So sorry for late update! I knew this weekend was going to be eventful, but I never imagined it'd be busy! Ah! Well, anyway,
no author's note interrupting things. And, if you have any questions on the Ino flash back, ask me. It's how she got her power, and it's similiar to
Rogue's in X-men (the emotional stress). But yeah, any questions, ask me!
& I think I forgot to doublespace this :(
I hope it looks okay... crap. It better!
REVIEWERS :D!!! Thank you so much!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I do not own Xmen, I do not own Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr, I do not own Spongebob, or any other listed names/titles.
The next morning, Sakura woke up with light streaming through her window. She groaned softly, and flipped over, looking at her alarm clock. Seven fifteen. She yawned, and then slowly got up. She noticed she was still in her clothes, and last thing she remembered was being in the car with Sasuke. She sighed, and trudged over to her drawers. She changed into an oversized thin pink t-shirt with a gray outline and shaded figure of John Lennon, that hung over so far, leaving her one shoulder bare, and then it had a small designer V-rip. She had a gray tank top on underneath though, and then pulled on gray shorts that reached her mid thigh, but since the shirt was so long, you could barely tell she had shorts on at all. She went over to her mirror, and was about to grab her brush, when she saw a pink post-it note on the mirror. She lifted it off, and read it. "Nice piercing; how'd ya manage that one?" it read. She immediately recognized the chicken scratch as Sasuke's handwriting. She smirked, and crinkled the note.
She then brushed her hair, threw it in a mid pony tail, letting her bangs and a layered piece on the other side frame her heart-shaped face. It left her right ear completely visible; which included a silver nail that pierced the top of her ear. She tilted her head slightly to get a better look at it, and smiled approvingly. She then got her black eyeliner, outlined her eyes darkly, put some light pink eye shadow on, then a dramatic gray a level up from the pink.
Then she went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and grabbed the gray nail polish and nail polish remover. For the next hour she removed the red paint off her finger and toe nails, and replaced it with the metalic silk looking gray. It matched the piercing, she thought approvingly.
After that she got up, and headed out to the living room with her book, "Wicked Lovely" by Melissa Marr. She had already had it opened up, reading as she walked past the kitchen. When she got to the living room, she was absorbed in her reading, but she did notice Sasuke was watching TV as she plopped down on the love-seat, slinking her long legs over the arm of the chair.
He looked over to her, and prompted "Wont the TV distract you?"
"Nope, I block things out when I read" she answered.
He raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Then how did you hear me?" he inquired. She smirked; this can't be good.
"I was expecting you to say something, so I was aware anyhow" she replied.
"What were you expecting me to say?" he asked, unknowingly lowering the TV's volume. She lifted herself up a bit, so she could see him more clearly.
"Well I thought you had questions about my ear" she said, too innocent, too sweetly.
He looked back at the TV, and turned it up again. He knew that face. She wanted to flaunt, and he wasn't going to let her. He knew she was pouting, but he continued to stare at the little yellow sponge run around trying to catch jelly fish (Yes, Uchiha Sasuke was watching Sponge bob).
"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed, throwing the book at him. It hit him square in the head, and he growled menacingly as his hand shot up and rubbed his forehead. Sakura was staring at what she had done, terrified. He gave her the death glare.
"Sakura-chan, how'd you get it?" he asked, using the suffix like poison. Sakura was still too "OMG" about what she had just done, to death glare him back.
"Some guy did it for me" she mumbled; the fun was gone.
"You had a random guy put a nail through your ear?"
"Uh, no. He walked me over to a parlor and paid for it. And it may be a nail but it's meant to be in piercings, its not like I picked it up from the ground" she said, condescendingly.
"What's that tone your using with me?" he shot at her. She stared at him for a few seconds, but then broke out into a smile. He let an amused look shine in his eyes, but otherwise he said in his usual monotone, "Makes you stand out even MORE, if possible".
Sakura gave him a 'screw you' look, and slunk back down into the couch, saying "I like to stand out. Were we meant to fit in? No, jeez go watch What A Girl Wants"
She knew Sasuke was staring at her oddly, but she could only see his body; his head was cut off from her view.
"Doesn't sound like an appealing movie" he finally said.
"And does a show about a yellow sponge sound appealing either?" she retorted cockily.
"Hn" was his reply, as he pulled up the guide to find a different show.
"Well… it is actually a good movie; sad at parts, definitely humorous, and an all together good moral. Plus, no one dies…" she emphasized the last part, and he rolled his eyes.
