Disclaimer: I am not Kishimoto Masashi, thus, I am not the rightful owner of Naruto.

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A/N: This one-shot was originally posted in 2006 and rewritten on July 17, 2012 (Edited 12/2/12). The original can be found at my community livejournal. (Look at profile for details). While I do not consider this my best work, I can confidently say that this is a lot better than the original. Of course, readers may disagree with me.

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Tuesday

「butIdoLOVEyoU」

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Chapter 1

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By rewriting this one-shot, I have made this story a sequel to A Welcomed Return and a prequel to Married Uchihas.

After an exhausting day of work—better defined as listening to Naruto ramble about one thing or another—Sasuke thought that the least he deserved was a moment to enjoy a drink.

Alone.

Without the rest of Team 7 to pester him.

But, as all things turned out, Sasuke was never lucky where his teammates were concerned.

No. Not one bit, he thought darkly as he sulked and nursed the sake in his hands.

Just last night, he stumbled around blindly; trying to find one of his teammates to accompany him on a short escort mission, but none was around to be found.

Naruto—he later found out—had thrown a tantrum because the members of Team Guy, newly returned from a special training session in Kirigakure, hadn't invited him to tag along. Desperate to acquire information, he ran off in Rock Lee's direction and pestered the other man until the wee hours. Kakashi-sensei had a retrieval mission to complete and wasn't expected to return until earlier today. And Sakura, too angry to speak to him, had tucked herself away to sleep.

Too annoyed to bother looking for someone else, he'd gone off on his own; promising to haunt all of his teammates from the afterlife if something went awry. Fortunately for them, he'd gone and come back unscathed.

And if he didn't know any better, he'd have suspected that his teammates were conspiring against him, always disappearing in the middle of the night when he most needed them. Yet, when he wanted a moment of reprieve, they seemed to invade his space with a vengeance, always mopping and whining that he never spent time with him.

As if that's my fault!

Lifting the slightly cold cup to his lips, he finished what little remained of the dry sake. The subtle bitterness washed down his mouth, the smooth texture piling on top of the rage that simmered inside of him. He could practically feel the fire beneath the surface of his skin as he ignored Naruto who sat to his right; still gabbling about god-knows-what, and Kakashi-sensei to his left, who seemed content staring at the pretty redhead bartender.

Annoyed, he disregarded the occasional glances the bartender sent their way. Sasuke wasn't sure which of the three stooges she was making googly eyes at.

As far as he could tell, Naruto—too busy filing his ears with pointless chatter—seemed blind to the women's presence. While Kakashi-sensei's contentment seemed more like he'd fallen asleep with eyes wide open. Sasuke doubted that the frown adorning his face made him an eligible candidate for the sultry looks she cast in their direction. But then again, women had a peculiar taste in men. Instead of nice and gentle, they liked mean and gruff.

Or a man-whore with no sense of shame.

Sasuke ignored Sakura's pretty laughter. If he looked up to see Sai's arm draped around her shoulder once more, he wouldn't have any qualms about incinerating the dark haired man into a pile of dust. And that's after he broke the other man's nose. As it was, his constant whispering into Sakura's ears warned his mouth, the fire spell reverberating in his mind.

Reaching for the bottle of cold sake, he felt a jolt of electricity crawl up his skin where Sakura's fingers brushed against his knuckles. Sasuke frowned, the sensation unwelcomed and pulled his hand away from her. The bottle followed his movement and fell on its side. It made a loud clattering sound and everyone at the table turned to stare at it like a pink elephant in a tutu.

Empty. He thought, realizing that it should have shattered to pieces, so that with a jagged edge he could nail Sai's hands to the table.

"Ano ne," Naruto plowed ahead, deciding that nothing would keep his trap shut.

Sasuke turned to glare at his blond friend. "Can't you shut up?"

"What?" Naruto asked with horror struck eyes. "Haven't you been paying attention to me, teme?"

"No, and I believe no one else is. So put a lid in it already."

