Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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♥ Chapter XXI: The Double Date ♥
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"Anou… Sasuke-kuuuun?" Cindy chirped. Sasuke resisted the urge to once more tell her to shut up – he received a headache at the sound of her voice.

I want her to have a normal voice, he thought, frustrated. Such as, for example…

"Arigatou, Sasuke-kun! That was so nice of you!" a familiar voice echoed in his head. Sasuke's irritation blew away immediately, replaced by… sadness?

"Please!... Sasuke-kun… no… more…"

"Sasuke-kun, you're really kind too. You're… perfect. Almost. Just that nobody can be entirely perfect, ne? Though to me… you are. Maybe you're an exception…"

"He… he never liked me. I thought he did… so when I told him about my feelings… he pretended to feel the same…"

"Let's go shopping!" said Cindy with her loud, shrill voice. Sasuke didn't hear it.

"I don't know… but it feels like… as though we've met before… doesn't it, Sasuke-kun?"

That soft, smooth voice… Sasuke felt his heart ache; he missed it so…

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke looked up at the sudden interruption with slight annoyance. "What, Cindy?"

"I said, 'let's go shopping'!"

"Hn", he grunted as she began to drag him towards the shopping center.

---


"Hello, my most beloved cherry blossom", James said in his most seducing voice. Sakura felt a wave of nausea strike her, and felt the very familiar urge to throw up.

"H… hello", she pressed herself to say with a fake smile. I don't know how long I'll manage this…

"Did you wait for long?"

Actually, I did, she thought in her mind, but answered sweetly: "Uh… no."

"Well, how good, then, my dear cherry blossom. What do you want to do?" He grinned sheepishly. "I've no plans today, I thought you might want to decide…"

Well, that's sweet, Sakura admitted in her thoughts. "Er… I don't know, actually."

"Shopping, maybe? I've heard all girls are shopaholics."

Sakura grinned. "Well… kind of. You're sure you're ready to go through the torture?"

"I think so", James replied with a broad smile that awakened Sakura's wish to vomit again.

"Okay, then, let's go!" she exclaimed, looking away as quickly as possible to avoid the sight of the sickness-awakening sight that she called her boyfriend.

---


"What do you think about this, Sasuke-kuuun?" Cindy twirled around in front of the bored teen, dressed in a white shirt with sleeves that reached her elbows but showed her slender waist, a black vest that reached the exact same point as the shirt, a low-waist denim skirt and a pair of black, high-heeled boots.

You look terrific in it… terrifically ugly, Sasuke grimaced inwardly. "Hn."

"Sasuke-kun!" said Cindy accusingly and crossed her arms. "You're so boring! At least Daiki-san would've said…"

"I don't care about what Daiki would say or not. If you think Daiki is more suiting for shopping than me, then go shopping with him, then", Sasuke cut her off, giving her a look of disapproval.

"But I want to be with you, Sasuke-kun…", she murmured with a voice that Sasuke supposed should sound sexy, but sounded as though she had a throat problem.

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but just then, he heard two familiar voices speak right next to them:

"My loveliest cherry blossom, you simply look adorable."

"Um… really? I think it looks a bit… er… extreme", Sakura – because it was without a doubt Sakura – commented nervously and fingered on her evening gown. Sasuke almost lost his breath at the sight of her; she was unnaturally pretty… like a goddess… and yet, it didn't seem exaggerated as with Cindy…

Sakura's hair had been cut short and was neatly put into some kind of horsetail that made the hair's ends look as though some soft, fluffy mini-fan, and around her neck there was some sort of red, glittery silk scarf that went with her red, glittery evening gown that exposed her slim body. Her arms were covered with red, matching gloves that went up to her elbows, and her feet were decorated with red high-heeled shoes.

Cindy looked enviously at Sakura, and then commented nastily: "Well, there we find something that suits you… for once."

Sakura's and James' heads turned at her voice and stared at first Cindy, and then Sasuke. Sasuke, however, was busy glaring at Cindy, though she didn't notice, because she was smirking with scorn at Sakura.

"Oh. You", said Sakura coldly and narrowed her eyes at the sight of Sasuke.

"I didn't expect this store to sell clothes to scum", remarked James with a sneer. "Well, then, Sakura, why don't you change clothes, and let's leave then. I'd rather go somewhere else –"

"No, wait", Sasuke interrupted him. All three stared at him, but his eyes remained calmly at Sakura. "Why don't we have a double date?"

---


After some nagging, sulking, arguing and scornful retorts, the other three finally accepted his request. And the double date began.

What the four lovebirds didn't know was that someone was spying on them.

And that… or more precisely, those someone's were Naruto, Hinata, Neji, Tenten, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji and Temari.

"Sasuke-teme doesn't seem that stupid, after all", Naruto muttered as they saw Cindy and Sakura drag Sasuke and James towards a perfume boutique.

