Apartment Above The Boards, Friday Night
Apr. 6th, 2018 12:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
intraspectiveThey’d seen off Rufus and his wee green companion (friend? Did tiny boss actually have a friend?) and then she and Zack, still in their Hawaii finery—bikini top and short-shorts for her, Hawaiian shirt and shorts for him—had walked back through the town, taking their time.
The pollen was still around which Ino wasn’t impressed by, but it was too nice a night to get really, truly angry about it. And it was nice to be back home, it really was.
"I'm going for a shower," she said, as they got into their apartment, having decided that was the best way to keep on pretending that the pollen didn't exist. "Then I'll probably crash for the night--I'll unpack tomorrow."
Zack was all of two steps in the door, letting Girl off her leash, not that she'd really needed a leash, and reaching to hang it up as Ino spoke.
He paused, then, when she did, and turned to look her way.
"... Yeah?"
'Shower' was a very ear-catching word, okay?
It was a pretty nice word, admittedly. Ino looked back at him over her shoulder. "What’s that supposed to mean?" she asked, smiling. "Oh, wait, were you going to go first?"
Too bad, Zack, she’d claimed it!
"Oooor did you want to join me?" Maybe it was the pollen. Maybe it was the week they’d spent on the beaches of Hawaii that made her say that.
Zack hesitated a moment more, not sure if he ought to confirm that she was right. Only... she was right.
"That one," he admitted. "That second one sounds really nice."
Oh. Oh—she hadn’t actually expected him to say that. Surprise flashed across her face as she turned properly to look at him and see if he was serious. He looked serious.
Ino wasn’t the sort of woman given to being nervous, and she didn’t want to ruin anything, and most of her wanted to say yes for reasons that had nothing to do with the pollen and everything to do with the fact she’d loved him fiercely since high school. Still—
"If you want to ‘cause you want to, then yes," she said, eyes big. "But if you want to because of the pollen, no."
Zack was quiet again. He was quiet a lot right now, he realized, as he bit his lip and looked at her, taking a moment to think over his reasons for saying, wanting, thinking that.
And then, taking a deep breath and with a look of resolve on his face, he walked across the room, leaned in, and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"It's not about the pollen."
It wasn't his first time having that thought. It wouldn't be his last.
She sighed, leaning into him for a moment, then smiling softly and kissing his cheek.
"Then there’s a shower waitin' on us, huh?"
Zack smiled a little at that, reaching down to take her hand.
"Looks like there is," he agreed. "C'mon."
That thought was... nice. This was nice.
He'd missed her.
She’d missed him.
"Yeah," she said, tugging him gently towards the bathroom. "Let’s."
[Co-written with the delightfulpuppy_fair! NFI.]
The pollen was still around which Ino wasn’t impressed by, but it was too nice a night to get really, truly angry about it. And it was nice to be back home, it really was.
"I'm going for a shower," she said, as they got into their apartment, having decided that was the best way to keep on pretending that the pollen didn't exist. "Then I'll probably crash for the night--I'll unpack tomorrow."
Zack was all of two steps in the door, letting Girl off her leash, not that she'd really needed a leash, and reaching to hang it up as Ino spoke.
He paused, then, when she did, and turned to look her way.
"... Yeah?"
'Shower' was a very ear-catching word, okay?
It was a pretty nice word, admittedly. Ino looked back at him over her shoulder. "What’s that supposed to mean?" she asked, smiling. "Oh, wait, were you going to go first?"
Too bad, Zack, she’d claimed it!
"Oooor did you want to join me?" Maybe it was the pollen. Maybe it was the week they’d spent on the beaches of Hawaii that made her say that.
Zack hesitated a moment more, not sure if he ought to confirm that she was right. Only... she was right.
"That one," he admitted. "That second one sounds really nice."
Oh. Oh—she hadn’t actually expected him to say that. Surprise flashed across her face as she turned properly to look at him and see if he was serious. He looked serious.
Ino wasn’t the sort of woman given to being nervous, and she didn’t want to ruin anything, and most of her wanted to say yes for reasons that had nothing to do with the pollen and everything to do with the fact she’d loved him fiercely since high school. Still—
"If you want to ‘cause you want to, then yes," she said, eyes big. "But if you want to because of the pollen, no."
Zack was quiet again. He was quiet a lot right now, he realized, as he bit his lip and looked at her, taking a moment to think over his reasons for saying, wanting, thinking that.
And then, taking a deep breath and with a look of resolve on his face, he walked across the room, leaned in, and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"It's not about the pollen."
It wasn't his first time having that thought. It wouldn't be his last.
She sighed, leaning into him for a moment, then smiling softly and kissing his cheek.
"Then there’s a shower waitin' on us, huh?"
Zack smiled a little at that, reaching down to take her hand.
"Looks like there is," he agreed. "C'mon."
That thought was... nice. This was nice.
He'd missed her.
She’d missed him.
"Yeah," she said, tugging him gently towards the bathroom. "Let’s."
[Co-written with the delightful
puppy_fair! NFI.]
