Hello friends. Welcome. Good to see ya. Lol okay, I don't know where I was going with that but I do know that I have another chapter for you all! It's not nearly as length as the last one (What a whopper that thing was btw), but it's definitely a good length I think. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.
Chapter Fifteen
I should've known that trying to talk to Ino about this was going to be hands down the most difficult thing I've ever done.
The second we walked in our apartment, she was slamming her door in my face.
God, I couldn't catch a break for one damn second.
Just when things were starting to look good. Just when I was starting to think that there might some kind of plus to this whole situation, it was ruined just like that. Of all the people who had shown up that night, I wouldn't have expected that Rei would be amongst them. It was clear that we were both shocked to see each other so the hug was expected, but the kiss?
Hell, she hadn't even bothered to speak to me before I left and I didn't bother reaching out to her either.
It was just shit all around honestly but the more important matter at the moment was getting Ino to hear me out. Aris had woken up from a nap the second we walked in and had gone straight to Ino's room only to whine and scratch at her door before giving me a look.
I sighed, reaching for the door handle and wiggling it around futilely, "Ino, open the door."
No response.
"Ino, you need to hear me out. It's not what you think," I mumbled, pressing my back against the door as I slid to the floor. She scoffed and I could almost see the roll of her eyes and distasteful curl of her lips at my comment. "Yeah, like I haven't heard that one before. Fuck off Sakura," she hissed, still refusing to open the door.
I remained rooted to my spot, one knee propped up with the other leg tucked underneath it. My head rested against the door as my eyes slipped shut, ignoring Aris' constant scratching at her door.
I'd wait her out, all night if I had to.
She had every right to know after everything that went down between us tonight, anything that she wanted. I'd tell her the truth and I'd leave no details out if that's what she wanted because, let's face it, there's no way I'd be able to leave her alone after this. No way I could stand the cold shoulder back when we hated each other.
The rest of the world could hate me, I didn't give a damn, but Ino, she deserved at the very least, the truth.
But on the other hand, there was Rei.
Seeing her again, after all this time stirred up some feelings that were buried far beneath the surface. I had missed her. I had still...no...I did still love her. She was my first everything and at one point, before I had been sure I was going to leave home, I was sure that she was going to be the one I spent the rest of my life with. I would've done anything for her.
Just like I would for Ino.
But I couldn't have them both.
And to be honest, I didn't deserve either of them.
"Ino," I literally pleaded, unsure of what else to say, "Please. I'll tell you whatever you want to know." Aris' constant scratching at the door was starting to annoy me, finally having enough, I snapped for him to stop. Immediately, he sunk to the floor, head resting on his paws as he began whining. Footsteps sounded from the other side of the door and I was up in an instant.
She pulled the door open just a crack, allowing Aris to slip in but before she could shut the door the rest of the way, I forced myself in.
"Get out," she all but snarled at me, eyes colder than I'd ever seen them.
"No," I told her calmly, shutting the door behind me.
"That was an order…"
"After tonight Ino, I think it's safe to say that I've earned the right to call the shots from now on," I countered smugly, grinning inwardly at the faintest trace of a blush on her cheeks. She made a move to slip out the door but I wouldn't let her walk away from me until she heard what I had to say. I snatched her wrists, firmly pressing her against the wall with a frown.
I might have still had a little bit of alcohol working its way out of my system but it wasn't enough to make me any weaker. Slowly but surely, Ino came to realize this as her struggling came to a standstill.
Her chest heaved as she fought to regain her breath but the look of pure hatred never left her face and that, was something I wasn't equipped for right now.
"Ino," I whispered softly, "Hear me out. I wouldn't lie to you. If you don't believe me or don't care after I've said what I needed to, I'll take whatever treatment you give me. Okay?"
She continued to glare me down, teeth clenched as she contemplated my offer. Finally, she averted her gaze from mine before mumbling a simple, "Fine." Nodding, I slowly lowered my hands, not wanting to keep her caged here.
Instead, I moved to claim the edge of her bed, eyeing Aris momentarily as he rolled around his back for a second before shooting my eyes back to Ino.
