Long time no see friends! Hope you're all well and your new year is off to a great start! Here's another chapter to help make that possible!

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


Chapter Twenty-Three

"Is that everything?"

I hadn't expected Ino to be right behind me, let alone speak to me. I did well to mask my shock, shutting what used to be my room door for what I presumed to be the last time. My left arm hung limply in its sling and I awkwardly used my right hand to reach into the opposite pocket. Finding my key, I dropped it into her awaiting palm and nodded, "That's everything."

A single guard stood at the end of the hall near the front door, his brown eyes never once faltering from my every move.

I approached the door, partially to leave and partially to ask him what his problem was but Ino's soft voice beat me to it. "Could you give us a moment alone?"

Again his eyes never wavered from my own. Shaking his head, he argued, "With all due respect my lady, I have strict orders from your father to see to it that you are not to be alone with her." I frowned at his tone upon mentioning me but again, Ino intervened before I could voice my discontent.

She stepped between the guard and myself and with a simple sharpening of her tone, she ordered, "Get...out."

It wasn't directed at me but even I recoiled at the level of malice in her words. I'd never heard her sound so fierce, so cold. In that moment, she looked so much like her father and I was reminded that she was never just some girl to begin with. She was raised to give orders and exact her power and even though she'd come to grow softer with me over the past few months, she was still her father's daughter.

With a reluctant nod, he bowed, "As you wish, my lady," and turned to leave though not without fixing me with yet another condemning glare.

Ino locked the door behind him, holding onto the doorknob for almost a minute before remembering herself. She glanced at me solemnly over her shoulder, jutting her head softly towards the living room, "Wait for me there."

Confused, I agreed and trudged down the hall, sitting down slowly. I looked over the space we had shared together for the past few months with a heavy heart. Everything seemed to bring up memories that stung the more I thought about them. Even the very couch I sat upon brought up fresh thoughts of Ino and I lying here while she was sick. She'd been pestering me over and over for a kiss though I was hellbent on not getting sick.

In the end, I'd given in.

I always gave in for her.

Soft footsteps crept around the corner as Ino returned. This was the first I'd truly looked at her today and she looked awful. I knew well ahead that I wasn't going to be able to sleep last night and it seemed that I wasn't the only one. Her eyes were puffy and red though whether it was tears or a lack of sleep, I couldn't be certain.

Cutting through the small space between the couch I was on and the loveseat to my right, she handed me an envelope.

I flipped the paper over, noticing my name written neatly in none other than Ino's own handwriting. I scowled, watching her as she moved to sit on the single armchair across from me. "What is it?"

"Open it."

She said it so curtly that I began to grow uneasy at the thought of its contents. Still, I pushed these thoughts away, wrestling with my own curiosity as I tore lightly at the closed envelope. Time seemed to move slower and slower until finally, I managed to get it open.

Confusion embraced my features as I pulled two small strips of paper from the envelope first, examining them further, I began to feel uneasy. "Plane tickets...and they're one way. I don't understand, are you taking a trip or something."

She shook her head, her arms hugging her body lightly. She looked sick and her behavior was steadily becoming far more interesting than these tickets. I started to rise when she looked like she was on the r verge of throwing up but she gave me a look and forced me to sit.

"Read the letter."

I looked inside and sure enough, a neatly folded length of white paper was inside. Unfolding it carefully, I was met with more of Ino's neatly miniscule handwriting. My eyes began to trail over it but Ino interrupted me before I could get too far.

"Out loud."

She was standing now, moving to the balcony to stare out the window. Her cryptic behavior made me nervous and I was beginning to wish I'd taken the opportunity to leave when I had the chance. But whatever this was, she had a point to make and she wasn't going to let me leave until I figured it out.

With a sigh, I began.

"Sakura,

Let me start off by saying that you are incredibly hard to shop for. I've been trying to think of what to get you for Christmas and I'm honestly stuck. I didn't bother asking you because you'll either say that you don't want me to get you anything *rolls eyes* or you'll make some smooth comment about how I'm all you need. Now don't get me wrong, as flattering and true as that may be, I can't help but feel like you deserve more.

