Lust Addiction: Chapter 5
"Happy Birthday, Saki!" Ino exclaimed cheerfully as she pulled her friend in for an embrace.
"Thank you, Ino!" she said, smiling widely upon receipt of a large pink box with a huge sparkly green bow atop it. She shook the box in wonder and said, "Oooh. I wonder what it is."
"You'll never guess," Ino replied mischievously and smiled.
"Hmm…" said Sakura curiously, pulling Ino into the interior of her home.
Naruto chuckled and remarked, "Well, what I got 'er is gonna be bigger and better than everyone else's! Just you wait!" His enthusiasm and anticipation were clear in his big cerulean eyes and the trademark gleaming white smile, playful wink and cheery thumbs-up.
"Are you sure he didn't get you ramen?" Ino asked lightheartedly.
"Oh, stop it, Ino." Sakura chided playfully and laughed charismatically. Her hair was elegantly half-up done in a bun with elaborate hair chopsticks. She wore a dazzling pink and green kimono-style summer dress. Her bright, marble-like emerald orbs shone like shimmering star in the night sky and her alabaster skin was radiant, glowing profusely in the pale, milky numinous moonlight.
Ino slid past Sakura and sauntered over to Naruto, who was exasperatedly trying and failing to solve a Rubik's Cube.
Tenten was across the room discussing her "toys" with Hanabi. Konohamaru became jaded after so waiting for so many minutes for Naruto to figure the Rubik's cube out, so he went and sat beside Hanabi who too wanted to be learned disciple and be and esteemed erudite in the ways of weaponry and the art of war.
Shino and Neji sat beside each other on Sakura's pristine white couch, next to Tenten and her class, each silently analyzing.
Lee was swinging like a chimpanzee and doing flips in mid-air. He was enjoying himself, but everyone was trying with difficulty to ignore his antic ways.
Ino decided to sit beside Naruto, observing his struggle with the cube amusedly as she waited for the others to arrive.
"Who invented this stupid, convoluted, discombobulating box?" Naruto demanded with perturbed discouragement.
"Naruto," Ino placated, "Look, you've got most of it solved."
Naruto sighed, vexed.
Ino sighed impatiently and commanded, "Just give it to me."
Naruto looked confused but ceded the cube to her. With a few swift movements of her hands, she solved cube, setting the colors in their place and placed it into Naruto's dumbfounded palm.
"That's how you do it. I'm gonna see if she has anything here to eat before we go." Ino said without the least bit of conceit or disparagement as she rose from her seat by Naruto and turned to go to the kitchen with a self-assured smile on her lips; when she looked up she saw Shikamaru smirking and looking at her, flabbergasted. Leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, he said, "Hey, Ino-chan."
Ino averted her gaze and shyly whispered, "Um… hey, Shika," as she turned on her heel and disappeared into the kitchen when she heard Naruto exclaim in astonishment, "Dude, she just solved the Rubik's cube!"
Sighing embarrassedly, Ino entered the kitchen to find a familiar redhead preparing something on the counter.
"Hi, Gaara!" Ino said and waved happily like a cute schoolgirl.
Gaara turned around and smiled genuinely and said, "Hello." He handed her a cool strawberry covered in a blend of white chocolate, sweet dark chocolate and milk chocolate.
"Try it." he suggested.
Ino bit into the sweet, silky delicacy.
"Mmm. It's really good."
"It's just a little something I made for Saku. I was just hoping my creation wouldn't taste terrible."
"Are you kidding me?" Ino asked and smiled. "Give me another."
Outside in the main room, Sakura heard the doorbell ring. She opened the door to meet the face of her teammate, Sasuke. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek and it threw her off balance. He was especially fragrant tonight; his icy, musky scent enthralled her senses. His smoldering obsidian gaze left her speechless.
Sasuke smirked haughtily and said in that smooth, deep tantalizing voice, "Hey, Birthday Girl," before slipping a small black box with a single pink bow in the center of it.
It took her a second to respond. "Uh, thanks, Sasuke. I… I wasn't sure if you were coming."
"You are 18 now after all. How could I not come?"
Sakura could think of a nasty thing to spit in his face but decided to keep quiet. Naruto, on the contrary turned annoyingly to Sasuke and said snappily, "You're late. Probably didn't decide to show up until 10 minutes ago, of course. We know you have such a busy life, especially having to dump out tons of fan mail every day. We are grateful you have made an accommodation and fit us in to your "oh so busy" schedule.
