Mira: Just wanted to thank you all again for reading this story and the people that have left such nice reviews. I appreciate the feedback & love.


29. Drink

She was drunk, that much he could tell. He doubted she's ever had a drink in her life, she had only been 18 for a few months.

"Oi 'Tachi-san," she hiccuped, "Why're ya makin me leave?"

"You're drunk, Ino." he responded calmly, trying to keep her on her feet.

"No 'm not!" she hiccuped again.

"You can't even walk by yourself and you're slurring your words. Besides that you tried fighting Uzumaki-san in the middle of the street, you're lucky I was heading back home and caught you in time."

She went silent after that. He glanced at her, she was chewing on her bottom lip and staring at the ground. She was still stumbling around so he knew that she wasn't trying to focus on walking, so he wondered what was going through her mind.

They arrived at her front door and she attempted to unlock the door, failing miserably. He took the key from her and escorted her inside.

"Stay here I'm getting you some water." he said sitting her down on the couch. She still hadn't said a single word to him, he wondered why she had suddenly stopped being so vocal. "Drink."

She downed the glass of water in about 5 seconds, placing the glass on the table in front of her. Still not speaking a single word.

"Do you want to go to your bed?" he offered, still no reply. "Do you want me to go home?"

Starting to feel unwelcome, he rose to his feet, heading for the door. She grabbed the leg of his pants to stop him from doing so.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked, not looking up from the glass she was staring at.

"Why would you think that?" he countered, she must have taken what he said about finding her before about being too drunk as him being mad at her.

"You sounded, you sounded frustrated with me. I don't want to be a burden." she responded solemnly, hanging her head down now. His intention was not to upset her, if he had thought she was a burden he wouldn't have been sitting to with her now. She was however, intoxicated, he couldn't really blame her for misunderstanding while she was in such a state.

"I just wanted you to be safe, not fighting in the middle of the village. Please don't take what I said in the wrong way. I just don't understand why you got yourself so drunk."

"I can't stop thinking about my dad," she started to pick at her skirt, nervous about admitting her bad decisions. "I just wanted to feel better! I'm so tired of being so upset that I can't eat!" she sobbed to him, throwing her head back while she wailed.

"Ino. You can come to me, for anything, have I not proven that to you?" She threw himself into him, causing his back to crash into the cushions of the couch. He let her lay there, until she had cried it all out, exhausting herself.

He sat both of them upright, since he hadn't let her arms loose from being wrapped around the back of his neck, he snuck an arm below her knees and one behind her back and carried her into her bedroom. She didn't let go of him when he attempted to lay her in bed.

"Please 'Tachi stay with me." she said to him, opening her sleep ridden eyes.

He didn't know how he'd explain this one to his family if they asked but, he figured it would be best to make sure she didn't asphyxiate on her own vomit while she was sleeping. He agreed and made his was back to the couch, deciding to stay there for the night.

He'd have to ask her tomorrow what had made her attempt to fight Uzumaki-san.