So Close
A/N – Hey, everyone! This is my second fanfiction and I'm still working on the first, I Will Always Be Waiting. If you haven't seen it check it out! I've been out for a while with a broken arm due to a motocross accident but I'm sort of back in action! Hope you enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto
Chapter One
-X-
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OUR BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOM OF TEAM GAI!"
Tenten stood in the doorway, her slender body leaning against the doorframe. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest, there was a tilt to her shoulders that one could presume was an act of irritation and her expression was weary but filled with impatience and annoyance.
The two men who were standing in front of her were none other than her two childish, youth-obsessed teammates. They both flashed her blinding grins and their arms were filled with brightly wrapped parcels, fresh flowers and balloons. It was her worst nightmare come true.
When she didn't reply automatically, Lee spoke in a voice too bright and cheery for so early in the morning, "Hello, our youthful Tenten! We are here to wish you a happy nineteenth birthday!"
With every word, Lee's expression seemed to grow brighter with excitement.
Tenten just stared at the two men with a ludicrous expression. Her birthday was the one day of the year that she dreaded. It was too cheery and loud for her liking; filled with useless presents (mainly) and annoying friends who forced you to waste precious time and do something completely pointless. It wasn't really anything worth celebrating about. She was one year older, so what?
A cool breeze ruffled her hair and ripped a shiver from her spine. Tenten looked down at her attire to realise that she wasn't wearing anything but an oversized T-shirt and black bike shorts plus her hair was out, tumbling over her shoulders in, long, brown cascades.
"Tenten?" Gai beamed in anticipation.
"Who," She began slowly, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth. "On earth, wants be to woken up at FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON THEIR BIRTHDAY?!"
Gai's booming laugh filled the street as he patted Tenten on the back reassuringly. She swiped his hand away and grumbled.
"Awww! Don't be like that, Tenten!" He pouted. "We had to be the first ones to wish you a happy birthday or otherwise we promised we would run 500 laps around the Leaf Village if we failed!"
"Is everything a challenge to you guys?" Tenten groaned, smacking her forehead with her hand.
Gai then cleared his throat like he was about to make an announcement and began promptly speaking, "Well you see, dear Tenten, we –"
"It was rhetorical!" Tenten shouted, frantically waving her arms in a desperate attempt to shut him up.
If she had to listen to one of Gai's lectures on why it is so important to treat everything like a challenge or why the power of youth solves everything or what a girls blossoming of youth was, Tenten probably would've stuck a kunai up both their behinds and kicked them to the moon and back.
"May we come in?" Lee asked politely. He seemed to be straining slightly under all the packages he was carrying.
Tenten merely sighed and swung the door open to let them in.
"Sure, I guess."
Gai and Lee decided to dump everything in the living room before rearranging everything into neat piles on a coffee table before flopping onto a couch behind it.
"Well, I'm going to go upstairs and get changed into something a little more comfortable. Stay here and don't touch anything." Tenten announced cautiously before bounding up the stairs two at a time.
She quickly threw on a casual shirt and a thin sweater to protect her from the cold, some long pants and plain shoes before rushing to the mirror to brush her teeth and tie her hair up into the usual two buns she wore on either side of her head. Some old habits never die.
As Tenten came rushing back downstairs, she found that nothing was damaged, thankfully, and that the two men hadn't moved from their positions. Instead they were chatting rather animatedly to one another, using their hands a lot as they talked.
"Ah, Tenten, you're back!" Gai greeted her, rising from the sofa with Lee following suit. "Oh!"
His expression then morphed into disappointment when she stopped in front of him.
"What?" Tenten asked narrowing her eyes at his sudden change in expression.
She looked down at her clothes. They seemed appropriate enough. Maybe there was something on her face.
"Your hair." Gai told her vaguely.
Tenten frowned brushing the brown bangs out of her face.
"What about it?"
"It's tied up." Gai observed sadly. "It looks much better down."
Tenten just rolled her eyes dismissively at Gai's would-be-compliment and sat on a couch opposite them.
