Hey guys, I've been trying to crack down hard on these finals. The end of the semester is so damn stressful I swear. I finally cleaned my room after like two months and now it's all over. Summer break which means I can commit to this story full time. I made the chapter a little longer to make up for my absence and hopefully it's to you liking. Remember to read and review and get ready for way more updates!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.
Chapter Ten
I noticed several things wrong when I returned to our apartment.
The first? Aris didn't greet me at the door as he was accustomed to doing.
The second? It was quiet, eerily quiet.
I called out, alerting any occupants that I was here just in case someone wanting to try something. Growing slightly restless when I didn't hear anything, I relaxed when I spotted Jonas napping on the couch. I crept around, softly tapping his shoulder as he began to stir. Almost immediately, he remembered where he was as he shot up with wide eyes and bowed before me.
"Forgive me! I was a little exhausted is all and I meant to only shut my eyes for a second when-"
I quickly placed my hand over his mouth, giving him a tired look. "Relax Jonas, I'm not here to rat you out. I could honestly care less about you taking a nap. Where's Ino and Aris?" I asked, lowering my hand slowly as he began to settle back down. Nodding, he offered a thank you and pointing a stubby finger towards my room, "Ah, I believe the young lady fell asleep in your quarters last night. Aris must've accompanied her inside. I don't think either of them have woken yet."
Knowing Aris, I knew there was no way that he had slept for that long. The little monster could barely sit for a few minutes at best.
The part I was more intrigued about, however, was the fact that Ino had fallen asleep in my room.
I bowed to him, turning on my heel as I made my way back towards my room. Twisting the knob slowly, I peeked inside. Sure enough, Ino lay wrapped in my sheets her back facing me as soft breaths filled my room. Suddenly, I managed to spot Aris' head resting on top of her hip as he watched me. It was amazing, he didn't so much as move a single muscle to greet me. Instead, he blinked softly, keeping his head propped on Ino as I neared the bed.
I couldn't help but smile softly, running my fingers through his fur as I scratched at his ears. "You kept an eye on Ino for me last night, huh? Good boy," I praised him, watching as his tail wagged only slightly as he nuzzled my hand. From what I could guess, Ino must've slipped in my room at some point and found Aris. Perhaps in the midst of an episode, he had soothed her until she fell asleep.
Rather than running off or making a bunch of noise, he must've understood what was happening. So for hours it would seem, he had simply stayed put by her side.
Surely he had to be hungry, or perhaps he needed to relieve himself.
I nodded towards the door, motioning for him to follow but he didn't budge.
He sighed, shifting his head only slightly before fixing me with that same bored look. Frowning, I reached for his collar, tugging only slightly when a soft growl passed his lips. I drew my hand back, chuckling softly when I understood what was happening. He was protecting her already. A half pint pup like him was already willing to fend off anyone who so much as disturbed her from a little nap. Scratching my neck, I gave in with a small smile, "Alright boy, you win."
Dropping my bags softly on the floor, I lay down beside Ino, careful not to move too much. I wanted to check and make sure she was alright but that could wait until she woke up.
I pulled my phone from my pocket, thumb swiping across the screen to check my messages.
Sure enough, I had one from Paige.
.:Last night was...amazing. ;) I'm getting wet just thinking about it. Let's hang out again soon, okay?
I groaned softly, unable to think coherently enough to form a response. Though I had to admit I thoroughly enjoyed myself, I couldn't help but think of how I had left Ino hanging like that. Of course, had I known the texts coming in last night were from her, I would've quickly called Rin back around but Paige wasn't having it and I was a little caught up to give it too much thought.
All of a sudden, a small whine beside me had me shooting up.
I pressed my hand against Ino's waist, pulling her against me as I whispered that I was here.
Slowly, her eyes peeled open as she craned her head to face me. "You're back," she rasped out tiredly. I nodded, eyes hard as I watched her roll over to face me. "I'm sorry," I quickly apologized, chest tightening as dried tear trails appeared on her cheeks. "You were crying," I whispered back, unable to stop my fingers from reaching for her face.
She stopped them, her grip on my wrists firm, "Don't. Please."
I dropped them, albeit reluctantly.
