A/N
Again with the anonymous flames! Come on – don't those guys read or anything? I asked if they could reply with some sort of contact or by signing in, cuz I swear a lot of this could either be constructive if I just knew what made them so angry! Plus really, I think a lot of it is a misunderstanding.
I mean, for those who reviewed anonymously saying things like "omg this sucks. Its so out of character and everything. They're so immature, and so ooc. And Florida? What is that? That's so stupid they're Japanese" etc etc.
First I'd like to ask them 'have you read the authors note at the very beginning of the story? Because it says right there that this is originally an ORGINAL story, and it just so happened that it could relate to the Naruto characters, and then the story started to evolve a little into the Naruto universe.
So Florida is highly acceptable for characters who are supposed to be American anyways. I mean, just look at the title 'change in direction' – its called that because originally it's a play on words with the Sasuke's character whose supposed have the last name "West" in my story.
Then I'd like to ask these people 'when did you go to the Naruto series creators and interview them and read their minds, since, apparently, you know each of the characters personalities and exactly how they're supposed to act. Next time, invite me."
Sorry for that rant there………
TO ALL OF THE LOVELY PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED (and didn't flame anonymously) THANKS SO SO SO MUCH! Really, it's the reviews that I get that are my motivation. So this 32 page-long chapter is dedicated to you guys. All 32 of them :)
Chapter 20
Sakura's POV
Can you imagine how awkward it was for me, finding out that I wasn't just picking up Naruto? That half an hour from now I would be in my car, Ino in the passenger seat, with not only Naruto in the back, but Karin and Sasuke as well?
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Sasuke's POV
Sasuke kept his head facing straight out the window. His arm around Karin was enough for now; he didn't need to put on any more of a show. Naruto, sitting on the other side of her and holding the bag containing their alcohol contribution to the party, also kept his head looking out the window, looking slightly uncomfortable. However, nothing compared to Sakura, in the front seat, clutching the steering wheel tightly, her nervousness showing in her jerky driving (Sasuke idly wondered coughpanickedcough if this was how she drove in his Maserati way back when she had that party at her house…). The only other movement in the car was the girl, Ino, in the passenger seat, constantly taking out her makeup and checking it in the mirror.
The rest of the car was silent.
In an attempt to possibly reduce the awkwardness, Sakura fumbled with the radio. After flipping through a couple of stations with no success of any relatively good music, she turned it off. Her eyes flickered to the rearview mirror, most likely trying to gauge their expressions when Sasuke made eye contact.
She switched her eyes back to the road immediately, but Sasuke could see her reflection, still in the rearview mirror, how her cheeks flushed.
"Hey Sasuke," Naruto finally spoke, everyone listening in, glad that someone decided to relieve some of the tension. "Remember what happened last time we were at Myri's?"
Sasuke was silent, and then in a tone that made it clear it was a good memory, he replied with a, "Hn."
"We're going to have to make exceptions then." Naruto continued.
"Exceptions for what?" Karin asked suspiciously as she leaned into Sasuke's arm.
"Wha? Uh, nothing. Just this thing that happened… No big deal." Naruto replied, making it apparent that whatever he and Sasuke were talking about was some sort of an inside joke.
And so, the car went back into an awkward silence.
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Sakura's POV
The second we entered the house I was assaulted with the smell of both cigarette smoke and alcohol. Surprised at all the damage that was already done to the house on first glance, I briefly wondered what the host, this 'Myri', would do once it was over.
The five of us split up upon entering; Naruto held the booze bag above his head and gave some sort of battle cry in reply to everyone's cheers as he made his way over to a noisy and obviously drunk group; Sasuke lead Karin to a makeshift bar as she flaunted their linked arms; Ino immediately introduced herself to a random group with the intent of becoming popular and/or drunk with them.
I stood nervously at the door, unsure of what I should do.
Finally Naruto noticed my hesitation and waved me over to the group he was talking to.
"Yo guys! This is Sakura!" He said, and took a large gulp from the bottle of beer in his hands.
What followed was a bunch of hello's, hi's, what's up's, cat calls, hoots, and whistles.
"Aha, ignore them, they're just drunk," Naruto said, trying to ease my nerves, and slung an arm around my shoulder.
"Sakura can I get you a drink?" One of the guys asked me, boldly taking place at my side.
"Uh… No thanks," I replied and moved a little closer to Naruto.
"Aw come on, please?" He persisted, and then another one of the guys cut in.
"Nah, man, she just doesn't like you," he told him and then turned to me, "You'll let me get you a drink though, right?"
"No, sorry," I answered, feeling small and meek surrounded by large, drunk, testosterone-filled males. They all laughed at the turn down I gave the guy, and then it almost turned into a joke – which one of guys from this group could get me a drink. Although flattered by the attention I was receiving, I felt a little trapped…
And a bit like I was betraying Sasuke (although he is here with his girlfriend, so I shouldn't)…
But one look over my shoulder, seeing Sasuke leaning across a table towards Karin, made me turn back to the group and dive into the conversation, asking their names, what school they go to, etc. Come on, I can't just stand here pining over some stupid (incredibly hot) boy.
Immediately my questions were receiving answers, and then when they all asked me why I wasn't drinking, Naruto answered for me.
"She's my designated driver for the night," he said, and – was there pride in his voice? – lifted his beer bottle (already on number 3) up in a cheers. The rest of the guys surrounding us met his bottle with their own drinks and simultaneously bellowed "DD!"
…I'm guessing it was some sort of inside joke, praising the one that had to stay sober (even if it is by choice).
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Sasuke's POV
A large cheer from the other side of the room caught Sasuke's attention. Looking over his shoulder he found Sakura surrounded by a large group of males, talking and cheering with them.
Sasuke scowled.
He did not like what was going on over there. Not at all.
Sure, she can make friends, and she can talk to other guys… But did it really have to be them?
So maybe he was getting a bit possessive. Just maybe.
It was almost ironic. Here he was, a bona fide player, sitting at a table with his girlfriend, while Sakura was over hanging with a bunch of other guys – guys he'd usually be hanging out with at a party like this (who also have a reputation similar to his) – and he was jealous.
Because he wanted to be over there – but not necessarily to flirt and play around – he wanted to dive in there and punch half of every guys' lights out…
Okay, so maybe he was being possessive. And a little violent…
Not his fault though. He was stuck putting up with the annoying girl in front of him…
Or was he?
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"Sasuke," she giggled, toying with her red hair, "Are you trying to get me drunk?"
Sasuke smirked and gave a low chuckle, knowing she'd like it (and knowing it would make her shut up).
Karin giggled again.
Ignoring it this time, he laid out the shot glasses in front of her and proceeded to fill them all – in a constant stream – with tequila.
After filling the last one, he set the bottle down, crossed his arms and looked at Karin expectantly.
"I… I can't drink all of those Sasuke." She said, mild panic showing through her trying-to-be-flirtatious voice.
So Sasuke threw back the first half of them easily, grimacing slightly at the lack of a chaser. Karin regarded him with wide eyes and then took a deep breath. She took the rest of the shots slowly, with a large sip of coke (and a sour face) following each one.
