One day, out of the blue, Ino dropped in on them.
"I was looking for a good place for a flower shop, and I thought 'Hey, Sakura's university could use a place for all those young lovers to buy things for each other.' And so here I am."
Sakura shook her head.
"You are too carefree, Ino. So where are you going to stay?"
Sakura felt she already knew the answer. Ino looked actually looked sheepish for a moment, then,
"If it's alright, I was going to crash here 'til I can find an apartment of my own. But if that's too awkward, I can totally stay in a hotel for a little while."
Naruto shrugged. "I don't mind."
Sakura punched him. "Of course you don't, you're a guy." Then she sighed. "It's alright Ino, but you have to keep away from my food, capice?"
Ino hugged her, then Naruto.
"Thanks, you guys. You're life savers."
Sakura left for classes, and the two blondes unpacked Ino's things into Sakura's room. Then came all of her cosmetics and feminine necessities. Naruto shook his head as she tucked them away in the various nooks of the bathroom.
"I'm so glad I'm not a girl."
Ino flashed him a roguish smile.
"Me too."
He didn't know what to say to that. Ino laughed.
"My my, it's been too long since you last flirted. When was your last date? A month ago? Two?"
Naruto blushed slightly.
"A year."
She stopped, then looked at her small bag of lotions still half full.
"You know, I feel hungry. I'll finish this later. What's for lunch?"
"How about ramen?"
Ino gave him an unimpressed look.
"I like eating food with nutrients, or at least some pretense of not being dominated by starch."
Naruto pouted.
"Ramen totally pretends not to be mostly noodles. That's what the chicken seasoning packet is for."
Lunch was alphabet soup. Ino stirred her bowl for a little bit, mustering her courage.
"You know, I once had a crush on you."
Naruto's spoon splashed into his soup.
"Wh-what-"
Ino waved her hand, dismissing his thoughts.
"You were a rebel, you were and are cute, and our personalities seemed to match. Obviously I never acted on it, and after a while, it faded. But make no mistake, Naruto. You are a good friend, and I want you to be happy. I don't know what's going on here, but it smells fishy."
She frowned, cocked her head to the side, then nodded.
"You like Sakura, don't you?"
Naruto seemed scared that the walls would hear.
"Yes." He whispered.
Ino smiled gently.
"Tell her."
Naruto started to tremble.
"I can't, we live together, it'd be too weird."
He took a deep breath.
"I don't want to lose her."
Ino reached out and held his hand.
"Hush. You are scared, and for good reason. It could be very dangerous, living as you are. But are you happy? Is she happy? Life is change, Naruto, no matter how much you want things to remain the same."
Naruto stared at her hand unseeingly.
"On some level I know all that, but," he sighed, "it's not so easy to apply."
"For what it's worth, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have for her than you."
He smiled weakly.
"Thanks."
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Sakura sat in the cafeteria, eating a chicken wrap for dinner as she perused an anatomical study of hands and their parts. Ino shook her head at the med student as she snuck up from behind.
"Sakura! There is a shocking lack of dashingly handsome doctors fawning over you."
Ino paused.
"No witty reply? You've lost your- oh, you're choking."
One expelled bite of chicken and an apology or two later, Ino got down to business.
"You," she said, pointing dramatically, "have got to start dating boys. Unless you are suddenly batting for the other team, in which case I must respectfully decline, as I like boys too much."
Sakura sighed wearily.
"I've told you, twelve guys here, and a decent number back home, that I do not feel like having a deep relationship right now. Will you please let it go?"
Ino clucked at her disapprovingly.
"How long has it been since your last date? Three years? Sakura, you don't have that many years until the guys will be telling you they 'don't feel like having a relationship right now'. We're nineteen, which is all kinds of magical, with a rocking figure and the number nine is all mysterious and coy, you know?"
Sakura shook her head.
"You will get more wrinkles worrying about getting guys while you're young than I will in forty years. Besides, a number is a number. It doesn't have personality traits."
"Don't try to distract me with the old 'numbers aren't people' argument, and the issue of wrinkles. Do I really have wrinkles?"
