Hello everyone! So I know that I've been gone for a really long time, but my two year relationship just ended two days before my parents told me they were getting a divorce. For those reasons, I really have been unable to find inspiration to write for months. But, after realizing I couldn't just leave this story unfinished, I'm back. I hope that you'll forgive my absence and enjoy this chapter =)
Warning: You'll never look at Laser Tag the same way -snickers-
Disclaimer: I can't handle my own life, never mind own the Naruto series! -.-
Chapter 4- A Push in the Right Direction
"What on earth possessed you to do that?" Well, I should have seen this coming. Quietly I kept my head lowered, staring at my lap while a very confused girl stood in front of me. Just, not the girl I was expecting.
"Jesus Sakura, what's the big deal?" Ino asked, crossing her arms while leaning against one of the sinks. In truth, Ino was handling this way better than I thought she was going to. At first, her shocked face had made me think that she was going to deny me at my own birthday party. Then, with a few seconds to mull over the question, she agreed to my date. And here I thought I was going to have to beg her. I was extremely satisfied with my decision to ask Ino until a certain pink-haired girl nabbed me by the ear and dragged me into my current holding cell. Sakura had kidnapped myself and my blonde friend and locked us into the girl's bathroom. From the way she was glaring at me, I was half surprised that she wasn't tearing down the wallpaper. Then again, we were still in the banquet hall, so it wasn't our property. The only reason I wasn't making a desperate escape out the little window next to the sinks was because Kakashi would probably fail me if I destroyed his bathroom.
"Did you really have to drag me in here? A closet or even the patio would have been fine too. I feel all….feminine." I looked to the door, which had a chair propped underneath the handle to keep everyone out. Already two people had tried to come in, probably to use the bathroom for its actual purpose. Sakura had ignored their knocking until they got the hint and left. But it was only a matter of time until someone came and broke the damn door down. The true question was if I would still be alive by the time back up got here.
"You're lucky I'm not drowning you in the ocean. What would make you think that you two going on a date would even make an ounce of sense? You-" She pointed to Ino, who looked surprised to have hurricane Sakura attacking her first. "Why did you say yes? You have been desperately trying to get Shikamaru to take you seriously, and tonight was the night. But instead of getting a date out of someone with half a brain, you choose Naruto."
"Whoa, it is still my birthday you know!" I instantly shut up when blazing green eyes turned their destructive gaze toward me.
"Don't worry; I'll get to you next." She sure was scary. I trembled for a moment, thankful I was in a bathroom in case she made me piss myself.
"Shikamaru wasn't making a single move on me all night. I wore this gorgeous dress, got my hair and make-up perfect, and have been flirting with him since the limo ride. It's been hours, and the lazy boy refuses to even make mention of dinner or even a stay at home movie. From what I can tell, he's never going to make the first move unless I show him that other guys out there will. Naruto's hot, and he's way more outgoing than Shikamaru. What better person to go on a date with? If Shikamaru isn't man enough to step up, then I'll find someone who is." Ino's logic was sound, despite how frustrated Sakura looked. I knew deep down she was just trying to find Ino and I happiness, but why was she so against us going out? Ever since the two of us had gotten close, Sakura had always seemed to be on edge about our friendship. But she never spoke about it. Until now.
"You can't just use Naruto as a trial date."
"Why not? He's using me to prove he's not into men." I gaped at Ino's blunt statement, then blushed and stomped my foot.
"I am not!" Both girls looked at me, one with an arched eyebrow and the other with a scowl.
"Then why did you ask me? Let me remind you of the dismantled look after you and Sasuke's sudden appearance from the patio. Something happened, didn't it?" I pressed my hand to my mouth, glaring at my quirky friend. Ino sure didn't like to sugarcoat did she? I took a quick breath while my mind scrambled to think about my reasoning for asking Ino on a date.
"No. It's just like you said. You're cute and I need to start dating again if I plan to get a girlfriend before I turn fifty. Hinata is dating Kiba. I don't really know Tenten well enough to ask her out. And Sakura's out of the question since she likes tea."
"What does tea have to do with anything?" Sakura asked, making me sneer instantly.
"I hate tea."
"Sasuke drinks tea."
"Shut up, Ino." She giggled while Sakura groaned, rubbing her temple with a pair of fingers.
"What is this really about, Naruto? Did something happen with Sasuke? And don't try to lie to me; I'm not in the mood." I wanted to know why she was so angry about the situation, but I knew she wasn't going to tell me. When Sakura got mad, it was quick and normally she was more embarrassed than pissed. But this was different. I could see that my asking Ino out had somehow set off true emotion in Sakura. Probably because she knew I wasn't looking for a real relationship with Ino. The guilt that I had felt last night grew when realizing all she ever did was try to make my life better. And here I was, lying to her and causing her unneeded frustration. The least I could do was tell the truth about something.
"The bastard thought it was okay to kiss me," I mumbled, crossing my arms. I leaned back against the wall of the bathroom, keeping my embarrassed gaze on my now bare feet. What was I thinking not putting my shoes on? The bathroom floor had god knows what on it, and here I was without a single layer of protection. This was not the way I envisioned my birthday.
"Sasuke actually kissed you?" …Okay that response had much less surprise than I thought it would. I looked up to see Ino sighing and rubbing the bridge of her nose, as if I had told her I'd ran over her cell phone…again. Finally she looked up at me with a questioning tint in her seemingly kind eyes. "And?"
"And what?" I snapped, now noticing Sakura was unusually quiet. The smaller, more vindictive part of myself mentally cheered at that. Ha, stick that in your tea and drink it!
"Did you kiss him back?" Ino asked, dragging me away from my less than noble thoughts. I went to deny the outlandish statement only to realize that yes, I really had kissed him back. A lot too. I coughed awkwardly while thinking of a way to explain without sounding like I was enjoying the mini make-out moment.
