Right Kind of Wrong

By:
Blade Redwind
and
Nokito-chan

Warning: This fic is rated M, so please be aware of that and turn back if instances of profanity and sexual situations are abhorrent to you.

Disclaimer: Neither Blade Redwind nor Nokito-chan in any way own Naruto or its affiliated characters.

Know all about,
About your reputation
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation
But I can't help it if I'm helpless
Every time I'm where you are
You walk in and my strength walks out the door
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore
I know I should go
But I need your touch just too damn much
Loving you, isn't really something I should do
I shouldn't want to spend my time with you
I should try to be strong
But, baby,
You're the right kind of wrong

-The Right Kind of Wrong
by LeAnn Rimes

Chapter 10

Any other night Tenten might have enjoyed this—the flashing glow, the blaring music, the drinks she wouldn't be getting IDed for, the rancorous laughter, the neon paint splattered everywhere and screaming in the blacklight; hell, even the lingering smell of cigarette and pot smoke. It would have felt freeing after being at the benefit.

She hadn't done something like this for a while, not since the last time she'd seen Sasuke. And, honestly, it had never really occurred to her to ask Sakura and Temari; she had always subconsciously assumed it might not be their scene. Rich kid house parties and woodland bonfires, sure. But, why hadn't she ever thought to bring them to a place like this, a place that only lasted the night before dying entirely without any promises or regrets?

She realized she was deviating when Sasuke met her gaze, knuckles tapping on the makeshift bar in tune with the music as he leaned into it and waited for his order. She would have been enjoying this night—would have—if not for his meddling.

"What are you doing?" she asked, unable to keep the bite out of her tone or the glare out of her eyes.

"Ordering drinks."

"I know you're not that stupid. I've seen your GPA," she snapped, palm smacking on the bar.

"Have you thought about, I dunno…" he told her as he snatched up a toothpick and stuck it in his mouth, "Loosening up a bit? This whole superbitch routine you've got goin' on is no fun to be around."

"I think I have a pretty good reason to be one, you meddling prick." Her eyes narrowed. "You told him about my parents. What in the hell gives you the right?"

He rolled his eyes. "You know, if I thought you meant that I might pretend to be hurt."

She was used to being frustrated with him, irritated, and mildly agitated. But right now, she was bordering on pissed and ready to crack a few bones. "This isn't funny, Sasuke. It wasn't your place. He didn't need to know—ever. This is my life; not yours.

"You're supposed to be my friend."

"I am."

"No, what you're being is a first-rate jackass who doesn't know how to keep his nose out of my business," she spat. "What, you've played the game so long you think you can butt yourself into my life and decide for me that I'm going to be with Neji? The dance was one thing, you know. But telling him about personal details of my past crosses a line, Uchiha." She moved to walk away.

Sasuke grabbed her arm, holding her there a moment longer. "You wanna know why I'm butting my ass into your business? Why I'm telling your pretty princess of a not-boyfriend about your deepest darkest secrets? Because you're fucking it up, Ten, that's why." When she opened her mouth to speak again he held up a hand. "No, you're gonna listen to me because I'm trying to tell you something important. And I've kept my trap shut—kept it shut after your parents pulled their kamikaze death routine and left you in hell because they were too stubborn to just walk away. I didn't push and I was there for you.

"When you asked me to sleep with you did I say no? Did I tell you to find someone else because I was worried about it fucking shit up with us? No, I understood what you were askin'—that you weren't ready to get tangled up with love and commitment, but that you still wanted your first time to mean something."

"You did at first." She muttered.

"Not the point," he bit off.

"Then what about us, Sasuke?" she blew out all at once, hands spreading. "Is the point for you to push the two of us together?"

"Kinda, yeah, it is. Because again—you're fucking it up by letting your parents ruin your life."

"I'm not—."

"Fuck! Yes, you are!" he yelled. He ignored her wide eyes, the way she was silenced by how loud he had gotten. Swearing, sure, Ten was used to that—he knew. But he rarely yelled... He swore again, hands on his hips and he turned his head to the side and flexed his jaw. And then he shot his gaze at her again, eyes narrowed and serious. "I love you, you idiot." He pointed at her, voice stern and level. "And I love you too fucking much to watch you screw this up. He's good for you, damnit. Really good. I saw it in the woods and I saw in your eyes that night in the car as you asked yourself, 'What the fuck did I just do?' after you slept with him. And it hurts, doesn't it? You're so busy beating yourself up over this crap with your parents, weaving a wall around your heart, that you won't even give him a chance.

"Let him love you, Ten. For Christ's sake, stop punishing yourself—him—for something you never had a hand in." He smacked the top of his hand against the palm of his other for emphasis. "It's not genetic. Plenty of people fall in love, get married, and stay together forever."