"You really have to get over that" he said, almost annoyed like.
She scoffed.
"What? I mean, only ONE girl lived. What the hell?!" she complained, refferring to AVP, a movie she saw the end of, when she had joined Sasuke late at night from pure boredom.
"It was alien versus predator, and humans were in the way. It's a surprise any human survived" he told her plainly.
"It's a movie though, they're not supposed to kill off practically everyone. I mean there was that one guy, and he DEFINITELY shouldn't of died, I mean he wa-"
Sasuke cut her off, "Sakura we had this discssion… three times"
She frowned, "It bugs me, I'm sorry" she whined.
"I've heard that twice also" he told her, and she caught the book that he tossed back over.
"Whatever" she said nonchalantly, and got up.
"Did you just come out here to bother me?" he asked, as she started heading out.
She looked over her shoulder, "No, I didn't even know you were out here"she responded , then added "Why?".
"Because you're already leaving" he responded, flicking through the channels, looking for anything slightly interesting.
She shrugged,."You bore me"
"And you annoy me, I guess it works out"
She narrowed her eyes at him, as if it were still a mocking joke. But… she knew he was right. She DID annoy him. She was automatically frowning now.
"Yeah I know" I wish i wasn't though, Sasuke-kun... trust me, I wish i wasn't. With that, she left the living room and went back to the kitchen.
Sasuke heard her sudden mood change and refrained from turning around to look over at her; not like she was there anyway. He called her annoying… he didn't mean it. I mean, she was talkative and frilly sometimes, but he had become more then used to it.
He thought about it for awhile, and realized he couldn't keep focused on the TV anymore. He pulled out his cell phone, and surprising even himself, he texted to Sakura "You're not annoying". She texted back, "I'm in the other room you know". He got some sort of smirk on his face, and texted "What are you suggesting?" A minute or two later, "Nothing?" She was definitely too naïve. He got up from the couch, and headed back towards Sakura's room. He didn't bother to knock at all.
She was on her bed, phone in hand, still looking at the text. When he walked in, she snapped it shut and looked up at him. He raised an eyebrow, and looked at her. She looked confused and out of place, but she held her eyes up to his. That was one thing he admired about her; if she knew she couldn't do something, she wouldn't do it. If she decided she could, then she definitely would.
"Sensitive spot" he said more then asked.
Sakura looked up at him, confusion in her face. No, fake confusion. She knows what I'm talking about. He let it show in his eyes, and she briskly broke eye-contact, casually straightening out the shorts, which used to be really tight and now we're a bit more loose.
Is Sasuke-kun staring at my...legs? A pink tint found its way onto her face, and he smirked, looking back up at her. She only got pinker with that specific look. But, after a few seconds, he titled his head ever so slightly, and brought up "You've lost a lot of weight"
Sakura stalled for a few seconds, but then shook her head.
"Nah, not really. Just a little bit of dieting ya know" she said casually. He knew her like the back of his hand though.
"Ten pounds?" he asked harshly. Sakura visibly flinched, and muttered "Thirteen…" Sasuke inwardly sighed, but left his face the same on the outside.
He walked over to her desk, and swiveled the chair, sitting in it lazily. Sakura felt really subconscious; Sasuke was watching her health? She knew it wasn't good to have lost all that weight, but lately she found that eating was the last of her priorities.
"Bored today?" he asked her.
Sakura shrugged, "No plans, so I guess" she told him, wondering where this was going.
He nodded, "Want breakfast?" he asked.
She raised an eyebrow curiously. "Sure" she answerd after a short delay. He got up, and started heading out of the room, rolling his shoudler and sending her a glance, telling her to come on. Her eyes widened in comprehesion, and she quickly snatched her purse and gray flats.
They went to Denny's for breakfast, then went to the mall for a few hours when it first opened up, saw a movie and ate pop corn as lunch, then headed to the park afterwards. Sakura was giggling, and as she ran over the swings, and easily snatched one, sliding herself into the seat. It was the only good one left, as the others had rusted or were broken.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow amused, and continued walking over there. Sakura started to push off with her feet, when Sasuke went behind the swing, and grabbed the chain, pulling her back. She smiled, and gently folded her legs to keep from touching the ground, as he pushed her off. He continued to do so, his hands gently touching her hips and swing every time he went to push her higher. She hardly noticed the contact, but was laughing happily, smiling brighter then he had seen in days.
