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Perfect
Hot sunlight fell on the beach, turning the dunes a glaring white. Sakura elbowed Ino and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Where are we going to sit?"
"There."
Ino pointed to a gap in the blankets strewn over the beach and they made their way over to it. The shouts of children playing in the waves drifted up from the seashore. The two girls spread their picnic blanket over the sand and propped an umbrella up to shield their backs from the sun. Ino plopped down on the ground and pulled Sakura down with her, snuggling close to the pink-haired kunoichi.
"It feels good to be on vacation, doesn't it?"
"Hmm." Sakura nodded.
"Three weeks of doing nothing!" Ino exclaimed with delight.
"Yeah . . ."
The two relaxed in the shade of the umbrella, watching children swim in the ocean and clouds float overhead. The summer heat wasn't letting up. Waves crashing on the sand shimmered in the afternoon haze.
Sakura poked Ino in the side. "I'm thirsty."
Ino rolled her eyes at the pink-haired kunoichi and pulled a water bottle out of her bag. "Want water, eh? Well, I'm not gonna let you have any!" she teased.
"Baka!" Sakura cried, pouncing on the blonde and pushing her over on the sand. The two wrestled, laughing, rolling over and over across the dunes. Finally they came to a stop, panting, the water bottle forgotten and half-empty in the sand.
Ino shook herself and sat up, looking down at Sakura, who appeared to be relaxing, just lying there on the warm ground. The blonde brushed a pink lock from the other girl's face and smiled, leaning closer to kiss her. Sakura's hands entwined themselves in the back of Ino's hair. Their bodies were covered in sand and they were sweaty from their scuffle, but they kissed anyway.
Ino pulled away briefly to take a breath, but then leaned in again, her lips hovering over Sakura's. Their noses brushed and Sakura couldn't help but laugh.
"What's so funny?" Ino asked, tickling Sakura's stomach, laughing along with the pink-haired kunoichi. "Don't you take me seriously?"
Sakura laughed quietly as Ino rested her head her chest. "Baka," she murmured teasingly. The blonde smiled and turned her head to press her lips against Sakura's neck. The pink-haired girl blinked and then tried to sit up, a realization striking her. "Ino," she growled, making a vain attempt to remove Ino's arms from around her body. "We're in a public place!"
"So?"
"So . . . are we allowed to be this affectionate in public?"
"Well, yeah. We're not doing anything wrong," Ino explained, kissing Sakura on the cheek and grinning. "For heaven's sake, Sakura, we already kissed like a billion times."
The pink-haired girl flushed. "Yes, well . . ."
"Well?" Ino prompted, massaging the other kunoichi's shoulders. Sakura eventually relaxed, sighing with a combination of resignation, relief and pleasure.
"I hate you," she murmured with a smile, head falling back on the blonde's shoulder. "You're just too persuasive!" Sakura snuggled into Ino's embrace and looked up again. "I really do hate you, Ino-pig," she said with a chuckle.
"Oh, forehead girl, you hurt my feelings," Ino joked. The old insults they had used for each other had turned into a sort of endearment by now. And besides, it was an old habit.
Ino squeezed Sakura's shoulders and closed her eyes. It was unbearably hot outside and the sun was too bright, but it was perfect.
It was perfect because she was with her.
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