A/N-There's a time jump. Thanks so much for reading! Hopefully we've covered a lot of ground with this update.
"Maximum effort! Ah!" Tenten strains/screams, attempting to peel her up from the grimy tiled floor of the club bathroom. Though she fails at the task Ten bursts out in laughter that leaves her spent, "Ohmygod,ohmygod I'm going to fuckin pee—that's how hard I—I'm trying!"
"Ok but noton my f-f-face—I'll kill you." Ino slurs, slowly mustering the strength from somewhere to flip herself over on her back. She wanted to assign the blame at Tenten but really it was her own fault. For being a wreck, for falling into her same old shit and dragging people into it. But seriously! It was really Ten's fault for being indulgent—for going for the ride with her in the first place.
"You're too thin to feel this heavy—are you e—even helping!?" She sputters at Ino through tears and rib crushing giggles. Ino watches her heave back—tugging her arm with a slither of alcoholic strength, which to be honest—wasn't worth shit.
"Fuckingfuckkk!"
Her booted heels skid across the slick pissed floors, Inos' limp body maintained its weighted advantage and the blonde began snickering fitfully. Her throat raw from screaming earlier, her mouth aching from the strain of constantly being stretched back in laugher. Warm tears trickle from the corners of her eyes and the flutters of pure euphoria tickled her gut insistently. Her brain felt like the buzz of an electric fence, hot and untouchable. No rational thoughts were infiltrating her tonight. That's the way she liked it.
"Oh my god Ino! Shut the fuck up!"
It made her lose it even more, she was wheezing, flailing a hand to try and stop herself. She knew she had been too far gone. The ceiling so blurry and fuzzy—the fluorescent lights bursting overhead. She could hear everything at a punishing decibel.
The DJ's commentary, the heels of women shuffling past, the door swinging open and bumping against the wall repeatedly as everyone overestimated it's weight.
"Oh wow, is she alright?"
Heels clucking around her, bathroom stall doors slamming shut. The foul odor of piss stung her nose.
"Someone's having a good night!"
"She's never been alright but yeah—she'll live—maybe." Ten answers the first person, Ino watches her address someone beside her—who also looms over Inos' body with her head cocked to the side. Her face pixelated, and though Ino strained her eyes—she couldn't make sense of this girls' face. Only that it was narrow, and earrings hang from it.
"The bartender is serving an extra kick in those Yuzu cocktails tonight. For real, those things are packing punches that have never…p—punched before."
Ino doesn't remember when Tenten was able to restore her to being upright—but at some point, she could feel hands on her, a few. Fumes within the bathroom were competing to make her nauseous and surprisingly they were winning. She gags and the girls were recoiling in fear and horror as she hobbles to maintain her stance—tucked against Tentens' short ass. She felt something cold and flaky rise in her gullet but swallowed it back in disgust.
A chill of revulsion made her shiver and she tried to fight back another retch building up in her throat. Her eyeballs felt like they'd pop right of their sockets and the added effort of slapping her palms to her mouth didn't make things any better.
"Oh, she's donezo." A girl states with unfiltered amusement. "She's gonna sleep good after the purge."
"Get her out of here sweetie." Someone suggested to Tenten.
"Thanks ladies." Tenten says apologetically.
Tenten is whisking her off through the creaky door, weaving them clumsily through the sea of undulating bodies. Like a newborn Ino's neck wouldn't grant her head any hope of sustaining it's position and Ino accepts this—her head lulling back to gawk at the multicolored lights skittering across the ceiling.
She didn't even realize her hand was reaching, not until Tenten apprehended her hand—interlocking their fingers and firmly planting her hand at her side.
"Bad Ino, no."
"I don't wanna leave!" She whines—her face contorting into what she hoped was a pout. Tenten looked her in the face and rolled her eyes.
"You almost hurled in the bathroom, even you must admit you're wasted. No Altoid are going to fix that gnarly breath of yours."
