Author's Note: Sooo, how are we? Me? I'm fine. Except I've got a French test tomorrow – on my BIRTHDAY – and have lost my French text book so that I can't… actually study for it! What's with that?

Party yesterday was fun though. My presents were great :D

Pairings: SasuSaku (ish. SasuSaku haters, review, and I'll answer, and explain everything to you. Or, I could tell you now, that ultimately the person you hate will be in massive amounts of PAIN), ShikaIno, implied NejiIno

You're so gorgeous

I'd do anything

Kiss you from your feet to where your head begins

You're so perfect

You're so right as rain

You make me, make me, make me hungry again

Chapter 14

Sakura's heart fell as Sasuke returned from Shikamaru's office, smirking and chewing his bottom lip contentedly.

Through a gap in the door, she had seen the quick kiss he had shared with that stupid blond whore. Wasn't she meant to be after Shikamaru anyway? What's with the sudden closeness to Sasuke anyway? The way things were going, at least she wouldn't lose the bet. Ino had to kiss Shikamaru in front of her if Sakura was going to resign, and that hadn't exactly happened yet.

Sasuke…. Why her? What does she have that I don't have?

Sakura had considered starving herself, taking leave from work to make him miss her, and getting into relationships with other men to get him to say more than just his casual 'hn' to her every morning, but everyone was too busy mooning after Ino Yamanaka to care. And there was the fact that she had caved on the first day of the starvation plan because of the warm chocolate brownies that Lee had given her.

He's… sweet…

Perhaps it would be easier to make peace with the woman. But… that really… wouldn't work, would it? Obviously the rivalry was childish, but Sakura had her pride. She knew, that if it were to definitely end, then one of them would have to win. Even if they called it quits, the terrifying egos that housed in both of them wouldn't keep quiet for very long, and everything would go back to how it was.

Stupid, really.

But maybe it was worth a try?

…

…

Or… maybe she could try and seduce Shikamaru. If he didn't respond at first, maybe she could just explain what that he would be helping her out. Surely if Sasuke saw that his own secretary had taken the side of his genius rival she'd get a rise out of him….

Right! Now was the time! She'd be meaning to get proactive anyway. She'd just go in and start flirting. Oh, but she was a little out of practice….

This should be interesting, she thought, standing and approaching his office door.

Yeah, it would be fine. All she had to do was –

…

…

Oh my God.

She shut the door hurriedly, eyes widening behind her sunglasses. They weren't doing anything above PG, but it was still… pretty… enthusiastic… and now she would have to quit her job…. Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!

But Ino didn't know she'd seen them. Maybe this was just a one off?

…

Agh…. Who was she kidding. She'd lost. She'd failed.

…

But…

Maybe, just maybe, if she showed Sasuke, he could see how much of a slut she was. Maybe he would turn to her for comfort: the woman who'd catered to his every need for almost a whole year, who listened to his every word as though her life depended on it, the woman who would drag him to hell and back if she thought it was in his best interest.

Just maybe.

"Mr. Uchiha! Sir? Sir!"

Sasuke, who had been sorting some theories for a case out with a man further down the office, raised his head and looked calmly her way. At her insistent look he scowled, straightened up and walked sulkily towards her, sliding the fine sunglasses from in front of his eyes and holding them at his side.

"What is it?"

"You need to go and see Mr. Nara," she told him, silently giggling over Sasuke's red-rimmed eyes. "Right away."

He looked at her for a while, head tilted slightly back in defiance.

"I don't want to."

"But…. Sir. You need to," Sakura insisted, clasping her hands together and pouting.

"No. I don't. I can do it later."

"It's about the Sabaku case."

"Later, Sakura."

"Sir, he really wants to look over his notes with you."

"We already did that."

"Well," Sakura sighed, getting extremely pissed off with the stubbornness of her pretty boss. "He wants to do it again."

Sasuke lifted his lip slightly, and his eyes narrowed. "Sakura, for the last freakin' time. No. I don't need to do it now. I can do it later. He can surely manage without me for at least twenty more minutes and -"

Sakura huffed and grabbed his arm, tugging him with a sudden wave of monster strength over to Shikamaru's office and opened the door.

I'll do it my FUCKING self then!

"Look! Look at them! Do you really think she deserves you!" she whispered fiercely, grip tight on the sleeve of his grey suit. His eyes widened, he stared, and he shut the door slowly, deliberately and quietly, taking a step back.

Sakura was surprised by the look on his face. He seemed… to be taking it pretty hard. His fists were clenched at his sides. There was a loud, sickening crunch as his five hundred dollar sunglasses snapped in his hands. He was looking at the door as if he could see what lay behind it, and didn't want to believe it. His eyes were wide, almost pleading, as he looked blindly into the face of his pink-haired secretary.

"Mr. Uchiha? Sasuke?"

He ignored her, wrenched his sleeve from her grasp and turned, stalking back towards the sanctuary of his office. Sakura, now half in tears, called after him.

