Summary: All they really wanted to do was just enjoy Valentine's day. [Belated V-Day story] [GaaIno]
Ino checked herself in the mirror one last time, making sure that she showed just enough cleavage. She wasn't trying to come off as overly sexual, but some cleavage wouldn't hurt (like her mother would always tell her once she had hit puberty). With exams left and right, she had no time to go out and buy another dress. But, that didn't mean that she didn't have any jaw-dropping outfits somewhere in her closet.
It was a dress she had packed when moving into her college dormitory. It was a "just in case there's a date" day and she needed something amazing to wear. During her first two and a half years of college, she thought she would never wear the white dress considering she had been so busy to even bother with going on dates…. Until someone from her childhood asked her out two weeks ago….
It was their second date, and of course, said date had to land on Valentine's day.
Doing a three-sixty in front of the mirror, Ino smiled as she liked what she saw. It was a v-neck mid-thigh white dress with spaghetti straps. The v-neck portion was lower than expected, but she didn't mind. Her typical everyday outfit would usually consist of jeans and shirts - it's nice to dress up once in a while. Her long blond hair, which she usually kept in a high ponytail, was down with hairpins clipping her bangs to each side of her face.
Her phone began to vibrate, and smiling from ear to ear Ino grabbed it and picked up.
"Hey,"
"I'm right outside."
"OK! I'll be out in just a minute!"
The butterflies appeared again and Ino felt her face become warm as she put on her flats, grabbed her phone, and walked towards the front door of her dorm apartment. Ever since realizing her feelings for Gaara, her stomach would do flips and her face would get warm. With other boys, she would just laugh and tease them when she had a crush on them. With Gaara? She felt as if the world would tilt on her head if she stared at him for too long.
Taking a deep breath, Ino opened the door and smiled at the red-headed young man leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He wore a maroon-colored long sleeve shirt with black slacks. Ino felt her cheeks get warmer as she caught his eyes going from her feet to her face.
Part of her wanted to ask him what he thought, but this was the second date! Is it OK to ask? After a weird few seconds of silence, Ino turned around and locked the door. But just as she withdrew the key from the lock, she let out a squeal as she felt his cold hands grab her upper arms from behind.
"You look….beautiful."
Score!
Part of her wanted to scream in delight, glad that he had taken notice of her appearance. She could feel her confidence increasing.
"Thanks! You look handsome as well." She said after turning around and touching the sleeve of his satin long-sleeve shirt.
The corner of his mouth lifted a bit and quietly he grabbed her hand. The two walked silently, Ino purposely staring elsewhere along the way in order to hide the cheesy smile on her face.
The restaurant he took her to was a fancy Italian one about ten minutes away from their university. The smell of freshly-baked bread was in the air as a small band, dressed in black, played a medley of romantic music. The waiter led them to a four-chaired table in the middle of the restaurant and placed two menus in front of them. The lights inside the building were dim, allowing the small candles in the middle of the table (and as well as around the restaurant) to shine beautifully.
Ino opened the menu and gazed through the pages, her eyes quickly landing on her all-time favorite: penne pasta.
"Did you decide what you want?" she asked, peeking at him from the top of her menu.
Gaara nodded while placing the menu down on the table. "I'll get the chicken parmesan."
The waiter came back with two full glasses of water and their orders taken. Once he left again, the two made eye contact and Ino giggled, prompting the man across from her to turn his head slightly at her.
"What's so funny?"
Ino fanned her face with her hand while trying to remain her composure. "Do you remember the time I pushed you down the stairs in fourth grade?"
Gaara blinked a few times before smiling. "I remember. And then I put gum in your hair."
Ino giggled again. "Yes, I definitely remember that! My mom had to cut that few strands off thanks to you."
"You had very long hair. A few strands off wouldn't do much." Gaara replied with a tease, and Ino narrowed her eyes while she smirked.
"Oh yeah? Let's see how you would like a few strands off from your head."
"Try it, Blondie," Gaara groaned lowly.
Ino couldn't help but keep smiling as they continued making eye contact, even while the waiter brought them their meals.
Taking the first bite of her meal, Ino felt his ankle lightly touch hers and her eyes quickly shoot up to look at him. He stared right back at her, his look reminding her of the times they would argue as kids back in elementary school.
As the two ate their food silently, Ino would look at him from the corner of her eyes and on the fifth time, he grabbed her hand.
"Come sit next to me,"
Ino raised an eyebrow, watching as Gaara's grip on her hand tightened a bit.
"Oh, and why should I?"
"Because-"
"Ino!"
Oh no…
It couldn't be…
Turning her head slowly, almost whimpering as Gaara let go of her hand, Ino frowned as she saw her parents wave at them while swerving around tables and walking towards them.
"Mom, dad...what are you doing here?"
