Oh hey there. Long time no see. A thousand apologies for no updates in forever. I won't leave a super long AN just cause you guys probably just want something to read. Sorry if it's not great, I'm kinda rusty but I'm attempting to come back. Here ya go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.


Chapter Eleven

"What are you doing out of bed, Ino?"

The abrupt pause of footsteps behind me confirmed that it was in fact Ino who had crept out from her room a short while ago. Had I not been on the verge of exhaustion, I probably would've laughed. No matter how amusing I found the situation to be, I knew that she had come out here for a reason. With a tired wave of my hand, I motioned for her to come over.

I had the lights dimmed around me as I sat in the living room alone, eyes burning as a result of the near hour long staring match I was having with these damned files.

Only Kakashi would come over at three in the morning to drop off a report. To make matters worse, it was ten pages long, front to back, and it had to be read before Ino and I left for class later. That left me with four hours to read it and possibly crawl back in bed. Who was I kidding? No way in hell was I going back to sleep.

Either way, the files could wait a little longer while I tended to Ino who had finally claimed the empty space beside me.

Drawing her knees to her chest, she turned to face me. She rubbed her already bloodshot eyes, whispering softly, "Why are you out here?" Blinking slowly, I leaned back against the couch, forcing my eyes to stay open lest I fall asleep and forget the files. "Working," I answered blankly, a yawn breaking past my lips without permission. "Couldn't sleep?" I asked with the most amount of curiosity I could muster at this point.

I instantly took note of the way she pulled her knees closer to her chest as she nodded. I had figured Ayame would've been able to keep her asleep well into the morning, so the fact that she was up and looked like she hadn't slept a wink was concerning. Reaching my hand over, I felt her forehead for any signs of warmth.

She was freezing. Understandable considering the air was practically on full blast. Well, at least she wasn't sick.

"What's wrong then?" I asked, rising to go fix myself some coffee.

It wasn't something I partook in often, having never really acquired a taste for it. However, it got the job done when I needed a quick boost to stay up. Leaning against the counter while I waited, I looked back out the the living room, watching Ino sit there, motionless. With a frown, I cleared my throat, noting the way she flinched and turned to peek at me over the couch.

Finally, after staring me down for what felt like forever, she mumbled just loud enough for me to hear, "I...I wanted you to sleep with me."

I bit the inside of my cheek, noticing the way her cheeks flushed immediately. I was far too tired to be hearing things like that. No matter how innocent those words were coming from her, It got me thinking about another time when they used to make me feel...vulnerable.


"If your brother finds out I've been been sneaking you out here every other night, he'll kill me."

A soft, bubbly laugh was the response I received, not improving my sour mood any. Taking my hand in hers, Reika pulled me down the length of the pier. Grin plastered on her lips, she shook her head, "You know my brother loves you. Why would he even consider something like that?"

With a careful glance around at the dark sky, dimly lit by stars, I couldn't help but scoff. Eyes taking a quick look behind me to make sure we were alone helped me to relax a bit. With a defeated sigh, I mumbled, "Because any overprotective sibling would kill someone for dragging their little sister out to a sketchy ass pier every other night, unsupervised might I add."

Coming to a complete stop at the end of the pier, Rei pulled my arms to wrap around her waist. "Who needs supervision when I've got all the protection I need right here?" The suggestive tone in her voice along with her guiding hands forced my lips to hers, smirking at her attempts to stroke my ego. "Maybe I'm the reason you need supervision in the first place," I joked, taking her chin, loving the mischievous light in them.

Tugging her chin away, she laughed breathlessly, "Sak, don't look at me like that."

Like what? Like you're the best damn thing in the world," I teased, ego rising even more at her blush.

"God," she breathed against my neck, "You're so reckless with your words." I couldn't help but laugh, curling my arm around her waist, allowing her to lean against me as I pressed my back against the rail. This had become a regular occurrence for us. Sneaking out to hang out at the pier per Rei's request. I had to admit, it was a pretty soothing place.

Still, it wasn't safe at night. Even though I'd been training at the academy and I know I could protect her, I wasn't going to go out looking for trouble.

But she was so damn hard to refuse.

The way when she bit her lip when she asked if we could go every other night. The way she'd whine and call me 'baby' when I said no. How exactly was I supposed to counter that? I mean, it wasn't all bad either. I liked the thrill of sneaking her out, getting her to myself. On top of that, I always wound up well compensated for my time at the end of the night.

Of course, tonight would be no different.

Or so I had thought.

"Sakura, I want to ask you something," she whispered into my chest, bunching the fabric of my jacket. Humming my approval for her to go on with her question, I rested my chin atop her head, watching the end of the pier carefully.

It's...more of a favor actually," she squeaked softly.