"The girl...her name is Reika," I began, rubbing my neck nervously as I gauged her reaction, "We have history."
"What kind of history Sakura?" She growled low, still not moving from the door.
I sighed, looking at my hands as they hung between my lap before I answered. "She's my girlfriend." Her eyes narrowed a whole fraction more than before, if that was even possible. I could only imagine the thoughts running rampant in her mind as she labeled me all kinds of things. Some of which were probably warranted.
"You never mentioned a girlfriend, Sakura…"
"We never hooked up until tonight Ino. I didn't think it would ever be relevant," I mumbled softly. Surely, not once after I accepted the position, did I think I'd end up bedding Sector Iota's very own, Princess Ino Yamanaka. "We never broke up before I left, so I guess in technical terms, we're still a couple. To be honest, we hadn't spoken for nearly a month after we found out I'd gotten the job."
"Why?" She asked, arms pulling to fold over her chest.
I shook my head, a small break keeping me from saying anything before I answered. "I don't know. My only guess is that neither of us were willing to talk about the inevitable. We weren't sure if I would survive long enough to come back home, or if I would even be allowed back. She would avoid me and after a while, I guess I just stopped seeking her out. So I left and that was it. Maybe we both just assumed it was over and didn't feel the need to say it out loud."
Finally, Ino pushed off the door, moving to her bathroom to stand in front of the mirror. I watched her fingers slowly trace over the bruises on her neck before she finally whispered back to me, "But you kissed her...maybe it was never over to begin with."
"She kissed me Ino," I told her, rising to follow her to the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe as she inspected her skin.
"And you didn't stop her," she corrected, looking at me for only a second or two before returning to her reflection.
"I was in shock. I hadn't expected her to be there. She never even mentioned that she'd be going to school here. I knocked her over and helped her up but I didn't know it was her initially. We both just kind of stood there, shook then she hugged me. I hugged her back and then she kissed me," I concluded, watching as she lowered her hands to grip the sink.
I didn't know what else to say but that was the truth. I hadn't anticipated any of that happening and it was worse that it had to go down in front of Ino.
She sighed, eyes fluttering here and again until she finally faced me. Her lips were pulled then into a tight frown as she asked, "Why did you give her your number?" I bit the inside of my cheek to keep me from doing anything that might make me seem unbelievable. "Did you do it because you plan on fucking her on the weekends when you're done with the other two?"
"No," I bit out tightly, "I'm not like that."
"You're exactly like that, don't give me that bull. That night I called, you were with that girl from class and then you were with Rin before you went looking for me. It's not hard to see why, I've bet you made a lot of girls scream in your lifetime," she remarked, matching my stance as she leaned against the wall opposite of me.
Dropping my hands into my pockets, I contained the urge to tell her off as I answered, "Not nearly as many as you think. Just three and quite frankly, after tonight, one of them is no longer a factor."
"Oh? I'd hate to be her. Or perhaps I am her and I was just naive enough to think I was special for a moment."
"It's not you. You are special Ino." I said, slowly stepping towards her but she held up a finger, pressing it into my chest to keep me away. "Mmm," she hummed softly, "But I'm not, am I? How do I know? Because if I were truly special, after tonight, there wouldn't be another girl to worry about. You'd end whatever that was now and make it clear that I don't have any competition."
"Ino," I groaned in frustration, "We fucked because we were both drunk and I clearly had no self control or consideration for my life considering I'm dead if this gets out. A simple moment of weakness on my part doesn't define any new relationship between us. At the end of the day, I'm just property. We could fuck around for the rest of our years while I'm in your service but it'll never progress past that."
"So it was just a quick fuck? A trophy to boast about to your little friends, hmm? About how I practically threw myself at you like some shameless sl-"
"Don't you fucking say it," I snapped, capturing her wrists once more and pinning them over her head. I had surprised us both it would seem. Ino's eyes nervously looked between her trapped wrists and my own apologetic gaze. I was trembling, teeth grinding together as I whispered again, "Don't...you're not like that. That's not what I thought."