"And what happens when it doesn't work?" she said, some of the fight leaving her as his drink orders were set on the bar. "What happens when—."

"When you can't walk away like your mom couldn't?" He picked up the beers. "You're not an idiot. You know better. And if you don't, I'll be there to pull you out of it, alright?" He paused, sighing once. "Do you think if I didn't believe he was good for you I'd be doing this at all? You think I'd have taken him to your apartment and let it all bleed out? C'mon, Ten, really?"

Her eyes shut.

When he spoke again, licking his lips once, his words were quiet; though, loud enough to hear over the noise. "Do me a favour. Go dance with him, have a few laughs, drink a few beers. Enjoy yourself and worry about all the other bullshit later.

"It's not like he's putting a ring on your finger, Kitten."

She closed her eyes briefly and then glanced over at Neji. She met his gaze where he stood with Sakura. Faintly opal eyes met hers, softening. Sasuke was asking a lot: he was asking for her to ignore her instincts, to say to hell with everything she'd grown up seeing, he was asking her to… listen to the other voice inside of her that shouted it was worth it—that shouted that she and Neji could be undeniably beautiful together if she just said yes.

"Forget about tomorrow," Sasuke said in finality. "And give yourself permission to be happy." And then he took the drinks and walked away, crossing the distance of the room to shove a beer in Neji's hand. Tenten vaguely watched as Sakura skittered off as he then got lost in the crowd.

It was just one night, wasn't it? It didn't have to mean anything, she told herself. For one night… maybe… maybe they could both be a bit different. Maybe she could forget about his friends, her grandfather and his uncle, their cousins, and … her parents.

Maybe.

She rubbed the side of her arm with her other hand, thinking he must be insane. Or maybe it was more insane to go on trying to fight it. She didn't have the answers; and for someone who was accustomed to living on the edge… it shouldn't have been half as terrifying.

The brunette took a deep breath inward, lost herself in the moment before she changed her mind, and stepped forward.

Sasuke was in his element – the space in the world in which he felt most comfortable. The lights were flashing, just barely creating a dim glow; bodies pressed in from all sides as the air vibrated with heavy bass, many voices, and lying over it all—a thickening cloud of smoke.

This was how life was meant to be lived.

He was a part of something, and yet he could melt into the shadows if he chose to. Good music was playing and he had a beer in hand. He'd gotten rid of the damn constricting black tie, so he was fairly comfortable (dress shoes were a bitch). But somehow Sasuke found he just wasn't sinking into the scene the way he normally would have. It wasn't the lack of his usual attire and piercings; it wasn't the fact that he was stalking through the crowd instead of finding a good spot to watch the bands. No, it was more the reason that he was stalking through the crowd.

Tenten was one of the very few people in the world who could push his buttons. It came with the territory; it came with knowing someone since you were both in jumpers and pigtails. Disagreements happened, but generally not to this extent. Sasuke didn't enjoy raising his voice or losing his temper. Most of the time he just went with the flow and let come what may. Reducing her to silence had to be a new all-time low. He wasn't accustomed to her cowing, even if it had been his intention. But, then again, he'd never intentionally tried to shake her out of the tried and true patterns he'd instructed her on.

Maybe that's why the whole Neji-thing had gotten to him so much. Playing matchmaker was best left to characters in a Jane Austin novel, certainly not to him; certainly not to someone whose idea of a good time included some hot little thing's mouth surrounding his cock while his mind sunk into oblivion and endorphins. But, he told himself, this was the first time he'd seen her miserable since she'd moved out of that god-forsaken hellhole. When she'd been happy playing the gambit, he'd been happy for her. He hadn't minded the result of their week-long escapades in his room, or out on the town, even if he had been adamantly against it at first. Seeing her happy, playing the game with him, had been fun—ridiculously fun. He wouldn't say he hadn't been disappointed when he'd come into town to find her entangled with The Princess. Some part of him had been tempted to push a little, to get her to fall into that oblivion with him again. She couldn't have possibly been serious about the tightwad, right? It had been his every intention, regardless of what she said, to pick up exactly where they'd left off last summer. She was more than an easy distraction; with Ten he didn't have to worry about figuring out if the other half of the equation wanted more. It took out a good seventy percent of the work. Sauske was, if anything, agreeable to being a bit lazy when it came to getting laid.

But then he'd seen the way she'd reacted to the fuckin' princess. He'd seen the way she'd looked when she'd gotten back in the car and it all rolled downhill from there. He didn't mind sloppy seconds, not at all. That's not what had stopped him and set him on this path; it had been the internal war he'd seen her battling.