He grunted, and asked "Do simple things always amuse you?"
She smirked, "Simple things are very amusing, yes. But I still do love a complex figure once in awhile" she told him, swinging her legs to keep her momentum.
"Like solving crossword puzzles?" he asked sarcastically.
She smiled. "Like you" she answered, the joke still in her voice.
"I'm complex?" he asked, making it sound like a uncertain statement.
"Definitely. The great Uchiha Sasuke. Brawn AND brains, pyschic, and one great big mystery" she mused, a small smile curved on her lips.
He stopped her abruptly next time she came swinging down, and he stumbled back slightly holding onto the chains. But when it did stop, he leaned over to her, his raven colored bangs brushing the side of her face. He was close, and she could feel his breath on her neck.
"And we like mysteries, correct?" he whispered, sending shivers down her. She let out a breath, and barely audibly whispered "Yeah".
He started to withdrawl, slowly pausing his lips over her ear, as if he was going to say something, or in fact nip at her poor ear. But then he withdrew completely, letting his hands go of the chain.
He moved over so he was facing her, and put out a hand. She kept eye-contact with him as she grabbed hold of it, and he impulsively started to rub her soft pale hands, as he helped her up. Sakura didn't miss a beat, and was mightily confused at everything he was doing. But she was ignoring that for now, and she just smiled lightly. She swore she saw him form a small quirky smile, but in flash it was gone. Her eyes gleamed as her smile widened, and she giggled, and took lead with his hand; on to the monkey bars…
--
"If you don't open the friggin door, I'm going to go into you're mind and erase all you're memories of cloud-watching!" Ino called out, knocking on Shikamaru's door repeatedly. She heard a grunt, someone climb out of a bed, and then finally the door unlock.
Shikamaru, being such a gentlemen that he was, didn't bother to open up the door, but instead just tredded back to his bed. God, he can be so rude sometimes! Ino rolled her eyes, but opened the door and headed in his room.
She went over to the computer, as he plopped back down on the bed, hands behind his head, starring at the ceiling.
"Shikamaru, it's four o' clock in the afternoon! How can you waste your day by staying in the house all day!?" she exclaimed, as she took a seat.
"I didn't hear you leave the house today" he responded lazily.
"I… wasn't in the mood" she replied slowly and then turned her back to him, turning the monitor on.
"Troublesome…" he mumbled, letting his eyelids droop over.
She didn't say anything; just frowned at the computer screen, her hand on the mouse unmoving. Too much had been on her mind to go anywhere. Too much had been on her mind to even think straight.
Shikamaru noticed that she hadn't said anything back; which, was very suprising. He opened an eye, and looked over to her. She was frowning; at a computer.
"Something wrong?" he asked half-heartily, his one eye looking over to her.
Ino was snapped out of her thoughts, and she looked over to him, blankly.
"No"
"Want to talk?" he asked, not even listening to her reply.
"…yeah"
He opened the other eye, and positioned himself to where he was at least looking over to her. He waited expectantly, as she stared at him hesitantly.
"I don't know… it's just, have you ever completely loved something, and at the same time really hated it?" she eventually started.
"Like what?"
"Like mind-reading... sometime's it's the greatest thing in the world. I know if I need something, all the information I can get is right there. I don't need to worry about not-knowing. But…"
"Yeah…?"
"But at the same time it scares the hell out of me. The mind is the only thing that is really your own thing, and I can go around and destroy that freedom. I can open my eyes a little further, and see you're deepest thoughts; thoughts you didn't even know you were thinking. And I've seen how the mind works, I know how it runs, so I've seen it completely orderly. But …then I've seen everything completely…shatter" she was struggling with her words now, trying to get it out evenly, but not sure as to if it was making sense.
"Like… you're dad… and Tenten last night?" he asked quietly.
She nodded.
"What did that guy think…?" he asked after a few seconds.
Ino frowned, but answered.
"He called her a useless freak. And, maybe that doesn't sound so bad. But… when you've seen what's in peoples minds, what they're afraid of, what they think about, how they react to certain things, what emotions they hide, what they try to make themselves appear like… you realize how important every single word is and how great of an impact it has. And… Tenten's only afraid of a few things. Being useless is one of them… and, I guess we're all afraid of who we are. Freaks. Not normal. Should-be-in-circus-creeps…"
"The circus is too troublesome" he mumbled, shaking the horrible thought off, as he pushed himself up, now sitting on the bed. Ino wasn't surprised by his comment, and smiled a little.