Drawing in a slow breath, she apologized for intruding in on my room. Climbing over me, she made a move to leave but I stopped her again. "When did you last eat?" I asked, frown etching onto my lips when she didn't respond immediately.
"I'll eat when I'm hun-"
"Ino. When?" I abruptly cut her off.
"Around noon yesterday…"
Fuck. She needed to eat, soon. Hopping up, I snatched my car keys and mumbled for her to follow. She shook her head, resisting when I tugged on her arm. "Ino, you need to eat. Now," I warned. She kept resisting and I kept tugging until I began to feel her tremble under my grip. Surely I wasn't pulling her hard enough to hurt her. Her eyes were pleading as they began to gloss over and I immediately let go. "Please," she begged softly, "I don't want to go out. I just want to stay here, please?"
"Ino," I started, tossing my keys back inside my room, "You need to eat."
She fidgeted there, eyes cast upon the floor. Rubbing my neck, I sighed as I offered up another idea, "At least let me make you something. It's going on damn near three and you haven't eaten in well over twenty four hours Ino. Something small, that's all I ask. A sandwich? Soup? Something?"
Thankfully, it seemed she wasn't against the idea of eating as a whole. Just going outside.
With a slow nod, she gave in. "Sandwich okay?" I asked, motioning for her to sit on the couch.
She nodded again, claiming that she wasn't picky when I asked what kind she wanted. Feeling a little famished myself, I decided to make one for me as well. The entire time I worked, I would flick my eyes back to her stiff form. It made me restless but I wouldn't force her to behave a certain way if she wasn't feeling up to it.
Setting a plate in front of her, I made sure she took at least one bite before I bit into mine. I assumed it wasn't awful considering she ate most of it but she didn't seem thoroughly amazed. Oh well, it's not like I had inherited any of my mother's cooking skill. Simply recipes that I had remembered bits and pieces of that had managed to get me by before Lina took me in.
Finishing my plate, I found my eyes resting on Ino once more.
She no longer seemed hungry but I'd settle for the fact she ate most of it. Better to have something in her stomach than nothing at all. However, I just couldn't get past the fact that she seemed so out of it. She seemed like she wanted to say something but it wasn't easy to read. Finally, I asked, "Are you still tired? I didn't mean to wake you."
"I'm...just not feeling well," she admitted, rubbing her arms slowly as she stared blankly at the half eaten food in front of her.
"You can go back to sleep if you want Ino. Take my bed again if you need to, I'll clean up in here and kick it while you rest." Standing up, I picked up our plates and made a move for the kitchen but her hand kept me in place. I frowned, watching her bite her lip as she avoided my gaze. Before I could ask, she begged softly, "I don't want to sleep alone again."
My heart ached knowing that it was my fault that she was feeling like this.
Sitting the plates back down, I took her hand and pulled her up. I moved towards her room but she tugged me back to my own.
Aris hadn't moved from my bed, watching us with a curious look as Ino climbed in first. I told her I'd join her but I desperately needed to shower. I'm sure I reeked of sweat and other things and that was no way to share a bed with a girl. She looked slightly upset but allowed me to go when I promised to be quick.
A quick scrub down and wash of my hair took only a few minutes and I dried my hair the best I could without messing around with a dryer.
Finally, I emerged, finding her sitting there, eyes on me as I shut the door to my room. She waited for me to crawl in and immediately, pressed herself against me. I slipped my fingers against her waist, chin resting atop her head as she bunched my shirt in her fingers. For some reason, I found myself apologizing again for missing her texts last night.
She assured me that it was fine but I knew otherwise.
Her words that followed afterwards made my chest tighten tremendously.
"I just...I sleep better with you here. I don't have the nightmares when you're with me. It's selfish to ask that of you so I tried to brush it off last night. You shouldn't have to deal with me when you've got other things to worry about," she mumbled into my neck, causing me to swallow tightly.
Fingers tightening against her waist, I replied softly, "Things are different now Ino. Sure, I get paid to protect you but even now, I'm doing this because I want to." Eyes narrowing at the wall in front of me, I whispered, "Anytime you need me, I should be there. I'm saying this, not as your guard but as a friend."
"We're not friends Sakura," she sighed against me.
I didn't answer, relaxing my grip only slightly.
