I didnt forget about you all. I have been writing this chapter for a while but trying to prepare for summer classes along with my vacation, I've had to write this in short increments. I'm actually posting this at work from our iPad lol. I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors and I'll tweak them later once I'm off. Hope you enjoy this chapter and may your Memorial Day weekend be filled with good vibes.

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


Chapter Nineteen

The creak of my door had been expected for a while now.

The sound didn't so much as force a blink from my eyes nor did it prompt me to look at the figure who had silently slipped in behind it. I already knew it was Rin. Her appearance had been anticipated after I had been abruptly kicked from today's training.

The last time Rin and I had been sparring partners, she had nearly taken me out in her bout of rage against me, not that it wasn't warranted. I had been on the receiving end of her brutal attacks and it definitely made for an intense training. This time, however, she had to deal with my unfocused state and half-assed punches that ultimately led to Kakashi dismissing me from training early.

Before I had slipped out, Rin had given me a look that I knew all too well.

So of course, like the obedient dog I was, I had left my door unlocked for her to find me after training. And of course, just like her predictable self, she had showed. I hadn't yet decided if I was glad she had showed or if I was annoyed at the fact that I was now trapped with the expectation that I voice my feelings.

Such a miserable dead end.

A dip in my bed came shortly after the sound of my door locking. Gentle fingers slipped over my bare shoulder and tugged lightly. "Look at me," she coaxed in that concerned voice of hers. Reluctantly, I did. I rolled over onto my back, my tired green eyes meeting her skeptical brown ones.

They were studying me closely, searching and waiting for the slightest hint of an answer. But I knew better. I had been trained for years on how to hide my emotions. Although it was meant primarily for protecting myself against enemies, my emotions didn't seem to recognize friend nor foe. So instead, I stared back, face blank and eyes uncaring as I waited to see what she would do.

I suppose I should have known better.

From the first day we had met, Rin had always been full of surprises. I had expected many things from her in retaliation. I expected her to ask me what was wrong. I foresaw her using what was already so predictable about me to gauge that Ino was somehow the source of my moodiness as of late. Hell, I even expected her to clown me about how her grandmother could throw punches harder than I did today.

But what I hadn't expected? A hug.

Our position made it awkward but she was insistent. Her left arm had managed to snake its way around my neck and her chin rested lightly on my shoulder. I didn't move initially, trying instead to process why she'd do such a thing. After a moment, I realized that there was no point in trying to figure her out without giving myself an unnecessary headache in the process. Instead, I followed her shifts and tugs, trying to get a feel for what she wanted me to do.

Eventually, I found myself with my head on her stomach as she gently raked her fingers through my hair. She didn't speak further and despite the constant buzzing of her phone, she neglected each hum to focus her attention on me. A privilege I did not deserve.

Before I knew it, the seconds seemed to drift into minutes and only lengthened from there. I was getting drowsy and I fought with the desire to rub at my burning eyes. Before I could allow sleep to claim me, I sighed, "What is the point of this, Rin? Just ask what you're gonna ask and go."

She didn't budge and not a single word parted her lips.

I sighed. She wasn't going to ask me. Instead, she'd make me admit to what was going through my head all on my own just so she didn't seem pushy or invasive. She was a clever one, I'd give her that.

"I've officially managed to fuck up more than I imagined was humanly possible. I broke things off with my girlfriend of several years and pretty much told Ino that she wasn't worth it either," came my poignant confession.

Again, no answer other than the light weaving of her fingers through the messy strands of my my hair. She had no intentions of speaking and while I had initially found it annoying, I was beginning to understand her logic. More often than not we listened to reply and not to understand. She was doing the latter.

Oddly enough, it would seem she didn't have to speak. In my head, I began to figure out each and every question that she would have for myself. "Reika...she took it as expected. There was the initial shock, then the demand for answers. After all that we've been through, she deserved the truth from me. For Ino's safety, I didn't give her a name but I told her I had been messing around. She screamed and she hit me, all of which I deserved."

I knew her next question, even though she never voiced it. Truth is, I had been struggling with looking for an answer myself. "It didn't bother me when I ended it though. I was calm and if anything, I felt almost relieved. I still love her and a part of me thinks that I always will but...I wasn't in love with her. I wanted to make her happy and I liked hanging with her but those feelings just weren't there like they used to be."