"Why, sweetie, we're here for our valentine's day dinner. Just like you! And… wait, is this Gaara?!"
"Yes, mom, that's Gaara."
"My goodness has he grown!" Ino's mother said with excitement as she took the seat next to the red-haired young man, her hand quickly grabbing him by the upper arm and feeling the muscles underneath his sleeved-shirt.
Ino stared embarrassingly at her date, watching as he looked at her mother as if the woman was doing absolutely nothing wrong.
"He sure has!" Inoichi said as he took the seat next to his daughter. "I think last time I saw you, Gaara, was when the school principal called me telling me that my daughter here pushed you down some stairs."
"...I remember that," Gaara said with some amusement in his eyes as his gaze fell back to Ino.
"Well, he did put gum in my hair…"
"And that's how you know these two were meant to be!" exclaimed her mother, her hands still not leaving Gaara's arm. "I can't wait for the grandbabies!"
Ino wasn't sure who choked on their water first: her or her father. She was still clearing her throat as her father spoke.
"Now now, Honey… I think it's still too early for that…"
Ino sighed in relief. At least her father had some common sense of what not to say-
"But I'm hoping that you at least brought some protection." Inoichi finished saying, giving a serious look to the younger male sitting diagonally from him.
If Gaara was embarrassed, he didn't show it much as he began to cough lowly, as if clearing his throat.
"Oh honey, don't be too paranoid! Remember, I put Ino on birth control right before college-"
"That's it!" Ino said, interrupting her mother, "Shouldn't you two be sitting somewhere else? I see empty tables around."
"Well, we didn't reserve, so we would have waited for who knows how long for one. But then we saw you!" Her mother replied, and Ino wanted to facepalm.
The rest of the evening went as awkward as possible, with her mother still commenting on how much Gaara has grown while still keeping an arm locked around him. Ino finished her dinner quietly, opting out of dessert in order to get out of the restaurant as soon as possible. But damn did she really want some chocolate cake right now.
Gaara, in the meantime, actually had a casual conversation with her mother, now unaffected by the older woman grabbing on to him. Her father was too busy stuffing his face on some meatballs to even bother telling her mom to behave like a woman of her age.
The waiter finally came with their bill, and Ino wanted to celebrate. They were just one step away from getting rid of her parents…
"I got this," Inoichi said while taking out his credit card and giving it to the waiter.
"So, where are you two lovebirds going after this?" her mom asked.
"A movie," Ino quickly replied, ignoring the confused look Gaara was giving her, "With some friends. And it starts in twenty minutes so we should get going, right Gaara?"
"...Yes," he replied after a few seconds.
"Then we can drop you guys off-"
"No, it's OK! We'll walk!"
"But the movie theater is thirty minutes away-"
"A friend is hosting a movie night tonight… So it's there…" Ino finished, her foot impatiently tapping on the floor.
"Well then, we shouldn't keep you lovebirds any longer!" Inoichi said as the four of them walked out of the restaurant.
Ino waved at her parents while grabbing Gaara's hand and dragging him away from the vicinity. Her arms shivered slightly as a cool wind breeze through them.
"Where are we going?"
"As far away from my parents as possible," Ino said, shivering again. She mentally cursed herself for not bringing a cardigan.
"I think we're far away enough," Gaara said, pulling her elbow in order to stop her. "We can catch a movie," he said and pulled his phone out. "What about the new bad boys movie?"
"Sure," Ino said, trying not to shiver. The idea of being inside a movie theater already made her feel warmer a bit.
"I ordered an Uber. It should be here in five minutes… Are you cold?"
Ino gave him a shy smile. "A little, b-but I can wait five minutes."
Gaara remained silent for a while, his left hand scratching the back of his head and for a moment, Ino wondered if he was OK.
Closing his eyes, he cleared his throat before re-opening them and grabbing her by the arm.
"Come," he said, pulling her to his chest and wrapping his arms around her.
Ino could feel fireworks exploding in her mind as she laid her head on his chest, his sleeved-arms already giving her some warmth. The two were silent, but Ino didn't mind. This was their first official hug, and damn did it feel good. He felt good…
"Better?" he asked, and Ino replied by simply nodding.
Minutes later, a black Toyota Camry stopped in front of them with the Uber sticker in front shining brightly. Gaara opened the back door and held it open as Ino got inside. He sat next to her and closed the door, confirming with the driver the address and leaning back. Ino quickly felt better as the car's heating swirled around. However, she missed being hugged by Gaara. Having his arms around her felt good, and she wanted more. Looking at him from the corner of her eyes, a thought came to her mind. It was a little risky but… it was Valentine's Day! And technically they were dating. Taking a deep breath in order to summon all of the courage she had within, Ino moved closer to him until their thighs were touching and quietly, she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen a bit before relaxing and interlocking their hands and placing a kiss on the tip of her forehead. Face warm, Ino closed her eyes while taking in his scent, loving the way his thumb gently rubbed over hers.