This is going to get extremely cheesy so I apologize in advance but honestly, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me…"

I paused, looking up from the note slowly to study her reaction. Her face was twisted and painful and in an even softer voice than before, she whispered, "Keep going. Don't stop until you've read it all."

Swallowing down my nerves, I kept going.

"Had I known I was going to fall for you the way I did, I would've been a lot nicer to you before. Perhaps us hating each other's guts was exactly what we needed in some sort of weird fucked up way. All I know is that I've never been as happy with anyone or anything since my mom died the way I have been with you.

You're quiet and even though you act like such a hardass, you're shy which is incredibly cute. Even though we've done so much already, you still try and hide when you look at me and think I don't notice. Our friends - and yes they're our friends - say that you're wrapped around my finger but I'm almost certain it's the other way around. You see, there isn't a single thing I'm not willing to give up for you, which is why I got you this.

You should've seen me pacing around my room like some sort of idiot trying to figure out if I was really going to do this or not. I would be giving up so much but after I bought them, it felt right. For once, I felt like I was making the right decision. You saw how upset I was after my father mentioned the engagement to Sasuke. You and I talked about it and you were willing to make it work for me. Even if you had to share, you were going to stick with me and just you being willing to do that was far more than I deserved.

So I did it. After pacing around and crying and pulling my fucking hair out, I did it. I bought these tickets for us. You. Me. We both deserve so much more than this, especially you. Maybe I'm being selfish by giving it all up but if it means I can be with you completely, I'd say it's worth it. My father can still have more kids, maybe a son that'll give him what he wants. As for his money, he can keep it. The titles, the business, all of it. He can keep it.

If you haven't figured it out yet, what I'm saying is...I...Ino Yamanaka am incredibly in love with you Sakura Haruno. To prove it, I'm willing to give up everything just so it can be you and me. We'll leave after Christmas and start over somewhere new where we don't have to hide from each other or anyone else anymore. And maybe...someday, you'll ask me to marry you. And...I'll think about it. ;) I'm done now but I just wanted to say thank you so much for all that you do. I love you so much and Merry Christmas.

Yours Forever,

Ino"

For a moment, I just sat there.

I didn't notice any of it. My trembling fingers, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. None of it was real until I looked at her. Hand covering her mouth, her eyes were shut tight but tears were racing down her cheek.

The tickets sat in my lap almost teasingly. Our names each printed on one. I looked between them, the tickets, the note, Ino and at last, what was left of my heart shattered into nothing.

I fucked up.

I had completely fucked up and ruined everything.

"Why?" Ino whispered finally through quivering lips and pouring tears. Seeing her like this hurt me in a way that was indescribable. I'd caused her to hurt before, but not like this. These weren't tears of anger of frustration, this was complete and in every sense of the word, utter heartbreak.

Ino was ready to give up everything to be with me and I had crushed all of that in one night.

"Why?" She asked again, "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," I quickly corrected, "You didn't do this. I fucked this up. I did, by myself."

"And was it worth it?"

I flinched and looked away. She strode over to me and I braced myself for the slap that I knew would follow but it never came. She ordered me to look at her and I did. It was torture to see her like this and even more so to know that I was the cause of it all.

"Was any of it worth it?"

"No."

"I tried you know," she began, a broken smile twisting her lips and tears continued to slide down the rounds of her cheeks, "I kept trying after anyone else would've given up. I kept making excuses for you every time you hurt me because I'm pathetic and can't stand the thought of not waking up to you every morning and seeing you every night before I close my eyes."

I looked away again and she snatched my chin.

"Do you understand that because of this, I can't see you again! Do you know how much that fucking hurts? Damn you Sakura!"

She tore away from me and collapsed to her knees. I was down beside her in an instant, softly calling her name.

I was stuck. No simple matter of apology could fix this. There was no way to fix this but I had to try something. I reached for her but she shoved my hand away again. Reaching again, I took hold of her shoulder before she shoved me in mine. It forced a dull pain through my injured arm but that pain paled in comparison to the scene before me.

"I can't be alone again...I just can't…"

Using my good arm, I forced her to me, absorbing hit after hit as she beat against my shoulders and sobbed into my neck. I'd deal with the brunt of all her blows just as long as I could hold her. As selfish as it was knowing I was the cause for her pain, I couldn't stomach seeing her cry any longer.