Finally, a contribution to the conversation. "And for Ino?"

My face twisted, sour with guilt and plenty of self-loathing.

"She," I began, stomach tossing just thinking about it, "She didn't say anything." A miserable laugh fought past my lips as I recalled how she had simply pulled away from me, avoiding my gaze with a silent nod and slipped away to her bedroom.

"She won't talk to me outside of the minimum amount of conversation required. It...hurts. I knew it would but I didn't expect it to hurt so much," I admitted as my voice trailed away along with my thoughts. In my heart, I wanted to fix it. To tell her that I didn't mean it and that it was just some juvenile mistake. In my mind, I questioned on every end, if it was even meant to patched up in the first place.

I believed everything happened for a reason and that, just maybe, all of this was meant to teach me a lesson.

Maybe all of this: the initial mistreatment, Ino's break in defense, our slow building friendship and mutual understanding that eventually turned into this deep intense desire for one another, only for it to come crashing down like this. Maybe it was all just to teach me a lesson. To make me realize that no matter how hard I tried, I was just meant to be alone.

It was easier that way. Sure, you didn't have anyone to depend on but at the same time, you spared yourself all the heartbreak, the backstabbing and the useless emotions that came with it.

"You're quiet," Rin said, effectively slicing through my train of thought, "What are you thinking?"

I sat up, rubbing my strained eyes as I met her relaxed gaze. I didn't speak on it, knowing that the resulting conversation wouldn't end well. But I had wondered. What would it have been like if I had just kept messing around with Rin? Would I have been in this same dilemma? Were my fading feelings for Reika only brought up because of my growing ones for Ino? Or did the girl not matter?

Perhaps I was just some sort of starved dog that liked to torture myself with women, dangling them in front of me only to kick them to curb the next minute. Paige had been a good example though I wasn't so brutal. Neither of us had planned on making anything out of it but the one-night stand routine wasn't as bad as it seemed. We were on the same page and neither of us left with bruised feelings.

Rin on the other hand. I think I could have seen myself with her. She was undeniably pretty with a keen mind and nurturing soul. She was feisty and gentle all in the same movement and had I not fucked up that night, I was almost certain that I'd be inciting some sort of quiet relationship with her that neither of us would have minded.

"Nothing," I finally answered, the lie unveiled perfectly though I couldn't bring myself to care.

She nodded, swinging her legs from my bed in one fluid sweep then rising to her feet in the next. In that same swift movement, she was at the door and I was staring after her with a light frown. "Where are you going?" I finally asked when I realized that she was only seconds from leaving.

"I'm going out. You should come too; you look like you need it," came her answer. My nervous shifts must have been more visible than I intended because she was soon walking back over to slip her hand into mine and pull me to my feet, "It's just me, don't worry. I'm not feeling too big on company myself but I suppose I can make an exception."

It didn't take any further persuasion for me to snatch up my keys and follow her down. I didn't know where exactly she was taking me and honestly, I didn't care.

I needed a moment to get away and she was providing me with just that. Who was I to argue? The buildings all passed by in swift streams of black with twinges of red and blue neon lights. The daylight had faded and the nightlife around the city was blossoming.

"Come on then."

Odd. I hadn't noticed that the car had stopped moving. I followed Rin down the sidewalk as people passed us by. Some couples held hands, laughing and lightly bumping one another. I couldn't stand to watch. Instead, my eyes followed Rin's back as she confidently strode into what appeared to be some sort of large arcade.

"Where are we?"

"Does it matter?"

I frowned, not amused by her reply though I knew her intentions were not to taunt me or to earn a laugh but rather it was genuine question. My silence was her answer. No, I suppose it wasn't important. From the inside, the place was definitely bigger than I had anticipated. There were two levels, the first being a large central bar with illuminated shelves and liquor that seemed to go on forever. There was an open area filled with tables and booths alike, clearly serving as some sort of restaurant. On the other side, there stood what looked like some sort of store with toys, candy and other various prizes. TVs covered most of the walls on the lower floor, ceasing until reaching the edges of two curved staircases.

