1ST PLACE ISN'T EXACTLY THE BEST

-CHAPTER FIFTEEN-

Are we more than friends but less than lovers? Pt.2

"What's so funny?(sigh)You're so annoying."

Sakura stopped laughing and gave a playful punch to Sasuke's arm.

"Hey!No saying that I'm annoying is allowed!"

"Why?It's the truth."

'At least he's actually talking to me now…no more of those 'hns' or single word replies anymore.(sigh)'

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"How about we try the new shooting game?It's a mutli-player one,so you can't get beaten by me!"

"Hardy-har-har,Sakura-chan.Why don't we play that one?"

"The one that's called 'Bloody massacre 10?'It looks kinda gory."

"(sigh)Then what do you want to play!"

Sakura looked around the arcade and finally had an idea.

"Why don't we challenge a couple of kids against a two on two match?"

"No way!"

Sakura pouted.

"Why?You don't want to get beaten by kids?"

Sasuke couldn't help but give in to her challenge.He was of course the 'epitome of testosterone' after all.

"If we get beaten though,I'm holding you against it,Sasuke-kun!"

"Why me?"

"Cause you're the weakest link here!"

"Just because you beat me like what,three times?"

"Do you know how mad you were after those three times!"

"Argh!Forget it!

Sasuke began to storm away but Sakura stopped him in the process.She gave him her best pouty face and he caved yet again.There was a couple close to their age that they challenged to DDR ((I love ddr,so don't hold it against me!)).After Sasuke and Sakura both agreed that Sasuke could go first,they were all set.Sakura got a bit worried about cheering for him since the last time he was distracted while they were playing this game,he had lost terribly.

'Meh…I'll pick up any of the slack!'

The round went smoothly without any of them missing a beat…until Sasuke's opponent fell on his ankle as Sasuke took first place.

"HAHAHAHA!SUCKER!"

Sasuke was celebrating very loudly…and that earned him a hit on the head from Sakura.

"Sasuke you jerk!He fell on his ankle.I don't think that he can walk anymore!"

Sasuke rubbed the back of his head where Sakura had hit him.

"Don't go around hitting people that are better than you!"

Their yelling escalated to a full-out war while their challengers watched helplessly.

"What do you mean by that!I'm way better than you!"

"No you're not!"

"Then let's go!You against me!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

Sakura and Sasuke had both set the difficulty to high and just kept on going.Both of then surprisingly tied in the end and were forced to take another round.It was only when someone said,"Boy does this couple fight a lot!" did they stop.

"Hey you!"

"Sasuke!Don't yell at that punk!Leave some for me!"

They both ran after the owner of that comment and beat him into the ground,and to Sakura's surprise,she was having a lot of fun...but with Sasuke.

'How come I've never had this much fun on dates with Shika-kun?All we did was watch clouds…'

-I think you like Sasuke.-

'(blush)I do not!'

Sakura looked over at Sasuke and he was leaning against the wall and looking like his usual self.But instead of feeling the usual rage towards him,she felt a feeling of pure bliss and warmth.Sakura was caught in a weird trance as she stared at Sasuke.All Sasuke did was look at her weirdly and wave his hand in front of her face.

"Uhh…Sakura-chan?"

Sakura giggled.

"Are you okay?"

Sakura giggled again.

"Hey!Stop giggling!"

Sakura instantly stopped and looked up at him.He was looking at her with confusion on his face and she automatically blushed.

'What the hell has gotten into me!'

"Gomen…I just kind of…blanked out."

"Whatever…just don't do it again.It was…scary."

Sakura grinned and headed towards the bar.

"You want something,Sasuke-kun?"

"Why do you have to pay?Girls aren't allowed to pay on a-"

"Date?"

Sasuke looked at her weird as if he was expecting her to slap him and he started to speak.

"Uh…yeah.But since we're not on one…"

Sakura nodded and said,"I'll pay.You just owe me one later,okay?"

Sakura tried to cover up her shock as she ordered their drinks.

'He just implied that we were on a date!'

-Yeah…he's such a jerk for implying that he liked you in that sentence.-

'You're sarcasm isn't appreciated right about now!'

-Whatever…-

Sakura grabbed their drinks and sat down at the table that Sasuke had chosen.

"So….uh."

Sakura looked at the now nervous person who people referred to as the 'human ice cube'.

'I have to give him that idea that I don't like him!Shika-kun might think that I'm cheating on him!'

"Hey,Sasuke-CHAN?What time is it?"

Sasuke stopped looking nervous and she could tell that he had taken note of the -chan part of his name that replaced the usual -kun.

"It's…5."

"Really?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Dammit!I had to go run errands by 5!"

"Errands?"

"Yeah.I had to help my next door neighbor with cleaning her condo and I had to help water my other neighbor's plants."

Sasuke hesitated,then offered her a ride.Sakura gratefully accepted it and they had reached her condo in record time.

"I'll walk you to your condo for you."

'Damn…what do I do!WHAT DO I DO!'

-Just calm down.I don't think that he'll want to kiss you this time!-

'Alright…I'm trusting you on this one…'

There was on obvious tension between the two.Sakura was being jumpy and Sasuke was looking like every breath that he took might be his last.It was eerily silent between the two and it made the tension seem even more thicker around them.Even people that they had never met before looked at them like they were the mostcutest couplein the world.Then…they reached the Sakura's door step...

"Uhh…thanks Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke scratched the back of his head nervously and leaned in closer to Sakura.

-Looks like I was wrong.-

'You were!I TOLD YOU SO!'

-No more celebrating!You're about to get kissed!Instead that this time,you're not going to knock him out?Are you?-

'I-I don't know…'

Sakura closed her eyes as she went terribly stiff.Her fists were clenched so tight that her knuckles were turning white.She braced herself as Sasuke's warm breath tickled her neck.Then he kissed her.It wasn't a normal one,in fact,he had kissed her forehead.

-Lucky you Sakura,it wasn't a real kiss.-

'(sigh)I must be the most stupidest person in the world!"

Sasuke looked at Sakura in the eye and smiled.It was a very wide one that wasn't usually seen on his face.It actually made him look positively cuter.

"I'll see you around,Sakura nee-chan?"

'Great…now I'm considered as an older sibling!'

-Really?I thought that he was older…hm…-

"Bye,Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke turned around and headed back to the lobby as Sakura unlocked her door.

"I feel so ugh-ish for thinking that he'd actually kiss me."

-Really?I think that he just missed.-

"Oh shut up!He doesn't strike me as the type of guy who would miss a girl's lips!"

-How do you know that he didn't miss?He may have a problem with depth perception of something!-

"He does not have a problem with anything!"

-Yeah,you're right,cause you have the problem!-

"What the hell are you talking about!"

-I saw you giggling like crazy in the arcade!What was with that!-

"Shut up already!"

Back to Sasuke…

Sasuke sighed as he got back into his car.He could have gone crazy from that whole experience that he had just witnessed.

'I'm so stupid!'

Evil voice in Sasuke's head: -Don't sweat it,Sasuke!

'I can't believe I missed!'

-I'm sure that all first timers miss!-

'SHH!Someone might hear you!'

-Who cares?No one knows that you haven't even kissed a girl yet!-

'Meh...who cares...did you hear the way she called me Sasuke-chan?It sounded pretty weird...'

-You're telling me!Hey,are you still considering her as a girlfriend?-

'(asd)Uhh...no!'

-What about Temari?-

'Screw Temari!I like Sakura!'

-Aha!I knew it!You like the annoying girl!-

'Damn!Note to self: never respond to the voice in my head ever again!'