"It was uh…well…I mean, we were kind of fighting in the kiss. And I couldn't exactly just beat the shit out of him; my parents would have killed me. It was just a friend's kiss!"
"A friend's kiss?" Sakura asked, throwing off the face of deep thought and replacing it with confusion.
"Yeah!" I winced at how quickly Ino started to laugh, the overreacting girl having to hold onto the sink to keep herself from keeling over. This was too embarrassing even for me to handle.
"Okay, so this…"friend's kiss"…did you like it?" I hated how Ino put quotations in the air like that, especially after such an awkward question. Why the heck would I like Sasuke kissing me? I mean, sure, he was pretty skilled with his mouth. And the way he grabbed at my lower back made me shiver in a way I knew wasn't normal. Plus the fact that it was Sasuke, the only guy I could ever think of actually kissing, made it half decent. Then there was his tongue tha—
Whoa. Why the heck did I remember so many details about this? And not one of them disgusted me or made me feel uncomfortable. In fact, I felt more awkward standing in the girl's room than I did when he kissed me. Was that normal? It didn't take a genius to figure out that no, fantasizing about the kiss you just had with your best friend is indeed not normal. But how the hell could I tell Sakura and Ino that? They'd think I was crazy! So after the long pause, I shook my head and stared away from them to look out the window.
"It was really gross and I don't want to talk about it!"
"So then you're not trying to use me to get over the smooch with Uchiha?"
"No, now stop saying it like that!" I snapped, not enjoying my obvious blush. Jesus, didn't this girl have a shred of compassion? I looked over to Sakura, who still didn't seem to be okay with the discussion we were having.
"I just don't know about you two…"
"So then just join us." Ino sounded like her suggestion was the most common solution.
"How can Sakura join us on a date? Isn't that kind of a pair thing?" Then again, how would I know? The last time I went on a date was a year ago. Ino's smile brightened at some ingenious plan she had thought of. I was almost scared to know.
"It's called double dating. Just have Sasuke come with us and it'll be fine!"
"No way!" I blinked at my sudden outburst, quickly trying to think of a logical reason why I wouldn't want the two of them to date. From the suspicious look on Ino's face, I could already tell she was making her own theories in her head. "I mean…no way that Sasuke would come out on a date with Sakura. He's the biggest anti-dater ever. I don't think the guy has ever even had a girlfriend before."
"That's why Sakura's perfect for this. Sakura is the only girl that Sasuke seems to even like talking to. We both know they hang out all the time together, so really it won't be any different than that." Yeah, except the fact it was completely different. I wanted to say that, but I knew I was already acting like a maniac. And really, why would I care who Sasuke dated? I should be happy for him, right? I looked to Sakura, realizing that she was a very good match for him. She was brilliant and beautiful, with enough niceness to ice his evil heart. Wasn't that what I should want for him?
"I guess you're right. The bastard better not be annoying or else I'm kicking his ass and taking you both out myself!" At my threat they both laughed, and the tension from earlier disappeared. After agreeing to the double date, Sakura unhinged the door and left us to go find Sasuke. Ino and I went in search of my shoes, spending the rest of the night dancing like there was no tomorrow. I tried to forget about Sasuke in every way possible, which was a little easier when I realized he wasn't even at the party anymore. I asked Sakura about it when we returned to the limo, and she said that he had left with Kakashi after her explanation of the double date. I couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. Was Sasuke trying to avoid me after the kiss? Or maybe it was the fact that I was going on a date with Ino. Did he think that Ino and I actually had something going on? I smiled at the thought of Sasuke being jealous, but easily wiped it away when realizing that I had the same feelings about him and Sakura. Knowing they were going on a date didn't exactly sit well with me either.
When I got back to my house, it was already past midnight. My birthday was officially over. I threw my keys on the table and made my way up the stairs quietly, trying not to wake my parents. They had left the party early, saying that they were too old to be out past ten. Once I shut my bedroom door, I took off everything but my undershirt and boxers before flopping backwards onto my bed. Closing my eyes, I smiled when thinking of how amazing my friends were. Even their presents were fantastic. Kiba had bought me new cleats, and the Hyuuga cousins had a watch handcrafted with my name on it. Ino got me the Greenday CD I had been dying to buy, and Sakura got me a gift certificate to my favorite ramen store. There were tons more presents, and I barely could fit them into the back of my car. In fact, the only one that didn't give me a present was…
"Damnit." I threw my arm over my eyes, my hand clenched into a fist at the thought of Sasuke. Just what was it about him that made my stomach flip-flop so much? It wasn't like I was a teenage girl. Despite this knowledge, my heartbeat raced as my thoughts drifted toward the highlight of my night. Nothing compared to the kiss that he and I had shared. I tried to think about it with another person, like Ino or Sakura. Despite their obvious beauty, the image didn't have the same effect on me. Sasuke was just different in my eyes. Maybe he always had been. What did that really mean though? There was no real way I could have a crush on him, right? Besides the fact he was a guy (which was a pretty big thing to ignore) he was my best friend. I knew that trying to have any sort of romantic relationship with a best friend could completely destroy the friendship. If I really did develop feelings for Sasuke, would I ever be able to act on them knowing it put our friendship on the line?
I turned over onto my side, grabbing my phone to text Sasuke. If I wanted some answers, he was the person I had to talk to. But before I could look for his name, his face popped up onto my phone. I nearly dropped the phone in paranoid shock, but retained possession of it when realizing he was calling me. Crap. Texting Sasuke was fine because it gave me time to process what I was going to say. But being on the phone meant he would hear any hesitation or embarrassment in my tone.
Feeling unreasonably overwhelmed, I ignored his call and slammed the phone on the nightstand. It went silent for a moment, and then started again with a ringtone made specifically for Sasuke. I knew he wasn't going to take my hint. Ten minutes later, when the phone started to ring for the twelfth time, I could only guess how annoyed Sasuke was with me. If I kept letting the phone go to voicemail, I could pretend I was sleeping. But I did ignore the first call he sent me. Damnit. Sasuke was too smart to try and say that it was some sort of phone malfunction. With my inner voice screaming at me to run away, I slowly picked up phone to answer my best friend's call.