That came as a shock. She very rarely asked me for anything, not wanting to come off as selfish even though I told her I didn't mind. Me bringing her here was probably the most she'd ever asked of me in our years knowing each other. Curious, I rubbed at her back, encouraging her to go on.

She was silent for a bit but not too long. With a shaky breath, she pulled my away to catch my eyes. Biting her lip, she asked with a small blush, "I...I want you to sleep with me tonight. Not like, you know...just sleep." Despite her serious attitude, I couldn't help but chuckle, "I always sleep with you regardless Rei, how is tonight any different."

She scowled, looking off to the side. She looked deep in thought about something or another and of course I wasn't going to let her end the night upset with me.

"Hey now," I mumbled, taking her chin to guide her wavering gaze to mine, "What did you mean? Maybe I was just a little confused."

"It's nothing Sakura…"

"Reika," I warned carefully.

Relenting, she sighed and with a cold stare, she muttered, "I know you don't sleep through the night. You never do. You'll close your eyes long enough for me to fall asleep and then you'll get up and do God knows what and then sneak back. You're always tired these days and I'm getting worried."

I met her admission with silence, dropping my hand from her chin to slip into my pockets. One thing I knew better than to do was to lie to her. We didn't keep secrets about anything. This, however, I didn't see a reason to admit that I hadn't been sleeping. As long as she was resting and safe, I could care less about myself.

But I was foolish.

Of course she'd figure it out.

Pulling my hand to rub at my neck, I admitted, "You caught me. I didn't think it was a big deal so I didn't tell you. You were always the clever one though, I should've known that it was only a matter of time. Either way, I'm guessing you just want an explanation." Her careful nod was more than enough confirmation.

I turned to face the sea before us, the midnight blue waves rocking gently. "To be honest Rei," I began with a frown, "I honestly don't know why. I just...can't sleep these days. I try, I promise I do. Eventually, I just get up because I'm restless and I don't want to wake you with my constant fidgeting. I'll go out for a little walk or read or something and then I come back so I'm there when you wake up."

"Nightmares?" She inquired, taking my hand and guiding it to her cheek.

With a soft smile, I brushed my thumb along her skin, "Nah, nothing like that kiddo."

Rolling her eyes, I could make out the small smile working its way onto her lips at the name. "So what is it then? I worry about you too you know…" Pulling her against me, I leaned down to press our lips together. Her arms snaked around my neck, scratching my scalp gently. Pressing my forehead against hers, I sighed. Carefully choosing my words, I spoke, "Rei, I know you worry and I can't ask you not to. However, me losing sleep should be the least of your worries. I need you to trust me. Know that I'm alright. Still, for you, I'll do my best to sleep through the night. I'll force myself if I have to."

"I don't want you to do it for me Sak. I need you to do it for you," she huffed, raking her nails down to my neck.

God, she was adorable. Shaking my head, I pushed down the urge to laugh because I knew she was being serious. She always got so worked up over me, no matter how small. I guess that's why I fell for her in the first place. Bringing my lips to her forehead, I placed a brief kiss there before pulling her hands from my neck to lock with my own, guiding her back to my home.

"You got it kiddo. I'll try for me cause God knows there's no way I'll pass that exam if I'm running on fumes," I joked. The glistening in her eyes warmed my chest as she eagerly tugged me along. And oddly enough, for the first time, in a long time, I was able to close my eyes for at least half the night. Even then, one shift of movement from me had Rei coaxing me back to sleep with soft scratches at my back and gentle hums by my ear.

It was then, at that very moment, I had my first doubts about joining the academy. It was then that I realized that by winning, I'd lose my chance of ever getting a full nights sleep ever again. That this girl whom I'd come to love more than words could explain, would no longer be a part of my life.

And I couldn't deny, I was afraid.


"Sakura?"

Ino's voice broke me from brief recollection, returning my gaze to the now finished coffee. It's smell was overwhelming and made me feel alert just being near the stuff. Suddenly, Ino rose from the couch, fists rubbing at her eyes. "Sorry," she whispered, "I didn't know you were working. You must not plan on sleeping soon if you're making coffee. I'll see you in the morning."

But something felt wrong.

Just looking at Ino, I was suddenly overcome with an exhaustion I had never known before.

"Wait," I pleaded. She did. Turning to face me, she eyed me nervously. Eyeing the coffee, I shook my head and pushed off the counter. Reaching my hand, I patiently waited for Ino to take it as I pulled her with me to the couch. I lied down first, carefully pulling her between my legs to lie on top of me. She wasted no time in resting her head in the crook of my neck and bunching my shirt within her fingers.

I reached for the spare blanket draped over the back of the couch, tugging it over us effortlessly. "Comfy?" I asked, shifting under her just slightly. She shook her head and when I gave her a confused look, she reached for my hand and guided it under her shirt to rest on her back. Slowly, I began rubbing at her back, relaxing at her content sigh.