Sasuke glowered at him, conveying that he would shut him up if he had to.
Kiba, who was joking around with Hinata also noted Sasuke's heightened scent and scowled with distaste and annoyance.
'Dude the guy reeks of 'I'm-So-Much-Better-Than-Everyone-Else' he thought.
"Hinata-chan. Why don't you go over there and pacify Naruto? He's got his knickers all in a twist," he proposed, putting an assuring hand on her shoulder and nudging her gently.
"Kiba–no, I…" she protested softly.
"Just go," he commanded good-naturedly and pulled her beside him as her walked her to Naruto.
"Hey, Naruto. What's up, man?" Kiba greeted as Naruto got up from the chair to exchange a friendly "man-hug." Akamaru barked in jovial greeting. You see, cats and dogs can get along.
Kiba couldn't take the smell of the snob standing close by so he escaped as quickly as he could to the Sakura's pink bathroom and white flowers, smelling sweetly floral.
Naruto scratched the back of his head, ruffling his golden blonde hair and said, "Hey Hina-chan."
Hinata smiled coyly and replied in greeting, "Hi, Naruto-kun," before Naruto wrapped his strong warm arms around her soft body and embraced her snugly. Hinata's pearly, iridescent eyes glistened and widened in surprise but she loved how it felt and wrapped her arms around him, her head resting on his warm, thrumming chest. She felt dazed, as if she was sleeping, the hazy recollection of thoughts escaped from her mind. Naruto released the blue-haired fairy and she plunked down on the couch beside Naruto, a slightly bemused expression on her face.
Ino came out of the kitchen with Gaara and when her eyes caught the sight of Sasuke, the one she dreamed about, she cried out, "Hi, Sasuke!" and was coming eagerly towards him and to capture him in her arms but epically failed when she tripped over his shiny black shoes, blemishing its previously perfect luster, and fell crashing down into the lap of none other than Shikamaru. Shikamaru look at the awkwardly awestruck beauty in his lap. He smirked and could not help but chuckle at her klutziness. It was hard enough for him not to burst out laughing because of the pleasure it gave him.
Ino's face was flushed.
"Hello, Ino." Sasuke finally said in apathetic monotone.
Ino looked at Shikamaru with a look of unfathomable regret and apology, and staggered to her feet to pat her black and violent-magenta skirt and black and white lacy corset. She smoothed her bejeweled bangs behind her ears and her colorful gem earrings tinkled delicately as it dangled below her ears.
Placing her hand on her hip and tilting to one side, she smiled brightly and whispered, "You look absolutely stunning," to Sasuke.
He apparently hadn't heard her… or maybe just decided to ignore her.
"Sasuke," she said, louder to demand his attention.
He reluctantly turned his head and looked at her. She stared at him for a few moments before asking, "What?" His aloofness seemed to never abscond his being.
Ino rolled her eyes disappointedly. She turned and saw Shikamaru looking at her. He smirked in a way that made her feel as if he was laughing snidely at her displeasure.
Gaara came behind Sakura and encircled gentle, strong arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, rocking ever so slightly from side to side. Sakura smiled and ran her fingers thorough his soft crimson hair and glided her hand along the side of his smooth face.
"Love, I think we should head out we'll be late."
"K, hun." She agreed, before kissing his cheek.
Sasuke saw the affection Sakura was giving to Gaara from the corner of his eye. It was unlike anything she had shown for him. Somehow this fact angered him. The more he saw, the harder his teeth gritted in his clenched jaw and the fonder she seemed to grow of the redheaded, angelic devil, the more intense the impulse to slap her for her blindness became.
'When had this monstrosity happened?' he questioned. 'Where the hell was I?'
A barrage of questions circled through his mind.
'He's too…nice. The kindness can't be benign… What the hell? Can't she see his obvious duplicity? He's fake. Bloody fool can't even tell the difference between right and wrong.'
Naruto's eyes glanced at Sasuke, who was glaring at the couple wrapped in each other's arms and frowned slightly. He cleared his throat and in a protective voice he suggested, "Sakura-chan. Gaara's right. We're already late. If we don't leave soon, we'll miss out on the party."
"Ok! Let's go, guys. You know Naruto's a BEAST on that dance floor. Can't wait to see that."she said good-humoredly as she jingled her car keys between her fingers and picked up her purse.
Hanabi and Konohamaru sighed in unison in disapproval since Tenten was just about to tell them the quickest way to kill someone with a blade.
