The Lewd Bookstore by blackSMILES
A Neji/Tenten one-shot
5th February, 10 a.m. in the morning…
"Good morning!" 17-year-old Tenten chirped cheerily to the potbellied man who just entered the shop. She cringed inwardly as the stench of alcohol wafted into her nose. Working in this shop was really her last option to saving more money for that sapphire encrusted kunai in the weaponry shop just two shops down the street.
The man was in his late forties, and he was definitely not a shinobi. Shinobis would not get themselves drunk on a fine afternoon like this. They would be out training. Tenten would be doing that too if she was not stuck in this lewd adult bookstore.
Surrounded by books with obscene contents inside was not Tenten's idea of a great job. The addition of lecherous men giving her suggestive glances was too much. However, Tenten was determined to get through the job without tearing up her hair and earning enough money for that precious kunai.
"I want a copy of the newest edition of Icha Icha Paradise," the man drawled, his eyes trailing up and down Tenten. His gaze made her feel violated and what she really felt like doing was not to give him the book he asked for. She felt like punching him with so much force that he would stay in the hospital bedridden for the rest of his life.
Of course, she would not do that. He was the customer after all. Gritting her teeth and forcing a smile to materialize on her face, she said, "Sure, hang on!" She turned behind to look for a new copy of the book. She could feel the man's gaze on her, stripping her shamelessly.
"Bear with it. Bear with it. Bear with it," Tenten chanted this mantra in her head for the umpteenth time that day. She ransacked the opened box in front of her and found the book within a minute. She turned abruptly around and saw the man unbelievably close to her.
His face was less than 5 inches away from her. She could smell the disgusting smell of beer and the sour tang of vomit. It made her feel like retching.
"Get away from me!" Tenten shouted in disgust as she pushed the man away. He stumbled a few steps backward. His beady black eyes narrowed as he sneered, "What is a flower like you doing in a shop like this? It can't be just sitting at the counter selling books!"
Tenten spat, "Pay for the book and get lost, old man." She had an itching need to do something bad to the man in front of her. Break him, make him beg for mercy and kill him.
Tenten was about to throw a shuriken at the man when another customer came into the store.
"Neji?" She squeaked. That was what Tenten managed to say when she saw that Hyuuga clan's branch member enter her shop.
She stood rooted to the ground as she digested the scene in front of her.
"Ok… Why is Neji here? Is he going to buy a book from HERE? Oh gosh! To think I have a crush on him! He's s pervert!" Tenten thought in dismay.
Neji glared at the man eyeing Tenten. The lust evident in his eyes was pissing Neji off. He was a little too protective of Tenten sometimes.
"Gai-sensei said you work here," he replied silkily, as if he could read her thoughts.
"Oh," Tenten nodded and blushed a little. She did not tell Neji or Lee she was going to work here. It was too embarrassing to them she would be working in an adults' bookstore. She had an ego to protect.
Pushing the potbellied man in front of him to the side, Neji strode towards the counter with ease and put an exquisite box on the counter. It was wrapped up in navy blue shimmery gift-wrap with a white ribbon bow at the top.
"I have a mission which lasts for two weeks tomorrow, so…" Neji's words drifted to nothing as he pushed the box closer to Tenten with his fingers.
Tenten picked up the box carefully but not as careful to let Neji know she treasured the gift like her most precious shuriken. Slowly, she took out the gift wrapper trying not to tear it and opened the box inside.
She gasped as she saw what was inside. It was the gorgeous kunai she wanted for so long! She picked it up and held it against the morning sun. The sunbeams bounced off the sapphires with ease, causing Tenten to see a myriad of red and purples inside them.
Neji was pleased when he saw that she liked the gift.
"Gah! Neji! Thank you!" Tenten jumped with joy as she wrapped her hands around Neji's neck.
His cheeks were tinted with a faint hue of red as he felt the contact of their skin.
They forgot about the partially drunk man who was witnessing this sweet moment with them.
"Hey! You have a boyfriend already! Oh man! I came earlier than him!" The man whined, making him sound like a pig stuck in mud.
Tenten turned to face the disgusting male civilian. That man really should not say anything. Tenten had her kunai, so that meant that she did not have to work in that perverse place anymore. There was no need for Tenten to be polite to him…
The man cowered as soon as he saw the blazing murderous look in the brunette's eyes. Tenten raised a fist and was ready to punch that man in his face when a fist that did not belong to her shot out and sent the man flying out into the streets.
Tenten could only gape at the teammate beside her.
"I wanted to do that long ago," Neji said, shrugging a little.
Both of them walked out of the bookstore and started walking down the busy streets.
"So, why the sudden gift?" Tenten asked, looking down at her moving feet.
Neji stopped abruptly in his track. "Erm…I just wanted to… erm… mission next two weeks…" Neji wringed his hands placed behind his back. He could not continue as he felt butterflies flying up a storm in his stomach. He could feel Tenten's expectant gaze on him and it was doing nothing to calm his nerves.
"Happy Early Valentine's day," he mumbled under his breath.
Tenten blinked in surprise. She stared at the stoic man in front of her as he blushed a little. It was a good five seconds before she started blushing furiously herself.
"Thank you," she said, tiptoeing slightly to plant a chaste kiss on Neji's left cheek. She blushed again as she looked at the ground, as if searching for gold on it.
Neji touched his left cheek lightly before breaking into a genuine smile. "No problem," he said.
Both of them continued to walk in silence down the street, this time, hand in hand.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya sighed in disappointment as he kept his trusty binoculars into his red yukata. Seriously, he was looking for more passion between these two. All he saw in the end was a chaste peck on the cheek.
Standing up on the roof of the building opposite the bookstore, he started to travel in the direction of the Uchiha district. It was one place that would never fail to give him inspiration for his Icha Icha Paradise series of books.
Grinning, he thought, "Sasuke and Sakura sure do kick up a bigger racket than the rest!"
A/N: I am so sorry for writing such a crappy thing. LOL. Inspiration struck me just now and I had to write something! My first attempt at Neji and Tenten! I hope I did ok:)
Please review! Thank you!