As the days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, he knew that was wrong. There was no excuse for what he was doing. He was a pig. He was trash. But, he didn't know what else to do. As stated before, he wasn't the smartest of men and it was beginning to show. That being said, the guilt was beginning to eat away at him.
For almost two years, he had been casually dating the Hyuuga Heiress. For almost two years, he had been forcing himself to fall in love with her. Hell, he had even imagined taking her to his bed, making love with her until they were spent after indulging and exploring one another's bodies. The furthest they had gone was an intense session of lips meeting and tongues clashing, exploring hands but it stopped before clothes began to disappear. The kisses shared between them were enjoyable but those kisses lacked the fire behind them to make him willing to advance even further with the Hyuuga. There was no burning claws of lust pulling at him. There was no heat that rushed and coursed throughout his body when they touched and kissed. Surely, the Byakugan User had noticed his hesitance. Well, hesitance was probably the wrong word. His unwillingness to progress any more.
Gods, he felt like an asshole. Scratch that, he was an asshole. He knew that she should have ended this a long time ago, but there was a sense of obligation within him. He felt that he should put time and effort to making things work because he never did anything half-assed. After all, she had risked her life for him. She had confessed her love for him. Wouldn't it be wrong of him to ignore her words and affection? Wouldn't it be wrong of him not to try?
No, what was wrong, was the fact that he had continued to be in the courting stage with her for so long. It was obvious, to probably both parties, that they were simply supposed to be friends. The male just wasn't sure how to end it. He didn't want to hurt her but he knew he was hurting her by stringing her along like this. Another sigh left him and he flinched when he heard an annoyed huff of air come from across the building.
"I swear, if you don't stop, I'll kick you out of here," threatened the Yamanaka.
The Mind Walker was currently watering a few hanging pots, while standing on a ladder. Her hair was pulled into a messy knot on top of her head, a few strands falling around in wisps of gold and white, thanks to the glittering sun rays. She wore her typical orange shirt and black shirt when gardening, her apron secured around her waist, stuffed with gardening tools. She pulled the hose out of the pots and climbed down the rungs of the ladder she was perched on. Turning off the hose, she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him.
"It's obvious something is bothering you, so spit it out. Your mood is affecting the plants too."
He knew that her temper only became like this when she was concerned. It was a roundabout way of showing that she cared. He smiled faintly, nodding his head, knowing that he was dampening the mood. She moved closer to him, a hand resting on his arm, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "Naruto," she said gently. "You know you can tell me anything."
There it was again. There was that infamous spell that she put on him, causing him to be mesmerized by her. Had she always been like this towards him? Well, they do spend the majority of their time with one another or simply around one another. They had been opening up to one another, revealing secrets that they feared other people would judge them on. There was this connection between them, beating like a pulse.
"Say, Ino," he breathed out.
She tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow to indicate that she was listening and waiting.
"What's it like to be in love?"
For a fraction of a second, her mask cracked. A surprised look coming to her face as a light rose hue dusted her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Clearing her throat, she looked away from him unable to calm her frantically beating heart. Was this a subtle way of him telling her that he held some sort of feeling towards her? No! He was dating the Hyuuga, he was just seeking out advice because she was his close friend. That was all. Nothing more than that.
She shrugged her shoulders, turning away from him as her fingers reached out to faintly trace over the silken petals of her flowers. "I don't think I have an absolute answer for that, Naruto," she started off gently. "Love…" She paused, biting her lower lip in thought. She tilted her head slightly as a smile came to her face. "Love can be wonderful. It can take your breath away suddenly, leaving you gasping for air. It can feel like you're falling into an unknown abyss. Love can happen immediately or it can take time, regardless, love is never when you expect it to happen. Love can be patient or anxious. It can make you laugh and cry, all at once and you'll have no logic or reason to explain why. Love can be happy, if you allow it."
She let go of the petal, a heavy sigh leaving her as her eyes narrowed slightly. She lifted her gaze up to peer through the foliage and up through the glass ceiling. "Love can be painful. It can eat away at your heart and soul, leaving you to become a hollow shell. It can make you wait, in a world of limbo, waiting for that one person, even if they aren't attainable. Love can be your enemy, making you sacrifice your own happiness." She looked away from her upwards gaze, a frown tugging her lips and brows furrowing, her own words causing her to shudder faintly.