I knew what she meant. I didn't find offense in her words because what she said was technically true. We weren't friends. Even this little act proved nothing more than a simple dependence that she had on me that I gave into. I wasn't even sure that our relationship could progress past us being nothing more than me being her guard and she the girl I was hired to protect.
Eventually, I felt her lips near my ear as she admitted again, "We're not friends but...I want us to be more than what we are now."
Scratching her waist, I waited for her soft snores to fill the room before I whispered into her hair, "Me too, Ino."
Everything else faded into the background as I followed her lead and gave into my own exhaustion.
"How's she been?"
"A little spacey here and there but other than that, I think she's okay."
Ayame and I hung back, our steps slow as Sasuke and Ino walked ahead of us. Ayame had mentioned she wanted to talk to me and while I was hesitant to be anywhere too far from Ino, I agreed, knowing it was important. They were friends dating far back so it made sense that she would be concerned what with them only being able to meet every so often.
After classes, they all decided to go for a little walk and explore some of the sights around campus. I could tell Ino wasn't up to it but some air would do her some good.
So I allowed her to walk with Sasuke, knowing that other than me, he was just as qualified to fight off anyone who threatened her. Meanwhile, Ayame and I kept our distance, catching up and talking about how Ino had been faring. As we talked, questions began pooling in my mind and with the perfect source standing right beside me, who better to ask?
"Hey...Ayame. What was Ino like, growing up? Before everything happened?" I asked softly so that only she could hear.
Her eyes flickered up to Ino, a small smile pulling as she whispered, "She was your average kid. She was Daddy's little girl and she adored her mother. Friendly, compassionate, really bubbly personality and always fun to be around." I watched her expression darken, no doubt, thinking about the tragedy that had unfolded.
"After everything went down, she became quiet and distant. As she got older, she became cold-hearted. She stopped letting people in and would use that fake snobby personality to make people hate her. For some it worked in keeping them away. For others, like you, it didn't," she finished.
"I'm no one special, I only witnessed her having a moment. If anything, I figured she'd hate me more," I admitted.
"With Ino, it's a little different. You saw her at her lowest and therefore, you have more of a hold on her than you think. She can't pretend to be all big and bad when in her eyes, you've already seen her biggest flaw," Ayame finished with a sigh, "But for what it's worth, whatever it is you're doing for her seems to help. I can tell she finds your company soothing. I'm sure she'll open up a bit more in due time."
I nodded, having little to say.
Granted, she did admit that me being there put her at ease but I didn't read too much into it.
I did manage to catch how she said she wanted us to be friends. Perhaps...perhaps that was something I could work with. I could get to know her, open up a little about myself and maybe she'd be inclined to follow. After all, if we were going to be spending the next four and half years or so together, it'd be a little easier if we actually had some sort of title to put on this relationship.
"I can tell you're thinking," Ayame chimed in, interrupting my thoughts with a small giggle, "I have a little hint for you. Ino's really into music. Maybe if you're lucky, she'll sing for you. Girl's got an amazing voice. Her father discouraged it since it wasn't going to benefit the family business but it was something she did with her mom so it means a lot to her. Keep that in mind, hm?" She patted my shoulder before bounding up, pressing herself between Ino and Sasuke.
Sasuke was clearly annoyed but Ino looked nothing short of relieved.
Of course Ayame had been picking up on her signals of distress and had immediately come to her aid.
God knows what kind of trash he was whispering in Ino's ear. Of all things, I'm sure flirting around was the last on her to do list. The girl had a million and one other things going on and I'm sure she didn't need that crap. Suddenly, Ayame gave me a look, nodding her head towards Ino.
Taking the hint, I moved to her other side, leaning in to whisper if she was ready to go home.
Giving me a small smile, she nodded.
"Alright, I'm gonna get Ino home. It's starting to get late," I told Ayame and Sasuke. Scoffing but otherwise accepting the plan, Sasuke pulled Ino into a soft hug, his lips pressing against her cheek before he beckoned for Naruto to follow. I had almost forgotten he was there, along with Rin. Neither of them had really spoken to me this whole time which was fine. Ayame proved perfect company and with my eyes on Ino the whole time, everyone else didn't matter right then.
