Inspiration: "Sakura and Sasuke's Tutoring Sessions" by TeddyBearHugs, chapter 5 and 7.
Chapter 7. Take you like a pill
INO: SUNDAY NOON
What should have been the craziest and most talked about birthday party of this century, turned into the most important sleepover of this century. No doubt that Shou and Sai's encounter would be a hot topic next week at Konoha High and people would eventually start picking which side they were on. Right now, Hinata, Sakura, and TenTen was as loyal as ever towards me, even though I had turned a deaf ear to their warnings about Shou. As selfish as I was, I didn't feel like I deserved to be treated like trash, especially not when I genuinely had loved him. It didn't even matter if I had done anything to encourage him to do it or not. Nobody deserved a treatment like that.
I felt like shit. I had never been so devastated and heartbroken before. And I felt like they were all feelings that were completely wasted. I didn't want to have these feelings, these wasted feelings towards him. I just wanted to move on, like we had never even been a thing. But my lack of sleep and my red eyes proved me so wrong. I genuinely thought I was the one to change him, that I actually mattered more than just … physical satisfaction.
"You're in denial?" I suddenly heard Sakura ask. Shocked that she knew I was only fake sleeping, and not ready to talk yet. And it resulted in me not answering her.
"You blame yourself for letting your guard down, for believing in something that didn't even seem possible. You feel betrayed because you gave him everything and he gave you nothing in return. You are questioning yourself if you even loved him, or his act made your love a lie too?" TenTen and Hinata was starting to sit up from their mattresses at the floor, and I knew I wasn't backing out of the conversation now. It was time to talk. "You're questioning what to do now. How to move on, right?"
"How can you possible know how I feel?!" I suddenly exclaimed, while I took a sitting position on my bed.
"Cause I know how it feels to have a dickhead as an fucking ex!" she exclaimed back angry, pissed even. And I didn't know if she was pissed at me or at Shou. Or maybe even both of us.
When her words started to sink in, I got confused. 'What did she say?' And when I looked to TenTen and Hinata, they both sat with their mouth wide open with a pure shocked expression. But nobody had the courage to ask, so I did, to get the heat of myself: "You have an ex – in like an ex-boyfriend?"
"Yes, and I'm not proud of it." She simply said.
"Why do you have an ex?" I stated more to myself than anything else, but she answered anyway.
"Because I'm an idiot!" She exclaimed tired of my bullshit. "Just like you're an idiot!" She added stubborn. "You are closing yourself in. Not allowing us to talk to you or help you, which is only making it worse! Trust me, something like this you just want to take like a pill. Choke it down fast and get it over with. Release your feelings. Get it out of your system!"
I was still genuinely shocked that she had an ex, which she hadn't told me about. But I understood her point. I was just very bad at letting people help me when I was in a sorry ass state like this. I just wanted to be left alone. Deal with my feelings and my problems alone. Suddenly I realised that maybe that was what Sakura used to do in her past, which made her so isolated from the rest of the society, before she came here, to Konoha. When I looked into her stubborn emerald eyes, I suddenly got a whole new respect for her.
"So, what do you suggest we do?" I asked.
"When I got screwed over, I started to write music. It was my way to let my feelings and anger out." She went over to my TV, and I had a suspicion that she would put on the karaoke. And when Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" started to escape the speakers I sighed.
"I know you know this song, so you better let your anger out with me!" She ordered, and when the song started surprisingly both TenTen and Hinata was joining Sakura in her singing:
You dedicated, you took the time
Wasn't long 'til I called you mine
Yeah, yeah
Since you've been gone
And all you'd ever hear me say
Is how I pictured me with you
That's all you'd ever hear me say
However, they both seem to be leaving Sakura in the lurch, when they reached the high notes in chorus, and I was expecting Sakura to make a completely fool out of herself, but yet again we were all taken aback when she gave vent to her voice.