"What! I—," He fumbled around for words. "If you're going to sulk, why did you invite me out for drinks then?"

"I did not invite you." Sasuke glared at him again. "You followed me on your own and invited everyone else. If you can't keep your mouth shut, go home. I'm sure Hinata will listen to all of your nonsense."

"You're a mean bastard, teme! You know she's away on a mission with Shino and Kiba." He whined like a lonely baby.

"Then go home to your kid." Sasuke shot back as her turned away from looking at a fuming Naruto.

Sai laughed and it irritated his patience. "Oh. And you're not worried? Two lone wolves? One hot girl?"

Sasuke and Naruto turned to glare at Sai. "You prick!" Naruto began shouting. You're the only whore around here, Sasuke echoed in his mind. With eyes trained on the dark haired man across from him, Sasuke imagined sucker punching him. Not only was he insulting Hinata's fidelity, but he was putting to question Shino and Kiba's trust. Worst of all, he was flirting with Sakura right under his nose. If that didn't merit a kick to the balls, he didn't know what did.

Sai smirked, unaffected by the torrents of threats Naruto volleyed at him. Closing his eyes, Sasuke counted to ten. If he lunged across the table, there'd be no turning back from the torture he so willingly wanted to inflict on his teammate.

The original Team 7 consists of four members; it wouldn't make a difference if the fifth one was rolled down a cliff.

Sasuke ignored his inner desires. If he listened to the sinister voice and injured one of his teammates, the Council would cast him out of Konoha. That's if they didn't choose to prosecute him as a criminal. He was still under scrutiny for having turned a traitor. But worst of all, Sakura would never let him live it down. She had a way of making guilt lance through his being, down to his very toes, by simply frowning. When she slightly extended her lips in that infamous pout of hers, crossed her arms, and looked away in defiance, he knew it would take more than a few naughty whispers to make her smile at him again.

Opening his eyes, Sasuke stared at her across from him. He took special care to look at her through narrowed eyes. After all, she was the reason he wanted to sit here alone and sulk.

Yesterday, and in the span of a few hours things had gone downhill between the both of them. After seeing Sakura off to work, he'd spent most of the morning savoring the consequences of being a traitor. Because he wasn't allowed to partake in high ranking missions, unless he was accompanied by one of his teammates, he was accustomed to lounging at home for the better half of the week and enduring rigorous practice sessions with other shinobi when the time permitted. Usually, one of Tsunade's trusted messengers would deliver a D or C ranked missions for him to complete, like the one that was expected of him last evening.

Available man that he was, he often dropped by the clinic to pick up Sakura after work. On their way home, they would talk about her work. Sasuke would listen and help Sakura run a few errands. But yesterday, she snapped at him. Her anger was so random, that Sasuke wasn't sure if he'd done or said something wrong.

Unsure of what to do, he shadowed her around their home. In the bedroom, he watched her strip down and flings her clothes around the room, and if he wasn't mistaken she purposely pitched her panties in his direction. When done, she marched pass him, huffing and puffing as she mumbled under her breath and locked herself in the bathroom. He had no clue why she called him an insensitive jerk, and no matter how furiously he pounded on the bathroom door or how persistently he asked her what was wrong with her, she would not respond.

For the first time since his release from Konoha's detention center, Sakura was not speaking to him, and Sasuke was at a lost. He was still getting used to the day to day moments spent in her company. Walking her hand in hand to and from work—embarrassing as that still was—and laughing with her during their meals. Her warm body nestled against his when they slept, and her hands accidentally bumping into his when she wanted his attention, were all new gestures he made an effort of not turning away from. Each day, he was digesting a whole range of emotions he was not accustomed to vocalizing. And while they'd had their disagreements before, this was the first time she went an entire day without speaking to him.

How was he supposed to cope with her anger when he had no idea what set her off?

She was always so cheerful around him, that even if he managed to irritate her, she was back to smiling at him in no time.