She was in love with him—with Neji. Instant game ender and limp-dick instigator. He'd realized, rather suddenly, with Ten there wasn't going to be any fun if her heart was firmly lodged in Neji's chest. He didn't mind fucking someone who was already entangled… to a degree. Hell, he didn't even mind making someone jealous. But he wasn't going to be a lacklustre substitute. He wouldn't be compared to Neji by his best friend while he was balls deep—waiting for her to cry out his name and not Sasuke's.

At the same time he wasn't going to sit around while she trudged along with a black cloud hanging over her head. That wasn't her and if he had to play Austin's Emma, albeit a better version without the tits and Regency dress, then so be it. He just wished he hadn't had to boil over to make her see reason.

The irritation still burned a hole in his stomach. It was one of his best kept secrets –the anger. Usually, Sasuke made a point of staying calm and collected; he had a habit of channelling rage into something more productive—sex. But being stuffed into a penguin suit, swilling champagne with a bunch of rich douchebags, and not having gotten laid for almost a week, seemed to be the limit of what he could take with equanimity.

He'd paused in his headlong rush through the crowd, was staring unseeingly at the stage just in front of him, when he became aware of the shadow hovering near his elbow. A flash of pink and red was all he could see without turning in the dim light, but it was enough to tell him that Sakura had followed him. He'd been vaguely aware of her as he'd shoved drinks into her and Neji's direction; the half-panicked, half-calculating glance she'd flashed between him and the Hyuuga. Clearly, she'd decided that she'd be safer in this setting with him than the preppy pretty-boy. Either that, or she'd not wanted to be the third wheel.

Immediately, third-wheel turned to threesome. But that was his cock talking, reminding him he either needed to bend someone over or get bent over.

Sasuke took a long draught out of the bottle in his hand, forcing the irritation to subside and the amusement this silly little girl inspired to rise up inside him. He switched the bottle to his other hand and reached out to her, grabbing her arm and propelling her towards the less crowded hallway he'd just spied. He told himself it would be quieter there, easier to talk over the blast of the music too close to the stage.

"Hey!"

He could just hear her impatient huff of breath as he manhandled her towards the exit, and he fleetingly wondered if he had his temper as under control as he thought; however, the distraction The Duchess could provide would definitely still the last stirrings of irritation he still felt with Neji and Tenten, and their obstinate idiocy. A naked bulb hung from the sagging ceiling, but the hallway was quieter than the main room and he didn't have to strain his eyes to catch her expressive features.

"Don't you know how to have fun unless it's delivered to you on a silver platter, Duchess?" Sasuke drawled, taking another sip of beer, "Or are you following me for a reason?"

He watched as she opened her mouth furiously, only to snap it shut again as she glanced wildly around the bare space for inspiration. Oh yes, this was much better than dwelling on Tenten and her issues. And damn it if he didn't need a distraction to quell his rage.

Finally, Sakura crossed her arms defensively below her breasts, "I – I … well, it's only logical to stick to the people you know in a crowd like this."

The perverse urge to needle her, to test her limits, rose within him again. "C'mon. Say it. I saw you weighing your options – stick with Neji and Tenten or follow me. You followed me 'cause you didn't want to be the third-wheel in their tonsil hockey match, and you're scared."

"I am not-"

"Yes, you are. Don't deny it, Duchess. You took one look around," he waved towards the room they'd exited, "and saw only a derelict building filled with pierced and tattooed delinquents that daddy warned you about, and figured since I'm also one of these delinquents, you'd blend in better with me."

"I did not!"

The red was rising in her cheeks again but Sasuke's enjoyment was fading somewhat; he couldn't help but notice the furtive glances she kept sending around the room. It would really suck if she did turn out to be one of those prissy, stuck-up, rich bitches he couldn't stand. It wasn't the money, but the attitude—even in bed—that they were better than everyone else. Him. He wasn't going to be anyone's trial run in the slums.

Sasuke gritted his teeth, "I hate to break it to you but you're wearing a red evening gown. Every bit of light reflects off of your ridiculous hair and the wide-eyed routine gives you away. Look around you, Sakura, they're just people. No different than you."

Emerald eyes narrowed dangerously and Sasuke finally felt the surge of satisfaction he'd been waiting for. He didn't want to dwell on the faint tinge of relief that threaded through it at the same time; clearly he hadn't been mistaken about her.

Her hands were on her hips now. "Let's get one thing straight. I am not a snob. I've always tried to never judge a book by its cover – would I be standing here with you if I did?! Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm just in a new situation and that not all of us have devil-may-care attitudes to life?" Sakura was almost snarling by the end of the sentence.

Pride had stiffened her back – as her hackles rose – and Sasuke was gratified to see the glance she sent over his shoulder contained a hint of curiosity now, not just wariness.