A slight tug on my jacket forced my attention as Ino gave me a concerned look. I gave her a reassuring smile, letting her know I was fine as I guided her back to the car, giving only a nod at Ayame and Rin as a farewell.
As we walked back, I would take note of the way Ino's brows would furrow as she seemed to ponder something.
Curious as always, I asked, "What's wrong?"
"Just thinking."
"About?"
A small pause, "Sasuke."
I frowned, wondering what had brought that on. I didn't exactly care about the small details as to why he was on her mind but I encouraged her to voice it anyway. "He makes me nervous," she admitted silently. "How so?" I asked, genuinely becoming intrigued by her response. She bit her lip, stopping me with a pull on my arm.
"I don't know what his motives are. He texts me all the time and always tries to hang out but I can't bring myself to respond some days. Does he just want to sleep with me or is he simply interested in cutting a deal to get part of my father's company? It could be either and neither of the two are exactly a good thing," she finished in one breath. Her eyes seemed to look to my own for some sort of answer. I didn't have anything that I think would help but it couldn't hurt to try.
Rubbing my neck as we wandered aimlessly, I chimed in, "I'm in no position to say this but something doesn't sit well with me about him. Uchiha's in general are the kind you need to be careful with. It makes sense that he unsettles you. Kid makes my skin crawl too. Doesn't matter either way because you're not going to be anywhere near him without me watching him like a hawk."
I gave her a stern look following my words, watching with confusion as she quickly looked away, her neck turning red slowly.
Shrugging it off, I asked, "Is that all? Anything else on your mind?"
She avoided my eyes for a little longer before she asked, "There's one store I want to check out, if it's not too much trouble?"
Shaking my head, I urged her to lead the way. I kept my hands nestled in my pockets as I walked beside her. We didn't have to walk far and when I looked around the store, I almost laughed. Ayame was right, of course Ino had walked me right into a music store. It was actually a lot bigger than I expected. Two levels, filled with CDs, tapes and all kinds of instruments.
I watched Ino, noticing her eyes grow wide with excitement.
Almost immediately, she walked off forcing me to keep up with her quick steps. She made her way to the back corner where several guitars were strung up. We walked through the aisles, Ino's pace slow as her fingers traced over them. "They're beautiful," she whispered, plucking the strings on one of them with a smile.
"Do you play?" I asked curiously.
She paused, drawing her hand back slowly with a frown. "I don't think I can, not anymore. It's been so long," she voiced softly.
Well that had me curious. Not only did she have some experience with instruments, according to Ayame, she had a voice on her as well. I was pretty curious to witness both but I knew the chance of witnessing either was incredibly unlikely.
Her eyes seemed to linger on one guitar in particular. It was wooden with a glossy mahogany finish. "Doesn't hurt to try," I offered the idea loosely, watching her eyes narrow as she shook her head. It seemed that she just wasn't up to it and I was starting to think it all had something to do with her parents. After all, Ayame had mentioned that it was an activity that she liked to enjoy with her mother but her father didn't condone.
Bittersweet memories I'm sure.
Before she could get too deep in thought, I gently pulled her along outside the store. The car ride back home was silent but not awkwardly so. I convinced Ino to let me go inside first. After the little stunt Kakashi pulled last time, I refused to let her go in before me. It would have all been the same had I actually killed someone but knowing Lord Inoichi, I'm sure he'd have no problem with that when it came to Ino's safety.
I motioned for Ino to keep close to me as I did a quick check over our rooms. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, I relaxed when Aris came bounding around the corner excitedly.
Of course he completely bolted past me and straight into Ino's arms as she lifted him from the floor with a smile.
Rolling my eyes, I paused when I heard a stern voice from the living room. I recognized it immediately and watched as a nervous look crossed Ino's face as well. She quickly placed Aris onto the floor and smoothed out her clothes before heading in. I followed behind her quietly, both of us halting as Lord Inoichi sat upon the sofa, swirling around a brown liquid in a small glass.
He smiled slowly, rising to his feet as he closed the distance between himself and Ino.
He pressed his lips against her forehead, brushing her hair behind her ear as he asked, "There you are, I was wondering when you'd get back. How's my little girl?"