She frowns, genuinely. A stick of gum, several Altoids and a swish of rum could fix anything. And although she was feeling her drink, she wasn't FEELING her drink. It was way too early to go home. The night wasn't truly over unless she almost pisses her thongs, smacked some bitch or got to the point where she started inexplicably losing her clothes. None of which has happened tonight.
"Tennnn," she groans, putting the brakes on the forced hurried pace by stamping her heels into the ground. Tentens bland face change tints under the lights flickering tempo. "You haven't even call—called an Uber for fuckssakes. It's cooolder than Russia, I'm not abou-t to stand out there freezin' my titzzz," she gropes her breast, "off, waitin'!"
Tenten regarded her like a mother—staring her in the face, weighing out the pros and the cons. Ino had done her hair tonight, taken them out of those tired ass buns and flat ironed it into its full neck length glory. Ten insisted on tucking hair closest to her face behind her ears— "to be humbled" as she puts it, though Ino chastised her for mucking up her work—the blonde knew this was an adjustment for her mousy friend. Tenten wasn't exactly ladylike in any sense of the word, although Ino wasn't too sure if she herself was ladylike. Sometimes she just liked to look like a pretty bitch. Sometimes she just got off on looking unobtainable and flaunting her bizarre behavior. She never said, she was ladylike, but she enjoyed her girly assets and gadgets.
"Fine!" Ten caved reluctantly, though she had her phone to her face, "but I'm ordering an uber now. I've got classes tomorrow and Shika and Temari are probably worried sick about yo-"
Ino sputters out air, "Oh please. They're probably at home going at it like rabbits, cause—I'm not there and they can finally—just let loose and whip out their naughty dollparts."
Tenten laughs, "True!" she shouts over the music, leaning toward Ino.
A few girls linked like chains, holding hands—brush past them, apologizing profusely. Each of them drenched in a fruity aroma, their arms scintillating with glitter or maybe sweat. Ino hangs off Tenten's shoulder, but their height difference makes her back cramp, so she straightens up—much too quickly because her head swivels—and flicks the blonde hair over her shoulder. She fumbles through her purse for the tin of Altoids. Tenten watches her friend, shaking her head—although she holds out a hand.
Ino shakes one too many into Tentens palm and shakes a few into her mouth before putting the tin away. The potent mint didn't mix well with the alcohol.
Her phone vibrates and she wobbles, unsteady—though Ten steadies her with one hand against the small of her back.
"You're a hot mess."
Ino ignored her, tapping the chipped black nail of her thumb against the screen. The notifications light up the lock screen and she padded in her passcode, getting it wrong two times before the phone threatened to lock her out. Fuckity fuck. She pressed in each number with concentrated precision—trying to blink through the inebriated haze that attempted to cloud her memory.
NShikamaru (10:15pm)
We turned in for the night, food in the fridge.
Heads up, Temari's bro is sleeping on the sofa.
Gn.
Nata Uzumaki (11:00pm)
Let's link up soon, please. You never even came to the housewarming, which I have a bone to pick with you about that MISSY!
My very annoying fiancé wants me to tell you that you still owe him for the brownies. -_-
Sakura-billboard brow-Haruno (12:01am) [Sunday]
Trying to reach you is like trying to contact the dead. I hear you're working at Jeli? That's exciting but why didn't you tell me? You've been working there for nearly a month wtf?!
Anyway, I'm thinking some paybacks are in order. Maybe I can bum off your employee discount for some eyeshadow pallets, oh, maybe some lip tints. You tell me what's applicable cause being preg is making me look like I'm in a constant state of fatigue. I need to liven it up. I feel like I'm carrying Satan, and everyone is happy except me. You had better respond or I'll come over there to Shikamaru's and I'm stronger now Ino, I've literally got another person living inside me and we will beat the living shit out of you, respectfully. Love you. : )
1010 (2:32am)
Uber'll be here in 15 mins whore lol. Got any more bears?
She looks over toward her friend, rolling her eyes. Ino fishes out the Ziplock bag of marijuana infused gummy bears-they're sticking to the bag. She had gotten them off a girl at work. Unfortunately for her however—one of their uptight coworkers ratted her out and the girl got canned for peddling drugs. It's a shame too, the bag was down to a handful.