The Yamanaka wrapped her arms around herself, swaying her body slightly as she continued to ponder the male's question. "But more than anything, being in love is exhilarating. It can make you feel things that you never thought possible." She turned to look at him, her gaze softening as she looked at his face. "When you're in love, you will do silly, sometimes reckless, things for that someone. You always want to be near them. You're thoughts are consumed of them. You start to feel for them, you cry for them, you fear for them, and so on. You dedicate yourself to their happiness and life." She exhaled heavily, realizing that she was becoming overly excited. "And the world becomes so much more vibrant around you, you'll see colors that you thought never existed. And it's all because that someone brought it to life for you."
She looked away from him and nodded her head. "I think that's the best answer I can give you. Love is different for everyone. It's unpredictable."
He stood there watching when she spoke about Love. The way her eyes shimmered from the color of the sky to a deep turquoise. The apples of her cheeks were round from her smile and gently dusted with a soft blush. The wisps of her hair dangled around her face, brushing against her shoulders. She would idly fiddle with the ends with delicate fingers. Her bottom lip would get sucked in between her lips when she paused to think about her response. It seemed so natural for her to speak to him about Love and it hit him, full force, knocking the air from his lungs. He was confused as to why his reaction to her was like this.
She was in love. He could see it clearly on her face, as her guard had slowly melted away. The way it danced and twirled in her eyes. How did he not notice before? Maybe because she had stated with certainty that she wasn't interested in anyone. She was in love and he didn't know with who. A foreign feeling tugged at the back of his mind, a small frown touching his lips.
The sprinkler system chose to set off at that time, causing him to lose track of his thoughts. Ino let out a surprised yelp, saying that this certainly had killed the serious mood. She raised her palms up, capturing the thick drops in her hand before a gentle laugh came from her, filling the air with a mixture of her delicate sound and the falling water. He inhaled and exhaled deeply as he watched her before him. Her eyes were closed as she continued to laugh, her nose crinkling slightly (he would later tell her that he could see why Sakura called her Ino-Pig). It was truly one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen with the Mind Walker involved.
He felt a burn touch his cheeks when she opened her eyes. There was this content look on her face as her laughter died down, her words sounded muddled in his ears as he was captured by her. The affectionate warmth that was held in her eyes caused his heart to flutter rapidly. Her face clung to her face and she would casually wipe away the wet strands. For some reason, he felt like he was at a loss for words. He could see her speaking to him but he couldn't hear. He couldn't think. He watched the way the sun traced her skin, causing it to glow while the shadows contrasted against the bright light. What compelled him to move forward, he'll never understand (at least not right now).
She eyed him with mild caution, she had yet to elicit a response from him. He had simply been staring at her and she wondered if he had put some pieces together in his head. She wondered if she had been too obvious on how she described everything. She couldn't recognize the expression he held, it was uncharacteristic of the Uzumaki. He continued to move closer to her and she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. Should she move away? Should she snap him out whatever trance he was in? She glanced away from him, staring down at the feet that refused to budge from their spot. She bit her lower lip as his feet came into her view, stopping just in front of her. Her eyes slowly trailed up his body, taking all of his features. From his broad chest that expanded from steady breaths to deep cerulean hues that stood out against his tan complexion. She took it all in, noting every detail about him. She studied the whisker like birthmarks on his cheeks, giving him that 'foxy' look (so she liked to call it). She could see faint pale lines of old and healed cuts that dotted his face and other areas of exposed skin. She gazed in awe at how the water clung to his hair. How it dripped from his chin, rolling down his neck and into the collar of his shirt.
She didn't budge or flinch when his warm palm cupped the side of her face. She raised a brow slowly, wondering what was going on in that head of his. His thumb brushed away a droplet of water near the corner of her mouth, the rough pad of his thumb touching the supple flesh. Immediately, her tongue darted out, wetting her lips and his eyes following the movement of that pink muscle. Swallowing thickly, she cleared her throat.