"Yeah, that's pretty smart of him", Ino agreed. "But Shika is smarter!" She beamed at her boyfriend, who rolled his eyes and said 'How troublesome' as response.

---


"Sasuke-kuun, doesn't this smell wonderful? And I bet", Cindy added as she bashed her eyelashes at him flirtingly, "That it'll smell even better on you."

"Don't be silly, Cindy. It's a girl's perfume", Sasuke remarked calmly as he watched from his eyecorner how James and Sakura browsed the shelf beside them. Sakura was looking eagerly at a "slender", golden bottle of perfume.

"Oh, but everything smells good on you, Sasuke-kun. Everything looks good on you too. You –" Cindy leaned close so that her breath tickled his left ear, "- are perfect, Sasuke-kun."

"Sasuke-kun, you're really kind too. You're… perfect. Almost. Just that nobody can be entirely perfect, ne? Though to me… you are. Maybe you're an exception…"

"Nobody's perfect, Cindy", Sasuke replied and walked away from her. "And besides, Sakura, are you going to buy that bottle or not? We've been standing here for ages now."

Sakura gave him a glare, but Sasuke only smirked back. "Sasuke, whether or not I'll buy this bottle is none of your business. It was, in case you forgot, you who came up with the idiotic suggestion that we should've a double date."

"I know. I haven't forgotten."

"Then you should be patient", she growled, "And the answer is yes, I'm going to buy it."

"Give me the bottle then", said Sasuke, still wearing the infamous Uchiha smirk that everyone knew so well.

"Why?" Sakura looked half-confused and half-suspicious as her glare intensified.

"Just do it", Sasuke replied with a mere shrug. Very doubtfully, Sakura at last put the golden bottle in his outstretched hand. Then, to everyone's surprise, Sasuke walked towards the counter and asked the lady behind the counter, "How much?" but in French.

"Uh...cinquante euro, monsieur", she stuttered back.

Sasuke gave her the fifty euros the perfume had cost, and then walked back to the most surprised Sakura, Cindy and James.

"Here", he said with an almost bored voice and extended the perfume to her. Hesitantly, Sakura took it.

"A... rigatou...", she responded uncertainly.

"Anyhow, Sasuke-kun!" Cindy now almost bellowed, "Let's go to another shop! Come on!"

---

"Good job, Sasuke!" Tenten commented and did the thumbs-up.

"Hey, don't I get any compliments?" Neji pretended to whine.

"Yeah, yeah. You're awesome, Neji!" Tenten grinned at him, and he grinned back.

"Okay, lovebirds", Naruto coughed, "They're going to some... café now. How the heck are we going to spy on them there?"

"Easy. Join them", Shikamaru replied with a yawn.

"You're so smart, Shika!" Ino exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah. How troublesome", Shikamaru muttered.

"Lovebirds", Naruto mumbled and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Naruto", Neji said with an amused smirk and a raised eyebrow, "Aren't you... being jealous now?"

"Me? Jealous?" Naruto snorted. "Ha! Why would I be jealous?"

"Maybe because you don't have a girlfriend", Ino sneered.

"Well, Hinata-chan doesn't have any boyfriend either", Naruto defended himself.

"You said it...", Tenten chuckled mischievously.

"... Hey! But Temari and Chouji don't have any either!" Naruto swiftly added.

"Yeah, but we're fine with being single", Temari smirked. "But you and Hinata..."

"D-don't get any s-s-stupid ideas n-now, T-Temari-san!" Hinata burst out, red in the face.

"Hai, hai." Temari rolled her eyes. "Are we going to interfere or not?"

---

"... and then he just said, 'Wow, James, you're super cool!' and I said, 'yeah, I know...'"

Sakura tried to stifle her yawns of boredom and instead commented with a fake smile, "Uh, how brave of you, James-kun..."

"Thanks, my most beloved cherry blossom", James replied with his deepest voice, which he assumed sounded cool.

"You have a throat problem?" said Sasuke with nasty sarcasm. James glared at him, and so did Sakura, to Sasuke's dismay.

"At least", she replied coolly, "he doesn't have a personality problem."

"Oh, like your personality is so perfect", Cindy retorted with a scornful sneer.

"She's far better than you", they heard a voice say behind them. The four's heads turned to see Ino, clutching Shikamaru's arm, and Tenten, smiling a not-so-happy smile close to Neji, who had a blank face expression. Behind them were Naruto and Hinata, who were both quiet, and while Naruto had a weird grimace that was supposedly a false grin, Hinata did not smile at all.

"Well, Ino-chan", Cindy said, every little word pronounced with the utmost scorn, "I don't think anyone cares about what you think."

"You're wrong. I do, for example", Shikamaru cut across her.