"There ya go, Duchess," he smirked as he stepped closer so she took a quick step backwards, "never let fear stop new experiences. Get angry and get over it. Now, let's listen to some music."

He almost wanted to laugh as he watched her jaw drop and the realization dawn in her eyes. It really was almost ridiculously easy to bait her. He waited patiently as Sakura opened her mouth, shut it, and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.

"I think I really rather detest you, you know," she said, almost conversationally. "And I'm not at all sure that I should acquiesce to such a proposal," Sakura finished with a haughty toss of her hair.

It shouldn't have been so intriguing – the uptown girl routine really wasn't Sasuke's cup of tea – but for some reason that little gesture, making her hair glow almost russet in the dim light, shot electricity down his spine. What had started as a diversion while visiting his best friend, eventually turned into an amusing interlude at a boring party, had now become a challenge.

"Limited choice," Sasuke said mildly, "stay here and make some new friends, then. But I'd advise spitting out the dictionary – most people don't have my vocab SAT scores."

He'd seen the looks Sakura was receiving from men all around them; if he went off on his own she wouldn't last five seconds before Ten had to rescue her—ruining his carefully laid plans. But Sakura didn't need to know that.

Sakura gave him another piercing look, "And that from the person who was just lecturing me on judging by appearance alone!"

"I'm not judging anyone," Sasuke shrugged, "just making an observation. Whenever you feel threatened you fall back into what makes you feel most secure. You're obviously a very smart girl so you grab onto that to give yourself confidence. Nothing wrong with that. I'm just sayin' this ain't the Bodleian Library, honey. It's a dilapidated building where people are focused on music and the poison of their choice. You'll have a hard time making some new friends if you throw your ten-dollar words around like party favours."

The cautious wariness was back in her eyes and Sasuke couldn't help but wonder why he enjoyed wrong-footing this particular girl so much – or why he'd spent so much time trying to figure her out. He was surrounded by women, and men, who were bound to be less complicated than The Duchess. Far less complicated and more than willing to soothe his need for a good fuck. People without a commitment or hang-ups; people who would catch his gaze across the room, come over, enjoy a few drinks, and then ride him into hellfire in the back seat of his brother's car until the anger was gone. And while it would be easy to say that he wasn't going to touch her on account of Ten—on account of her being Ten's good friend—it just wasn't true at all. But if Sakura was in for the long haul like his brunette of a best bud had said, he really would be safer just baiting her a bit until he could find someone to take the edge off—preferably in a bed. But hey, a wall would do just as well. He wasn't particularly picky at the moment.

Even so, her ridiculous hair glowed and her eyes glittered; all the others present might as well have been stalks of corn for all the interest Sasuke could muster in them. Which wasn't doing wonders for his need to get laid. It was something in the way Sakura held herself; the hidden fire and passion she carefully suppressed. She was only waiting for someone to unlock her cage; instinctively Sasuke recognized that.

Sakura had gotten herself under control, though she clearly wasn't happy about his insight into the workings of her mind.

"Stop Psych 101-ing me," she said, almost uncertainly.

It should not have been endearing – the way she was obviously very unsure about herself around him – but Sasuke was having too much fun to care. Her reactions were so entertaining.

"If I promise not to tell anyone that you actually enjoyed yourself, will you unwrap the silk cocoon you're in and have some fun?" he questioned, almost laughing at the involuntary way she clenched her fingers in her skirt.

"Really, Duchess, get your mind out of the gutter – I meant figuratively." Sasuke rolled his eyes as he suppressed the smirk.

"Stop. Calling. Me. Duchess."

To be fair, now that he'd gotten to know her a bit better, Sasuke wasn't all that sure the moniker was accurate. Sure, she acted like a staid old lady whenever she was unsure of herself; however, she was much more a fairy girl – flittering from one emotion to the next, once you learned to read the signs. He grabbed her elbow and thrust her towards the stage again, deciding to get the hell out of this conversation before he had any more crazy thoughts.

Just before they reached the stage, before the sound levels would make it impossible to hear each other, he leaned down and spoke directly into her ear.

"I'll stop calling you duchess when you learn to act your age and have some fun. By the way, you hide behind your intellect as your best feature, but speaking as someone walking behind you in that dress – nice ass."

And then he pushed her into the thronging crowd, letting the music overwhelm her outrage, smirking to himself when a few sputters and—likely—curses left her at his expense.

