Hello my lovely readers! I'm back with more juicy sasusaku.

Chapter 9

Confusion

Slang Terms:

Got the morbs: A temporary melancholy

Mouthpie: An emphatic term for scolding of the feminine variety.

"May I cut in?"

With a slow blink, Sakura became aware of the world surrounding her.

It was Naruto who had broken the spell. She had been lost in the moment and did not hear him approach. His gaze bored down at her. She subtly put space between Sasuke and her, although his hold did not allow her to move out of his arms. The fingers she had lain on chest curled, then withdrew.

She recognized the fake smile plastered on Naruto's face. He donned it often in Sasuke's presence. When he looked at her, his eyes softened to kind assurance. However, when he turned to Sasuke all softness in those cerulean eyes left. He obviously did not like Sasuke. Sasuke did not seem to care for Naruto either, meeting the gaze head-on.

Sasuke unconsciously tightened his grip on her waist, but his face gave nothing away. He was irritated that Naruto interrupted them. His irritation hid well, but due to his grip, Sakura knew that it was there. Sasuke flashed a smirk in response to Naruto's grin, breaking some of the tension.

"Only if the lady does not mind," Sasuke replied in a pleasant tone. They both turned to her, and suddenly she felt cornered.

"I do not." She said slowly. She had been looking for an excuse to distance herself from Sasuke anyways.

Sasuke stepped away. Her hand that had been clasped with his now felt cold as he let go, and she closed her palm in an almost reminiscing way.

Yes, she needed a moment away from Sasuke.

Sasuke gracefully bid adieu, making sure to kiss her hand before he walked away.

Naruto stepped up. Her shoulders relaxed and she smiled. Dancing with Naruto would be a welcome distraction. Besides, she always had fun when they were together and genuinely enjoyed spending time with him. She felt bad for overanalyzing him as of late.

She rose her hands to grab his. He met one hand, but dodged the other, opting to slip it around her waist and pull her closer. 'W-wait, this is not how cousins dance!'

Her relief had been short-lived. She was back to overthinking.

Why were these men testing her patience tonight?

She pushed her sensitivity away and focused on her partner. Dancing with Naruto this way felt more awkward than dancing with Sasuke. It was not because Sasuke was a more graceful dancer. Just…inside her body…it felt awkward.

Naruto was an attractive man. When they were younger, girls had never taken him seriously because of his joking attitude. Now that he was a man, plenty of women stared at him when he walked by. He was good-looking, had a fulfilling career, and was kind-natured. All admirable traits that attracted women.

She had never entertained the notion of him as a bachelor, or an option for courtship. Jiraiya had suddenly appeared one day and told her that she had a new cousin, a wily boy with pointy blonde hair and a troublemaker smile. Even though they were not blood-related, she had never challenged that idea. He had complained about her being too busy being a mouthpie, and unlocked her secret love of pranks.

Ever since Ino had told her that Naruto had feelings for her, she could no longer look at him as a cousin. The young boy who encouraged her to jump around in puddles even when she knew she would get scalded for a dirty dress. He was a man. One who very well might have feelings for her.

But was she attracted to him as well? They were close, rivaling her friendship with Ino. Could she return the feelings?

Oh, this was too much for her. She was already struggling with her attraction to Sasuke. She could not deal with both of them. Watching a dissection was easier than dealing with emotions and feelings, and even men regularly puked at those.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked. He looked down at her with a worried expression.

"Of course." She replied, continuing to dance. Naruto was a simpler dancer. It was not like how Sasuke moved, gliding across the floor, but it was pleasant enough.

"You seemed…I do not know…when you were dancing with Sasuke, you looked uncomfortable."

'I was, but not for the reasons you think.' She thought sadly. He thought he was saving her from Sasuke, but he had been saving her from herself.

"Oh! Well, thank you for being my knight in shining armor." She said, but it was strange that his face did not brighten at her words.

Naruto's face was still too serious. His arm snaked farther around her waist until their bodies pressed together. The action caught her off guard, and her nerves tremored. Being this close to a man caused her to blush, so she looked down to hide it.

