fandomtownies | A Clearing In The Preserve, Thursday Evening

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A Clearing In The Preserve, Thursday Evening

This evening, there was a bit more activity going on in the preserve than the usual scampering and frolicking of the teal deer and the alots. Tonight, there were paper lanterns strung up through the branches and along the trees, there were tables set up in the clearing, and there was music. If it lacked a banner and balloons, they were hoping the glimmer of the lantern lights in the darkness made up for it.

Ino was turning seventeen, and there was only one thing to be done about it. Zack had sent out the e-mail yesterday, and he and Karla had taken care of the food and the cakes and the decorations, and, once Zack managed to get Ino to join them, they were going to celebrate!

[Up a little early for PARTY TIME goodness! Open!]

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"Happy birthday, Ino," said Zack, smiling broadly as he gave her hand a tug. There was stuff there! Didn't she want to see the stuff?

Yeah, he looked way too excited for this to be some kind of silly late-at-night picnic. Zack Fair was not so great at keeping happy secrets.

And yet, he'd managed to keep it well enough that she was actually surprised! Go him!

She wanted to see the stuff! But staring! She liked just staring too!

"You didn't have to," she said, wide-eyed as he tugged her along.

"Yeah," Zack laughed, "but isn't it awesome?"

Humility was also not Zack's strong point.

"Anyhow, I had help!" And he'd done a lot of the setup fuelled on coffee! "And you're totally worth it!"

And now he was babbling. Look! Look, Ino! See the stuff?

Blushing time was now! Yes! And he wasn't humble, no.

"Hel--" Blink. Blink. Staaare. "How did you do all of this?"

"The lanterns were easy! You just get up into the trees and string them along, and tables aren't all that heavy, and Karla found out what kind of food we should have, because I totally can't remember what they call this stuff around here but the little octopus-ball things are really good, aren't they?"

Mmm, takoyaki.

"And we kinda needed a generator for the music, but that wasn't all that heavy."

Note, Zack's sword was probably heavier.

"You're babbling," she replied, laughing. "I love it!"

"You love the babbling?" And now Zack was just being a complete dork. Why not? It was a good night for absolute dweebery!

And for stealing ninja kisses from a ninja before tugging her over to the mask table! Mask! Masquerade! Neat, huh?

Kisses were always good! And appreciated! And loved!

The masks got a laugh.

"If I hide my face, how will they know who the birthday girl is?"

"Obviously, the birthday girl is the really adorable blonde one," Zack replied, as if there could be no other answer. "Who will be making squeaky sounds at the cake."

Trust him, Ino. He knew these things.

She blinked up at him.

"...at the cake?" See, now she had to go see! Surely he wouldn't mind if she tried to wriggle away without a mask, right?

Oh, she could wriggle away all she wanted! That just meant that he was going to have to pick a mask for her, and then go chasing along after with the first thing that he managed to grab.

At least it was a fairly flattering one, right?

"The cake!"

Of which there were four.

Now he'd just have to get it on her!

And she? She was more interested in the cake he'd mentioned. And so, when she saw them--them!?--was it really a surprise which one got another squeaking fit out of her?

"Wark," Zack announced, coming up behind her with the mask in hand and a grin on his face.

He really, really wished that he had been filming this.

Ino laughed and leaned back towards him.

"You're making fun of me!"

Why yes, yes he was.

"It's cute!"

Yes, that was Zack's attempt to convince her that making fun of her in this case was totally okay!

"If it makes you feel better, I totally made the same squeaky sounds when the bakers showed me the cake!"

He had. It had been a very girly moment.

"You didn't," she replied, giggling as she studied the cake for a moment (her cake! all hers!) before looking at the othe-- "Oh."

And it was stupid, but she felt a bit wibbly at the sight of the one with the leaf on it.

He'd kind of predicted the wibbles. And this was why Zack was now on-hand with a squishy kind of hug from behind. And some nuzzles to the side of her face.

"Plenty of cake."

Because that had anything to do with anything else, right?

She was definitely not going to object to nuzzles and squishy hugs at the moment.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I do love it."

"I kinda hoped you would," he whispered back, snuggling her a little closer still.

The cake with the leaf on it had been a bit of a gamble. But it had been a thoughtful gamble.

"I know it's nothing as fancy as the necklace, but..."

Well, it had chocolate in it. Which was good, too?

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A Clearing In The Preserve, Thursday Evening

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