Her cold gestures, he could not fathom. Not having her talk to him vexed his patience, and the fact that his patience was vexed angered him. His anger, however; wasn't defined until he came home this morning to find the bedroom door locked. He'd stewed in the living room until sunrise. When Sakura descended the stairs, looking well rested and very much at ease, she ignored his demands. Bustling around him, she prepared to go to work without sparing him a word.

Lost and without guidance, Sasuke spent the day analyzing Sakura's odd behavior. Because he couldn't make any sense of her change in attitude, he decided that he would have to apologize for an event he had little to no understanding of.

Not even when she was on her cycle did she get moody with him.

But his decision to apologize died in his heart when Naruto invited everyone to the bar.

Sakura had waltzed into the bar with Sai. Sasuke found that ever since, his anger was continuously tested. Without acknowledging his presence, she flirted with the other man, allowing him to continuously whisper things into her ears. Rational man that he was trying to be, he ignored them both, drowning his anxieties in sake as he hoped the alcohol would blur them from his line of vision.

No such luck, he grumbled in his head as he noticed Sakura look up at him and quickly look away.

Ignoring the raging need to pull her from out of Sai's clutches and neatly tuck her at his side—where she belonged!—he signaled to the bartender that the bottle of sake was empty. In a heartbeat, the redhead snatched another bottle of sake from the bar, identical to the one that lay uselessly on the table and briskly walked over. Smiling, she tucked the empty bottle into the front pocket of her apron, and looking at him purposefully she offered to pour him a drink.

Sasuke nodded, acknowledging her request. When she bent at the waist to pour him a drink, she did so with such precision that she flashed him her cleavage. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke stared up at the ceiling. He prayed that the lady's actions didn't incur Sakura's wrath. While it was perfectly fine for her to flirt with Sai, there was no room in his mind that she'd erupt into flames if he so much as glanced at the bartender in the wrong way.

Once his cup was filled, the redhead coyly tucked strands of hair behind her ear.

So it was me, after all, Sasuke thought dejectedly as he noticed that the she did not bother filling the other cups that waited idly for a refill.

Extending his left hand, he watched as the marriage band on his ring finger caught the light. The silver ring twinkled faintly under the dim lights of the bar. Looking up at the bartender, he watched as her eyes rounded. Pressing the bottle of sake against her chest, she looked at him, unable to believe her eyes.

He could practically hear her begging to ask, "But—why are you here—without your wife?"

Sasuke glanced at Sakura and sure enough, she was glaring at the bartender. When the bartender smiled shyly, Sakura extended her left hand, too. Frowning, the redhead looked from Sai to Sasuke. Back and forth she looked, probably trying to decipher why Sai's arm was draped around Sakura's shoulder.

Then, at last, she smirked. Casting Sasuke a knowing eye, she placed the sake on the table and moved away. An inviting sway to her hips as she walked to the bar and cast him a look over her shoulders.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sasuke closed his eyes and inhaled slowly.

No we are not in an open marriage that I allow her to see another man, he answered the bartender's speculative look. And no she is not cheating; simply testing my patience. Which, given the situation, was wearing pretty thin.

Sasuke felt Naruto's breath tickle the hairs on his neck.

Not bothering to move, Sasuke counted to ten. Sakura had once told him that instead of resorting to violence, it was best if he used his words. So instead of his knuckles and the palm of his hands, he thought about all those colorful words he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. While Naruto was not responsible for Sakura's cold behavior, he was at fault for inviting himself and everyone else to the bar when all he wanted was to be left alone. If he so much as squeaked a word, he was slamming his fist into the blonde's face.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked too close for comfort.

With eyes ablaze, Sasuke grit his molars and turned to glare at his best friend. He was ready to snap something out when Sakura's and Sai's laughter interrupted his volcanic seething. Looking at them, he caught sight of Sakura whispering something into Sai's ear. Sai laughed, and lifting his cup to his lips peered at the bartender.

