Sasukec: I'm so sorry that this chap didn't get posted last week. Things didn't really go in my favor last week and they really still aren't. Don't worry, life's throwing me curve balls, but I haven't struck out yet.
Despite my cheery mood, enjoy.

"Ready yet?" The raven-haired teen called out as he "patiently" waited by his car. He waited for a moment for a reply and he was about to ask again, when a blonde-headed girl named Ino ran out the front door of her house. She spoke in a gentle, high voice.

"Now I'm ready Sasuke! You need to be more patient!"

She giggled as she happily walked over to the passenger's side of Sasuke's black Camaro and opened the door. Sasuke beat her inside the car and was already revving the engine by the time she sat down in her seat.

The Uchiha back up then turned his car into the right position, drove forward, and then out into the main street. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles threatening to remain white from the grip. Ino noticed Sasuke's stiffness and she asked him. "Sasuke…? Are you alright?"

After Sasuke didn't reply for almost a minute, the blonde spoke again.

"You haven't been yourself all day…"

The Uchiha knew he wasn't himself today. Last night was going to be his personal ghost for the rest of his life.

I can't let Ino know. No one knows about that but me…

The night before, Ino and Sasuke had had sex for the first time with each other for Ino's birthday. It, Personally, wasn't Sasuke's idea of a birthday gift. He barely wants to look at a calendar on his birthdays. But, Ino insisted and, being the "good" boyfriend he was, allowed her to have her way. He slightly protested, then she pulled the card, "But it's my birthday and I'm finally 18…" which included the puppy dog eyes and pout lip. The Uchiha hated himself for somehow developing a carnivorous conscience because it would've devoured him whole if he said no to her. And, so, off they went.

It began normal, just like every other teenage sexual relationship: one was completely inexperienced while the other had to act inexperienced so problems and questions would be avoided. But, in this case, the experienced one, in having sex with the inexperienced one, brought back memories and feeling that were supposed to remain locked away. Forever.

It was last night that brought back the memories of the time Sasuke had sex with Naruto. That one night the idiot came home drunk. The brunette couldn't explain – more of he didn't want to know the explanation – why the whole while he was having sex with Ino, the dumbass blonde, Naruto, was on his mind. And for this, his conscience was eating him alive. Quite frankly, he was pissed at himself. So, in order to make himself feel better about the situation and give his girlfriend a good time, decided to take her out to Applebee's.

"Sasuke… Please slow down… You're scaring me."

The Uchiha turned to look at Ino and he must have given her a dark look for she seemed to shy away and look straight ahead. She wouldn't make eye contact with him right now. But, it wasn't until a moment later, she was grabbing at the steering wheel and yelling at him.

"Sasuke! Stop!"

The Uchiha was so out of it that he hadn't noticed he was coming up on a red light going over eighty miles per hour. Sasuke slammed on the breaks, coming only centimeters away from entering cross traffic.

After their momentum had stopped their forward pull, it jolted the couple back into their seats. They were both scared out of their minds and breathing heavily as they realized how close they came to death. Ino was the first to speak.

"Sasuke, what were you thinking?"

"I…" The brunette tried to get the lump out of his throat, but he couldn't get it all. The lump wouldn't allow a full sentence but only a two-syllable word.

"Sorry…"

The light had turned green a while after their stop but it once again took Sasuke a moment to realize he could go. He pushed the gas in and continued forward, making sure to watch his speed this time. Ino leaned forward and turned the radio down. She then put her hand on Sasuke's lap and spoke to him in a comforting tone.

"If you don't feel good, we can just cancel and go another time."

She waited rigidly for a response from him. Sasuke let a smile onto his face, "No, it's alright. I've… Just got a lot on my mind. It's nothing to worry about."

"Was it…"

Ino hesitated, afraid of what the brunette would say. She sighed, "Was it last night?"

The Uchiha quickly spoke, "No, it was nothing that had to do with last night. Everything's fine. I promise."

Sasuke's words were almost just a mesh of babble and hurried words. They would have been completely inaudible if the radio were still turned up and if the Camaro's engine were any louder. The blonde-headed girl realized that she shouldn't try to press the subject any more at this moment.

They spent the rest of the car ride in silence, one another unable to think of what to say.

Just leave it alone… You're being a girl, thinking about this too much. For Christ's sake, you almost killed us. Just focus on here and now.

It seemed that moments later, he was turning into the Applebee's parking lot, seconds later they were inside being seated, and now, waiting for a waiter to take their order.

Maybe today will go by fast now. It's going all right so far…

However, irony loved to play its parts, and play its parts it shall.

Sasukec: That's chap 2 for ya! Hope you enjoyed Sasuke's little internal conflicts. Great for a story, eh? Chap 3 is up!