Ino mouthed off at the Uber driver for nearly running them over and the guy was just the right kind of asshole to argue back. The people who loitered outside the downtown club called, Peaked, looked on at the spectacle. Tenten tried to cram the riled blonde into the back seat while apologizing to the driver about her behavior. Ino had only one leg in the back seat, when the uber driver peeled out off the curb, nearly taking her leg right with him. Her heart lodged up into her throat and she croaked—both surprised and livid.
"You fucking piece of shit!" She spat, lunging, and stumbling forward. She wasn't too satisfied with the punch she delivered against the truck of the car as it revved away. She busied herself with trying to find a rock immediately, but the car was long gone by the time she found something sturdy enough to throw. Tenten wrestled the rock from her hand and tossed it toward the sidewalk.
Ino could hear laughter in the distance, cars on gravel zipping past them—ruffling their dresses and hair. Her shoes were kicked off and she didn't know where the hell they went.
"Dammit Ino…" Ten cried torturously, thumbing through her phone and inching toward the sidewalk, "there's no telling how long it'll take the next driver to get here. Can you please chillout?"
"Me chillout?!" Ino roared, poking herself in the chest with her cell, "that balding asswipe tried to kill me twice and you want me to calm the fuck down?!"
"I'd tell him to calm down, but he's gone, and we're stranded." Tenten replies with a shrug, her lips pressed into a thin line. Brown hair blew over her face and she pinches at Inos dress—guiding her closer to the safety of the sidewalk. The breeze was crisp against Ino's hot face, the pitter patter of her chest frantic but coming down as the minutes passed. The blonde crosses her arms over her chest and shakes her head.
"I guess I'm sorry. I didn't expect him to kick us to the curb like that." she apologizes glumly.
"Right sentiment, wrong execution." Tenten says, "He was way out of line and he got off easy if you ask me. Remember the kiosk guy in the mall? You spat in your snow cone after he tried to charge us for the free samples?"
Ino scoffs, "He called mall security."
"Ok but we didn't have to pay."
"Yeah," she replies reverently, "I only wish I pretended to spit in my cone, not actually do it."
"You still drank it you sick bitch," Ten teases tossing her head back to laugh with her gut, she twists around to pin an accusative look at her best friend.
"In the heat of the moment, it felt way more badass."
"I think you mean, petty. It was petty."
Abruptly, loud laughter erupted over the sounds of the congested streets. This arouse all types of scrutiny from the onlookers on the curb. Ino looks across the street to see the hyenas in question and then snaps her neck right back down the moment a familiar face registers in her mind. Her body goes stiff, and she's staring so hard at the ground she can finally see her suede black heels. The blonde wills her body to be transparent but it doesn't work—the gang starts crossing the street; voices animated.
Shit.
As they get closer, she wonders if she could just grab Ten and theft someone else's Uber. Her toxic trait was thinking that she was anywhere near sober enough to get away with such a feat. So instead, she just stands there—one wobble away from plummeting to the floor for the third time tonight.
The oncoming crowd rushes pass she and Tenten. Ino made the mistake of lifting her head just as a woman with the darkest of eyeliners emerges in her goth attire. She did a double take at Ino and gasps.
"Ino!?"
Her eyes were wide—she froze a step away from the curb. Tenten's head shot up from her phone, looking at both women quizzically.
"Konan?" Ino asks, as though she'd ever forget a face like Konans—tatted and pierced. The girl was long and thin. Her makeup, magnificent. The dark violet lipstick, the cupids bow outlined in silver pencil really emphasized her puffy lips.
"By the demon, holy fuck dude. It's been a while! Thank goodness for Facebook because I'd think you were dead."
Konan threw her arms over Ino and embraced her like some sort of long lost relative. With uncertainty, Ino engaged in the hug—letting Konan rock her from side to side.
The moment Konan pulled away she looked Ino over, "Looks like you've had a night. I saw what that jackoff did to you guys, are you alright?"
Ino only shrugs, "Typical downtown behavior."