We sat for a while, her sobs continuing even after she'd given up punching me. She didn't return my embrace but allowed me to hold her which was more than I deserved. Wet patches stained my shirt but I didn't mind.

Bit by bit, her body was released from its tremors and she drew in a breath to catch herself. Without pulling away, she asked, "I want you to tell me the truth about that night. Don't lie to me, do you understand?"

"I understand."

I rubbed at her back slowly and she shifted but didn't pull away. Taking in a sigh, I did my best to recount just how I had managed to fuck up that night. "To explain it, I'll have to go back a little further. To the night of your party."

She nodded and I went on.

"By then, I was already taken with you. I didn't plan for anything to happen between us that night but by then...I already knew that I wanted you. I told you about the game were playing and how Rin sent you that text from my phone. Well...before I found you, she and I were messing around." She tensed under my touch but said nothing.

"Nothing ended up happening believe it or not because I couldn't stop thinking about you and I called her by your name. It shocked the hell out of the both of us but at the moment, I just knew I had to find you. It didn't matter what happened but I needed to see you. You know the rest about that night."

Ino pulled her head from my shoulder to look at me. My expression was hard but genuine. I wouldn't lie to her, that much was a given.

Carefully, I maneuvered my back against the sofa as I sat on the floor against it. Ino moved from my lap but kept close and sat beside me. Her head moved to rest on my shoulder again and I rested my head on hers before I continued.

"We met up at the party again. We just kind of flock to each other because she was the first person I connected with when you and I were at each other's throats. We would hang out on the weekends and I think after a while, it just turned into this sort of weird tension. All of this was while we were still at it but then you and I started getting close. I never actually expected anything to happen between you and me."

"But it did," Ino interrupted softly.

"Yeah...yeah it did."

I took hold of her hand, squeezing it lightly as my thumb swept over her knuckles. "After your party, she started to hate my guts which I deserved. Back then, it didn't matter because then you and I had been together and I knew I was going to be hooked. She kicked my ass at training and I apologized and we moved on. She knew how I felt about you and kept our secret."

"But?"

"But," I breathed in deeply, "When we met up at the party the other night. We kind of got into it. I had Aris chase away a guy who was talking to her earlier that night. She complained about how I kept interfering in her love life but how I was all head over heels for you."

"She was jealous. Did you give her a reason to be?"

I paused, shifting slightly under her question. "Don't lie to me Sakura."

"I...I hadn't tried to, honestly. She said I'd look at her one way and then treat her differently. I...I was attracted to her but I didn't love her. After you and I split up when Sasuke showed up, I was in a pissy mood but I didn't go looking for her for that reason. I just needed a distraction until you were ready. I ran into Ayame who gave me something for Rin which turned out to be some sort of edible. I found her and she shared with me and me being a lightweight, the combination of the two left me spacey. It just happened and right after I left and went to find you."

"And that's it. That's exactly what happened."

I nodded, "I swear."

With a sigh, she lifted her head from my shoulder and I immediately missed the extra weight. She was done and I couldn't say I blamed her any. She'd been through enough as it is and it seemed like I was only good at making matters worse for her.

I attempted to move from my position, wincing from the throbbing of my arm. Though I didn't deserve it, Ino was at my side, carefully pulling me to my feet.

"You should go. My father will be here soon and he'll expect you to be long gone by then. The locks are getting changed and I've got a new phone so you won't be able to contact me."

We were at the door now and an uncomfortable feeling settled in my stomach knowing that I wouldn't see her for a long time, if ever again. I couldn't just leave things like this. I couldn't leave without knowing.

"Ino," I caught her before she could open the door, "I know I fucked up. I get that and I accept full responsibility for everything. I know that I deserve all of this but I need to know. I have no right to ask this but I need you to tell me. Do you still love me, even after all of this?"

Shaking her head, she sucked her teeth and gave a bitter laugh. Tears threatened to spill all over again but she fought hard this time to fight it. Unlocking the door and twisting it open, she waited for me to step outside and left me feeling completely shattered when she whispered, "I don't know."


The sudden movement of my sliding door behind me didn't come as much of a surprise. I had been ignoring everyone for the past two weeks now and I figured that would be the end of it. Leave it to Ayame and her mischievously crafty ways to find a way in after everyone else had tried to no avail.