Sakura, unconcerned with Sai's evaluation of the redhead, turned to look at him. With a mischievous twinkle in her eyes and a devious smirk upon her lips, she grabbed the bottle of sake, poured some into her empty cup and tossed the contents back. She did not grimace when the dry taste assaulted her taste buds. Instead, she arched an eyebrow, as if questioning the rage imprinted on his face, before she defiantly turned her face.

Sasuke bit fingernails into the palms of his hands. Looking down at himself he considered that they were all making a fool of him. The bartender, murmuring to the brunette beside her, probably schemed for an opportunity into his bed, seeing how he allowed his wife into the arms of another. Sakura, purposely trying to make him jealous …

Kakashi, privy to the scene unfolding before him, turned to his students. Placing the side of his face into his open palm, he stared at Sakura and Sai and then at Sasuke.

It was obvious the Uchihas were angry at one another. Sakura could barely stand Sai's flirtatious nature, yet today he was glued to her side. But it was all rather amusing. In the last hour, he watched how Sasuke—who barely said a word—glared daggers at his wife and the other man when they weren't looking, while Sakura purposely whispered in Sai's ear.

Amazed that Sai dare play a dangerous game with Uchiha Sasuke, Kakashi watched the silent exchange of threats as Sasuke glared down the other man. One would have thought that after the incident with Neji and Tenten, Sai—who ended up with a bloody nose—would learn to keep his distance when couples were bickering. But it seemed that where love was involved, Sai just had to play cupid.

"Sai, you really have no shame," Kakashi said at last. "Either you properly flirt with Sakura or you don't at all."

The dark haired man who was staring at the redhead turned to grin down at Sakura. He did not bother to look at the Uchiha who desperately tried to conceal the murderous intent from his eyes.

Pulled along by his sensei's words, Naruto looked at all of them. "By any chance," he stared at Sai's hand securely placed over Sakura's shoulder and then turned his attention to the stiff man beside him. "Are you two fighting?" He looked at Sakura for conformation, but she stubbornly locked her jaw, as if the action didn't confirm her response.

Whistling, Naruto sat back in his chair. "Wow, you're a really brave man Sai."

Kakashi laughed and turning to Naruto said, "I'm surprised he still has all of his fingers intact."

Naruto laughed too. "He survived Neji breaking his nose to die in Sasuke's hands. I thought he'd at least last another month. Until Ino and Shika started dating and she beat him black and blue for flirting with her man." Naruto and his former teacher laughed at the thought.

"A free round of sake that Sasuke will snap his neck in half before the night is over."

"No." Naruto shook his head. "Two rounds that he'll start with his pinky finger. Look how frivolously it keeps touching her exposed arm."

"Three that I'll make ramen out of all of you." Snatching up his cup, Sasuke drank the contents in one gulp.

"Even your wife?" Naruto asked. When Sasuke did not respond, he and Kakashi laughed loudly. Sakura, desperate to contain her laughter, poured herself another cup.

"I think he'll do both simultaneously. But, well, what does it matter. I won't be around for a free round." Laughing, Sai pressed Sakura a little closer to him. Naruto thought he heard the Uchiha growl.

"Alright Sai. Back away from Ms. Uchiha. I have a feeling Mr. Uchiha is going to start with the little man in your pants."

"He's right," Kakashi said, still laughing as he reached for the bottle of sake. "If you're going to die, at least do so with your manhood intact. If you reach heaven without it, you won't be in paradise."

Sasuke blinked. It was either the sake or the prospect of no paradise for Sai that made him want to laugh.

"Oh, I guess I'll worry about that in my afterlife. If I have to say, I believe I'm in heaven right now."

Sakura giggled and Sasuke slammed down his cup on the table.

It shattered upon impact.

There was an awkward silence all around as Sasuke stared at Sakura, his glare challenging her to permit Sai's hand to dangle at her side any longer. Defiantly, she crossed her arms over her chest. When Sasuke pushed forward, grabbed one of her arms and pulled her to meet him halfway, Sakura startled. He did not care that everyone stared at him strangely.

"Do not test me any further." He said for her to hear alone. His lips pressed against her ear as she leaned across the table, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her wrist as he held her still.

