Title: Silver Medal
Summary: Karin was sick and tired of being treated that way. Sasuke decided to do something about it.
Pairing: SasuKarin
Rating: T, for swearing and mentions of tongue-kissing (Which I find slightly gross).
Notes: Real world AU.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

They had an excellent view of Sakura and her nameless date from where they sat in the restaurant, Sasuke gawking at them both but trying not to be seen by them, and Karin was trying to get Sasuke's attention. It was supposed to be a legitimate date this time; Sasuke had promised.

"So, what's this guy's name again?" Since trying to get him to pay attention to her the last time hadn't worked, Karin had decided to (somewhat) go along with Sasuke's scheme of spying on his ex-girlfriend and her new beau. At least, that was what Sasuke thought; for all he knew, she might actually be genuinely interested in a bout of voyeurism towards Haruno Sakura's love life.

Sasuke didn't answer her, barely hearing Karin's softly spoken question. She was wearing a close-fitting, long-sleeved dress that he admitted looked very good on her but wasn't really paying a whole lot of attention to how she looked at the moment.

Sakura and her date were both looking off of the menu (It was a very high class Italian restaurant, with low, dim lighting and richly furnished tables and booths). The young man said something, and Sakura giggled, the glittering ruby earrings dripping like blood from her ear lobes trembling and sparkling, refracting the light in brilliant fashion. Sasuke felt his face sour as he watched the happy scene.

"What will you have?" The waiter was addressing them; Sasuke left Karin to fill the orders.

"I'll have the balsamic salmon with angel hair pasta," Karin answered. She looked over at Sasuke, frowning. "Sasuke?" She leaned over and shook his shoulder. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke took a moment to look back and glare at her; Karin rolled her eyes in response. "He'll have the same," she supplied for the waiter, who was handed their menus and left.

They ate in silence, Karin's face growing increasingly despondent, though, all the while, Sasuke didn't notice that. He was too busy staring at Sakura and her date, barely eating anything.

If Karin didn't try to talk to him anymore, Sasuke didn't worry about that. If anything, he found it a relief, since he wasn't a fan of conversation and, in his mind, he had more important things to do than talk to her.

Sakura and her date finished first. As they got up from their table, Sasuke realized with horror that they would pass right by his and Karin's table, and that Sakura would not be too amused to see him there.

"Damn it," Sasuke swore under his breath. He looked up sharply at Karin. "We have to hide."

Karin took in the situation in a split second, looked past Sasuke's head and saw Sakura. She started to lean over. "Kiss me," she whispered urgently.

"What?"

But it was too late to back out. Without warning, Karin grabbed the lapel of Sasuke's coat and pulled him forward. Their mouths crashed against each other, as Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. It…wasn't bad, he had to admit. At least Karin wasn't trying to tongue-kiss him like Sakura always had.

She finally let go long after the last glimpse of pink hair had disappeared from the door.

After catching his breath, Sasuke shook his head and stared incredulously at Karin, who looked slightly dazed but immensely satisfied. "You enjoyed that a little too much," he told her flatly.

To this, Karin shook a finger at him and grinned. "And you can't deny that you enjoyed it at least a little bit."

When they got out into the parking lot, Sakura was long gone.

Sasuke shook his head and snarled. "Where do you suppose they've gone? Sakura loves that movie theater downtown, and if we hurry, we can still catch the eight o'clock showing of that movie she wanted to see, and—"

"Sasuke, no!"

He turned around and saw Karin glaring at him, her face exceptionally pale. Sasuke was silent as Karin launched into a rant. "I am sick of this. All we do when you take me places is trail Sakura and that boyfriend of hers." She shook her head, face contorting into an expression of genuine pain. "I'm not anyone's silver medal, Sasuke! And I refuse to be treated like one." She started to walk away. "I'm going home."

Sasuke stared after her for a moment, numb. He wasn't sure what was going on.

Then it hit him.

Karin was walking away.

He could not let that happen.

"Karin! Come back!"

He finally caught up to her, grabbing her shoulder with one hand.

"Karin," Sasuke gasped, struggling to get his breath. Once composed, he said, softly, "You're not my silver medal."

She whirled round on the ball of her foot. Karin's crimson eyes were flaring with indignation. "Prove it," she challenged.

Only one thing left to do. Sasuke grabbed her upper arms and kissed her roughly.

For a moment, Sasuke wondered if he was going to be regretting this later.

What the hell. Karin wasn't half as saccharine as Sakura was, anyway.