"So, am I allowed to open these?" She asked prodding one of the packages which was wrapped in shiny, forest-green wrapping paper.
Lee shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he answered, "Well…actually, we just came by to drop it all off. Ino was planning a party for you later on this evening and she wanted all the presents to be opened then."
At that point, Tenten's face grew extremely red and Lee and Gai backed up slightly waiting for the explosion.
"'Ino did WHAT?!" Tenten hissed venomously causing the two men to flinch. "Oh, that girl is so dead the next time I see her!"
"Ah, I think we might take our leave now…uh…we've got some training to do." Gai declared nervously, standing up to leave.
"Uh…yes!" Lee quickly agreed as they shuffled towards the door none to conspicuously. "Hope you have a youthful birthday and…err…we will see you later this afternoon. Bye!
With that, they both swiftly left the house, closing the door behind them.
Tenten threw up her hands in frustration and fell back into the couch which groaned under her weight. As much as she loved the blonde haired girl, there were times where she could really get on Tenten's nerves.
Knowing Ino, who was a party girl and a perfectionist to say the least – worst combination ever – she probably went over the top and hired the most expensive venue, invited thousands of guests (mostly people she didn't know) and expected her to have a good time.
Tenten's idea of a good birthday party was to just go out to dinner with a few select friends and just hang out. No presents or loud music. Just them having a good time.
At that moment, the blonde girl herself entered through the front door rather dramatically and called, "Where's the birthday girl?!"
When she spotted Tenten sitting on the couch she absolutely beamed and ran over to give the brunette a bear hug.
"Oh, happy nineteenth birthday you gorgeous girl!" Ino shouted excitedly, ruffling Tenten's hair roughly.
"Ino…can't…breathe!" Tenten managed to gasp from under Ino's strangling grip.
The blonde girl laughed lightly as she finally released the brunette to sit next to her. She took up half the sofa by draping her slender legs across the couch and propping herself up with one arm so her hand tussled her long, golden hair.
"So, I see Lee and Gai have already been here." Ino stated as she stared at the parcels and flowers and balloons that took up all the space on the small coffee table. "I passed them by on my way here. They seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere or something. But then again those two are just plain weird."
"Yeah, they left straight after Lee told me that you had organised a party for me this afternoon!" Tenten said accusingly towards Ino who didn't seem to care. Instead her eyes lit up until they looked like shimmering crystals.
"Oh, yes, the party!" She squealed grabbing Tenten's arm and shaking it excitedly. "You're going to absolutely love it! I hired a training hall as the venue and it's huge! There are decorators there right now fixing it up for this afternoon as we speak! I also ordered all the food from that new restaurant that's in town, Masa I think it's called and everyone's going to be there! I asked them all to bring you gifts of course, I me –"
"Ino!" Tenten cut across her firmly halting the babbling girl in her tracks. She took a deep breath before proceeding to say, "I mean it's really sweet that you've done all this for me and I can tell you're really excited about it all but I think you should've asked me if I actually wanted this first."
Tenten gazing imploringly into Ino's shining, blue orbs hoping she would understand what she was trying to say but to no avail. Ino just waved her off dismissively and said, "It's called a surprise party for a reason, Tennie. One: you're not supposed to know about it; although Lee already spoiled it, two: we're not supposed to ask you permission to throw it for you; that just defeats the entire purpose and three: you're not supposed to complain about it! Those are the three golden rules about throwing a surprise party!"
"But –" Tenten began to protest but Ino placed a hand over her mouth and shook her head.
"No 'buts'!" She ordered strictly, removing her hand from Tenten's mouth. "You're coming and if you try to avoid it I will hunt you down and drag you there with my teeth if I have to."
"That seems a bit extreme."
"Extreme situations call for extreme measures." Ino shrugged casually.
"But," Tenten bit her lip elusively, trying to put up road blocks into not going. "I don't have anything to wear."
Ino rolled her eyes at Tenten's obvious evasiveness.
"No problem! We've got all day to shop. Assuming you have nothing planned for today."
She then glared at Tenten in a: you-better-not-have-anything-else-planned-for-today-or-else sort of way.