"Well… ignorance is bliss. Tenten doesn't know about it, so don't worry about her" he eventually said. Ino nodded thoughtfully, looking down at the carpet that separated them.
"I hate to sound Spiderman gone Dr. Phil, but power comes with responsibility. You handle your ability really well, but that doesn't mean you end up stress-free. Just try to relax and get used to it. It's only been a year…"
Ino looked up to him, looking like a helpless four year old that only has one thing to believe in – and even if it's the greatest lie, they're willing to accept that.
"Will it get easier?" she asked, barely audible.
He looked back at her for a few seconds, and then nodded. She looked like a wave of relief had come crashing upon her, as she leaned back into her chair more comfortably. It was as if Shikamaru's word was the only thing that mattered. Well, maybe it was.
Ino gave him a quick smile, and then she turned back around to work on her essay that was saved on the computer. Shikamaru sighed and silently left the room. His thoughts were centered on Ino now, and being the meticulous thinker he was, he wouldn't be able to sleep or cloud watch until he thought everything out. What stuck out most was the story she had told him about her power development. It was completely different then the other's in the group. Ino hadn't gotten her's at puberty, like normal unaverage people. She got her's during a moment of extreme emotional distress.
FLASHBACK OF INO AT AGE SIXTEEN
"MOM! No way! You've got to be kidding me!!!" Ino squealed, jumping up and down excitedly. She was wearing a short and fluffy pink dress, pink flip flops, and little pink tiara in her hair, which was down and curled. Her mom stood in front of her, a happy smile on her face, with keys dangling from her hand.
"A 2006 Mustang. It's bright pink, dear. Just like you wanted" her mom said sweetly, as all the other girls at the party squealed. They were all outside by the pool, and Ino had been opening gifts. It was a surprisingly warm October day, and also Ino's sweet sixteen. Ino stared at the keys with the hugest eyes any one ever saw, and then greedily snatched them, a smile from ear to ear. Her mother giggled, as Ino brought her into a tight embrace.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH, MOM!!" she shrieked, completely exhilarated. "Oh, Ino-chan, thank your father! His idea" her mom explained modestly, removing herself from the tight grip. Ino smiled brighter, and nodded eagerly. She sprinted to the door that led inside, and quickly swung it open. Slamming it behind her, not from anger, but pure energy, and running ecstatically towards the kitchen where her dad was getting drinks.
Still smiling, she skidded into the kitchen, giggling softly. "DADDY! OH MY GOSH THA-" she was in the middle of screaming happily to him, when she stopped abruptly. Her eyes shot open wide, and her mouth felt like cotton.
Her father was on the floor, blood coming from the back of his head, as he shook uncontrollably. After a few seconds she realized what was happening, and screamed bloody murder. Twenty seconds later, her mother came rushing in, a confused and worried look on her face. When she arrived in the kitchen, her face portrayed much like what Ino's had been.
"INOICHI!!" her mother screamed, racing over to her husband, who was going through a seizure. Ino looked like she was watching horrified, but on the inside, she wasn't seeing anything; she was hearing.
Her erotic heartbeat wasn't what was reaching her, or her mother's cries and sobs, or her father's head hitting the floor; she couldn't hear any of it. What she could hear, was her father's voice crying out in panic. It was desperate cries, one a rabbit makes while being chomped into by a wolf. Cries.Cries.Cries of terror. Not only would it not end, but it was getting worse.
She could feel stress. She could hear the terror, and she could feel herself being hit with emotion; like waves of nausea. It was all her father's voice, all her father's feelings, all her father's terror.
"INO! INO!" her mom was screaming, she couldn't hear that though. She felt stress from her too. Fear, not terror though. Scared of losing something—someone. Scared of losing love, scared of change, scared of what might happen, scared of life's cruelty.
With that, Ino collapsed; fainted, from who knows what. They would say it was from shock of seeing her father's blood and her mother's tears. They wouldn't know that it was from the stress of her mind straining to hear her father's pleas (not trying to), and to help share her mother's pain (unknowingly).
She didn't know what was going on. She didn't why she was hearing things. She didn't know why she was feeling things. She didn't even know that the next day she'd wake up in the hospital, her mom sobbing at her side, and the news of her father's death being brought to her perfectly pale ears.
