Fated

[openedthebasket]

You deserved to die.

The piece of paper was snatched out of the air before it could hit his face, leaving him pausing and frowning down at it with a sudden chill. Where could it have come from? A moment as he formed the seals to activate his Byakugan, but -- no one to be seen who could have tossed this at him. Troubling, somewhat cruel, but seeing as how he could see other papers drifting to the ground before other people...? Hardly something to be concerned about, lest this were another seal of some kind.

Still, he couldn't let it fall, running a thumb over it before letting it slip into his pocket. It hadn't been much more than another few steps when a second paper fell, snatched before it could land on his shoulder.

You deserved to die.

Comments

[perfectcosmos]

"I'll get you guys used to me." She shook her head, moving to the couch and releasing them to point at it imperiously. "Now sit, we're cuddling."

[guiltoftruth]

Cuddling? She had to blink a couple of times and gauge if Ino was serious before she sat down on one side, waiting for the other two almost expectantly.

[openedthebasket]

They were being ordered to cuddle? Neji felt patently ridiculous, but did as she said, taking a moment to carefully study the couch. If he sat beside Sasuke, would that prohibit Ino from reaching her? If he sat too far, would that make it awkward for Sasuke?

A frown, then he settled for a halfway point -- enough room for Ino to squeeze between him and Sasuke if she chose, yet not far enough away to make it unreasonable for her to sit on the other side of him, either.

[perfectcosmos]

Ino, highly amused by the way that Neji is rather awkward about it, and she moved over, sitting in his lap without much of an ado and leaned forward to tug Sasuke closer.

[guiltoftruth]

Sasuke couldn't help making a noise at that, blinking a few times before she leaned in and tried to settle into the warmth of the two close to her. Okay this was... Different. But she could deal with it.

[openedthebasket]

Maybe Sasuke could, but Neji couldn't. He let out a decidedly strangled noise at suddenly being sat upon, eyes going wide as he stared up at her back, then glanced to Sasuke.

What was he supposed to do with his hands? How was he supposed to sit?

[perfectcosmos]

Ino squirmed until her legs were draped across Sasuke's lap, and she reached to grab Neji's left hand, resting it on her waist, then took his right and looped it around Sasuke so the dark haired girl could nestle in easier. Sasuke seemed to be doing better, so she figured the girl might be able to manage her own hands.

[guiltoftruth]

It took her a few moments, but she did figure out something to do with her hands. Very gently she rested them on Ino's legs, leaning into Neji when she did so that she could at least make an attempt at being more comfortable.

[openedthebasket]

Alright, this was starting to edge toward humiliating when Ino took his hands, but once she'd adjusted him and Sasuke had shifted in, he had to admit the warmth was... nice. Really nice, actually, and he carefully let the hand around Sasuke's shoulders lift just enough to lightly brush through the ends of her hair as his other hand's fingers fell into a more natural position against Ino's waist.

"...Now what?"

[perfectcosmos]

"What do you mean now what?" She nestled in against his chest with a soft laugh, putting her head on his shoulder. "Do you have somewhere to be?"

[guiltoftruth]

Sasuke just plain didn't answer, pausing for a moment before she leaned more on Neji, her eyes glancing to Ino in her silence before they closed and she simply tried to relax. Admittedly... She could sleep like this, potentially, surrounded by warmth and... Well, love.

[openedthebasket]

Neji only huffed quietly through his nose and didn't bother to answer immediately, instead only feeling himself start to relax beneath them both. There was no avoiding the thought that somehow he'd ended up in what was potentially the most enviable spot of any man in the village, sandwiched neatly between two beautiful, deadly kunoichi...

But he let his eyes fall closed as he only focused on them both, exhaling and continuing to stroke his fingers gently through Sasuke's hair, his thumb brushing Ino's waist.

"I can think of nowhere I would rather be," he murmured honestly.

[perfectcosmos]

Ino's smile was warm as she looked from one to the other, and a tension she didn't even realize had been tightening her shoulders eased. Much better. Now that the worry was gone, she relaxed comfortably into her perch for the long haul.

"Perfect. Then you two can stay right here."