Sakura was drunk. Not falling down drunk, but happy-the-world-is-filled-with-sparkling-lights-and-I'm-enjoying-every-second-of-everything drunk. She knew what it meant to be buzzed; she wasn't alien to the drinking thing, not having been the only designated driver for her friends. Sometimes Temari did it; sometimes Ten did. Either way, it wasn't the first time she'd piled on a few drinks and let the world drift a little. It helped; she felt more at ease than when she'd first gotten here. Sasuke had been wrong though; it wasn't the people. She'd had enough of Ten in her life to not be bothered by it; it was the scene and her clothes. And yes, Psych 101 aside, he hadn't been wrong about her insecurities. Ten was the freebird in their group, Temari was the one who got down and dirty when shit really hit the fan—the one who backed up Ten if she had to, and Sakura… Sakura was the rational one… the one who spent too much time thinking.

To be fair, Sakura had to concede, Sasuke may have a point with the whole duchess thing. Much as it annoyed her. It was an inevitable consequence of being an only child of a rich and indulgent father. She'd grown up around grown-ups. She was one of the few in their circles whose parent was actively involved in her life when he wasn't away on business. Even during the summers there were times when her father left on trips and he took her with him, actively involving her with dinners and meetings. Her sense of responsibility was way out of proportion to her age as a direct result.

She idly noted the music wasn't really her taste – much too heavy on the screamo – but the thumping beat was infectious. They were right up against the stage – the forbidden danger had every nerve-ending tingling. Everything in her told her that this might not be a good idea, that the potential to get hurt was there, with so many bodies moving behind and around her. But Sasuke had an arm on either side of hers, long fingers gripping the edge of the stage and shielding her from the rest of the wildly gyrating crowd, as he nodded along with the beat; so Sakura ignored the voice in her head that shouted at her to be sensible. And it was easy to ignore when you had someone so close to you; she could feel Sasuke's front pressing into her back—brushing every so often when he moved to the beat or she shifted from one foot to the other. His breath was hot along her cheek; his hair tickled just so. She wondered, briefly, if it was ok to rely on him.

That thought was eradicated when the band finished their song; it took a while for the screams to subside, but Sakura watched with fascination as it finally got through to the crowd that the show was over. The DJ was taking his place, music started pulsing again, and Sasuke steered her towards the bar where Neji and Tenten had been the last time she'd seen them.

Sakura was seized by the urge to giggle.

Neji and Tenten sitting in a tree…

But even in her tipsy state Sakura recognized the signs of true happiness – of people who were meant for each other revelling in the glow. Tenten was her best friend, and she wanted that happiness for her with all her heart, so Sakura decided to simply pretend as if there was nothing out of the ordinary. Teasing and details could wait for later.

"That was fun," she said happily, sticking out her tongue at Sasuke's back when he only smirked and shook his head while towing her along by the hand.

They reached the bar and Sasuke lifted her up onto the stack of crates serving as a barstool.

"I can sit down on my own," Sakura said with as much dignity as she could muster.

Sasuke ignored her and ordered a drink.

"Having fun, Sak?" Tenten asked, leaning over and smiling at the pink-haired girl.

"Tenny, we should have done this years ago. You've been holding out me—on Mari."

Sakura grabbed the shot glass out of Sasuke's hand and knocked it back before he could protest. Whatever he'd ordered was strong and, as she coughed and spluttered, she was just barely aware of Sasuke leaning his elbows on the bar and running a tired hand down his face.

"She normally like this after one too many?" he asked Ten, wondering if she was still brassed off at him.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "You wanted us to have fun, didn't you? She's having fun. I don't know what you've got to complain about." And then she smirked.

It was on the tip of his tongue to open his mouth and argue with her, but he snapped it shut rather quickly and narrowed his eyes. Oh no, she knew. She knew he was still wound up from earlier. While he didn't make it public, and while it wasn't normally directed at her, Tenten was well aware of his sex-solves-anger-issues solution.

The worst was, he wasn't sure he could take care of it tonight—at all. Not when he'd made damn sure Tenten was going to be glued to Neji's hip. And that, by default, put Sakura squarely where he wanted her; that is, if she wasn't what Ten had claimed. And, right about then, he was seriously hoping she was the against-a-wall kind. But he didn't think so. He really didn't.

Fuck, he hated being between a rock and a hard place.

Sakura finally managed to regain her breath and fixed Sasuke with a small glare. "I think I need a little air. Excuse me." She slid off her barstool and headed towards the door, ignoring Sasuke's mutter and Tenten's laughter—laughter Sakura had no idea was entirely at Sasuke's expense; an inside joke she had no way of understanding.

Sasuke turned to go after her, but Tenten grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"What?" he said, not meaning it to have quite the bite it did.

"Remember what I said," she told him, hazel eyes narrowed and brow dropped to a slanted point that met in the center. "I wasn't joking when I said she's not the one night stand type."

"Yeah, I got the memo, Kitten." He shrugged her off and caught up with Sakura just as she stepped into the clear, cool night. "You really need to learn to not take everything so personally."

"Because I'm just a silly little girl having a temper tantrum to you, isn't that right."