They did not talk much as they danced. The conversation felt clumsy on her end, and Sakura once giggled too loudly and sharply. The tone mortified her. Had Naruto picked up on her oddities? Yet he kept dancing. He was usually the clumsy one, not her.

It was so different from when they were younger, and she had forced him to twirl around with her in the garden. They had clasped hands and spun as hard as they could until Naruto was practically swinging her in the air. It had all been so fun. So innocent.

As kids, there was no sexual tension.

Naruto's expression softened as they danced, and she noticed a small smile on his lips when she glanced up. He looked so content and happy. He had yet to crack a joke with his signature goofy smile.

She felt the shift in his face and his demeanor. He did not look like a man laughing and spinning with his cousin. It looked more intimate. When he caught her gaze, he was filled with determination.

"Sakura, I-"

"I need a drink!" She suddenly blurted. Her feet stopped as he gave her a confused look from her outburst. Another couple dancing bumped her shoulder, and she stumbled and accidentally pressed into his chest. She hurriedly stepped back.

"I am sorry!" She sputtered, her cheeks red.

Naruto smiled in response. "It is fine." He put a hand on the small of her back. "Come."

They walked side by side, his hand still on her back, burning a hole through it. She gulped, then glanced at him through her lashes. He had a pink tint on his cheeks, but his actions were easy and purposeful. She was the one acting flustered.

Naruto lifted two drinks from a waiter's tray and gave one to her. She choked it down as gracefully as she could. Social events normally did not give her this much anxiety, but she knew what caused the extra stressors. Two in particular.

While she was having a hard time discerning Naruto, they were still close friends and she did not want to be alone. "I am sorry if I am not acting like myself." She apologized to him.

"Do not worry. I know you do not care for social events like these," Naruto told her reassuringly. His dimples came out when he smiled like that. "Maybe you just need a break. We could take a walk around the gardens if that would please you? Everyone else would be none the wiser."

"No, thank you. I think I just need some liquid courage." She told him. The gardens were tempting, but she did not want to be alone with him, lest he try to finish what he was about to say while they were dancing.

Once they finished those drinks, they took one more each before navigating farther into the crowd. On instinct, Sakura looped her arm through his. It was customary and habitual. Sakura looked for familiar friendly faces as they walked.

She spotted Hinata. She started to raise her hand holding the champagne flute to beckon the other woman over, desperate for other company but stopped. When Hinata saw her, there was a strange look in Hinata's eyes.

Sakura frowned. She did not believe that Hinata was capable of glowering…but that expression was close. They locked eyes, and the look disappeared. Hinata offered a small smile and a wave. She may have masked her face, but Hinata could not hide the jealousy radiating from her.

What in the world would Hinata have any reason to be jealous of her?

Sakura frowned as she pondered, opting to take a sip of her drink instead of waving Hinata over. She looked down. Her arm was still looped in Naruto's as they stood, and he had placed his other hand on top of hers.

Oh. That was what she was jealous about.

Hinata had revealed her crush on Naruto to Sakura some years ago, which Sakura had already suspected at the time. The shy woman became unwrapped, her whole face turning red, whenever Naruto directly talked to her. They had not recently discussed the topic, but it appeared that crush was alive and well.

A neighbor came up to them, asking Naruto about Jiraiya's latest projects, thankfully taking Naruto's focus off her. She could still wave Hinata over. Perhaps steer Naruto's attention towards her, because Sakura knew that Hinata struggled worse than she when it came to men. Or did she want that when she knew that Naruto had feelings for her? Would Hinata get hurt? Would she then suddenly be jealous?

Sakura internally groaned. Hinata, Ino, Naruto…were there anyone that was not complicating her life right now? Then there was Sasuke. She had not seen him since Naruto had stepped in.

She caught a glimpse of Sasuke's assistant weaving through other partygoers.

At least, she assumed he was Sasuke's assistant. She rarely saw companions around Sasuke, but it was safe to assume that a Count would have a plethora of people working under him. This man was the one she had seen most often, perhaps a handful of times when she spotted Sasuke out and about.

He was almost a shadow, the way he moved among the crowd. It made perfect sense that Sasuke's assistant would also be a curious individual.

The man led her gaze to Sasuke.

No wonder she had trouble spotting him. He was surrounded. And by beautiful women, at that.

