Taken
"So I wondered what would happen if instead of aiming to lose, I aimed to win."
/Sasuke-!/
"Sakura- YOU FUCKING CHEATER!"
I lean over the table, but Itachi holds his hand out of my reach. He glances down at my cards, grins, then tosses them back to me. "A bluff afterall."
/Sasuke?/
I huff, smack my hand on the table, and defiantly turn away from my brother. No need to be caught in his petty gimmicks.
"Sorry," I blandly apologize into the phone. "That was for my lying, cheating, sore loser of a brother."
He lowers his eyelids, one hand tapping his own cards on the table. "The point of the game is to cheat and lie, Sasuke. Though I don't recall ever losing."
"Oh shut up!"
There is a snicker from the phone. /Enjoying your time with Itachi?/ Sakura says. /That's good to hear./
"He flew in a few days ago," I grumble, leaning back in my chair. "Now I learn you're coming."
I await her explanation. A pause from her end of the line.
Then, /Yeah,/ she cheerily states. /A lot has happened in Munich, and I bet you're excelling at Yale. We should catch up./
"Shouldn't you head more south," I advice. "Someone else is more deserving of your visit."
A laugh. /Oh, don't worry, Naruto and I are more than caught up. He's complained that you weren't too responsive to his calls though./
"Tell him that I have life, and he does not compose ninety-nine percent of it."
/Noted./
"When will you arrive."
/Actually, I'm off to my flight in the morning. I'll see you Sunday night – your time./
I frown. "Tomorrow," I clarify.
/Your tomorrow, my today,/ she laughs.
"How long are you staying?" I question cautiously.
/Three days or so. Is that going to be problematic?/
I glance over to Itachi, who is shuffling the cards in preparation of next game, hands swift and elegant. Then at the disarray of food wrappers and empty bottles in the corner. A sinking weight hits my stomach in when I realize the day's already over halfway through, as well as Itachi's stay.
/Sasuke? I asked if that's going to be a problem./
"I'm busy the next few days," I finally tell her.
She does not take my words seriously. /Say something I don't know,/ she lightheartedly replies. /You can't accompany me every minute, I know, I can keep myself occupied. And besides, Itachi's there. I'm sure he'll entertain me if I get restless./
My eyes narrow at her suggestion. No more interruptions. These next three days are worth more to me than shiploads of gold, and something will die if even a second is taken away.
"I believe it is best," I say dryly, "if you came at a later time."
/I'm afraid now is the only time,/ is her insistent reply.
I clutch the phone tighter. She's always like this.
"Sakura," I grit. "You don't understand how short notice this is."
/I have tried to call you before,/ she sighs, her tone not accusatory, but far from repentant. /Sasuke, I'm not asking you to be accommodating. Honestly, I don't even expect you to go through the hassle of picking me up at the airport. I just ask you to sacrifice one dinner with me, if our friendship grants me that much./
I make no response.
/And Sasuke?/ she says sweetly, before her tone darkens. /You have no idea what kind of motherfucking HELL I went through to finalize these SHITHOLE deals and secure me this CRAPTASTIC break to see you – interrogated by CIA ASSHOLES, then those cockfaced TRIAD vanguards at gunpoint only at the BOTTOM of the list. And don't get me started with those senile, unreasonable stock-holding FUCKBAGS that have less brains than a plate of deep fried Canadian slugs-/
She inhales.
/So,/ she tells me calmly. /I'll see you tomorrow, prettyboy. Good day./
She hangs up.
I stare at my phone, my ears still ringing. Since when did Sakura... curse? She is insistent, but she also used to be considerate. Considerate enough to give me time and space. While not dropping a cluster of curses.
My mind goes back to the college dining halls; a peck, a warm smile, her back as she walked away. Naruto, one cheek on a propped fist, in his miserable whine, "You're such a lucky bastard, Sasuke. She always gives you special treatment."
"She's refilling coffee."
"She volunteered. Realize if I asked her for a glass of water, she'll tell me to get it myself, say I'm a lazy git, punch my face, or all of the above with a lecture on feminism chucked in. You're such a lucky bastard."
So I have officially fallen out of Sakura's favor, and yet she's determined to see me. That combination can only mean persuading her otherwise is useless.
"Everything went well?"
I glare at the cause of my misery. "Excuse me if calling my ex wasn't entertaining enough for you," I bite out sarcastically, slamming my phone back on the table, and returning to our game.
He places the deck in front of me. "Lose again and your next task is to return an endearing conversation to Mr. Uzumaki..."
"You can't be serious..."
"... one for every of his missed calls on your log."
I blanch. If I wasn't in the habit of deleting my call log often, that number can easily stack up to hundreds. A call a day keeps the demons at bay, or whatever saying he made up. And he stuck by it. It's almost impressive.
"Fine," I agree, feeling the sweat trail down my neck. "And if you lose, you stop your lousy girl scheming and remain in my sight for the remainder of your stay."
"You don't trust me."
"No," I deadpan. "Never before and never after I woke this morning. To the calls of five different chicks who somehow magically got my number last night."
"You presume you did not give them your number."
"I wasn't that drunk."
"Exchange of phone numbers is a modern practice done to indicate interest in pursuing further social activities with the other person. May be a precursor to dating," Itachi states. "Examine the situation. Is your subconscious is not trying to tell you something?"
A pause.
"Yes. That you should stop trying to play as my subconscious, and I'll murder you if you pull something like this again. Which reminds me, I have yet to murder you for setting me up with that girl last night."
He raises an eyebrow. "Which one?"
There was more than one? And is that a confession right there? I pinch the bridge my nose. "Forget it, I don't even remember her name."
Itachi says nothing, only stare at my cellphone in contemplation. "Hm, then how about we raise the stakes, Sasuke?"
I look up. "What, you want me to call those five girls back too?" I snort.
"No, you will do that without my telling you. Even if you're not interested, you will decline politely, not abruptly end the call after a 'no,'" Itachi tells me, and I wrinkle my nose.
"Tch, whatever." A small, indignant part of me still wants to lash out that it's his fault for giving strangers my number without my permission, but as of now, I suppress the urge. No memory, no evidence, no conviction.
Itachi's demand turns out to be much more unreasonable. "Instead, if you lose, you have to go on one date before the year is through. One wholehearted date with anyone you want."
I stand up, on the verge of rejecting his deal when he adds, "And if I lose, then I will do anything you want me to for the remainder of my visit."
And suddenly, I am stunned cold and drop back down in my seat.
"Those two wagers don't seem balanced," I test, shaking, trying hard to swallow down my excitement and keep a level head. "You don't have much to gain either way, but you'll be giving up a lot."
"On the contrary, I'm giving nothing and gaining everything," Itachi chuckles, closing his eyes. "So do you agree to the conditions?"
My brain is still scanning for loopholes, but my mouth has already acted on its own, "Yes," because blood is rushing in my veins, my heart is thundering, and this opportunity is too exploitable to not seize before it's gone.
There is a trace of a grin in his lips. "Then, what shall the game be this time, Sasuke?"
Not a game of strategy, not a game of deceit nor manipulation; I know well enough to never face Itachi against those. Nor will I risk everything on a game of luck.
But there is one game that we are on equal par in. One of skill. One that needs the keenest set of eyes to follow any shuffle or cut. One that requires the highest caliber of memory to identify and place all fifty two cards by the end of the first cycle. One that Itachi and I have played against each other since we were young children. One that I will win.
"I declare War – One Cut."