Upstairs looked even better, or at least from what I could see here. A large arcade with illuminated screens, flashing buttons and everything from basketball to small theater rides. Sure I hadn't wanted much company and being surrounded by too many people made me anxious but with my eyes wandering every which way, I found myself caring less and less.

"You like it? I thought you would," came Rin's voice from beside me as she lightly gripped my arm and pulled me to the large desk in the middle of the floor.

I watched as her lips turned into a small smile as a boy, perhaps our age, grinned widely and flagged her down from behind the desk. "Rin! Hey! I was wondering when you'd come back," was the boys eager greeting. His hair was dark and eyes an interesting blue. I wondered when they'd met but chose to brush it aside when we were alone once more.

"Hey Eli. Long time no see. Work has kept me busy so I haven't gotten a chance to stop by like I want. Finally had enough free time so I brought along a friend this time. Eli, this Sakura; Sakura this is Eli," she introduced casually. I nodded in turn, forcing Rin to roll her eyes in amusement. "Not much of a talker? That's alright no biggie. So what can I get for you ladies?"

"I'll reload my car, go ahead and put $50 it and we'll need to get one for Sakura and you can just go ahead and load the same onto hers," she answered. I began to intervene, saying that I could pay for myself but a warning look had every single word dying down in my throat.

I'd definitely bring it up later.

"Big spender," Eli joked as he handed Rin our cards, "Say, how long you gonna be here? If you're not busy, we can grab drinks afterwards." My eyes immediately flickered over to Rin who was slightly flushed, her lips parting slightly as she tried to think of a polite way to turn him down.

With a sigh, I took hold of her hand and pulled her along, "Another time lover boy. She's busy tonight." I could hear her yell back an apology before squeezing my hand back and giving me a playful nudge. "Could you feel my distress?"

"I'm surprised no one else did," I mumbled, earning a laugh that warmed my chest. "Well, thanks. He's always trying to get me to hang out with him. He's way more persistent when it's just me," she admitted as we climbed our way up the stairs to the vast expanse of game covered flooring.

"You come here by yourself?" I asked, frown creeping at the newfound information.

She nodded, seemingly unfazed by my question, "Mhm. I came once with Shikamaru and Tenten but after that I just started going alone." Her eyes wandered about, falling on one game in particular. It was a large screen with a rectangular handle in the middle. The objective seemed to be to stack the blocks on top without it tipping over.

However, I was less interested in the game and more interested in the fact that she was coming here alone. "I would've gone if you asked me," I admitted, her eyes not once leaving the screen as she carefully moved the handle from left to right. A scoff. "Well, you weren't the most friendly when we first met. Then there was that moment where I hated your guts for like a solid week or so. And then, you were so hooked on Ino that as soon as training was over, you'd dip out to head back and hang out with her."

"Jealous?" I half teased.

She frowned, her brow furrowing as she turned to me. "No. I'm simply stating facts. I didn't ask because I knew that between the two of us, you would have lingered by Ino's side in your place all day as opposed to coming out with me. Me asking wouldn't have changed a thing."

I grew quiet.

She was right, there was no denying that. A part of me felt guilty just admitting it to myself. I mean, I had two days off during the week and I would still rather have hung out with Ino. The only times I actually stayed a whole weekend was if Ino was busy with her meetings and whatnot in which I'd use that time to hang out with Rei or simply sleep.

Rin had been great company, even from the beginning and it was solely my fault for ruining that. "I'm sorry," I whispered, earning a tired sigh from Rin as she stepped away from the game.

"I didn't bring you here to make you feel more like shit Sakura, I brought you along so you could enjoy yourself for one night," she said, eyes rolling amongst each game to find another that caught her attention. We came to one that I recognized all too well. Basketball.

Despite not having any official team, there were plenty of pick up games that the kids liked to join in during our free time. Only the rich kids had the time to practice and go pro but the rest of us just kind of used it for leisure. I was silent as I watched Rin scan her card, the lights on the screen flashing as a few basketballs released from their cage.

She began shooting, missing at least every other basket.