Her hand around Naruto's arm squeezed, and distantly she heard Naruto's sharp intake of breath. Did he think she was being affectionate? She was not paying attention to the man standing next to her though. Her sole attention was on the swarm of young women who had sniffed out a rich, handsome bachelor.

Sasuke appeared in his element, which did not surprise her considering how attractive he was. He must have been used to the attention. Most women would flock to him based on his looks alone. The stature and money were the nails in the coffin. She watched as he spoke, his face debonair. Did he enjoy it? Any man would be a fool not to.

But he was not a regular man.

These women were already under his spell, and too many would willingly lend their necks to them, she reckoned. Her thoughts were too bitter towards women she considered friends and acquaintances. Ones she had not a bad word to say, except for Charlotte, who was always rousing mean-spirited comments and gossip.

'What are you truly mad about?' her mind whispered.

'Obviously, the attention he's getting.' She answered back.

Her inner argument continued. 'Ah, yes. But is it because you are afraid for the woman pining for his attention, or is it because his attention is not on you?'

The difficult thing about arguing with yourself is that you know when you are lying.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Sakura said suddenly, pulling away from Naruto.

"Wait-" Naruto started, but she was already grabbing her dress. She offered him a smile.

"I will be right back." She promised. She could not lie to herself, but she could lie to others. With that, she scurried off, past the dancers and socialites, out the door, and into the hall.

Her mother would admonish her for walking out of a party, but as long as she was not seen it would not matter. Her mother would be too busy to notice that Sakura was not among the sea of partygoers.

"This is ridiculous," Sakura murmured. Earlier had been too intense. She just needed to be away from all the noise and people surrounding her. A moment to compose herself. So she hid in one of the town halls rooms, sitting on a chaise.

The champagne she had snatched from a waiter sat on the table in front of her, half gone. It was the third one since the dance. She had downed the first half before she found this room. 'to take the edge off.' Like her mother had said. Yet she still could not control the heat she felt.

Her body wracked with a sob, but she controlled it. She would not let tears fall over this. Her mother would notice if her makeup smeared and immediately know that something was wrong. Then she would demand answers that Sakura could not give. What could she say?

'I feel guilty.' She could only admit to herself. 'I feel guilty that I feel this way for Sasuke when I know I should not.'

She took another big gulp.

'I feel guilty that I will inevitably hurt Naruto if he does have feelings for me, and that our relationship, our friendship, will change forever.'

she wiped her wet bottom lip, then looked at her thumb. A small blotch of rouge was there. 'Crap. The lipstick.'

'And now, is Hinata upset with me? Am I selfish for wondering if Naruto is a reasonable partner for me when I know she has feelings for him?'

She went to take another drink, but when the glass reached her lips she realized that it was empty. Shaking her head, she set the glass back down. 'That will be enough. Otherwise, I will lose my head.'

She needed to go back to the ballroom anyways. First, she would need to find a mirror and make sure her lipstick was not smeared. She picked up the empty glass then made her toward the door. There was a decorative mirror on the wall not too far away.

Her hand halted before she turned the knob. She heard a noise in the hallway. 'Crap.' She did not want anyone seeing her. She would have to wait until they passed.

"Hello, are you lost?" A female's voice called out.

'Ino?!' What was Ino doing out here? 'She might be looking for me if she noticed I was gone.'

"It appears I am."

Sakura's eyes widened. She would recognize that deep, sultry tone anywhere. 'Sasuke.' She stepped back from the door, clutching her chest as she did so. Why had he left the ball? And now, Ino was alone with him.

Sakura stepped closer and strained her hearing. Should she come out? What should she do?

Their voices started to fade, the clack-clack of Ino's heels covering up what they said. They were not heading the way back to the ball. They went further down the hallway. Sakura discreetly opened the door and stepped out. Carefully, she closed the door. Then she paused.

The way back to the ballroom was to her left, but she looked to the right. That was the direction in which Sasuke and Ino had walked. The hall turned a corner, continuing down a corridor. She could no longer see them, and she barely heard them now.

Sakura was a polite individual. Under normal circumstances, she would give whoever their privacy. But it was Sasuke, and he was alone with Ino.