"Definitely, you've gotta have teeth in these streets." Konan hurriedly agreed, bobbing her head.
"Ko?" One of the hyena's calls out somewhere on the sidewalk behind them and Konan waves her off.
"You guys go ahead in, I'll be right there, just catching up with a friend."
Tenten laughs nervously, "Konan, that name is gorge actually."
Konan scowls feigning disgust, "Eww, it's not but I appreciate you lying to me, you're absolutely adorable. Not a lie."
Tenten practically blushes, her eyes flickering all over the place, "I'm Tenten, Ino's friend."
"Konan, well-duh."
"How do you know Ino?" Tenten gets right to it, as jealous as she is—it doesn't surprise Ino that she's cutting straight to the chase.
Ino wanted to stop the interaction but honestly, she couldn't care less that these worlds were colliding. Nothing had ever come of it so what was the point of hiding it?
Konan looked to her for confirmation but ultimately said, "Oh she was kinda hanging around with a buddy of mine for a bit. I totally thought they were banging or something because they're both hot. But then she just dropped off the face of the Earth," Konan spun her tattooed hands and looked at Ino—somewhat awkward, "I told him, she was way out of his league, but he wouldn't hear it."
Just the mere mention of 'buddy' or him, made her mind leap to that moment, in the backseat of the car. The mixed signals, the way he had jumped down her throat the moment she even attempted to get close to him that way. She was getting fed up all over again thinking about the complete bullshit he had put her through. The way she was on standby at the hotel and how he ghosted her for two weeks straight—texting nothing, assuring her of nothing, giving her no way of knowing what the hell she had done to make him react that way. Later, however, she did pull up the virtual copy of the contract on her phone and realized she had crossed a line with a kiss. She thought the clause was a joke, but nope. The man was so triggered he practically threw her out of the back seat.
Fuck him. It was probably just his way out to begin with.
He finally realized she was nothing to pay for. She didn't make him work for it and most guys don't want to admit it but they probably like being denied. They liked when some chick 'access denied' their asses. Like when you're dieting and you tell yourself you don't want the chocolate cake, but that's a freakin lie because it's cake and who the fuck wouldn't want cake? Right?
Who buys cake, to stare at cake?!
Seriously, there weren't many sexual encounters that she's had where kissing was barred. It's just kissing! Nothing to get all worked up over.
Sai simply had to be some kind of lunatic, a robot and an obsessive germophobe. He might've looked hot, but his behavior was anything but—he was an absolute weirdo and to be honest, she just may have dodged a bullet with that one. She never felt like he was a dangerous person but maybe it was stupid on her part, to just trust some guy just because he decided to foot a few bills and treat her like a decent person.
Whoreish behavior.
"Ino, you're seeing someone? This is news to me, since you've neglected to mention it—to your friends." Tenten says enviously, though she smiles gingerly.
"I'm not seeing anyone Ten," Ino replies hastily, enunciating 'seeing' through her teeth. Konan looked put off by her tone but maintained an otherwise jovial face. "It was strictly platonic."
Tenten seems dubious about that one but only nods. Konan chuckles.
"That was heartbreaking to hear," She says clutching her chest dramatically, "because getting that guy to bring girls around us is like pulling teeth, it seemed like he was really into you. It could just be me because he's like an annoying older brother to me but—you two seemed like you were hitting it off. Take it from me he never lets us meet any of his girlfriends." Though she held out her palms as a disclaimer, "But again, it could just be me. I don't mean to be in your biz but—I have been wondering."
Ino furrowed a brow at her, wanting to laugh but she only shook her head.
"Do you have a cigarette?"
Konan pats at the pockets of her shiny black spandex pants, frisks the ruffles of her blouse—then the pockets of her black blazer. A smile slithers across her lips.
"A few." Konan replies cheerily, retrieving a mangled box from her chest pocket and immediately patting a cig out of the pack. Ino swaggers past Tentens' scowling face of judgement and stands to the side of Konan. She attempts to ignore the headache stomping on her temple.
"Ubers ten minutes out." Tenten deadpans, cautiously leaning down to retrieve Ino's heels.
