Yamanaka Ino (Iris)

Ino hadn't wanted to... not bother Zack, exactly, but hadn't wanted to bring anything up that was too raw given everything, and then coupled with Tseng's visit (which had confused and intrigued her in about equal amounts, with an odd, unexpected dash of finding it comforting that he'd come--or, perhaps, comfortable was the better word?) well, Ino just hadn't wanted to step ungently.

There was a time and place for that.

But she and Reno really did need to get going, the trip Zack was going on with the school gave them time to get away more or less scot-free, and... before that happened, she didn't want to hold back Aerith's letters.

Tseng hadn't wanted to punish Aerith any further--well, Ino had never wanted to at all.

"Hey," she said, smiling as Zack came in after class. "What did you cover today?"

She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, sorting through notes from her shop, not having bothered to put on more than a tank-top and shorts on today, since she hadn't been out.

[For the modded-with-permission guy, but also open for calls and/or visitors.]

Ino wasn't avoiding Zack. She really wasn't. This wasn't like the situation they'd been in last year, with both of them ignoring the elephant in the room and coexisting without ever really living with one another.

This was different because Ino had drowned herself in research since Kueng had left and had barely looked up from it for long enough to eat and shower and sometimes (maybe) sleep.

So, in a way, she was perhaps to be forgiven for not realizing just how much time she'd spent buried in years and years of painstaking work—a great deal of it done after her death—by a man whose love for her showed in the sheer amount of information he'd provided.

There was a lot of think about. And not all of it was about her death either.

Ino frowned at the report she was rereading.

[For ze guy, yo.]

It was still disgustingly cold out, so Ino wasn't outside.

Nope, she was still hanging out on the couch, buried under dogs while the rest of them played or napped or wandered through the apartment at will. She'd never tell Zack, but a couple of the older dogs totally had her smitten.

Silly was perched on the back of the couch, watching the proceedings with beady eyes, but so far none of the puppies or the older dogs had made a go at eating Silly, which Ino figured was a win.

She was very damn near content as she worked on her petition for Tseng. Tseng was going to dismiss it no matter how much work she put into it, but hey, it gave her something to do.

And it would amuse her to send it to him.

[Open for visitors or calls~]

It was just past midnight when Ino finally, finally made it back to the apartment above the Boards. (It wasn't home, not yet, maybe not ever. Home had a green and black and smoky sky.)

Out of respect for Zack's sleeping mind (peaceful, for once), and out of habit, Ino slid into the apartment so silently that not even a whisper of rustling clothes marked her passing. She was so tired. And sore, though she'd taken care of injuries before coming back here.

Her uniform had seen better days but… well… that was another reason why it was good Zack was sleeping. She poked her head into the living room and paused. He was on the couch, bare-chested, with a puppy sleeping on him.

Irritation borne of her own exhaustion and the unexpected presence of the puppy rustled at her nerves, but her eyes were drawn more to the grey-scale and moon-lit tracery of torture scars that rippled Zack's chest, and while her nerves jangled, that made her stomach drop.

She was glad he was asleep. She had no idea what he'd say but—Ino didn't think he'd want her to see. (She'd always had good eyesight, though, and the moon helped—)

And the puppy…

Ino took a deep breath and headed, silently, for a shower. They'd talk about it tomorrow. She didn't want a dog but—they'd talk about it tomorrow. If she woke him up to talk about it now, neither of them would be happy.

(Maybe it was out of character to be so thoughtful but… but Ino was tired. She wouldn't enjoy this fight, the way she enjoyed a lot of them. But not this time, not now, not like this.)

Shower, bed, sleep. Tomorrow she'd deal with everything currently drowsing in the living room.

[Establishy! Zack and puppy modded with permission.]