Kiba finally exited the bathroom, after making sure with Hinata that it was safe to come out and held her to his side. The fruity, floral smell of Sakura is much more pleasing than his faux, wintry spiciness.
They took two cars. Sakura drove a black-cherry convertible with the rest of the girls, and they giggled the whole ride down, feeling the pleasurably chilly wind breeze against their face and blow back their hair.
Sasuke drove the guys in his big, fancy schmancy black car and the atmosphere in that musk – scented car wasn't exactly "cheerful," especially with Gaara sitting in the front seat and Naruto bouncing rambunctiously in the back next to a seemingly bored Shikamaru. Chouji tried to break the ice with innocent jokes but the car remained silent save Naruto who already knew all the jokes. Sasuke glared at him from the rear-view mirror but Naruto ignored him, and the way he rammed his gear stick back and forth since he had a stick-shift.
When they arrived at Dancing Flamingos Exotic Night Club, the girls actually had no problem getting in. One of the robust bouncers, wearing little to show his sculpted muscles worthy of a body builder stared at Ino and Sakura lustfully; it made them feel like they were a pieces of meat and it looked like he thought he was audacious enough to squeeze Sakura's ass, but Tenten came along and shot a look at him that quickly ousted that temptation. Hinata timidly followed and one lucky bouncer, a young, bold one too, managed to smack her ass as she walked in. The other robust bouncer grimaced at the young one as if to congratulate him.
Neji glared at the poor lad and he could feel him looking at him. Neji didn't do anything because the lucky scoundrel got away as soon as he turned and saw Neji's glower. It was a good thing Naruto wasn't paying attention because otherwise, there is no doubt that he would have pulverized his ass.
"Hey, you!" called one of the bouncers to Naruto and Naruto grinned back.
"Hey, look, it's that crazy Uzumaki kid," said the bouncer to his fellow other bouncers.
"What you doin' here? Where's that old fart?" he asked Naruto as he approached the door. It was apparent that the pair had been there several times before.
"I'm just here to have some fun. I don't know where Jiraiya-Sensei is. Probably hooking up with some girls someplace or being all methodical and bothering Lady Tsunade. He thinks it's loads of fun despite the beating she keeps pounding into his skull. Reminds me of Sakura."
"Oh was that your pink-haired friend that came in a little while ago with some chicks?"
"Yeah, today's her birthday, and we're here to celebrate, why?"
"Nothing, I think you got it good; have fun "celebrating.""
"Eh! What do you mean?"
"Who wouldn't want to hit that?"
"That's my friggin' sister you're talking about, pig-faced dipshit."
"Whoa, whoa. Lay off the profanity, little punk."
"Don't insult me."
"I'm not, I was just…"
"I see you anytime tonight and I will deal with you. Come on guys, I don't have all night." Naruto said, his eyes dark and grave as he walked in.
Colors splashed spontaneously about as they all walked in; rhythmical beats blasting through the air, which smelt of a dense, gloppy combination of sweet smelling floral perfume, cologne and unmistakably strong alcohol.
Girls were flaunting their curvaceous bodies in skimpy tops and short skirts made up of flimsy material, many of them wrapped around their men making out whorishly, necking each other and yanking their man's head back by his hair lasciviously up against the walls in dark corners where red neon light glowed on their skin.
Couples pressed into each other carnally, lust visible in their eyes, and others swayed sensually to the sweeping music on the dance floor.
An usher guided them to a table on the back wall in the center. Hinata didn't like smokers anyways, and sitting anywhere else would amount to just about that.
Sakura's eyes were vivid with vitality and glowed under the diffused club light, her smile never escaping from her lips. When Gaara took her hand, she planted a sweet kiss on his lips and Gaara blushed and smiled.
Sasuke's eyes caught the kiss and they widened upon the unexpected contact initially but then narrowed as he clenched his jaw and cleared his throat conspicuously to steal Sakura's attention and shoot him a questioning look before settling down at the table with the rest of her friends.
Sasuke and Sakura sat opposite each other at the ends of the table with Ino to her left and Shikamaru to his right.
Gaara held Sakura's hand in his on the table as he sat alongside her.
Hinata sat between Neji and Kiba, who kept joking around with the indigo-haired enchantress.
Neji was being stubborn, simply because he wouldn't let her out of his sight ever since that mindless buffooliganbouncer so impudently decided to touch his sister.