And then to her surprise, Sasuke poured them another round. Like the last, he took the first half of them easily. Karin, slightly shocked but getting too tipsy to notice, took the other half.
And then a third round went by, and Karin was officially smashed (well, that could have been said at the end of the second round, but Sasuke wanted to be sure).
What Karin didn't realize, was that she had about a fifth of the alcohol tolerance that Sasuke had – what had affected her strongly only gave him just over a buzz.
Sasuke leaned across the table, and out of the corner of his eye saw Sakura across the room, staring at him.
Good, he thought, although he didn't necessarily want to be seen this close to his supposed girlfriend, especially by her.
"Karin," he whispered, despite the audience he knew he had, "Let's go find a room."
Thrilled with the idea, Karin stood up too quickly and almost fell over. Sasuke stood up as well and felt his head spin just a bit. The alcohol had affected him a little over his expectations.
He half dragged Karin down a hallway until he found a bedroom, partially smirking in that he just knew Sakura's eyes would follow him until he was out of sight.
The second they were inside, he brought Karin down onto the bed where he put up with her sloppy, drunken kisses. He kissed her back, although not as enthusiastically, and helped her take of his shirt when she started to fumble with it.
Although she was way too drunk to notice, he wouldn't let her take off any more items of clothing – after all, he was just putting on a show here.
Eventually he started to slow down her advances and brought their pace to a calm and rhythmic motion.
Almost a lulling motion.
A lulling motion that put her to sleep easily.
Not moving, Sasuke waited until he was sure she had passed out before getting up and putting his shirt back on.
Smirking, he walked out the door and back to the party, alone.
…Mission complete.
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Sakura's POV
"Okay, so here are the rules," Myri started as she grabbed a large, empty rum bottle off a nearby table, "It's like your regular spin the bottle, except we add this." Out of her pocket she pulled out a standard die and popped it into the bottle. "So you do the usual spinning thing, but, if it lands on a one then it's '1 minute in the closet', a two is a 'short kiss', a three is 'spin again', a four is a 'long kiss', a five is 'choose someone else to kiss the person you land on', and six is '6 minutes in the closet'. Everyone got that?"
Wow. Complicated rules for a game I really didn't want to play. Naruto conned me into it by saying that Sasuke is bound to play as well – and it wouldn't count towards the bet. Then I asked Naruto why he was playing – he's with Hinata, right? Well he said he had an exception as well, being a 'V.I.P' and all (ch, yeah right), so he wouldn't do anything in the closet. He also said that 'it's just a game, Sak, lighten up.'
Well fine. I will. And Sasuke better get his butt in here so I'm not playing this game for nothing. Where is he anyways? The last time I saw him he was going off with (gag) Karin. Ugh.
But he really wouldn't do anything like that with her – would he? Although he has done it before, the whole dragging-a-drunken-girl-into-a-room-right-in-front-of-me thing (winning him 'Moron of the Month' or whatever)… But…
No, he wouldn't do it. I mean come on, it's Karin.
"So are we all good?" Myri asked. Everyone agreed (which is surprising considering that they were all drunk… maybe they've played it before?) and wanted to "just start the fucking game already" so Myri sat down and completed the circle we had arranged ourselves in. I looked at Ino across the circle to see what she thought about the game, but she was way too absorbed in flirting with the guys beside her to notice me.
"Oh, and just choose the person closest if you land on someone of the same sex." She added, "Unless, you know, you're into that thing."
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1: one minute in the closet
2: a short kiss
3: spin again
4: a long kiss
5: choose someone else
6: six minutes in the closet.
Well, it didn't matter if I could remember the rules or not, because when the game started, Myri practically narrated the whole thing.
Part-way through, Ino left with a group of people she had apparently made friends with to go downstairs and get some fresh air. I'm assuming that meant to go out and smoke. I don't even think Ino knew that, she was just happy to have so many people's attention (and an arm around her shoulders) that she followed them out anyways. That left me alone with a bunch of people I didn't know, with the exception of Naruto.
So obviously I was very uncomfortable playing the game – I mean I was making out with practical strangers. Luckily I didn't have to do anything with Naruto or anything in the closet yet, so it wasn't all that bad.
Except then Sasuke finally decided to grace us with his presence. Of course it had to be when it was my turn, and I had rolled a number 4 on one of the guys I was talking to earlier. And of course it had to be right when I was in the middle of kissing him so when it ended I realized Sasuke had been there the whole time.
Now blushing furiously, I sat back down in my spot in the circle, embarrassed that he'd seen me kissing like that with someone else (although a part of me was thinking 'yeah, that's right, Sasuke).
Although…
When I risked a glance at him, he was staring at me, emotionless.
Emotionless, and something else – but it was hard to tell what exactly it was.
Jealousy? Anger? Just plain, cold, indifference?
Was it even anything at all? Was I just imagining it?
His eyes still on me, Sasuke turned his head to the person beside him and replied to what I guess was a question – I couldn't really hear. His expression slowly turned to a smirk when the guy beside him (eek, one I had made out with in the game before Sasuke got here) held out his hand for a sort of high-five handshake thing.
Ch, men and their manly handshakes.
Wait a sec – does the manly handshake mean he did do something with Karin? I mean, guys just don't do manly handshakes' all the time for no reason, right?
"Yo Sasuke, where's Karin?" Naruto asked, sitting halfway across the circle between Sasuke and I.
"Passed out," he answered with a smirk, and everyone laughed. Then, after a couple of seconds (I guess not to cause any suspicion), his eyes turned to me again. His gaze, unlike last time, wasn't completely emotionless. In some way, with that look, Sasuke seemed to send a sort of message saying 'don't worry' – as in 'don't worry I didn't do anything with Karin even though alone and drunk' type of message? I hope so, although knowing Sasuke, I'm not sure if I should believe him.
But then… maybe that explains why-
"Sakura! Your turn again!" Myri broke through my thoughts, sounding surprised.
"What?" I asked, glancing at Sasuke quickly before turning to Myri, and then the bottle.
Ah.
The bottle was pointing at me. Again.
Uh oh. Who was I kissing now in front of Sasuke?
According to Myri, it was a guy sitting across the circle from me, one that I think I was talking to before, but I can't remember his name.
And, I wouldn't have to kiss him in front of Sasuke. Because this guy rolled a 1.
I suddenly didn't want to play any more, even if it's only one minute – the idea of being alone in the closet with someone else kind of scared me.
But the guy was already making his way to the closet, and people were already ushering me to follow. Glancing one more time at Sasuke, I stood up and walked towards the closet
The second we were inside with the door closed, the guy pulled me up against him and started kissing me. Like, right away. Instantly.
Ew. Sasuke is a way better kisser than this guy is. I mean this guy doesn't even have any technique; he's just all over the place. He even brought his hands up to try and grope me, and I'm thinking like 'buddy, it's only one minute, what are you planning on doing?'
So I slapped his hands away as politely as I could and kept on thinking in my head 'It's only one minute, it's only one minute.'
When the time was up and Myri called us back out, I was the first one to exit, scampering out of the closet as fast as I could. I do not want to go in there ever again.
