A Change of Heart
By Stella the Hedgehog
Author's Note:
Another Sakura-based fanfiction - whoot. Just so you know, I'm still sick and I have the cold and I lost my voice and now I have a fever. This has been collecting dust in the back of my mind for like, ever, and now I need to write it! This is a oneshot, of course, and it's Sakura x Ino. I've been writing about Sakura too much lately, haven't I? I do have another story written on paper, and I promise it has NOTHING TO DO with Sakura!
This fanfiction is dedicated to Mew-is-Back, you ramen-eating, lemon-writing, Harry Potter adoring little demon ;)
oOo
"Ino!" The blonde turned her head quickly at the sound of her name being called. Her blue eyes flashed with anger as she saw the pink-haired Chunin racing toward her. Just like old times. she thought to herself. Sakura hadn't actually wanted to talk to her since that day when Sasuke ruined thier friendship forever.
"Sakura! How's your forehead?" Ino smirked, letting a hint of sarcasm enter her voice. That was the best part of being ex-friends, she knew where to hit Sakura, where it hurt the most. She knew that Sasuke's teammate was self-concious about her oversized forehead. "Can't you see I'm talking to Sasuke? Make it quick, forehead girl!"
Sakura glared at this comment. "Don't worry, Ino-pig.You finish up your little conversation; I can wait."
"Thanks a million, Sakura. I'll be right back." Ino said in obviously faked enthusiasm. She rolled her eyes, turning back to Sasuke. Or, the spot where Sasuke had previously been standing. Unfortunately, the Uchiha boy had seen this convieniant distraction as a chance to escape from Ino. "Shit," Ino muttered. "I swear I had him." She turned reluctantly back to Sakura. "What was possibly so important that you had to talk to me NOW, of all times?"
"Sorry about Sasuke, Ino." Sakura said, a hint of an apologetic tone lingering in her voice.
"I'm sure you are. Now talk or leave."
"Ino, I was thinking about Sasuke." Sakura said. "And I thought to myself, 'Is he really that great?' I mean, he practically destroyed our friendship. I realized after some careful thought that I'm wasting my time." She gave one final, wistful glance at Sasuke's turned back as he ran away from the two girls. "So...friends?" Sakura extended her hand toward the blonde.
Ino smiled finally. "Yeah. The only reason we started fighting was because of Sasuke. Now that you've given up, I see no reason to continue fighting." Ino reached out and took Sakura's hand in hers, shaking it. But inside, Ino's mind flickered with self-doubt. She knew that her determination to find love one day was an unextinguishable flame. But Sakura's words clung to her mind like a magnet to metal. "Is Sasuke really that great, if he doesn't appreciate wonderful me?" Ino thought to herself.
"Thanks, Sakura." Ino spoke again, releasing her pale hand from her grasp. "But I suppose you're right. I need to find someone who appreciates me for who I am. Not my looks and not my mad ninja skills." she joked. Her mind flashed back briefly to her old friendship with Sakura, how they had always been there for one another, whether it was a family problem, a boy problem, or a problem with another friend. Sakura was there to help Ino when her mother had died (A/N: I'm not sure if she did or not, but it's my story and I do what I want!) Sakura appreciates me, she thought to herself, but quickly shook the thought away. At least we're friends again. That's enough, she hastily reminded herself, shivering.
"Ino?" A voice innerupted her silent battle in her head. "You look a little pale. Are you feeling okay?" Sakura raised one hand to Ino's forehead. Ino couldn't help but notice how Sakura's palm had lightly brushed against her lips on the way.
"Yeah...I'm fine." Ino said, but inside she felt frozen. She couldn't lift her arm to pull Sakura's hand away. And if you could, Ino, would you really want to? Ino silenced her inner voice, before muttering, "I just feel a little cold."
"Uh huh." Sakura sounded disbelieving. "It's the middle of July, and we're standing in the sun out in the village, where it is physically impossible to feel cold."
"Be quiet, Sakura. I know what I'm feeling." Ino snapped angrily. "It's just..." She felt the words slip away, and she blushed as she forgot what she was about to say. Making matters worse, Sakura caught her gaze and she felt herself float away in those leaf green eyes. "I don't know." she ended lamely, tearing her blue eyes away from Sakura's face.
"Ino, are you okay?" Sakura asked, letting a concerned note enter her voice. "Maybe we should get you out of the sun. You could be overheating."
"Great idea, Sakura!" Ino replied enthusiastically. "Listen, let's meet at the public pool in about an hour. Just let me run home quick and get my things..." And with these parting words, she raced off in the direction of her house, leaving the confused Sakura to stumble off in the opposite direction.
oOo
"Ino, how do I look?" Sakura called to her friend. "I haven't worn my bathing suit in forever!"
Ino turned immediately, jaw dropping in disbelief. "You look fantastic!" She blurted out. Sakura wore a two-piece pink bathing suit. "H-how do I look?" she said at once, changing the subject. She gazed sadly down at her own black bathing suit. "I've put on weight, haven't I?"
"You have," Sakura agreed, laughing, "But at least you don't look, like, completely anorexic anymore!"
"I still need to start watching what I eat."
"Hey," Sakura said, flinging an arm around Ino's shoulders and making her blush even more, "I'm still completely addicted to Big Macs. (A/N: I share your pain, Sakura.) "See, not everything changed, Sasuke. Oops, I mean, Ino-chan." Sakura blushed. "I've been thinking about Sasuke too much lately, and not about you. I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Ino murmured absentmindedly. Inside, her mind was racing. Sakura had mistaken her for Sasuke. Does that mean that she loves me now? She shook the thought away angrily. Sakura is just a friend! A really good friend!
"Yeah," Ino continued, "let's go swimming. This heat is really getting to me again." She jumped into the pool, Sakura close behind. Ino opened her eyes, ignoring the sting of the chlorine. She could see Sakura with her, too, eyes closed as the cool feeling of the water engulfed her. Ino felt something gently stir inside her at that moment, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make it go away.
oOo
Ino awoke, surrounded by people, out of breath and feeling sick to her stomach. Worst of all, warm lips pressed against hers. "She's breathing!" she recognized the voice of the cute lifeguard nearby. "And I've got a pulse. You've saved her life!"
Ino weakly pushed the body off of her own, suprised to see a short pink-haired girl with a face glowing red in a deep blush and concern in her eyes. "S-sakura?" Ino coughed. "What...happened?"
"You must have bumped your head" Sakura explained, eyes wide as she recalled the moment. "You didn't come up out of the pool for air for a minute, and when I went under to look, you were nearly drowned. You weren't breathing, and I had to perform CPR." Ino noticed how much her friend trembled as she was forced to remember this moment of grief. "How do you feel? Are you OK?"
Ino sat up and leaned over, coughing up a mouthful of water. "Yeah, I think so. I think I bumped my head on the side of the pool and that's what knocked me out. I..." She suddenly trailed off and looked up at Sakura with graditude. "Sakura, you saved my life!"
"It...it was nothing, Ino."
"No." Ino innerupted. "I was a jerk before. We should have never let a guy, especially an idiot like Sasuke, ruin our friendship." Leaning in, she gave Sakura a light kiss on the cheek.
Sakura's deep green eyes widened in suprise, and she put a hand to her cheek where she had recieved the kiss. "Yes." she murmured. "We'll have plenty of time for boys. All we need right now is each other."
Ino smiled - a true smile, not a smirk - and hugged Sakura, placing another light kiss on her lips.
End
Author's Note:
That was terrible sappy, wasn't it? Oh well, I'm glad I finally got to write for that coupling. It's one of my favorite yuri couplings.