Competition
Competition
By xox Bra's Unrequited Romance xox
"Sasuke," Sakura said, "This is my parent's Himalayan cat Manchester and if you can't get along with her then we can't continue to see each other."
It was a kitten, it seemed nice enough. Sasuke and Sakura watch a movie, it plays with a mouse in the corner. It's not until Sasuke starts to make a move that the cat 'pounces'.
Dedicated to Chia
It had been six months since Sakura's parents had died, leaving her with the house, all their money, furniture and their eight week old abandoned Himalayan kitten named Manchester. It hadn't been the easiest of times, but Manchester had been there for her, and that was probably all she ever wanted. Oh and so had Sasuke… Couldn't forget the boyfriend.
She had to have been the ugliest thing she had ever seen in the world when they had found her, abandoned in a gutter. Manchester was scrawny, dirty and stunk. Her beautiful blue eyes looked at Sakura, pleading. They seemed to hypnotize her family. Maybe that was why three hours later, she had been bathed, fed and was asleep on their lounge.
Everything was perfect at that time, Sakura had recently hooked up with Sasuke and they were going so well. She had realized that there actually was so much that Sakura hadn't known about Sasuke. If it made sense to say that she knew about the things she didn't know about such as his family being slaughtered, but that she didn't know about the things she didn't know about; such as his liking of Tomatoes, how he was fascinated with ancient history and alchemy or how he had discovered a chest full of scrolls for different, rare Sharingan techniques. Everything was going fine. That was until her parents died in a fatal car accident.
The car had crashed into a near by tree, and then flipped seven times before landing in a paddock. She had been a wreck, became a recluse, didn't talk to anyone on the 'outside' and left the house only to attend her parent's funeral. That was her life for a month.
Now, two months later, she started living again. She hung out with Naruto, stole shy glances to Sasuke and attended work often. Sasuke and Sakura had started seeing each other again. It wasn't couple things, but it was something.
"H-Hey Sasuke?" Her voice rang over the phone.
"Yes, Sakura?" returned a deeper voice.
"You- You want to come over and watch some movies with me, like… Now?" Sakura asked nervously.
"Sure," Sasuke replied, his voice was cool. "I'll be over in twenty, there's something I have to do first."
"O-Okay… Bye," Sakura smiled, hanging up the phone.
Slowly, she sunk back into the chair sighing. Her fingers traveled over to the cord of her phone and they wound around the cord subconsciously. Maybe she should make something to eat. Yeah, that would probably be the smartest thing to do.
Sakura raised herself off the seat, untangling the cord wound around her pinkie and walked into the kitchen. There had to be something edible in here? Sakura raided the cupboards, looking for any trans-fatty acids in food she could. That just seemed to go with pizza, her medical mind mused. Pizza and trans-fatty acids as a side. She shook her head. 'Get out of the books' she told herself, 'Sasuke won't want to know about your medical texts.' Why was this so hard? It was meant to be easy. She was meant to have buttered popcorn, chocolate and a pizza to serve him. He wasn't meant to not like popcorn or confectionary and she defiantly wasn't meant to eat the only frozen pizza in the fridge last Friday when she got home late.
It was official. She was stuck. Exactly what did the Uchiha like to eat whilst watching a movie? Nothing she could think of he would eat, at all!
'In the words of Shikamaru this was "troublesome.'
Take away was probably the best option, the option that was of less hassle. Sakura reached for the phone when suddenly the door bell rang.
She found herself cursing the Uchiha name until she reached the door.
"Hello?" She said as she pulled open the bulky door.
"Hi," Came the deeper reply. "Was I too early?"
Sakura eyes widened, "Why Sasuke, why would you think that?"
He smirked, "Because I heard you swearing up the hallway."
"Oh…" Sakura said, feeling a crimson blush spreading across her face. She had been rude, unforgivably rude. "Oh Sasuke, I'm sorry, I didn't know what to cook, and you don't eat sweets. I was going to order take out but I didn't know what you'd eat and…"
"Sakura," Sasuke said, cutting her off. "I don't care."