But since you've been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get what I want
Since you've been gone
Her voice is normally sweet and feminine, yet it sounded so strong and powerful yet vulnerable and raw. It's like it possessed an ethereal quality with an incredible stamina. Everything about it and her seemed incredibly. I never knew she had such a talent. She looked at me intimidating and really stubborn: "I know you know the song, Ino!" she argued. And I felt how my body suddenly raised in a standing position in my bed, while I sang along as loud as my lungs allowed me to:
How come I'd never hear you say,
"I just wanna be with you."
I guess you never felt that way
But since you've been gone
I can breath for the first time
I'm so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get (I get) what I want
Since you've been gone
You had your change, you blew it
Out of sight, out of mind
Shut your mouth, I just can't take it
Again and again, and again, and again
Since you've been gone
(Since you've been gone)
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you (thanks to you)
Now I get, I get what I want
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you (thanks to you)
Now I get (I get)
You should know (you should know)
That I get, I get what I want
Since you've been gone
Since you've been gone
Since you've been gone
"Now you just have to find your way to deal with your feelings." Sakura stated when the song had ended.
TENTEN: MONDAY AT PE CLASS
It was PE class – my favourite class where I felt the most freedom – and I was standing near the bleachers, playing with a soccer ball, slightly practicing, to keep up with Neji's natural talent. Ino and Hinata was in a deep conversation with the cheerleader squat; it's supposedly Ino's new goal in life to join the squat and thereby getting Shou out of her thoughts, heart and her whole everyday life.
On the contrary, Sakura had fled. She was sitting on the nearby bleacher buried in some kind of notes she was working on. I was scanning the field for the rest of the class, when I caught Shou staring intense at me, or rather directly through me and towards the oblivious Sakura, who was at the moment peeping up from her notes at Sasuke. I sighed. 'Why is everything so complicated?' I didn't like the unknowing, I wish they would just frigging tell each other how they felt, because I had been suspecting that Sasuke has feelings for Sakura, especially after the storage room incident – and how he somehow knew exactly how to save her from her crisis – however, I wasn't like a hundred percent sure, so I kept my damn mouth shut so far. No use in giving the girl false hopes, and more hearts got broken…
I was dribbling the soccer ball, when I suddenly kicked it wrong and it rolled pretty far, a consequence of not being concentrated. I started running after it, away from the bleacher. My hands reached out to pick up the ball when I reached it, but someone beat me to it. I looked up to see Keanu holding the soccer ball.
"Hey, TenTen," he smiled. "Here." He handed the ball to me and scratched the back of his head in a nervous manner.
"Thanks." I flashed him a grin while holding the soccer ball in my hands. Not really knowing what to do next.
He stuffed his hand into his pockets before starting his rambling, "I know it may be a little weird, but I really enjoyed our time together this Saturday, and I really want to repeat it. So, I was wondering if you would come to a party Shou is hosting this Friday … with me?"
I was actually shocked. For several minutes. Minutes that made Keanu more and more nervous. I wasn't that shock about him asking me out, Ino had made that point incredibly clear for me. I was shocked and damned pissed that Shou was pissing up and down at Ino's goddamn back! It's like their relationships had never even existed in the first place.
Suddenly all blood seemed to drain from Keanu's face and he looked like he was going to wet his pants. I felt a murderous aura behind me and whipped around to find Neji standing inches away from me, practically glaring down at Keanu. And he was pissed.
"Hey Neji! Where did you come from?" I greeted him, but he didn't take his eyes – which seemed way darker than normal – off of Keanu. Neji suddenly shoved me behind his back, effectively blocking Keanu from my view. His jaw clenched and his shoulders tensed.
"TenTen is busy on Friday. So, I suggest that you," the captain of the soccer team took a threatening step towards Keanu, "back the hell off." His hands starting to form into a fist. "I won't ever let you near TenTen." He then added.
"Huh?" I blinked rapidly, totally confused. 'Wait what? You don't know my calendar one bit!' I shouted inaudible, but I guess he saved me for making up a lie.