The bitterness in her voice surprised even her, but the night air was rapidly causing sobriety and Sakura could feel all her previous enjoyment draining away. Which was sad in its own way. She really had been having a good time. Sasuke hadn't been pissing her off and she'd really liked the music—some of it. She'd enjoyed the buzz.

"I didn't say that," Sasuke said warily, pulling her around the side of the building to avoid the curious looks they were attracting from other partygoers hanging around outside.

"You think it. It's in the way you look at me, like you're humouring me; the way you just talked over my head in there as if I'm an over-excited toddler. I don't know why you keep hanging around me if I annoy you so much!"

"When you're uptight you annoy me. When you let your insecurities get the better of you – that's annoying. I was teasin' you, Duchess. That's what I've been doin' most of the night. You're the one takin' it too seriously."

Sasuke said the words without any real heat. Sakura was leaning back against the wall of the building, surreptiously trying to take her weight off first one leg then the other – the heels must've been killing her. Her eyes were getting clearer by the second and, unless he was very much mistaken, there was hurt lurking in the emerald depths.

He sighed. "You don't annoy me, all right? Occasionally your attitude does."

Sakura laughed without mirth. "God, I hate that you're so up and down – I never know where I stand with you." It was probably the most honest thing she'd said to him all night.

"Isn't that what makes it interesting?"

She was bending down now, rubbing over the top of one foot, while clearly trying to be polite about it, and Sasuke sighed again. Were all rich girls so ridiculously high maintenance? He'd lost count of the amount of times he'd lifted her out of harm's way tonight. She'd clearly never had to struggle for anything in her life. He imagined crowds had always parted for her, so she must have simply expected them to keep doing that. He hadn't had the heart to tell her (as the nasty voice in his head whispered) that she was going to suck at being an adult; that daddy's money wouldn't keep parting crowds for her all her life. Still, he hadn't missed the way she tensed and trembled when his arms closed around her slender frame. Maybe that was why he was lifting her again, and putting her on top of the low wall behind him so she was off her obviously aching feet.

"You're too proud," Sasuke muttered, avoiding her startled gaze, "just admit your feet hurt and sit the hell down."

"My feet don't- ″ Sakura laughed uncomfortably, "All right, they hurt. Thank you. This is better."

For a moment Sasuke couldn't figure out what he'd done now, because he hadn't intentionally been trying to get her to blush. Half of him had been preparing for another fight from her—an insult. The red was spreading over her cheeks, silver in the moonlight, as she looked to the side. That was when he became aware of his hands – one resting high on her thigh and the other on her hip.

Sasuke didn't really plan for his romantic encounters – he preferred to see where something led and to seize the moment when it presented itself. But none of his usual tricks seemed to work with Sakura. She got angry when he flirted with her, but when he was trying to be nice (seriously, what had been in that beer) she got all skittish and flustered.

Was she a virgin? Girls normally knew that about their friends, didn't they? Or had Ten been trying to throw him off? If it was one thing he knew: proud and hard-to-get didn't equal total inexperience. Neither did bookish and quiet. Sasuke had met plenty of girls, and guys, who'd screamed never-done-it, only to find out later he really should follow his own advice and avoid reading a book by its cover alone. Hell, if Sakura was this proud and insecure he doubted very seriously she broadcasted her experience around anyone, much less Ten. No, he really couldn't rely on that. Better to assume she wasn't until otherwise stated.

Even so… somewhere around the tenth body check he'd endured, to cushion Sakura against the wild crowd around the stage, he'd tried to talk himself into relegating her to the friend zone; because, clearly, she was going to be a lot more trouble than a one-night-stand would be worth.

But he could feel the heat of her body, and smell the scent of something sweet now they were out of the smoky building. At that moment everything inside him that was damn near boiling, and needed release, screamed to take and give. And it would be so easy, wouldn't it? She was right there, right where he wanted her. It didn't help that her lips glistened as her tongue darted out nervously while fine tremors shook her shoulders.

He shouldn't have done it, he told himself, but he leaned in anyway—because, fuck it all, he rarely followed the rules—just as she opened her mouth. Probably to yell at him again.

Her lips were soft and she tasted like beer and tequila when she tentatively kissed him back. As it deepened, tongues tangling sinuously, he stepped closer and her arms wound around his neck. Her uncertainty was melting away and she breathed a soft moan into his mouth as her back arched her body closer to his.

Fuck yes, his mind whispered as he felt her breasts press into him, as he slid the hem of her dress up and along her thigh, as he settled that hand along her bare hip that was partially covered in something lacy. He couldn't help but get closer as she pulled him in, the hard length of him pressing into her core. He didn't thrust, but he did push just so—taking his time as he reached up to thread the fingers of his free hand into her hair.