She had even texted me earlier to tell me that she was going to come by but I didn't think she'd actually be capable of getting in.

I should've known better.

Since I'd known her, she always had this inexplicable ability to acquire things that she wasn't supposed to have. I could chalk it up to her loft connections considering she was in fact royalty or rather, she just seduced her way to whatever she wanted, a talent she no doubt knew she possessed.

Nonetheless, she'd found her way in and I would now have to deal with whatever torturous conversation she was going to put me through.

To my surprise, she only moved closer and when I began to catch on, I helped her up to sit beside me on the ledge, our feet dangling lifelessly. She dug around in her pocket for a moment before pulling out a long cylindrical piece of rolled up paper. I watched curiously as she lit one end and pulled it to her lips, taking a slow drag of it before handing it to me. Taking it cautiously, I was soon to mimic her actions before she held out her hand and mumbled, "Hand 'em over."

Reluctantly, I fished the half empty pack of cigarettes out of my pocket and handed them too her. Opening the pack, she inspected it with a frown before chucking it clean over the balcony, it landing somewhere unknown to either of us.

I gave her a look which she completely disregarded with a frown, "She doesn't like smoking, you know that. I get you're in a shitty mood but if you're going to smoke, at least try that. It's all the same to her but at least this one won't kill you."

It was my turn to take a hit and almost immediately, I began coughing as the smoke sat in the back of my throat. Frustrated, I shoved the rolled paper back into her hands and she laughed before patting my back and easing me through my coughs.

"Easy, it's pretty strong."

"Now you tell me," I managed between my slowly subsiding coughs.

She pulled her fingers from my back and brought the paper to her lips once more. She took a longer pull this time around before handing it back to me. "I've already had half of one tonight. You can finish it off if you like it and I can bring you more."

Looking and the smoke trail wisping between my fingers, I thought back to her earlier comments and sighed before taking another pull, taking extra care this time. "You don't have to avoid using her name like I'm sort of time bomb. I'm not that low yet."

"Could've fooled me."

Frowning, I handed the blunt back to her, a familiar word I'd heard once before. "Why are you here?" I asked finally, rubbing my eyes as a hazy cloud settled behind them. She didn't answer right away, a violent flaring of her phone cutting her words before they could begin.

Amused, she typed back a quick reply on her phone before tucking it away in her pocket. "You and I are going out."

"No, we're not."

She hummed and spun around too quickly for my liking considering we were several hundred feet in the air. Gently landing on her feet, she retreated back into my room. When minutes passed and she didn't return, I took that as a subtle hint to follow.

Sitting on my bed was a large duffel bag filled with clothes. I was even more confused when my shower began to run. Twisting the knob, I frowned when I realized it was locked. What the hell was she doing?

Slumping into the small armchair in the corner, I busied myself with whatever mindless show was playing on tv until I finally heard the shower stop.

The door opened and clad in one of my towels was Ayame, looking completely refreshed. Unfortunately, I'd seen enough of her to be modest about it now. "You should go ahead and shower and get dressed," she quipped, completely dropping the towel. I was polite enough to look away though I knew she wouldn't mind either way.

"I already told you, I'm not-"

"You and I are going out. This isn't up for discussion," she ordered, "We both need a break and I have a strong desire to get blacked out drunk tonight."

"Don't you have friends for that?"

She feigned a gasp, "Are we not friends?"

Nervously, I turned around grateful to see she had put on some sort of clothing, even though it still left little to the imagination. "Sure," I rolled my eyes. I had fully intended to collapse back into my bed but she caught my wrist and shoved me into the bathroom before I could do so.

"I swear I'll take everything off and leave it off if you don't shower and get dressed," she pressed and after a minute of my pointless glaring, I relented when I realized I had lost.

I made quick work of my shower, my stomach twisting at the thought of going out and being social after two weeks of avoiding everyone. Hell, I hardly went to class considering there were only a few short weeks in the semester remaining anyway.

Coming out of the bathroom, I got dressed in clothes Ayame laid out for me because God forbid I wear something uncool. Fishing a bottle out of her bag and two small glasses, she handed me one with an eager smile. "Drink," she said.

