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Ino watched Sakura in silence. She was sitting at Ino’s kitchen table while Ino leaned on the counter. The window by the table was letting in pools of light and muted sounds of the outdoors.
She shifted her weight from foot to foot irritably as she listened to the clock ticking loud on the wall beside her. Every “tick” felt like an assault on her ears. Her grip on her coffee mug tightened. She bit her lip as she watched her best friend trace inked words on crumpled parchment with her finger. She’d read the letter aloud earlier, it’s why she came over here. When she had it was like a wrench in her heart. To Ino, the tone of the letter sounded bored, as if communicating with this beautiful, powerful, intelligent woman was something they were doing out of boredom, or obligation. Now it was worse. The contented smile on Sakura’a face hurt her. She had always loved her. She wanted Sakura to look at her like that. Not a piece of paper.
“He’s wonderful isn’t he?” Sakura looked up at her. Her tone was genuine, but there was sadness in her eyes. Ino fought down a hard laugh. Him? Wonderful? It was a a joke. He’d caused her so much pain. Granted, Ino knew she hadn’t been perfect to her either, nor she to Ino, but she’d never hurt her like he had. They’d never hurt each other like Sasuke had hurt her. Ino would never harm a loved one in the way he had done. Carelessly. He treated her and everyone else around him so carelessly. It made her blood boil just thinking about it. “I always wanted to be beside you! I helped you were you were at your lowest!” Ino pushed the bitter thoughts back down. She’d lost her once over Sasuke. She couldn’t do it again. Even if it hurt sometimes.
Ino poured herself another cup of coffee. “Do you remember when we were children?” Sakura looked up at her, a ghost of a smile on her face. “How we’d fight over him? It was so silly wasn’t it?” Ino shook her head. She looked into the steaming cup, heat warming her face. “Before that. Before him.” Sakura hummed, Ino could tell from the expression on her face she was recollecting. She was so beautiful. Sakura brightened immediately.
“Of course I do!” She looked up at the ceiling, smiling large, and those beautiful green eyes glittering. The sadness in her eyes, her frame, that just seemed to cling to her dissipated. Ino grinned as Sakura continued. “You really saved me so many times back then! I had no self-esteem! And then a ninja girl from a prominent ninja family was telling me I was special!And beautiful! Me and my big forehead and nobody civilian family!”
“Well, you’ve proved a thousand times over now that you’re a very special person Sakura, I don’t have to tell you that.” Sakura blushed a bit at this, sipping at her drink. “You’re a war hero.”
“Oh Ino, we all are…” Sakura murmured dismissively.
“Not like you Sakura. Not like that.” Sakura’s eyes flitted this way and that. As if this kind of praise was not something she was used to. Ino knew why, she had listened to how people celebrated Naruto….and Sasuke, despite his controversy, there was no doubt he had saved them. Even Kakashi was often brought up, but Sakura had been shunted to the side. As if she had done nothing. As if she had not done enough, fighting a goddess shoulder to shoulder with men who had been personally blessed by another divine being. As if one didn’t come from one of the most prominent ninja clans around, and the other a jinchuriki. Sakura was none of those things. She just had been her same old ambitious and driven self. She was not going to let them push her aside, even with all their amazing abilities. In Ino’s eyes, she was the strongest of the bunch.
“If it wasn’t for you Naruto would be dead, so we’d all be dead too. You did that,” Ino continued.
“Why’re you afraid to admit you’re wonderful?” Sakura rolled her eyes at that. Ino walked to the table and kneeled in front of Sakura. She clutched both hands and squeezed as she continued, gazing at her intensely. “You surpassed a Kage. You literally beat up a god. You kept Naruto, the reason we’re alive, alive. You put down an international terrorist. One that had been in our bingo books. You’ve done so many amazing things Sakura,”
Sakura nodded slowly, as if she was being forced to read a book she didn’t particularly enjoy, or take medicine she didn’t really like. “I suppose,” Ino rolled her eyes. She wanted to slam her head on the table and shake Sakura until whatever had caused this meekness to take over to pass.
“Hinata and Naruto are engaged.” She said it softly, but it carried a lot of weight. Ino looked up at her sharply. “So? No one said we all have to get married now. My sensei didn’t get married till in his late twenties. Yours isn’t even now.” Sakura hummed noncommittally. Finally she sighed deeply. “I want to be married Ino.” She looked downwards. “It’s terrible. It’s terrible to say out loud but I always thought Naruto would be there. He carried things for me, weights he didn’t need to, because he loved me, and I…I cared for him I still care but—“ Ino could tell she was struggling to hold back tears. Her heart broke for her.
