It has been a very very very very very long time since my last update, and I pray it will never happen again! But, it probably will, so I'm sorry in advance.

In case anyone has forgotten, last chapter Sasuke learned that he must invite Sakura over for a formal dinner at his mansion. He was dreading how he would break it to her, which brings us to this chapter.

Enjoy!

"Hey, Sakura! So, my parents want you to come over for dinner, what do you say? No, that sounds stupid!"

"So, Sakura, dinner at my house on Friday? By the way, you have to dress formally and my parents will be there. Oh come on! That's even worse!"

Sasuke walked slowly down the sidewalk leading to Sakura's front door. He was desperately trying to come up with a way to tell Sakura, and avoid the embarrassment of the situation as well. So far, however, he was failing miserably.

"What am I going to do!?" he moaned. "I'm going to kill Itachi if it's the last thing I do!" (A/N. :P sound familiar?) And so Sasuke proceeded to let loose a barrage of curses and death threats regarding his brother's future.

Nevertheless, these did nothing to improve Sasuke's current situation.

"Damn it!" he shouted. "How the hell am I supposed to tell Sakura!?!?!?!?"

"Tell me what?"

Sasuke froze. While he had been threatening to kill Itachi, he had not realized how close he was to Sakura's house. It just so happened that Sakura was ready early, and had decided to wait for Sasuke outside instead of vice-versa. Sakura had heard his ranting, and was now staring at him with a very puzzled expression on her face.

"Tell me what, Sasuke?" she repeated.

"N—nothing Sakura." Sasuke said weakly. Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"Let me guess: you wanted to tell me you think I'm an idiot? "Because with that response, you must think I'm stupid." she replied.

"Of course I don't!" Sasuke said.

"Then why did you give me a fake response only an idiot would believe?" she retorted.

Sasuke paused and considered his options. Humiliation….or hatred. He weighed the outcomes and made his choice.

"Sakura, I think you're an idiot."

Sakura paused, then slapped him across the face.

"Ouch! Sakura! What the hell was that for!?!?" cried Sasuke, rubbing his sore face. He looked up and saw Sakura bent over, laughing hysterically.

"What the—?"

"You—should—have—seen—the—look on—your face!" gasped Sakura. "Hilarious!"

Sasuke stood, affronted, and stared at the laughing form of Sakura. Then he smiled. He had insulted her, after all. He had deserved it.

"But Sakura," he pretend-whined, "you have to do something to make it feel better!"

Sakura looked up, puzzled. "What—?"

But she never got to finish her question. Sasuke placed his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the lips. Sakura put her arms around his neck and responded warmly. They stood there for a few moments until Sakura broke the spell and looked him right in the eyes.

"You really do think I'm an idiot, don't you?" she asked him.

"Why would you think that?" he responded.

She took his hand and began to walk with him down the sidewalk. "Well, you told me something only an idiot would believe or say. So really….your the idiot!"

"Don't make me slap you!" joked Sasuke, and Sakura laughed again.

"Yeah, sorry about that. But you deserved it!" she said.

Sasuke nodded. "I know. I just should have told right away that—." He stopped short. Shit! he thought.

"Aha! Told me what?" asked Sakura again.

"Um…" Sasuke said, rubbing his neck with his free hand.

"Told me what?" she repeated.

"Um…."

"Sasuke Uchiha! If you don't tell me right this instant, then we're through!" threatened Sakura.

Sasuke stopped in his tracks. "You….you don't mean that, right?" he asked softly.

Sakura stared into his piercing onyx eyes. "Sasuke, if I can't trust you, then what's the point in being with you?" she answered.

Sasuke stared back at the only girl, no, the only person who had ever said something like that to him, the only one who had ever dared to challenge him. Something stirred inside of him, something he didn't like.

Sakura noticed the darkening of Sasuke's face.

"S-Sasuke?" she asked timidly.

