do coy, but he was really bringing that side out of her.
"Are you ready to order?" An older man said, smiling as he approached them. He didn't seem to even bat an eyelash at her appearance, so he was already a step up from their previous server.
"I'll have with a small garden salad with oil and vinegar as an appetizer and the grilled chicken entree," Ino replied, handing off her menu to the man.
Without even looking at his own menu, he folded it up and handed it to the waiter. "Same."
"Really? You're going to eat salad?"
Naruto shrugged and grinned. "Shikamaru said I couldn't get ramen, and I dunno what else I like."
"Shikamaru, huh? Was this really your idea?" Ino teased.
"Sorta. I mentioned to Shikamaru that I wanted to take you out and he told me about this place. Oh, and he gave me this shirt."
That explained why he was practically bursting out of it. What Shikamaru had in brains, he certainly lacked in body. "Well, tell him that I'm impressed."
"Really?"
"Really." He smiled so widely that she felt a smile of her own appear on her face. It was refreshing being on a date with someone who was so honest with his feelings. He wasn't trying to play it 'cool' or pretend like he wasn't happy to be there with her.
Naruto was a surprisingly amazing date. He seemed genuinely interested in her stories about her family and missions she'd been on, and even when the food was brought out he kept asking questions about her life. It didn't feel like he was only biding his time until he could get into her panties, which was an exceedingly rare thing for her to experience. And also vaguely...annoying.
"You're so lucky to have such great parents," he said, finally starting in on his meal. Predictably he ignored his salad in favor of the chicken and rice.
She stopped her fork halfway to her mouth. At that moment, she felt like the biggest asshole in the world. She was telling him all of these stories about her family when he had no one. "You know, my mom wants you to come over for dinner."
"Me? When?"
"I'll ask her, but I'm sure she'll be happy to have you anytime. She likes you for some weird reason." Naruto stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed, glad that he actually seemed interested in the idea.
He probably thought she wasn't paying attention, but she was well aware of his eyes on her while she ate. It was, admittedly, a little disconcerting. She wondered what he was staring at. Was he taken with her appearance or just making sure she was enjoying herself? Both were equally as likely considering his personality, though she hoped it was the former. She didn't want him to feel like he was doing a bad job because he wasn't.
After they finished eating, the waiter brought out their check. She went to reach for her purse, but Naruto nearly snatched up the check before she could even glance at it. He laid five crisp bills on top of the check, and she raised her eyebrows at how much it was. His eyes begged her not to protest, so she bit her tongue and smiled. "Thanks, Naruto."
Hey, I asked you to dinner. Of course I'm paying. Ready to go?"
"Sure." They stood up and headed out of the restaurant. On the way out, Ino couldn't resist looping her arm through Naruto's and smiling at the waitress who'd been so rude to her earlier, and she took great satisfaction in the look of distaste that appeared on her face.
As they walked arm in arm down the street, Ino felt her eyes constantly drifting over to Naruto. Usually guys would be planning out their next move to hopefully get some action by now, but his mind didn't seem to be focused on her at all. It actually annoyed her that he could be thinking about Sakura at that very moment, which made absolutely no sense to her. Why did she even care? Was it narcissism that made her want all of his attention?
Taking a deep breath, she decided to just ask the question that had been burning in her mind for the past two hours and get it over with. Worst case, he'd say no.
"So...was this...a date?"
His eyes widened, and the arm she was holding onto immediately stiffened. "A date? Me and you?"
She winced and recoiled from his side. She wasn't expecting such a negative reaction. "Well, ouch."
"No! Not like that! I just mean...you're Ino. You're like..." his eyes rolled upwards and searched his mind for the right word. "Beautiful."
She blinked in mild surprise that he'd admitted it so frankly. It was the second time he'd called her beautiful that night, and it threw her a bit since she thought he hadn't really cared about her physical appearance much based on the way he treated her. "So?"
Naruto sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair as if trying to decide something with himself. He seemed to come to a conclusion as he turned his head to look down at her. "Can I tell you something weird?"
Not quite sure what to expect, Ino nodded. "Sure."
"Well, I…I feel like you really know me for some reason. When I'm with you, I just feel safe. Does that make sense?" he asked, scratching uncomfortably at the back of his head.
Ino frowned guiltily. It was easy to know him and make him feel safe when she was inside of his head every night exorcising his demons. She was, in a way, protecting him after all. "What are you saying?"