"Dammit, Sasuke! You don't need her! Just listen to me!"

He stopped, hand on the door handle, but didn't look at her.

"Why do you even do this to yourself! I love you! I fucking love you! And you go after her! She's been in love with Shikamaru the whole time she was with you! I can't believe you didn't see it!"

She was almost crying. Her voice wavered slightly. Sasuke's jaw clenched.

"She was using you to get to him, Sasuke! Using you! That's all you are to her! It doesn't matter how you feel, she doesn't think you're any more than a good-looking tool to help win a stupid bet!"

She ran towards him, terrified he wasn't getting the message, and that he was blocking her out. She ran in front of him, because he refused to turn around, and grabbed the collar of his suit.

"I love you."

Tears streaming down her face, grip shaking on his expensive clothes, Sakura wished he would say something. He looked to be thinking deeply, staring straight into jade green eyes.

Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

"…. You want me," he murmured, expression not changing.

"Yes! I want you…" she sobbed softly, stepping closer. "I want you."

She yelped as he grabbed her roughly around the waist, stepped forward, pushed her against the door, and tried to release every single bit of hurt onto her body and lips.

-------------

…

…

Where's Ino?

Neji tapped idly at the swinging bird ornament Tenten had bought him for his birthday that year, trying to ignore his deadly headache. That pretty blond girl was meant to be here by now.

Neji closed his eyes wearily behind his designer sunnies. He'd gone to a party, yet woken up alone? Surely, surely he should have at least bagged something.

Urgh… Everything is a blur…

Well. Sucks to be him.

…

But seriously! He'd been waiting for this work for at least a week. Ino had had to take it home to try and dissect the atrocity that was Shikamaru Nara's handwriting, so it would all be in that neat, charming script that Neji loved to read. Seriously. He could look at that all day.

…

I'm bored.

…

She was taking too long. She was taking too long and his Soaps wouldn't start for another hour. She had a day off… he wasn't doing anything. Maybe they could watch 'I'll Love You Forever – Etcetera' together. And. You know. If they happened to get influenced by hardcore love affairs on their mutually favourite show, then he really couldn't be held responsible for his actions, right?

He sighed, stretching out across his desk. How come she wasn't fawning at his feet anyway? That's what usually happened with women all over the city. He usually just had to mention his name and they would bombard him with enthusiastic proposals of marriage.

Gold Diggers.

But Neji found he quite liked some of the good ol' GD's. They were willing to do a lot of… interesting things. Morally corrupt themselves, they couldn't complain if he flushed their pet fish and gave their diamond earrings to charity funds – even if sometimes it was towards his own company. Well. They couldn't if they wanted his money. Occasionally, there'd be one that'd keep him on his toes, someone who didn't blindly accept everything he said… and there was that one woman who's yappy little shaved rat – or Chihuahua. Whatever – didn't actually fit down the toilet. She was sort of cool…. Sometimes.

…

…

Screw this. He was going to look for her.

-----------

As Neji ambled distractedly towards the middle of the eleventh floor, where his best lawyers lived, he wondered why the hell the architect had designed his precious office building to be really long, instead of really tall. He had to walk so far, and his head hurt so much…. What was with this?

Why the fuck did he have to walk twenty kilometres to find someone who was meant to come to him?

Maybe I can get someone else to do it, the lazy side of him thought.

That defeats most of the purpose of coming here, his other side lectured. His headache quickly squashed the Voice of Reason.

God I hate that guy.

I know!

So what was I - woah!

Neji stared like a stunned mullet at one of his top lawyers molesting his secretary up against the wall. He stood and watched for a while – both of them were completely oblivious to his presence – and was suddenly grabbed from behind.

"Neji! My leader! My captain! Miss Haruno has ultimately chosen another male!"

Just. Fucking. Kill me!

"Not you again…."

Lee had tears streaming down his cheeks, and was wailing in Neji's ear, having completely engulfed him in a bone-crushing bear hug.

"You're breaking my head…."

Lee threw himself away from the high boss suddenly, racing like a demon towards the elevator at the other end of the floor. His legs were a blur he moved so fast. Still, Sasuke and Sakura continued their… session… against the wall.

Neji grimaced as Sakura's wrists were pinned above her head. The watch she was wearing cracked on the surface of the wall.

Oooookay…. Leaving you now…

Neji inched away from the two, reaching out a hand for the handle of Shikamaru's office. Surely, if Ino wasn't at her desk, then she'd be in there.

He opened the door –

…

…

And closed it again.

So why was everyone getting some but him? What was with this?

"Tenten! Tenteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!"

Neji Hyuuga stormed down the floor, screaming her name.

So why can't I be you?

The Cure is cool… Spiderman… -drools-

Um. ANYWAY. Let's stay on the heterosexual theme, shall we?

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed! I cant believe I have 115! –hugs everyone- You can have a slice of my birthday cake:D

I got 17 reviews for last chapter! Le gasp!

Anyway

Quote: Why on Earth would I want carrots when I feel like rolled oats? -outrage-