Unconcerned with this threat, she pulled her hand free from his grip and plopped back into her chair. Frowning at him, she crossed her arms over her chest once more. Not much after, Sai's hand circled around her shoulder.

Sasuke looked at her alone. "I will break something on his body. And you will be held accountable." Sasuke knew that Sai's flirting with Sakura was harmless, but that did not mean he had to like it. Either way he looked at it, Sakura was using Sai to make him jealous, and while Sasuke hated the thought of another man touching his women, he knew Sai wasn't the one he needed to be angry with.

Sakura shifted in her seat. She momentarily puffed out her cheeks before pushing Sai's arm from around her; she then turned to glare at Sasuke.

"Now, now," Naruto butted in. He nudged Kakashi, asking for some help.

Looking at his non-existing watch he said, "I think it's gotten quite late. What do you say we head home, kids?" He pointedly looked at Naruto and Sai.

"Why look at the time?!" It wasn't even nine-thirty. "I should hurry and pick up Hikaru from the Hyuuga household. I'm sure he's wondering why his dad's been gone so long." Downing the rest of his drink, he carefully placed the cup besides the shattered remains of Sasuke's cup.

"What do you mean it's late," Sai exclaimed. "It's not even ten yet, and things are starting to get good here."

"You're the only one having fun," Naruto mumbled under his breath.

Looking at his former student Kakashi said, "I've got an early morning and so do you." Because he was so immersed in his acting, he stretched his arms above his head in a display of tiredness.

"What? I don—," Sai caught sight of Naruto making a cut-throat sign with his thumb. "Well then," he said indignantly as he stood up, "I guess I'm being told to leave, in a very roundabout way." Apologetically Sakura mumbled a 'sorry' under her breath. Sai shrugged and looking at Sasuke he leaned down to kiss Sakura on the cheek. Amused, he watched as the other man's nose flared.

"Don't worry about it Sakura, it's not your fault we're being rushed out of here." Smiling at Sasuke he said, "Sasuke. I'll see you around."

The Uchiha glared at him, and because Naruto was pulling on his arms, Sai didn't have the chance to aggravate the man further. "Bye Sakura, see you teme." Naruto called over his shoulder as he dragged Sai away.

Kakashi patted Sasuke's shoulder. "I hope I won't find the two of you in pieces tomorrow." He looked at his female student, knowing that she was to blame for Sasuke's anger. "Sakura, ease up on Sasuke, will you?" When she glared at him, he laughed. It was in Sasuke's best interest to keep Sakura happy, so he knew he wasn't the troublemaker. Digging into his pockets, he pulled out some money to cover the bill.

"The broken cup is on you," he said as he walked passed Sakura.

Still glaring at her through narrowed eyes, Sasuke watched as Sakura fidgeted in her chair. When the silence was too brutal for her, she made to stand, but before she had the chance to move, Sasuke's knees pressed on either side of her legs. She opened her mouth to speak, but when Sasuke squeezed with his knees, all she could do was yelp.

"You're hurting me!" She hissed under her breath when he wouldn't ease his hold.

"That's the point," Sasuke said as he lightly tested the pressure of his knees against the side of her legs. He couldn't contain the raw anger from his voice or the feral look from his eyes as he stared at her. Angry as he was for being made a fool of, he couldn't find a scrap of composure left in his mind. Trying to reign in as much of his anger as he could, he stared at her for several long seconds. While he was aware that being upset at her was rather stupid, it didn't change the fact that he felt wronged.

Careful about hurting himself with the shattered glass, he rested his hand against the table, palm up. "Give me your hand." He said to Sakura as he leaned forward.

"What? No!" She responded as she firmly locked her fingers around her arms.

Sasuke squeezed with his knees and Sakura hissed in a breath.

"I said give me your hand."

"Then let go of me."

"Not before you give me your hand, Sakura."

"I said no."

Again he squeezed and again she sucked in a breath.

"You're going to leave bruises!"

"Then do as I say."

