Summary: [VIGNETTE.] Ino, Yamato, and picking apples. Ino-centric, Yama/Ino cuteness. Fluff/drabble. Crack.

Disclaimer: The usual. I don't own Naruto.

Rating: T. Or at least, an attempt at a Teen rating.

A/N: What can I say? I was bored and looking for a challenge. This popped into my head. Enjoy.

Apple in Her Hand

Yamato and Master Kakashi stood in front of her, waiting for Naruto and Sakura at their usual training grounds, the air glimmery with the golden light of summer. Yamato was the one she was asking, but if Master Kakashi came along, she wouldn't mind.

"So do you want to join me?" Ino asked. She put on her best pretty-please-with-cherries-on-top-and-whipped-cream hopeful face. "I'll buy lunch!"

Yamato touched the side of his hand to his mouth, his dark eyes lowering to a point past her shoulder. That he puzzled over all sides of the situation was a trait she never questioned. Their romance was new, and she understood his hesitance to ignore his duty in favor of her, as well as his hesitance to engage in brand new emotions. Those emotions seemed far from her grasp, deep under his skin, even as he considered her request. It seemed a long, long time had passed before Master Kakashi scooted Yamato along, taking him by the elbow and dragging. Kakashi seemed to be on her side, and she tried not to smile too broadly.

"Go on. I've got Naruto and Sakura covered," Kakashi said, "and I think you could use the break."

"Kakashi…I," Yamato wiggled his arm back and forth, but Kakashi's grip remained. "Don't we have Sai to-"

"Nonsense. Be romantic. She's your girlfriend, anyway." I love torturing my subordinate, was what tainted Kakashi's drawl. She stifled a giggle at Yamato's woebegone expression. Kakashi continued, "It won't hurt for you to play hooky for an afternoon when lunch is free."

She thought Kakashi had a smile plastered on his face under that mask of his. Yamato scowled, but assented, and said, morosely, "Fine. Where're we going, Ino?"

After a moment's worth of explaining, he nodded and they began walking to the orchards that were near the training grounds area. As they walked, they did not converse, but Ino kept him in her peripheral vision and couldn't prevent the secret smile in the corner of her mouth. He was in his own world or, perhaps, he was only far away, like the moon from her reach. By the time they entered the public apple orchard, he looked grumpy, put upon, so slyly, Ino tucked her hand inside his, and thought it sweet when he sharply glanced at her, startled. Then the hold on her hand, which had enveloped her skin in warmth, tightened.

"I've never held hands before," he said after a few steps into the richly tart air of the orchard. Branches above them were sparse with the shiny red apples that would go into her apple tarts. "You surprised me."

Bittersweet, that confession of his, said matter-of-factly and with open honesty. Her eyes stung with tears. "I'm happy to hold your hand. It's nice that you let me." Her smile spread a mile wide, so she could hide her sadness at his inexperience with the small things in life. Like apple-picking. "Would you be uncomfortable if I told you it makes me feel like I'm connected to you?"

"That's a Yamanaka way of interpreting it, I suppose."

Did she hear an ironic lilt to his words? "You're the one who said yes to me."

"You're right. I knew what I was getting into."

She chuckled. "Did you?"

"I don't regret it for a second."

Ino knew Yamato had relaxed the grip on his feelings since he was humoring her in their conversation. His presence had returned to the quietness, the serenity, that she'd felt from him in Kakashi's company on occasion. She lead him by hand to the far back rows of the orchards, a good ten minutes' walking distance, to the overburdened trees that had not been spoiled from previous fruit pickers. Few apples had fallen to the ground in the area she chose, and the trees waited patiently for Ino to hand Yamato his basket.

"Any ones in particular?" he asked. He gazed up seriously- -face brightened, glowing, from the sun- -at the apples. She wondered if he was judging the distance to the peak of the trees. "Size, I mean."

"Whichever look the most delicious," Ino replied and kissed his cheek. He was most delicious. "I'll be using them in baking."

Then he angled his head and on her mouth he settled a kiss, a timid little thing that fluttered off a moment later when she closed her eyes to enjoy it. He stepped back into his own orbit- -a retreat. Dark eyes weighted with newborn emotion. Ino understood Yamato's penchant for space; he didn't like people to hover around him, so she left to fill her basket from a neighboring tree. She had grasped the first apple, when Yamato's voice stopped her.

"Ino, take this tree," he said. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw he had grown a ladder up into the tippy-tops of the tree with Wood jutsu. See what I did for you. "You can reach all the delicious ones, now."

How could she articulate what she felt? She'd picked him, but he had a way of cradling her own heart in his hands and brushing gentle thumbs over the tender skin.

"Thank you." I love you. But it was too soon for her to say that. "Yamato, thank you so much."

He must've heard her heart in her voice because a blush rose on his cheeks. Too shy, he glanced away, even when she kissed him, so, so gently- -this one extended out, tugging her from herself into his protected core - -and squeezed his warm hand with her free one. Ino went to the ladder and climbed up, rung by rung, breaking through the gnarled, grouchy branches to pick the best looking, most delicious apples there.

A/N: I'm terrible at symbolism, but so be it. Aside from that, I have to tell you, I want to see more Yamato/Ino goodness in the Naruto-verse. Any ideas or suggestions? Lemme know, my peeps. =)