END FLASHBACK
Then, Ino had run away from her home in Upstate New York, until she stumbled upon a pink-haired girl in South Jersey. And before she knew it, she had found out what she was, she had a new home, new friends and family, and new life. Shikamaru often wondered if she was okay with this new life, or if she was only pretending each day, just to get through… He hoped it wasn't the latter.
--
Later that night, at around seven o'clock, Neji went in on his hourly check on Tenten. He knew Hinata was out with Naruto and Sakura ("two people, if not Sasuke" rule), so he just walked right in. Well, actually, he probably would have done that anyway. He flicked on the lamp, and walked over to the edge of the bed. She was awake, and she looked over to him. He was surprised, but nodded in a 'hello'.
"What the hell happened?" she asked immediately.
"Do you remember anything?" he asked.
"Last thing I remember is Sasuke walking into my room… and then a shrill, painful noise… and… black" she replied softly.
Neji nodded, "There was a hit man outside sending in high frequency noises only you would be able to hear. He activated it on high, and planned on using your … current situation [almost dying to distract us, and be able to capture Naruto. He was not at all trained though, and was probably only hear to warn us" he told her.
Tenten's eyes widened. "That hurt like hell" she whispered.
"Be glad you don't remember the rest" he said flatly.
"Oh?" she asked. He didn't say anything more.
"Where's Hinata?" she asked after a moment of silence.
"With Sakura and Naruto, shopping for some sort of security system" he replied.
"I'm the only one who can be attacked from the outside; you shouldn't waste money on just me" she said, a bit angrily.
"You're a member of my group, and I will not them target us through you" he said.
She cringed. She was a weakness to the group. Neji realized his words didn't come out exactly how he meant.
"I mean to say I won't let you get hurt, because of all of us" he reworded it.
She didn't look at him, didn't look anywhere, just up. She seemed to become aware of her surroundings, and suddenly said, "I've been stripped and have towels around me" with the question in her tone.
"You were repeatedly almost drowned" he said blankly. Tenten looked over at him, and then it dawned on her.
"You shoved me down in the tub, the metal blocked the noise, and only let me up when I needed a breath, then pushed me back down?" she asked. He nodded. She chuckled.
After a few moments, he asked "And you're sure we shouldn't leave?"
She turned towards the wall, away from him. "Why do you ask my opinion anyway?" she asked.
"Everyone's opinion's are important to me, Tenten" he said calmly.
She sighed. "Everyone wants to stay here. Neji," she started, and turned back towards him. "We…" she couldn't bring herself to finish.
"What?" he asked her, stepping towards her.
"We…well, we want to fight them. We're tired of running and hiding. We want to live. And we like it here. It's practically normal. We're all willing to fight for this place, this area. We want to get rid of the organization ourselves, take the fight to them"
She didn't dare look at his face, and slowly got out of bed, gathering the towels up; Neji and all the guys had seen her in sports bra and cheer boxers, she often trained with Ino for cheerleading (sadly). He was less then a foot away from her, and she was busily avoiding his eye contact.
He grabbed onto her elbow lightly, sending shockwaves up her. She turned towards him, and slowly said "Even Sasuke".
Neji and Sasuke weren't best friends or anything, but they both were cold, seemingly ice-block, and strong. They had a connection there. She knew Sasuke's opinion meant a lot to him, even if he didn't know it himself. Neji's eyes widened a fraction, and he saw determination beyond the fear in her chocolate eyes. He looked at her impassively, and said, "You don't have to fear me". Then, he left.
Tenten wondered what he meant, but secretly melted slightly, knowing that she so wanted to be comfortable around him. She didn't want to jump every time he touched her, or stall when he looked at her, or stutter when she had to say something. Then again, maybe she did? She shook the thoughts off, and grabbed her phone. It was all ready the next day. She sighed, grabbed some clothes, and ran to get a shower.
She got out, after twenty minutes, and was found in… well it was surprising. It was a tank top, made out of thin black torn material layered together. It had a huge V-neck line, but she had a red tank top on underneath, that showed somewhat through the almost transparent black material. The material, extra torn on the bottom, reached a few inches past her hip. She had on a red skirt [identical in color to the tank top that reached about two inches past the shirt, easily a mini skirt. She had on black boots that went up to her knee, and she had red feather earrings. Her hair was pulled up in a high pony tail, and her light brown hair curled slightly down to her mid back. She had on cover up, eye liner, mascara, light red eye shadow, no blush, and black lip stick.