Despite myself, I smirked and a small chuckled rumbled my chest. She was worse than I expected, especially since a job like this required so much coordination and precision. She caught my laughter, shooting me a glare as time ran out. "Oh, find that funny?"

"You're awful," I admitted with a shrug.

A hand shoved my back, forcing me forward. No words needed to be exchanged as she stood there, annoyance blanketing her face. Always up for a challenge, I swiped my card, taking the first ball into my hands and sending it through effortlessly. A grumble of disbelief only deepened my smirk as I made basket after basket, my hands moving swiftly and before I knew it, I had beaten the high score.

People had clapped around me, whispering about how good I was but my eyes were locked onto Rin as she bit the inside of her cheek. "Come her," I beckoned with a wave of my hand.

"So you can embarrass me ag-"

"Just come here," I breathed, swiping my card again. Moving her in front of me, I stood right behind her and lightly gripped her hands. We grabbed a ball and brought it towards us. "Keep your eyes dead ahead, don't focus too much on where your hands are. Your goal is the net, not the ball."

I could feel her tense as my lips ghosted near her ear, earning an inward grin from me but I'd ignore it for now.

"Don't throw it, aim it. Shoot it and flick with your wrist. You get more control that way," I whispered. She nodded, and with my hands guiding hers, she made a perfect shot. Time was running out considering the amount of time I wasted just showing her how to shoot but neither of seemed to mind. She brought another towards her, eyes dead ahead. "Do you want my help?" I asked smoothly.

She shook her head and I dropped my hands from hers to rest on her waist. With a light squeeze, I ushered her to go on.

Another perfect shot.

Time had run out and even with just the two shots, I could tell she was happy with the progress. Slowly I pulled my hand away, trying to get a glimpse of her expression but instead she smoothly slipped past me, urging me to follow her downstairs.

We weren't old enough to drink but that didn't seem to stop us tonight. I couldn't deny the small twinge of rage that built within me as Rin slipped a sultry smile towards the bartender who had been eye-fucking her the moment she walked over. What made it worse? She made me sit at a random booth alone in the corner so I didn't throw off her game.

Every little bat of her eyeslashes and bite of her lip as she flirted away was rubbing me the wrong way. Not that I had a right to be bothered by it. After all, we were just friends.

Before I could mope about for too long, a grinning Rin made her way back over with two drinks in hand. Sliding one over to me, she smiled softly. Taking a sip of her dark and dangerous looking drink, she teased, "You've gotta get better at masking your emotions, Haruno. I figured you could use a free drink."

"Don't call me that," I hissed lowly, "And besides, we have more money than we need, a couple of drinks isn't going to break bank. Anyways, from the way that guy was staring you down, I doubt he heard a word you said. He would've given you whatever you wanted."

She hummed, her fingers circling the rim of her glass, "Not much different from you, huh?"

Was the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Something on your mind," I mumbled, not finding her comment the least bit amusing. She rolled her eyes, lips wrapping around her straw as she answered, "Settle down kid. Clearly you have no problem telling me no, I wasn't talking about you. Ino, on the other hand, has you wrapped around her finger. Even when she's not here, you can't stop thinking about her."

"I thought you said you brought me here to distract me."

"I did…"

"Okay. So lets…," I paused, massaging my head as I took a sip of my own drink, "Let's talk about something else. I'm tired of everyone analyzing me and trying to get into my head. Let's talk about someone else for a change. Let's talk about you."

"Me?" She frowned, seemingly genuinely surprised. "Why?"

"Why not? It'll be a breath of fresh air," I smirked, fishing my phone from my pocket. A sudden idea rushed through my mind as I pulled up a site on my phone. It was something Ino had suggested for us one night. We took turns answering random questions and it helped us learn more about each other. This time, it was just Rin.

I was tired of being under the microscope and wanted to talk about what was going on in someone's life other than my own.

"This," I said while gesturing to my phone, "Is a list of random questions. I'll pick a random number and you have to answer. If you don't answer, then you have to drink." The amused look on her face was unexpected. With a careful glance over her shoulder, she signaled to someone. That someone later turning out to be the bartender.

More drinks came our way soon after and before I could comment, Rin beat me to it. "I'll play, but only on one condition. At any point, I have the right to ask you to answer the same question. If I sense you're lying, or you don't answer, you have to drink." Smirk on my lips, I agreed to her terms. "One of us still has to drive home. We shouldn't drink too much."