He ignored me, still death glaring Keanu apparently, while I was trying to peer over Neji's shoulder: "I suggest that you get moving, if you still want a spot on the team." Neji threated cold hearted. Keanu started to fidget and shiver under Neji's gaze, and I started to feel sorry for the poor guy, even though I wished he would stop asking me out, but Neji could be a very intimidating person.
My hands fisted in Neji's shirt, tugging urgently, but he didn't budge. My mouth curved into a nervous smile: "Come on Neji-kun! Let's go play some soccer!" I exclaimed in the sweetest voice I could muster, hoping to distract Neji, from his sudden, unknown hatred towards Keanu, and getting an end to this awkward situation.
"Hn." Neji grunted, sounding a lot like Sasuke all of a sudden. He sent one last warning glare before placing his hand on my lower back, before leading me towards the end of the court. I guess, this was a situation you also just had to choke down like a pill.
SAKURA
I was buried in my work, trying to be invisible to my P.E. teachers. P.E. was the one thing I was really bad at – everything that consisted a ball I practically sucked at. What really mattered to me right now was Ino, and I was currently working at a song inspired by her. Since our singing yesterday she seemed to be doing better – it had helped her answering some questions and letting some feelings out of her system.
I lifted my head a bit and peered across the gym, scanning it for the person who had made my best friend's life miserable at the moment. When I caught eyes of him, our eyes awkwardly locked with each other, and it felt like his gaze was burning a hole in my face. 'Why is he staring directly at me? What is his goddamn problem?' Didn't anyone ever teach him it's not polite to stare?
I returned my gaze back to my notes, trying to ignore him the best I could, but I could literally still feel his gaze burning on me. I shifted on the bleachers uncomfortably, unnerved by Shou's watchful gaze. I tried to distract myself by glancing further around the gym, looking for my best friends. TenTen was running after her soccer ball in the direction of Keanu, 'Poor girl' I thought. She hated the attention she got from him, she had absolutely no feelings whatsoever for him. Ino and Hinata was chatting with some of the cheerleaders, a conversation I had fled from earlier.
A lot of the boys including Naruto, Shikamaru, Sai, and Sasuke were playing basketball. Almost every girl who was present in the gym swooned as Sasuke shot an impressive three-pointer, while Naruto was mocking him, probably for stealing all the attention from the girls, Naruto was after all the basketball captain. I rolled my eyes at the fangirls, yet it was hard not to feel satisfied at the view. I sighed when I felt my heart scream after him. Sasuke suddenly glanced my way, and I felt how my heart started beating faster. I blushed, embarrassed to be caught staring at him. I hastily jerked my head down, back to my notes in my lap, pretended to read them. Suddenly I remembered why I was trying to get distracted and looked towards Shou's crowd again, but my brows furrowed when I noticed he was no longer there. I panicked, my eyes suddenly scanning the gym rapidly, when my eyes landed on him: 'HOLY SHIT! He's heading towards me!' I scanned the area for possible escape routes, but only the gym floor below me was an option, and that was pretty obvious.
I ordered my eyes down to my notes again, pretending that I wasn't even interested in him. But my heart pounded rapidly in my chest and I prayed I wouldn't vomit on him or something. I was a hundred percent certain that I wouldn't be able to control my feelings and my anger towards him – he was just a person I wanted to talk back to. Hopefully, he'd just walk past me and hit on the group of girls from the debate team who were sitting a few rows above me. But who was I kidding: "Hey, Sakura-chan." He said with his most disgusting flirtatious tone.
I winched. Debating with myself if he had some kind of plan or if he was just completely brainless. Of all people he chose to flirt with his ex's best friend? Hesitantly, I rose my head from my notes, resting my hands in my lap. "Hello Shou," I greeted emotionless. I just hoped he would leave. Very soon. But he took my greeting as an invitation to sit very close next to me. Our hips and thighs were practically touching. It felt so inappropriate, so I tried to scoot away, but he just scooted closer every time I attempted to retreat.