"Hello?" I tried to feign a sleepy voice despite my earlier reasoning. Maybe he wouldn't call me out on it.
"You're pretending to sleep after you ignored my phone call?" Or maybe he'd get right to the point. I nervously laughed, scratching the side of my head.
"I don't suppose you'd fall for me saying it was an accident, huh?" He snorted loud enough to wake up my entire house.
"Every year that goes by, another part of your brain is lost."
"Is this what you called me for? I'm kind of surprised you'd waste your precious time on something you could do tomorrow," I said. He fell silent, and I wondered if he was trying to figure out what to say next. Normally I was the one who was at loss of words with him. Sasuke seemed to always have confidence in whatever his mouth had planned to say. This was one of the few times I'd heard him falter.
"Sakura has informed me of a double date we're supposed to attend." I tensed at the topic, though I couldn't figure out why.
"Yeah, Ino dragged you into it because of Sakura. I told them you wouldn't want to go but Ino insisted."
"I wouldn't do something I had no interest in, I assure you of that."
"But…but you said yes to her." Another pause on the phone between us made me bite my lip. Just what the hell was he implying? "Did you hear me?"
"How could I not? You're not exactly quiet."
"So then why didn't you answer?"
"Because it was a brainless statement. I know I said yes to her, hence why I'm going. The real question should be why there is a date happening to begin with." I blinked once, surprised at how annoyed Sasuke sounded. Did it actually bother him that I was going on a date with someone? My stomach bubbled with a sense of pride, but I had to be sure.
"Probably because I asked Ino to go on a date with me."
"Why?"
"Well she wasn't going to ask me."
"Don't play the fool in the one moment you aren't," He snapped, which helped prove just how irritated he was with the date. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I flipped over onto my stomach. Teasing Sasuke like this was kind of fun. I was so used to his stoic mannerisms, that having a splash of irritation from him was refreshing.
"Ino's a pretty chill girl. Why wouldn't I ask her on a date? It's not like either one of us is really dating someone. And because of me, you got a date with Sakura." Unintentionally, my voice thinned out toward Sakura's name. If he heard it he didn't comment.
"Ino is a bimbo. She lacks any discipline and wastes her time flirting with boys instead of focusing on aspects in life that truly matter."
"Well that's a little harsh. Yeah Ino is social, but she's still on honor role. Who cares if she's not a know-it-all? I've got you and Shikamaru for that stuff."
"Another factor that annoys me about her. She states clear interest in Shikamaru, and yet allows you to take her out on a date."
"Because a date does not mean marriage. First Sakura and now you. God, if one date means marriage, then I don't want to know what our kiss would—" I slammed my mouth shut instantly, knowing that the damage was already done. Even though he wasn't there, I could feel myself getting embarrassed when visualizing the arched eyebrow he would have sent me. I knew there was a reason for why I didn't want to answer this phone call. He had a way to talk about everything I didn't want to bring up, whether intentional or not.
"Is Ino who you want?" I closed my eyes at the question he asked, thinking back to the kiss we had shared hours earlier. Even without him in the room, my skin tingled with the excitement of his kiss. We were electrifying together, no matter what I wanted to admit. Feeling suddenly "uncomfortable" laying on my stomach, I rolled over to stare up at the ceiling.
"What does my wants got to do with you?" I asked quietly, trying to pretend that the images from the beach weren't wreaking havoc on my brain. I was almost embarrassed when I realized that my body was easily responding to the memory. How the hell did one kiss get me aroused? What was I, fifteen with my first wet dream? Annoyed with my own body, I tried to ignore it.
"Everything." My body twitched at the angered tone in his voice. Silence fell over the phone, and I prayed he couldn't hear the change in my breathing. I was trying to think of something to say, but I was worried. Sasuke always hinted at things, but never fully explained what he meant. What if I made the wrong assumption? I couldn't see him, which meant I was blind to any physical or facial clues. If I jumped to the wrong conclusion, it would destroyed our friendship. Sasuke was my most important person; I didn't want to lose him over something that may have all been a huge mistake. And I didn't want to talk about this over the phone anymore. If we were going to seriously explore the unknown territory, it should have been in person. I certainly wasn't ready to play Lewis and Clark with Sasuke via phone. Instead, I cleared my throat and switched to a much more comfortable topic.
"You…you never gave me a birthday present."
"You're an adult now; do you think presents are required?"
"What do you mean?! Everyone else got me one!"
"Am I supposed to be swayed by what our peers do?" I groaned in frustration, but was slightly glad the normal Sasuke was back. Maybe now I could get rid of my unreasonable "problem". Pressing the heel of my hand into my arousal, I focused on the conversation at hand.
"I'm your best friend! That's got to get me something." Something more than a lip-lock, anyways. Why I kept going back to that memory I wasn't sure, but it kept popping to the front of my mind.
"You're whining-"
"I am not!"
"-Without knowing if I actually got you something." I stopped, then eagerly responded.
"What did you get me?!"
"I'm not telling you, idiot. You can wait until you open it." Well when was that going to be? Next Christmas? If there was one thing I wasn't, it was patient. Without thinking of the consequences, I opened my mouth.
"Give me it tonight then!"
"Do you realize how late it is?" I looked to the clock, knowing full well it was already past one. Shit, it really was late. But deep down, a part of me wanted to see him. I couldn't tell why, but seeing Sasuke became more important than sleep.
"Who cares? My parents love you and I can't wait. Besides, it's your fault for leaving my birthday party early. You owe me the drive over here."
"Hn." I smiled at the annoyed grunt, knowing it wouldn't be long until he caved. Seriously, who could resist the Uzumaki charm for long?
