Mission Impossible: Housewife

By KawaiPanda

Chapter Thirteen

A GaaIno Love Story

He definitely didn't look good. Bags of sleeplessness decorated the skin under his eyes. He wasn't gaunt, but gone was the bag of customary bag of chips that he carried around with him, munching on between words. When he came without Tenten on his heels, I knew we were in for a long talk. He briefly hesitated in the doorway, but took a deep breath and strode towards me.

"Ino."

I found myself tensing as he strode towards me, wondering how he was going to react. "Cho."

His arms encircled me, and I immediately relaxed in his familiar embrace. "Thank Kami you're alright."

I could hear the tell tale signs of him holding back tears, and sobbed into his embrace. "Sorry I worried you."

"Shh... shh... It's okay." He rubbed my back, rocking me back and forth. He was the closest I had to a best friend right now, and to have worried him, I felt like absolute shit. After I calmed back down, he leaned away and looked over me. "I'm surprised you're out of the hospital so soon."

I nodded. "Well, I was treated by the best medics they have... and it wasn't so bad, I checked."

"Ino, you could have died."He had to be overreacting, because it wasn't that bad...

"I'm fine Cho."

He sighed, knowing I wasn't going to back down. "Why didn't you say anything to anyone?"

"I..." I looked away. "I didn't want to bother anyone. I mean, who has a hemorrhage from losing their virginity?"

"Ino..."

Tears began stinging my eyes again, and I cursed myself for being unable to keep my emotions under wraps. "I'm such a weakling."

"In-"

"I can't even lose my virginity without being a failure. First I let forehead beat me, I couldn't save Asuma-sensei... and now I can't even get married right." The dam burst, freeing all the emotions I've bottled up the last few years.

"Ino..." His warmth surrounded me, comforting me when nothing else could. When I could get my emotions back under control, I gave him a weak smile.

"... Sorry, Cho."

He shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry for. You shouldn't blame yourself."

"I know... I just feel like a fool."

"Don't." We were in a comfortable silence when my mind went to our wayward teammate.

"So... does Shikamaru know?"

"He does." Ouch. Some teammate he was. He couldn't even get past his anger to see if I was alright?

I blinked and looked away. "Oh."

Choji sighed and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "... I'll make sure he comes to see you before we leave for Konoha."

I didn't even care anymore. I just wished we could go back to before, when things hadn't been screwed up by our parents. I wanted my best friend back... but I think that it was never going to happen. "When are you leaving?" I knew it was soon, but not the exact day as to their departure.

"In two days. Tenten's staying behind though... Tsunade-sama said something about a vacation or other?" I nodded, knowing what he was talking about.

"Yeah. She's staying here in the mansion."

"I hope she's safe on her travels home. Shikamaru told me about the Cloud ninja that attacked you before." After a moment, he frowned and asked, "Ino, why haven't you guys made up?"

"W-wha-" I was not expecting him to ask. Normally, he wasn't one to pry so I wasn't when he popped the question. I should have known it was coming though, since this distance between Shikamaru and I had gone on for a long time now, and Choji was bound to miss the fun times we had together as a team.

"This is ridiculous. You guys have been friends since your births." He scowled at me.

I sighed. "Choji, it's not that simple."

"Yes it is."

I looked away from his piercing eyes. "Look, he... I can't just we have a lot of issues between us right now. It's going to take some time..."

"What exactly is going on, Ino?"

"He..." I took a deep breath. "He basically blamed me for our engagement." At the confused look on his face, I hurried on, wanting to explain. "A few years ago, our parents went behind our backs and tried to force Shikamaru and I into joining the clans. And Shika got the stupidest idea that I talked them into it."

"Why would he think that?" He furrowed his brows.

"I think he believed I wanted to keep him from being with Temari. Sure, I haven't always been behind them one hundred percent, but that doesn't mean I'm a home wrecker." I cleared my throat, continuing. "I've tried talking to him, but nothing seems to be getting through that thick skull of his. And when it came out, they broke up so he blames me."

"And yet, they're back together, and still hasn't gotten over it?" He sighed and stood. "I'll talk to him."

I nodded. Not that talking to him was going to do much good in this situation, but I figured I could let Choji try. "...Okay."

"You focus on getting better." He kissed my temple and quietly shut the door behind him.

It wasn't much later that Gaara came home and proceeded to brood in the chair across from me. To say that things were awkward between us would be the understatement of the year. I could tell from his posture that the thoughts running through his head weren't good ones. These were most likely ones of self-inflicted guilt for something he couldn't have known was going to happen. Hell, I didn't even think this was going to happen. But it did and I wasn't blaming him at all.

I didn't know what I could do that would make him feel better. I was pretty sure that regardless of what I thought or said, he was still going to blame himself, but just because I didn't know the right path to traverse, didn't mean I couldn't try.

"Gaara..." He glanced at me after a long moment in acknowledgment. "Come here."

He rose stiffly, and came to stand over me, saying nothing.

I patted the empty spot next to me on the bed and he sat hesitantly. Taking his hand in mine, I began, "This wasn't your fault."

Already he was tensing back up. He moved to rise, when I tugged on his hand to keep him from moving away. Glaring a hole in the wall, he replied, "I do not see how it is not my fault."

I smiled, and cupped his cheek to turn his face back to mine. I searched his eyes, though any hint of emotion was hidden away from me. "There was some miscommunication on both ends, so I'm just as much to blame."

"You could have died."

I frowned at him, my brows furrled in response. "Don't you think that's a little dramatic?"

"The doctors -" I cut him off quickly with a shake of my head.

"Gaara, I'm a medic. I think I can tell if I'm going to die or not. And right now, I feel fine." I smiled bravely at him to make him believe it.

He glanced away. "You were not fine when I found you."

"No, I wasn't," I agreed with him, "But I'm going to live. In a few days I'll be all better and until then, you get to treat me like a queen." I smiled again, and when he looked back at me with a heavy sigh, I gave him a quick peck on the lips. "And your queen is ordering you to stop feeling guilty."

"I -" I raised my brow at him, quickly killing any protests he could come up with, so instead he heaved another sigh and gave me a small smile. "Yes my queen."

I giggled. "Now that's more like it."