"I've been wanting to talk to you." he stated with the same flirtatious tone. His black eye reminded me of the awful things he had said to Ino. 'There is no conversation that would be appropriate between us right now' was what my brain thought, but something else came out audible: "What do you want to talk about?"
"Us," he said as it was the most obvious thing on the planet. "Now that Ino is out of the picture, I'm all yours."
'WHAT?!' my brain screamed, but he continued before I could answer: "I've always liked you. Ever since you transferred, I have had an eye for you." Shou stated in a seemingly shy voice. A frigging fake voice. "So, will you go out with me?"
"Huh?" I nearly gagged, but God had fortunately heard my prayer earlier. But when his words started to sink in I paled and my jaw dropped, my head started to spin. An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of my gut. 'What do girls see in this guy?!'
The shock was overwhelming, and since I couldn't find my voice to give him a reprimand he suddenly grasped my chin, turning my head towards him. He leaned forward, his intent written all over his face. I started to panic. My first instinct was to actually hurl over him, my second instinct was to run. Far. Very far away.
Shou's lips were a mere inch from mine when I jerked my head out of his grasp and whipped away. With wobbly legs, I bolted upwards and attempted to make a mad dash away from Shou.
"You are crazy!" I heard myself yell.
"What did you say?" He deadpanned, raising from the bleachers as well.
"You're out of your mind if you think, I want to have anything to do with you after what you did to Ino!"
"Don't be a bitch about it. I know you want me." He deadpanned with that annoying flirtatious tone.
My jaw dropped and I started to feel the rage build up inside me: "First of all, you cheated on my best friend, and were a complete dickhead about it. Secondly, you treat every girl like fucking trash – including me – and last but not least, you think you can get away with everything, like trying to kiss me, which probably makes you the jerk of the year. So congratulation!" I saw how his expression went from baby-I'm-the-number-one-fuckboy to one of a serial killer. Something I had said surely hit a weak point.
"You think I can get away with this as well?" I heard him say, before I felt him getting unpleasantly close, forcing me to take a step back which made we trip over the last bench of the bleachers, falling with a mighty force to the gym floor. A whine escaped from my lips before my tailbone slammed on the floor, followed by my back head. Gasps from students resounded throughout the gym. I groaned in pain, reaching for my aching back head.
SASUKE
"Teme, pass the ball!" Naruto called. I reluctantly tore my eyes away from Shou, who was ogling Sakura. Grumbling under my breath, I passed the ball to Naruto and immediately resumed my glaring session. I barely paid any attention to our basketball game. My mind was too focused on coming up with reasons to justify beating Shou into a bloody pulp.
'First offense: He's been staring at Sakura. All day!'
"Hitting him will only get you detention and benched for the game next Friday." Sai suddenly stated.
"Hn." I just answered before he retreated to the training. I wasn't given a damn about the game. I brought a hand up to my mouth and bit my knuckles, trying to keep calm. The way he was leering at her had my hands itching to crush something and my blood boil. At least he kept his distance. He and his friends remained on the bleachers on the opposite side of the gym.
"Uchiha!"
I turned my attention back to the game just in time to catch the ball Sai had thrown my way. Kiba lunged in an attempt to steal the ball, but I dodged him. I positioned myself at the three-point line and shot the ball into the hoop. Nothing but net. And the fangirls starting shrieking:
"You're amazing, Sasuke-kun!"
"We love you, Sasuke-kun!"
While I refrained from cringing due to my fangirls' high-pitched squeals, Naruto mocked me for my lack of attention: "We're supposed to train the strategy, not showing of, teme." He deadpanned.
"Hn." Was my only response, while my eyes scanned the bleachers for the girl I actually wanted attention from. When my onyx eyes locked with emeralds, she turned red and buried her blushing face in her notes in her lap, embarrassed. I smirked, I felt a rush of self-confidence knowing she was watching me, but it was wiped off my face instantly, when I noticed Shou stand up and approach Sakura. 'Second offense: He's within a fifteen-root radius of Sakura.'