Tenten laughed nervously as she scratched the back of her head.
"Yeah, I think I have training with Neji today."
That was true enough. Though he didn't specifically say that they had training today, all Tenten could presume was that they had training in the morning just like any other day.
Once again, Ino dismissed Tenten's excuse as evasiveness.
"He can spare you for the day I think. Besides, it's your birthday! Who trains on their birthday?"
"Neji, obviously." Tenten rolled her eyes in response. "He's not going to be very happy if I don't show up."
"Neji isn't, exactly, a happy person in general, Tenten." Ino responded, a slight smirk gracing her glossy lips. "It's not like he can dictate your life, you know."
No, but you do, Tenten was tempted to say but bit her tongue to keep herself from saying it.
"Fine, but if he gets mad you're the one confronting him." Tenten warned throwing in a bargaining chip.
"No sweat." Ino nodded. "I'm great at confrontations."
"Lying is more like it."
"That too."
"You can't lie to Neji. He'll see right through them."
Ino snorted. "Your lies maybe but me, I am a professional. No one can bust me out on a lie."
"Trust me, he will." Tenten smiled confidently at all the memories she had when she tried to lie or make up an excuse for not being at training and Neji would see right through them.
"Speaking of Neji," Ino's expression suddenly became sly and curious. "How are you…ah…going with him?"
Tenten blinked, confused.
"What?"
"You know what I mean." Ino nudged her slightly in the ribs but Tenten was just plain confused.
"I don't know what you're –"
"Seriously, Tenten?" Ino sighed in exasperation. "You. Neji. Together."
"Oh!" Tenten blushed slightly red in understanding. "We're not like that. He doesn't–I don't –"
"Oh please, Tenten!" Ino waved her hand in the air. "I know a romantic couple when I see one."
"Romantic couple?"
"Of course! I am a love expert after all." Ino said tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder.
"Well then you must be a pretty crap one if you think there's something going between me and Neji then." Tenten snorted in reply.
"It's not just me, everyone thinks so."
Tenten nearly choked.
"Everyone? Who's everyone?"
"The usual: Sakura, Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, Kiba." Ino merely shrugged as she counted each name off on her fingers.
"Yeah, I definitely see how that is everyone."
"You're so blind, Tennie. Can't you see the chemistry?"
Tenten just stared at Ino as if she had just dropped from outer space.
"Uh…no, because there is no chemistry there to see." She replied.
"Well it is a bit early at the moment and young, inexperienced lovers can never tell when –"
"Can you please stop talking about me and Neji like we're some sort of…thing?!" Tenten interrupted hastily before Ino started to ramble on. In some way she was almost worse than Lee and Gai.
"Whatever you say, Tennie, whatever you say." But Tenten could still see the smirk that was plastered on the blondes face. "You shall see in time."
"See what in –?"
"Ok, time to shop! Let's go!"
"Ino, it's been hours can we go?" Tenten pleaded as the blonde haired girl scanned through the racks of clothes in front of them.
"Are you crazy?" Ino asked, not taking her eyes of the rack as she responded. "We haven't found you a single thing yet because you have been stubborn and haven't chosen anything I've picked out for you!"
"Well…maybe I just don't like the clothes that you pick out!" Tenten countered hotly.
She really wanted to leave. Her feet were killing her, plus, it was almost lunch time and the only things so far Ino had picked out to for her to wear were short skirts that rode up her ass every time she took a step forward and extremely revealing dresses that showed way too much cleavage. Tenten wanted to look casual and sweet, not slutty.
"Fine! What about you pick out something then." Ino replied gesturing towards the mounds of clothes that were strewn in front of them.
Tenten took a hesitant step forward to what looked like laundry on a good day and bit her lip.
"Um...what about…this one!" She pulled a dress from one of the racks and handed it to Ino.
Ino held up the dress to the light, sceptically, and raised an eyebrow. It was stark white simplicity; tightening itself around mid-calf with long, crystal-embedded straps that linked around behind the back, showing a decent amount of cleavage at the front.