"Sorry, Sakura, I'll tell you the truth from now on." he replied in a monotone. Sakura sighed: this was the best she was going to get out of him for now, and she'd have to take it if she wanted to get anything out of him.

"Okay…" Sasuke took a deep breath. Minutes passed as he stood there trying to figure out how to work this correctly. "So…."

Sakura was tapping her foot impatiently, a voice screaming inside of her head. JUST TELL ME WHATEVER THE HELL IT IS!!!!

"SomyparentswantyoutocomeovertohavedinnerwithusbecauseyourthefirstgirlI'vestayedwithformorethanaweek" Sasuke spat out as he walked away quickly.

"What?" asked Sakura, dumbstruck. Contrary to Sasuke's hope, she had perfectly understood every word Sasuke had just spoken. "Wait, Sasuke!"

Sakura ran to catch up with him. Rather than stop him, she fell into step beside him.

"Did I just hear you say your parents want me to come over for dinner?" she asked.

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. He nodded.

"And that I'm the only person you've been with for more than a week?"

Another nod.

A pause….

Sakura's laughter filled the empty street. Sasuke's eyes flew open as he stared at Sakura.

"And what's so funny?" he asked he.

Sakura straightened. "I'm not sure. Maybe it's the fact that the great Sasuke Uchiha is afraid to ask me over for dinner." she said.

At that moment, Sasuke realized how incredibly stupid he looked.

Sakura still had a grin on her face, and heard Sasuke mumbling something: "wasn't afraid…not sure…you wanted to come…"

"Oh Sasuke." Sakura said in an exasperated voice. "Why wouldn't I want to come over?"

Sasuke merely shrugged and kept walking. There was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them now, and Sakura didn't like it.

……………………………………………….

Sasuke paused in front of the school. He was battling with himself, trying to decide what would be best to do. Sakura waited patiently for him to make his decision, knowing full well what her reaction would be either way.

If he apologized, Sakura would accept it and they would move on, forgetting this stupid little fight they had. If he didn't….well that was that. Sakura couldn't be with someone who didn't respect her. Bedsides, she could endure 2 years of seeing Sasuke every day…with other girls…instead of her.

Either that, or she would poke her eyes out to avoid seeing it.

"Sakura…" Sasuke began. Sakura took his hand and squeezed it gently. Surprised, Sasuke looked down at her sparkling emerald eyes. All thoughts of his decision left his mind and, for the first time, he truly spoke his heart.

"I'm sorry."

Sakura smiled: she knew he meant it. She leaned up to Sasuke and gave him a light kiss on the lips.

"I know."

The tension was relieved and the two walked down the sidewalk to the school. All of a sudden, Sasuke realized he had forgotten one key part of this arrangement.

Oh no….oh no….how the hell am I going to get outta this one? Sasuke racked his brains for some way to tell her this. This was even more uncomfortable than asking Sakura over for dinner. But he swallowed his pride and got it done.

"So, you have pretty good hearing…right Sakura?" asked Sasuke slyly.

"I guess." said Sakura. She had spotted her friends and was waving to them. "Why?"

"Well….youseethedinnerisformalandyouhavetowearafancydresssorryiforgottomentionitearlier!" he told her. Before Sakura had time to respond, Sasuke kissed her on the cheek and then speed-walked to his own group of friends.

"A dress?" said Sakura to herself. "Shopping?"

"Who's going shopping?" said a voice behind Sakura. There, their eyes gleaming with the promise of a full days shopping, stood Ino, Hinata, and TenTen.

…………………………………

Ha! I did it! Now begins another wait for the next chapter, which I hope won't take too long to complete.

Just as an overview of what I'm planning (although some chapters may be omitted or added):

Sakura goes shopping/ Sasuke goes shopping

The dinner

Zaku's next step in his evil plan

A party at Sasuke's house

An interesting date

If I say any more, the whole plot will be given away. Don't think this is all there will be, of no, I have so much more torturous waiting panned for you all:K

Till then.