Her body moved on its own. She grabbed her dress to keep from stepping on it as she discreetly walked towards the voices. She stopped at the corner when she heard Ino giggle. Sakura frowned.

Would she risk looking? They might see her. Did she want to be seen? It appeared as though they did not mind each other's company.

No. She had to look.

She took a moment to compose herself. Just a glance would suffice, and her head would barely stick out. She peered with one eye, too nervous to expose herself more. Then she could decide what she wanted to do.

"This is nice, we can talk without having to deal with the noisy crowd." Ino's lighter, feminine voice purred.

Sasuke's back was to her, his tall figure half concealing Ino, who was facing her direction. That did not worry her. Sasuke's body blocked Sakura from Ino's direct view. Ino was fixated, and would not notice Sakura. She had known there was a slim chance of Ino keeping her promise of steering clear of him, but it still stung.

It also made her nervous. Sakura had yet to meet a man that did not fall for Ino's charms (friend's aside). Something feral within her curled, followed by a sad realization.

She had witnessed few interactions between Sasuke and other women. Especially single women. Perhaps she was just another woman to be wrapped around his finger. He had made it no secret that he was trying to draw her in...maybe she was not the only one.

Sakura admonished herself. She was worried about the wrong thing. How could she let jealousy overcome her when her friend could be in danger? Yet she could not bring herself to step forward, nor could she leave. Her heels stuck to the floor as if she had stepped in glue.

"You mentioned that you had never been to town hall before. I wanted to show that it is not the building that people come for, but the fountains. Are they not beautiful during an evening such as this?"

Ah. So she had lured him here under the guise of viewing the fountains, which were infamous in Great Britain. Plenty of travelers came to view the wide-mouthed fountain, displaying the scene of three dancing nymphs, each claiming a section of the fountain. According to the plaque, the piece was commissioned not too long after Morning. A Dance of the Nymphs was painted by Jean Baptiste Camille Cort, a famous French painter. The scene was incredibly romantic.

At the moment, Sakura did not spare so much as a glance at the lovely fountain.

Ino was eloquent, especially when she was flirting. She was careful not to brag about her family's thriving business but made sure to sneak it in so people knew that she came from an acclaimed family. Then she would complement the man, and use her interest in his hobbies as an excuse to touch him.

Sakura watched intently. She had not heard much of their conversation, but she knew Ino. She could not pass up the opportunity to work her charms on Sasuke.

"It is an admirable sight. Now that we have been acquainted, let us head back," Sasuke said plainly.

Sakura saw Ino's eyebrow twitch. That meant Ino was irritated that Sasuke had not asked more about her. Ino kept a smile plastered on her face even as the conversation stagnated. Sasuke made a move to start heading back.

"Wait!" Ino reached out for him and caught him by the arm before he could leave. "T-there is no need to be so humble. You are a count from Romania are you not?" Ino slipped back into her smooth talk, asking Sasuke about his interests. Sakura noticed that Ino kept her hold on his arm.

"This a nice suit. sleek and fashionable. It fits you perfectly."

Sakura's teeth clenched. She knew that move, she had seen Ino perform it before. Ino was complimenting his suit, using as an excuse to delicately place her hand on his chest, slowly pulling down to feel the lapel.

Sasuke did not lean into it, but he did not push her away either. Sakura wished that she could see his face.

"Thank you," Sasuke stated.

Sakura listened for a minute more and watched Ino flirt with Sasuke, getting bolder as she went. Sasuke seemed to be neutral. He responded with short phrases, but again, he was not leaving either. She had thought after they danced that she could read him better, but it was impossible when she was watching from afar, unable to see most of his face.

Sakura expected Sasuke to seize the opportunity. Ino was coming on to him, and they were alone. Thought they were alone.

"Oh, count, no one told me you were so shy," Ino giggled.

'Ugh. Why has she not given up already?'

Ino snuggled in closer. Then made a rather bold mood that had Sakura's jaw dropping. Ino dragged her hand down his chest, just stopping above the hem of his pants. "I can help you with that." She purred.

'Stop this. Stop this now!' Her mind screened, but she stayed put. It was not her place to do so.

