Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…but would definitely love to own Gaara!!!! lol
A/N: Hello my loyal readers!!!!!! I got this chapter out sooner than I thought mainly because I've been off of work. But sadly I go back next week!! But I promise I will keep writing. As promised here is the next chapter!! ENJOY! THANK YOU TO ALL MY READERS AND REVIEWERS!!! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!!!!
LOVE AND SECRETS
Chapter 10
Shikamaru Nara knew he was in trouble. For the second time this week he knew that he was in danger of physical pain. He could feel Akira's anger, she had her hand on his leg and her nails where digging through his pants. He was pretty sure she was going to make him bleed. But as he looked at her he realized she wasn't holding on to him in fury; she was holding onto him in concentration. What she was concentrating on he had no clue, but he could tell it wasn't on not looking at Gaara because the two of them had not broken eye contact since he had walked into the tea shop.
All of a suddenly her grip relaxed and she looked a little smug with herself. For the first time since Gaara walked in she looked at Shikamaru and he could see the anger and betrayal in her eyes.
"I am totally going to kill you, but no now because it would be messy and I'm pretty sure it will upset Temari. Although I'm pretty sure she put you up to this," she said, her voice was tense.
"What were you just doing?" Shikamaru asked.
"I was blocking him out. I haven't been able to do it without my chakra wall but I just did it right now. And starting right now I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU," her voice went up when she said those last words.
She looked at Naruto and he squirmed under her gaze. "And don't think you're going to get out of this Uzumaki," she finished off angrily.
"Assholes," she muttered under her breath.
Ayame looked at her best friend and knew she was upset, she wasn't showing everyone how mad she was because over the last two weeks she had somehow managed to control her output of emotions. Ayame could tell all Akira wanted to do was leave. But why wasn't she?
"Want us to go with you to see Iruka?" Ayame offered.
"I can't leave now," Akira said resentfully. "If I leave now then everyone will assume it's because Gaara walked in and I refuse to give into that assumption." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Akira, you can't seriously stop talking to us," Naruto whined.
Silence….she didn't even register that she had heard him. She was completely ignoring him.
"Akira…" Naruto said again.
Again nothing.
Neji couldn't help but laugh. When you pissed of Akira there was no way out of that one. He could tell Akira was serious, which is why Shikamaru had more sense than to push is luck with the angry redhead.
"What's so funny," she asked tersely.
"You didn't even see it coming," he chuckled out.
Akira looked at Neji and realized she had no clue. He was right she never even saw it coming. She was so far off her game it wasn't even funny. A couple of months ago she could have seen the scheme five miles away. And now I'm stuck in this damn tea shop, she thought bitterly.
"I'm off my game," she commented. She saw Neji nod.
She could feel Gaara's eyes boring into her but she refused to look. She could feel Gaara trying to get into her mind, if she thought about too much she was going to let him in. His voice was always comforting when she heard in her mind. To take her mind off of Gaara she looked at Ayame and saw that her friend was looking at her in a way she hadn't in a very longtime.
"What are you up too?" Akira asked.
"Akira please stop ignoring us," Naruto whimpered.
Again nothing.
Shikamaru finally spoke up. "In this situation I find it best to keep our mouths shut Naruto. She's not happy and you really don't want backlash…so just keep it shut," he said in an off-handish tone.
Before Ayame could answer Akira whipped her head in the direction of the characteristically lazy nin.
"BACKLASH?! You have no idea what backlash is!! What the hell were you thinking when you agreed to this," she said waving her hands. "Are you fucking crazy?! You wanna know what backlash is? Talk to Temari after I tell her about a certain incident from 3 years ago! Does she know Shikamaru…does she?"
"You wouldn't," he said anxiously. He knew exactly was she Akira was talking about and he hadn't told Temari about it and never planned to. It was so embarrassing it wasn't even funny.
"I would," she said glowering at him.
"Akira…"
"I could literally kill you right now. You came to my door for two weeks, two weeks. You knew how I felt. You KNOW how I feel right now and you still agreed to whatever bullshit your girlfriend is cooking up! I'm going to tell her but not now because I want to enjoy her reaction and right now I'm too pissed to do that," Akira said retraining the volume of her voice.