With a deviant smile, she lifted her glass to her lips and slipped, "Then I advise you not to lose. First question."

"First question. What's your favorite part of today so far?"

Leaning back, she smiled as her fingers weaved through her hair. "Honestly? Right now is pretty fun. You're not a total dud to hang out with."

I scoff and roll my eyes, moving onto the next question. "What do you think people think of you?"

Finally, a different reaction. Her lips pulled but she didn't frown or scowl. Her eyes drifted away to watch the hustle and bustle of bodies around us. Shaking her head, she admitted, "Truthfully, I'm not sure. I'd say I'm decently liked. I don't think I've given anyone a reason to hate me. I don't really know. People lie all the time to your face so there's no telling what they really think of you, ya know?"

Interesting. I figured for sure that Rin was a person who was just near impossible to dislike. Even after my fuckup from before, though it was my fault, I didn't have any ill feelings towards her. Her perspective was a bit more pessimistic than I had expected but it was honest so I could respect that much.

"What are some of your favorite books?"

"I don't exactly read for fun," she chuckled, her fingers interlacing underneath her chin. I nodded.

Outside of the books we had to read back in the academy, it wasn't likely that I'd pick up a book just for the sake of reading. I had nothing against it and back when I did have a free moment, Lena would give me some of her books to read every now and again. Some less interesting than others but there were a few good ones.

Continuing, I asked, "Do you believe in the afterlife?"

Her shock came just as fluid as mine. It was a pretty deep question and her reaction only made me desire an answer that much more. "Well," she began, her hand rubbing at her neck, "No...I suppose I don't." That came as a surprise. Brow arched, I asked, "Why?"

"Is a why a part of the question?"

"No...but humor me anyway."

She brought a glass to her lips, and to my surprise, downed it all before pushing it to the edge of the table. I didn't think she would answer and wanting to stick to the rules, I didn't think to press her on it any further. However, she parted her lips and spilled her theory carefully as if speaking it too loud would bring forth some sort of wrath.

"I grew up in a pretty religious family. So for a while, I bought all of it. As I got older, I started to see less and less evidence of these ideals that my parents tried to force down my throat. What proof do we have that an afterlife exists? It sounds incredibly morbid, I know, but I don't believe in it. Once we die, that's just it. This isn't meant to be a slam at religion, it's just my view. An unpopular view but mine all the same," she finished, face void of anything other than pure honesty.

She asked me in turn as I knew she would.

Pondering over the question a bit longer, I sighed, "I'd like to think that it exists to some degree. I don't disagree with your logical thinking considering the lack of tangible evidence. I just...I don't know. Maybe because life was so shitty growing up that I'd like to think that there's gotta be some sort of silver lining at the end. Otherwise, what are we doing any of this for?"

"Never pegged you as the poetic type," Rin joked lightly, "But it's a valid point you make. I respect that. Moving on."

"Who's your best friend?"

"I don't have one," she admitted far too quickly for my liking. "Drink," I ordered cooly. She shook her head, drinking again, this time just half her glass. "I didn't lie to you but all this interrogating is making me parched. I don't have a best friend. There are some people who are close enough to claim the title but it's not one I'd use lightly."

"Who?"

"Does it matter?"

I frowned and she flashed me a playful wink before urging me to go on to the next question. I'm not sure if this was going the way I had intended. I was ending up with less answers and more questions. She was mysterious, though not intentionally. Maybe that's why I enjoyed her company. She wasn't as predictable as Naruto or Shikamaru. Tenten was close but she never seemed to linger in one place long enough for me to truly get to know her.

"What do you like least about yourself?"

She drank. Funny. I figured she would accept the question, tossing in some joke somewhere. Instead, she downed the other half of her drink, a light pink flush crossing her cheeks. It wasn't a blush. The alcohol was beginning to take its toll. Understandable considering I don't think either of us had eaten today. To make things fair, I took a drink as well.

Her eyes met mine and a weak smile pulled that reflected a silent gratitude. I wanted to press but I knew better. "Do you have any siblings?"