"Naruto," she breathed out, secretly praying that he would kiss her because she wasn't sure if she could wait any longer. Another part of her wished that he wouldn't because she was already so deeply in love with him that she didn't want to (she was fearful) plummet any further than where she was. A hitch in her breathing filled the air as his other hand slid up her spine, cradling the back of her neck. Her hands clutched the front of his shirt, fighting between pulling him closer and pushing him away. He leaned down close enough for his breath to fan out across her lips. She was nearly at her limit, she was shaking. She knew that her knees would give way any moment now. She swore if he kissed her, it would all be over for her.
It felt like a crack of lightning shot down her spine, as a Chakra Signal set off. She immediately shoved the blonde male away from her, gasping for air. She wiped off the water from her face as she quickly made her way out of the Greenhouse to meet her visitor. She wasn't sure if she would thank them or kill them, she'd decide when she saw who it was. She couldn't muster the courage to look back behind her, feeling that heated gaze follow her. She didn't want to reject him in that manner but it had all happened suddenly. He clearly wasn't thinking properly! She shook her head trying to will away the redness on her face. Rounding the corner to the front of the shop, she met with a familiar face.
"Oh, Shikamaru, is it that time already? I lost track of time!" She exclaimed with a meek smile, hoping that Naruto would stay behind.
His dark eyes regarded her in a silent manner, she knew that he was trying to figure out her flustered appearance. "Troublesome," he muttered under his breath. "Everyone else is waiting for you, so you better hurry up."
"R-Right, I'll meet up with you guys in a bit," she said, waving a hand at herself. "I'm a mess right now, so just go ahead and order without me."
The Nara rolled his eyes and turned to walk away. She waved at him before running back to around the house, she reached out her Chakra, only to find the Uzumaki's residual Signature. A hand flew to her chest and she fell back against the side of her house. She knew that she should have told him off or something along those lines. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, recounting at how close their lips had been to touch. She ran a hand over her face, she would have to tell him it wouldn't work. That he was wrong for betraying the trust of Hinata. Gods, she felt vile on the inside. She had wanted it too much that she blindly cast aside the Hyuuga Heiress's feelings. What kind of friend was she? What kind of person? Calmly down her weak heart, she headed back inside of her home to get ready, she had a group date to attend and she didn't need to be distracted, especially not around her calculative teammate.
"Naruto...Are you alright?"
Azure eyes blinked and glanced over at the pale eyed woman walking beside him. Ah, that was the third time tonight that she had caught him in a daze. She tucked a few pieces of hair behind her ear as he reassured her that he was, in fact, alright. However, the Hyuuga knew better than to believe his words. If anything, the Uzumaki male was honest with his feelings, even if he never spoke about it immediately. Being around him for nearly two years, she had picked up of small quirks that he did. Like when he was upset, he would would become restless, needing to go blow off steam at the Training Grounds. When something was on his mind, his brows would pinch together in thought and he would fall silent. He was not perfect but she nonetheless adored him. However, for nearly two years they had been stuck in this limbo of sorts. Neither one of them had made the effort to call what they had between them a relationship. Their commitment to one another was barely there. She often wondered if she had done something wrong.
He had approached her a few weeks after the World War had ended, hesitant and shy. He had told her that he couldn't possibly convey the same amount emotion towards her that she had done during the fight with Pein, but he was willing to try. It was the first time that she had seen Naruto in such a mature manner, the War had definitely changed him, for better or worse, she'd like to think it was the former not the latter. Ever so slowly, he eased his way into her life, asking questions about her life, her childhood and so on. She had to admit, it was strange when they had finally started to be around one another more. She had never thought that he would actually chose to pursue her in a romantic fashion. That hope and love that she had clung to so desperately throughout her childhood was finally being brought to life. She had been ecstatic.
Every date with the blonde male was fun, entertaining. There was never a dull moment with him, even if they simply went on a walk (much like what they were doing now). She enjoyed the Uzumaki, flaws and all. However, it didn't take her too long to notice that, things were off with him. He was uncertain when it came to personal displays of affection. He only held her hand when they were alone, she had never pegged him to be secretive in a relationship. He only kissed her after six months of seeing one another. She had figured it was because he wanted to take things easy, to make sure that there was something blossoming between them. She appreciated his patience, however, she found herself growing in impatience.