"If you sleep over, I bet my mom will make you pancakes in the morninggggg!" I sang the last part, trying to make the deal sound more tempting. My mother had always had a soft spot for Sasuke, and treated him like her own whenever he slept over. Actually, probably better than me since she never bothered to make breakfast unless he was here. I should probably talk to her about that.
"Stop exploiting your mother for your own personal gain. She doesn't have to make me anything."
"Does that mean you're on your way?" As if on cue, I heard Sasuke's car starting in the background. That jerk was probably getting ready to leave as soon as I told him to come over. Despite my slight irritation, I felt myself smile. Sasuke was dragged into a lot of stupid situations because of me, and yet he never left my side. He was a best friend by every definition, no matter what Kakashi tried to imply. In fact, between the two of us, I probably owed him way more favors. Still, he never asked of anything from me.
"I'm driving down your street now; be waiting at the door." Even though he couldn't see me, I saluted the phone and rolled off my bed. I shivered at how cold the floor was on my feet, trying to stay quiet while I crept down the hallway. Both of my parents were deep sleepers, but being a little courteous never hurt anyone.
"Yes sir," I whispered, shutting the phone when I finally reached the door. I went to slip the device in my pocket, only to remember that I had taken off my pants earlier. Knowing that Sasuke was going to be there in a matter of seconds, I didn't bother trying to go back upstairs. Besides, I could always throw something on after he got there. Unlocking the door, I quietly peered out and winced when headlights blinded me from my driveway. I heard the quiet chirp of the car alarm before the headlights shut off. It took a few moments of blinking to restore the limited eyesight I had in the darkness of night. Still, I could make out the slender figure walking silently toward my door. He had ditched the dressy clothes and wore a pair of black sleep-pants and a grey hoodie. Though it was rare to ever see Sasuke in scrub clothes, he still looked better than most guys in tuxes. I guess attitude did make the outfit after all.
"Can you stare at me when I'm inside of the house?" I scoffed at his overconfident tone, but opened the door enough for him to sneak in. A blur of baby blue caught my eye, and I grinned when seeing a neatly wrapped present tucked underneath his arm. So the bastard did get me something in advance.
"I was looking at my present." And it also gave me a nice alibi for why I was staring a bit too long at my best friend. I shut the door quietly before turning back to him, holding back a shout when I saw him already ascending my stairs. Did he not remember he was a guest? Moving after him quickly, neither one of us made a sound before we ventured into the safety of my room. Once my door was shut, I turned to him and scowled. "You happy now?"
"I'll be content after you put some clothes on." I looked down at myself, scratching the slightly bared skin between my tank top and boxers.
"What the hell do these count as?"
"Undergarments." He said it with such an air of aristocracy that I had to ignore his order.
"It's what I sleep in, so deal with it." At my response he barely scrunched his nose and looked up at me with irritation.
"You've slept with pants on before in my presence."
"You seriously need to get over your fear of skin. It's not like I'm walking around naked here. And I've got news for you, buddy. If you plan on ever getting laid, you're going to have to be naked." My bluntness had never been a side of me that Sasuke enjoyed. I could see how easily I was getting under his skin by the way his glare increased.
"Because sex would be the first thing on every male's mind when visiting their friend in the middle of the night."
"That's how it happened with me. She called me up in the middle of the night, and we boned just like every American teenage couple."
"And look how that train wreck turned out." Well, he did have a point there. Unwillingly I glanced over his body, silently wondering if Sasuke had ever even thought of having sex before. Sure, he knew my sex life probably better than the people I had explored with. It wasn't much, but I had way more experience than him. Or, I thought at least. My head tilted to the side when I contemplated a side of Sasuke I had never given much thought to until this week.
"Would it be so bad?" I asked, crawling into the middle of the bed. I crossed my legs to give him room to sit. My body faced his while he kept his feet on the floor and stared at the wall in front of him.
"What?"
"You know…you having sex with someone." He scoffed, but didn't turn to face me. I squirmed a bit, uncomfortable with our position. I felt like I was talking to a wall with an ugly haircut.
"Who says I haven't?" My mind blanked at the question, and I nervously laughed to cover up my loss of words.
"You would have told me if you got laid! That's what a best friend is for." When he didn't respond to my comment, I grabbed his shoulder and shook it slightly. "Come on Sasuke, don't be an asshole."
"Hn."
"Hey…you didn't really sleep with someone, right?" Sasuke's nonchalant nature was seriously starting to piss me off. Why the hell wouldn't he tell me if he'd had sex? I mean, I knew he was a conservative guy who liked his privacy, but this was completely different! All of the guys in our group, whether quiet or loud as a blow horn, had dished some information about their trip around the bases. Kiba had basically written it in the skyline for me when he hit a home-run his freshman year. Being on the soccer team did have its perks with the girls in our school. Neji may have still been a virgin, but he had spent some time at third base with a few girls. Lee was still in the batter's box of sex, forever searching for the true love of his life. Even Shikamaru had hit a double during his summer in Spain last year. Ino had avoided him for three months after it. With Sasuke, we just assumed he wasn't planning on getting off the bench for a while.
In fact, the only one who didn't say much about their sex life was me. Though they knew I had been around the bases, nobody but Sasuke knew the true story behind it. The reason? I was still kind of embarrassed to admit I didn't enjoy sex nearly as much as the others did. They made it sound like the best thing since sliced bread. Every one of them had details that made the other guys snicker or nod in appreciation. But to me? Sex was bland, boring, and I never could open up to them about it. The girl who I had sex with moved away the year after, and I hadn't spoken to her since. Sasuke never bothered to ask her name. He also didn't seem surprised with my admission of lack of enthusiasm for sex. But thinking back to the way Sasuke's kiss felt…maybe he was more experienced than I thought? I glared at his back before shoving him hard off of my bed. He barely caught himself from falling, and sharply turned around to face my angered stare.