He broke the kiss only to take in a short breath; then he was right back at it—nipping at her lower lip once before deepening it again. Under all the tequila and beer she tasted like honeysuckle, reminding him of a distant summer and better times. And when her fingers wound into the hair around the base of his neck, nails biting, he let the hand on her bare hip, under her dress, slide lower.

God bless lace, was his next thought, Thank you Victoria' Secret and Fredrick's. With soft moan, a careful thumb swiped once over the delicious bundle of nerves he'd like nothing more than to lap at until his jaw broke.

It was then Sakura jerked away as if she'd been burned, pulling away from him with a gasp and wild eyes. They met his and he couldn't help but focus on her swollen lips, wanting desperately to continue—thinking, that yes, high maintenance and all—he'd take it if that meant he could keep going. His body was on fire—primed and poised to fuck her wherever the hell she'd allow him to. He'd take a bed if a wall wasn't good enough for her sensibilities. Toss them both in his brother's car, tell Ten to call a cab on her Grandfather's card, and then haul ass to his mother's hotel suite.

"I – I-" he heard her stammer just before he saw her bite her lip—take a few breaths in and out.

Sasuke took a deep one himself, forced his body to calm the hell down—no easy task. She wasn't ready for what he wanted. Damn. She wanted it; he wanted it. He wasn't going to force her or even pressure her. Not his calling card—at all.

So he attempted to lighten the atmosphere. With any other girl the words would have been taken as they had been meant – as a joke or a tease. But for a moment his hormones got the better of him and he forgot who he was talking to.

"My mistake. I'd forgotten that rich girls make you work for it." He even smirked at her to get the point across. To show her he meant well.

He'd drastically underestimated Sakura; the way she'd responded to the kiss had perhaps thrown him off. He'd meant to lighten the mood, change the subject and, hopefully, re-establish the tentative whatever-it-was they were forming. After all, it wouldn't be the first time he'd had to take a few days to get what he wanted—what someone else wanted.

He really was surprised she didn't kick him. After all, the moment he saw her expression he wanted to kick himself.

"You alright?" Neji asked her as she watched Sasuke stomp out of the building after Sakura.

"…Yeah, I guess." Tenten frowned. Should she be worried about Sakura? It wasn't like the pinkette couldn't take care of herself. But she wasn't sure how good it would be for Sasuke to be with her right now. Needling him was one thing; it was Tenten's way of getting back at him for deciding he knew what was best for her.

No, it was stupid. The worst that could happen would be Sasuke forcing himself on her. And that wasn't going to happen in a million years. He wasn't one to pressure, either. At the slightest hesitance he'd back off.

…Would Sakura say no though?

"Do you want to check on them?" Neji asked, gentle hand running down her arm as he crossed into her space.

"No," she replied, smiling a little as she met his gaze. No, she wouldn't worry about Sakura and Sasuke just then. It'd be fine if she let herself be a little selfish. Her arms wound around Neji's waist and she pressed her forehead into his. Hazel-brown eyes closed and her mind submerged into the world around them, taking what she could from the night—from this.

"You're a lot easier to get along with when you're not snapping at me," he whispered.

Her fingers wound the back of his shirt into her grasp, pulling it just so from the confines of pants. And once she'd lifted it high enough, those same digits met with skin slicked in partial perspiration. She chuckled only slightly, the sound dying like she was going to fall asleep in the comfort his arms provided. "And you're a lot easier to get along with when you aren't worried about what your family might say."

She could hear him sigh as she moved to rest the side of her head on his shoulder; she could feel his breath just barely as he moved to rest his head on her own.

"Why do you care so much?" she asked softly, secretly hating that he knew more about her own insecurities than she did his.

"My uncle," he replied. "He took me in when my parents died. He gave me a home—options. In turn, it's always been my responsibility to assure that Hinata and Hanabi were looked after. The Hyuuga…" he went on, as if his own family were something entirely alien to him, "they're expected to hold themselves in a higher regard. Hiashi doesn't tolerate insubordination or deviation."

"Is that why they wouldn't be ok with Hanabi and Konohamaru…?" Us, the unspoken question hung in the air.

"No, it's more than that." She felt him swallow. "But Hiashi's never told me, Hinata, or Hanabi why. It's just… always been that way."

Briefly, she wondered what they were going to do beyond this night—what would happen if she kept pushing aside the fears she's grasped onto like a security blanket for so long. She didn't want to ask him though; that meant implying that there could be something more too soon. But it was easy to think about for herself, to wonder how they were going to overcome his uncle.

"Ten?" she heard him ask, interrupting her internal monologue.

"Yeah?" she whispered against his neck, lips barely brushing the soft skin there.