"I'm well Daddy. I'm sorry to keep you waiting," she apologized tightly.
"Where were you?"
Ino gave me a pleading look and I understood immediately. Surely we couldn't mention that we were just out checking around stores and whatnot. Her education was his only concern and he wouldn't tolerate hearing that she was doing anything other than that. Clearing my throat, I bowed my head and mumbled, "The Young Lord Sasuke Uchiha wished to meet with her to discuss business proposals, My Lord. I accompanied her and she requested time to think over their meeting. I brought her straight home afterwards."
I could feel his eyes burning through me as I rose once more. Facing Ino, he asked if my words were in fact true.
"Yes Sir," she nodded, "I'm still thinking on some things and I'll write out a report and have them sent to you for your advice." Taking a swig of his drink, he smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "That's my girl. The boy would definitely be a good asset to the company. I'll look forward to that report," he finished, "Sadly, I cannot stay. I've got a flight in the morning so I'll need to make my way back to the estate."
They bid their farewells but before he left, Lord Inoichi stopped me.
Leaning into my ear, he mumbled, "I heard you did well in protecting Ino the other day during your assessment. A bonus has been added to your pay and if you keep up the work, there's more where that came from. However, I have another request for you."
"Sir?"
"Under any circumstances, you are to make sure that the proposals between the Yamanaka and Uchiha corporations are a success. Understood?" He asked.
Throat dry as I forced my argument, I said, "My Lord, I have reason to believe that Lord Sasuke's interest in your daughter extends far past that of business. Perhaps it would be in her best interest if we kept their conversations strictly related to business so that she may focus on her studies."
He stared me down for a long time.
Licking his lips, he chuckled and in a voice that made me sick, whispered, "I'll repeat myself only once, Sakura. Under any circumstances, you are to ensure the proposals go through. Either get it done, or I'll find someone who can. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Sir." I bit through clenched teeth.
Nodding, he pulled away and left us alone. It took me only a few seconds to snap back but Ino remained glued to her spot. I'm sure she had caught our conversation and with a sigh, I ushered her to her room. She crawled in bed, curling on her side as I sat at the end of her bed. I could tell she was thinking and while I wanted to help, I didn't think there was much I could say at this point.
Sigh parting my lips, I pulled out my phone and texted the only other person I could count on to help.
"We'll crash here again tonight, if that's alright with you?"
"Yeah. Thanks for getting here so fast. Hopefully I didn't bother you," I mumbled, holding the door open for Ayame and a tired looking Rin. Other than myself, Ayame was the only person I trusted with Ino. This seemed like something the two of them could talk about and hopefully she could make her feel a little better than I could.
Rolling her eyes, she gave me playful nudge, "Ino's practically a sister to me. It's no trouble at all when it comes to her. Plus, it's the least I can do when you deal with her more regularly than I do."
I nodded, allowing her to move past me into Ino's room, shutting the door behind her carefully.
Rin didn't speak to me, moving to the living room as she stretched out on the couch. With nothing better to do, I followed behind her, hands shoved in my pockets as I stared her down. "What's with you," I mumbled, frown on my lips when she didn't answer.
"Rin…"
"I'm not in the mood Haruno," she mumbled tiredly.
Ever since she'd picked me up from Paige's place the other day, she'd been giving me a hard time. I wasn't sure exactly but with the circumstances surrounding it, I felt like it had a lot to do with Paige herself. I should've bit my tongue and ignored her but she was the first person I spoke with when I got here and I didn't want to get on her bad side just yet.
Shifting on my heels, I asked, "What do you have against Paige?"
Her eyelids peeled back slowly but the look she shot me was intense, "What are you talking about?"
I wasn't in the mood for playing games and this attitude was starting to rub me the wrong way. "Rin, you've been giving me the biggest fuck off vibes since I came back from Paige's house. I don't know why but the only assumption I have is that you have something against her. Why?"
Sitting up slowly, she stood from the couch, fishing for something in her jacket pocket. I saw the pack of cigarettes, nose scrunching immediately as she brushed past me out to the patio.
Surely she didn't think that this was over?
I followed her steps, shutting the door behind us.
