Note:

This chapter has not been edited/ proofread (5/22/24).

Sakura

"Did they really think they were being inconspicuous?" I ask after taking another swig of water.

"As inconspicuous as one can be with a giant camera poking out of a bush."

We just came back after our penultimate date for the magazine. A nice little picnic in Konoha Centennial Gardens during a very pleasant Konoha day sounded like a great date that isn't flashy enough to garner that much attention. One would think. It's entirely the opposite when a team of photographers are stationed behind the nearby bushes, zooming in on every little move we did.

Because people felt that the beach date had seemed too inauthentic because of the amount of people around us the entire time, they opted to give us some semblance of space this time. Some.

The cameras in the bushes garnered attention from passersby, and since people saw they were aimed at us, it felt less like a date and more like we were a circus act.

Maybe Sasuke and I really have been doing too good of a job from the beginning. That little game of wills that was supposed to only be between us only fueled everyone else's competitive spirits.

Because of the crazy attention, I haven't even tried to go back to my usual gym. Sasuke hasn't either, so here we both are using what used to be the dreadful apartment building gym that no one used.

Except now, it's not so dreadful. Management must have noticed no one had been using it because it's been revamped. We must have missed the memo of the renovation. Since Sasuke and I are the only ones in here, it would seem the entire building did too.

"At least we're down to the very last one."

"Excited to get rid of me already?" Sasuke asks with a smirk.

I bump my shoulder with his. "I don't know. I've grown to like you. A little."

"I should hope so."

Laughing, I steal the towel on his shoulder to pat my sweat off. An upside to having a boyfriend? Being able to take his things without repercussions. That and now, I have a new gym buddy.

"I'm going to go on one last treadmill run. You?" I hand him back his towel.

"I'm done for the day. I'll stay and wait."

I nod before making my way to the treadmill. "Oh! Great move today. The classic lip wipe thing."

He scoffs. "Don't make it sound like I'm being graded."

"We are, though. Kind of."

Standing on the unmoving walking belt, I look through the controls of the new machine. I feel his presence behind me, the familiar warmth of his palms finds my waist.

"We can't both be on here," I say despite leaning into him.

"I know." His proximity in addition to the sound of his voice sends a wave of flutters to my stomach. "Just let me hold you for a second."

I smile, hearing the exhaustion in his voice.

Being the introvert he is, I'm surprised that this is the first time I've seen him crash after our bouts of paid PDA. As much as I hate the unwanted attention, he must feel it multiplied since it has to drain his social battery quite a bit.

"Hey," I start. "Are you always this tired after meeting with me?"

He hums in thought. "I haven't really thought about it."

"Is it just the dates then?"

I feel him smile against my hair. "If you're asking if you drain me, the answer is no."

"I used to, though, didn't I? Since I'm so ridiculous."

Turning my head, I see him roll his eyes.

"Was I annoyed with you? Yes. But you didn't drain me."

"I should up my game then." I plant a chaste kiss on his lips. "I do have new methods now."

He shakes his head before pulling back and walking off of the treadmill. "Start your run, Haruno."

"You're hiding something."

I look up from my desk to see Ino watch me with the intensity of an accomplished interrogator. Which, in a sense, she kind of is. With the way she always manages to squeeze any information she wants out of her friends, that is.

If I manage to hide my current relationship status from her, I can hide it from anyone, so of course, the universe decides to test me with the boss level foe first.

"What could I possibly be hiding, pig?"

She closes my office door behind her as she strides in, stopping right before my desk with her hands on her hips.

"A lot of things from everyone else, but we tell each other everything. Usually. But it feels like you've been MIA recently."

"The reason being work mandated dates."

It's the truth. Not the whole truth but, nonetheless. After being hounded by everyone and their mother's recently, I've been spending most of the time at home. Though, I haven't been alone since my boyfriend lives right across from me, and he's the only one who could really understand what dealing with all of this is like.

If anything, he may be feeling worse than I am about this since he never liked being the center of attention to begin with.

As much as I love Ino, I've needed this space. I know she means no harm in the teasing. It's just our usual back-and-forth, but because of everything, it's just not as enjoyable as it was for me right now.

"You do remember that you're also writing articles about it, don't you?"

"I know, but that's work. This is different."

The reason why she's so good at her job is because she can read people very well, and she doesn't care what people think of her incessant probing. For better or for worse, it's a great skill to have in our line of work.

"What exactly is different?"

"You." She grins, mischief blooming. "You look like you're glowing."

Despite my efforts not to, my cheeks heat. I know where this is going.

"I knew it!" She snaps her fingers, following it with a point at my face. "Who are you fucking?"

I chuckle mirthlessly to mask my burgeoning nerves. "It always goes back to sex when it comes to you, huh?"

"Occupational hazard," she says, waving a dismissive hand. "And don't think you can distract me this time. Who've you been letting into your vagina?"

In a display of irritation, I roll my eyes. "My vibrator."

"Lies. Silicone can only do so much."

"Didn't you just write that self-love article that said toys do much better getting the job done than most men these days?"

"Yeah, and I stand by that." She smirks, folding her arms over her chest in quiet pride. "But you are no stranger to the rabbit. This glow is new, meaning you got fresh meat."

Leave it to Ino to have such a way with words. "Since you're so confident, who is this mystery man?"

"That's what's eating at me, forehead! I don't know!"

I laugh, a little surprised she didn't say the obvious answer since she's been hounding me about Sasuke. for months. "Then maybe he doesn't exist."

"I would have said Sasuke Uchiha, but you two have been overly affectionate that recent date, so it can't be him. The flame completely burned out after what I thought I saw on the beach."

