"I don't want to go home tonight," Sakura admitted in the darkness of the cab. She didn't look to Ino as she spoke and kept her eyes on the fingers in her lap. Her voice had come out quiet but she was sure Ino could hear the desperation in it.

They'd just finished having dinner after finishing their classes. It was past midnight already and the numbers glared at her from the dashboard of Ino's old mustang. It was past her curfew already by at least half an hour. She knew because she could feel the buzzing of her phone against her leg. Her father was working himself up in his anger by the minute. Sakura subconsciously rubbed her arm at the thought of him.

The night was quiet from where they had parked at the edge of town. Sakura could hear a dog barking in the distance, the only other sound besides the music that was playing from the radio. The lull of their conversation had slowed around an hour ago and they had been comfortably staring up at the stars.

She could feel Ino's eyes on her but she couldn't look at her. Sakura didn't think she'd be able to keep her lips from trembling if she had to tell her. Ino wasn't one to push things though, so Sakura tried to calm her breathing. Ino knew everything without her even needing to tell her anyways. It was why Sakura didn't feel like she needed to remind her how bad it was.

"Why?" Ino asked her in a gentle voice.

Sakura simply shrugged and like she expected, Ino didn't prompt her any further. They were quiet for a moment and then Ino asked her with a hopeful tone, "Do you want to go out dancing?"

Sakura looked over at her confused with a small laugh. "Where are we going to go dancing? There's not any clubs around here."

Ino leaned forward and turned the keys in the ignition. She winked at Sakura and said with a newfound conviction, "I know a place."

Sakura smiled back at her with a nod, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her chest. Ino turned back onto the road and at the first red light she reached, she turned to Sakura and held out her hand. "Give me your phone."

Sakura pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to her without question. Ino met her eyes and asked her, "If you don't want to go home, then I'm not going to take you home. So, are you sure?"

Sakura let out a deep breath, her eyes falling to the buzzing cellphone in Ino's palm. "Yes."

Ino grinned at her and Sakura watched as Ino turned the phone off and threw it to the backseat. Sakura didn't miss it and when Ino held out her hand to her again, she interlocked their fingers.

Sakura didn't know how long they drove for, at least an hour she guessed. Ino had messed with the settings and took the time off the dashboard so Sakura would stop glancing at it. The air was warm and Sakura was thankful Ino had the top down. The wind felt nice against her skin and she loved the way it felt through her hair. Ino had turned the radio to a pop station and was happily belting out lyrics to make Sakura laugh.

Sakura forgot all about her troubles when she was with Ino. She just made her forget so easily. The way her skin felt against hers as she held her hand. That soothing voice of hers and her sweet laugh. She was mesmerizing and Sakura always found it hard to look away from her. Especially now with her long hair flying in the wind like blonde ribbons dancing. She just had a purple crop top on that dipped into her breast with a pair of black high waisted shorts and ankle boots. Compared to Sakura, she was barely clothed and her cheeks were pink form the cold of the wind. She was beautiful.

Ino took her to another city that Sakura had never been to before. She pulled over on a street that obviously thrived on the nightlife. Sakura could see dozens of people on the sidewalk and walking into buildings. Laughter and music flooded into the street. Sakura started to feel a little nervous as Ino touched up her makeup for her. But she was with Ino and that eased the twisting nerves in her stomach.

After Ino was finished with her eyeliner and lipstick, she pocketed a few twenties from her wallet. Sakura stepped out of the car with her and Ino walked around the car to her side. Ino looked her over and frowned. "Sakura, you're going to burn up in there. Take off your shirt."

Sakura looked at her scandalized. "Ino!"

Ino grabbed her shoulders and shook her head. "Come on. I know you have a crop top underneath."

Sakura levelled her with a look. "It's mesh."

Ino rolled her eyes and her hands fell to the hem of Sakura's long sleeve. "Your bra covers everything. The club will have a lot skimpier looking women. Don't worry."

Sakura didn't really mind taking off her shirt. She was fine with her body and knew she was attractive. But there was a certain reason she didn't want to take off her long sleeve. It was like a security blanket to her, it covered everything. It was the same reason she wore it along with her high waisted blue jeans.

Ino could feel Sakura's refusal and unlocked the car before reaching in for something. She held it up to Sakura with a grin. "This will cover them pretty well, don't you think?"

Sakura looked at her mortified. "Is that body glitter?"

Ino nodded and before Sakura could ask her why she had that, Ino had took off her shirt. Sakura immediately wrapped her arms around herself and tried to hide the bruises. But Ino saw them and Sakura watched as her jaw clenched. Ino gently pried Sakura's arms away from her body and her eyes looked over every spot of blue and yellow.

Ino seemed to have an internal battle on whether to talk about it, but decided to save it for later. She gave Sakura a smile and shook the small tube of glitter. But Sakura shook her head. "Ino, that will just bring attention to them, not hide them."

