Fairless Love
CHAPTER FOUR: THE DATE
I run. I run from the training grounds, thoughts spinning in an overwhelming cyclone in my mind.
Sprinting into the hotel, I almost trip as I turn a sharp corner. "Temari-san!" I scream as I bang my fists on the wooden door, "I know you're in there! I need help!!!"
"Kami child. Calm yourself. What. Do. You. Want? I was sleeping you know."
I push her back through the doorway and pulled the door shut with my foot.
"Help me." I gasp, "Neji. How'd he find out? I didn't tell anyone but you!" Then it hits me, like a huge smouldering rock. "You told him?!" How could she? I trusted her!
I scream at her again, regretting my words each time because this is entirely her fault but without her disloyalty I would have never gotten my date. But even so, the words continue to flow uncontrollably from my open mouth until I finally find the will power to stop.
"I'm sorry Temari-san…. I should have never said that," looking her squarely in the eyes I beg her to understand, I am just so confused. One day I see Neji flirting, unofficially dating Sakura and then the next, he asks me on a date? Something about that just doesn't make sense.
"Honestly Tenten? Seriously? You're so naïve, how can you not see through that?" She gives me one of those you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me looks but I still can't put two and two together… "We planned it Tenten. We planned it all…I honestly didn't think it would work but you didn't even suspect a thing. I can honestly say I'm just a little bit disappointed,"
I stare at her in astonishment. It was all planned? Planned. Like, they all went somewhere and talked about me. Me and Neji? No, way. My eyes narrowed at her- why? Why would they do that? And who? Who was involved? I came here for answers and all I have now is more questions.
"What? Explain yourself- I'm not following this."
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It was a loosely knitted plan, you could entirely tell that it was only put together in few hours, as she told me. How then actually pulled it off, and how I actually fell for it- that's very disappointing. Now that I think about it, I should've seen through it. It's so simple and senseless and I feel really stupid that I didn't see it.
What had happened was, Neji had saw how weird I had been acting and how easily I was being beaten by him. Oddly enough, he decided to come and check up on me at home to make sure everything was okay but, thankfully Temari crossed his way and they got talking…and eventually Neji ended up knowing my one and only secret. So apparently Neji had just so happened to be unconsciously falling in love with yours truly as well.
When she told me that I nearly fell off my chair, although I did spill my tea. At first, I refused to believe it was true until, to my horror, she actually called his cell and asked him to tell me himself that it was true. He did, of course shocking me further, but what was amazingly amusing was that he stammered. Neji Hyuuga, stammered. Incredible, isn't it?
Then, she continued, telling me how together Neji and her rounded up Sakura and Ino, whom we all go to for this kind of stuff. The four of them all headed Sakura's house where they circled her small kitchen table, everyone shouting out their own ideas until they thought of their semi-working plan.
They didn't really have a set time and place where it would all go down, but apparently, that day when I went to pick up those flowers for my mom, Ino saw me coming and immediately darted out of the shop before I came in to call Sakura and Neji to tell them to rush over. That's when I walked in and bawled my eyes out at the site of Sakura and Neji together. And basically it all added up to this little meeting right here.
Applying heavy pressure to my throbbing temple I say to Temari, "So now what?"
"Now we call Sakura and Ino. We only have two hours before he comes to pick you up." With that she whips out her phone and speedily dials unfamiliar numbers.
Great. This is going to be a disaster, I so cannot dance.
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Within minutes, Ino and Sakura are here, pulling me into the bathroom, seating me on the toilet. They both take out matching makeup case-things filled with assorted pots of glitter and unknown cosmetics… well unknown to me at least.
Sakura sifts through hers until she produces a black pencil with a fitted cap on the top. Throwing the cap back into the bag she tells me to open my eyes wide and lifts my chin with one hand while the one with the black pencil crayon nears my eye.
"What are you doing?!" I shriek as I back away from that grotesque pencil that was just about to poke my eye out.
"Relax," Sakura says to me reassuringly, "It's an eyeliner pencil. You apply it just under you eye and then your eyes look bigger, and bolder. Don't worry; I know what I'm doing,"
"But you almost stabbed my eye!" I retort. I really don't want anything sharp near my eye. I kind of need that to see, you know.
"Like I said, relax Tenten. By the time we're finished with you, Neji will hardly recognize you," She says again, and then, "Wow, you have really great complexion"
Ino is rolling up my pant leg and suddenly gasps, "Oh kami! Your legs! Don't you shave them?!" I shake my head, not even knowing what that means, "Do you wax?" I shake my head back and forth once again. I've never heard of doing that, how do you do that?
"Oh it's okay Ino, I have waxing strips in my bag," says Sakura, and Ino lets out a sigh of relief. What does waxing, or shaving or whatever have to do with my legs?
