Room 504, Friday Early Afternoon

[intraspective]

There was nothing quite like training all morning, taking a long hot shower, then collapsing onto your bed and flipping through gardening magazines and making notes.

And, you know, not thinking about what she had to do. That worked. Maybe if she just stayed in her room it’d all be okay for another day.

Luck ran in her family. Surely that meant this tactic would work. She'd keep her promise to A.J., but really, did it have to be today?

[Door is shut, post is for a certain alien-boy, but open if you come before him in the timeline.]

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[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

She'd gone silent. And he didn't want to ask, but...

"Is everything OK?"

[intraspective]

That would've made her roll her eyes--wasn't it obvious?--but Ino didn't.

She shrugged, hands clenching, and straightening her back and meeting his eyes. "I asked you for more time," she said, "on Sunday."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"You did", he remembered, looking back at her and not moving from his spot.

[intraspective]

"I made up my mind," she said simply, eyes clear and determined.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

And just like that, any relaxation in his posture vanished.

"Okay."

[intraspective]

"Close the door," she said quietly. This is deserved an explanation if he could handle it. Ino took a deep breath, sorrowfully, and said quietly, "I chose, and I... I didn't choose you."

There. She'd said it. Now to watch it blow up in her face.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

He didn't blow up. He just stood, looking at her.

Finally, quietly, "I figured."

[intraspective]

"I didn't," she admitted.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Oh, come on, Ino. Like you were ever going to choose me in the end."

[intraspective]

"You don't know what I think," she said, keeping a lid on her temper even though a fight right now... would be good. Make her feel less guilty. "It was a good possibility."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

He shook his head, turning towards the door.

"It never was. Why would it be?"

[intraspective]

"It was," Ino said, watching him, "it was. You're smart, and funny, I find you ridiculously attractive, and I really like spending time with you."

All true.

"But we're not," a deep breath, wavering slightly, "I don't... it wouldn't work. We're too different."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

He stopped, looking down at his feet.

"Comes to the same thing, in the end."

[intraspective]

"I'm still your friend," she said, trying to keep the wobble out of her voice, "I still want to be your friend. It's just... I couldn't..."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"I don't know if I can deal with that, Ino, if you're gonna be with him."

[intraspective]

Well.

She... that, that hurt, but Ino couldn't blame him.

"It won't change my feelings," she said quietly, "because even if you don't want me to be a friend, I'll still care."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"You know what I wanted from you", he said just as quietly.

[intraspective]

"I'm, I'm sorry I can't be that for you," she said, ducking her head, "I am. But I still care. Always."

But she was always apologizing around him. Ino hated that.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Something here wasn't enough", he said with a half-shrug.

Whatever she said, he thought it was him.

[intraspective]

"It wasn't that," she said, head coming up, "nothing to do with who you are." And everything to do with the way they just didn't mesh in the right spots.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"'We're too different'", he quoted back at her. "Sounds like it was who I am."

[intraspective]

"I'm sorry we're not suited," she said, "but I never wanted you to think that. You're great, but we are too different."

Ino tried to think of a way to word it. "If you killed someone, how would you react? Say, it was someone who wasn't the best type of person, but hadn't actually done anything to you."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Depends", he said slowly. "If they'd done anything to people who mattered..."

[intraspective]

"They didn't," she said, "say that they aren't nice but they haven't done anything to anyone you've cared about."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Depends", was all he could say. "There must have been something."