Archive of Our Own

There's the fire. Ino had been expecting something a lot closer to this Sakura tonight, the one who she saw in meetings and in the hallway, who hung around her office to do paperwork and snipe about outdated medical procedures. Between this Sakura and Ino conversation flowed between them like water, like this Ino was charming and funny enough to make that wrinkle in Sakura's forehead vanish or appear at will. Instead up until this point they had sat awkwardly in a dimly lit room both dressed up enough that it was noticeable to them, but not on par with the couples in the restaurant.

And there were a lot of couples.

Choji had told her that this was a good place to come, he had even made a reservation because Ino had been so busy lately. But apparently, he had neglected to account for anything besides the food. This was a date restaurant, and not a first date one either. This was anniversary material, proposal place material, rich red seating and cream walls, candles, and wine, everything she had imagined as a girl when someone said "romantic". Now when she thought of romantic it was cheerful smiles, lazy afternoons of quizzing each other, wandering the shopping district, the smell of sweets snuck onto rooftops after draining days. It's warmth and home and Ino needs it. Which is exactly why this situation is so uncomfortable.

Sakura hasn't dated anyone, at all, not before or after the war. After the Sasuke era which they both ignore wholeheartedly these days, it has been nothing but platonic affections. She never mentioned an interest in girls and Ino, while she's perfectly happy being bi as can be and can flirt with anything that wanders up to her, isn't about to put her oldest and most important relationship in danger just because of some very old and stubborn crush. But the atmosphere is perfect for wooing someone, perfect for all those warm and delicate feelings she has wrapped up inside her that she hasn't been able to eradicate. If she could Ino would be punching herself in the face and booking it to Suna where Temari always has a matter of fact ear to lend and a bottle of some wind country wine that could kill a lesser woman. This evening is testing her ability to think things through. When it comes to Sakura, Ino has always been more on the impulsive side than she would like.

"Are you even listening?"

Ino's arm slips, the cheek she'd been resting on it taking a sudden drop and nearly hitting the table. Damn. She wants to say that she had been listening but she'd been a bit busy getting caught up in her own fantasy world.

"I'm fine!"

"You have been doing that a lot lately Ino, are you sure?" To be fair she's been having a lot of fantasies lately, mostly involving Sakura's bare arms that have been showcased in a last defiant middle finger to the oncoming winter. Since the whole Kaguya... incident Ino has no doubts that if the gods of nature weren't afraid to face her, Sakura would defeat them all and demand eternal summer as her prize.

"I'm fine Sakura."

"No," she hisses out, temper fraying a lot sooner than normal "You aren't. You keep looking away, or zoning out. Are you that bored of me Ino?" her voice is rising and a few other tables are looking their way. "Am I so uninteresting that you have to lie to me?"

"What the hell Sakura?"

"Can I get you ladies anything?" a server asks warily as she approaches.

"You can get me an answer as to why my best friend is mad." Ino mutters, but apparently not as quietly as she thought.

"Best friend." In a second Sakura is standing and grabbing her bag, eyes flashing. Fuck, Ino hates and loves this. Her best friend is stunning when she's angry and willing to take on the world, absolute beauty, but it's not much fun when it's directed at her. Modest high heels click on the wood and Sakura is up, she's walking away and Ino is throwing herself out of her chair after her, too much money tossed on the table blindly.

"Wait!" It's stupid but Ino flings out a hand and grips Sakura's wrist. If she wanted Sakura could break that hold, fling her into a wall and stomp away. But she stops walking and whirls about.

Oh. Those eyes are wide and damp, her face going red. It's like that first glimpse from childhood except that this time Ino has caused it somehow. "Ino let go."

"Sakura what is going on?"

"I don't want to be here. I'm not a joke." She sniffles and Ino's soul cracks and aches. She had promised never again, she'd never make Sakura feel that way again but what did she do? The other woman lets out a shaky breath like this is the most complicated jutsu she's ever tried: like the next words will cost her everything. "My feelings," she says clearly, slowly, the words crystalizing and falling from her lips like flawless drops of rain "are not a joke."

It's not as if she doesn't know what she's doing, but as her hand lets go of Sakura's wrist (heartbreak in those eyes but confusion immediately after) and cups her cheek. She doesn't think of looking attractive to a prospective partner or how to lure someone in and get information, it's just this is all she can do. Press lips to lips as if kissing her best friend, her closest companion, the woman she thinks she might love, will send those feelings and longing through touch alone. Then Sakura is kissing back. There aren't fireworks or rose petals, but it's somehow better. She feels safe and warm, held and cherished, like all the fault lines in her are reinforced and she could take on the world with how fast her heart is beating.

When they part Ino can hear cheering, sighs, a wolf whistle, but her eyes are only on Sakura who has turned pink as her hair and looks like for once Ino is the one knocking the air out of someone's lungs in a spar. "But I thought- it seemed like a date place. And you never-" 

"I never? You never, Sakura." she presses their foreheads together and feels light, as if she could float. She giggles a bit. "We're idiots aren't we?" Sakura laughs, tears still in her eyes and voice but much brighter than before.

"Hey, Ino-pig?" Ino laughs at that old nickname, a barb turned gentle over time, a little unsteady herself.

"Yeah Billboard-brow?"

"Let's leave. I don't want to be here." Sakura says as the other patrons keep watching.

"Together?"

"Together."