I still.

"The beach? I'm pretty sure you were still on my ass about Sasuke and I."

"I was, and then I saw that show yesterday in the park, and it looked completely different. There was still that weird eye thing you two do sometimes, but yesterday, you two looked like you were completely playing it up."

Huh. Looks like our plan is also helping me move Ino's scent elsewhere. An unexpected addition to the pros list, maybe.

"Or you slept with him and found out he was bad in bed, but if that was the case, you wouldn't be glowing and happy."

I grimace, and she pauses, noting the reaction.

Shit.

"Wait."

Shit!

"I got it."

Please, leave it be, pig!

"That's it! You slept with him, and he was a disappointment." She sighs dramatically. "Well, that just ruins the mystery of Sasuke Uchiha."

As untrue as her assumption is, it would be safe to let her think as much but knowing that the experience with him is quite literally the opposite of what she's thinking makes me a tad bit defensive. Still, it gets a loud, uninhibited laugh out of me.

"What does that theory have to do with the glowing?"

"That would mean you didn't lie about abusing your vibrator after being so unsatisfied." She watches me with a conciliatory gaze. "It's okay. I won't tell anyone."

"Okay, one, I didn't say I 'abused' my vibrator."

I don't know how someone could do that, really.

"And two, I didn't sleep with Sasuke Uchiha. That's not what's happening."

Not entirely a lie. There hasn't been much sleeping involved.

"But something did happen?" She raises a brow, and I realize my mistake.

You give her a crumb; she eats the entire table.

Maybe I should have just shut my mouth and let her keep talking.

"Why are we always talking about my nonexistent love life and never yours?"

"That's because you told me you never wanted to hear about my escapades again after I told you about the time beer guy shoved a-"

I put up my hand, urging her to stop before she continues what may possibly be the worst hookup horror story I've ever heard in my life.

"I listened, so I haven't told you anything about what I'm personally doing in the romance department unless you ask. Though, to be honest, you're missing out on some good stories."

"I think I'm good."

Ino is silent for a beat, eyes trained on me, assessing every single micromovement. Because of it, I can't help the nervousness taking hold once again.

Conspiratorially, she leans in closer and whispers. "Was he really that bad?"

Here I thought I escaped her usual, probing relationship questions only to be subjective to a set of new, yet just as meddlesome, ones.

I could either continue with my current lie and never escape this line of questioning or come up with a new one to finally have her appeased enough to leave it be.

Of course, the truth is not at all an option.

A good lie has some of the truth in there, right? I stand, thinking I may have found just the excuse.

"We just kissed, okay? One kiss and then figured we're better off just friends. End of discussion."

She stares at me, slack jawed.

Did it work?

I better say something else before she routes the conversation elsewhere again.

"Now, can we please move on?"

My displeasure is obvious, and while it's for the act, I feel it completely. She can see it clear as day.

"Okay." She nods slowly. "You good?"

"Am I?" I look at her with every bit of annoyance I've been trapping inside bubbling through to the surface.. "Look, you're my best friend, and I love you dearly, but sometimes the endless questioning can get on my nerves. Can't we leave things where they are at, and can you please wait until I willingly tell you about things when I'm ready?"

Concern etches her face as it feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

I take a breath, regretting the sudden outburst. "Sorry."

"No, don't be," she says, not at all mad. In fact, she's pretty calm about it. "I know I can be a bit much. It's a wonder how you've lasted so long without doing that, honestly."

"At least, you're self-aware," I mutter.

"Always have been. You told me to stop that one time before, and I did, didn't I?" She sends an apologetic smile my way, reaching out to squeeze my hand. "And I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too." I sigh.

"Nope, you don't need to be. Just let me know when I'm overstepping. I just thought you were okay with it since you never stopped me before. You know, this being our usual bit."

I observe her, wondering how she can be so at ease about this. "You're handling this better than I thought."

"Shikamaru gave me a very similar outburst recently. We didn't speak for a few weeks, but we're good now. He gave me one hell of a rant and brought our parents into it." She laughs, but I can tell it was very awkward for her. "I'm not risking not being on speaking terms with you, but old habits are hard to kill, I guess."

Now that she mentions it, she did tone it down a bit by the time of the beach date.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you were busy, and at the end of the day, so was I… by being all up in your business for work. I guess it did affect our personal lives since it's bled into our friendship."

She walks around the desk to give me a hug. It takes me a moment to reciprocate the embrace, but I'm thankful she's understanding right now.

"This isn't the end of this discussion, though," I say, pulling away. "We really do need to talk about you sticking your nose in other people's business."

"Sounds like a lunch conversation." She grins. "The usual?"

"Yeah," I say. "And you're going to tell me what you did to poor Shikamaru."

"Oh, you get to be nosey, and I can't?"

"Yup."

"Alright, fine." She feigns a huff, but I fully know she can't wait to tell me what happened.

"And we're not bringing up work."

"Not even a little bit? I wanted to ask about the last dat-"

"Nope."

Because of the hubbub recently, I haven't had the chance to be with friends without the looming topic of work haunting every conversation. Finally, a semblance of normalcy is returning. Only now, the man they long suspected I had a thing for is actually my boyfriend, and I have no plans of telling them that bit of information for a while.

After everything, we deserve to be just a little bit selfish.

Note:

so close to the finish line folks!

we have some cute fluff, and an important scene with ino, especially if you've read the social media au that takes place a year after written affair ends. I felt it imperative that it's here, especially since sakura has been stressing out so much over being watched and hounded about her love life basically this entire fic.

I just love writing dialogue with ino, can you tell? djhfksjdhfjskdf