Shikamaru knew it was best to keep his mouth shut. He knew she was not joking and gauging the betrayal in her eyes she would most likely keep her word. He didn't want to be around when she did. He started to slide out of the booth when she grabbed his arm.
"Oww owww," he complained as her fingers squeezed his arms.
"I said I wasn't talking to you. I did not say you could leave the table," the fierce redhead said quietly. "You stay until I leave…got it?"
Shikamaru nodded and threw Temari a pleading look but she wasn't looking in their direction. It was all part of the "plan". Shikamaru thought about it and realized the plan may have needed some work. He was suppose to stall Akira long enough for Temari and Gaara to get to the tea shop and after that they were suppose to wing it. Okay…the plan needed a lot of work! He knew it was a bad idea from the beginning but he agreed because Temari begged him too. He never expected Akira to have the reaction she did. He was off his game too.
Ayame did not want to be in Shikamaru's shoes at the moment. Man that nin is in trouble, she thought slightly amused. But she knew what would cheer Akira up; at least she wondered if it still worked.
"I was just thinking about The Bet," Ayame smiled.
Akira looked at her blue eyed friend and felt a grin form. "Not bad Hitsu, not bad at all."
The Bet was the name of the ongoing dare they had going since they were kids. Whenever one of them were feeling off they mentioned The Bet and they would feel better instantly because it meant they were going to have some fun. When they were little they would dare each other to annoy the sensais but as they got older the dares became more elaborate. One time Ayame had dared Akira to steal a pair of Kakashi's underwear. Akira won but not without difficulties, she remembered when Shikamaru bailed her out of the very tight situation (but that didn't mean she was anywhere near to forgiving him at the moment). She was up for a difficult task.
She looked at Ayame and chuckled. "Bring it on…I could use the distraction."
Ayame looked at her best friend and smiled. She had Akira's full attention and there was never a dare Akira didn't take. Ayame folded her arms on the table. "I dare you to kiss every single guy in this tea shop," she said quietly and slowly.
"What!" Everyone at the table exclaimed.
"Now Gaara can be excluded out of the dare because of the history but then if you kiss every guy, people are going to wonder why not the Sand Village's pride and joy. You can leave him for last if you like or you can reject the dare and accept the consequences," Ayame said smiling. She looked around the table a saw everyone's face full of shock and a little fearful of Akira's reaction. But they didn't understand what The Bet meant to the two mismatched friends.
And to everyone's surprise Akira gave Ayame a big smile and said, "You're on! But you do realized there are 17 guys in this establishment, seven of which I know personally," Akira said with a snicker. She was surprised to see she was actually feeling better. Hanging around Ayame wasn't such a bad idea.
"Scared?" Ayame countered.
"Nope but if I do this I start with your boyfriend," Ayame said smiling.
Neji didn't know what the hell was going on but he had never seen this side of Akira or Ayame, it was like they were in their own little world. He kind of liked it. He was now beginning to understand why they were such good friends. They understood each other on a level no one had ever seen before. Part of him wanted Akira to stop but the other part of him wanted to see how far she would take it.
He looked at Ayame and watched as she stared back at her friend. "Deal," he heard her say. He couldn't believe she agreed to it. OH MY GOD! What are they doing? he thought frantically.
Shikamaru stared at the two nins and was amazed that Ayame had gotten Akira to agree to that outrageous dare. Even more he was amazed at how quickly Akira's mood had lightened at the mere mention of The Bet. He had only heard stories of what they dared each other to do but he had never seen The Bet in action. He'd seen the aftermath of The Bet, in fact he bailed Akira out once when she was caught in a comprising situation. But actually seeing it in motion was quite amazing.
Akira stood up in her seat climbed onto the table and cleared her voice. Everyone's eyes turned to the beautiful redhead that was standing on the table. She could hear people in the tea shop starting to whisper. Before she lost her nerve she said, "Now I've got this bet…my friend here doesn't think I can kiss her boyfriend and not have it mean a thing. A kiss is a kiss right? Just a physical connection, no emotions, no strings attached. I am I right?" she asked looking at all the males in the shop except one.
"But my friend here seems to think a kiss means much more than a physical connection. She thinks it means it means you become a part of the person. That's just complete bullshit. I am I right?" Akira heard some of the guys in the tea shop mummur in agreement.