Downing my shot, I reveled in the burning sensation that tickled my throat, watching Ayame as she tidied up her makeup and other frivolous things before snatching up my keys and tossing them to me.

"Do I have to go," I asked, that haze setting deeper behind my eyes, stirring in with the alcohol that was settling into my system.

"Yes, you do," she winked and took me by the hand and pulled me out of my room.

We made it down to my car, and I took off feeling particularly paranoid about my driving under the influence. I was surprisingly calm it would seem as Ayame made no comment on my driving, seeming to enjoy my slight speed as the wind tossed her hair about.

I had no idea where we were going but I suppose it didn't matter. In a sort of twisted way, I was glad to be out of my room. I forgot how good the cool wind felt when I drove and how the night lights seemed to make the city come alive. It was refreshing and though Ayame was definitely pushy most times, she was good company despite everything that happened.

My hand gripped the wheel tight as we slowed at a red light. Swallowing, I turned down the radio just a bit to catch her attention. Her eyes were buried in her phone and she seemed not to notice very much.

"Can I ask you a question?"

She hummed and smiled but otherwise kept her eyes glued to her phone. Annoyed, I reached over and locked the screen, earning me her full, yet confused attention. "What's wrong?"

I sighed, scowling and stepping on the gas when some loser behind me honked his horn. "Why?" I asked simply.

"You're going to need to add some more words to that if you expect an answer," she joked but continued to regard me curiously. Not that she didn't always find me curious, it seemed.

"Why," I began again, "Why are you doing all of this? Shouldn't you be pissed at me and hanging out with Ino?"

She laughed at me. It wasn't a scoff or a sneer or one of those half-assed laughs when you found something unfunny but laughed anyway. She laughed genuinely and looked at me with such genuine happiness instead of that amused or flirtatious look she was always giving me.

"You're kidding?"

I didn't answer.

Reaching over, she took my hand, an action that both bothered me yet assured me in one swift motion. "Sakura," she began softly, locking her fingers around mine tightly, "Believe it or not, we're friends. I don't tease you and hang out with you because you work for my best friend's family. I know that night was rocky and after Rin confided in me, I honestly feel like I played some fault in what happened. Ino is dealing with a lot and I've been there for her everyday since you moved out. I know you love her and that you wouldn't hurt her intentionally so because of that, I have to make sure you're good too."

"And your idea of that is dragging me out against my will?"

"Precisely."

My eyes rolled again but a warm smile was there too. From the beginning, Ayame had been kind to me and I honestly felt like she was the one to thank for Ino and I getting close in the first place. Before I knew it, a small chuckle rumbled my chest and her angelic laugh followed suit. "There ya go," she teased, nodding for me to turn into a nearby parking lot.

The place didn't really look familiar, nor did it stand out really. It was a darkly colored brick building with broken neon lines flashing.

"What is this place?"

"A drug den."

I scoffed at her joke and followed her to the building. To my surprise, a line wrapped around the sidewalk with people eagerly waiting to get in. Grimacing at the thought of having to wait, Ayame took hold of my hand and pulled me to the front of the line. Several frustrated patrons complained but she ignored them all, approaching the bouncer with an easy smile.

"Well well well, look who it is," the heavy muscled man returned with a burning smile, engulfing Ayame in a tight hug.

"It's good to see you too Brody. I'm hella late, I know but I had to force my date out of her hole," she joked, elbowing me playfully.

I nodded awkwardly at the man now known to be Brody who only laughed and lightly punched my shoulder. "No worries. Head on in, the crew is inside."

Kissing his cheek she pulled me along, "Thanks Brody, you're a doll." He waved us off as we pushed on ahead. There were two sets of steps, one leading up and the other leading down into a dark alley. Of course we took the sketchier looking of the two. We pushed through a door and immediately, loud music shook my ears.

It was dark and small until we veered around the corner only for my eyes to be met with such a remarkable scene.

A spacious dancefloor with illuminated grids of blue and purple covered the floor in front of a DJ booth. Several open rooms of the first level gave way to dining areas, smoking areas and the like. Up top, from what I could see was a grand arcade and at least a hundred tv's.

"Like what you see?" Ayame inquired of my shocked expression, "Welcome to The Underground. The largest club in Iota."