Sakura huffed and frowned at Sasuke. "Just what has gotten into you?"

"I don't know. You tell me why you've been ignoring me."

"Obviously, it's because I'm angry." Again she huffed, but this time she looked away.

"Well so am I, now hurry up and give me your hand."

"What do you mean 'so am I'? You have nothing to be angry about."

"No? Wouldn't the fact that you've been ignoring me since yesterday, upset me? And what about seeing you openly flirt with Sai, do you think I would be all smiles about it?"

"I didn't know you were here." She lied. Sasuke squeezed with his knees. Sakura hissed in another breath. Deciding that she had enough of his treatment, she tried to force her knees open, but she couldn't fight his strength.

"You are being really unfair," she said as she tried to push his legs away with her hands.

"I'm being unfair?" Abruptly, he stood and hauled her to her feet. He pulled her into his chest before she had the thought of running away. Sasuke was aware that the people around them were staring in their direction, but their curious gazes did little to stop his voice from rising.

"Just who has been ignoring me since last night?" She said nothing. "And even if you're upset with me, it does not mean you can flirt with that annoying leech."

"I wasn't flirting with him," she said in a huff. Pushing her hands into his chest, she tried fighting his hold.

"No?" Circling his hands around her hips he pulled her hard against him, to the point that there was little room for her hands to resist him. "Then why were his hands all over you?"

"They were not all over me!" The low growl she emitted challenged him to say otherwise.

Sasuke glared at her and a second later she contradicted herself. "And as you've said, his hands were over me. Not the other way around."

"Oh and how is that tidbit of clarification going to make me feel better?" Unconcerned with her growl, one of his hands trailed into her shirt and up her side. He dug his fingernails into her flesh, knowing that if not her words, her warmth always soothed him.

"It's not meant to make you feel better." Weaving her arms in-between them and pushing with all of her might, she managed to dislodge herself from Sasuke's hold. Breezing past him, she made it to the next table before Sasuke pulled her back against his chest.

"You're taxing my patience, Sakura," he said as he pushed her head against his shoulder, to better see her face when he peered down at her.

"We're in public," Sakura hissed low enough for him to hear. A fierce blush tinted her cheeks when she realized that half the room stared at the both of them.

"You didn't think of that when you decided to flirt with another man while your husband sat less than a foot away." He growled in her ear, unconcerned with the staring eyes.

"I doubt anyone would suspect there was something going on between Sai and I."

"I don't care what anyone thinks." Grabbing fast onto her hand, he tugged her behind him and headed for the door. At first, she planted her feet firmly on the floor, refusing to leave with him, but when more people paused to stare at them, she allowed him to pull her along.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do," he said over his shoulder as warm summer air slapped against his cool skin.

With the door behind them, Sakura dug the heels of her shoes into the ground. "I'm not going home with you." She told him, matter-of-factly, as if the news wouldn't incur his wrath.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sasuke inhaled slowly. He counted to three before he whirled around and glared at Sakura. "You're coming home with me." He said as he tugged her hand in his firm hold. "And tonight, you'll sleep beside me even if I have to gag you and tie you to the bed."

Stubbornly, Sakura moved ahead of him.

"I will throw you over my shoulder, Sakura." For the first time, he noticed she was dressed in a floral tiered skirt, cinched high over her navel to give the illusion that the glittery tank-top she wore was part of an overly short dress. Sasuke frowned, deciding that while she looked beautiful with her hair cascading down her back and the faint traces of makeup lighting her face, he didn't like the miles of exposed skin. "And just so you know, I'll give everyone a show."

With that devious smirk of hers imprinted on her face, Sakura glanced back at Sasuke. "Let's see about that." She snatched her hand from his, and before he had the chance to blink she cast the hand signs for a teleportation jutsu. Reaching for her, Sasuke was left with a puff of smoke. Overwhelmed, he was helpless against the howls of curses that escaped his lips and colored the still air.

A little ways from him, he heard someone snicker.

Sasuke could bet his very last cent that Sai was still around.

TBC