Naruto sat beside Sasuke, who was pacing indecisively on the battlefield in the vast emptiness which he calls his mind, trying to decide whether to cast the joined pair of hands that rested on the table just a few inches across from him apart.
He was too busy to silence the excited jibber jabber from Naruto and Chouji regarding something about a super cool new Ninjutsu technique that harnessed his devilish power and channeled it through a powerful permutation of his body and chakra and also about the newest flavor of Ramen that Ayame from Ichiraku's came up with. Apparently, it was to die for.
Tenten could see that Sakura wouldn't allow Gaara to answer any of her questions about their relationship intimacy, so she was bored.
She peeked at Neji and he gave her an inquiring glance but she quickly averted her eyes. She could see that he was grinning, barely noticeable, but it was definitely there and she wondered why.
Lee tried to strike up a conversation with Shino, who ignored him with a glance that told him he had no time for his petty prattle and just observed, so Lee in turn became engrossed in conversation with Naruto and Chouji.
As for Ino, she wasn't as annoyingly talkative as she normally is, and Shikamaru noticed. He saw her gazing longingly at "dreamy" Sasuke and she was biting down on her bottom lip an awful lot.
One pretty-good looking bartender came over to the group and smiled charmingly.
"Would you all like to try one of our specialty drinks tonight?" he asked and pulled out a little pad.
"Oh, yes! Me, please!" Sakura replied eagerly, her hand shooting in the air.
"I'll try it." Ino said, getting up and shrugging.
"Lemme see what you guys got." Tenten said, looking at the bartender dubiously.
Hinata rose but Neji laid a restraining hand on her arm. "Sit down," he ordered and directed his attention to the bartender. "None for this girl."
Hinata looked at him, abashed and in a disapproving tone, she exclaimed, "Onii-san! Please! It's ok. I'll be fine."
Neji looked at her and reluctantly released his hand and they let her climb out.
The bartender was about to open his mouth, but Shikamaru stopped him and said, "We'll let the ladies order first."
The girls went up to the bar and ordered a series of fruity cocktails and martinis, except for Tenten, who mixed Tequila and straight Vodka into the drinks and made them stronger. It didn't even faze her. Hinata, on the other hand, wasn't able to take more than three drinks and became bubbly and cheerfully tipsy.
They chose to remain sitting on the bar stools, so the guys ordered their drinks and sat at the table drinking, except for a disappointed Lee since Shikamaru prohibited the bartender from giving him anything to drink. As he learned from his last drink with some of the guys, Lee tends to become an incoherent, quite unstoppable, destructive force of nature. It wasn't such a good idea to put Lee in that state.
Suddenly a booming voice submerged through the air and echoed, "And now, our special treat for tonight… Queen Temptress!"
Down from a ceiling descended a cage, revolving mysteriously through the air. Exotic music blared from the speakers. Bright lights flickered and flashed as the cage doors disengaged and femme fatale emerged through mist decked in a tempting skin-tight dress and dark fishnet stockings that covered her smooth ivory skin. Her ears and neck were adorned with jewels and her wild, dark blonde locks were bejeweled. Rich, lustrous cranberry lips accompanied the dark, kohl-rimmed eyes of the talented seductress.
She smirked sexily at the leering crowd beneath her and placed a flawlessly crimson painted nail between her pearly white teeth in a way that made the heart's of men palpitate with arousal. Her hips swayed to the music, her busty rack bodaciously hugging the lacy, skin-tight material and peeking out slightly.
As she slid sexily against the pole, people cheered and hooted, and Gaara, who was ignoring the all the asinine hoo-hah until now, turned his head and decided to finally glance in her way and his jaw dropped. His eyes grew wide with shock as he realized that "Queen Temptress" was his very own sister.
Gaara jumped immediately to his feet and ran to the front of the stage and in an alarmed voice, called out, "Temari!"
Temari looked down with confusion and found her brother staring up at her with a penetrating, demanding look in his aquamarine eyes.
"Gaara! Otouto…" she exclaimed in astonishment.
Gaara shook his head and leapt on stage, grabbing a nearby tablecloth and enveloped his sister in it. You could hear the boorish taunts and boos of disappointment from the crowd.
He went outside with her. She immediately turned to him and in an awkward voice she explained herself.
"Gaara…I didn't want you to know… but I strip in my spare time…I'm a showgirl."
"What?! Why?!" he asked, alarmed.
"I don't know. I think it's fun… and I'm good at it."
"So no one's forcing you to do this?"