She took a drag, pulling it from her lips as a trail of smoke blew forth into the cool evening air. It was only early September or so but it was already starting to get chilly. I'm sure it had more to do with the fact that we were up north and things always seemed to get colder more quickly up here. Still, no amount of chilly air could compare to the damn near freezing shoulder I was getting from Rin. Whatever her deal was, we were going to figure out tonight and end it.
"Am I right or not?" I asked plainly.
"No. You're not," she replied with the same lack of enthusiasm.
"So enlighten me," I said, leaning beside her against the rail, "What did I do?"
She sighed, shaking her head as she avoided my gaze. Finishing up her little smoke break, she turned to leave but I refused to let her walk away from this. I pinned her back against the rail, eyes hard as I repeated again, "What did I do, Rin?"
"Let it go," she mumbled tiredly, trying to push me away but to no avail, "It's nothing important." Despite the situation, I found myself smirking as I joked, "I highly doubt that. Otherwise you wouldn't be giving me such a hard time. Just say it." She chewed her lip, looking away from me. I found myself taking her chin, carefully guiding her eyes back to me.
"Rin…"
"I...I just didn't want to be wrong about you. I didn't think you were the type to just hook up with girls like it was nothing. I...I don't know," she whispered softly and I dropped my hands slowly. Is that what this was about? I suddenly recalled her words from the other day, asking me what my intentions were with Paige.
I didn't know why but I felt the need to explain myself a bit to her.
With a sigh and a nervous rub at my neck, I told her, "I'm not some sort of sex crazed deviant Rin. I don't sleep around with anyone just for the sake of it. She's literally the second girl I've been with ever. I assure you that those weren't my intentions when you dropped me off. I honestly expected to call you sooner. She introduced me to her friends. I drank a little bit but I'm pretty much a lightweight and she started to get really close. Things just kind of happened. I doubt she'll get attached and even if she does, I'll be straightforward. Nothing can happen with me and her. I'm with Ino everyday of the week except Saturdays and then with training and such, it's a recipe for disaster."
She didn't say anything and that unsettled me.
I didn't want her to think I was some sort of player like many people seemed to be these days.
With this kind of job, hormones had to be kind of reigned in and even then, I didn't have a very high drive unless things just escalated to that point. However, what I was concerned about from all this was that she was so worried about me being that person. But why? I didn't get the vibe that she was into me. I figured we were just borderline developing friends. I didn't see a reason to bother with the sex lives of my friends and saw little reason for her to be concerned with mine.
Unless there was more to the story that she wasn't letting on.
Regardless, she simply mumbled an okay and walked back inside.
She made a move to lie down on the couch but I stopped her, "Just use my bed." She shook her head but I wasn't going to be putting up with this stubborn attitude all night. If I had to admit, I was pretty beat myself. Today wasn't exhausting in particular but I was suddenly feeling pretty drained. I pulled her back up, tugging her along and ignoring her complaints the entire time.
I shut my door behind us, nodding for her to help herself to any of my clothes so she could have something to sleep in.
Again, she went for the jacket I had hanging up that she had worn last time. However, unlike last time, I didn't look away as she changed. Yet, just like last time, she didn't seem to mind the attention.
I waited for her to climb in, sliding in beside her. We locked eyes the whole time and I couldn't say I was surprised when she reached up her hand to scratch at my neck. It was beginning to dawn on me that maybe, just maybe, the reason for the sudden harsh treatment was because she was perhaps just a little jealous.
And that was dangerous.
I didn't need my ego boosted any further.
Yet it was clear that I loved to torture myself. It took less than a second for me to pin her down, lips descending to her neck. Her soft gasps and scratches at my back were bliss and every whine and shaky intake of breath were driving me insane. It took everything in me not to keep going but neither of us were disappointed.
We understood that we didn't need to rush anything. We were just glad the air was clear. All that was left? To figure out where things between us were going to go from here. And if I were being completely honest?
I wasn't the least bit opposed to the route they were headed.
Let's end it there. Hopefully it was okay for not having posted in a while. We are building some relationships here which is always a good time. Remember to leave a review and let me know your thoughts or PM me any suggestions or anything. Or if you just want to strike up a convo, I'm friendly lol. Love you all and thank you so much for your continued support! See you soon in the next chapter! (I promise this time lolol xD)