He nervously licked his lips and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, I've never really felt like this before." Realizing how his words might be taken the wrong way, he quickly raised his hands. "I'm not hitting on you or anything, I just want you to know that I'm really glad you're in my life."
Her eyes widened. He was, literally, the first person to say that to her. She'd been hearing the words 'I love you' from guys since she'd sprouted tits, but none of them had ever said that they appreciated her just being there. It made her heart swell with an unknown emotion. It felt like affection, but stronger. He was so sincere and honest with his feelings that it made her say something equally honest–if not stupid. "Why not?"
"Why not what?" he asked, cocking his head.
"Why aren't you hitting on me?"
He fully turned to stare at her. She was looking at him in a way that made his stomach flip. Her cornflower blue eyes bore imploringly into his, and the corner of her light pink lips was raised in slight smile. "I...I wha?" Naruto stuttered, taking a small step back. He felt his heart begin to pound in his chest, and a warm, tingly feeling spread throughout his body.
Ino's hand shyly grabbed his, and she almost laughed at the frightened expression on his face. "You shouldn't be so afraid of me, you know. I'm just a person."
Implying that he was afraid of her seemed to snap him out of whatever stupor he was in, and the look on his face changed from frightened into just uncomfortable. "I know." He stared straight ahead, back ramrod straight. When she leaned against him slightly, every muscle in his body involuntarily tensed.
Ino found herself melting into his side, loving the warmth coming off of his body. She let out a small, content breath through her nose, and it was at that moment when she realized something scary:
She wanted more of him.
The problem with her wanting something, though, was that she was used to getting it. As cocky as it sounded, she'd never been denied much in her life. People just tended to see things her way, especially when she batted her eyelashes and flashed a smile.
Her mind was already calculating the various ways that she could convince Naruto to loosen up a bit and maybe give her what she needed. Should she lead him? Force him? No, Naruto was stubborn like her and wouldn't respond well to that. She'd have to let him make the decision and hope it worked out in her favor.
By the time they reached the apartment, she'd managed to formulate a loose plan of attack. Before her nervousness could get the best of her she opened the door first and made a beeline for the sofa. She leaned against the back of the couch, staring him down with as piercing of a gaze as she could manage. Her head was tilted at a slight angle, subtly coaxing him into coming closer without saying a single word.
Naruto stood at the door and stared at her with trepidation. He honestly had no idea what to do. On one hand, she looked like she was waiting for him to make a move. On the other, she was Yamanaka fucking Ino. Hottest girl under twenty in the village, breaker of young men's hearts, and on the top of everyone's to-do list. Why the hell would she be coming on to him?
Despite his mind telling him that he was delusional he took a careful step forward, and when she didn't break eye contact, he took another. A tension so powerful he could almost feel it was in the air, propelling him forward and pushing him backwards at the same time. His doubt wrestled with his desire, tying his stomach up into knots.
He stopped directly in front of her, close enough to feel the immense heat coming off of her skin but just far enough to still be considered platonic. Her lips parted slightly, and she pulled the corner of her bottom lip inwards, biting it lightly with her top teeth. He almost groaned at how attractive the simple action was.
Taking a chance, he slowly lowered his head towards hers, offering her the chance to back out if he was misreading the situation. She didn't move, so he pressed his lips gently against hers.
She immediately and ferociously returned it, pushing him backwards with the strength of her kiss. Her arms were around his neck before he could blink, and she pulled him closer until his hips were flush against hers. She dropped her clutch onto the ground, not caring that it would probably get stepped on.
Just as they were getting into it, a slight crinkling sound under his foot grabbed their attention. He didn't want to ruin her purse, so he bent down and picked it up, planning to toss it onto the coffee table to get it out of the way. At least until a folded piece of paper fell out onto his hand. Unable to help himself, he unfolded the paper to see what was inside...revealing a roll of five condoms.
Naruto snapped his head up to look at her with wide eyes, only to see that she seemed equally shocked.
"Those aren't mine." Ino cringed at how lame that sounded, even if it was the truth.
He glanced at the paper and laughed slightly, holding it up for her to see.
The words 'Have fun and be safe!' along with a little heart was written on the paper in very familiar handwriting, and she grit her teeth with embarrassment. "Mother," she seethed, face turning a bright red when Naruto laughed again. She must have slipped it in before the date, further proving that her mother was the sneakiest woman alive.