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Sasuke's POV
It was hard for someone like Sasuke, who wasn't used to overpowering emotions at all, to just play it cool. Being slightly drunk, it took quite a bit of restraint to act like he wasn't going to run over to the closet and chop it down with an axe if he had to.
Drunken thoughts. They're just drunken thoughts.
But it was hard to even think that when he just heard a groan coming from the closet. Sasuke clenched his jaw and tried to simmer down.
What the fuck are they doing in there?
It was only one minute – I mean, she wouldn't be doing anything like that, would she? No. It's Sakura. She would be shy and nervous and–
Suddenly, Sasuke was reminded of the time when she jumped on him in his car. …Would Sakura really be shy and nervous? And now he was reminded of seeing her at diner earlier that day (or was it yesterday?), and how she was a completely different person. She was confident. Would she really be shy and nervous?
And then Sasuke felt a sense of relief, which he pretended he didn't feel – because he didn't, he swears – wash through him when Sakura exited the closet quickly, blushing and looking like she was running for her life. Her eyes immediately went to him and then she looked away embarrassed, blushing even more.
And oh, how badly Sasuke wanted to punch the guy in the face when he casually walked out of the closet behind her and gave a thumbs up to one of his buddies in the circle.
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Sakura's POV
Okay, how are they doing that?
How are they doing that?
How is it that almost every girl in this circle has spun the bottle and landed it on Sasuke?
How?
I swear they somehow mastered the physics behind the friction and centripetal force of a glass bottle on carpet and are using it so they can land on Sasuke. I swear.
I'm not even going to deny that I'm jealous right now – I mean, how would you feel, spending a full week having the hottest guy ever all to your self (well, almost all to myself), and then having to share him around with random girls at some random party playing some random game. And, I mean, a lot of the random girls. And it's not even that I haven't had a chance to kiss him – 'cause I have – but it hasn't been anything in the closet (like other girls) and it hasn't been a gazillion times (like other girls).
It's only been 2 short kisses, 1 spin again, and one long kiss. But who's counting?
Okay, that's it. The next time I get to spin the bottle, it will land on Sasuke.
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Oh crap.
Really? I mean, really???
The one time I actually try and calculate spinning the bottle, the one time I put up all my hopes and everything into that one spin, the one time I'm praying to God, or to Buddha, or whatever, I land on Naruto.
Naruto.
Really? I mean, really???
And it's not just any kiss I have to do. It's one minute in the closet. One freaking minute in the closet.
And now you're probably saying, 'Oh, it's okay Sakura, Naruto said that he wouldn't do anything in the closet, remember? Remember?'
Well, it would have been that way if everyone didn't know that we used to date, and if everyone didn't think that it would be hilarious if we went in the closet together because it would be so awkward, and if everyone saw the look of absolute murder on Sasuke's face.
Well, not absolute murder. Maybe not even murder at all; he's just narrowing his eyes. But for Sasuke that's got to mean something, right? That's got to be something other than plain cold indifference. At least, I wish it is.
Anyways, Naruto and I got pressured into going in the closet for a minute (not that we'll do anything…). So now I'm here, sitting on a storage bin with Naruto a foot away from me on a pile of partially full duffel bags.
"Well, this is a bit awkward." Naruto said, breaking the ice.
"Yup…" I replied, drumming my fingers on my knees.
"You know," he started, and then I waited as he seemed to contemplate his thought, "I think we should just kiss. Only once. Just for the game – just for old time's sake, you know?"
I laughed quietly, thinking that the alcohol was speaking now.
"Oh yeah?" I asked.
"Yeah, come on, just like the old days."
"Oh yeah?" I said again – I could even see the approaching banter from a mile away.
"And what makes you think that I want to kiss you?"
"Ch, come on Sak, as I recall you loved kissing me when we were going out."
"As I recall, I was practically teaching you how to kiss when we were going out." (Ha, what a lie).
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
"So when I kissed you, you felt nothing? Absolutely nothing at all?" Naruto asked in a disbelieving tone.
"Right on."
"I was that bad?" He was joking now, probably knowing that I'm bluffing about my abilities and that he has had way more experience then me.
"And I don't think you've gotten any better."
"You're sure?"
"Totally."
"So if I kissed you right now, you'd still feel nothing."
"Zip and Zilch."
"Really, I think it's the other way around, I mean you barely knew how to kiss properly when we were going out."
"Oh so you didn't feel anything? Is that what you're saying?"
"Nope. Not then, not now."
"Okay, fine then. Let's kiss. Right now." I said, getting into not only the spin the bottle game, but this whose-the-better-kisser game Naruto and I were playing right now. I edged my way towards Naruto on the storage bin.
"Fine." He answered, also moving towards me.
"And you'll feel nothing?"
"Nope, nothing."
"Neither will I."
And just like that, we kissed.
And it wasn't even awkward at all – not that I'm saying I was feeling anything – it was just that we were both too caught up in trying to give each other our best kiss we didn't even realize what was going on.
And what was going on was that Naruto and I looked like we were going at it. I mean, really going at it.
Everyone saw it too, because practically three seconds after we started kissing, Myri opened the door to the surprise that awaited her in the closet, aka – Naruto and I.
Once we realized the door had opened we jumped apart, embarrassed with what we must have looked like. We took our places in the circle as some of the guys gave Naruto that manly sort of handshake and a couple of people did the scandalous 'Ooooohhh.'
I avoided meeting Sasuke's eyes, afraid at what I might find there. Well, it was easy enough to see what he felt without even looking.
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Sasuke's POV
Sasuke finally decided to cheat.
Because enough was enough.
Seriously though, how many guys has she kissed, and how little of them had been himself? And how fucking intense were Naruto and Sakura when Myri opened the door on them?
Come on, what was that?
So just this one time, because he's not desperate or anything, he spun the bottle trying to angle it just right, with just the right amount of force so that it landed somewhere… specific.
The die revealed a number two.
It would be short, it would be small, but damn would he show her that Naruto was nothing compared to him.
So she moved forward from across the circle, leaning on her hands, and hesitantly waited for him to make a move. Sasuke slowly leaned forwards as well, and for a moment their faces hovered within inches of each other. Then Sasuke's hand shot out to her chin, and taking a firm hold of it, he pulled her towards him to close the distance and pressed their lips together roughly.
In that small amount of time, he made sure that she knew who was boss around here. He made sure that this kiss was powerful – enough so to make her elbows weaken and her arm fumble, so that she had to pull away to regain her balance. He kept his eyes on her as she retreated to her spot in the circle, meek and blushing, as he returned to his.
And yes, she definitely felt something. Come on, only he can fluster her that way. Only he could make her so embarrassed so that she can't even look at him, that she has to cross her arms to fight her shivers, that her face turns that bright (and slightly alarming) shade of red. So yes, she definitely felt something.
And…
Sasuke balled his left hand into a fist…
Was… was he feeling something?
…and clenched the fingers that had started to tingle, just slightly.
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…Holy hell was she good.
How had he forgotten? Or maybe he never forgot, it was just that he was preoccupied since.
But still, holy hell was she good.
Myri and Sasuke were in the closet for six minutes, and it was one hell of a lucky roll for Sasuke. Seriously, this girl could kiss. It's probably why things had turned out like they did the last time she had this kind of party. Now that he recalls, Sasuke can remember exactly how it happened.