"Sakura…"
"It meant more to me than you think Ino," I sighed, eyes examining the bruises along her neck. I carefully dropped my hands and released her, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." She watched me for a moment before looking away. "Some pain I mind less than others," she whispered, rubbing her neck and immediately, I found the skin on my back tingling. Subconsciously, my hand slipped to my shoulder before Ino tugged it away. Her fingers worked at unzipping my jacket before helping me out of my shirt.
I allowed her to turn me around, my back facing the mirror as she lightly traced over each developing scar.
"They're so red," she whispered, her nails gently scratching at the still sore skin earning a small hiss from me. She drew her hand back abruptly, mumbling an apology to which I declined. "I don't mind them. It's something I won't forget," I voiced while slowly pulling her towards me. She stood still in my arms, the two of us only capable of staring at each other in complete silence until she broke away first.
Creeping over to her door, she held it open, refusing to look me in the eye.
I understood immediately.
Picking up my shirt and jacket from the floor, I made my way over and gave her yet another failed apology. "If you need me tonight, just let me know," I offered, finally stepping out into the hall. Slowly, she reached up to place a soft kiss to my cheek before pulling away. With a shake of her head and a small smile on her lips, she whispered, "I won't. Good night, Sakura."
The door shut softly, the twist of her lock sounding a second later.
And it hurt, it hurt to know that once again, she was going to shut me out. That any progress I had made was tossed to the side, almost as if tonight had never happened.
Slipping back to my room, too lazy to drag myself into the shower, I collapsed onto my bed, ignoring the text that rolled in moments later from Rei as I drifted off for the night.
As expected, Ino and I hadn't been on good terms since the party.
We hardly talked, even in passing, unless she had orders for me. The vibe between us wasn't hostile but there was a strong lack of communication and the silence was ebbing away at my sanity bit by bit. Ino on the other hand, didn't seem the least bit bothered. Either that, or she was just doing a very good job at hiding it.
She began to immerse herself in her school work and when the time arose to hang out with the others, she wasted no time in cozying up to Kiba.
Initially, I thought she was trying to get a rise out of me but when they were together, she wouldn't even look my way. She looked genuinely happy with him and if rumors were correct, they were official now. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't thoroughly piss me off. But I was just the guard again. I didn't hold any significance in her life other than that of a guard dog and even me helping her sleep at night had come to a grand halt when she'd either have Ayame or Kiba over to help instead.
It was starting to get to me but I couldn't let her see how miserable all of it was making me.
Slowly, I began reaching out to Rei. We could only really hang out on the weekends which neither of us minded much. Bit by bit, I was beginning to feel less and less numb. Rei's presence helped me to remember all the moments I had missed since I left.
Eventually, I began thinking about Ino less and spent my time keeping up with Rei who proved to be just as entertaining as I remembered.
It was Saturday and we were through the early part of October. I had promised Rei we could spend the day together and the first stop on our list for the day was for breakfast. She'd make jokes here and there, blushing like some little girl when I mentioned how much I had missed her. Even now, her smile was wide as she held her fork out in front of my face.
"Pumpkin spice pancake? I'll pass," I snorted, tugging my face away with a smirk at her little huff of annoyance.
"Just a bite, I promise it's good," she whined, fluttering her lashes playfully. I shook my head, turning my head when she got too close, "I hate pumpkin Rei. It's such an awful taste." She rolled her eyes, a laugh passing her lips, "You hate everything Sak."
Finally, she bit her lip and gave me a soft whine, "Please...for me?"
I frowned, hating how she played dirty. Eyeing it warily, I sighed and leaned forward, allowing her to feed me like some helpless child. I wanted to gag almost immediately, the overall taste being far too overwhelming for my senses.
"Good?"
"It's awful," I sighed, resisted the urge to spit it out, "And you're a brat for making me eat the damn thing." Her response was yet another laugh as she reached over and took hold of my chin before placing a chaste kiss upon my lips, "Better?"