"Oh… Oh alright," Sakura said meekly as he pushed past her, entering the house.
It was at that moment that Manchester ran into the room, her little gold bell chiming sweetly and her paws barely touched the ground. The small cat was probably only twenty centimeters high and thirty centimeters long, but she strode around as if she owed the place.
"Manchester!" Sakura squealed picking up the fluffy Himalayan and bringing it to her face.
Sasuke looked on with curiosity. The cat really did look strange, to him. It wasn't like anything else he had ever seen. Set in features that made it look like it had hit a wall too many times, and its colouring indicating to him that it used to be white, till it was dipped into tar accidentally. The cat was literally, one part creamy white, one parts a smoky black.
"Oh Sasuke," Sakura spoke suddenly; remembering he's was still there, "This is my cat Manchester and if you can't get along with her, we can't continue to see each other."
Sasuke nodded, though he couldn't help but think it was a bit strange for Sakura to put the cat in front of him. It was Sasuke Uchiha for crying out loud, the boy who every single girl in his year had had a crush on, the boy who could get anyone he wanted with ease and now he came after a cat?! That was ridiculous! Though there was no way he was going to walk out now, not in the competition of a stupid cat. He had the upper hand, he was a ninja, he was her love interest and he wouldn't let some cat beat him.
Or that's what he thought.
"Alright, lets get started shall we?" Sakura smiled, dropping the cat and walking into the kitchen. "There are some movies that I rented on the coffee table, but what do you want to eat?"
Sasuke shrugged, "Just ring up and order pizza, I'll donate ten bucks."
"O-Okay," Sakura stuttered, "I'll add extra tomato just for you."
Sasuke smirked, extra tomato just for him. This would be a funny night. His ebony eyes focused on the task before him however. Choosing the right DVD would be crucial.
Usually Sasuke wouldn't worry about such trivial things, but for some reason, he took this task a whole different way.
There were five different DVD's in all, and Sasuke had to accolade her on her variety of movies. He, himself had expected for her to get sissy crap, girl movies, romantic movies, romantic comedy, the list went on. It actually surprised him when he saw the title 'Saw' amongst them.
So, basically, from left to right, Sasuke read out the titles and their genre in his head.
007 Casino Royale –Action, Adventure, Saw- Horror, gore, Zoolander- Comedy, Hitch –Romantic Comedy and Blades of Glory- another comedy.
Sasuke couldn't shake the fact that she was trying to get him to laugh. He didn't really intend to laugh in the movie, hell he didn't really intend to watch the movie. If it went the way he wanted, he and Sakura would be a lot more… distracted.
He was still pending when he felt Sakura come over his shoulder.
"Picked a DVD yet Sasuke?" She asked, her sweet voice echoing through his ears.
"No," He replied monotonously.
Sakura laughed lightly, "That's alright, how about we go through what their about."
Sasuke nodded slightly, though he already knew what they were about anyways. Maybe he could do it now and they needn't watch a movie.
Sakura grabbed the first one on the list, which happened to be Casino Royale and made to tell Sasuke what she knew of the film. What surprised Sasuke was that, amongst him, who never really bothered to watch movies anyway, she had actually never seen many herself. He guessed she had been busy with her parent's death and at the hospital. Those were the two main factors in dividing her time.
"So a spy, huh?" Sakura concluded, "Does that one sound alright Sasuke-kun?"
He didn't answer. Slowly he shifted over to Sakura's side and picked up what looked like to him Zoolander. That looked like a strange movie.
"What's this one about?" He asked, handing the movie to Sakura.
Sakura frowned, "What? Can't you read it yourself?"
Sasuke smirked and pushed the cover into her gut. "Read it," He ordered.
Sakura sighed and started to read the blurb out loud and Sasuke made sure to inch himself closer to her. Was this selfish? To hit on Sakura just after her parents died? He decided: if she didn't want him at the moment, she'd reject him and well, he'd try again later. But he did know one thing, in the end, he would get her. He was just oh so irresistible.
His face was almost touching hers when she finished reading the blurb. To his surprise, she turned to face him and squealed.
"Sasuke!!"