“I was so selfish. I should never have treated him as a backup choice. I never felt those feelings as intensely as he did though. I should be ashamed, because it’s the right thing to happen….but when he…when I knew he was over it, it hurt. He moved on. Found another girl to love, like he wanted to love me. And it hurts.”
“It’s okay Sakura, we’re all selfish sometimes. No one doubts your love for Naruto.” Ino finally replied. It was hard to say these kind of things, placate her, because Ino loved Sakura too.
The letter on the table fluttered to floor, as a small gust of wind came through the window. Neither of them moved to retrieve it.
Sakura continued while staring at the parchment on the wooden floor. “Then the letters started. I was shocked when he told me he returns my feelings. In person it never seems that way, but he’s the one I always wanted. So what right to I even have to complain?” Sakura continued to train her gaze onto the floor, but Ino could see the wetness on her cheek. She frowned. “I thought he’d ask when he found out. You saw…he hasn’t. We haven’t even kissed.”
Ino cupped her face so they were looking at each other. She pulled her into a tight hug and stroked her hair as Sakura weeped. “You deserve someone who wants to carry the burdens with you Sakura, because they love you. Someone who who wants to lift you up and see you at your very best! Someone who wants to be beside you,” Sakura nodded and whispered out a muffled response. “You’re always so good to me,” Ino could feel her lips on her shoulder. She pulled back so she could wipe her tears away. Sakura sniffed and smiled at her gratefully. She was starting to say something more. Ino took a deep breath. Impulsively, she cupped her face once more, with both hands. “Forgive me now for being selfish Sakura,” Ino thought as she pressed her lips against Sakuras. It was a short kiss. Just lips pressed to lips. She tasted like coffee, and something fruitier underneath.
Sakura took in a shaky breath. Ino grinned proudly.
“You should be with someone like me.”
Sakura eyes slid to the letter on the floor and then back to Ino kneeling in front of her. “I don’t deserve you Ino,” Ino huffed. She snatched up one of Sakura’s hands again. She noted the pale pink polish she was wearing was very Sakura, it made her smile and spurred her on even more.
“Why Sakura? Because you were a little selfish as a teenaged girl? Because you made some choices you regret? Well we all do! You can’t keep punishing yourself…besides,” Ino leaned in again and kissed her cheek. It was warm and wet. “I’ve wanted this for so long.” Sakura’s eyes widened. “I thought it was just my imagination…” Sakura trailed off blushing intensely now and Ino laughed. “You are the worst at reading people huh?” Ino stood up, pulling Sakura with her.
“We could be so happy together Sakura,” She felt the grip on her hand tighten. “We should be so happy,” Sakura looked towards the window for a moment before replying. “After all the things I just told you, you still wanna be with me?” Sakura said quietly.
“I never wanted to be with anyone else. From the moment I met you.” Sakura rocked on the balls of her feet at that confession. “Then why…why did you like Sasuke?” Ino laughed at that, and she walked back to the counter, pulling herself up on it. She frowned slightly, taking another sip of her forgotten, now lukewarm coffee.
“You said we couldn’t be friends anymore Sakura! You were everything to me. I told you I liked somebody and you assumed it was Sasuke!”
Sakura’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
“It…wasn’t Sasuke?”
“It was you.”
Sakura looked completely stricken. As if a million puzzle pieces were just falling into place. Ino snorted.
“For someone so smart…you’re sooo dumb Sakura.”
Ino looked at her expectedly before clicking her tongue and glancing away. “You don’t have to return my feelings.”
“No! It’s not that.” Sakura said immediately. “It’s just a lot…to take in. I liked you too, when we were small.” Now it was Ino’s turn to look shocked.
“You were too cool for me, you had so many friends, you were beautiful, you were talented, and you were a future clanhead…things that I couldn’t even wrap my head around. I simply wanted to be a ninja because my family has so little. I never thought in my wildest dreams you liked me too. I wouldn’t even let myself think about that.”
“I guess we’re both kinda idiots then,” Ino said, shaking her head at that. All this time…..No use being upset about the past now. Ino had a chance. She knew that for sure now.
“It is a lot to take in, I know that. How about this, we talk over it all tomorrow night, at dinner? Whatever place you like. Let’s just give it a go. Nothing has to come of it either way, we’ll always be friends, but, I’ve been waiting forever to have this moment,” Sakura put a two fingers to her lips, thoughtfully. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.” Ino grinned, going to grab her hand again.
“Come on, lets go for a walk, get out of this stuffy house.” Sakura smiled and let the bubbly blonde lead her into the sunshine, and the letter lay on the floor, forgotten.