They had been in the closet, probably past the time limit, and Sasuke had been, like he was now, blown away by Myri's experience. So much in fact that he… well… to put it simply, he had been turned on.
After the game had ended there were more party shenanigans – drinking, dancing, stupid stunts, maybe smoking up, taking a dip in the pool (if you call drunkenly cannon-balling in with all of your clothes on and a beer bottle in each hand a dip in the pool coughnarutocough), the usual. But the whole time Sasuke and Myri kept tabs on each other; the occasional glances, the seductive smirks, the winks, all inclusive (well, mostly on Myri's part).
This was until Sasuke thought, quite cockily, what the hell am I doing? I'm Sasuke Uchiha.
And despite being drunk, possibly high, way too confident, and way too self assured that he could do anything at that moment, he was still Sasuke Uchiha, and Sasuke doesn't wait around to play games unless he's the one making the rules.
So, he walked up right to Myri. She was, by now, already outside by the pool, and since he was more than just intoxicated his confident walk was more of a traipse. His drunken mind told him that he would go right up to her, and tell her what he thought – which doesn't mean talking per say, rather he would tell her via mouth-to-mouth communication.
However, Naruto, who by that point should have been arrested for drinking and walking, since he was that much of a hazard, intercepted Sasuke on his journey with an arm slung around his shoulder and a couple of unbalanced steps. Naruto timbered into the water with Sasuke following in his headlock.
Now, at first, Sasuke would have been angry, which he was, then he would have probably decided to pummel Naruto into the ground, er, water, but since Sasuke was Sasuke and the party was a party, he and Naruto were not alone in the pool for long.
Because Naruto in the pool means yeah, it's a party, but Sasuke on the other hand, in the pool, means hell yeah, it's a party. Especially since he still had all of his clothes on.
So Sasuke, now soaking wet and swimming, was surrounded by many of the other guests there, and guess who happened to slither up beside him? It was Myri – and look! She's versatile – not only was she one hell of a kisser in a closet, but she could pull off the whole pool-make-out-session with flying colours. Flying colours.
So one thing lead to another, and then that thing lead to another, and then that thing lead to another, and finally Sasuke woke up very naked in Myri's bedroom the next morning, underneath her covers and an arm around her waist. He lazily got redressed in slightly damp clothing and made his way downstairs where he raided her fridge and figured out how to use her coffee machine. Myri came down a while later, followed by Naruto and her friend who must have taken another room for the night.
All was good, if not slightly awkward, until the front door opened and, much earlier than expected, came Myri's: A typical Stepford wife and a large, quite beefy, no-funny-business type of dad who had called out, 'Myri-bear? You home?" in a pleasant voice. Until, of course, he saw the state of the house, where it turned into, "Myri-bear! Where the hell are you!?"
In those few moments, Naruto and Sasuke had reverted to escape mode and threw on their shoes which were conveniently at the back door. With a couple of curses and goodbyes, they booked it for their lives out into the backyard.
Unlike their shoes, Myri's backyard fence was quite inconvenient, and very, very tall. Scrambling to escape, the two exhibited an escape routine to be envied - Sasuke was boosted up onto the fence with the help of Naruto, and in turn, Sasuke would pull Naruto up the fence as well. A glance back at the house showed Myri's dad storming through toward his daughter until he caught sight of the two boys trying to escape from his backyard. Her father's course immediately changed and now Naruto was yelping at Sasuke for help in full and actual fear that Myri's father was going to catch him, molest him, and then beat him into a fucking fruit smoothie (actual words, rephrased).
Sasuke reached for Naruto's hand and helped him over the fence, and they both flipped over the other side and landed in a heap in the neighboring yard. From there they ran through the yard, into and across a couple of front lawns, and finally onto the street, far away from the angered, protective father probably out to get their heads on a platter.
They rested on a bench on the sidewalk, Naruto laughing and Sasuke chuckling slightly, until Naruto claimed that he was hungry and Sasuke silently claimed that he could use another couple cups of coffee to get rid of the hangover he had. Next stop, the closest all-day breakfast diner.
But that was last time, and it was unlikely that they would end up at an all-day breakfast diner again, as Sasuke noticed one thing.
The last time he was with Myri, he had been doing a similar flirting act as he was doing at this party with Sakura, but…
He realized this in almost shock.
He didn't feel anything.
Strange.
Very strange.
Last time this would have gotten him ready to fast-forward to the bedroom rather than go through all of the steps in between, but this time…
He wasn't feeling anything. Uh, at all.
Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe he wasn't all that into it at the moment. Maybe if he just tried….
…Nope. That didn't work. Still nothing, which was a total mood and buzz killer.
Suddenly, Sasuke didn't really feel like being in the closet anymore. Sure it helped is rep and his street cred, but other than that it was basically just wasting his time. It was basically just-
Wait, what was that? That tingle in his arm? Was he finally feeling something? Was this just a big misunder-
…Nope. Nevermind. Just a piece of Velcro scratching against his skin from one of the duffel bags.
Sasuke sighed and Myri noticed his lack of enthusiasm. She pulled back.
"Sasuke?" her tone asked the hidden question, 'what's going on and why aren't you kissing me?'
Sasuke lifted an eyebrow, pretending he didn't know what Myri was asking, because at that moment he didn't want to know her well enough that he knew the end of her questions before she even said them.
"You okay?" She asked, moving her hands to trace over his muscled stomach. Sasuke shifted so that her hands would pull away.
"Hn." Sasuke replied. "I'm just losing my buzz."
"That's easy, more shots?"
"Hn." He replied, and followed her out of the closet.
Except Myri didn't know just what type of buzz he was actually losing.
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Sakura's POV
The two of them walked out of the closet a minute earlier than they were supposed to, which gave me hope that something had gone wrong, or that Sasuke didn't want to be there.
My hopes were shot down when they ignored the circle, walking right by us, and out the door to go downstairs. Myri popped her head back in.
"Just getting some more drinks," she said, "just go on without us."
But I didn't want to go on. Not with Sasuke gone.
What seemed like a gazillion more rounds and a short kiss with a random guy later, Myri and Sasuke returned. From their walk (and their practical canoodling) I could tell they'd had a few more to drink, and they had brought the excess for the rest of the circle. By excess I mean a bottle and a quarter of vodka. With that it mind, I didn't even want think about what took them so long.
However, my eyes didn't go to how they were walking or the drink in their hands first – what caught my attention the second they walked in was Sasuke's arm around Myri's waist, their sides pressed together. Something I did not want to see at all.
Then Sasuke's eyes found mine, and only then did I realize my expression; one that included a small frown, a slightly parted mouth, and some possible puppy eyes. Strangely, his eyes still on me, he slowly pulled his arm away from Myri, and then blinked once slowly, as if to clear his head.
I turned away, not wanting to draw attention by our interaction, especially since Myri had caught on to our little staring contest.