Then that little prick sat down next to her. Too close to my comfort! 'Third offense: He. Is. Trying. To. Kiss. Her?!'
A strange burning sensation filled the pit of my stomach. I struggled to be rational and keep a level head, but I just … couldn't. I just felt too protective towards Sakura. An overwhelming, foreign emotion ate my insides, banishing all rational thoughts. Last time I felt like this, was when Shou had taken Sakura as his prey inside the physics lab's storage room. I tried to assess my feelings, but what gripped my stomach was far too uncomfortable. All I wanted to do was rip Shou apart.
I started to walk towards them restraining my neck side to side and I clenched and unclenched my hands, trying to control my anger. I heard Naruto call behind me: "Teme! Where are you going?!" but I ignored him, only Shou was in my sight.
I narrowed my eyes, seeing how Shou's expression changed as they were discussion something. I guess Sakura was actually talking back to him, something he definitely wasn't used to. I froze when I saw Sakura's body suddenly falling towards the floor and my blood ran cold when I heard Sakura's scream, followed by multiple gasps. My jaw clenched and unclenched while my hands curled into fists. It had turned into a very bad habit whenever I was insanely angry. When I reached Shou who was standing looking down at his prey, something very dark shifted in me. My chest felt hot and heavy. Like power was flowing through me.
'Fourth offense: He. Hurt. Sakura.'
Without thinking, I lunged for the head, sending an instantly unconscious Shou to the floor. But I didn't feel the slightest of satisfaction. I kneeled down above Shou and punched him as he was a punching bag. Blood was starting to spill and the crowd was starting to form around us, when I suddenly heard Sakura yell: "Stop!" and a pair of arms reached around me from behind. I twisted my head around, and I was met with a pair of wide, teary emerald eyes.
THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE
"A black eye, fractures rib, broken nose… The list could go on and on!" the principal exclaimed. "I've never seen such violence in all my years of being principal – and to top it all off, from Fugaku Uchiha's son!" she took her to the head, like she had a bad headache. "Young man, how do you expect to make up for your inexcusable behavior?" Silently, I handed her a check, which made her choke with bulged out eyes as she read the amount.
"T-that could work…"
I was dismissed from the principal office as soon as the check landed in her hands. The rumour had it, that she was a true gambler. And she was very bad at it.
I started walking in the direction of the nurse office, were Sakura had been led to.
"Sakura." I called, when I opened the door. She just turned her head towards me, giving me the silent treatment, with an ice pack to her back head.
"What's wrong?" I tried, but still got no answer. Frustratingly, I ran my hand through my hair and glared half-heartedly at her. She wouldn't exchange a single word with me, and it was beyond annoying. Guess she knew me better than I thought. I scowled while leaning against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest in a defensive manner. She knew which bottoms to push – or rather not to push – and it made me completely irritated.
"Sakura, tell me what's wrong." I ordered without luck, she didn't even glance at me. And I wanted to scream.
"Please?" I begged. Feeling like a complete idiot.
"You can't fight violence with violence, and expect to get something good out of it," she said quietly, so I barely caught her statement, "that way, you will never be a good police officer. You think you father would be proud?" She challenged. If it had been anyone else saying those kinds of words directly to me, I would have snapped, but I just felt my jaw clench and my back stiffen. 'Using my weakness against me, huh?'
"He was all over you, and he fucking hurt you!" I spat.
"You need to learn how to control your stupid temper," she said stubborn but in a sweet and understanding voice, taken me by surprise. I blinked at her. She sighed tiredly. She shifted on the end of the hospital-like bed that she was sitting on, lowering her head. Suddenly guilt hit me. Hard. I felt like I had disappointed her. Pushing myself off of the wall, I took a few steps to stand directly in front of her: "I'm sorry," I said genuinely, while she snapped her head up at a fast pace, "I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me." I grumbled. I sighed inaudible. I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I don't say sorry. Ever.