She went back to her room, scribbled something down on a piece of paper, and walked to Neji's room. She slipped it under his door, and left the house.
--
Neji saw the note come gliding under his door, and he stared at it. Ten minutes later, after hearing someone leave, he grabbed the note. "Out for the night – don't wait up for me – cells on – Tenten". He was slightly angered; he didn't give her permission to leave, especially after she had just woken up. He grabbed his cell phone, and texted her.
"Where are you going?" it inquired. Ten seconds later, it beeped back, saying "Out". He narrowed his eyes. "I repeat the first question" he sent to her. A minute or two later, "Clubbing. Downtown. I'm fine. Go meditate" was the reply. He growled, and got up, grabbing his coat.
Wearing black pants, a gray shirt, and the black coat, with his hair in a low pony tail on the bottom, and his huge pearl eyes, he looked pretty damn fine. He got into the small silver car, the only one left, and drove off to the club that quite honestly he had no clue how to get to. He thought about contacting Ino, but he knew she was out at the mall; apparently, this was the best way for her to get in a good mood. He decided on calling Uchiha.
"Yeah?" Sasuke answered after two rings. If Neji was calling him, it must have been important.
"Where is the club downtown?" he asked. Sasuke coughed.
"Nani?" he asked.
"Where is the club downtown?" Neji repeated, not to happy that he had to.
Sasuke answered, "Down Mainstreet, your left at the intersection of Maple, and then your third right, down for a mile or two, and your first at the first light. It's right there, big sign" Neji mumbled a thanks and hung up, as he heard Sakura in the back ground, "The Twilight?"
He followed Sasuke's directions, and twenty minutes later he found himself pulling up into a huge parking lot. There was a huge building, two stories maybe, blinking in huge blue and white lights, with a sign "The Twilight" in white blinking lights, with light and dark blue lights flashing all around it, an the rest of the place. There was a long line leading from the door out to the side of the building. Tons of girls wearing indecent things, in his opinion, were laughing and flirting with the two bouncers. Neji hopped out of the car, and strolled over to the two men. He cut everyone, and went to pass.
A tall guy, an inch or two bigger then Neji, with broad shoulders and bulging muscles stopped him.
"Cutting all the ladies?" he asked, his voice deep. Neji had heard enough talk from Sakura and Ino. He smirked, and looked at one of the blonde's in a skimpy red halter top, denim mini skirt, and red high heels. She had glitter all over herself, and her blonde locks were curled and long.
He replied, "I'm bringing in this gorgeous babe"
The man looked at him, then to the girl. She was smiling flirtatiously at Neji; he was her ticket in also.
"ID?" the man grumbled. Neji refrained from rolling his eyes, and pulled out his wallet. He flashed the guy his ID, as did the blonde girl.
They were let in. He quickly breezed by, but was stopped by someone's hand on his shoulder. He turned around, and saw the girl.
"Hey, I'm Lorna. Thanks for getting me in" she said, her flirtatious smile gone, and a look that said 'I can take care of myself, but I'm just being nice'.
Neji respected that; she wasn't a whore, even if she looked like one. He did live with Ino, didn't he? He answered, "Neji. And, likewise" The girl flashed him a smile, said "Cya Around" and left.
He shrugged, and started skimming through the crowd on the dance floor. He couldn't activate his eyes, not with this many people around, no matter how dark or distracting the disco lights were. But, he started searching around. Twenty minutes later, he stumbled upon the bar, and was tempted into getting a drink. He sighed, and sat down, next to a brunette downing a shot. "I'll take what she's got" he said to the bartender, distractedly.
"Neji?" he heard. He looked over; the voice belonged to the brunette. Looking at her from this straight angle, he saw it was Tenten. She was in heavy make up, for her anyway, with black lips. She was also wearing… something Ino would wear.
"I didn't give you permission to leave" he said flatly, showing no surprise that he was actually feeling.
Tenten looked at him, "I didn't know I needed it" she replied. She wouldn't have said that to him normally, but that was her second shot. The bartender placed one in front of Neji, but he was no longer in the mood for it. Tenten noticed this, and took his. She downed it, and slammed it down.
Three. "You just woke up from being sedated for a day straight. Why wouldn't you need my permission?" he asked, straight forwardly.
"I needed to get away, sorry" she said, and he could tell she didn't mean it, nor was she trying to make it seem like she did.
"One more" Tenten told the bartender.
Neji shook his head. "We're leaving" he told her, steely voiced.