She had built the courage to bring them back to his apartment, initiating intimacy between them. She was sure that he would understand her intentions and feelings during this point. She took it as embarrassment when his eyes glanced away from hers when she straddled his lap. She took it as restraint when he gripped her shoulders, pulling away from their locked lips. She took it as a show of respect for her when he muttered a heavy apology to her. She took it all as this because she saw him as her ideal partner. She had pined for him for so long, she had put all her faith and adoration into him. He was simply being respectful towards her. How wrong she had been.
After that moment, he had made sure never to return back to his cluttered apartment. After that moment, he made sure that they were in the public eye more often than not. It stung, that sudden realization, but she had to accept his feelings, like he had accepted hers. This was both, their first relationship with another person, there were bound to be roadblocks and hurdles to conquer. She understood this much but as the months continued on, she couldn't feel but feel this resentment towards his chivalrous act eat away at her. She was finally understanding that they would be nothing more than what they were now. She wished that it would end but she also felt her ideals of him making her cling to him.
She was pathetic in that sense. She knew that she loved him, maybe loved the idea of him more, but she knew that those feelings had yet to lessen. She had wanted to bring up this conversation for a while now but he was practically distant with her nowadays. She hardly saw him anymore, disappearing every time the middle weekday came around, then he would throw himself in the throes of dedication when it came to training. She too had little time to see him, her ascension to becoming the Clad Head was nearing. Maybe she was just trying to hold off the inevitable, clinging onto her childhood crush. It stung to think about things not working with him but she couldn't hate him because of it.
All she could have hoped for was that he had least acknowledged her feelings for him and he had done more, that extra mile that made the blonde male lovable. He had put all his effort into wooing and courting her, while lacking those same feelings. He took the time to further know her better, to understand her. He had been there in her moments of weakness and strength. He had come to aide her while she lay ill in bed (despite Hanabi and the other Hyuuga family members taking care of her). He had tried all of this, in order to show that he truly appreciated the love that she had always had for him. But she could see it, he was captured by something else. She dared not think someone else because that was too soon for her heart to handle. She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling her emotions starting to well up in the depths of her chest.
She knew what had to be done.
They rounded a corner, on one of the many streets of their Village, taking in the ethereal illumination that was given off by the buildings' and restaurants' lanterns. They continued to walk in an awkward silence between them, as most of their walks ended up like this. It was obvious to those around them that there was an impending conversation looming over their heads, weighing down what should be a loving atmosphere. The male rubbed the back of his neck, chewing on his lower lip, trying to figure out what to say. The lilac eyed woman simply stared at the ground, a frown tugging at the corners of her lips. She knew that she needed to grab his attention somehow. Glancing up, she opened her mouth to speak but her voice caught in her throat. His gaze was directed somewhere else, his jaw clenching slightly. Sapphire eyes hardened immediately and she couldn't help but follow the direction of his gaze.
Sitting close to the outside of a restaurant, she caught a glimmer of flaxen colored locks pulled into a high ponytail, cascading like a river down her back. The color purple slowly filled her line of vision before turquoise eyes closed while a laugh floated into her air. She thought nothing out of the ordinary until she viewed who was sitting across from her. He had changed over the years but he still held that ominous air around him. His hair fell over his spiraled eye, only showing his normal dark one. He was covered in his preferred color, black. It didn't seem out of the ordinary but she noted the small smile that was on his lips as he continued to converse with the Yamanaka Heiress. Since when had they become so close?
She glanced back over to her date, only to see that he was making his way through the crowd towards the restaurant. "N-Naruto?" She called out but her voice fell to deaf ears.
Pushing back the entrance flap of the restaurant, he wasn't sure what was happening in his mind at this point. He had seen the two of them and all thoughts had ceased, everything had fallen silent to his ears. Watching the way the two of them interacted had caused his blood to come to a low simmer. To hear her laugh at the Uchiha spiked his temperature to just under boiling. The frown that etched into his features wouldn't fade away, he couldn't look away from the two of them. The only thing that popped into his head was why? Why were they together? Didn't Sasuke want to be with Sakura? Didn't Ino say that she wasn't in love with the Uchiha anymore?
Love.