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I do not like having my legs waxed. The pain is close to unbearable even though I have felt worse before. Now my legs are clear of hair, my eyebrows have been transformed from "hairy tuffs" to "sleek and gorgeous" and I hardly recognize me, myself.
They didn't do too much with the makeup, they said they just wanted to bring more attention and definition to my eyes. So they had swiped my eyelashes with this thing called "mascara" and even I saw how it made them look thicker and more defiant, they brushed eye-shadow onto my eyelids, which tickled more than I had hoped and applied eyeliner as well even though I practically begged them not too. Other than that they didn't do anything else with the cosmetics, except for swiping my lips with a clear gloss, which they continued to apply because I kept licking it off.
What really makes me look different is my hair. And my clothes.
Staring at my reflection, I allow my mouth to fall open. They have given me a dress to wear. A dress. It's a midnight blue cocktail dress, it's strapless, and it has a sakura tree printed in black on the bottom left corner. It's really pretty, but it's a dress and I am wearing it. And I'm in heals! I'm wearing strappy, black heals.
"Relax," Temari says to me for the thousandth time, "You look stunning."
"Can't I at least pull my hair back in a ponytail?" I brush my thick, dark coloured hair away from my neck, again. They'd forced me to take out my hair and leave it down; they brushed it out so that it hung down my back pin-straight as a waterfall. But it was just so god-damn annoying! I had forgotten how troublesome it was, it constantly brushing my neck, tickling it, meaning that I had to constantly brush it back. And to make it worse Sakura had made me swear not to put it back up, I did, but I crossed my fingers. No way was I leaving it down the entire night, but then Ino confiscated my hair ties. Confiscated them. Now there was no possible way I could tie it up, that was my last pair…! How I was going to survive this night was a mystery.
"No. You promised you would leave your hair down for the entire night. It hasn't even started and now you want it back up?"
"Come ON Temari! My fingers were crossed." I sigh, it's a lost cause. They're not going to give me back my hair ties.
Abruptly, Ino and Sakura both burst into Temari's bedroom. "He's here!!" They cry, "He's here he's here he's here!!! Come on come on come on!!!" They literally push me out the door and into the small living room area where I lay my eyes on him. My jaw threatens to drop, and I glance doubtfully at my high-heeled feet. 'Disaster in the making,' I think. Temari nudges me harshly with her elbow, urging me to step forward, but if I take even a tiny, itsy-bitsy step, I fear my legs will crumble before me as they are turning to pure water.
Slowly, I raise my eyes the smallest bit. I can see a small smile playing on his lips, I think he might be enjoying this crack in my façade. Seeing that I'm glued to my spot on the floor as Temari nudges me again- harder this time- he decides to make the first move, stepping up to me, and enclosing my smaller hand in his larger one.
Daring to raise my head, I meet his eyes. Stealing a quick glance at Sakura and Ino, I know that they're tempted to shove me out the door with him, for if there eyes could shoot daggers, I would surely be long dead now.
"Hi Tenten," My heart leaps at the sound of my name said by his tongue and I feel my hand heating up because I'm so nervous, "You look beautiful tonight. This is going to be fun, trust me." Because I'm watching him so acutely I see the fleeting look he gives to Temari, and with that he leads me from Temari's hotel room.
I trust Neji with every ounce of my being, he saved my life. But I doubt him absolutely if he thinks this date is going to be anything other than a disaster.
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I don't know where we're going. I don't dare ask in fear that I might say something I'll regret. And so we walk in silence. Neji doesn't release my hand, even though it's hotter than a burning stove top. The feel of my hand in his is both comforting and nerve-racking at the same time, but nevertheless I don't let go.
When we stop at a door way, my eyes are still down, staring at my feet so I don't know who's standing in front of Neji and I, I just know that someone's there because I see their shoes. "Do you have an invitation?" the third pair of shoes asks.
"Neji Hyuuga. I'm on the list," I hear the rustling of paper and then,
"Alright, go straight on in."
Only then do I raise my head to see that we're at the Uchiha Compoud. 'Why are we here?'
Blaring music sends blood pounding into my ears and for the first time tonight I talk to Neji, "What are we doing here?!" I screech overtop of the music. Just then, Naruto comes bounding up to us, Sasuke trailing behind him.
"Yosh! Neji, my man, glad you could make it!! Oh, hiya Tenten! Did you guys come together?" the thought lights up his face, "Aw that's so cute! I always knew you guys would end up together!" he squeals joyfully.
"Um..yeah," Neji sounds slightly nervous, maybe he's just as scared about this as I am? Probably not, "And congratulations on your anniversary," He nods to both Sasuke and Naruto.
Sasuke's and Naruto's anniversary?! Like wedding anniversary? Or dating anniversary? I never even knew they weren't straight!
Sasuke walks away, Naruto follows, and now that we're alone again I turn to him looking for something to say. Racking my mind for something I say the first that comes to mind, "Naruto and Sasuke are gay? They're married?! Or are they just going out…? And how come I didn't even know about any of this?"