"I guess I just have to say your IQ must have sunk to zero then, Shikamaru. What a waste", Cindy remarked with an ironic smile.

"Why, you...!" Ino raised her fist, but Tenten caught it.

"Calm it, Ino. We aren't here to fight", she said calmly, but with menace.

"Hn!" Ino lowered her fist, but still glowered as she glared daggers at Cindy.

"We just wanted to ask if we could join you", Hinata requested without even stammering. Sakura looked, astonished, at her.

"Of course you can –", she began, but Cindy cut her off.

"And who says they can? You're not the only one sitting here, Sakura!"

"Of what I remember", Sasuke interrupted her coldly, "You're not the only one sitting here either."

Cindy's cheeks became a light shade of pink. "Sasuke-kun...!"

Sakura looked even more astonished, but Sasuke didn't meet her gaze. Instead, he stared at the others, who exchanged glances before sitting down with wide grins on their faces.

"So, what're you guys up to?" Naruto asked as innocently as possible.

"Double-dating. But I guess you know already, it's so typical you to spy on us", Sakura replied with a look of suspicion at them. They, however, only laughed nervously (except Shikamaru and Neji) and said they weren't spying on them at all and had come across them out of a coincidence.

"Ne, Sakura... you're dating him?" Ino asked as she looked accusingly at James.

"He's not so bad, you know", Sakura replied with a little smile. "He's handsome, and cool, and kind –"

"Kind enough to harass you, eh?" Sasuke snarled. "Kissed you and almost lifted your skirt, that pervert... I wonder what'd have happened if I hadn't rescued you then..."

Everyone just stared at him.

"Naniiiii! Sasuke-teme has rescued Sakura from James!" Naruto yelled.

"Say what? He... he... he... THAT PERVERT!" Ino shrieked.

"You rescued her from him? So that's why she was at your place!" Tenten exclaimed.

"She was at his place? Sakura was at your place? That's true?" Neji goggled at him as though Sasuke had just said he liked cross-dressing or something.

"Oh my god... how... how defiling... he… he harassed her…", Hinata commented weakly.

"Sasuke-kun! You did that? And you brought her... to... to YOUR place!" Cindy screamed.

"I certainly didn't!" James shouted. "I've not as much as touched her skirt –"

"Wouldn't surprise me if you did", Shikamaru snapped and narrowed his eyes, "The other day I saw you sneaking your hand to lift Ino's –"

"He did WHAT? He did WHEN? He did... OH MY GOD, JAMES, YOU'RE DEAD!" Ino growled.

"I DID NOT!" James screeched.

"SHUT UP!" the entire café yelled at them.

---

"Sasuke, did you have to tell everyone that?" Sakura hissed. Sasuke didn't respond. Instead, he raised his eyebrow slightly. Sakura had just dragged him away from the others who were now totally berserk and were arguing on an extremely high volume.

"Yes. Is there something wrong with it?" Sasuke asked bluntly.

"Of course there is! He's my boyfriend now!" Sakura snarled.

"I don't care. It's the truth." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Besides, I don't see what you see in him. He's perverted, and so you know."

"He has changed, Sasuke. People change." Sakura glared at him. "You didn't have to embarrass him in front of the others! Now they're going to hate him! And by the way... I don't see what you see in her. She's loathsome, and so you know", she added sarcastically.

Sasuke's eyebrow raised further. "I thought she was your cousin?"

"Yeah. But you change opinion, don't you? Just as..." Sakura took a deep breath, and looked him straight in the eyes. Something pierced Sasuke's heart when he realized her eyes were filled with tears... and hatred. "... Just as I thought you were my friend!"

She waited for him to say anything. To stop her. To say she was wrong.

She looked him straight in the eyes again. Sasuke's eyes were expressionless, and he said nothing. He didn't even seem to intend to move; he looked like a very realistic statue where he stood. Clenching her fist, Sakura stomped away towards the others and began dragging James away from the group.

And Sasuke only looked after her. For a long time. Then... he sighed.

What am I going to do?

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, guys! And happy 400 reviews! (And Ruichi, thanks for writing a fanfic about me! I feel very, very honored. :D I'm going to read your fic soon. Thank you so much!) Whoever the 400th and 300th reviewer is, send a bonus chapter request! If you're new to this, go back to the previous chapters and look for more info about bonus chapter requests in the reviews part. Try the 'Search on this page' on the toolbar if you use Internet Explorer. That way it's easier to find it :)

Btw, I'm still stuck on the twenty-fifth chapter. It's going to be a long chapter, but it isn't a problem... I think you guys know what it is. Anyhow, I've started a new fic, In Love With The Enemy, and I hope you won't mind reading and reviewing it as well, please:) I'd really like to know if I am still good at writing after all this mess x.x

HAPPY 400 REVIEWS! And keep on reviewing guys:D I love y'all!