I felt her fingers at my waist, gently scratching as she asked, "What were you looking at before? In the files?"

Finding one spot on her lower back to rest my hand, I countered, "I thought you were tired?"

"I'm curious," she inquired, pulling away slowly as she moved to sit between my legs. Her eyes were intense, despite being red from exhaustion. Sitting up slowly, pulling myself to rest on my elbows, I motioned for her to pass me the folder. She did so eagerly, tugging a strand of her hair behind her ear as she waited for me to open it.

So much for sleeping soon it would seem.

Spreading the files out the best I could in my lap, I allowed her eyes to scan over the papers. She had a right to know since it did pertain to her but I didn't want her to worry about it, that was my job. Picking up one of the papers, I watched the frown creep onto her lips as she studied its contents before asking, "What is this?"

"A record," I responded simply. "There's a kid that, according to his file, might pose a potential risk. His name is Myron Coy, a twenty-one year old junior from Sector Upsilon. He's studying Electrical Engineering and has a solid 4.0 GPA." It was clear that she was a bit confused. Confirming what I already knew to be true, she asked, "So why is he relevant?"

Taking the opportunity to look back at the documents, I began recalling what I had learned before Ino first came in.

With a sigh, I stood, figuring I just might need that coffee after all. FIxing my cup, I took a sip, grateful that it was still hot for the most part. Making my way back over, I motioned for her to move over so we could read through the documents together. I suppose this was just as good a time as any. "From what I read so far, he's already been arrested once for breaking and entering into another student's' apartment."

"Seriously?"

"Mhm," I answered, flipping through the other pages. "According to his file, he's pretty notorious for stalking and harassing girls. Apparently he's incredibly awkward so his only option for talking to girls is to watch them from afar and creep on them."

I looked up from the files for just a moment, taking note of the way Ino's brows furrowed in confusion. Mind reeling with something I didn't know, she took his picture and scanned over it carefully. In a nervous voice, she asked, "So why did Kakashi feel the need to give you this? Why not any of the others?"

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair as I recalled the piece of information that contained the answer to her question. Carefully, I chose my words and answered, "Apparently the kid has this whole mindset of a purist world. Ideally, his type are the blonde haired, blue eyed, wealthy girls with their virginity still intact. It's an obsession that has the potential to turn bad if not dealt with properly." The grimace on her lips was expected.

It was definitely a serious situation and chances are, he already knew Ino was somewhere in the school. Perhaps he had another girl in his sights already. Perhaps he wouldn't even attempt anything, knowing how well she was guarded. Or maybe he had changed or wouldn't care enough about her. Regardless, I wasn't taking any chances. I had all the information I needed and I wasn't going to sit here and let Ino stress about anything unnecessary.

Taking the files and placing them back in the folder, I leaned back into the couch, mumbling for Ino to go back to bed.

Draping my right arm over my eyes, I sat in quiet, hoping that if I shut my eyes I could ignore the caffeine rushing through my system and squeeze in another few hours of sleep. However, I could only focus on Ino's shifting movements as she hovered over me, a cautious hand reaching to tug my own from in front of my face.

"I'm nervous..."

Unable to contain my sigh, exhaustedly, I reached my hand up to her face, taking her chin. Her cheeks burned intensely but she didn't pull away and neither did I. "Why?" I asked calmly, taking note of how roughly she bit her lip, looking like she was practically on the verge of tears. "What if that kid come looking for me? What if he tries something?"

"I wasn't expecting you to be so shaken up over it. Losing your nerve?" I joked dryly, relaxing when I noticed the annoyance replace the fear on her face.

"It's not funny," she huffed, "This is serious Sakura. What if he -"

"Ino," I warned in a low voice, "You're worrying about nothing." Dropping my hand from her face, I dropped back onto the couch with a sigh as I shut my eyes once more. "I was hired to protect you for a reason. I'll be damned if I let anyone who I haven't authorized get within fifty feet of you. The only time you're allowed out of my sight is when we're here or when I go away on weekends and even then, you're safe with other guards. I take my work and your life seriously, anyone who jeopardizes that can answer to me. Now, either go get back in bed or stay here but we're both gonna need some type of sleep before we head out."

She didn't answer but rather moved closer and brushed her lips against my cheek softly before moving to lie on top of me once more. I bit the inside of my cheek, remaining silent as I tugged the blanket back over us once more. Her hand moved my own under her shirt to rub at her back once more and with a contented sigh, she whispered a thank you against my chest.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep a wink.


So there is the eleventh chapter. Again, sorry for such a long hiatus. Things have been kinda hectic and school just started back up. I only have class two days a week so my hope is that I can use some of my days off to write for you guys. I know it doesn't seem like it but I really do like writing and posting for you guys. Here's hoping and thanks for sticking around! Kat loves and appreciates you all, be sure to read and review!