Three days since the living room
I realized it's all my fault but couldn't tell you
Yesterday, you'd forgiven me
But it'll still be two days till I say I'm sorry

Today hadn't started well. Though I had promised myself that I was going to be ready to let Sasuke come to me, I couldn't help thinking it wasn't fair that he got to choose when he wanted to see me. In fact, I deserved a hug.

I couldn't sleep at all last night because I kept playing our stupid conversation at lunch over and over in my head. The more I tried to remember exactly what Sasuke said, it really just turned into; 'Blah blah... boring... blah... I HATE YOU.' I rubbed my itchy eyes wearily. I hadn't spiked my hair today, so it flopped in my eyes a bit. I had to keep twitching and shaking my head to be able to see without brushing back my bangs like a girl. And no frikkin' way was I wearing hairclips.

Sasuke was waiting for me by my locker.

I didn't even know he knew where it was.

I was so overcome with joy I forgot just who I was dealing with. I ran up to him and hoisted him over my shoulder. And then I spun around. I couldn't help it. He just looked so adorable and I was so happy! It wasn't so cute when he screeched like a banshee, right in my ear. He was stiff as a board with his arms pinned woodenly to his sides and his cheeks pink. I hastily put him down and backed away so I wasn't in his range. Sasuke was like a ninja, and I didn't want another injury.

'So...good morning,' I had my hands where he could see 'em; covering my crotch in case he got bored of punching and decided to kick me.

'You won't see another morning if I kill you,' Sasuke growled, making sure I hadn't messed up his clothes.

I laughed nervously and scratched the back of my neck. Hah ha haaa... He's kidding, right? Looking into Sasuke's blue-black eyes, I wasn't so sure. 'What are you doing by my locker?' I asked curiously.

'You're my...boyfriend candidate,' Sasuke said in a small voice. 'Isn't this proper?' He glared at me from under his bangs, daring me to make fun of him. I kept my hands to myself.

'Yeah,' I grinned, a warm glow spreading inside my chest. 'This is nice, I mean, after yesterday and all with the ignoring me...'

Sasuke's lip curled in the start of a sneer.

'No, no!' I said hastily, 'In fact I wanted to say that I was sorry. I should respect your space. I was sitting at home, thinking about what you said and I realised, you were right.' Was that a ghost of a smile? 'But I couldn't tell you!'

Sasuke frowned. 'You just did, dobe.'

'No, I mean, I wanted to tell you that you were right, but I couldn't. Maybe if I had your phone number?' I gave him a winning smile, using to full advantage my deep blue eyes and sunny blond hair.

He snorted. 'Che, if that's all you wanted, you could have asked any one of the girls.' He took out a slick silver and black phone and waited patiently, giving me a tired look. Oh yeah... whoops. I rummaged in the bottom of my bag for a minute to reveal my own small brick of a phone. I looked at it sadly. His phone was cooler than mine.

'I'll send you a text...' I muttered, and pressed buttons rapidly. The box said 'hi' and I added a smiley face for good measure.

'Hn,' Sasuke said when his phone beeped. Since I was taller than him, I read the screen of his phone, as was my right.

'Oi, you just saved my number as "Dobe"!' I spluttered. And I thought we were getting along!

...I maybe also thought that he would save my name as 'Sexy Blonde Stud of a Boyfriend,' but his fingers must have got bored. Seriously, I couldn't stop thinking about that damn word!

'You are too nosy for your own good,' Sasuke snapped, 'Remember this; you're only a candidate. Who says I'll be keeping this number?'

It felt like he'd punched a hole through my chest. Fine, I could deal. I breathed my new mantra. Just wait until he's my boyfriend for keeps... maybe we'll laugh about this. 'What happens if I keep your number forever and ever, as my most precious possession- and preciously call you until your ears rot and you decide to end the pain by going out with me again?'

'I will end you.'

In short, I saved his number under the name 'Teme'.

Hold it now and watch the hood wink
As I make you stop think
You'll think you're looking at aqua man
I summon fish to the dish although I like the Chalet Swiss
I like the Sushi 'cause it's never touched a frying pan

I texted Sasuke half-way through the last period; I had almost forgiven him for this morning. It's not like I wanted to stay mad. And I wanted our short relationship to get to the ass-groping stage before I went insane and begged Sasuke to let me love him. Creepy thoughts aside:

Dobe: Oi, Teme. U free 2day?

I glanced at Iruka-sensei to check that he hadn't spotted me with my phone. I felt a thrill of excitement as my phone buzzed lightly, sending tingles up my leg.

Teme: Regrettably... yes.