The two rejoined the circle sitting next to each other. Myri made a point of leaning her weight on him and moving her hand to play with the hair on the back of his head. He didn't seem to mind, which made my stomach do a couple of unpleasant flips. Actually he even encouraged some of her moves, like when she brought her head close to his; he in turn decided to kiss along her neck. Why he was being so affectionate – and why was he being such an asshole? I mean, come on, he's doing all of this right in front of me. Maybe it's just the alcohol, because he must be really drunk by now…
Or maybe it's because he has an exception with the whole bet thing, and he's trying to make as much of it as he can…
Or maybe… he's trying to make me jealous? Could that be it? It is a more pleasant thought than the other two, where Sasuke is basically a complete jerk. This idea makes him a sort of… thoughtful jerk. If Sasuke can even be thoughtful.
Well he's not the only one who can play that game. The next time someone spun me I made sure to make it look good – because I'm not going down with out a fight.
I was lucky that it was a number 4 (a long kiss) and that the person who spun me was a good kisser, in that it was easy to make it look steamy and I didn't have to worry about him trying to grope me in the closet. When we met at the centre of the circle I smiled shyly at the guy, embarrassed that I was going to really try for a good kiss in front of everyone. He gave a little half smile and I noticed that he was pretty good looking, although nothing compared to Sasuke in my books.
I leaned in, starting off hesitant, and then gradually made our kiss longer and deeper. Eventually I wrapped one of my arms around his neck to pull us closer together, hoping that Sasuke was watching.
The guy in turn reached for the back of my head, his fingers twisted in my hair. It finally ended when Myri called out 'Okay you two, leave some time for the rest of us,' so I pulled away slowly and bit my lip, trying (note: trying) to give a modest but coy smile. When I returned to my seat it took all of my will power to not even spare Sasuke I glance. I wanted to look like I didn't care if he was with Myri, I wanted to look like I was really into the guy I just kissed, who was actually helping my little performance in that I think he was interested in me as well.
Maybe I was trying too hard, I mean, when do I ever get flirtatious or confident or interested in anyone other then Sasuke? But right now he was up close and personal with Myri. He and Myri were getting all snuggly on the other side. He and Myri were practically glued to each other. So I wanted to pretend that I was gonna get glued to someone else.
If I had glanced at Sasuke as I took hold of the bottle, since it was my turn now, I would have seen his passive stare directed right at me. After I spun, I would have seen him shift slightly when I tried to make eyes at the guy I just made out with, and I would have seen his slight frown when the guy gave a small smile in return. However I did see, as the bottle was in motion, the guy's smile diminish when Sasuke decided to switch from staring at me, to staring at him.
I also saw Myri's narrowed eyes when the bottle rolled to a stop.
Technically, my six minutes in the closet should have been with her, but according to her rules, I would go with the closest person of the opposite sex; and we all know who she was practically sitting on.
Sasuke stood up with a sort of 'let's-get-this-over-and-done-with' attitude, no expression on his face and ignoring Myri's disapproving mumble. I stood up nervously, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. I almost felt nauseous as I walked towards the closet.
I mean, yeah, this is what I've been wanting this whole time, but I just made it look like I was chasing after some other guy, and Sasuke… well I think he was ready to go run off with some other girl. I think it was a mutual feeling – at the same time we wanted (or at least, I wanted) to jump each other in the closet, but we also wanted to pretend like the bottle didn't even choose him – that we could avoid this whole situation in the first place.
I mean, what would we do in there? Sure, I've kissed Sasuke, and sure, I've been with him alone, and sure, I've kissed him while being with him alone – but this, this was different. This time we were outside of school. It wasn't a game to hide our little affair 'thing' any more. Sasuke could kiss me as many times as he wanted in spin the bottle. But only if he wanted to… and I'm not sure if he really did right now, with me flaunting myself at someone else, and he… well, he was getting cozy with Myri. No matter how badly I wanted to just touch him, I knew that it would be awkward beyond words in there.
So, clenching my fingers together so they wouldn't shake, I entered the closet, Sasuke just seconds behind me. I sat down on the pile of duffel bags, trying to assume a similar situation like I had in art class two weeks ago – getting in first so he would have to be the one to make the move (since I really, really wanted him to make a move).
Just like art class two weeks ago, Sasuke walked in, and without hesitation, sat down beside me. I was confused as to what this meant; did he want us to kiss? I observed him warily out of the corner of my eyes. Did he want to just sit there? He wasn't doing anything, just idly watching the sliver of light from the doorway on his hands. Did he want me to make the first move? Did he want to just-
"Fuck, I'm so tired." he breathed, closing his eyes slowly and laying back onto the duffel bags. I blinked once, surprised that he spoke, and then just continued sitting silently, unsure of what he was doing and what I should do.
He was sitting – or laying – so close that I could feel the body heat from his legs on mine; we were practically touching. And all of a sudden, after he said those words, after I contemplated them in my head for a while, all of the awkwardness between us in that closet just melted away.
It was suddenly comfortable, and I was able to relax my tense shoulders, unclench my hands. Because I realized, right there in the closet, that what Sasuke had done just by saying those words and laying back on the duffel bags, was let his guard down. In front of me. Which is, for Sasuke, Mr. 'I'm-to-cool-for-school', a big thing.
So I thought it was only right to do the same.
I lay back, so that I was right beside him, looking at the ceiling in that I was sort of afraid to look at him, and replied quietly, "Yeah…"
For the next minute or two, we were silent. Silent, but comfortable. However, it was still so weird that I was doing this with Sasuke. Never had he just sat down and expressed what he felt in front of me (even if he was just speaking aloud about him being tired), instead of trying to act cool, or trying (and succeeding) to fluster me.
Another minute passed by, and there was still no word, no movement from Sasuke. I sat up on my elbow to take a peek at him.
My heart almost exploded when I first saw his face. It was like the time when he had passed out on his couch just before Christmas break. Gone was the intimidating, stony face, and here was one that was almost serene, minus the small furrow between his eyebrows, and he was absolutely gorgeous.
I then noticed the dark circles under his eyes.
Fuck, I'm so tired.
Along with his words, numerous images of Sasuke popped into my head from previous encounters we had, and almost half of them had Sasuke with the same, dark, tired eyes. Is that just how he normally is? Or does he just not sleep very well? Or does he like, never sleep?
I looked at his face now, his eyes closed, his expression relatively calm.
Could that mean…
Could he have fallen asleep now?
"Sa… Sasuke," I whispered, my stomach twisted nervously.
There was no reply, no acknowledgement that he had heard me.
"Sasuke?" I whispered again.
Still no response.
Does that mean he's asleep? Or maybe I was just too quiet?
Hesitantly, I brought my hand forward, and poked him once on the arm. Not only did my finger tingle and my stomach flip, but I noticed how muscled his arm was, and holy hell did that make me want to just wrap my hands around his biceps, and see what other parts of his body were that toned.
But I didn't do that, obviously because that would be so weird and stalkerish and Sasuke would probably throw me off of him, but also because at that moment, when I touched him, Sasuke slowly opened his eyes.
He hadn't been sleeping, which was noticeable from how aware his gaze was when he rested his eyes on me.
And then it felt like everything was in slow motion. Slowly, his hand reached up to the back of my head. Slowly, his fingers twined its way through my hair and then pulled me towards him. I moved stiffly, my body suddenly tense at his touch. Sasuke leaned up towards me to meet me halfway as his other hand moved to my side. All the while he kept his dark, slightly lidded eyes fixed on mine.