"What? No. Of course not. If someone tried to oppress me into doing anything, would I? No. They'd be begging me for mercy when I'm through with them. You know that."
"Just get some clothes on and come sit with us. I'll meet you inside," he said, rubbing his temple as he reentered the nightclub.
Temari knew she had nothing beside what she had on, so she modestly fastened the tablecloth to sheathe her body and followed her brother in. She sat beside Gaara, across from Shikamaru.
"Hey, Shika," she said in a low, sultry voice.
Shikamaru looked at her peculiarly, arched an eyebrow at her, took a drink and replied in greeting, "Hey."
"What exactly are you up to tonight?"
"Celebrating," he replied, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.
"I don't believe you. Oh, come on. There's something else on your mind. I know you. You wouldn't come out of your little bat cave unless it meant something… or someone else," Temari shot him a questioning glance and arched a dark brow at him.
"Ridiculous," Shikamaru remarked in denial and smirked before taking another drink.
"You got yourself a girlfriend yet? Or are you still lazing around "studying"?" she asked sardonically.
"You know, I'm not looking. And I actually happen to be quite busy with my lazing around."
"Hmph." she scoffed and tilted her head, smirking shrewdly. She leaned in slowly towards him and asked him in more of a whisper, "Sure you don't wanna rethink getting a girl?"
Shikamaru glanced at her daring blackened navy blue eyes, pursed lips and arched eyebrow and took another drink.
"Positive."
Ino and the rest of the girls came back, their eyes scattering about and smiling in the midst of crazed sporadic giggling. Seeing that Temari had taken her place, Ino's eyebrows knitted harshly and after a long moment, she uncomfortably sat beside Shikamaru, who cleared his throat, doing nothing to help with the awkwardness.
Sakura rested her head gingerly on Gaara's shoulder and Tenten started to mumble that she was feeling cold and leaned against him.
Hinata kept on smiling with Kiba's comforting arm around her shoulders. She innocently asked Naruto if she could feel his hand and couldn't realize that it was a pretty childishly silly request. Naruto ruffled his hair in confusion before outstretching his arm. Her fingers lightly brushed against his palm, their cool, silken touch feeling good against his skin. Then she raised their palms up in unison as if comparing the side of his hand to hers and then they slipped slightly, curling in and lacing with his. She left it there and leaned against Kiba, a dazedness suddenly taking her over.
Naruto wondered if she was going to let go of his hand anytime soon, but he didn't let it bother him.
The rigidity of Sasuke's features remained intact.
Temari kept flitting suggestive glances at Shikamaru and Ino noticed, and she didn't like it. Not one bit.
All of a sudden, stimulating sounds blasted through the club and DJ Vicious' voice poured through the speakers.
Sakura became excited and was suddenly wanted to dance.
"Come on! Come, on, baby. Let's dance. Please? For me?" Sakura pleaded babyishly with her scarlet-haired boyfriend.
Although he was pretty shy and reluctant, she finally got him to give in to dancing with her.
Lee and Naruto electrified the crowd as soon as they escaped onto the dance floor and let loose, but they didn't care about the loutish jeers and guffaws of the couples and the few strippers that were near them.
Kiba eventually got Neji to let Hinata dance, but Neji didn't go with them since Tenten had fallen asleep on him. Turns out she wasn't that tough when it came to drinking after all.
"Wanna dance, lazy boy?" Temari asked playfully but Shikamaru shook his head no and said, "You go ahead."
"Suit yourself, then." She conceded, whipping off the tablecloth from her body and walking provocatively for a bit before glancing back and winking at Shikamaru. Then she walked off in her stilettos to order a drink and chat with that sexy bartender.
Ino's lip upturned scornfully at Temari but then fleeted her eyes to a lackluster Sasuke and smiled, her turquoise eyes lighting up with the prospect of opportunity.
"Sasuke, why don't you come and dance with me? It'll be fun. I promise."
"Because I don't want to? Sorry… um… no, thanks. I'm fine." he snapped curtly.
After a while, she finally pulled him by his arm and he went out to the dance floor reluctantly, glaring at her, but she deflected it.
Some strippers came to arouse Shino, Shikamaru and Chouji so that they'd act in higher spirits.
They certainly had fun toying with Shino and Chouji ended up dancing with a cute girl he found sitting by herself in a corner.
Shikamaru was resolute and refused the offer, simply because he didn't want to; he wasn't feeling up to it, which wasn't unusual for him. He just sat, watching and drinking.