"I assume you had a reason for that." By now I had crawled over to the side of the bed, swinging my legs down and firmly planting my feet on the ground. If I needed to swing at him I wanted to have the proper footing before doing it.
"Have you had sex with someone or not?!"
"Why are you so concerned? It's not important-"
"Everything that involves you is important to me, especially if it's you having sex with someone else!" I knew I was being unreasonable, but I would worry about that in the morning. For now, my single goal was figuring out just who it was Sasuke slept with. Or was still sleeping with. No I didn't want to think about it in present tense. The little voice I had ignored so many times the past two weeks pointed out the unexplainable feelings throbbing in my chest as I stared up at the bastard in front of me. If he was feeling anything from my outburst he didn't show it. Slowly he walked toward me, disregarding any personal space when pushing his legs in-between my knees. My bed creaked when his hands dropped down onto it, encaging me in a sea of Sasuke. I refused to break eye-contact, knowing full well that my face was turning red. This was not the time to let myself get embarrassed!
"What does my sex life have to do with you?" His words were quiet, but I felt like they echoed in the room. Instantly it brought me back to the conversation we had on the phone. Or rather, the same question I asked him a half hour ago. And in truth, what right did I have to his private life? Sasuke was allowed his privacy, right? Even though it hurt me to think he would hide something so meaningful, it was his right. If I was the best friend I claimed to be, I would respect some of his boundaries. Though it felt like a knife piercing my heart, I looked away from him and spoke.
"Nothing," I mumbled. There was a pause before I felt the slight brush of fingertips along my jaw line. As soon as I felt it, the touch was gone and Sasuke was moving away from me. I didn't move until something was placed in my lap. I looked down at the present, amazed I had forgotten about it to begin with. This was the whole reason I asked him to come over, right? That's what I was telling myself at least.
"Don't get too excited." His dry tone made me roll my eyes, but I still refused to look at him. Instead, I gently tore at the paper and watched as the present revealed itself to me. The box was black, with a silver writing on the edge. It was in a different language, which only increased my suspicion of its price. He certainly had no problem when it came to spending money. I propped open the box, lifting the cover and blinking at what I saw. On what must have been real platinum silver rested a slender blue crystal. The cut left nothing to be envious of. I hesitated to touch it, mentally scolding myself for acting so astonished over a necklace. Especially one Sasuke gave me. Still, I couldn't stop myself from smiling when realizing how much thought Sasuke put into every present he gave me.
"You really have to show how wealthy you are, huh?" I mumbled, turning the crystal between my fingers. It gleamed in the dim light of my room, as if to prove it could match up to my bright personality.
"You don't have to accept it if you feel it's a contest." I shook my head at his suggestion, slipping the necklace over my head. The metal was cold on my skin, but fit perfectly around my neck. Right down to the measurements, the necklace was perfect. I looked back up at him, unsure of how to thank him after everything that transpired these past few weeks. He didn't bother to wait for my response, looking around the room for something. "Where am I sleeping tonight?"
"Oh, yeah. Uh…let me grab the inflatable mattress." I stumbled off the bed, moving over to my closet to yank the flimsy piece of plastic out. It took a few minutes, but I soon figured out how to work the bed and had it inflated within minutes. Sasuke stayed silent during my ordeal, staring out my window. Awkwardly I walked over to him, hesitantly placing my hand onto his shoulder. "It's done, if you want to sleep."
"Hn." He shrugged the touch off, a slightly colder side of Sasuke coming out. My hand fisted as it dropped to my side, mirroring the feeling of my clenched teeth. This guy was worst than a girl PMSing. I threw a pillow at the back of his head while crawling into my bed, knowing I was going to get nothing but attitude from him now.
"Goodnight bastard. Get ready for pancakes in the morning!" He scoffed at my excitement, but said nothing else while I shut off the lights. Exhaustion from everything that happened that day took over, and I found it easier than I thought to find sleep.
"Where the hell are you taking us?" I grinned in the rear view mirror at Sakura's annoyed face, enjoying keeping the intelligent girl out of the loop.
"Relax Sakura; it's not like he's going to kill us. Naruto asked me on the date, so it's only fair that he be the one to decide where we all go. If you didn't want to come, you didn't have to." Ino, who always seemed to have my back, was relaxed in the passenger seat of my car. She looked out the window as we passed by a huge lake me and Sasuke used to swim in during the summer.
"Naruto Uzumaki is the best date planner you're ever going to meet. The dinner place I picked out kicked ass, right?" I didn't need to hear confirmation to know the entire group (yes, even Sasuke) had enjoyed the restaurant I took them too. It was a modern place, where you choose from a line of assorted meats and side dishes and watched the chefs cook them on a huge round grill. You could make burgers and stir-fry; pastas and rice platters! It was interactive and fun, while still being able to satisfy the tongue. Did I mention it was a buffet as well? The girls had fallen in love with the entire idea of the place. Even Sasuke couldn't stay in the foul mood he had been in at the beginning of the date. A paradise in its own being. I was drooling just thinking about going back again.
"It really was really cheap too! How did you find that place anyways?" Ino asked. I stopped at a red light before glancing over to her and grinning.
"My parents took me there a couple months back. I ate so much the first time that my mom was scared they were going to bill us for two people." Ino laughed at my statement, placing her hand on my thigh.
"Well, maybe next time we do this we should go for their buffet breakfast." I nodded at her flirty wink, smirking.
"I have a policy I only eat breakfast with people who sleep over the night before. Sleepwear is optional." It was all harmless teasing, which both Ino and I knew. We had been doing it the entire night to keep any awkward silence from happening. Sakura normally would cause a fuss when we did it, sending the girls into a tiny fight. Though all of the action would be with Sakura and Ino, I couldn't help my gaze occasionally slipping over to Sasuke. He tried to remain stoic, but I knew that it bothered him by the way his hands tensed on his silverware. It left a warm feeling in my chest that I didn't try to understand.