Dobe: U wanna get ramen after school?

I pressed send and eagerly awaited his reply. First date, first date! Drawing little hearts on my book... When's he going to- yay!

Teme: No. I hate ramen.

A moment of silence, please.

Every time someone says they hate ramen, an orphaned puppy dies of cancer. I blinked at the screen and wiped a tear from my eye. Damn teme didn't know what he was doing...

Dobe: Sushi then?

Teme: Don't pick somewhere that'll give me food poisoning- And don't text me back, this is school, you know.

I snorted and slipped my phone back into my pocket.

Sasuke was hanging around my locker again, but I was almost scared to approach him.

'I thought we'd go to Yo Sushi, then someplace fun,' I said weakly. Sasuke jumped when he heard my voice and skittered to the side.

'Fine.'

He looked kind of miserable, so I offered to take his bag. Apparently this was also offensive, because he vehemently refused to let me carry his things and then sulked on the way to the bus stop hitting me with his dark, brooding glare if I dared to open my mouth.

When we got to the sushi bar, I snagged us seats at the conveyor belt. I tried to pull out a stool for him, but he smacked my hand away.

'Lighten up, this is a date,' I said softly, so that only he could hear. The place was quite crowded today. I shifted closer to him. 'Get anything you want, I'm paying.'

'Anything?' he smirked. I leaned back, relieved that he was going to at least give this a try. He opened the menu and started flicking through the pages.

I watched him for a while, puzzled. Was he serious? His finger hovered over the button and he looked at me oddly, quirking an eyebrow in a silent question. 'You can get what you want right off the belt,' I said incredulously. 'That's actually why we're sitting here.'

'Why would I do that, it'll take ages.' Sasuke stared at me like I was being stupider than usual. I admit, sometimes I am aware of how I come across.

'But... It's more fun this way.'

Sasuke's lip twitched and his dark eyes stunned me. 'Fun?' he said in a soft voice. What he was really saying was; 'Are you mad?'

I laughed nervously for the second time today. 'Sure it's fun. We could... make bets on who'll get their meal first.'

'Hn. Interesting.'

He looked at the menu a last time, and then put it down. I grinned, I knew what I wanted. 'If my meal comes first, I get to spend an extra day with you, even if you decide to break this off I still get a day.'

'Then if my meal comes first, I get to knock two days off of our week, but I agree to spend the next two days with you and will not break up with you no matter what crazy things you do...'

Oh, I hate him. He did count the first day as the day when I asked him out. Crap. Well, when was betting ever fun without a risk? I had a back-up plan. Annoy Sasuke with love until he died, accepted me and was mine forever, or went to live on the moon. No, scratch that. I would chase him that far and beyond. 'Deal.' I agreed, and we shook hands. Yay skin contact! His hand was slightly smaller than mine and cooler. I blinked happily.

'...And just so you don't cheat, I'll decide on the meals now.'

I rolled my eyes. 'You have trust issues,' I accused loudly, pointing at him. It caused a few people to turn around.

'So what if I do?' Sasuke said tersely.

Suddenly, he was making a lot more sense to me. His need for total and utter privacy –why he got so annoyed when I looked at his phone- and why he didn't want to give me his bag. Oh I've got you figured out, Sasuke.

'I win.' Sasuke announced, picking up the grey plate and plopping it onto the table. I gaped at him with a horrified look. In the space where he removed the plate, just one spot ahead was my food! If I'd been paying attention, I would have had another, glorious day with Sasuke. Maybe that would be more like a punishment now. He was easy on the eyes, but I felt just about ready to curl into a foetal position and bawl. Kiba was right; I am a baby.

'Maybe this is fun,' Sasuke chuckled throatily, sipping his iced tea. I died a little inside.

I also nearly had a fit when we were given the bill. Sasuke handed it to me with a cute little smile so that I knew immediately something was up. 'You had to choose ALL of the expensive ones? Half of them you didn't even finish!' I griped.

'You said anything,'

'Teme! The deals we made are off, I want my days back!'

'No, we shook on it,' Sasuke reminded me with an indulgent smile. He patted my shoulder awkwardly. 'Well, it was nice.'

'Hang on teme, I never said this date was over.'

Hot like Wasabe when I bust rhymes
Big like Leann Rimes
Because I'm all about value
Bert Kaempfert's got the mad hits
You try to match wits, you try to hold me but I bust through

Page break

End Note: Don't worry, Naruto isn't going down without a fight. I absolutely love the chorus of the song, and when the guy sings it I automatically think of Naruto. XD

'How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad? Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad...'