Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Ino (POV)

It was just another night, another guy and another date.

How many times had she been in this place before?

She sighed.

She was sitting on a private table in a fancy restaurant outside town. She was dressed, stunningly as usual. Her hair tied up in a tight bun, curls cascading on her face. She wore her new strapless long red shimmering dress that shows her shapely curves and has a slit that rise up until her mid-thigh. A pair of high silver stilettos is on her feet. She had really dressed the part tonight.

It was the same old game, and she had fallen for the same old trick. A guy she met at a bar asking her out for a date, the date becoming one of her worst. She should have never accepted a date from him. She looked at him, he look decent enough. Her date was tall, dark, handsome and rich, just the way she fantasized.

The only lacking part was the personality and clearly decency. Those suggestive glances and those way-off touching and bumping clearly irritated her.

Of course, he would only date her for the score, as Shikamaru clearly pointed out to her yesterday. She hated how he was always right.

When his date suggested they leave for his place tonight, she rolled her eyes and made a coughing sound. She made the oldest excuse in the date book that she was not feeling well and had to get up early in the morning for work. Her date being conceited enough did not take the rejection well and clearly told her to get herself home. Well, she showed him, called him off as a jerk and she headed for the nearest exit.

The ride on the taxi was relatively short and once she arrived at her place she was feeling already tired.

She opened the door to her apartment, noting the darkness, quietness and stillness. Her two housemates, Hinata and Sakura, must be out she concluded. She did not even bothered to turn on the lights in the living room and just walked towards her room.

She slowly undressed in the dark, peeling off the red dress and tossing it to the laundry bag. She walked over the bathroom and had a quick hot shower, wanting to wash off the disaster of a date, she experienced this evening.

As she dressed with her comfortable pajamas, she gave out a long sigh, it was still early in the evening, barely 9:00 pm, on a Friday and she was already back on her room.

She decided to just sleep the night away; she jumped on her bed, throwing the comforter around her.

Then her phone rang and she immediately knew who was calling her.

She grudgingly walked over to her small purse that night and took out her phone.

"Yes, Shikamaru?" She irritably answered.

"Just want to check up on that fancy date of yours."

She frowned and replied. "If you are calling me, to say you were right and I was wrong, you can talk to me in the morning."

"So, I take it the date did not go well?" Shikamaru chuckled at the other end of the line.

"Do you have to really ask? " She muttered in annoyance.

"Where are you?"

"In my apartment…going to bed. You?"

"I'm heading out with Temari now."

"Oooh another date with the girlfriend." She said with glee and rolling her eyes, hoping Shikamaru won't notice the sarcasm in her voice.

But he noticed, he almost always did.

"Hey Ino, are you ok?"

"Yeah, just tired, headache and I'm going to bed."

"Sure? Maybe we should head there first…"

"I'm fine!" Ino almost shouted. "Enjoy your night with Temari. Goodbye Shikamaru! Have fun!" Without waiting for his reply she turned off her phone.

Tossing her phone on the floor, she slumped down on her bed.

She wasn't fine and she wasn't ok.

And she didn't want to let him hear her lie again.

Because she always lies.

Sasuke (POV)

The lights were twisting and dancing in different colors.

The music was loud and deafening.

The beer he has on his hand was cold and inviting.

It was the same old party scene on a Friday night. He should have never agree with Suigetsu to take him there. But the silver haired guy told him, he needs to go outside and waste his night away.

As much as he appreciated the offer and concern his friend offered, he really did not want to go, this was obviously and clearly not his scene.

But he still joined them so in the end he just found a place in the corner of the bar and sat down. He ordered himself an iced cold beer, wishing for the silence. He took a big swig from the bottle on his right hand and watched the dance floor.

Suigetsu was already in the floor, dancing with his annoying red headed girlfriend.

"Sasuke." A man with an orange hair sat down beside him.

"Hn." He acknowledges by raising his beer.

"How many have you had?" Jugo asked curiously, pointing to his beer.

Sasuke did not answer and just continuously stare at the middle of the room.