Naruto went to toss them onto the coffee table with her clutch when Ino suddenly spoke up. "What are you doing?"
"Well, we don't need them." when she didn't say anything, he furrowed his brow. "Do we?"
Rather than answer, she only bit her lip and placed her hand over his, closing it into a fist so that he held onto them.
The blond's eyes widened, and he swallowed the heavy lump that had formed in his throat. "Oh."
He looked almost afraid, and she wondered for the first time if he was a virgin. It wouldn't be all that surprising considering how long he'd been pining after Sakura. He was notorious for having tunnel vision, so any girl who could manage to rip his attention away from the medic-nin would have to be extraordinary.
It was for that reason Ino couldn't stop herself from feeling a bit smug at how easily she'd tempted Naruto, and then she almost laughed to herself at how sure she was that they were about to fuck. She wasn't normally so aggressive, but Naruto needed constant confirmation that it was okay for him to do anything. She knew from experience that once he fully got the hint all bets would be off, and she was looking forward to seeing exactly what he was going to do.
She leaned forward and rested her lips against his neck, smiling into him when she heard him groan and grip her hips tighter. She slowly, agonizingly, unbuttoned his shirt, lips and teeth biting and sucking at the sensitive area between his shoulder and jaw. It gave her a weird sense of pleasure to know that she was bringing the strongest man in the world to his knees.
She raked her nails up and down his stomach, feeling hard muscle beneath smooth skin. Her hand then moved to his pants and he gripped her wrist to stop her.
"Ino," he breathed, eyes staring into hers. "Do you like me?"
A bit annoyed at being stopped when she was so close, she sighed. "Does it matter?"
"Yeah, to me."
"Yes, Naruto, I like you."
"Like that?" He asked, still unconvinced.
Rolling her eyes, she smiled up at him. "Yes, I like you like that."
His face suddenly broke out into a wide smile before he kissed her, and then it was like a switch had been flipped as his hands slid up her smooth thighs and under her dress, pushing the thin fabric up until it was above her waist. She silently thanked herself for deciding to wear her good underwear, since if the way his eyes lit up was to be believed, it'd had the desired effect.
He pulled back once more to stare her straight into the eyes, and apparently finding what he was looking for, he easily picked her up and made a beeline for his bedroom. She banged into the doorframe on the way in and there'd probably be a bruise there tomorrow, but it only served to heighten her excitement. He dropped her somewhat unceremoniously on the bed, and right after, he jumped on with her.
He allowed his eyes to roam her body and she squirmed a bit under his gaze. He was nearly salivating as he took in her smooth skin and generous curves, almost like he was amazed that he was getting to see something so perfect.
She didn't think her heart could beat any faster-at least not until he leaned his lips down next to her ear to whisper.
"I'm gonna fuck you now."
A shiver went through her at his words. He'd made it clear with his tone that there wasn't going to be anymore kissing or foreplay, and at this point, it wasn't needed for either of them. The last thing she could clearly remember was him reaching for one of the condoms, ripping it open with his teeth, and then pleasure. Lots and lots of pleasure.
An hour later, Ino lie gasping for breath at Naruto's side, fingers idly playing with thin wisps of hair on his chest as he rested on his back. Her body still shook every few seconds with pleasurable little aftershocks, and every time she blinked she saw stars. "Fuck," she breathed, eyelids steadily drooping as fatigue began to overtake her.
Naruto laughed slightly and rolled over on his side so that he was facing her, propping his head up on his hand. "Yeah." He leaned down and kissed her, amused when she could barely return it. "You seem tired," he joked, delighting in the annoyed scowl she gave him.
"Not all of us have god-like stamina. I'm going to be so sore tomorrow." When his face took on a somewhat guilty expression, she used what little remaining energy she had to trace the thin lines etched into his cheek. "So I'm going to need your help showering in the morning."
His grin returned, even larger than before.
"I can do that."
AN: Yeah, hate this chapter. Wrote it well over a year ago and so much has changed in that time that I cringed when I read over this mess. Rewriting it would pretty much be the nail in the coffin for this story because I'm way too busy to rewrite another 5k words from scratch, but I tried to clean up the parts that were especially bad. Took out the lemon sorry :P