She nodded. "Four as a matter of fact. Three brothers. Two younger ones. Then I have an older brother and sister. You?"

"An only kid." I shrugged.

"Lucky you," she laughed softly.

My eyes looked down to the questions once more, picking a random number yet again and finding that question. It nearly brought a blush to my cheeks and Rin must've caught on. She urged me to ask and though hesitant, I pressed, "Have you ever fantasized about a friend?"

She was already making a move to down another drink but I lightly pried it from her fingers. Her eyes were narrowed but not in anger but instead, in a silent plead for relief. I should have skipped the question altogether but her shifty reaction was gearing me onward.

"Sakura…"

"Tell me."

"I'm going to need that drink first. I'm not nearly drunk enough," she quipped. Reluctantly, I handed her back her drink, watching as she downed it and rubbed at her face. It was redder now and not completely from the alcohol. She was embarrassed and it was exciting seeing her so flustered. She was usually so calm so for her to be bent out of shape over one little question was too much of a deal to pass up. Bringing my own glass that I had been babysitting to my lips, I took the initiative and guessed.

"I don't want to play anymore. I give up," she huffed, rising from her seat with a slight sway. Despite her protest, I had wrapped my arm around her and guided her to the car, choosing to drive us back. It was an interesting drive to say the least.

And that was truly, saying the least.


I did my best to keep my hands to myself that night. Afterall, I had already brushed her off once, she wouldn't willingly want to put herself through that torture again.

To say it was hard was an understatement.

The drive back had been quiet initially. She hadn't spoken to me and it had begun to rub me the wrong way. I had gripped her leg in an attempt to get her attention but the abrupt contact of my hand to her bare thigh must've triggered something. She shifted and a small noise gave way that was almost too low to hear in the first place.

I didn't move my hand the entire ride.

I had to make sure she made it back to her room safely, so of course I walked with her the rest of the way. She assured me she was fine but I was adamant about staying. We were both fighting it, I could tell. She was just as worn down as I was but I think we both knew that it wouldn't solve anything. No matter how bad I wanted to, sleeping with her wouldn't fix my problems.

The very second my head was clear, I would be moping about in my own thoughts yet again.

Needles to say, it took every ounce of control I had that night. She allowed me her bed though mine was just down the hall. We lie side by side, my arm curled at her waist as her back pressed against my chest. I didn't dare move until she was fast asleep and even then, I couldn't bring myself to do anything other than tug the sheets over us and bury my nose against her neck.

That following morning wasn't awkward in the least and we both managed to laugh about how we should've eaten beforehand.

We even made plans to grab breakfast before we headed back home. I had wanted to go alone but Naruto managed to get wind of our conversation and invited the others along too. It wasn't so bad what with the many jokes we had managed to throw at each other. We disbanded afterwards, each of us trailing off to head home.

I climbed the steps to our apartment, fishing my keys from my pocket and opening the door. Aris was there to eagerly greet, tail thumbing excitedly.

Tossing my stuff in my room, I looked across the hall, surprised to find Ino's door open. As if reading my mind, Aris trotted past me to the balcony. The door was slightly ajar but through the raised blinds, I could see Ino's figure lounging about in one of the chairs. I didn't think she'd want to speak to me, having been given the silent treatment for the past few days.

Still, my desperateness far outmatched my ego, forcing me to join her outside. I took the seat beside her, a small table separating us. In front of us was a rectangular table, covered in notes, books and a cup of coffee.

Ino didn't speak, though I didn't mind this time. Her eyes were sharp and focused as she furiously typed away on her laptop. She'd pause for only a second to ask me about training, only to resume her typing once more. Her tone, though not the friendliest, was far from rude. She was genuinely asking but whether it was her work or me that had her irritated, I couldn't be sure.

"It was alright. Same old same old," I answered, leaving out the part about how I had gotten kicked out from training, "How was your weekend?"

"Pretty much like this," she mumbled, taking a moment to run her fingers through her hair with a sigh, "This paper for biology is kicking my ass."

Paper? I didn't know there was one due?