She shook her head. "You shouldn't be apologizing to me."
"Hn?" She raised her free hand and pointed to the blue dividing curtain. Shou was occupying the other side of the nurse's office, he did after all need her attention more than Sakura did. My eyes narrowed, figuring out her intention.
"No." But she just pouted at me, starting the silent treatment again. 'ANNOYING' my brain screamed.
Cursing under my breath, I marched up to the curtain and pulled it back. Shou came to my vision, laying in the hospital-bed, sporting a broken nose, several bandages and now with two black eyes. I almost felt sorry for the guy. Almost.
"Shou Sato," I called. His eyes snapped open in fear when he realised I was in the same room as he was, and his panic made me feel satisfied as hell.
"I'm sorry." I spat.
My former basketball teammate immediately stilled, paralyzed with shock. He appeared absolutely stumped. After a few minutes of exchanging words, it seemed like he had somewhat forgiven me, or at least accepted my apology, even though my expression said otherwise.
"We cool?" I held out my hand for him to shake. Very reluctantly, he raised his uninjured hand to grasp mine. Then I pulled him close. "But if you ever go near Sakura again, it will be your last time. Understand?" I whispered in a low, threatening voice. He nodded dumbly. Terrified.
I went back to Sakura, pulling the blue curtain back, allowing Sakura and I to have some privacy again. Staring at the fragile girl, I sighed. 'Great. Now she has me apologizing,' but honestly, I didn't mean a word I said, except the threat at the end, but I figured it was the only way to make things good between us again. Running a hand down my face, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. My ego had never been this bruised before in my entire life… But it was definitely worth the heart-stopping smile Sakura graced me with. Her eyes that were locked with mine twinkled with happiness. She gently placed a comforting hand on my shoulder: "Thank you," she whispered. I flushed when I felt her small hand through the material of my gym shirt. The heat of her touch spread all over my body, making me fidget and I looked at anything but her. She lowered her hand and placed it back on her lap, while I leaned back on the wall again and forcefully crossed my arms, trying to put some space between us.
NARUTO: AFTER SCHOOL
Basketball practice had just started and Gai-sensei had assigned us some weight training. I set my dumbbells aside and gulped down a bottle of water. A loud pounding sound got my attention and I turned my head to watch as Sasuke beat the stuffing out of the punching bag Sai held in place.
"I think you should ease up a bit," Sai commented, probably feeling a bit terrified. But he just ignored his suggestion and continued with his hard jabs. Sasuke trained like that every day at the station after all.
"Didn't Shou get enough teme?" I teased, but got nothing from the angry Uchiha, who continued to pound on the punching bag.
"Hey, guys!" TenTen greeted.
"What's up?" I asked, holding out my fist for her to bump. It was pretty normal that she joined us in training. She was a sports girl after all. "Nothing much," TenTen answered, giving my fist a quick pound before saying, "you have a visitor, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru stopped working out and raised an eyebrow, confused. But his expression was soon replaced with some of pure shock yet delight and shyness, when we were met with the sound of the weight room's door slamming shut, and a girl with four blond ponytails appeared. I had absolutely no idea who the girl was. Shikamaru was off of the bench pressure before I could count to five and was heading to the strange girl, leading her out of the weight room as soon as she had entered. TenTen studied Shikamaru's reaction for a while with a face all lit up, but she didn't say anything to my annoyance.
"Who was that?" I exclaimed, curious as hell.
"A little crush of Shikamaru's," TenTen simply stated, "according to Ino, she didn't had the best time at the party this Saturday-"
"SHE WAS AT THE PARTY?!" I exclaimed genuinely surprised.
"Yes, keep up, Naruto," Neji remarked, who had joined our little conversation, "You were saying, TenTen?"
"She didn't have the best time," she repeated, "but Shikamaru had accompanied her and he even drove her home. She is here to give back his jacket." TenTen finished off.