Ino's dancing was just innocent fun at first, particularly because she and Sakura kept peeking at each other with laughable acknowledgement as they danced with their partners. The music created an air of brazen intimacy.
Gaara and Sakura danced whimsically and although he was rather suave, he decided to let his pink-haired companion lead the way. Sheer jubilance danced in her eyes and her spirited dancing, just for fun. Occasionally she tried out some new "moves" on Gaara.
Although Sasuke danced with Ino, it felt like he was sulking and he didn't seem all there. In fact, to Ino, it felt as if she was dancing alone.
Then, he unexpectedly looked at her, his smoldering gaze demolishing her composure. Her pulled her on him and placed his hands on her hips. His moved aggressively and rigidly.
Ino pressed herself on him provocatively and began to play the game with him, moving her body to the music. Then Sasuke slid his fingers down her thigh and thrust his hips forward, his groin brusquely pressing into her.
Ino began to feel profoundly uncomfortable so she turned to face him. He looked edgy. He took her hand in his and twirled her in seemingly graceless, turbulent never-ending circles.
He abruptly released her hand and she spun around, seeing Sakura twirl past her in the opposite direction. She landed in the arms of Gaara, who looked down with awkward yet amusing surprise.
Ino flipped her head to meet the hesitant, confused gaze of Sakura who stood, biting her lip in front of an unabashed Sasuke, who seemed to have had this all premeditated. His eyes blazed with the black, ashen flames of obscurity and ambiguity.
Sasuke took a step toward Sakura and took her hand, then as if he needed to, he looked at Gaara requested in a tersely mocking tone, "May I?"
Gaara nodded, and though perceptive, he ignored Sasuke's arrogance and smiled, holding Ino's palms him his.
Sasuke seemed to enjoy the embarrassed signs of nervousness in Sakura –– the trembling cherry lips, the sparkling olive peridot colored eyes darting about in angst and splendor, the racing heartbeat he heard thumping through her chest and the miniscule beads of perspiration forming along her collarbone that was adorned with a ruby red crystal gem necklace bound by a gold chain that shone brilliantly even under the faint club lights.
He had seen Gaara give it to her that evening when he came out with that godforsaken klutz Ino. Gaara embraced her from behind before slipping the stunning jewel around her neck and kissing her neck and whispering softly, "Happy Birthday, Sakura." He saw Gaara place Sakura's hand on his heart when he said, "I will always love you, Sakura."
At that moment, Sakura suddenly felt the urge to protect the heart-shaped pendant and held it between her fingers. Her fingers glided along the gold engraving in Japanese characters that said "Love," the very same characters that will forever remain on Gaara's face.
Sasuke looked down at the necklace scathingly and then gripping music began to grow louder, drama unraveling in its demented, flamboyant folds.
The raven-haired, coal-eyed boy jerked Sakura and swung her about rapidly in a series of intricate moves. He heaved her towards him, pressing himself on her and in a gruff voice he whispered, "When did you start dating that beast?"
She pulled away, chassed and twirled and wound her waist, her dress twisting and unraveling brilliantly.
She looked at him solemnly.
"How dare you? He's not a beast."
"A devil, then, perhaps but definitely a freak."
"Why are you being such a jerk?" she asked him accusingly.
Sasuke swept Sakura off her feet and lifted her into the air and dropped her, letting her foot slide in a circle about him.
"Hmm… lingerie?" he noted amusedly and Sakura gasped in disbelief and averted her gaze, mortified.
"What about it?"
"You're going to have sex with him," he asserted bluntly.
"What is it to you?" she retorted.
Sasuke spun her out and back into him, their proximity dangerous.
He stroked his transcendentally, unnaturally icy fingers along her back, his cold touch on her bare skin making her shudder and sending chilling shivers up her spine.
Sasuke was pleased at the way she quivered under his touch. He bent her back and pulled her leg up. Her innocence made her a candidate for corruption.
Not even looking back to see if Gaara was watching, he stroked his fingers along her body in straight line, from her profoundly large forehead to her wet lips to her cleavage and along her thigh. He swung her around and jerked her against him, his hot breath trailing like a disease along her skin. He placed one hand around her waist and the other slowly pressing along her inner thigh as he thrust his hips against her.
Unable to help herself, she uttered a whispering moan of pleasure then snapped and pulled herself away from him, glaring at him contemptuously.
"Of course, you know, your fling with the freak is of little, if any, significant to me."