Ino stuck the cig between her lips, her fingertips buzzing with a feeling of extreme impatience. She watches Konan stick one between her teeth and digs a chrome zippo lighter from the inner fold of her blazer.
"You two ducking out already?" Konan asks, side glancing at Ino.
"Yep, I've got work. She has Uni." Ino answers simply, leaning toward Konan who flicked back the top and clicked on the flame. Konan visored the flame from being snuffed out by the wind. the flame dance around the tip of the cigarette, though her lips already moved to take several careless pulls. The smell of tobacco already pungent in her nostrils. Her fingertips and nose toasted with warmth.
Once lit, Konan does her own. Ino looks up across the street with an exhale of satisfaction-blowing smoke through her lips. The feeling of relief was short lived because a moment later she spots him.
She pulled the cigarette from her lips, and it almost felt instinctive, hiding it behind her thigh. The ghostly mist of Konan's cigarette smoke almost made her feel as though she was hallucinating his appearance entirely, watching him cross the street.
Shit.
Shit.
Shit.
She had half the mind to walk away but her body felt paralyzed. Tenten began saying something she couldn't hear but she could hear Konan's voice muffle something back. They were talking to each other.
His hands in his pockets, eyes right on her—though not with recognition at first. She stared back, failing to portray any animosity she had just been feeling a moment ago. Though the urge to drift away kept pulling and pulling the closer he gets to her.
Fuck, did time not make this stupid shit easy, because he was still—undeniably handsome as hell. Possibly even more so with a haircut, though blades of hair still hung over his brow. The stubble turned to a light dusting of fine hairs, nothing too overwhelming. He looked so much more, refined and unreachable.
"Speak of the devil!" Konan was shouting and clapping carefully. "You're late hotshot, the others weren't even sure you'd show up."
"That was an option?" Sai asks, a humorous frown denting his brow. His voice was gentle, low—but it ruffled her nerves in a way that made her wish she could spit acid.
Konan blew smoke in his face and he waves it off hastily—standing with his back toward the street, in front of the curb. He towered over the three women, his presence significantly heavier. The spice-like earthiness of his cologne touches her nose and warms her skin—she couldn't resist rolling her eyes.
"This is Sai. Sai, this is Ino's friend, Tenten—is it?"
"Correct."
Tenten extended a hand—the charms on her bracelet chattering and Sai looks at her fingers for a split second—before taking her hand and shaking it. Ino watches his hands immediately retreat into his pockets after the exchange. She'd wager anything that he wanted to douse his hands in sanitizer. She watched his jaw go hard and he fought to smile warmly at Ten.
His eyes then slid to Ino, gleaming from the lights of the buildings behind them.
"Ino." He greeted, looking her over, lingering at her barefoot.
"Sai." She flicks the the base of the cigarette with a thumb, keeping it tucked behind her thigh.
"Can we talk?"
Ino chuckles bitterly, "We could have."
He sighs, "It'll be just a moment. Please."
She stared off to the side of him, squinting her eyes and feeling the cig burn hot and wasted between her fingers.
Wordlessly, she took off across the street and he followed.
She didn't get far before her feet were aching, dirty and swollen. Sai came jogging up behind her in no time, not even out of breath. His boots were loud, keys jingling in his pocket—a delicious scent mixing with his sweat.
Ino had a stick, a small branch she had wrestled from a weak tree during her excruciating sprint down the street. She had taken it to defend herself just in case she and some vagrant crossed paths before Sai caught up. Though most people would probably already steer clear of her, since she was walking around barefooted. She discarded the cigarette not too long ago, realizing she'd need both her hands to fend for herself.
"To say, sorry, would be an understatement. Disappearing like that, it was despicable." He starts off, blocking the path she wasn't about to take.
"Great, you're only fourteen days late with that one—genius."
He only dipped his head and nodded, after the thickest silence she's ever felt—he blinked.
"I have no excuse for my behavior. I can only say I have been in a similar predicament—with another woman. And I just didn't want this to be anything like that."