I turned away, mumbling a simple yes under my breath, hating how she had me figured out so easily. Years together did that to you I suppose. But I did love how easy and natural things remained between us. It was almost as if we hadn't been away from each other for months. We talked like normal and though me admitting my little mess up with Paige and Rin, she didn't seem to mind.
Her reasoning being that we never officially called things off and at least on my part, didn't think I'd see her again.
She blamed herself for not reaching out but after much persuading that we both fucked up and a special night of her own, she was content once more. I waited for her to finish her food before I paid and we slipped out the restaurant into the cool fall morning air. A simple shiver from Rei was enough for me to shrug off my jacket and throw it around her, allowing her to slip it on before I took her hand.
"I can't tell if you just genuinely keep forgetting to wear a jacket or if you're trying to make me sick," I sighed, small smile pulling as she eagerly tugged my arm to wrap around her shoulder. "Maybe a little bit of both," she giggled, locking our fingers together, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you if you get sick." I rolled my eyes at her comment, seeing as though she would be the primary cause of me getting sick in the first place.
As we walked down the small strip of old stores, I asked, "Why did you come here? You never told me."
I dropped my eyes to hers, gauging her reaction. She gave me a smile before casting her eyes forward, "It'll sound pretty pathetic." I shook my head , encouraging her to tell me anyway. Her smile faded, a miserable frown taking its place as she sighed, "Even though it was my fault we didn't speak, the moment I heard you were gone, it tore me apart. I wanted to see you off but I knew that would've made it worse. I fought with it for a while and my brother said it was a bad idea, but I couldn't help it. I...struck a deal with the council."
My blood ran cold and though I wanted to stop, her tugging on my arm kept me walking.
"Rei," I whispered, eyes wide, "Tell me you didn't. Please tell me you didn't…"
She hesitated for a moment, avoiding my furious gaze as she nodded, "I know, it was dumb but...I wanted to see you. I knew my chances were slim but I had to try. It took me a while to find you and then when I got word of Ino's party, I had a strong feeling I'd bump into you. I hadn't expected it in the literal sense though." Her small attempt at a joke didn't ease my anxiety any.
Voice low, I asked, "What deal did you make with them Rei?"
"I...asked if they would pay for me to go to school in exchange for a freedom contract. They agreed. By law, I'm bound to do whatever they ask until I finish school. They agreed to keep it minimal but if I want the opportunity to be covered completely, I had to sign over a lifetime contract to the sector. It's likely that I'll be working for Lord Inoichi and Lady Ino alongside you after I finish," she concluded, her fingers locking their grip around mine.
I was trembling and I knew she already felt bad about it but if I didn't feel like shit before, I definitely did now.
I had to sink my teeth into my lip to keep me from saying something hurtful but it was honestly the most idiotic thing I had ever heard of. She literally signed away her soul to the devils themselves, just to be here with me. I would never, under any circumstances, deserve her. Her brother no doubt probably gave her hell over it but she did it anyway.
Swallowing nervously, I came to a stop, glueing my feet to the sidewalk.
Worried, she strode back to me, taking my hands as she brought them to her face. I dragged her close, wasting no time in crushing our lips together, waiting until I was practically out of breath to pull away. I reached up my thumb to brush away the tears from the corners of her eyes, pulling her against my chest as I sighed. "God Rei...I don't deserve something like that."
"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think you did. You told me once that you were happiest with me, I thought this way, we could be happy together, all the time," she finished with a tearful smile. Damn this girl. From day one, I'd never been able to stand her tears. I pulled her in, rubbing her back and placing a gentle kiss to her head, "I'm sorry I keep putting you through all of this."
A soft giggle rumbled her chest as she squeezed me tighter, "I'm sure I've done my share of dragging you through hell too. Love makes you do crazy things, right?"
Love.
That word.
It wasn't one I threw around loosely. That's how people got their hearts broken. Investing so much into someone who in return, only loved the idea of you and not actually...you. There were few people in my life that I had genuinely loved. My late mother who had done nothing less than her very best to raise me despite her deteriorating health. Lina, who had taken me in and raised me like her own. The woman who had suffered for my sake when I fucked up with Ino the first time.