Sakura watched Sasuke reached down. He grabbed Ino's wrist and pulled her arm away.

"Ah, so this is the real reason you asked me to escort you," Sasuke said suddenly.

Ino gave him a sly look. One that infuriated Sakura. "As if you did not know why I asked you to escort me. You do not need to worry. No one will see us get more acquainted."

"Can I be honest with you, Ms. Yamanaka?" Sasuke asked, looking down at her.

"Of course," Ino said. She flashed a beaming smile, thinking that she had finally gotten somewhere with the man.

"I do not care for loose women like you. Perhaps if you spent more time educating yourself than flirting, you would have something more to offer a man."

Sakura's jaw dropped further. Ino's mouth gaped in horror. Then the blonde glared up at Sasuke. She yanked her arm from his hold and flung herself away.

"ugh! How uncouth! It is a shame I wasted time on you." Ino sneered. She purposefully bumped him with her shoulder as she pushed past, and did the best she could to walk away with dignity instead of turning into a fire-breathing dragon.

Ino did not get rejected very often, but when she did, she did not take it well.

Not wanting to be caught, Sakura hurried down the hallway. She would not make it to the other end before Ino rounded the corner and saw her. She hid in the room she had taken haven in before, pressing her ear to the door.

Ino's heels were loud, but they practically echoed now as she stomped past. The footsteps faded, and Sakura waited with bated breath until the sound was completely gone. But she had not heard a second pair of shoes. However, she never heard his footsteps when he approached, almost as if he glided-

"What are you doing?"

"Ack!" Sakura jumped at the voice, bumping into a body directly behind her.

She never heard him approaching.

Slowly turning, she came face to face with Sasuke. There was not much room for her to distance herself. She was stuck between the door and him. Her hands pressed against the door as her heart started to beat wildly.

"Have you been following me?" He asked curiously.

"O-of course not. I did not mean to eavesdrop. I only wished to fix my lipstick." She rattled off. Her response was off-kilter, like a child caught red-handed.

"You say that, yet how is it that every time I turn around, there you are?" He asked, his dark eyes staring her down.

His undivided attention did nothing to calm her nerves. She could not grasp on to her frayed nerves because of how close he was. And how aware she was of that. 'Damn.' Acknowledging her attraction had made it more difficult.

"Applegate is a small town?" She meant to say, but the phrase came out like a question.

"May I remind you that there was an occurrence in London." He responded.

"...that was a coincidence." At first. She did start following him once she saw him.

The expression on his face said that he did not believe her and that he was enjoying making her uncomfortable. He smirked. Resting his hand against the door behind her, he leaned even closer. His eyes never left her.

Even if she was struggling, she would do her best not to show it. She held his gaze, tilting her head back since he was easily 4 to 6 inches taller than her. Probably more since she was wearing heels.

"And here you are, again." He stated.

She subtly cleared her throat. "If you must know, I just happened upon you, and I could not leave my friend alone with you in fear for her safety."

"So instead you chose to watch from the shadows?"

"I did not want to be rude, either." She said without thinking. Humor danced in his eyes.

Sakura, feeling embarrassed that her wits were failing, changed the topic.

"When did you know?"

"I found it odd that two sets of feet hurried away when Ms. Yamanaka stormed off." He explained.

'Right. Ino would not hear me, but Sasuke's hearing is better than a human's.'

"You were harsh with her," Sakura commented. While inside she had been delighted when turned down Ino, she did not agree with Sasuke's method of rejection.

"I had to be harsh with her. She was insistent."

"And yet you let her hang all over you," Sakura mumbled, not quite meaning to say it out loud. 'Maybe that last glass of champagne took too much of the edge off.'

Sasuke tilted his head, and his smirk widened. "Do I detect jealousy?"

"No! You do not affect me."

She wanted to say something cruel. "Jealous over what? Who could want a monster?" Sakura may have been fiery, but she could not bring herself to be mean-spirited.

Besides, it was true. She had been jealous. She had been panicked and worried that Ino's beauty and flawless flirting would draw him in, and he would forget about her. How twisted. She had come to enjoy his harassment.

She tried to change the topic.

"How did you get in here? I was standing in front of the door."