"Why?" she asked. The bartender poured the shot, and Tenten immediately gulped it down. It felt soooo good, her mind was thinking.
Neji suddenly remembered something… "When our youthful flower, Tenten get's drunk, she's almost as bad as me! She is a youthful fire that dances around crazily, and her senses run wild! She barely keeps her mouth shut; she won't hesitate to dispel her youthful opinion!" Lee's voice rung in his ear. Neji cringed. Almost worse then Lee? That had to be bad.
"Leaving. Now." He told her one last time. She rolled her eyes at him, and stumbled, but got up..
"Do you hear that?" she asked, smiling now. Neji grunted, "Of course not, I don't have super human hearing" he mumbled to himself.
"Wait, feel it. Feel the people. They're all dancing. Jeez, so many people…" she was in her own little world now.
Neji firmly grasped her bare shoulders, and she shivered.
"Neji, you're touching me" she slurred slowly, but her words still clear. He didn't say anything, but started pulling her away, towards the dance floor, trying to pass the people.
"Are we going to dance, Neji-kun?" she asked sweetly. He noticed the –kun, but ignored it.
"Sure" he replied, trying to get her to move.
She grinned, and started moving her hips, swaying around. She took the hand from her shoulder, and turned around, facing him. She put her arms around his neck, and was smiling oddly at him. Neji sighed, and put his hands around her waist, directing them towards to the exit, slowly but surely. Tenten didn't seem to notice that it was a upbeat song, not a slow song, but she leaned into him and put her head into his chest, listening to his heart beat, and actually hearing it quite loud with her senses. "You're heart beat is moving too fast, Neji-kun!" she exclaimed.
He ignored her, and kept on moving backwards, heading towards the door. Almost there… "OH I LOVE THIS SONG!" Tenten squealed, and Neji recognized that the song had not yet changed…. He sighed. She was leaning on his shoulder now, moving back and forth, talking to herself about music.
After a few moments, they reached the edge of the dance floor, and he quickly pulled her off, and spun her around. She started to protest, but he slung his right arm around her, holding on to her arm, and she grinned lazily, leaning into him, her feet stumbling a bit. They exited, and he found their way to the car. Quickly, he opened the door, and put her in the backseats. She laid down, spreading across all the seats. He closed the doors, pressing the kids lock, so she couldn't open it from the inside, and entered the driver's seat. He put the keys in the ignition, and then drove off, making a mental note to get Lee to pick up the car she drove there, tomorrow.
Half way home, he pulled into a McDonald's. He ordered a Big Mac, a coffee, and went to the restrooms and put change in to get three packets of Tylenol pills, since he didn't know if Sakura had regular medication at home. He went back to the car, and forced her to eat. She did so, while in the parking lot still. He gave her the coffee, and after thirty minutes, they drove off again. She was a bit more on the sober side now. She hadn't eaten in a day and a half, but had consumed four shots of tequila. Getting the food in her did well enough to get rid of the alcohol.
By the time they reached the house, she was silent in the back, moaning now and then when the car hit a bump. He pulled into the drive way, took the keys out, and then opened the backseat door. She slowly started getting up, with his help of course. After a few seconds, she had an arm around him, as he helped her walk into the house.
He unlocked the door, and walked in. He was met by every single one of the members, sitting in the living room, talking. But, they abruptly stopped conversing as they looked up at him. Tenten looked up from leaning into Neji, and then almost puked. Neji grunted, mumbled something about being back in a minute, and then helped her to her room.
He helped her up onto the bed, and then drew the covers up. He grabbed the empty trash bin, and put it next to the bed. Tenten was groaning slightly, covering her eyes from the light. Neji looked at her, shaking his head in slight anger. He asked, without really meaning it, "Need anything else?"
Tenten looked over to him. She blinked a little, but then said "Sorry, Neji…" and he knew she really meant it. He stayed staring straight at her.
"What made you do that?" he asked sharply. Tenten frowned, and then looked away.
"I was tired" she said, as if it explained why the sky was blue, why the ballerina's danced, and why Naruto had an unhealthy obsession with ramen.
"You should've went to bed, not out to a club all by yourself to get drunk" he replied hotly.
Tenten almost smiled, "Not that kind of tired" she mused.
He stared at her, blankly. "Hn?" he managed to ask. She turned towards the wall, and whispered "Tired of being a weakness".