The lights were moving faster now and the dance floor was littered of people, bumping and grinding with each other. The music blasting a hypnotic rhythm that making the atmosphere more heated with sweat. The party was nearing its climax.

But he doesn't care. The people and the place are all a blur for him. Mere unimportant things that is bothersome.

How long had he been like this, cold and uncaring? But isn't it a while back he was a complete opposite of his self now? For a few months he was the caring and warm Sasuke.

"Hey Sasuke! Stop brooding and relax." The silver haired guy clamped an arm around his shoulder.

He merely shrugged Suigetsu's arm off his shoulder.

"Sa-suke, dance with me!" Karin whined as she hugged and tugged on Sasuke's arm.

Suigetsu rolled his eyes and scolded his girlfriend. He grabbed her and pulled her away from Sasuke. "Karin, will you stop that! I am here you know."

"But Sui..." Karin moaned as Suigetsu dragged her to the dance floor.

Sasuke stood up and leaned his back on the bar table. He just uninterestedly watched Suigetsu and Karin danced again as Jugo walked over in front of him.

"Suigetsu is right though Sasuke, you are brooding." Jugo said.

Still he didn't say any words, just merely smirked at him.

He took another drink at his beer, finishing it off and signaling for the bartender for another bottle.

"You missed her." Jugo said.

He frowned at Jugo and looked away.

He closed his eyes and all he could see is pink hair and emerald green eyes.

"No." He replied.

He lied.

Hinata POV

"Thanks for coming with me tonight, Hinata. I really couldn't find someone who will help me at the last minute." Naruto said smiling her.

She could feel the blushed on her face rising, seeing him smiling at her like that. So she immediately looked down and avoided meeting his gaze.

"It's no trouble Naruto-kun. I was not doing anything tonight anyway." She shyly replied.

They were on his apartment, the one that Naruto shared with Shikamaru. He had called her around 8 in the evening asking for help on getting a birthday present for his grandmother, Tsunade. The birthday was the next day and typical Naruto almost forgot. In the last minute he asked the only person he knew that can help him.

As if she could ever refuse him.

It was already late when he called her and they spent hours scouring and hunting for the perfect gift and checking shops that were still open. Finally though they were able to find the perfect gift but the shop won't do gift wrap. She gladly volunteered to Naruto that she can do it instead, so they went back to Naruto's apartment.

"Wow Hinata this is really good." Naruto exclaimed checking the gift wrapped present at the dining table.

"Th.. Thanks." She replied stuttering.

"When did you learn to do this?" Naruto asked grinning while picking up the gift and expecting it.

"Umm... I gift wrap all the presents we have at home every holiday." She answered thoughtfully.

Naruto nodded at her and placed the gift back at the table.

"Thanks Hinata, I owe you one."

"I am happy to help Naruto-kun." She answered honestly.

Naruto pumped his fist as if he has a sudden good idea. "I know, we haven't had any dinner yet and it's closed to midnight, we can open my special ramen that I was saving." He grinned.

She kindly thanked him; her heart fluttering for the man she greatly admired for the long time was being nice to her.

It took another hour for them to finish eating dinner and it was already way past midnight.

"Wow look at the time!" Naruto exclaimed, glancing at the kitchen clock. "You know you can stay here, you can take my bed."

She looked at him shocked; her mouth opened slightly, her face blushing as she shook her head.

"I can find a taxi and go home."

"I'm sorry I don't have the car. Shikamaru had a date tonight." Naruto apologized, pertaining to the car he shared with his housemate.

"It's ok. I don't think me sleeping in your bed is appropriate though." She said quietly.

"Nah, Shikamaru won't be back til tom since he is with Temari. I can sleep on his bed."

"Are you sure, it's ok?"

"Yup! You are a friend after all." Naruto gave her a warm smile.

She should be happy on what he offered but she was not. Of course he only saw her as his friend, that's all.

So she smiled back and seemingly nodded in agreement.

She had long time lied.

Sorry can't help it. New story. :) I am really excited for this. My first multiple pairings fic.

Song inspiration: everybody lies – james walker

I will really appreciate the review. Please read and review.