Hehe another update :P I'm updating pretty fast compared to usual aren't I? Plus I will probably going to start updating my other stories as soon as I can.

We there isn't much going on in this chapter but I promise you that the next chapter will be worth it :)

This is more of a linking chapter that needs to be here lol. Well enjoy and don't forget to review so I'll update faster!

Summary: Sakura and Ino wanting to live in the city. Ino finds a nice apartment at a low price during her travels. But unfortunately they cannot afford it… So they need a 3rd roommate! Who will this roommate be? Will their lives change forever? Finding love where you least excepted it to be.

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga Naruto or any of the characters used in this story from the anime/mango Naruto.

ooo PREVIOUSLY ON THE LAST CHAPTER ooo

He saw the clock showed it was just past 9 am. He carried the pinkette to her room put her in the bed.

Sakura let go of him and whispered a quiet, "Thank you."

"You should change and take a shower," Naruto spoke and walked towards the door.

"No, don't leave!" the pinkette quickly got up, ignoring her sore legs, and hugged him from behind.

"Ok, I won't," he turned around and patted her back while hugging her and resting his head on top of hers.

He guided her to the bed and once again, they were lying in Sakura's bed.

She was in his arms, sobbing.

"It's ok Sakura. Sleep, just get some rest, I promise I won't leave you" Naruto kissed her forehead and patted her head as she slowly drifted to sleep.

ooooo

Roommates

Naruto waited until Sakura was sound asleep and left her room to take a shower and change his clothes. When he was standing in the shower, leaning against the wall with both hands, he saw the bruises on his knuckles.

A feeling of despair suddenly overwhelmed him as he remembered the pinkettes expression, her cries and tears.

'What could have happened if I was too late...'

He clenched his fist and hit the wall. Blood dripped down the wall mixed with water.

Naruto had just torn open the bruises he got from the fight. He waited until there was no blood dripping and got out of the shower.

He got dressed and returned to Sakura's room. As he closed the door, Sakura opened her eyes and saw how dirty she was.

Naruto stood at the door and looked at her, hiding every bit of emotions he had. The pinkette was looking back at him, trying to find some words she could say...

"Don't tell Ino," she let out.

Naruto couldn't hide his surprise, he walked closer to the bed.

"Why not? She's your best friend, you should tell her."

"Because nothing happened," the pinkette stood up.

"Yes, because I heard you scream. Thank god I managed to get to you in time," Naruto said expressing relief.

"No, you don't understand. Nothing happened. I just stumbled while running and that's it," Sakura lied quietly. They stood in silence for a moment. Naruto started to get angry.

"No, it's you that doesn't understand! He could have raped you, Sakura. Are you stupid enough to just ignore that?" the male blonde really started to get irritated.

"Shit Naruto! Don't tell anything your sister. I will handle this myself. Nothing happened. Nothing."

"Then what about this?" he showed her his bruised knuckles.

Now Sakura couldn't hide the surprised expression that appeared on her face, "I just can't go without telling where I got these. That bastard deserved more. And then there are your bruises!"

"Then lie!" she shouted.

"It's my sister and your best friend we're talking about. She should know about this!"

"No! It's my problem not hers."

"But if something happens and I'm not here? Ino wouldn't think something bad could have happened to you if we don't tell about this morning!"

"Nothing will happen, can't you just understand that? I made a mistake to let the surprised me feel frightened. It won't happen again…"

"Yes, it won't. From now on, you won't go anywhere alone. I mean it." he said with a firm voice.

"I… I said I can handle myself," Sakura responded angry, blushing a bit, "I'm not some cry-baby, I can handle myself!"

"Well, that didn't help you, did it? Did you forget that you were crying in my arms just now?" Sakura's mind blanked out, she didn't know what to answer for a moment.

They were speaking angrily with each other. Their voices were raised and the stood so close and looked in each other's eyes.

They felt anger, and at the same time something different was lingering between them, a tension they have yet to understand.

"I can handle myself!"

"Didn't look like it! You're not going anywhere by yourself or I'm telling Ino everything."

"You wouldn't dare," she squinted her eyes.

'What the hell is his problem? I'm not his property or anything...'

"Take it or I'm spilling the beans," Naruto crossed his arms on his chest.

"Get the fuck out of my room. If you are telling Ino, then I'm not talking to you ever again."

"If you are safe, and Ino knows you're safe I don't care about you talking to me or not."

"You can't just go around making decisions about my life! GET OUT!" the pinkette pushed him out of her room.

'I'm doing this because you are important to Ino... And to me…' Naruto sighed on the other side of the door.

"I'm not letting that asshole Sasuke have a place in my life, not now. Ino doesn't need to worry about me anymore. Now it's my time to take care about her,' Sakura thought in her room.

"Are you gone!?" Sakura shouted.

"I'm leaving!" Naruto shouted back.

ooooo

Sakura found clean clothes, the usual baggy t-shirt and long baggy sweatpants, and went to the shower. She needed to hide everything from Ino, long pants will help for the knees.