"Good, I hate bringing an overnight bag."
"If you two are done, the light has turned green." The sharp tone in Sasuke's voice indicated that the conversation that just happened had struck a particular nerve in him. I looked back to the road and drove, rolling my eyes.
"Alright already; keep your panties on. Besides, our destination's right here." I turned into the huge parking lot, driving toward the tall building that hid the main part of our date. Though the building looked scary, I knew the place was extremely safe. I had been here more times than I could count with Kiba and Shikamaru, knowing the entire staff by name.
"This is where we're going on our date?" Sakura's displeasure was obvious as I parked the car, turning it off before looking back at her.
"Don't judge a book by its cover. Didn't you get that shit thrown at you as a kid?"
"This looks like the perfect place to kill someone." Obvious Sasuke didn't. I glared over at the bastard, my eye twitching at his smirk.
"I should have forbid Sakura to take you with us. Even Neji would be more bearable."
"Neji would have knocked you out long ago." Probably true. I heard the girls leave the car, most likely bored with our fighting already. Scowling at Sasuke, I leaned closer to his pale face to try and catch his gaze.
"What's your problem today? I plan out this awesome date and you're making it seem like I'm forcing you to sit through a love movie or go ballroom dancing. You should be thanking me!" Sasuke casually looked away, despite knowing I wanted eye contact. This guy was seriously trying to piss me off.
"I should thank you for dragging me into your stupid idea of fun?"
"Nobody said you had to go! All you had to do was say no to Sakura and that would have been the end of it."
"And if I had, would it have made you happy?" My eyebrows furrowed at his odd question. What the hell was this guy's problem?
"Shouldn't you be more worried about your date than me?" I saw a hint of a smirk on his face as he turned back to face me. I misjudged our proximity, and my breath caught when his nose barely brushed mine.
"I could ask you the same thing." I opened my mouth to argue, but slowly shut it when I realized he was right. Despite the fact that Ino was having a blast, I kept fighting with Sasuke about how he felt. It started with the music we listened to on the car ride, then what food he was trying first at dinner. I argued throughout the line with him about enjoying the experience, and yet again in the car ride. This whole night was supposed to be about forgetting any weird feelings I had for Sasuke at my party, and yet I couldn't stop talking to him. Or even looking at him for that matter!
"Why are you here?" I asked weakly, my eyes fighting to stay open. Really it was hard to do when feeling his warm breath against my lips.
"Do I bother you?" If I hadn't been listening so closely, I would have missed the teasing in his normally monotone voice. It was really…arousing. Feeling myself blush at the realization of what I just thought, I jerked my head back and swore when I hit it into the rear view mirror. He gave me a smug look that had me growl and quickly exit the car. Both girls looked up at me in confusion as I grabbed Ino's hand, yanking her toward the building.
"Wa-Wait a minute!" She was looking back at Sakura and Sasuke, but I had no intention of waiting for them. Not when distance from Sasuke was exactly what I needed. Ino had to almost jog to keep up with the pace I was using. "Naruto I said stop!"
"I can't stop!" I shouted, looking back at her. At the widening of her eyes, I realized my blush still hadn't gone away. I cursed and looked forwards again, only stopping when Ino finally planted her feet in the middle of the deserted hallway.
"Did something just happen with you and Sasuke?" Why was she always so god damn blunt? I fell back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling to try and avoid eye contact. I felt her lean next to me, her head gently resting on the side of my shoulder. "You know you can tell me. It's just you and me here."
"That bastard's got me all confused ever since the stupid superlative thing." Feeling embarrassed, I threw my free arm over my eyes to hide the rising of my blush. "One second he's the normal, stoic bastard. The next, he's kissing me senseless at my birthday party. He says one thing, and does another. We're best friends on Monday, enemies Tuesday, and who knows what Wednesday. As soon as I think I've got a bearing on what he's thinking, he pulls a 180 and sends me flying on my ass. I just don't get this whole thing!"
"Have you asked him?" Did she know who she was talking about? I banged my head back against the wall and groaned.
"Even if I tried, he'd avoid the question."
"Well, that's probably true. Sasuke doesn't seem to like conversation much."
"Don't have to tell me twice," I muttered, getting annoyed all over again. I blinked when I felt Ino's hand squeeze mine, making me remember we were still conjoined. I looked over to her as she smiled, keeping her head on my shoulder.
"Sasuke's a real handful, but so are you. I think that's why people kind of always just thought of you two as a couple. You're both always running around, getting involved in every activity known to the student population. And yet somehow, you two fit the other one into your life. Like it's natural. If I had to deal with your craziness every day, I'd lose my mind. But Sasuke handles it without breaking a sweat. It's always just been that easy for you two. This is a new experience for you two, but I think you guys will handle it just fine."
"You…sure have a lot of faith in us." More faith than I did, that was for sure. She shrugged her shoulders in a way that almost reminded me of Shikamaru.
"You two just need a push in the right direction, I suppose." I wanted to ask her what she meant, but I caught sight of pink hair entering the hallway. Looking up at Sakura and Sasuke, I gave a short wave and smiled.
"Hey! You finally caught up—OW!" I whined when Sakura slammed her purse onto my head.
"What the hell were you thinking?! Sasuke and I have never been here before; we had no clue where we were going. Next time you do something stupid like that, I'll kill you!" Sakura was seething as I hid behind Ino, who only laughed and started to pull me through the rest of the hallway.
"Let's just try to enjoy the rest of the night, okay? I think I actually know where we are." There was a turn at the end of the hallway, my fear easily being replaced by my excitement as we finally reached our destination. Though I knew Sakura was still mad, it was pushed to the side when her eyes lit up at the brightly colored space in front of us.
"It's an arcade," She whispered, seeming surprised by the amount of people.