The image of her face previously that day flashed into his mind. Had she been lying to him this entire time? Was she using this as some ploy to take Sasuke away from Sakura? He knew that it was wrong to think of the Mind Walker like this but the questions wouldn't stop coming forth in his mind. Why was she in love with him? There were better people out there than the Uchiha. Like who? He paused briefly in his navigation, wondering who was better suited for the Yamanaka than the Uchiha? A small part of him whispered a muffled name, he shook his head in disbelief. There was no way that that was an option. So why was he so hell bent on finding out the truth? Why did it matter so much to him?
"Naruto?"
He snapped out of his thoughts as Ino's voice called out to him in a mixture of surprise and hesitance. His eyes landed on hers and they shared a gaze with one another before she looked away. Was that guilt on her face? He looked over at the impassive expression of the Uchiha, trying to understand the situation. Trying to understand his own motives.
"What do you want, idiot?"
"Sasuke!" The blonde woman hissed out, throwing a glare at him before looking up at her friend. "What's going on, Naruto? Did something happen?"
The way she said the Uchiha's name so familiarly only caused ire to rise within him. He clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists. How could they do this? How could they so casually be in public with one another. He heard the sound of a chair being scooted across the floor, a hand touching his arm cautiously. Turquoise eyes were looking at him in concern. "Hey, are you alright?" She asked in a gentle tone, one that he was all too familiar with.
"Why are you here with him," he asked but his tone held hostility in it.
She took a step back at the sudden tone, a confused looked coming to her face. She glanced down at the Uchiha, who simply shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what was going on with his friend. "What are you talking about, Naruto? We're just having dinner-"
"So you're on a date with him," he scoffed out, unable to control himself. The words were just formulating like word vomit as he pulled his arm away from her. "And what about Sakura? Does she know that you're doing this behind her back?"
"Where are you getting this from," Ino seethed out venomously. "We're not on a date, like I said, we're eating dinner with one another because we're friends."
"Friends? Are you sure about that, Ino?" Gods, he wanted to stop but this ugly beast within him couldn't. It wouldn't stop. A low growl left him as he saw movement from the corner of his eye caused by the Uchiha. "Soon you'll be falling in love with him all over again. Wait, no, you're still in love with-"
His words were cut off by the sudden strike to his cheek, the pain radiating throughout the side of his face. Had he seen it coming, then maybe he would have dodged but somewhere in his mind told him that he needed this. The force of the impact caused his head to snap in the opposite direction so quickly, that he pulled something in his neck. The restaurant fell silent at the commotion. He slowly turned his wide eyed gaze back to the misty eyes woman, a hand reaching up to cover the red mark that was angrily pulsing. She was breathing evenly, trying to control her temper as she glared at him with watery eyes. "I-Ino, I'm-"
"Leave," she breathed out. She glanced over at the Uchiha, flicking her head towards the Uzumaki. "Take him out of here, I'll foot the bill."
There was a heavy sigh that came from the Uchiha as he stood up, hooking an arm around the blonde male's neck. He tugged at him, dragging him out of the restaurant. The Uzumaki could only watch the hurt and confusion that crossed over the Yamanaka's face as she crumpled back into her seat, burying her face in her hands. He had messed up, fucked up was the more proper tone. He allowed his confusing emotions to get the best of him. He hadn't meant to say the things that he had but he couldn't help it.
Jealousy.
That is what it was. He had felt that green beast sink its teeth into his flesh when he had first spotted them. To see Ino so easily laugh with another man, his best friend nonetheless, had caused something to snap inside of him. Could it be that he was falling for her? For Ino? No, they were just….friends right? He was released of his hold once they were outside of the restaurant. He stumbled forward, rubbing the back of his neck. He was hesitant to look over at the male who had escorted him out of the building. He looked up at his friend, who was frowning at him. They shared a silence between them before the Uchiha shook his head, muttering under his breath as he walked away from the scene that the Uzumaki had caused.
Rubbing his wrapped hand over his face, he turned only to see the Hyuuga Heiress waiting patiently for him. There was no way that he could explain his actions. They had been done without thought, instinctively. He opened his mouth to apologize but the lilac eyes woman shook her head. She inhaled deeply, lifting up determined eyes to meet his. A small faint smile touched her lips and she exhaled slowly.
"Naruto, I believe we need to talk."