He twirled her again and lifted her in front of him.
"I just never knew you were a whore," he remarked insolently as she slid back down in his arms, resisting the urge to kick him with a blow that would hurt and glowered at him fiercely, grasping his inklike hair between her fingers and yanking his head back icily.
"You're a sorry excuse of a man, Sasuke."
Sakura fell to the ground and fumbled to maintain balance on her feet. Sasuke smirked tumultuously.
Sakura rolled her eyes impatiently as she was again pulled against his stone physique.
"On my Birthday, Sasuke," she remarked disappointedly before he spun her violently and picked her up in his arms, swinging her to the brink of nauseating dizziness.
As the song rolled to an end, Sasuke lowered her down quickly and whispered low in her ear contemptibly, "Well, Happy Birthday, Birthday Girl," before setting her down on her unsteady feet. Then he abandoned her on the dance floor and walked away, vanishing into a distant dark shadow. Sakura was panting and shaken when Gaara came to her aid, supporting her in his arms.
Ino smiled at Gaara and went back to find that Shikamaru was missing. Neji fell asleep with Tenten, so she just began to look for him on her own.
As she passed the sexy bartender, he told her he was out on the balcony.
She wondered why this was.
When she reached the balcony outside where the pleasurably chilly breeze blew against her skin and the midnight sky was iridescent and transcendental.
Ino saw Shikamaru leaning against the edge of the balcony and called out in a concerned voice, "Shikamaru?"
In that moment, she saw Temari turn and look at her with an amused look.
"Hey, O Smart One. I think there's someone here who'd like to see you. We'll talk. Ciao." Temari said to Shikamaru and laughed. The vamp turned and as she swept past Ino, she winked at her and took a drink from the glass between her fingers.
Shikamaru scoffed and continued to look out at the sky, sipping from his cold glass.
Ino peered at her suspiciously and she could see laughter trilling deep in Temari's eyes, the color of the mystical veil of the night sky. She shook the disturbing thoughts out of her mind and directed her attention to Shikamaru.
"You better not have been smoking, Shikamaru," she warned in reprimand as she marched briskly towards him, his back still turned.
"Or else," she continued.
She stood beside him but he said nothing nor turned to face her. Ino found this to be very impertinent. "Hey!" she demanded as she tapped the back of his shoulder.
Abruptly, Shikamaru shuffled his feet and turned to meet her cynical, slightly temperamental expression on her radiant face.
Ino was taken aback by what she saw. Shikamaru looked desolate. His eyes were reddened and glassy, as if they were dampened with the absence of tears. His gaze was rough and his eyes started deep, straight into hers. His jaw was unnaturally clenched and his stance was daunting yet to her seemed harmless. His mouth seemed displaced and he wasn't smirking. His expression was just…blank. He looked guilty and vulnerable.
Ino studied Shikamaru, and became increasingly worried.
"Shikamaru…what's wrong?" she asked concernedly, raising a delicate hand to hold the side of his face. Her eyes, as clear and scintillating as the great salty ocean waters spelt concerned curiosity and a hint of trepidation.
Shikamaru clenched his teeth in displeasure and suddenly took Ino by the lips, crushing them to his. His lips were eager, his mouth hungry. He kissed her fervently, with a passion she had never seen or felt in him before. The kiss seemed fiercely painful, angry and adamant.
Ino felt her heart pounding, the blood pulsing through her veins and drumming loudly behind her ears.
Shikamaru pulled her closer into him, his hold on her seemingly indestructible. Their lips parted and Shikamaru gazed intensely at her for what seemed to her like an eternity.
Ino looked back curiously, her hands propped up against his chest. She blinking a few times, whispering, "Shikamaru…."
Shikamaru cast his head to the side, his jaw clenched and brows knitted. He released the arms that held her so closely to him and shut his eyes, brows knitted in a pained expression and turned away from Ino and leaned on the balcony.
Ino came to the balcony beside him and leaned on it, her body inclined towards him.
"Shikamaru… what's wrong? Tell me." Ino said, her voice soothing and accepting.
After a moment, he faced her and he knew she wouldn't let him be unless he provides her with an answer.
"I––I'm sorry, Ino. I don't know what came over me."
"Oh… I see." Ino said, her eyes downcast and fumbling with her fingers.
"I was uh… craving nicotine. I didn't mean to be so forceful."
"No–no, it was fine." Ino replied quickly and looked at him in a way that begged him to not question her.