"Wow, that's the most you've said all night. Yes, Naruto and Sasuke are gay. They're only going out. Two years and counting."
'It's been two years, and I've never heard of this? Where in the world have I been?'
Neji's voice snaps me out of my mental thoughts, "So, do you want to dance? Or would you rather stand here all night?"
"I-I can't dance," I reply, embarrassed.
"It's easy, here I'll teach you," He doesn't even give me a chance to object, as he is pulling me onto the dance floor where only couples remain- a slow song has just come on. He slides his hands around my waist and I thank my lucky stars that it's dark, therefore he can't possibly see my blush.
I don't know what to do…I look over to another couple, Kankuro and that girl from the sand…Matsuri, well I think it's them, it's really dark, so I look over at them and see that the girl whom I think is Matsuri has her arms around Kankuro's neck.
I tentatively reach up and rest my arms on my shoulders, and hold my hands together at the back of his neck. He leads me in a slow dance and I slowly find myself relaxing, sooner or later I lay my head against his chest…
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Oh, my, gosh. That was one of the best and worst nights of my entire existence. I don't even want to go into details about it. It was both amazing and mortifying. Lovely, horrible. But I will give this up: I hate myself for liking/loving/ being infatuated/ having interest in The Hyuuga Prodigy. But I won't deny that I do, which I find shameful.
He and I are walking, he's walking me home- even though I objected several times. It seems as though I have no say in any of my own personal choices today.
We're so close together, shoulders brushing, I can hear ever breath he takes. He brushes his hand against mine. I suddenly feel extremely nervous as he intertwines his fingers with mine, making my skin warm.
But it's not the kind of warm that spreads throughout your body, oh no. It's the kind that makes the rest of your body crawl with goose bumps.
We're nearing my house. I'm not sure if I'm relieved that we're here or devastated.
We walk up the steps.
We are standing in front of the door, right beside the yellow tulips.
I turn to face him, but this time, it's not to accept my defeat at the training field, "Thank you, for taking me out."
Temari was the one who told me to say this, "Okay, when he walks you home at the end, you have to thank him for taking you out. You have to, it's the rules. Even if you had the worst time of your life."
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Before I know what's going on, his arms are around me. He's leaning in. My breaths are ragged. My eyes are closing, reacting to auto-pilot, I'm not in control; in fact, I think my entire body is. I'm no longer in control of my actions; all that exists is me, me and him. I respond automatically to his touch, his lips are centimetres from mine, millimetres; he's going to kiss me…
"S-stop!" I blurt and jerk away from his hands. What am I doing? I swipe annoyingly at my hair again, and turn so that my back is facing him. I can practically feel his disappointment.
"I- I- I'm s- so, I'm s-sorry Neji."
"It's because your scared isn't it?"
"Yeah," my voice is barely a whisper.
"You don't have to be afraid," he comes around behind me and his muscular arms encircle my waist. I turn to face him- our faces are mere inches apart again, "I'll be right here, with you: the entire time."
He leans in again. My lips yearn for his to touch mine, and yet some unknown part of me says, just as he's about to close that tiny distance between our mouths, "But that's what I'm scared of."
"Face your fears, Tenten," he murmurs, just before he presses his lips against mine.
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Whoa.
The feeling of Neji's lips against mine is intoxicating. This time the warmth spreads down through my neck and throughout the rest of my body, coating it with an essence of pure bliss. This feeling…I don't know, it just feels so right. As though this kiss (my first) has awakened someone inside of me. It's amazing.
Nothing else exists. Reality has melted away, leaving only us two here. I react to his slightest touch. We are one soul, one heart, yet two bodies.
And we aren't even kissing hard. Our kiss is light, but passionate. The slightest amount of pressure sends a wave of pure lust over me. I have everything, but I want more of him.
But, after some odd time, he pulls away all too soon, leaving me both speechless and breathless. He pulls me back into a fervent hug whispering sweet nothings into my long forgotten hair.
"Do you think I'm falling for you, Neji?" I ask softly.
"Of course," He replies.
"How much?"
"Entirely." I can feel him smile into my hair.
"Do you…Do you think I'm…Falling in love, with you?"
"Yes,"
"Do you think I should stop? Could I?"
"I hope not, because you know…I'm falling in love with you too."
I bury my face into his chest, happy to be his. Love may not play fair, but it let me have my fairy-tale ending, so maybe, it's not all that bad.
FINALE FIN.
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Voila. Did you like it? I hope so…Will you review? Pretty please? With wa-mu miso ramen on top?
I can honestly say that I'm really proud of this chappy, I think I did pretty good on it. But of course it doesn't matter what I think. It matters what you think. So do me a major favour and review?
Based on my earlier fantasies, when things were simpler and on this really screwed up msn conversation I had in December [2009].
Dedicated to all those who have dared to love, and have been afraid of it.