#blankperiod

She looks sick!!!! 😍😍😍 

Hello my lovely readers!  Happy Sai Ino Week!  I've fallen in love with these two.  They're both really compelling characters and have grown alot.  

Prompt:  Blank Period

Flower Inspiration: Stonecrop flowers, also known as pink sedum, have clusters of tiny pink blooms. Folklore has said the essence of the sedum flower is a cure for broken and wounded hearts. 

Summary:  Having her heart broken at a young age convinced Ino that love wasn't worth it.  Sai though, he just might be.

Sedum

When Sasuke callously rejected her gift of flowers so many years ago Ino learned at a young age to steel her heart.  To have her gift so easily ignored, and her feelings denied had made her fear love and affection. She was scared to ever bear her heart so obviously and so she tried to keep the idea of romantic love tucked away.  She focused on friendships, family, and life as a shinobi left little time or room for romantic endeavors. She had incredible people around her that she didn’t think that she needed that kind of love. If she ignored that longing, that basic want, her heart would be safe.  It wasn’t until the people around her started pairing off. Falling in love, forming relationships, putting their hearts on the line.  Weren’t they afraid? She’d walk through enough hearts and minds of people that had theirs broken and the damage that it left was irreparable and caused scars that were unseen. How could it be worth that? 

In all her planning she could have never prepared herself for Sai.  As they grew as friends, occasional teammates and something more those vines around her heart started to loosen.  Those things that she swore she didn’t need she began to crave. Those steel walls were helpless against every lingering touch, sweet smiles, encompassing hugs. For a man that claimed to know little about emotions, he was able to touch on each one of hers. Still though, as futile as it might have been she attempted each time to rebuild those barriers refusing to allow herself to be hurt. 

*

**

When she met him in a clearing that they’d deemed their own despite her self talk of refusing any kind of romantic feelings towards him she couldn’t help but throw her arms around him a familiar hug. Just seeing him made her feel lighter.

“Hello, Beautiful.”  She could feel him smiling against her hair his arms warm, natural and sturdy around her. Sai had become her safe place. A haven she could run to when she needed to feel protected and needed peace. He never demanded anything from her and claimed that her mere presence whatever frantic state she might be in was enough. It was selfish, she knew how much he cared about her, she could see in his eyes that want and longing for so much more than she could give him. 

Today she’d asked to meet him as it had been a long tiring day and she knew that he was the only thing that could give her any kind of comfort. She needed something, anything to soothe her mind and heart and so she kissed him swallowing his surprise. His lips were soft and warm against hers his hands tracing warm patterns along her waist and back. All hurt and pain melted away in that perfect kiss. 

This could be okay, they could still be close.  She convinced herself as her lips continued to chase his.  She’d give him that physical affection that they both wanted without allowing feelings and attachments to complicate things. She could have him without the risk of having her heart broken and yet the bright smile he sent her when they separated almost shattered her heart. 

“I’d always hoped you felt the same, that you loved me back.” Her heart stuttered in her chest. 

“What?”

“Oh, here these are for you.” He placed an elaborate bouquet in her hand before kissing her forehead gently. “Your mom helped me pick them out.” 

“I love you Ino.” Wordlessly she took the flowers in her hands and pushed them against his chest.  His expression twisted into one of pain and confusion.

“Ino?”

“I can’t do this Sai, I’m sorry.” And with that, she ran. 

She was sad, frustrated and angry. How dare he! She’d told him time and again about her fear of relationships and love and never once did he try to convince her otherwise.  Didn’t he understand? 

She broke down in tears overwhelmed and exhausted. He loved her, of course, he did. Why else would he have put up with her the way he did? He’d become one of her best friends, a trusted comrade and held a special, different place in her heart and she so callously rejected him and his gift. That defeated hurt look in his eyes broke her heart but along with it those carefully constructed walls and for once she had clarity. She wanted Sai, in all ways in any capacity that she could have him. Because while her heart may have broken there, he still remained. So she ran back to him, to the person that made her feel any semblance of peace and comfort after the loss and tragedy of war. 

The flowers he’d so meticulously chosen were scattered on the ground around him where he stood frozen except for the tears in his eyes.

“Ino...I’m sorry…please don’t, don’t leave me. I shouldn’t have pushed, I just want you in my life in whatever way you’re willing to give me, it’s enough, it always will be, just please stay.” He begged his voice choked with emotion. 

She didn’t know if she could hate herself more than she did at that moment. She knew his past, the hurt and scars he bore. How admitting that he loved her took so much and yet she treated his confession as some kind of chore rather than a gift. 

Her arms wrapped carefully around him. “I’m sorry Sai. I shouldn’t have run off like that. I love you, of course, I do. I’m just scared. I was scared to give you my heart, worried that you might reject me and yet I did that to you. I realize though that my heart could only ever be truly safe in your hands. I’ve spent my life rejecting these kinds of feelings, in that way we’re similar. I don’t want to suppress them anymore. I want you, I love you and while you could still shatter my heart into a million pieces I know that you never would.”

He kissed her fiercely, passionately and with all the love that he could show her. His arms were strong and protective around her.  “From now on you fear nothing, you trust that no matter how frightening I will always be there to keep you safe even it’s from your own thoughts.  I love you.”  He kissed her fondly before brushing the tears that ran down from her eyes. 

“I love you Sai.”  She sobbed into his chest the flood of emotions she’d held back for years rushing through her. Through that veil of tears, she saw him looking at her with that soft assuring smile. Promising that through it all he’d always be right there.

She picked up a few of the flowers around their feet arranging them in a quick bouquet before presenting it to him. The meaning not lost on either of them. She was finally giving all of herself to him. Hoping that this time her feelings, that she herself, would finally be accepted. He took the flowers carefully in his hand while pulling her into his strong arms, her head cradled against his heart. 

“Thank you Ino.” She smiled thinking about that sad little girl that had her first experience of heart break. Wishing that she could tell her that in the end, her life would be so much better for it. 

Thanks again for reading!  I love Ino, I think that there's so much more to her than is portrayed in the anime.  She's been through alot and I'm happy that she and Sai have each other. (okay, enough ranting)  I probably won't be able to do the whole week but I wanted to contribute where I could. I'm looking forward to everyone's submissions.