Like that was going to stop him. There was no way. She didn't even protest when he was about to cover her lips with his own. In fact, he swore he saw her eyes close and her head tilt to the side waiting for the contact.
"Oh! Manchester!" Sakura squealed at the little cat that had jumped onto her lap, nudging her affectionately. He eyes turned to Sasuke's and they met for a moment, before she turned away blushing heavily.
"I-I guess we had better watch the movie hey?" Sakura stuttered, picking up a DVD case off of the coffee table. Sasuke saw the flash of 'Saw' as she placed it in the DVD cover dazed.
"Sakura… I…"
"No, Sasuke it's alright, just, just forget about it," Sakura said, sitting on the sofa. "It's over now, okay…"
Like hell it was. He swore. He would kill that cat before the night was through.
The movie they had chosen was amusing to say at the least. The model was dumb and they done some stupid things. Sasuke wasn't sure if it was the way the male model was a little feminine or that he was unusually stupid.
Sakura, on the other hand, was wrapped into the movie. Laughing and crying, she had no interest whatsoever in Sasuke. It was as if he was dead to her, he had no idea why she invited him if this was how she was.
He, at that moment, thanked his clan. His clan, the Konoha police department, had quick reflexes and thought fast. That was how he came up with his next plan.
He lowered his lips, till they almost touched the base of her neck and smiled softly.
"Sakura…" His warm breath tickled her neck and he saw her shudder.
"Sasuke?" She answered slowly.
"Pass me a piece of pizza, please?" On the word 'please' he lowered his lips a little bit lower so they barely brushed against her skin.
Her eyes traveled over to the pizza on the bench next to her. It would surely be cold so why did he want any? That was when she saw it.
He didn't.
"Oh, Manchie!"
That was when he striked. He wrapped his arms around her departing form, but missed miserably; failing to pin her down against the lounge.
The cat was gorging herself on the pizza.
"Oh manchie, don't eat the pizza!" She picked the cat up with one hand, pulling it to her chest and patting it soothingly. Sasuke watched her. "Here come on; we'll get you something to eat."
The kitten was placed on the floor, her bell tinkering slightly. Sakura walked up through the hallway and Manchester followed in great bounds. The food box rattled and Sasuke heard the dry food falling into a small plastic food bowl.
Sasuke gritted his teeth. This was getting frustratingly annoying and that cat was the main problem to it. There had to be something he could do to distract it. Maybe it had a mouse or something? Sakura loved it so much, Sasuke was sure it had one thousand mice.
He sighed, letting out the anger welling up inside him and laid back against the chair. The movie muttered on incoherently in his ears, like little annoying cicadas on a summer's night. He probably should have thought of a plan before he had come, but that was Uchiha Sasuke; he never had a plan.
Sakura totted back into the lounge, smiling.
"Well Sasuke-kun, have I missed much?" She asked, closing the pizza box and sitting back down.
"No," He replied gruffly, crossing his arms and looking away sharply.
Sakura laughed and turned her head in to meet Sasuke's. "Oh Sasuke-kun, don't be upset because Manchester ate your pizza, it was cold anyway and you're the one that didn't close the lid!"
He didn't reply. He just stood staring at her cream wall.
Sakura sighed, tucking back her strawberry hair. "Fine Sasuke, be that way."
Sakura continued to watch the remaining of the movie, trying to piece together exactly what was happening. Maybe she should had gone and paused it while she fed Manchester; now she had no idea what was going on.
Sasuke on the other hand was glancing around the room, loosing interest in the movie in front of him. He was focusing little less on the woman next to him but focusing more on the little furry thing rubbing against his legs, purring continuously.
There had to be some way to kiss her. That's all he wanted to do tonight, kiss her, though he was being punished as if he wanted a one night stand and would leave her the morning after. It was probably Kakashi, he knew. He had probably stolen some of his Sharingan scrolls and had developed the power to see through walls and was watching him right now. He'd be laughing at everything now, all the agony Sasuke was going through.
The furry devil was probably all apart of it.