"That's not the best part. Normally you just hang out here while you wait to do that." I pointed to a sign in the corner that was lit up with black-lights. "Have you ever played Laser tag, Sakura?"
"Naruto, you're amazing!" I laughed when Ino jumped on me, seeming just as pumped as I was to play. Really, I should be a date planner for a living. The four of us walked toward the register, easily getting signed up for the next game. Since there was already a game in progress, we decided to spend some of our time in the arcade area. Sakura and Ino were instantly drawn to the DDR game, while I challenged Sasuke to an air hockey battle. He scoffed at my enthusiasm but agreed to 'appease the idiot'. Occasionally our hands would brush when reaching for the puck, and I could feel myself quickly pull away from the warm sensation. He never brought it up, but I knew he noticed. After Sasuke cheated his way to a win (there was no way he'd actually beat me!), Ino dragged me to the rock climbing wall for a race. I laughed when she got stuck at the top, too afraid to propel down on her own. Playing the hero I knew I had been in a past life, I hoisted the girl to my side and made my way down easily. Her arms tightened on my neck when I took an extra long jump to the floor, which made teasing her so much sweeter. It was only when I got out of the harness that I noticed Sasuke's dark gaze focused on us. It momentarily froze me, but Ino brought me back by shaking my arm.
"Our laser tag round just got called." I nodded and let her pull me toward Sakura, Sasuke quietly following behind us.
"I'll try to go easy on you guys," I said cockily, easily strapping myself into the vest. From the look of the room, there were at least ten other people playing. Ino looked over to me as she helped Sakura adjust the waist of the vest, laughing.
"Well what if I said I thought I could beat you?"
"I'd bet you that I'd win of course!" Ino seemed to mull over my statement before taking a step closer to me, holding her hand out.
"Then let's make a bet." I saw Sasuke's head lift at her suggestion, finding interest in Ino's words for the first time all night.
"Sure! I love a challenge."
"If I win, you will pay for me and Sakura's ticket for the Student Council's ice cream social next Friday." I had almost forgotten about that! It was one of the bigger events of the year, since it was hosted by the student council. I had to go anyways since I was a part of the council, so I easily shook her hand, nodding.
"That's fine, since I'm not going to lose. What do I get if I win?" Ino smiled cheerfully at me, her hand squeezing mine as she spoke.
"If you beat me, I'll let you kiss me." …Huh? My mouth dropped open at Ino's suggestion. Was she seriously suggesting we kiss? Instinctively I looked to Sasuke, who was staring at Ino silently. There was no reaction on his face like I had expected. Didn't he get what she was saying? I looked back to Ino slowly, hesitating before I smiled.
"Alright, I'll take your bet. Just try not to faint afterwards." She rolled her eyes at my confidence, dropping our hands before she shoved me toward the opening door. "H-Hey! What are you doing?"
"Just giving you a little push. You'll thank me later." She said it casually, despite the mischievous look in her eyes. What was that all about? I frowned as Ino grabbed Sakura's hand, dragging her into the darkened room. I chased after them quickly, not sure what game Ino was playing. Didn't she just tell me an hour ago she could never handle being with me like that? So why the hell did she want to kiss me? Girls were just as confusing as Sasukes!
The round was intense, and I found myself forgetting about everything but the need to win the game. It really wasn't for the prize Ino gave me so much as for bragging rights. Adding to the fact that I would redeem myself from my previous air hockey loss fueled me to run through the course like a soldier at war. People's vest were lighting up as I passed, signaling that this game was mine to win. Sniping out two guys in a corner, I rolled on the floor and crawled through a tunnel on the ground. Mission impossible ran through my head, and I held the gun near my face as I slinked around a corner. Without warning fog billowed in my face, leaving me momentarily blind. Damn, that stuff burned my eyes. I closed them to try and erase the feeling and passed into another part of the course I knew most people wouldn't know of. Kiba and I had discovered it on accident one time, Shikamaru later explaining it was one of the few spots created by the designer for seasonal players to seek out. It was our secret resting place when we needed to regroup. With the newbies I was playing with, there was no way they'd find me here. I dropped the gun to my side as I tried rubbing my eyes. I would seriously have to talk with one of the employees about the bad positioning of that fog.
I opened my eyes quickly when I felt hands pinning my wrists to the wall behind me. I didn't have much time to look before lips were pressed onto mine, a hard body forcing mine to press back against the wall. I instantly knew the taste of this mouth, which made me struggle against the hold on my wrists. Just what the hell was he thinking?! My eyes closed tightly when his thigh brushed in-between my own, making me moan into his mouth. The kiss intensified at my noise, as well as the motion of his thigh. By now my hands were desperate to break free, but not for the same reason as before. As if reading my mind, Sasuke let go of my hands in order to shove his hands under my shirt. When the vest got in his way, I felt a weak growl against my mouth before his fingers hastily undid it. My hands now grasped his face, pulling him deeper into the kiss while grinding into his leg. Whether it was the atmosphere of the smoke and darkness of the room, or just the fact that Sasuke had snapped, I wasn't going to let my brain catch up long enough to question the pleasurable feeling he was invoking in me.
I heard the vest drop to the ground two seconds before his mouth locked onto my neck. I cried out in surprise, not able to see a damn thing he was doing. Fingers slid up my stomach, and I felt the air leave my lungs when his tongue swept a hot line of saliva over my pulse. My hands clutched his shoulders, unsure if I should push him off or pull him closer. Everything was just happening really fast. My body was stiff at his touches, my arousal clearly hard against his evil thigh. I wasn't sure how far Sasuke was planning on taking this before I felt a yank of my pants, easily loosening them up enough for him to slip his slender fingers around my cock. I bit my lip hard to stop myself from shouting, which shocked me. How did this feel so good? When I masturbated, I could always get myself off. I figured it was because I knew my body and it was natural to be good at something you know so well. When I had tried to have anyone else get me worked up, I had felt…okay. It was pleasant, but nothing to curl my toes about.