Then our lips met.
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Sasuke's POV
The instant they kissed, Sakura's body seemed to melt; her shoulders drooped inwards and her elbows weakened. Sasuke pressed forward, moving the hand on her waist to push up onto his elbow.
It wasn't the heated, rushed feelings that happened when kissing Myri that caused him to deepen their kiss; it wasn't the turning-me-on sort of blood-pumping urge he got when he was this drunk and again, with Myri, that caused him to press their bodies even closer.
This was different, although he couldn't explain how. He was actually feeling it, how his body seemed to buzz at contact with hers, how his fingers seemed to tingle where he touched her, how he had the urge, the want to just have more. Because something compelled him to pull her even closer, even deeper – and make her feel the same thing.
And though it seemed ludicrous – he was half drunk, feeling something, kind of turned on and terribly exhausted, he started chuckling softly, even with their lips still connected. Turning them both over so he was on top, he hitched her legs up to his waist – and then, before he was even aware of it, his finger had traced down to her abdomen, and poked her.
"You're such a lame actor," he mumbled and moved his mouth to her neck. Against his cheek he could feel her face flushing.
How suddenly the mood had changed from when they first entered the closet. Before it was awkward, silent, they had both been a little pissed off at the other, and he could almost smell her fear; but now here he was, thoroughly enjoying their little make out session, while Sakura had reverted back to flustered paper towel girl. A sort of hot flustered paper towel girl.
It was only when she had suddenly jerked upwards, her weight now resting on her elbows, her expression like a deer caught in headlights, that he realized that one of his hands had found its way to her… breast. He didn't even register what he had done at first, until his eyes finally found this wandering hand, until he saw the shocked expression on her face.
Oh… shit.
Yes, it was overtop of her clothes and it was only really resting there, but it was still off limits, it was still a boundary, and he had crossed it. Staring at his hand again he wondered how he could have made such a mistake. He had always been so careful not to go too far, and no matter how painful it was sometimes to just make his hands go the other way, he had resisted temptation. However, he had also always been sober during those times, so that was probably the reason for his slip up.
His eyes dragged upwards to meet hers again, where she was still staring at him, a hint of what seemed like fear in her expression.
But no matter how awkward this situation was, how in trouble he should be, how uncomfortable it was for her, he couldn't seem to move. He was stuck, both mentally and physically, his hand still on her chest, his eyes locked on hers.
"I…" Sasuke started, voice low, but couldn't find a way to finish.
Sakura didn't move either, frozen from shock he presumed. And that is why they were still in that position when the door of the closet swung open.
If Sasuke didn't have fast reflexes, if he hadn't pulled his hand away just at that moment, the situation would have been a whole lot more awkward.
"Kay you two, times up," Myri stated, annoyance in her voice. Her eyes flickered between Sasuke and Sakura, and then narrowed them on the latter.
"Uh…" Sakura giggled nervously, her face scarlet, and scrambled to stand up. Sasuke stood up as well, his hand hanging limply at his side, oddly tingly from the place it had been moments before.
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Sakura escaped from the closet and continued past the circle.
"Um, I'm just, uh, I'm just gonna go down and check on Ino…"
Sasuke, feeling slightly winded, started to walk back towards the circle nonchalantly. There was a moment when he stumbled, a head rush catching him off guard, and he contemplated on whether it was from standing up to quickly, the alcohol, or the girl who was practically running from the room.
"Too much to drink?" Myri asked, walking in step with him. Sasuke shrugged, answering her question and indirectly shaking the arm she was about to place on his shoulders.
He sat back down just as he registered the events that had happened, just as Sakura left the room, and just as Naruto pointed and slurred after her, "I… I gotch my eyes on youuu."
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Sakura's POV
Just…
Just…
WHAAAT!!!???
What the hell was that!?
Did that just really happen!? REALLY!?
I was just molested by Sasuke Uchiha.
Holy crap. Oh, my god… Or Buddha.
Just… Just breathe normally. Just calm down, everything is going to be alright Sakura, just all right.
Fine and dandy…
Except not. At all.
He just groped me in the closet.
Like, seriously? Seriously?
I know Sasuke is a guy and everything, I mean I should have been expecting it – but he had been so good about not crossing the boundaries, so good about making sure I wasn't about to implode from sheer embarrassment.
I made my way down the hallway, stumbling because my legs felt like Jell-O. I reached the stairs and sat down for about thirty seconds, my knees pulled to my chest and my burning hot face in my hands. It took another thirty seconds to catch my breath again.
And it's not like he just skimmed over it either. His hand was fully on it. And he didn't even move it after! It just stayed there - forever! I mean, what the hell!?
I stood up using the railing as support, my whole body tingling…. Especially…. That part….
I reached the bottom of the stairs, and making sure the room was empty, just quickly shook my body out, almost like a wet dog, trying to rid the buzzing sensation that was everywhere.
When I got a hold of myself again I started walking through the living room, the back of my hand pressed to my mouth because my lips felt tingly and numb.
"Ino?" I called out, trying to stop my voice from shaking. I stumbled over someone's beer bottle.
Ugh.
I still can't believe it.
Sasuke had just groped me. He groped me. Although strangely giddy I was fifty times more embarrassed. And randomly hyper – the world seemed so crisp and clear – I think I was having some sort of an adrenaline rush.
"Ino?" I called again, and this time my voice was more coherent than before, shock finally wearing off.
And he didn't just grope me. He poked me. He poked me. Playfully. For Sasuke Uchiha, that's almost more surprising than him grabbing my… my boob!
But still. He groped me. He had crossed the boundaries that were set up.
And ugh – he knew I was trying to make him jealous. He saw right though my act and called me out. That just topped off the six minutes in the closet.
"Ino?" I called for the third time, and only then did I hear a slurred, sing-song reply, "I'm over heee-errre!"
Entering a room branching off from the living room, through the screen door and outside, was Ino. Ino and a couple other guys and girls, all ready to jump into the pool.
"Ino!" I shrieked, and momentarily forgot about being molested in a closet a couple of minutes prior. Her top was off and she was dancing around in her bra, the button and zipper to her shorts undone.
Upon seeing me she stumbled in an attempt to prance towards me. "Sakura! Are you coming suh-wimmin with us too?" she asked.
"Uh," I shook my head, not really believing what I was seeing, "no." I took her arm and dragged her a couple of feet away from the group she was with, ignoring the 'ouchies' that came from her mouth.
"Ino, what are you doing?" I asked, and then common sense and experience with my sister told me better then to try and converse rationally with someone as drunk as she.
"We're suh-wimmin Sakura!" she answered happily, trying to pull herself out of my grip.
"No, Ino. We're going home." I replied and scanned the area for her shirt. I left her briefly to pick it up off the floor and returned before she could run away or go 'suh-wimmin'.
Let me tell you, it is not only awkward to dress your drunken best friend, but very, very difficult. She wouldn't stand still, due to the fact that she'd try and walk over to the group again, who were starting to get into the pool, and she just couldn't keep her balance. I uncomfortably reached down and zipped up her shorts before realizing that she was also missing her shoes.