"Did you toss her out of a moving car?"
"No—but in my defense I didn't do that to you either."
"May as well have." She retorts, cutting her eyes at him.
"Cops were involved, with the woman before..." he continued, ignoring her. "It was a nasty affair, full of wild accusations made by her. Or simply they were just wild to me because I couldn't see it at the time. Truth of the matter is, there was some validity to some of the claims. Not enough to do any real damage to my lifestyle but enough…to make me question my instincts. I've been trying to avoid a similar battle on my hands. Especially since this time is different for me."
Ino knees buckle, she listened but she couldn't help but want to collapse against the concrete and sleep.
"Whoa…" Sai utters, voice lathered in syrupy concern. She felt him crowding her, holding her at the waist. The heat of his arm strapped around her was enough to make her skin smolder. "Hey, you alright?"
Her body tremored and she broke out in a sweat.
"I th—think I need to lay down…" were the words slurring from her lips instead of what she really wanted to say.
Sai seemed confused for a moment but swept her off her feet like she weighed less than a cardboard box. "I'll get you back to your friend."
"No." she protests breathily.
The guy was oddly built, tall and capable of toting her drunken ass. It's funny that he had hesitated to engage in a handshake, but he didn't give a seconds thought when it came to picking her up like this. She slid her arms around his neck—resting her cheek against his shoulder.
"The hospital?"
"Are you shitting me? I'm high and wasted. D-don't you live nearby. I've always wanted to sleep in a fuckboys' castle."
Sai made an irritated noise, "Not a fuckboy. My place is nowhere near as lavish as a castle, so I'm afraid you're in for a big disappointment."
Ino laughs, tossing her head back, her hair wafting on top of a light breeze, "How could you possibly manage to identify that statement as anything serious?"
His laughter was warm, real, his chest shook with it. A few moments pass, her eyes were closed (to keep the world from spinning), and she could hear his boots crushing twigs, crunching dried leaves, and hitting the concrete.
"I take you seriously." He replies.
"You're full of it."
"I was embarrassed about what happened and then I got caught up with work, flew out of town for a high paying client. The way I acted...it wasn't my finest hour."
"It twasn't. I have a jobbbb now by the way." Ino boasts, hoping it would make him wonder.
"I know."
She was gearing up to say something dumb as well, like she had been having crazy sex with ten people at a time. She's certain she wouldn't get the reaction she desired but she couldn't help but want to say something off the wall, just to hear that dark quiet voice springing from his chest. There was simply something so infectious about trying to get a rise out of him. Though when she had finally seen that side of him—for the briefest moment—it was both chilling and thrilling.
Don't get me wrong, I could work with it.
But freaky Sai seemed quite relentless. In some ways, that night in the car reminded her a little of her ex—the way he could turn on the charm and the crazy. But even though Sai had lost it for a moment (over a kiss) he at least was aware of it. He apologized. Her ex never did.
"Stalker..."
"On the contrary, Ko's social media likes. You added her?"
"I add anyone."
"And that was your first mistake," he teased, "adding Ko. Your pictures were in circulation. Every time you posted a photo she'd send it to me." and as an afterthought, "I didn't ask her to do it."
Sai handled her delicately, placing her in the passenger seat of his car once they reached the parking garage. Ino watched him buckle her seatbelt, sweep hairs out of her face and shrug the leather jacket from his shoulders. He placed it over her securely.
The weight of the jacket was enough to bring on an onslaught of emotion, the dark woodsy smell felt so familiar to her. Nostalgic even.
The moment he closes the door she found herself embracing it tightly, trying to keep her mind from caving in at the thought of this gesture. She recalled her father often covering her with his coat anytime she passed out during a ride when she was a little girl. It always made her feel protected and secure. Something that seemed so insignificant meant the world to her as a kid.
It was strange, having someone take care of her like this. Her entire life, she was always the caretaker.
She knew she might've been a wee bit drunk, but she also knew she really liked Sai. This moment simply made that way more glaringly obvious. For weeks she had been working up the nerve to go off on him and yet here she was, crying—thinking about her father.