And Rei…
I loved her in every sense of the word. It was because she knew the real me. She knew my secrets, my fears and troubles. She knew what excited me, what brought a smile to my lips and she always did her best to make it happen. And as if I needed another reason, she'd signed away her life just to be here with me.
If that wasn't love, then I didn't know what love was.
"Yeah," I whispered, pressing another swift kiss to her temple before pulling away with a smile, "It sure does kiddo."
Her beaming smile was too much and I found my lips twitching to keep from matching hers. Eventually, we returned to our slow pace, my arm returning to rest on her shoulder, fingers reaching until ours were locked together. "What's the plan for the rest of the day? It's still early." I asked as my car came into view.
I got the door for her, settling in on my side next. In the middle of me adjusting myself, she reached over and tugged my ear between her teeth.
I tensed up immediately, swallowing nervously as I looked in her eyes. She looked every bit of devious and seductive as I remembered, none of which were a good thing right now. "My place or yours?" She hummed, nails scratching at my neck slowly. Despite myself, a strangled whine slipped past my lips as I shook my head, "We can't go back to my place. It's against regulations. Ino won't be there but-"
"Perfect," she teased, grabbing my hand and moving it to rest on her thigh, "I owe you for breakfast after all."
I debated my options, teeth grinding as I fought with myself. We'd hit our apartment sooner than we'd reach hers and if I was right, Ino should be out at a conference. When neither of us were there, no guards would be stationed there. It was almost too easy to get away with.
Any further hesitation was wiped away with Rei's pleading whimpers in my ear and in no time, I was tugging her up to my room and pinning her to my bed.
After the past few shitty weeks I'd had, it was about time I caught a break and I'd be damned if I didn't take it.
"Fuck...Sakura!"
Her screams were the fuel to my fire as I drove my fingers in and out of her. Everything from her sweat drenched skin, her hair spread messily over my pillows and her pleas for me not to stop was something I wanted to permanently etch into my mind.
I kept her pinned with each arch of her back, a smirk crossing my lips when she begged for me to sink my fingers deeper.
I whispered all kinds of sinful things in her ear, loving how she dragged me closer. Telling me how much she loved having my fingers inside of her, telling me how wet she was for me like I couldn't feel it for myself. I ran my lips down her throat, tasting her skin and leaving my marks wherever I chose.
Suddenly, vivid images of the night of Ino's party flashed through my head.
She told me I was in control that night. Yet, I could distinctly remember her telling me not to bite too rough and grip too hard. I remember her telling me that she didn't mind the bruises but the truth was, she only liked them when they were small enough to hide.
It made me sick.
I didn't want to hide, them. I wanted them big enough so everyone else knew to fuck off. With Ino, that was a luxury I didn't have.
But Reika?
She loved it all the same. Big or small, she'd take it in stride and show it off like some sort of trophy. I genuinely wouldn't try to hurt her on purpose but that girl struck something animalistic inside of me. She provoked it, wanting nothing more than to get a reaction out of me so she could feel my teeth sinking into her skin.
Even now, as she whimpered how close she was, she guided my head to her neck, keeping me there and allowing a string of curses to slip through her lips as I broke the skin. I could feel her tighten around me, pulling my aggressive teeth away from her neck to whisper in her ear. We were nearing the inevitable and I loved watched her unravel because of me.
"Baby...I'm gonna cum," she whimpered, practically on the verge of tears.
One curl of my fingers did the job as she writhed beneath me, screams fading as I pressed my lips to hers. Her body's fevered movements eventually died down as she came to, her arms weakly snaking around my neck as she caught her breath.
A grin slipped onto my lips at the tired smile she gave me. She was worn out and so was I. Collapsing onto the bed beside her, I allowed her to get up first. Unfortunately, I didn't know when Ino would be back and we couldn't afford to lay around like usual. While she showered, I grabbed my phone, scrolling through to see if there was anything worth looking into.
To my surprise, I had a text from Ino.
{:} Hey, are you free tonight? I wanna talk to you.