"You need to know Hiashi can't touch you—Konohamaru. He can stop Hanabi from seeing him, he can try to stop me from seeing you. But, you grandfather's too powerful for him to ruin your lives."

"I know that."

"If…" she heard him begin to say, obviously warring with himself. He took a deep breath in and squeezed her once. "If this goes beyond tonight I'm not going to back down. You need to know that."

Tenten pulled back but didn't move away from their mutual embrace; she met his gaze, chocolate connecting with opal. He meant it—she knew. He really meant he'd go to war with Hiashi if he to. For her. He'd stand up to his demanding, stodgy, judgemental family to be with her. She realized, rather suddenly, that in doing so… he was breaking himself from a mold, a gilded cage, she secretly wanted him to break himself out of.

"You don't have to—" she started, knowing what he wasn't saying.

"I love you," he interrupted while at the same time confirming her thoughts. "You make me crazy—insane," he amended next. "I've spent the better part of two weeks trying to keep you contained, bottled, and in line, to avoid any sort of interruption to my carefully planned life. All in vain," he whispered, smiling. "I don't think I realized just how damned miserable my carefully planned life was until you ruined it all.

"And if going to war with my uncle is going to keep you there—I won't back down."

When had her father ever fought for her mother? When? Not with her, but for her? Would they have been happier if they'd been this way… ready to face the world with hands held instead of poised in fists at one another? Sasuke had never had to fight for her; this feeling… it was new—different. It lifted her entirely, making her think that perhaps—yes—it could be different.

Tenten licked her lips, trying to slow the heavy beat of her heart. She was on the precipice of something and not quite ready to jump. Some part of her still worried there wouldn't be anyone to catch her. But she nodded, wanting to give him something. "Ok…" And when he kissed her this time it was soft, as soft as it had been that day in his garage—so painfully gentle something inside of her strained and crumbled. It reached out to him, joining and connecting. She burst with it, happy enough to laugh and not entirely sure why.

But she did when they broke apart. "Wanna go somewhere else?" she asked, grinning. She laughed again when one of Neji's dark brows rose. "Not a dark corner, Hyuuga. We'll have time for that later." If he blushed she didn't see it, instead grabbing the slip of paper that had been passed to her earlier on the way back from the bathroom; she held it up. "There's a block party downtown. I could use a change of scenery. Plus…" she went on, letting it hang as her gaze drifted towards the exit. "…I'm pretty sure I need to do my friendly duty and break those two up."

"Now you sound like I do at a party trying to flag down Hanabi and Hinata."

Tenten snorted. "Not quite that bad, no. I'm sure Sakura's alright… hopefully." Actually, now that she considered it more, it might do the pinkette some good to have a little experience with Sasuke. He wasn't actually any real danger and, maybe, he'd help her find herself a bit.

Maybe.

Blade AN :: It's been two years since we updated. Two years, people. Were you even still waiting for one? God, I feel awful. Especially since I've been working on my individual fics in the meantime. But, a lot happened to me over that time and my schedule and Noki's just didn't align very well. I realize this chapter should probably be longer; I'm also sorry for that, given how long you've had to wait. We're going to try and get another update out soon to make up for it.

You may have noticed there was more Sakura and Sasuke in this chapter than Neji and Tenten. We'd planned to explore them more at the block party; however, given how Sasuke and Sakura left off… well, we wanted to leave it there for the sequel. YES, we are planning a sequel for Sakura and Sasuke. Noki's beyond excited. So, if you like the bits with them this chapter then don't be too disappointed if you don't see much of them from here on out. We need to wrap up Neji and Tenten's story before we take any more trips down the rabbit hole with the other two.

Also, we're going to run through and edit all the other chapters. I noticed in chapter three there's a section of text missing before Tenten has her outburst and gets in the car. That should be done before next chapter is posted.

At any rate, much love and hope you enjoyed it. (I guess I fail at quitting fanfiction. Go figure.)

Noki a/n: Let me chime in as well: I'm really sorry it's taken this long. And that I haven't really updated any of my other fics, either xD As Blade noted above, lots has been going on and I've just really not had the time to devote to fanfiction. HOWEVER, I will never let a story remain unfinished so never fear, it'll get done – er … eventually. Whether anyone remains to read the updates is open for debate, of course xD That being said, thank you so much to everyone who has periodically dropped a note asking if we're continuing RKOW – your continued support and faith in us means a lot ^^

Blade's not wrong – I'm crazy excited for the sequel because it's gonna be epic; I love this Sasuke. But lots of NejiTen still to come (90% of the awesomeness to be laid squarely at Blade's door) so I hope you can continue to enjoy the story. Love ya long time and thanks again for the patience and support!

P.S. How happy are we that Blade fails at quitting fanfiction ;)