"I'll say," I remarked, still looking any and everywhere to gain a grasp of things.

"Come on, let's get you a drink," she quipped in excitement, pulling me along through dancing bodies and up a small incline to a bar hidden behind the DJ booth.

We both had two shots and the drinks alone seemed to ignite the buzz from before that had begun to fade. Even still, I saw the guy at the end of the bar flashing a coy smile Ayame's way to which she eagerly returned. Quickly ordering us two more shots, we downed them quickly before the boy could get to us.

"Now," she began, giving me a steady look, "We're going to split for just a bit and then we'll link up again. Go on and look around and see if there's something that catches your eye."

The mysterious boy slipped up behind Ayame, sliding his arms around her waist. "Mm, and I already found something that caught me eye," he slipped into her ear, catching the last of our conversation. I blanched at his pitiful pickup line, giving Ayame a nervous gaze which she only dismissed with a smile.

"Relax, I'll behave myself. Come find me in an hour," she slipped before following the boy's tugs out onto the dance floor.

While being alone in unfamiliar territory wasn't my idea of a great time, I figured what with how large the place was, it wouldn't be too hard to find something that would keep me occupied. Glancing at the dance floor immediately created a feeling of disconnect. Dancing wasn't my thing, not unless I was with Ino. Even then, I still sucked.

My mouth now bitter with the thought, I slipped my hands into my pockets and climbed the stairs to the arcade looking area. It reminded me of the one I went to with Rin though this one was significantly larger.

Speaking of Rin, where was she?

I thought to text her but decided against it, figuring I'd just ask Ayame later on. Buying a game pass, I walked around a bit looking for something to play. It seemed that the place was even larger than I thought. I stumbled upon a room with fog seeping out of a large entrance. Confused, I looked around to see what it was, reading the sign that said Lazer Tower.

"It's a laser tag arena," a voice answered from behind me.

Turning around, I was met with the smiling gaze and bright eyes of a girl. Her hair was long and darker than midnight with green eyes that rivaled my own. I moved off to the side upon seeing a developing line of people that I had unintentionally held up.

Turning back my attention to the fogging door, I frowned. This time the girl laughed and tapped my shoulder, "You still look confused. Me and my friends are gonna play. You should join."

"I've never played before," I answered with a hesitant tone.

Her arm lightly brushed mine as she passed me, "Come on. I'll show ya. You need at least six people per team and our other friend bailed so we could use an extra person." Reluctantly, I followed the girl inside. She was accompanied by two guys who were easily twin brothers and two other girls. They all gave me easygoing smiles that put me somewhat at ease.

We passed into the door into a dark room with a screen and racks of oddly shaped vests. I watched as everyone else put theirs on before fumbling with my own. "Here," the girl offered and helped me adjust it properly. Dangling from the side of the vest was a plastic gun covered in obnoxious lights.

My reactions must've amused her because she slipped another playful laugh. "Okay, hella quick briefing. The goal of the game is for your team to get the highest points as well as individually. You take your gun and you want to shoot your opponents on a target on their vest. Hitting them right in the center of their large target on the stomach and back gets you pretty good points as well as the smaller less easy targets on their shoulders and sides. Once they're hit, there will be a cooldown period where they can't shoot so you can stake them out or move on. Our vests will light up in a bit so you'll see what your team color is. Easy enough, yeah?"

I hadn't noticed before, her unusual accent but it was charming yet elegant. I nodded to confirm I understood, taking the tablet the game operator passed around and typed in my name.

"Sakura huh? That's a lovely name."

"Thanks," I swallowed, quickly shoving the tablet into her hands.

Taking it, she typed in her name and I couldn't help but glance at the screen. "Jade?"

She grinned and nodded, "Mhm. For obvious reasons. My parents weren't the most creative but it gets the job done."

I nodded as we passed through another door and waited for the game to start. The buzzer began and the room illuminated in various neon lights as everyone scrambled about. Jade snatched my wrists and pulled me behind a large stone wall. Even in the dark her eyes glowed as she laughed. "Cover me, okay?" She giggled and took off.

Following her, I began aiming and taking out every alternating color that passed by. After a while, my heart began to race and a smile worked onto my lips as we jokingly rolled to the ground and hid behind another wall while others shot from above.