"Did you not notice the second door, on the other side of the room?"

She looked past him.

No, she had not noticed the other door. She had been too lost in thought and her glass of champagne earlier. Then when she had no time to look when she had come back into the room to hide. Her hiding spot had been ineffective. He had snuck in behind her.

Distracted, she did not see him reach for her.

Her eyes snapped to his when she felt his hand caress her chin. His thumb wiped her lower lip slowly.

"Your lipstick is smeared." He said. The velvety tone heated her flesh, and she found herself unable to respond.

'Control yourself, Sakura.'

"You know, I think that you might be lying to me," Sasuke told her.

Sakura looked at him defiantly. "I am not. I was here before you, and I was going to fix my lipstick before I heard voices."

"Not that." He said. His eyes, deep with onyx and obsidian, searched hers. His hand slid away from her chin, resting on the other side of her face, effectively caging her in. "That I do not affect you."

"You do not." She said too quickly. She did not need to see her face to know that it was getting redder by the minute, and the only way to stop it was if he moved twenty feet away. 'Focus on your words. On pushing back. Not on his face, or his chest, or...'

"I do not believe you." He responded.

She glowered. "Then your arrogance precedes you," Sakura responded haughtily.

"Prove it." He responded.

Her brow furrowed. "What?" She asked, confused.

"Kiss me."

Sasuke was definitely not shy. At least not with her.

Ba-dump Ba-dump. "And, why would I do that?" She breathed. Her gaze dropped to his lips, then flicked back up before she could stare too long.

"If I do not affect you, then one kiss should be harmless." He goaded.

Jiraiya had once brought her a small toy from China when she was a child. He called it a 'finger trap'. The toy was braided with bright, pretty colors and was hollow with the two ends open. Jiraiya tricked her into inserting her two pointer fingers into the holes, her fingers effectively trapped. The toy's hold would only tighten if she tried to tug it off, and she had needed her father's help getting it off because her uncle was too busy laughing.

This felt like a finger trap. Each side of the same coin, adding up to the same amount. If she denied his request, she proved him right. If she gave in, then, well, that was self-explanatory. He did have a hold over her, but she did not want him to know that.

But, they both knew already. She could see it in his eyes.

Maybe it would quell the thirst for him if she did kiss him.

These feelings had been festering for longer than she realized, for how could he bring about such a strong response otherwise? Was it because a man of this caliber had never chased her like this before? Or perhaps it was his hypnosis, and he had lied about how they manifested because the pull she felt towards him was paramount.

After tonight, she would not be able to consider herself practical anymore.

She did not give him a verbal answer. Seizing the chance, her hand reached up to the back of his head and tugged. It did not take much. He swooped down as she leaned forward, his lips meeting hers halfway.

Kakashi was late to the ball, but he did not mind. These were not his usual events. They were designed for hoity-toity partygoers dressed to the nines, and he found dressing up to be...itchy. Regardless, he came in one of the two suits he owned. At least the free booze would be nice.

Kakashi found his companions standing near one of the marble pillars that lined the room. Naruto was leaning against the pillar dramatically, fist above his head. Shikamaru stood next to him, arms crossed, as he watched the dancers and ignored the other man. Kakashi was surprised the scene was not drawing more attention. It seemed as though Applegate's high society was used to Naruto's theatrics.

Kakashi's brow raised as he approached the odd scene. "He got a case of the morbs?" He asked as he shoved a hand into his pocket. The other was already holding a glass of whiskey.

Shikamaru regarded him. Naruto did not budge, but Kakashi heard a groan come from the pillar. "He had finally mustered up the courage to tell Sakura how he felt after seeing her dancing with Sasuke, but she left before he could and we have not seen her since, so he started sulking," Shikamaru explained in a bored tone.

Having a sharp eye, Shikamaru noticed Kakashi visibly tense at his words. What had he said that garnered such a reaction?

"What is it?" Shikamaru asked pointedly. As if hearing the conversation for the first time, Naruto peeked at them from under his shoulder. Still moping but curious.

Kakashi's expression soured. "Perhaps you were right to be wary of Sasuke Uchiha."

OOOOH. Things are getting spicy. And what is it that Kakashi has found?