Sakura laughed, breaking Sasuke out of his chain of thought. She moved in closer, her eyes watching him seductively. "Looks like you've got a friend there Sasuke…" She said, the words slipping out of her lips.
He formed a twisted smile, "It's annoying," He said, leaning in a little closer. He could see it, her eyes were burning with desire. His head traveled back to the start of the night. He'd get her, he was oh too irresistible.
"I'm annoying am I not?" She replied, smiling lightly.
"Hmm, you are…" He smirked, bringing a hand up to run through her pink tresses. He felt almost silk run through his calloused fingers. Her hair was so soft, his fingers traveled down to lightly brush against her cheek. He felt selfish that he had hard, rough, scarred hands when her skin was soft and flawless. He cupped the side of her heads and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss.
There was something pressing against his chest. It presses hard, little feet pressing into his thigh, it was on him. It was ruining his life again! He broke the kiss to see Manchester on his lap, nudging her head into his gut. Sasuke felt something snap inside of him.
"Wait!" He declared, picking up the bundle of fur easily.
Sasuke stormed to the hallway, the little bundle of fur in his arms. He chucked it, chucked it up the lounge room. The small cat skidded along the floor, spinning until it slowed down and stopped at the top of the hallway.
Sasuke stormed back into the lounge, hearing Manchester's bell coming back down the hallway. He would have to be quick.
Sakura sat on the lounge, hands in her lap, her eyes wide. He approached her and roughly grabbed her hips and slammed his lips into hers. There was a moment of shock, where Sasuke thought he was kissing a corpse, before Sakura started to respond. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply.
He heard the bell come down into the lounge room and the little cries the kitten made when their attention wasn't on her. Sakura broke the kiss to look at her, sitting in the middle of the lounge room, looking up with big blue eyes. Sasuke turned her chin back to him and kissed her passionately, pinning her up against the lounge.
He broke the kiss roughly, breathing heavily. Sakura smiled as she caught her breath, resting her forehead against his. Manchester mewed at their feet.
"Oh Sasuke, she's meowing," Sakura whimpered.
"Don't look at it," He replied.
"Oh Sasuke, I can't help it," She said.
"Help it."
Manchester was pissing him off now. Sakura was meant to be his, not some furry little thing that had too many brain cells than it really needed. It trotted over, its bell ringing, happy that it finally got some attention. It leaped onto Sakura's lap, nudging its head against Sasuke's lower abs. Sasuke leant over Sakura, staring down at the kitten as it continued to display her forms of affection.
Sakura smiled, "Aw, she likes you."
Sasuke snorted, "I don't like it."
He tried swatting her away but she persisted.
"Sasuke, don't do that, she's accepted you," Sakura said.
"Why do I care if the cats accepted me?" He replied.
Sakura laughed, "Because if you can't get along with Manchester, Sasuke-kun, you can't continue to see me."
Sasuke choked, he looked at Sakura's determined eyes. She really was serious. He would have to get along with the cat to see her. That was insanely unfair. He was sure that that cat was in with Kakashi on grounding down his life till it was miserable. 'For a hobby' he added sourly.
"It's getting along with me," Sasuke said, pointing to the cat rubbing herself against his thigh.
"That's not the point Sasuke, you have to like her too," Sakura replied.
Suddenly, Sasuke pushed her back harder into the lounge, leaning over her body, faces inches away.
"Its friends with me, we're friends, we're fine…" he said menacingly.
"Good, act like it… Pat…" Sakura was cut of when he kissed her deeply.
Manchester stopped her assault on Sasuke's legs, walking up Sakura's body to where her neck met her head. She seemed oblivious to the two in front of her locking lips. Using her little pin head, she wedged between their faces, pushing their lips apart. She continued by walking across Sakura's face and up the back of the lounge. She finally curled into a ball to rest, her work done.
"Manchester!" Sakura cried.
"I think it's time I went home," Sasuke said, getting up again.
"No, Sasuke, it's not even late yet," Sakura protested.
"It's past midnight, you and I have to go to work tomorrow, It's time I left," Sasuke said, turning to leave.