He didn't understand, and pretty soon she was sleeping. He was definitely still frustrated. He left the room, and everyone could feel his mood when he went to the living room. "Is this a meeting?" he asked, a bit hot toned, before Lee could ask anything.
Naruto scratched his head, "Well you see, Tenten was missing, and so were you, so we all met up, and were about to split up and find you, when Sasuke mentioned you called earlier while he and Sakura were at Wendy's, so then we…"
Neji cut him off, replying hoarsely, "She snuck out to go clubbing and then got drunk".
Lee gasped. Ino snickered. Sakura smiled lightly, turning towards a Hinata with some sort of knowing-look. Neji ignored it, but Shikamaru spoke up, "Troublesome woman". Sasuke was glancing at Sakura, seeing the look she was giving Hinata. "Told you he cared!" was written all over it.
Naruto went up to Neji, and gave him a friendly pat on the back. "She's okay now, that's all that matters. Don't worry about us so much, Neji"
Neji stared at them. "If we're going to stand against the organization, then I don't want you guys fooling around like Tenten did tonight" he told them, and then left leaving all of them shocked. Naruto smiled though. "Who told him we wanted to stay?" he asked, looking around. Sakura grinned, "Tenten…" she mumbled. Props for Tenten!
--
Tenten awoke the next morning, with a huge headache, and her stomach not feeling so great. She turned around, and saw a glass of water, Tylenol packets, and a Miller Light. She grabbed the water, and downed it, swallowing two of the pills. Then she snapped off the cap of the beer, and took a sip.
She slowly got out of bed, almost tripping over her boots that stood there. She got changed, a teal shirt, white shorts. She walked out of the room, taking two more sips of the beer. She felt the ground from her feet, and as far as she could tell, Neji wasn't in his room, and there was no one in the house. She called out, "Hello?" leaning against her door frame. She gave a small 'hmph', and headed down the hall. She looked in all the rooms; no one. She got to Neji's and didn't bother knocking, expecting no one. But, to her surprise, he was in the room.
But, he was on the bed, writing something in a notebook. Her feet couldn't feel him unless he was on the ground.
"Gomen" she mumbled, and started leaving.
"Wait" he said. She turned back around, and faced him. He continued to scribble in his notebook, but asked "Feeling okay?"
Tenten looked down, more specifically at the Millers Light in front of her, and blushed with slight embarrassment.
But, she told him the truth; "Not really" she mumbled. She couldn't even look up, but asked "Where is everyone?"
"Sakura's at the library studying, Ino has cheer practice, Lee has his motorcycle license exam, Shikamaru's at class, Naruto and Sasuke are at the Comic-con, I am sitting in here, are you standing there with a hangover"
Tenten turned the side, and let out a "No comment…" from underneath her breath.
"Hm?" Neji inquired, looking up at her for the first time.
"I dunno" she mumbled, and started heading out the door. She got a few steps, but then turned around, and peeked her head in the door slightly.
"It is Sunday, 11 am, right?" she asked. He nodded, and got up off the bed.
"Breakfast?" he asked, as he passed by her. She followed him to the kitchen.
"Didn't you already eat?" she inquired. He shook his head no. Tenten raised an eyebrow; he usually ate at seven am every single morning.
"Why is Hinata trailing Sasuke and Naruto?" she asked, as he broke open four eggs, into an old green bowl. Neji didn't answer.
"You don't trust Sasuke?" she asked, getting concerned.
"Sasuke saw something" Neji replied, after a moment, dissmissing her previous statement after labeling it ridiculous. He was beating the eggs, concentrating too hard on them.
"A vision?" she breathed. Neji nodded.
"What was it?" she asked, knowing that the last time Sasuke had a premonition was almost two months ago; and it was only what type of cologne Sakura was going to give him for his birthday.
Neji chose not to answer.
"Please just tell me" she whined, swishing the beer around in her hand.
"Things are about to get rough, Tenten" he said, looking over to her. Tenten raised an eyebrow; and he continued.
"We know by now that his premonition's always come true, and nothing can be done to stop them" he reminded her.
"I know" she said, urging him to go on with the tone of her voice. He glared at her, and she bit her lip, taking a swig of the beer.
He went on, "This is confidential, Tenten.." She looked up at him, and nodded, "Of course".
He nodded to himself also, and started, "Sasuke's going to be kidnapped…"
Ino-Shika part was written late tonight. I hope it was okay :0
The rest was prewritten, like more then half of it is.
Review?
It's appreciated:D