"That is – try it on." She ordered as she bustled Tenten to the closest change room.
As Tenten tried to work out which was the front of the dress from the back, Ino's voice came from behind the door, "Here, tries these on."
A pair of white stilettoes appeared from under the door and Tenten slid them on and strapped them around her ankles.
"Ok, how does I look?" Tenten exited the dressing room to find Ino sitting cross-legged on one of the waiting chairs, staring into space.
The blonde instantly gasped when she saw Tenten and covered her mouth with her hands, eyes shining.
"It's perfect!" She squealed jumping up from her seat and running over to the brunette. "Take a look in the mirror!"
Tenten did her best to turn around in the shoes she was wearing to see her reflection staring right back at her with wide eyes. The dress hugged her curves beautifully and showed off her toned legs and arms. It seemed to contrast with her porcelain skin perfectly and it wasn't to revealing unlike the other clothes Ino had suggested before.
With the shoes, she was probably only a few inches taller than the blonde but much more uncomfortable. She was satisfied.
"Now all we need to do is add some makeup and jewellery, tidy up that hair and you'll be ready to go!" Ino was absolutely beside herself in anticipation and excitement. "Oh, Neji is going to flip when he sees you!"
That whipped Tenten around in a hurry.
"What?!"
"Uh…nothing!" Ino laughed nervously before beckoning the weapons mistress to get changed and pay for everything.
"Well, I'll say we were pretty successful today!" Ino breathed once they were out of the shop and back into the crowded streets. "I can't wait for tonight!"
Tenten sighed in weariness. Ino had far too much energy for her own good.
"Yes, well yippee for you." She glanced down at the watch on her wrist. "Holy crap! It's almost one thirty. Can we please get something to eat? I'm famished."
"Oh, alright." Ino sighed as if it was a complete waste of her time. "You need to get out and shop more. Boosts your metabolism."
"I think I'm fine." Tenten replied, relieved that she could finally get some food in her stomach. "Besides, training does that anyway."
Ino threw her hands up in an I-give-up sort of way.
"What it up with you and training? I swear, Neji is really rubbing off on you."
Tenten blushed. Had Neji really been rubbing off on her? As dark and handsome as he was, Neji was still very fixated and determined on becoming stronger now that he was a high level Jounin. Every morning for the past eight years, they would both meet at the training grounds reasonably early and train from dawn till dusk, only breaking for lunch before resuming their training regime.
It had been going on for so long now Tenten thought of it as more of a tradition than anything else. Some might've thought it would have become boring doing the same thing over and over again for eight years but not Tenten. Everyday had something special, something different other from the previous day; a new technique, a new place, a new emotion. And it was because she got to spend all of these different and special events with a very special person in her life that it never got tedious.
And this special person was the last person she would have ever thought to befriend. Neji was the complete opposite of what she was. He was rich, cold and impossibly gorgeous belonging to a prestigious family. He was admired and adored by many whereas she was a poor, average kunoichi with no name or any significance of value to him. But over the years he came to trust probably more than anyone else and she was always there to support him. Being with someone that glorious for so long, there's no wonder that she began to pick up his habits.
"You think so?" She asked, trying to keep the eagerness out of her voice.
"I see that face." Ino said scrutinising Tenten with utmost concentration.
Tenten gave her a confused look.
"What face?"
Ino pointed a long, pale finger accusingly at the brunette and said, "Don't play that with me! You totally like him, don't you?"
"Don't start Ino!" Tenten rolled her eyes at the blonde.
"It's a simple question that only requires a simple answer." Ino replied in all seriousness. "Do you or don't you?"
Tenten pulled a face and responded with, "Maybe. But I still –"
She halted as she collided with something extremely solid, making her stumble back slightly. A pole, maybe? No, it was too large to be a pole. She shook her head and her vision cleared as she gazed up into those beautiful, cool, liquid pools of ivory.
"N-Neji!"
A/N – Whoo! Chapter one is over! I must admit, I really enjoyed writing this chapter and it just seemed to flow really well. Let me know what you guys think and please review! Until next time…