I blinked slow, unsure if I had truly read what I thought I did. Sure as day, Ino had asked if I was free to talk tonight. We had hardly spoken as is and out of nowhere, she wanted to talk. Lips pulling into a frown, I shook my head and sent my reply.
Nah, not tonight Ino.
Rei slipped out of the bathroom a moment later. She informed me that she was taking my clothes, not that I minded any. It took some strength to tear my eyes away from her bare body to return to Ino and I's conversation. A few seconds later, she replied again.
{:} I'm sorry, how silly of me. That was an order. Be at our place by 5:30.
Drawing in a sharp breath, I mumbled a curse and tossed my phone to the side. It was already half past three now. We wouldn't have time to do much else and Rei had a huge test on Monday so she'd need her study time tomorrow.
Begrudgingly, I waited for her to get ready before snatching my keys and guiding her back to my car. The drive to her place was just under thirty minutes and it was clear that neither of us were ready to leave yet. I walked her to her door, assuring her that I'd see her next weekend and make up for the early end to our day. Although a bit annoyed, she was understanding and offered me simple smile as she pulled away from our hug, reminding me to text her throughout the week to make time pass by faster.
As if I'd forget.
I took the long way back home, scowling when I noticed the guards stationed in front of our door. It would seem she was back which, unfortunately for me, meant we'd have to sit and talk sooner than I'd like.
I crept through the door, hoping that Ino would be in her room so I could have a few minutes to myself but instead, she sat at the dining room table, a small mug in her hands as she narrowed her eyes at something I couldn't see.
The second the door shut, her eyes were on me.
There was no expression on her face as she waited for me to draw closer before asking me to sit. I did so, sitting beside her, folding my arms and leaning forward to rest my head atop them. "How was the conference?" I asked through a long yawn. Her eyes returned to whatever papers she'd been looking at before I had arrived, spreading them further out onto the table.
"Fine. Lengthier than I would've liked," she responded, taking a sip of what smelled like hot chocolate from her mug, "How was your date with your girlfriend?"
Pause.
Nervously, I looked up to meet her gaze to see if I had heard her correctly. No way...she couldn't have known. Could she?
She didn't look at me, not once, instead taking her pen as she made notes on each of the sheets. With her lack of emotion or response, it would almost seem that she had never spoken in the first place. "Well?" She repeated, continuing to scribble down something I couldn't be bothered to read. I was still attempting to reboot my heart after the first time she asked.
"It...uh...it was nice," I dumbly responded.
Finally, she looked at me. A sigh parted her lips as she sat down her pen and leaned forward. "You probably didn't know this so I suppose I'll do you a favor. This place is bugged from the outside and portions of the inside. It can't hear audio but the visuals are pretty spectacular. Simply put, it was completely obvious that you brought your girlfriend here. The part you are aware of, however, is that such actions are punishable by death for the both of you."
"Ino...I-"
"I don't need to hear it. As you know, my father isn't a merciful man more than once. I asked the guards to wipe the footage of you bringing her here and edit over it. I hear that girl went through great lengths to be here, I suggest you remind her next time that if she plans on continuing to see you, she doesn't suggest such stupid ideas. You wouldn't be stupid enough to bring any other girl here, don't let her cost you both of your lives, understand?" She finished, rising to her feet and gathering her things.
I could only sit there quietly and nod.
"Good," she said, "You've got enough strikes as is, for your sake, I recommend not striking out so soon. Have a good night, Sakura."
I waited for the door to her room to shut behind her before I dared to take a breath. I owed her for that, we both knew it. I didn't know what her price was but I'd pay it regardless. She was right. I needed to have a better reign over myself. If I didn't get it together soon, Rei might be the next to suffer because of me.
Whoop. Well that's that. I felt like Sakura needed a little bit of loving this chapter. She took some major L's last chapter so of course things aren't perfect for her this chapter but that's okay. Some day, she'll have a happy ending. Just not today lolol. I know it's early but is anyone else super hype for Halloween? I won't be doing anything but being in college watching everyone dress up is super fun! Anyway, hope you enjoyed and as always, leave me a review. It sustains my dark habits of mischief. *insert dark and maniacal laughter* :3