"Ugh, Ino, where are your shoes?" I asked, frustrated, and let go of her to search for them.
"You don't need shoes to go suh-wimmin!"
After looking for her shoes I concluded that they weren't outside, and after looking for Ino again and seeing her macking a guy she was going to go 'suh-wimmin' with, I concluded that we had to leave now, and I could find her shoes later.
I dragged her through the house, ignoring her sounds and words of protest until I reached my car. I then, while going along with Ino's random line of conversation, buckled her up in the back seat, telling her to stay there. I closed the door, locked the car (and partially thankful for the child locks in the back seat) and walked back to the house to get the guys.
On my way towards the stairs, guess who decided to pop up from wherever she had been? Karin, stumbling and tripping on her way to get into the living room, her hair a disheveled mess, called out, quite whiney, "Where's…. Where's Sasu-boo-boo?"
"Uh," I resisted the urge to gag, "He's… coming down to meet you… I'll go get him." I answered, knowing that there would be a very unhappy rabid drunken Karin if she knew where Sasuke had been this whole time and what he was doing without her. What he had been doing with me.
And just… Sasu-boo-boo? What even goes through that girl's head?
Whatever.
I dashed up the stairs, finally remembering that oh, this is where we played spin the bottle, oh, this is where I kissed about fifteen thousand different guys, and oh, this is the room where I got felt up by one Sasuke Uchiha.
These thoughts were the reason my face was on fire when I entered the room.
"Uh, Naruto… Sasuke? Um, we have to go now," I said and kept my eyes on the ground, not wanting to see wherever Sasuke was and what he was doing at that moment.
When they didn't reply, I risked a glance up to the circle. Thankfully neither of them were doing anything related to the spin the bottle game at that moment, and after a couple more tries to coax Naruto to leave the party, he finally decided to stand up and walk (stumble) over to me. I followed Naruto out the door, knowing that Sasuke would follow momentarily.
Before I got any farther down the hall though, something caught my attention.
"Sasuke?" It was Myri, calling after him.
I glanced once at Naruto who was stumbling his way down the hall and towards the stairs, and then stopped, backtracking until I was at the edge of the doorway, out of sight from anyone inside.
"Aren't you going to stay?" Myri continued.
"…No." Sasuke replied after a couple of moments of hesitation. His voice was close, meaning he was almost at the door.
"But remember last time? Stay," Myri asked, her tone turning both seductive and slightly pleading. Her voice seemed closer too, meaning she had made her way towards where he was standing.
I cringed, knowing full well what Sasuke could have done last time.
"…No." Sasuke replied, and I could tell with some disappointment, that there was a small amount of struggle, or conflict in his voice.
"Pleeeease, Sasuke? It was so much fun."
A couple of thumps and a crash caught Sasuke's, Myri's and my attention and there was a brief pause before I tuned it out to hear Sasuke's response.
"I…" Sasuke started, and I bit my lip in suspense, "I… have a girlfriend."
Wait… what did that mean? Was it just an excuse to leave her there? Was it because he didn't want to lose the bet? Was it because he still felt obliged to Karin? Was it a reference to me?
I didn't hear Myri's answer as Sasuke walked out of the door just then, causing me to jump slightly in surprise.
Just the sight of him made my body go all tingly again, even though he seemed a little annoyed that I had been eavesdropping.
But besides the annoyed look in his eyes, Sasuke's expression, as he started walking down the hall watching me, was dark, mysterious, and… uh… slightly…. hungry?
My stomach flipped ecstatically, but my heart beat nervously. Traces of ghost hands made me shiver in memory of what had happened in the closet. I turned around and started walking towards the stairs so I could avoid his gaze and the intense feelings I was having. If I had eyes on the back of my head I would have seen Myri leaning out the doorway, glowering at us as we walked away, and Sasuke… staring at my butt…
I finally reached the stairs and was about to go down until I saw Naruto.
"I… I think I'm paralyzed," the heap at the bottom of the stairs mumbled. I just sighed heavily; of course Naruto always had to make things more difficult.
Sasuke approached and stood beside me, looking down at Naruto. I was very aware of how close he was standing and my stomach started twisting again.
"Idiot," Sasuke breathed, and gave the same tired sigh that I had moments before. We both made our way down the stairs and mutually helped Naruto up.
"Sasssssuke."
The whine came from the couch and we paused on our way to dragging Naruto out the door. I already knew who it was, Sasuke probably did too, but he turned anyways. I mean, she was his responsibility.
"Sassssuke, where did you gooooo?" she asked, still in a whiny voice.
Sasuke whispered an annoyed 'Shit' to himself, and then said louder, "I'll be right back Karin."
The red head sighed a "Kay," and went back to her semi-conscious state on the couch.
"You guys are so great," Naruto started as we dragged him across the lawn. "Just, you guys, you guys are the best friends ever. Sooooo great."
"Yeah, okay," I replied to Naruto, who probably didn't even know what he was saying.
"You guys are just the best. You are just…. Wait… did you say something?"
"No, Naruto," I answered, and readjusted his arm on my shoulder.
"Aw Sakura. You're just so great. Just so great," he drawled on. "You're just so nice… and pretty… and just… so great." His head lulled back on his shoulders. "Woooowwww… Just look at those stars… they're just… just…."
"So great?" Sasuke finished in monotone, sounding very annoyed. I smiled despite his sour attitude, and then flushed, once again, remembering the closet incident.
"Yeah… just… just so great."
We reached my car and Sasuke let go momentarily to grab the door. Ino, who had been sitting inside and buckled up contentedly, had been much easier to drag across the lawn in that she could somewhat walk and wasn't as heavy or inept or just so great as Naruto. Sasuke took the blonde from me and practically threw him into the back seat beside Ino.
"Hey," the blonde protested. "No need… No need to be so… to be so… fuck… fuckface," he finished illogically. "That was just… not…. so great…"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "This… is what I deal with every other week," he muttered, trekking back inside to get Karin.
I reached into the car to buckle Naruto up much more gently than Sasuke had handled him and heard in the distance, Sasuke mutter a 'Fuck' from inside the house. Shortly after, Ino realized there was someone else in the car.
"Hey!" she said enthusiastically, "Naruto! What are you doing here?"
"Ino! Hey! I was just… at this party," he replied, just as happily.
"No waaaaaaaay, me too! How awwwwesome!"
"I know, I know, it's just… so great!"
I left the two to go fetch Ino's shoes. On the way inside I passed Sasuke, literally carrying Karin over one shoulder, who was whining, "Where did you gooooo," among other whiny, clingy, annoying phrases.
I smiled to myself briefly and then looked around for Ino's shoes. One was on the piano (what?) and one was more conveniently by the front door. I finally left the house for the last time and made my way to the car.
I got in the driver's seat just as Sasuke finished buckling up Karin. He walked around and got in the passengers seat, where after I did not hesitate to start the car and get the hell out of there.
Besides the three stooges in the back seat chattering on and off, the car was relatively silent. Sasuke and I were both quiet as I drove Karin home first (obviously), where he hulled her to the front door, and then Ino second (because she was being relatively annoying), where I took the turn to hull her to the front door.
