Outside the Weapons Locker, Sunday Afternoon

[puppy_fair]

Zack was putting one foot in front of the other on his way across the causeway. There was no thought involved in this, only motion, only the one-two rhythm of his legs working, of the soles of his boots hitting the ground ahead of him again and again in quick, steady succession. He walked. Across the causeway, across the island. Back toward the

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[flowering_mind]

Just because the island was practically dead didn't mean she wasn't busy. (She was always busy.) Which meant that, when Ino bounced down the stairs and then down the hall to where the weapons locker was, she had training on the mind and rapid-fire contemplation of how to deal with the problems and weaknesses she knew she had...

And then those thoughts came to a skittering halt as she noticed Zack.

Sitting down and not looking very... Zack-like at all. Where was his bounce? Why was he sitting outside of the weapons locker? ... Why was his sword even larger than normal?

Ino silently padded over to him knelt down beside him, head-tilted to watch his expressions--his face was injured, his sword wasn't his own; she knew his normal sword--and studied him for a long moment before she spoke.

"Hi, Zack," she said gently. Quietly. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was upset. That something had gone dreadfully wrong on his mission. Ino's heart twisted just looking at him.

Zack was... Zack. Whatever happened to him mattered to

[puppy_fair]

There were words, there. A familiar voice that edged in around the corners of whatever fog had settled into his head. And he wanted to look up, and some piece of him was desperate to smile at her, to grin and bounce and to hug on and tell her that he was fine. That was what he always did.

But right now, he didn't have it in him. He wasn't crying. He refused to break down and cry now that he was back here. But he couldn't quite look up far enough to meet her eyes. Breathing was hard enough as it was.

He did, however, manage a small nod. Acknowledgement that she'd been heard. That was better than nothing. It was going to have to be.

[flowering_mind]

She waited patiently for him to acknowledge her. Anyone who said she lacked patience didn't realize that she saved her patience for the important things. This was important. This was Zack crumpled on the floor and radiating misery.

He nodded. Ino let out the breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding and carefully raised one hand to brush a bit of his hair back.

Ino wouldn't ask him if he was okay. He was obviously anything but okay. The only physical injury she could spot was the one on his cheek.

Emotionally, though...

"Do you mind if I stay here awhile?" Leaving him alone wasn't… wasn't much of an option, no.

She didn't know what was wrong. Why he had a different sword. But she'd be dammed if she'd leave him sitting in a hallway by himself.

[puppy_fair]

He shook his head almost immediately, then. Zack didn't want to be left alone. He'd been left alone far, far too often, these past few days. And right now... Right now, he could really use somebody nearby.

He licked his lips, as though that was somehow going to do something about the catch in his throat, and about how difficult it was to find words, right now. It really didn't do much good.

"Hey," he managed, and that was about that before he was shutting his mouth and willing himself to breathe, to keep his composure.