Ino cupped her face and her expression was warm. She leaned down and kissed Sakura's forehead before leaning her head against it. Sakura was met with a calming blue as Ino told her, "Sakura, you are beautiful. These bruises are just proof that you're strong. Proof of what you have lived through. That your body is trying to keep you together just as much as I am. And we're going to decorate them."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh with a nod, a tear slipping down her cheek. Ino kissed it away before going to work and dusting rainbow glitter all over Sakura. She even sprinkled some of it in Sakura's bright pink hair. Sakura giggled and took the glitter from her, throwing it all over Ino as well. It made Ino look dazzling as it fell over the flower tattoos she'd gotten to cover up scars of her own.

When they were finished, Ino capped it and tossed it back into the car through the cracked window. Ino wrapped her arm around Sakura's waist and led her down the street. Sakura was starting to feel excited about the night and leaned into Ino's side as they walked. But when they reached the destination, Sakura's feet cemented to the ground. She looked at Ino with a panic. "You brought me to a gay club?"

Ino tried to calm her down and didn't let her slip out of her hold. "Sakura, it's okay."

Sakura had a flash of her father with a raised fist behind her eyes and took a step back. "No." Her eyes searched the street even though she knew there was no way he could be there. She could feel her heart rate picking up and her breathing becoming shallow.

Ino's hands started to rub up and down Sakura's soothingly. "Baby, breathe."

Sakura met her eyes and tried to calm her breathing back down. Ino promised her, "No one is going to hurt you here. You can just be yourself. Okay? Just trust me. I would never let that happen."

Sakura slowly nodded and Ino gave her a sweet smile. "We'll have fun. I promise if you feel uncomfortable, we'll leave and go raid a McDonald's for chicken nuggets and smoothies."

Sakura laughed and Ino slipped a hand into hers. She brought Sakura's hand to her lips and kissed it. She winked at her and asked while holding up their hands like fists, "Ready, love?"

Sakura's took a deep breath and nodded. Ino walked her through the doors, smiling back at her over her shoulder. Sakura was so distracted by her smile, she almost missed the array of colors and the booming music.

Ino didn't think she'd ever seen Sakura look so beautiful as she spun her around on the dancefloor. Sakura was laughing and had the biggest smile on her face. Her short hair flew around in every direction as they danced. She was hypnotic and Ino couldn't look away from the woman in her arms. The colored lights bounced off her glitter covered skin and made her look amazing. She was like a goddess who had just won a battle with glitter for wounds.

The longer they danced, the more confident and comfortable Sakura felt, which Ino was thankful for. She didn't bring her here to freak her out. She just wanted her to be happy, to feel safe. She could tell Sakura was still slightly nervous. She didn't take her eyes off Ino, which wouldn't be unusual but Ino knew it was most likely because Sakura was still worried about being judged.

At some point, Ino pulled her away from the dancefloor and to the bar. She ordered them a couple of drinks from the bartender who was very enthusiastic about his job. He handed them their glasses and asked, "Are you guys having a good time?"

Ino smiled back at him – his nametag read Naruto – and nodded. She glanced beside her at Sakura, who was staring down at her drink and avoiding eye contact. Ino frowned and told Naruto, "Sakura's just a little nervous. This is her first gay club," when he looked at Sakura worriedly.

Sakura's head shot up and she glared at Ino with a blush. "Ino!"

Ino stuck her tongue out at her and rested her hand on Sakura's thigh under the counter. Naruto grinned and turned to Sakura. "That's awesome!"

Sakura finally looked at him and smiled nervously at him. He took that as encouragement and asked her, "Well, are you enjoying yourself, Sakura-chan?"

"I am," Sakura answered and Ino felt her heart warm at watching Sakura open up. She'd always thought of her like a flower, little by little she opened up and by the end she bloomed into a beautiful flower. It only made sense for a florist to fall in love with a flower. How could she not?

Sakura looked over at her as she took a drink from her glass. She raised an eyebrow at her and asked, "Ino, how do you even know about this place? Have you been going to gay clubs without me?"

Ino chuckled and told her, "Sasuke dragged me out here with him a few weeks ago while you were vising your mom. I bought the body glitter as a joke and tried to get him to wear some. Stuck up bastard wouldn't, though." She leaned towards her and whispered, "He has a crush on one of the bartenders."

Sakura laughed and after a moment, she narrowed her eyes at Ino. "Did you dance with anyone?"

Ino held back a grin, knowing Sakura was on the verge of being jealous. She always thought it was cute when she was, which just further pissed Sakura off. Ino raised her hand up. "No. I swear I stuck to the bar while Sasuke moped that his Romeo must've had the night off."

Before Sakura could reply, Naruto spoke up from behind the bar. "Sasuke? Did you say Sasuke?"

Ino looked over at him, noticing his eyes were a striking blue like the guy Sasuke had described. Ino chuckled as something occurred to her and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Yeah? You know him? Black spiked hair and dark eyes. Pretty pale."

Naruto's grin widened and he pointed a finger at Ino excitedly. "Yes! He's sarcastic all the time and acts all cold and aloof."