Now it was just me, Sasuke, and Naruto, who may have just passed out in the back seat.
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Sasuke's POV
"Where are you going?" he asked suddenly, his voice still monotone.
"Uh," Sakura flickered her eyes to him and then back onto the road, "Going to your place… because you're closest?"
Sasuke was momentary silent. Yes, he was closest, but…
"…and Naruto?"
"Um… well, I was thinking maybe he could stay at your-"
"No." No way did he want to deal with Naruto and his own hangover in the morning.
"- oh… maybe I'll just take him to my-"
"Ch," Sasuke grunted as if the idea was amusing, intentionally cutting her off. She was not even going to finish that sentence. Naruto was not going to her place. "Drive Naruto home first," he started, staring out his window, "I'll get him in."
"Oh… okay…" Sakura replied, and turning the car around, muttered under her breath, "I guess my mom would have killed me if I did anyways…"
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"Does he have a key?" Sakura asked, pulling into Naruto's driveway.
"I got it," Sasuke answered, which was a complete lie. He just knew that Naruto was not going to his place and not going to Sakura's.
She watched as he got out of the car and disappeared behind the house. He first looked around for any hiding spots in the backyard where a key could be hidden, and finding none, he started to deduce a way to get in.
The back of Naruto's house was just finishing getting renovated… meaning…
The windows. They were new and still partly covered in protective plastic. They wouldn't have there locks installed yet. At least, he hoped they didn't.
Testing his theory, Sasuke found that with a little budge, the window opened smoothly. He climbed in, trying to be as silent and stealthy as possibly, and was thankful that he knew Naruto's guardian was a heavy sleeper – how could he be silent and stealthy if he could barely walk a straight line?
Sasuke managed to get to the front door, open it, drag Naruto out of the car, through the house, up the stairs, and into his room in moderate quietness. He left him there, half-hanging off of his bed, and made his way back out to the car.
Sakura was waiting there, seeming a little paranoid. But of Naruto's guardian waking up? Of them getting in trouble? Of the dark?
Or of him?
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Sakura's POV
Sure, getting the three in the back seat home safely caused me some anxiety, but there was still the Sasuke factor to deal with. I mean, what would I do when we got to his house? We were alone now, no one was watching us, so we kind of have to do the whole good-bye thing. I mean, I couldn't just drive up to his house and he couldn't just get out of the car, not acknowledging anything that had happened that night.
Like, wouldn't he try to make a move or something? Would I end up getting groped again?
My thoughts were cut off by the Fuel-Level-Low beep and the flashing symbol on my dashboard that went with it.
"Um… I've just got to make… Is it alright if I make a small detour?… And get some gas…?" I asked hesitantly.
"Whatever," Sasuke replied, staring straight out the window.
I took that as a yes, and quickly reached the gas station and got out to fill the tank. Sasuke got out as well and went into the convenient store attached to it.
As I waited for the tank to fill I watched him through the glass windows as he bought something that I couldn't make out from this distance. Only when he walked outside, opened his purchase and place one in his mouth did I realized that he had bought a pack of cigarettes.
I pursed my lips as he lit one, not approving that he was going to smoke just before getting into my car - or that he was smoking at all. I ignored it, however, so that I could make the situation as least awkward as possible.
When the tank was full I made my way over to the convenient store, passing Sasuke who followed me with his dark eyes, simultaneously taking a drag. I paid for the gas, and walked out, Sasuke stubbing his cigarette and following me to the car.
As we drove to his house I rolled down the windows to air out the smell he brought in with him. Sasuke gave me a side-long glance but chose to say nothing. For some reason, my body started tingling all over again.
When I reached his house we both sat in the car for a while. I was unsure of what to say or do, or if Sasuke was going to do anything at all. I chose to keep my eyes out the front window just for safety.
Another couple of seconds and I finally looked at him. Sasuke had been staring out the window too, until he felt me staring and met my gaze.
"Um…" I started when, still, neither of us had made a move. My fingers clenched and unclenched the steering wheel nervously.
Then Sasuke determined that the best thing to do in the situation we were in was to just look me over, from head to toe. It seemed like forever, although it really only lasted for about two seconds. And on the way back up, his eyes decided to go on a little detour, focusing a little too long on… well… you know….
That part.
I felt the blood rush to my cheeks faster than he could avert his eyes. Okay, this has to stop. Both the blushing and the…. eye-molesting.
And the real molesting too.
Although, as embarrassing as it is to say… I may have enjoyed the last two…. but only a little…
As quickly as I was checked out by his wandering, dark, sexy, evil eyes, Sasuke practically kicked the door open like it was the enemy, and swaggered (I swear!) out of the car, his hands in his pockets.
So apparently he didn't have to say goodbye or discuss what just happened or even make a move on me – correction of a false allegation: he could just walk out, not saying anything. Not even a 'thanks for driving my drunken butt home'. God (Buddha?). How rude.
So, while dealing with my disappointment, I watched as Sasuke made his way to the front door, making sure that he got in okay.
He was still sauntering to the front when, low and behold, the famous, Mr. badass, Mr. 'I'm-just-so-good-at-everything-I-do', Mr. 'always on his game', took a bad step due to his current oxygen-deprived brain, and briefly stumbled on the porch step, losing his balance and only regaining it when he grabbed the wall for support.
I couldn't help myself – I started laughing – It was just… just…
So great.
Forgetting that the windows were down from trying to air out my car, Sasuke clearly heard me. He turned around so his back was leaning against the wall he had used for support, and then flipped me off.
But there it was – that playful glint in his eyes again. The one that was present when he poked me and told me that I sucked at acting (well, I thought I did a good job…).
I stifled my laugh, I guess to appease him, but couldn't keep away the smile.
He kept his eyes on me still, his lips twitching slightly – was he trying to suppress a smirk?
Or did he just really want the cigarette he was now taking out of his pocket…
Hmph. Oh well, whatever, I'll leave him to smoke on his own outside his house.
Giving an awkward sort of wave, I pulled out of the driveway and drove home.
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Sasuke's POV
Sasuke took another drag of his cigarette and exhaled slowly, ignoring the abnormally fast beating of his heart as he watched her give an awkward wave and drive away.
He waited a few moments once she was out of sight, turned to the front door, and stared at it blankly.
The cigarette, now held loosely between his lips, was just to stall.
Truth was, he didn't have a key either.
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The next morning Myri woke up in her room, unsatisfied with the night before and the guy beside her; Karin awoke at noon and spent the following two hours hugging the toilet bowl in her bathroom; Ino woke up with a vague memory of the events of the night before and skipped lunch in that she didn't think she could stomach it; Naruto, upon awakening, found himself on the ground in his kitchen, wondering how the hell he had gotten there; Sasuke awoke to Sarah snuggling into his chest and wondered why it was so cold and why he didn't have any covers; Hinata woke up early, ready to meet Sakura at Starbucks like they had planned, and Sakura had awoken groggily to her mother tapping her foot angrily at her bedroom door wondering where the hell she had been, why the hell she had gotten home at three in the morning, and why the mark on her neck looked very similar to a hickey.