Sakura peered closely at Ino's face.
"Doesn't look like it, but it is only a matter of time."
"Thanks. As I 3was saying, you should at least talk to some guys, get to know a few, and keep your flirting skills sharp. If necessary, make guy-friends if not boyfriends."
"Ino, I already have a guy-friend, Naruto, remember?"
"Whom you are living with."
"In a totally platonic fashion."
"Plato was crappy at romance, and you need to watch Naruto more, he's better than the little hen parties like 'The View' and Oprah. For one thing, he has boy parts."
"Ino, you are terrible. Is eye candy the only thing you're interested in?"
"I'll have you know that eye candy is the best kind, zero calories! But seriously, the relationship doesn't have to be deep. Just talk, you know?"
Sakura raised her hands in surrender.
"Fine, I'll talk to a guy or two."
Sakura chewed another bite of chicken wrap thoughtfully.
"You've been awfully fixated on my roommate. Is your crush flaring up again? I hear there's medication for that."
"I'm terrible? You're the one recommending drugs to treat romance. Besides, it's not like you're using him, so it's fine if I borrow him, right?"
Sakura wore a strange expression Ino couldn't recognize.
"Don't damage him. Besides the company, I need him to pay the rent until I can get a job."
"You are the most unconventional gold digger ever."
"I'll have you know that I value his friendship more than the rent money, it just happens to be there, and I'm not complaining. Except about his hygiene."
"What's this? Is he secretly a pig? But he smells fine."
"He doesn't understand the differences between shampoos. I end up picking his out for him. Do I really want to know how you ended up sniffing him?"
"Not really."
Sakura finished off her wrap and took a drink from her water bottle.
"Are you really going to ask him out? I've been worried about him. I'm not sure if he's ever been on a date."
Ino raised her eyebrows.
"Never? Not even with you?"
Sakura looked at her in confusion.
"Why would he have dated me?"
"He's living with you. The only way that's safe is if he's gay or if you guys dated and remained friends. Or if you castrated him, but that would be a crime against womankind."
"No, we never dated. After… Sasuke, he was there for me. Ever since we've been friends, you know?"
Sakura's eyes widened in horror.
"You don't think he's peeping, like the old guys that raised him?"
It took Ino a while to stop laughing, but when she finished, she said,
"I doubt it. He's probably as honorable as those samurai he writes about."
Sakura raised an eyebrow.
"You read his books?"
Ino blushed.
"What, I've got a crush, I'm allowed some stalker-ish behavior. What about you? Surely you read your roommate's work."
Sakura shrugged.
"I'm not into action."
She checked her watch, then got up with a sigh.
"One more class to go. See you at home, Ino."
"Study hard! Forward any phone numbers you don't want."
Sakura laughed.
"Sure."
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The night was cooling down with the first hints of Autumn. Sakura thought about bringing her sweater next time, and this was a happy thought for her. She loved that sweater, but even more she loved when leaves fell and warmed the ground with their vibrant quilt. In the meantime, she rubbed her arms.
As she left campus, she had the feeling that someone was watching her. She looked around cautiously, then sighed as she caught sight of a ridiculous haircut and eyebrows peeking from around a corner.
"Lee, are you stalking me?"
The young man shuffled into view with embarrassment written all over his face.
"I-I don't think so. I was thinking about you walking home in the dark, and I worried that you'd be attacked or something. So here I am, at your service."
"Why were you thinking about me walking home in the dark?"
"I- I am a stalker, aren't I? I apologize. I shall not stalk you in anyway or else I shall do a thousand bench presses!"
Sakura sighed in exasperation.
"I don't mind being walked home, Lee. This way it's not stalking and you can be sure I'm safe."
Lee wiped the spontaneous tears that fell from his eyes.
"Truly you are as wise as you are beautiful, Lady Sakura."
"Just call me Sakura, please."
"As you wish, L- er, Sakura."
'See Ino? I am totally socially functional, making friends with a maybe-stalker.'
She almost believed herself.