My eyes grew hazy again and my body felt hot. "God, I need another drink."

My body was hot before but her hand on my thigh shot my temperature up several degrees easily. "Tell you what. You get us out of here love and I'll buy you as many drinks as you want. Yeah?" Swallowing, I nodded and she carefully removed her innocent hand.

It took me no time at all to clear the arena and help the team win. After all, it wasn't like it was too far off from my actual job. Shooting a gun at moving targets was a specialty of mine. However, it took me even less time to rush down the stairs and back to the bar. Jade was on my heels and at my side a few seconds later.

"Easy there, don't think you'll shake me off so quickly."

I quickly stammered and try to assure her that I hadn't tried to get rid of her but she only laughed and dismissed it altogether as a harmless joke. She ordered a rum and coke, a drink I hadn't considered together but after offering me a taste of hers, decided quickly how much I enjoyed it. So we sipped and we joked a bit. She told me how she was from out of the country and was visiting family here for the holidays.

We didn't get too far into talking about me but that was fine and she didn't seem to mind me wanting my privacy just a bit. I bought her a few drinks as thanks and things were fine for a bit until her hand rested on my thigh once more. I flinched a bit under her touch which didn't go unnoticed.

"Are you alright?"

I nodded and tried to think of a polite way to excuse myself but she took hold of my hand to keep me still. "Sakura," she whispered in that exotic voice of hers, "Am I making you nervous?" I never really got a chance to answer as she pressed into my side and tested her lips against my neck.

My eyes went berserk, glancing around nervously as her teeth grazed my skin. Though I was trying my hard not to give her the satisfaction, my tone betrayed me as a less than convincing groan for her to stop parted my lips. She laughed again and I knew that she was only gaining confidence.

"You could show me around some, yeah? Maybe your place," she purred near my ear with her hands wandering mischievously about.

Having had enough, I caught her hand and pulled away just enough. All joking had subsided as I ordered her plainly, "Stop."

She didn't seem hurt or annoyed, just genuinely concerned. It wasn't her fault. She didn't know but I had to nip this thing now before I made things worse.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No," I rushed when her eyes grew shaky, "No. It's not you. You're gorgeous and you're cool but...I...I'm seeing someone. Things with us are a little crazy but I'm still hopeful. I just don't want to do anything to ruin that."

She looked absolutely mortified and turned red all over. "Oh my goodness. Sakura, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable and-"

I relaxed and offered her a genuine smile. "Easy, it's alright. You didn't know. You're great company and if things were different, I would have gladly taken you up on that offer to show you around."

She bit her lip and flushed a little at this. Before she could open her mouth again, someone called for her and we looked to see her group flagging her down. Fidgeting with her fingers, she looked to me with a sheepish smile, "Would it be forward of me to ask for your number? I promise I won't hit on you again or anything like that but...I really enjoyed talking to you. Feel free to say no-"

I chuckled a bit and took her phone from her shy fingers. "It's alright. I don't mind."

She gushed excitedly and sent me a quick text so I could have her number and with a nervous smile and wave, she was off. I debated searching for Ayame but before I could get the chance, she was tackling me into a hug. I struggled to keep us both upright for a bit.

She clearly had more than her share of drinks and I could only roll my eyes as she nuzzled my cheek. "I've missed youuu…"

Scoffing, I easily scooped her up over my shoulder and carried her out, despite her drunken protests. I'm sure I had no business driving either but I could manage a lot better than she could. I managed to get us back to the tower in one piece and though I knew I'd regret it , decided to bring her back to my room. Of course she annoyed me for at least a solid hour as I struggled to get her undressed and cleaned up before wrestling her down into my bed.

Though I knew she was otherwise harmless, I refused to share my bed with her and instead, claimed the small couch by the window.

It took her another half hour to fall asleep and another of the same for me to begin to feel weary.

My phone, however, interrupted that peace with a text. Drowsy, my eyes struggled to make out the message that had come in from an unknown number.

I heard what you did tonight. Thank you.

Confused, I looked over to Ayame who seemed to be well into her own sleep. Thinking nothing of it, I shut my eyes and tried to catch up on the first ounce of sleep I'd managed since that night.


Hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for more and Happy New Year!