"Relax, you still have time. It's our final paper but with the free time I had this weekend, I figured it wouldn't hurt to start," she answered dryly, a hand rubbing tiredly at her eyes. I frowned. As if the overwhelming scent of coffee hadn't been enough of an indicator, her tired red eyes gave away the obvious signs of exhaustion.

"You need to take it easy," I warned, reaching over to close her laptop.

"You don't need to worry about me," she sighed, collecting her papers and such as she rose to her feet. Placing her things neatly on the kitchen table, I followed her eyes and managed to stop her before she could reach the coffee maker. "Sakura…"

"Instead of drowning yourself in coffee, wouldn't it just be easier to go to sleep," I asked, brow arched as I continued to move side to side, effectively keeping her from her precious coffee. She shook her head, clearly annoyed but made no move to argue. Instead, she simply placed her empty mug in the sink and made a move to go to her room.

Despite her mood, I couldn't help but joke, "Not going to invite me?"

She paused. Her fingers twitched at her side before curling into a light fist. She would face me and in her eyes, I could see a clear warning to fuck off. And I wouldn't lie, it hurt more than it should. But along with that look, I saw frustration and anger. I saw exhaustion and regret. Her eyes no longer held that warmth I had knowingly begun to long for.

"Do what you want Sakura. I don't care."

In other words, fuck off. She didn't want me there and I couldn't say I blamed her. After all, I was the one who was at fault here. I had told her that I couldn't choose between either her or Rei but it was easily the biggest lie I had ever told. It was obvious from the beginning, wasn't it?

Of course I had chosen Ino a long time ago. I wasn't getting all bent out of shape wondering if Rei missed me or not. Not to say I didn't care but I had dealt with her silence and cold shoulder a lot longer than I had dealt with Ino's. I didn't consider it payback but in the moments leading up to my departure, she hadn't reached out to me once and began to purposely distance herself from me.

But Ino?

When I was younger, she had been my whole dream. All I wanted was to be chosen to fight for her. I'd dream about making her smile, hearing her laugh and as I got older, I began to want so much more. For a brief moment, I had a taste of that. I would hold her from night till noon. I'd watch her smile and laugh when I would complain about anything, just because she thought it was cute when I was annoyed. I'd kiss her, make love to her and wipe away her tears.

Now, I was being kept at arm's length and it was making me restless.

And I knew it was only a matter of time before she pushed me away altogether. The thought alone was crippling and it was that very thought that had me sulking after her and slinking off to her room.

She was already in bed, eyes closed as she lie on her back, arms folded neatly behind her head. I shooed Aris away, shutting Ino's door behind me. Kicking off my shoes, I crawled into bed beside her. She was still, giving no visible indication that I had even entered the room, but she knew I was there. "Ino," I started softly.

"I can't sleep if you're talking Sakura."

"You and I both know you don't plan on sleeping. Just talk to me instead," I suggested, hand reaching out to brush her hair from her face but she shrugged away. "We don't have anything to talk about," she curtly replied, eyelids finally peeling back to reveal the familiar blue eyes I'd started to fall in love with. God this was killing me.

"Ino please," I begged, wincing myself at how desperate I sounded.

Reluctantly, she faced me. Once again I saw that strained look in her eye. Trembling, I brought my hand to her chin. She didn't pull away but she made it clear that she wasn't in the mood to hear anything that I would say. Swallowing, I asked the only question that mattered to me right now.

"Do you hate me?"

She didn't answer but to my surprise, her hand nervously reached up to scratch at my scalp. She shook her head and a wave of relief flooded through me. Thank God. I think I could just manage to scrape by with her anger and frustration but I don't think I could live with myself if she hated me. "I missed you," I rushed out, relaxing beneath her skilled nails.

No answer.

She sighed, drawing back her hand slowly and rolling over.

Yeah, if I wasn't sure before, I was certain now that I had completely fucked up. A simple apology wouldn't be able to fix this one. Honestly, what was I supposed to do? I had been honest with her. Okay so maybe my initial agreement was premature and I should have waited until I was certain. Reflecting on Ayame and I's conversation, I began to mull over if this was the outcome she had expected.

If anything, it seemed that she was pushing me to continue pursuing things with Ino despite all of the potential negatives.