Sakura laughed beside her and told him, "Yup, that's our Sasuke."

Naruto looked between the two girls as he cleaned a glass. Ino could see a faint blush on his cheeks under the neon lights. He shrugged. "I've talked to him a few times. He comes in here every now and again."

Ino shared a look with Sakura and Sakura asked Naruto bluntly, "Want us to give him your number?"

Naruto looked at her surprised and then broke into a wide smile. He rubbed the back of his head shyly. "Um, yeah, that would be great!"

Sakura slid a napkin towards him and Naruto found a pen from somewhere behind the counter before writing on it. Sakura tucked the napkin away while Naruto's blush deepened. They changed the subject from Sasuke and talked with Naruto for a while. He seemed like a nice guy and Ino was happy Sasuke had found someone cheerful and loud to suit his quiet and cool personality.

When Sakura tried to pull her back to the dance floor, Naruto called after her. "Hey, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura looked back at him and Naruto told her seriously, "You're safe here, you know. If anyone tries to bother you, just come tell me or one of the other bartenders. We'll take care of you." Ino was grateful he was smart enough to not let his eyes travel over Sakura's bruises.

Sakura smiled back at him with a nod, blushing slightly. Ino grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She winked at Naruto, "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to her."

They left the club a couple hours later and stopped by a McDonalds for something to put on their stomachs. They were back to the spot where they had parked at the beginning of the night. Sakura had a soft smile on her face that Ino hoped never went away. They were laying in the back seat and Sakura was cuddled comfortably on top of her. The stars had begun to disappear and Ino knew they would be seeing the sun rise soon.

Ino had a playlist playing from her phone titled Sakura's Fav Songs. There was a blanket draped over them and Ino could tell Sakura was on the verge of falling asleep. She knew she should probably take Sakura to her dorm soon so she could sleep in a bed, because she knew Sakura's house wasn't an option. But she was too damn comfortable to move.

Which brought on more thoughts, something Ino had been chewing on for a few months. She patted Sakura's arm and called out to her, "Hey, Sakura?"

"Hm?" Sakura mumbled against her chest.

"Move in with me." Ino said with a heavy breath, but she was sure of it. There wasn't any hesitation in her voice.

Sakura looked up at her in shock. "But, Ino, you live on campus. I can't afford a dorm."

Ino nodded. "I know. Look, I've already thought about it. I've even looked at some apartments. It doesn't have to be anything big and nice. Just somewhere for us to live. With both of our paychecks we can make it."

"I-Ino –" Sakura looked at her speechless and Ino could practically see her trying to come up with an argument.

But Ino wasn't going to let her. She held her face in her hands and met her eyes. "I'm getting you out of that house."

A few tears dropped from Sakura's eyes and onto Ino's skin. Then, her head fell back to Ino's chest and she cried. Ino could barely make out her words as she cried. She mostly babbled about how much she loved Ino and how thankful she was for her. Ino told her sweet nothings as she combed her fingers through Sakura's hair. Ino's muscles relaxed and she finally felt at peace that Sakura didn't have to go home to that man anymore. Ino continued to hold her as the sky turned into a mix of reds and oranges. It was a new day and a fresh start for them.

Sakura never had to see her father again. Ino got them moved into an apartment in a couple weeks after she tied up her paperwork for the dorms with the university. Sakura stayed at Sasuke's house in the meantime, which wasn't that big of a change since they had been friends since they were little. Sasuke even went with Ino to get Sakura's things from her house. Sakura didn't want her to go alone and Ino didn't want Sakura to have to go back. Sasuke owed them for scoring him a date anyway – though they all knew he would've done it regardless.

They were unpacking now in their new apartment and Sakura was having a blast going through Ino's old clothes. She giggled and held up a skirt for Ino to see. "Really, Ino? Isn't this skirt a little short?"

Sakura watched as Ino blushed, which she didn't see that often, and snatch the small piece of fabric from Sakura's hands. "It's short for a purpose, Sakura."

Sakura merely raised an eyebrow at her and asked, "Have you ever even worn that before?"

Ino nodded and looked down at the skirt with a smile. "I wore it to that first party we went to when we were in high school."

Sakura took the skirt back and remembered. She chuckled as her thumbs ran over the fabric. "I remember now. You wore this red crop top with it."

"I was trying really hard to impress you," Ino admitted when Sakura looked back at her.

"Short for a purpose, right?" Sakura teased her, loving the red that deepened on Ino's cheeks.

Ino pouted and looked away from her. "Well, it worked. I love this skirt. I feel like that was the first time you had ever seen me as more than a friend."

Sakura pushed a cardboard box out of the way and crawled over to her girlfriend. She kissed Ino's pouting lips and told her, "Oh, Ino, I had already seen you as more than a friend long before this skirt."

Ino met her eyes with a smile and kissed her back. Sakura pulled away and said, "You may love this skirt a lot but I love you more."

Ino laughed and pulled her closer, kissing her all over her face as Sakura giggled. "I love you, too, Sakura. Always."