But now, I had to bit my knuckles to keep from moaning too loudly. Sasuke had only been stroking me with his hands and I felt myself coming apart at the seams. His mouth was like fire when he forced it back to my own, kissing me expertly. I expected nothing less from . Our tongues were locked in battle, even as my hips rolled into his teasing fingers. I groaned when his thumb swiped along my tip, sending me dangerously close to the edge. Really, it was embarrassing how quickly he got me worked up. My breathing was heavy in his mouth, my entire body trembling at ever flick of his wrists. Was this what the guys talked about? The pleasure was addicting, and I gasped when my orgasm started to coil in the pit of my stomach. I just needed one more push…
His hand stilled instantly, making me slam my head back against the wall and curse. My entire body shuttered at the loss of the feeling, my heavy panting filling the air. My hips jerked up slightly, brushing against the palm of his hand and making me kiss. I hadn't been this hard in my life. Even when I actually had sex, my body wasn't this wound up. How was Sasuke able to get this type of reaction from me with just one hand? Gritting my teeth to endure the sexual pain, I looked over to Sasuke in anger.
"W-what the f-fuck?" I said, not really sure what I was questioning. The rational part wanted to know why his hand was in my pants in the middle of a public area. The sexual part wanted to know why he wasn't going to let me cum. Neither answer was given as he stared down at me, his fingers barely twitching against my oversensitive flesh. I shut my eyes and moaned, my hips trying to get his hand to move on me again. This was just torture. When the fingers started rocking against me again, my entire body jolted forward. I felt like my knees were going to buckle when he stopped soon after, his thumb barely swiping over the head of my cock. Being burned alive sounded better than where I was right now. I stared up at the ceiling, not noticing the movement of Sasuke's body as I barely whimpered. "G-God, please…"
A hot mouth around the tip of my arousal was all I needed to go flying over the edge. My head again met the wall behind me as my hips thrust into Sasuke's mouth, my entire body tensing. I couldn't believe how amazing it felt, but I never wanted it to end. My body was in pure heaven, even as my head screamed for me to fall back into reality. Yup, I was hooked. I slowly slid down the wall, my hands cradling the head between my legs. My chest was in pain from how heavy I was breathing. Sasuke slowly pulled back from me, staying silent even as he wiped the reminisce of my cum from his lower lip. The image alone made my body jerk again, though I was pretty sure I couldn't move at the moment. I wondered why he had let me finish in his mouth, only to realize a handjob was messy. I couldn't remember the amount of time I had to change my sheets after an extremely good session. Sasuke, even in moments like this, kept his cool. Effortlessly he sat up straight, adjusting the vest I had been pulling at earlier.
"Warning; Two minutes left." The computerized voice over the intercom was loud in my ears, but I didn't react as I continued to stare at Sasuke. He didn't seem like he was going to try to explain his actions, or ever speak for that matter. Yanking my pants back up my waist, I slapped the vest back on and tried to look as I had before I went into the game. But how does a guy do that when his male best friend just willingly gave him a handjob?
"What was that?" I finally asked. Sasuke's gaze didn't waver as he moved forward, pressing his forehead to mine.
"The next time you think about betting to kiss someone other than me, make sure I'm not around." Within a second he was on his feet, walking back into the fray of laser tag. My entire face was flushed as I placed my hand over my heart, trying to stop the rapid beating. And not the good type of heart racing, either. The 'holy shit Sasuke Uchiha wants to kill me' kind. Sasuke had never sounded that mad in our entire friendship. The fire that had been in his eyes had almost been painful to look at. Had my bet with Ino really pissed him off? Jealousy was fine; I didn't have a problem with teasing the guy every now and then. Any time him and Sakura hung out, I felt jealous. But I never wanted to actually hurt him.
I winced when the lights came on, signaling that the game was over. Checking to make sure I hadn't forgotten to zip my pants, I slowly made my way out of the course to meet up with the other three. Ino and Sakura were waiting for the scores to show up on the screen while Sasuke leaned against the wall. Not sure if I should approach him, I hesitantly walked over to the girls. The instant I stepped next to Ino, the scores popped up.
"Oh my god! I beat you!" Ino shouted, jumping up and down as Sakura laughed. I looked up at well, seeing that Ino had only beaten me by three points. If I had stayed in the game any longer…
I looked over to Sasuke, who seemed indifferent about the results. Even though I wasn't going to kiss Ino, he knew it had almost happened. There was still that option that it could happen again, if I let it. Balling my hands into fists, I walked away from the girls and didn't notice the small smile that came to Ino's face. Convincing myself it had to be done, I took my stand in front of Sasuke. He barely glanced over at me, but then fully brought his attention my way when seeing the fierce blush on my face.
"If it means that much to you, I'll never bet that again. I don't…really want to kiss anyone else anyways. So don't stay mad at me for long, bastard." It was hard to keep eye contact with such an embarrassing subject. Especially since it was Sasuke I was talking to. He stayed silent at my admission, and after nearly a minute I was about ready to punch him. Finally, Sasuke smirked in a way that made me see red. "Wh-What are you making tha-that face for?!"
"Naruto, Sasuke! Come take a picture with us!" Sakura shouted from across the room. I looked back at her, sending her a wave to know I heard her. When I felt a warm breath near my ear, I shivered and instantly dropped my raised hand.
"We should do that again sometime." It was all he said before he walked away, leaving me speechless.
From the tone of his voice, he was definitely not talking about Laser Tag.
AH! I can't believe I finally finished this! You don't know how hard it was to keep my mind on track. -.- So anyways, was it worth the wait? Wasn't Ino amazing? What will happen now with Sasuke and Naruto's sexual relationship? What problems will the ice cream social bring? And how else can I sneak the mischievous Kakashi into this plot? So many more ways, I'm sure. Find out next time!