It was something I was sure I wanted too but I was no fool. I hadn't gotten to share any of this with Ino considering each of our interactions had been pretty much like this. But I needed her to listen. To understand why I chose the way I did. Something was telling me that it wouldn't be enough but it didn't hurt to try.

"Ino, can we talk. Please?" I asked, lightly tugging her until she sat on my waist.

I needed her to look me in the eyes while I said all of this. I needed her to understand where I was coming from. I propped myself with one arm, using my other hand to lightly pull on her neck. I watched as she nervously hesitated before allowing my lips to touch hers for a moment. It wasn't nearly as long as I would've liked but I would take what I could get from her. "I need you to listen to me, okay? Just hear me out," I asked, lying on my back as I gripped her hips to keep her steady. She didn't say anything but lightly nodded her head in a sort of agreement.

"You need to know that the decision I made, I didn't make it because I don't value what's going on between us." Her lips curled into a light sneer but I kept her still and focused her eyes on me. "I'm serious Ino. If I truly didn't care about you, I would've just left things as they were. Do you understand?"

"No, I don't. And I don't c-"

I cut her off.

"Listen. I'm a piece of shit so this is likely the only time I'll be able to say this to your face without dying of embarrassment...but...I love you Ino. I really fucking do." I took her genuine surprise, with the widening of her eyes as a sign for me to continue. "I know the other night...it wasn't the answer you wanted and if I'm being honest, it wasn't the answer I wanted either."

Her voice was shy and there was a slight tremble, "What did you want?"

"I wanted the one thing in the world that I knew I couldn't have. I wanted you...Ino." Her eyes shut and her fingers clutched the fabric of my shirt. "Don't lie to me," she breathed, grip getting tighter by the second, "I'm tired of people lying to me Sakura. Of all the people who I thought were capable of it, I didn't expect one of them to be you."

"I'm not lying to you. I just...I knew it wouldn't have been fair to either of us for me to pretend that it would all workout in the end. Whether either of us likes it or not, your father has already planned your marriage to Prince Asshole. There's no way I'm going to be able to stand by and watch the two of you together without losing my mind. That's pure torture," I sighed, moving my hands up to rub at my eyes.

This was more than I cared to admit to her but she deserved this much. It made sense to me but I could only imagine how it must've sounded to Ino.

"So why didn't you just say that Sakura? Why not just tell me that was the problem instead of trying to shut me out altogether?"

"What difference would it have made?"

"We're supposed to be in this together Sakura. You don't get to make all of these decisions about the two of us by yourself. It's not like I want to marry Sasuke. Besides, you'll be able to live with us if you want. As for Sasuke, if he takes over my father's company, he'll be just as busy meaning at the very least, he'll only be there at night," she assured me, fingers returning to their light caress against my scalp.

Brow arching, I pressed, "What are you getting at Ino?"

Her eyes rolled. Perhaps her words had been obvious and I just hadn't caught their intent. "What I'm getting at, Sakura, is that all of the fun doesn't have to end here. It won't be ideal, I know, but at least we'll still be able to be together. We don't have to let this divide us. I just need to know if that's what you truly want. And if not, then you can walk out of here and we'll just pretend none of this happened."

I suppose it could be worse. I'd have to share Ino but at least I knew now that their marriage would only be in title. I'd still have most of her to myself.

"Well?"

I sighed. "I suppose that's better than the cold shoulder I've been getting. At least I get to steal Sasuke Uchiha's soon to be wife to my bed every morning."

Her laugh was musical and genuine. I never thought I could miss a sound so much. She leaned down first and I met her halfway. It was passionate yet slow and each second seemed too short until she pulled away. "That's the spirit."

Unable to contain my grin, I brought my hand to her cheek and whispered, "I've missed you."

"I know." She teased with a wink, sliding off me and leaving me to wonder how it was ever possible for me not to be wrapped around her fingers.

Love sure is strange.


Hope this chapter is too your liking. I had something important that was going to happen but I think I'll do another chapter or two before I toss you all into any chaos. Sorry also if this chapter feels off. I'm kind of out of sync with it considering I only skimmed over it when I posted the last update but I need to read it through completely. I'll try to squeeze out another chapter if I can before I go on my trip. Kat loves you and see you soon!