Sakura shot up, grabbing Sasuke's hand before it reached the door knob. She spun him back to face her and smiled softly.
"Thanks for tonight Sasuke, it was wonderful," She said. His bangs covered his eyes and the shadow stretched over most of his face. She raised her hands to his face, lightly brushing her fingers against the side of his face, revealing his deep ebony eyes.
Her fingers lingered at the sides of his head as she kissed him softly. "Thank you," She whispered.
He smiled and kissed her back, "Tomorrow, six thirty, at my place. Leave the cat behind…"
She laughed lightly, "I'll see."
And he was gone. He was quick, quicker than any human being she had ever seen, quicker than Naruto, quicker than Kakashi. All that remained of him ever being there was the rustling of papers in the wind and the tingling feeling across Sakura's lips. She smiled.
She turned inside, closing the door behind her with a soft click. Her eyes turned around to meet cerulean blue. She laughed at the tiny cat at her feet and bent down to pat it out of the head.
"Tell Kakashi to stop meddling in my affairs," She said to the cat. Manchester merely looked at her innocently. She shook her head, "Don't play dumb, you know what I'm talking about." The cat cocked her head to one side, not understanding what her human partner was going on about.
Sakura walked over to the kitchen and forced open a rusted old window. The crisp air flowed into the kitchen. She stuck her head out and examined her surroundings.
"Cut it out Kakashi!" She yelled to nothing, "Stop spying on me, stop getting my cat into it! Stay out of Sasuke's Sharingan scrolls!"
There was silence, only the breeze rattiling through the trees came through, before a masculine, cocky voice answered.
"Only looking out for my students, you know that Sakura."
"Whatever Kakashi, leave me and Sasuke alone, stay out of his scrolls. Leave my cat alone," She said.
"Sakura," A mock voice came through now, "You hurt your sensei, look what he got for you, Sasuke was all wound up for you tonight. Come on, you have to be happy with that. Naruto did a good job."
"Naruto?!" She squeaked.
She heard a quiet '…oh' from the hidden Kakashi, who just realized that he had just dobbed in the fox boy. Sakura slammed down the window in anger, the chipped paint flying off in all directions. Manchester jumped up onto the kitchen servery.
Sakura turned sharply to look at her. "You, bed now!"
Both Sakura and Manchester walked up the hallway, Sakura trying to concentrate of reducing the level of chakra in her feet so she didn't burn through the expensive wood. Manchester hoped she didn't get squashed by Sakura storming up the hallway.
The little cat doubted if it would get food tomorrow for what she did to her master. It didn't really matter though, she had had fun tonight, even if her master hadn't had had such a good time. She didn't really want to see that dark haired boy again; he seemed too mean for her master though she would invite him around again.
Manchester settled down on the silk cover of Sakura's pillow, sleeping across her head. As she thought more, Manchester wasn't sure if she liked the possibility of two people in the same bed; especially if it was the mean one. She couldn't sleep with him, and probably could sleep with Sakura either, which meant she'd have to sleep out in the lounge room.
Drowsiness overtook her and Manchester couldn't think much more; sleep overtook her.
Gosh that ending was so long…
Well, here's number 12 in the Saga
-Manchester was originally going to be a boy, though I based it on my own cat and well, she's a girl. Besides it fitted.
Thanks for all the reviews,
ChristinaAngel- Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. I thought I would be a good idea. Though you wouldn't believe me how long it took to get the symbols for the Chidori.
Youko-Kuramas-Kitsune- Yes, but I also said that the second would be different to the first, which you could piece them together but you couldn't. Besides, I'd lost the idea for it sort of and that threw a spanner in the works.
xo4evagurlox- Lol, yes recharging. Actually, I'm currently writing a book, which is, thank god. 100 better than this, I dunno, I guess I write better on the laptop. Besides, these are spur of the moment stories. Thanks for the review. Hope you understood this one.
pink-strawberries- I'm glad It made you feel all fuzzy and warm. I'm a fuzzy and warm person myself. Hehe.
Also thanks to: Sony98, alana124pyro & Liongirl93
Remember to review!!
X x Always Bra x x