"Why…. Is that Ino Yamanaka and Sabaku no Gaara holding hands on my backseat!?"
Ino's blue eyes widened at the familiarity of that voice. Oh, it must have been over four years, but she could recognize that voice anywhere and looking up to see the driver, her eyes almost rolled out of her head as their ninth-grade gym teacher, Gai Sensei, smiled brightly at them through the rearview mirror.
The man was crazy with his exercises, and Ino remembered her and Sakura sometimes skipping gym class because of it. The only one in her class that thoroughly enjoyed the crazy gym period was Rock Lee.
And now, said old gym teacher was their Uber driver.
"Hi there, Gai Sensei," Ino greeted, lifting her head from Gaara's shoulder but not necessarily letting go of his hand.
"I'm surprised to say that I'm shocked! Who would have figured that Ms. Ino Yamanaka would be going out with the quiet Gaara. Tell me, son, how did you pull that off?"
Gaara blinked for a while before answering. "...I just asked her…"
"Young love," Gai said as he switched lanes, not paying attention at the fact that he had just cut off another vehicle and the driver of that vehicle was giving him the middle finger.
"So pure and beautiful. Women are like flowers, Gaara," Gai continued, almost missing the exit to the movie theater. "You have to be gentle with them. They are the beings who bear our children."
Ino could see the tip of Gaara's ears turn red and she chuckled a little, feeling happy that finally, it was his turn to be teased.
"Yes, I understand."
"Good. And remember, happy wife happy life."
"...We're not married,"
"But it applies to non-married couples as well. So make sure to make her happy and protect your blossoming flower, Gaara!"
Ino wanted to burst out laughing as she watched her date rub his eyes tiredly with his free hand. Gaara chose to ignore their old gym teacher, feeling relieved as he saw the sign for the movie theater coming up. Once the car reached the entrance, he got out and extended his hand. Grabbing it, Ino exited the car and then waved goodbye to the overly enthusiastic driver.
The red-haired young man purchased two movie tickets, selecting the only remaining two seats in the back of the theater. They walked towards Theater 8 and opened the door, quickly met with darkness as movie trailers played. The theater was packed but thanks to them pre-selecting their seats, they didn't have to worry about finding a place to sit. The small lights on the floor of the theater helped them find the isle which held their seats. Not wanting to trip over the steps, Ino held on to his arm as he led them towards two seats on the last aisle.
Upon sitting down, Ino sighed and smiled at him. "Finally, no parents or old gym teachers with us," she whispered.
Gaara smiled at her and nodded.
Movie trailers continued to play as more people entered with their hands full of popcorn and Coke. Although they were now together without any interference, Ino was still not satisfied. She knew that Gaara was quiet and shy, but she needed more. She was not wearing a sexy dress for nothing!
Taking a deep breath, she leaned towards her right and placed her head on his arm, feeling her face become warm and heart beat faster as she felt Gaara turn his head towards her. He didn't do anything else for some time, but then his arm snaked around her shoulders and Ino smiled. He smelled great.
...But she still needed more. Summing up all of her courage, Ino lifted her head upwards so her lips brushed against his cheek, placing several kisses afterwards. She felt him tense, but did not do anything to stop her. Instead, he grabbed her chin and pulled her face outward. Ino gave him a cheesy smile, and both of them forgot that the movie was just starting as Gaara leaned in and kissed her.
Had it not been for the seats and the fact that there were people around them, she would have sat on his lap and deepened the kiss. However, for now, this was more than enough. His lips were soft, and Ino felt as if she could kiss them forever.
Just as their kiss was about to deepen even more, a single popcorn hit her on her forehead, causing her to open her eyes and pull back. Gaara looked at her with a confused look and just as he was about to ask her what was wrong, another single piece of popcorn was thrown towards their direction, hitting him on the side of his head.
The couple turned their heads, finding a smirking Shikamaru with an amused Temari next to him.
"You two do realize that this is a theater and there are people around you?" Shikamaru whispered, throwing a third popcorn at them.
"Turn around and watch the movie," Ino whispered back, grabbing one of the popcorns thrown at her and throwing it back at him.
"Gaara, why didn't you tell me that your date was Ino?" Temari whispered to her younger brother, loving the way he blushed and looked away. "Shikamaru, we should sit next to them."
Ino frowned, "No, I don't-"
"Excuse us, would it be OK if we switched seats with you?" Temari asked the couple sitting next to Ino and Gaara.
Annoyed at the back and forth whispering, the couple nodded their heads and stood up. Ino mentally cursed as Shikamaru and Temari now sat next to them.
"How awesome is this?! My first double date!" Temari whispered loudly, causing Ino to roll her eyes.