"He bailed on Ino?" Sai suddenly asked out of the blue. Sasuke delivered one last punch before removing the black fingerless gloves, yet leaving a bandage still on. He gestured to the punching bag as if to say, 'it's your turn' towards Neji. Neji just shook his head, which made Sasuke raise an eyebrow. Neji lifted his right hand to Sasuke's eye level.
"I wouldn't say that he bai-" TenTen started, but was cut off by Kiba: "Damn Hyuga! What happened to your hand?" The knuckles of his right hand were bruised and battered. The skin was a horrible purple colour and some of the blood hadn't coagulated yet. The difference between him and Sasuke was, that Sasuke was used to the pain of beaten knuckles.
TenTen was by his side in an instant, grabbing his large hand in her smaller ones. She brought her face up close to his injury, examining it. Neji jumped as if a jolt of electricity had shot through his body.
"Neji Hyuga," 'Oh dear God, she used his full name!' "What happened to your hand?!"
Neji just scoffed, "If you think that looks bad, you should see the other guy's face."
"WHAT?" TenTen exclaimed.
'Wrong move, Hyuga…' my brain thought, and I felt like crawling under a carpet somewhere.
"Hn."
"Jerk," TenTen huffed, taking a handkerchief from her pocket and using it as a bandage for his injured knuckles. She pouted and glared at him: "Do I want to know who you beat up?"
"Just drop it," Neji grumbled. While TenTen was preoccupied with wrapping his hand, Sasuke – who was standing behind TenTen – raised an eyebrow and mothed: "Who?"
Neji peered down at TenTen to check if she was watching him. When the coast was clear, he mouthed back: "Keanu." Sasuke just smirked, satisfied.
SHIKAMARU
I was escorting Temari out of the weight room, and very far away from the boys. The last thing I needed right now, was being mocked by Naruto and having the other boys staring at me. I knew I would hear about it later for not telling them about Temari. But not telling them about her had been the best plan in the moment, but right now it seemed like a mistake.
"What're you doing here?" I asked her when we became alone.
"I came to give you your jacket back," she smiled and handed a bag towards me, "and I wanted to thank you," she averted her eyes slightly and I blinked to make sure that my eyes weren't deceiving me, when I saw her blushing, "I didn't really know anyone, and I felt out of place, but then you came and really made me have a great evening." She gave me a heart-stopping smile, and I felt how my stomach flipped and my hands got sweaty. "And I'm sorry for stealing you away, when Ino probably needed you."
"Don't blame yourself," I said comforting, "it was a situation where she needed her girls, and she is already doing a lot better. I think Sakura has had a really good influence on her." I felt a weird kind of confidence in her presence, even though my stomach acted weird.
"Right…" she paused before continuing, "I should probably be going, I didn't want to disturb you in your training, I just wanted to thank you in person." She was about to turn around when I grasped her wrist in panic. I didn't want her to leave yet.
"Next time, maybe I can introduce you to some of my friends?" I blurted out. And she blushed at my outburst, and I knew how my words sounded. Desperate. Pleading. Never had a girl made me feel embarrassed before 'what a drag' I scolded myself.
"Sure," she answered a little unsettled.
"Wait!" I exclaimed again, desperately. "That's not what I wanted to ask." I felt my heartbeat go crazy and I swallowed a lump in my throat – my stomach was totally out of its comfort zone now. She looked at me hesitant, which made my nervousness increase, but it was now or never.
"Would you like to go on a date this weekend?" I asked, not sounding as confident as I wanted to. But every unpleasant feeling disappeared in a split second, when I saw Temari's blush deepen and her smile widening. "I would love to." she answered, and it felt like a load had been lifted from my shoulders.
Thanks for reading. Please review. Every thought is welcome.
I hope everyone has had a great start at 2018. I am surely enjoying my long ass vacation! Yet I'm not getting anything off hand – as usual. (insert girl emoji who doesn't know a thing)
Thank you Greasypimpslap for your review, hope you feel a little bit satisfied by Shou getting an ass kick in this chapter ;-)
/ Tine