'I didn't even feel the pain when I fell' And a shower will help against the dirt. She looked in the mirror and saw her left bruised cheek. 'I'll just tell her part of the truth, I bruised it while running.'

The pinkette showered, pushing the memories about her asshole of an ex deep down her mind. She didn't have to try hard for the image of Naruto kept popping up in her mind, starting from the dreams she was having and ending with the memories from the day they moved in.

'It's just because he's a prick...' she got out of the shower and once again saw Naruto's towel on the floor. Sakura growled angrily.

Sakura stormed out of the bathroom, "Why do you keep leaving your stuff lying on the floor?" the pinkette snarled at the blonde when she found him in the kitchen.

"I don't leave my stuff on the floor, they must have slipped down from the dryer or counter or whatever" he responded irritated.

He was irritated about everything, about Sasuke, about Sakura keeping it as a secret but mostly about his crush on her, he realized that his feelings for the pinkette were more real than he thought it was.

"Why do you want to keep it a secret from Ino?" Naruto asked looking down to the floor.

"Because of the last time…" Sakura stepped closer, she was hissing at him, the anger still speaking in her, "He broke my heart and Ino saw it all, she took it to her heart, it pained her to see me like that. I don't want her to experience that again. So please don't say anything to her. Please."

"But I'm still not letting you go anywhere alone..." Naruto said, hugging Sakura tightly. She was surprised and didn't hug him back.

He let her go and left the kitchen. The pinkette just stood there and looked at the blonde's disappearing figure, taken aback from his sudden hug.

His warm hug. It felt so nice. It's like there body's were mean for each other.

ooooo

For the rest of the day, Sakura didn't see Naruto again that day. She had told Ino the truth about the scratch she had on her cheek, that she didn't see the branch.

The female blonde didn't see her knees because of the sweatpants. Her friend told her be more careful next time and that was all.

'She must never know what happened...' the pinkette promised herself.

Somehow, Ino also believed Naruto's story that he, just like Sakura, had a bad run and tripped, scratching his knuckles.

Ino thought that he probably had a fight with someone, but didn't ask. It wasn't the first time and he never answered on questions about his bruises.

She knew he wouldn't hurt defenseless people, even in high school he often came home with bruised knuckles for fighting with bullies having their brain smaller than a pea.

She accepted her brothers lies and was certain he was protecting someone again. If only Ino knew the truth nobody told her.

ooooo

Two weeks have gone by.

Naruto took Sakura everyday to her university and/or her workplace. Afterwards he picked her up. They didn't speak much. It was like they were more like strangers to each other than before.

A simple greeting was all that was said to each other. Neither of them knew what to say and every time Naruto wanted to ask the pinkette something, she would always stop him.

Only the strange tension, that none of them understood, from their fight in Sakura's room on that unfortunate Sunday had stayed with them, between them.

As a result, they have been glancing to each other secretly, without the other one noticing, while Naruto was taking her to her usual destination.

The pinkette didn't argue with the blonde about him being her constant private driver. She tried once and it was useless, he didn't even respond to her yelling. Even though having a private driver was kinda of nice. If only it wasn't so awkward between them.

The pinkette went with the flow afterwards. She was always on time and she knew that Naruto was too, and she was happy that she didn't need to take the tram anymore.

Since Ino was now busy with her new job, her dream job in the city's number one beauty salon, that was the biggest far and near, she didn't notice the change between them.

The only thing she thought was that they had another quarrel and did not tried to smooth it over, it was their business after all.

As long it didn't felt like a storm forming between them, Ino let them be. And then there was Sai.

She was spending a lot of time together with him. Not because they were dating or anything, although Ino wished they were… But because they shared the same employer.

When the third week was coming closer to its end on a warm Thursday's evening, Ino suggested them going on a trip.

"Well, we could go to that small island in Mizu no Kuni that's famous for its amusement parks and nightlife. Since my work place has a discount price on the trip back and forth, we all could go next weekend or this, you decide," the female blonde spoke at the dinner table.

It was the first time in over two weeks they all shared a meal together. sakura was always eating after Naruto had finished his big breakfast and the pinkette also had lectures in the evening so she was eating with her classmates at the university's cafeteria.

"Sure I'd lo… Ah choo!" the pinkette sneezed.

"Are you okay Sa…" Ino was cut off by another sneeze.

"Noooo," she moaned and then sneezed, "I thi *sneeze* think I have *sneeze* a cold… *sneeze*"

"Don't worry Sakura we can always postpone it until after you get better"

"Yah you should rest up."

"Yup it won't be fun without you."

The pinkette sneezed once more, "Thanks g… *sneeze* guys, you're the best."

ooooo

Lol wasn't much of a cliffhanger was it? I just added the ending so it could link up with the bonus chapter ;) Oh well look forward to my next chapter which will come out soon. It wasn't actually supposed to be here but I already wrote it as a bonus chapter for you awesome readers who supported me in this story by reviewing, faving, and following :)

So thanks for everything and don't forget to review for faster updates! :D