still waiting on those reviews, kids. how can 28 of you have read it and nobody bothered to review? goodness, i just wanted to know which direction. so, REVIEW. please?
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In honor of Hinata's return to the campus, Ino and Sakura had decided to plan a party, which, Hinata noted, could be okay, only it was Ino and Sakura who were planning it, which meant that all bets were off. By the end of her night, she might have orange hair, and there was a good chance Ino would be smashed and Sakura yelling indecent things about Hinata's single status. Dear god. And she thought her birthday party had been bad.
Since it was only a few weeks after spring break, the homework load wasn't insane, so she had agreed, well, nodded under duress, that a weeknight was perfectly acceptable, as in tonight. Temari had arrived to lunch, very puzzled as to why the heiress had been banging her head on the picnic table. Hinata mournfully explained that it might have something to do with the way Ino's hands had been clenching hers so hard that when he picked her up Neji had scowled and demanded to know why her hands were bright red, all while the blonde had proclaimed how much fun said party would be as Sakura had clung to her like a pitiful child, welling up those green eyes with tears, telling Hinata how much she had missed her and why couldn't they throw a party because they loved her and it wasn't fair to deny them all the chance to celebrate her return. Temari, who had firmly established her place at Hinata's side only since the beginning of second semester and had not yet met the twins of terror, could only quirk an eyebrow and suggest that it couldn't be that bad. Rather than attempt to argue the point, Hinata laid her head against the textured wood and sighed, "Wait and see."
Like a good friend, Temari had assured Hinata that she would not leave her to the wolves, and as Gaara would probably make it onto the list as a friend of Sakura's boyfriend, she would come too. And that was how she had come to slump against the door of her apartment, sprawled in a most unladylike manner, not even bothering to turn on the lights. She could see a strip of light from around the corner where the balcony was. Somebody must be—
"Hinata-chan?" she heard her roommate call just as Tenten bounded around the corner, decked out in khaki cargoes and a fuchsia tanktop, pint of Ben & Jerry's in hand. She hurtled to a stop in front of the Hyuga heiress, and Hinata looked up at her despairingly. "What's up? Why are you on the floor?" Her fingers flashed out to flip on the lights. Hinata squinted at the sudden brightness.
"You remember when you swore off parties for eternity after my birthday party?" the heiress tried to put it lightly. In fact, maybe she shouldn't even have brought that up, she realized, trying to heave herself off the floor. Tenten offered her hand, and Hinata tried not to stumble into her roommate and knock her flat. Another approach then. "You look nice today," Hinata offered diplomatically.
"Um...thanks," Tenten mumbled, then stopped, fixing her with that almost patented glare that said 'what-the-hell-are-you-up-to-and-you-had-better-not-be-ruining-my-lovely-day,' and demanded, "What are you trying to get me to do?"
"Come with me?" Hinata grabbed Tenten by her shoulders.
"Where?" Tenten failed to dislodge herself, as Hinata dug her fingers in further.
"There's a party tonight and I have to go," Hinata explained, determined to cling to Tenten until she said yes except—oh my god she was turning into Sakura! She quickly released her roommate with a horrified gasp.
"Are you alright?" Tenten cocked her head, spoon still in her mouth. If she kept this up, Tenten would think she was insane.
Hinata quickly straightened and with a tiny bow quietly asked, "Would you come with me tonight to my welcome home party? Please?"
"What's the catch?" Tenten had obviously learned to fully assess the situation before making any decisions. That was probably Sakura and Ino's fault too.
"Sakura-chan and Ino-chan are the ones planning it," Hinata muttered, prepared for defeat.
"Hell no!!" Tenten half-shouted, jumping back a foot.
"Please? Last time wasn't so bad." This argument had a snowball's chance in hell, Hinata realized, just as she said the words.
"There are facebook pictures that disagree," her roommate protested, yanking the spoon out of her mouth and jamming her fist down on her hip, still clutching her ice-cream. Hinata immediately recalled the karaoke bar with horror, then repressed it as fast as she could.
Upon realizing she had all afternoon to change Tenten's mind, Hinata calmly hung her messenger bag and coat on the rack and walked past her roommate and into the kitchen in her stocking feet. "Ice-cream bars?" she called over her shoulder.
"Back right corner," Tenten's voice carried and she heard a distinctive "flop" noise. Tenten loved that futon. Hinata dug in the recesses of the freezer and fished a chocolate covered delight from within. Unwrapping it, she joined her roommate on the futon, delicately arranging her legs beneath her. There had to be a way to get her roommate there. Temari just wasn't enough protection against Ino and Sakura both.
"What do you want in return, Tenten-chan?" she sighed, trying to remember what it was that she'd bribed Tenten with last time.
"I want another set of knives," Tenten replied nonchalantly, stuffing her mouth full of chocolate ice-cream.
"I bought you one last month!" Hinata exclaimed, although her voice barely rose.
"Well they're dull already," Tenten frowned.
"What do you use those things for?" Unless Tenten was an undercover assassin on the side, Hinata couldn't imagine how on earth the girl went through knives so fast. This would make the seventh box this school year.
"My art," Tenten replied cryptically, cat's grin stretching across her face.
"In other words...?"
"You don't ask, buy me some knives, and I save you from Sakura."
It was the best offer she would get, so Hinata nodded. It was a small price to pay for her peace of mind. "Deal."
"Tonight is going to be hell," Tenten noted solemnly, before shoveling more ice-cream into her mouth.
Hinata didn't contradict her.
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please please review. i'm trying to leave the pairing as open as i can, but i need some input! btw, if anybody is super OOC in this, tell me right away. i want to honor masashi kishimoto's work. let me know if you like this! thanks!