The four young adults watched the movie in silence, Ino wanting to finish the session she and Gaara had started. But with his sister sitting right next to them, such want had to be put aside. Somewhere in the middle of the movie, Ino was startled by the soft touch of his hand on her thigh. Grinning, she placed her hand over his and slowly shifted his hand upwards on her thigh, causing the red-head next to her to give a light squeeze.
Fifteen minutes before the film ended, Temari leaned in and whispered. "Let's all hang out after this. I'll start waking Shikamaru up soon."
Ino didn't nod but felt disappointed. While she didn't mind hanging out with her, she wanted the night to just be for her and Gaara. Her parents crashing their dinner earlier was already bad enough. However, this was his sister and she wasn't sure if maybe Gaara was fine with having Shikamaru and Temari tag along. Well, there was only one way to find out…
"Hey," she whispered into his ear, and Gaara turned his head slightly towards her, signaling her that he was listening. "Temari wants to hang out after this. Should we-"
"Let's escape," he whispered back, and Ino raised her eyebrows.
"How?"
"When the movie is over, let's go the opposite end. It'll take Temari about five minutes to wake Shikamaru up. She'll be too busy to see us leave,"
Ino nodded and turned towards the screen, hoping that the movie would just end. She turned her head and glanced at the sleeping Shikamaru and quickly trusted Gaara's plan. Considering how the brown-haired man was sleeping with his mouth opened, it probably would take Temari some time to wake him up.
The movie was coming to an end and Gaara grabbed her hand. The credits began to roll and people started standing up. Temari stood up and frowned at her sleeping boyfriend, sighing as she began to shake his shoulders.
"Wake up,"
Nothing…
"Now's our chance," Gaara said, standing up and pulling Ino's arm.
The blonde-haired girl turned back briefly, watching as Temari was finally getting a response from Shikamaru.
"Shikamaru's almost awake,"
Gaara walked faster and Ino almost had to jog in order to keep up with him, which wasn't easy considering the dress she was wearing.
As soon as they exited the room, they quickly exited the theater and were soon standing in the middle of the parking lot. A slight shiver ran through Ino's body as a cool breeze passed through them.
"Wh-Where should we go now?" Ino asked, rubbing her bare forearms with her hands to keep warm. A yawn escaped her lips right after.
"Are you tired?"
"Heh… A little. I'm typically in bed by now," she said sheepishly.
Gaara nodded and pulled his phone out. "Let's get you home,"
Ignoring the texts from his sister, he ordered an Uber and luckily, the vehicle was nearby. A dark blue SUV stopped in front of them. Gaara opened the door for her, allowing her to get in first.
The ride back home was peaceful, considering the driver was not Gai, and it took about thirty minutes for them to reach her dormitory. He walked her towards her door and stood behind as she unlocked it. She heard her roommates inside.
Closing the door but not necessarily locking it, Ino turned around and faced her date.
"Despite everything, I enjoyed spending time with you,"
"Same," Gaara replied, taking a step closer to her.
Ino smiled in return and closed the gap, pressing her lips against his for one more kiss. He cupped her face and deepened the kiss, stroking her cheeks with his thumb. Her stomach did flips again as a sensational feeling was felt near her abdomen. And as much as she didn't want this to stop, it was just their second date.
They separated shortly after, Ino left breathless as she placed her hands on his shoulders.
"You're an awesome kisser,"
The corner of his lips turned upwards as he pecked her on the lips one more time. "I...enjoyed my time with you,"
"Same! Dinner tomorrow? My last class ends at six…"
Gaara nodded, "...I would like that,"
"Great! Well… I'll see you tomorrow?"
Gaara nodded, watching as she turned around and was ready to enter her dorm. But before she did, he grabbed her elbow and gently pulled her towards him. Her back made contact with his chest, and she eyed him as he grabbed her arms and leaned down.
"...I've been wanting to ask you for a while now… but...will you...be my girlfriend?"
Ino turned around and grinned at the softness of his expression. Cupping his face, she gave him a long kiss before pinching his right cheek teasingly.
"What do you think?"
Gaara gave her a small grin as he placed his hand on her lower back.
"...I think that...I'll need to get a lock for my room for when you visit. Kankuro doesn't knock sometimes…"
Ino giggled before winking at him teasingly. "Well, don't forget the condoms…"
The young man smiled even more, resting his forehead on hers. "...And don't forget your birth control,"
Author's note: OK, so I meant to release this fic during Valentine's Day but..I didn't finish it on time. It was saved and then during the weekend, I somehow got the motivation to finish it.
This will just be a one-shot, and it'll be to provide more Gaa x Ino content out there. Please let me know what you think! Reviews help me understand whether people are enjoying my fics...or not.
Anyway, thanks for reading and be sure to check out my other GaaIno fics!