"So… what were you and… Temari talking about?" Ino asked, a touch of perverse contempt on the name of the highly provocative woman that loved to play mind games. She thought she was pursuing Shikamaru with brazen, avid precision, like a sharp blade that's been used flawlessly for eternity and yet not bloodstained once.
Then she added, "What did she want?"
Shikamaru chuckled and smirked, looking up at the sky. "Oh, nothing really…"
"Hmm…" Ino said wistfully, feeling as if her mind was caged in the dark shroud of ambiguity.
"I think I'm gonna leave now," he said, turning and drinking the remains from his glass.
"Oh, ok. Do you have money?"
"Yeah, I got it," he confirmed, waving his hand dismissively.
"Lemme see," she insisted, placing a hand on her hip.
Shikamaru plunged his hand in his pocket and pulled out his wallet, surprised to find a small slip of paper.
He mindlessly handed over the wallet to her and examined the mysterious piece of paper.
"Call me, lazy boy," was written in artful handwriting and beside the message was a blood-red lipstick stain.
Shikamaru laughed quietly and Ino looked at him surreptitiously.
"What's that?" she asked, handing his wallet back.
"Oh…nothing really," he replied and smirked as he put the paper back in his pocket.
"K, I'm going. Tell Sakura I said bye," he said as he walked past her, laying a hand on her should and removing it as he departed.
"O–K?" Ino said and turned as she saw Shikamaru scaling down the stairs.
Ino reentered the club and the lights that dimmed, the music fainter and deeper now, making one feel the forbidden romance bearing fruit.
She saw a dismal-looking Sasuke sitting at the bar, downing alcohol.
Above her, she saw Temari handing overhead out of the edge of an open cage, swinging her smooth leg meditatively back and forth. Ino caught her gaze and Temari grinned at her, sending shivers up her spine. Queer.
She saw Gaara and Sakura swaying peacefully together, her arm clasped about his neck, marveling each other.
Kiba put Hinata to the test when she proclaimed that she was going to dance with Naruto. At this point in time, Hinata laughed playfully at Naruto's tendency to dance spontaneously with such zest, lacking grace. She was being awfully coquettish ever since she got woozy from those drinks earlier tonight.
Now Lee danced with Sakura again, as vigorously as he had, just a few hours ago.
Kiba was now acting as the plaything for half-drunk strippers. Akamaru didn't seem to mind the attention he got either. Not surprising, one might assume.
Ino came to the table to see Gaara, his warm admiring eyes gazing at his green-eyed companion dancing.
"You really love her," Ino said softly, sitting down.
"I hope so," he replied and smiled.
"I'd hope so too. She took a chance with you; not all guys are like you, you know."
"Hmm…Uchicha…ah." Gaara noted with recognition and smiled, his sea-green eyes comforting and serene.
Ino looked back at Sasuke, who must have been totally drunk because he started to waltz out to the balcony without a partner––well, an air-buddy if you'd like to call it that–– and then tripped tragically over his own foot as left the club. Then, in a gruffly out-of-tune, squeaky voice, he started singing the lyrics to "Numb" and "What is Love?"
It was sad––actually, more like downright pathetic. She tried not to be disgusted , but could not help laughing at him in this pitiable state.
Ino rose from her chair, stretched and yawned, saying, "I'm gonna go, now." She pulled Gaara in for hug and inhaled his sweetly spicy scent.
"Oh, my God. Sakura's right! You dosmell good!"
Gaara laughed dismissively and remarked, "Well, at least I don't stink," and smiled.
"Goodnight," said Ino as she grabbed her clutch and went out into the brisk night air.
"Sweet dreams," crooned a tempestuous voice and Ino looked back and saw Temari wiggling her dainty fingers and smiling in a way that made Ino feel insecure, like she was concealing everything but could see right through her.
Ino chose to ignore her and the horribly singing Sasuke, who all of a sudden decided to serenade her. He wasn't very charming when he was drunk. In the blink of an eye, Ino vanished out into the street to look for a taxi. She'd had enough for one night.
Author's Note: Hey Guys (^^,)! What's up? Anyways, I just wanted to tell you that I've been able to update because I'm on spring break, but that's soon ending… :\
I have some interesting new things that I'm going to do in the coming chapters to spice up the plot line, so it doesn't totally revolve around mushy romance. It intensifies the feelings, so yeah... It's gonna be interesting. Hopefully.
Anyways, thanks!