Akira also heard Ayame mutter "cheater" underneath her breath.
You never set the rules, she thought with a smile. "So I'm going to ask for the help from all the males in this fine establishment…wanna help me prove her wrong?"
"Hell yea." She heard a couple of guys mutter.
She could feel Gaara's eyes burning into her but she refused to see his reaction. She didn't want to think about him. She just wanted to have some fun. As she reached down for Neji's hand she saw another male walk into the tea shop…Lee. Just great…18 males, she thought as Neji refused to stand up.
"Ayame I could use your help here," Akira said under her breath.
"You have to…I dared her and I'll be damned if I have pay her back because you refused to kiss her. Go," Ayame said urging Neji. He reluctantly stood up.
"You act like I'm going to kill you," Akira laughed. "You can close your eyes if you like," she suggested.
"Hell no," Neji said. "The both of you are crazy. What have you done with the real Akira?" Neji said grumbling as he climbed on the unstable table.
"She's here sweetheart. She's trying to have some fun," Akira said smiling.
"What about Gaa—" Neji started off but didn't finish because Akira's lips fell over his.
They were soft…the kiss didn't feel like anything he had experienced with Ayame. Even though Ayame's kisses took his breath away Akira's was sweeter, softer…a different experience. And before he could stop the thought he wanted more; more of her soft touch, more of her sweet lips and more of her.
Akira felt absolutely nothing. She wanted to say it was like kissing her brother but she would NEVER kiss her brother. It felt like when you give your best friend a kiss while the both of you are drunk as shit and neither of you are aware of what you are doing. But she was aware of what she was doing and she was very aware of aware of Neji wanting more…she could feel it in his kiss.
Gaara had always told her she was an exceptionally skillful kisser but she always thought he was exaggerating but now she was reconsidering it. It was the only explanation for why she could feel Neji's lips ask for more. So before he did something he's regret later she broke the kiss.
She turned around to look at the crowd that had formed. She saw everyone's face was "ohh" in complete shock. "See...nothing," she said smirking.
"Absolutely nothing," she said stepping down from the table. Neji was still standing on the table.
"One," she whispered to Ayame.
Akira turned and walked over to Naruto. He looked at her, his blue eyes were wide in complete amazement. Might as well get the one's I know over, she thought as she took his face in her hands.
"You up for it Naruto," she whispered. But she didn't wait for an answer. Her lips lightly touched Naruto's.
Absolutely nothing…nothing made her skin crawl; nothing took her breath away…nothing. And she could feel Naruto could feel nothing too. He sighed into the kiss. Both nins broke the kiss at the same time.
He grinned, "I thought you weren't talking to me."
"We don't have to talk to kiss," Akira countered. She really was feeling better. Back to her old self. The Akira before Gaara.
"Well I'll give you one thing," Naruto whispered, "you're one damn good kisser."
"Ha, thanks. Now if you don't mind," she said motioning for him to move over so she could get to Shikamaru.
She always wondered what it would be like to kiss Shikamaru but they had never allowed themselves to get involved, even before they met the Sand siblings. She looked at him and saw him shaking his head.
"No it's okay…I opt out," Shikamaru said shaking his head.
"Are you scared?" Akira taunted. "Scared your girl's gonna get mad?"
She sat next to him. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "You owe me Nara, you owe me BIG time."
She heard two chairs scraping the floor and was pretty sure Temari and Gaara had gotten out of their chairs. She was sure they hadn't left because she could still feel Gaara's eyes on her like a hawk. She could also feel his fury…it was coming off of him in waves, tidal waves. She knew he wanted to know what she was doing.
"You owe me," she said again.
"Fine but if I get my ass kicked then I'm staying at your house for protection," he grumbled.
"Come on, aren't you just a little curious what it's like?" Akira said teasing him.
He was, he always had been, but it didn't mean he had to give into his curiosity. Damn it Temari is going to kill me, he thought miserably. But he did owe Akira and he hoped this would make up for his participation in Temari's plan.
"I owe you," he said quietly. He knew Akira was going to be a pain in the ass and he prepared himself for the worst
But it never came. Instead he felt the softest lips he had ever tasted. It was weird; it was nothing like when he kissed Temari. It was different, not bad…just different and as hard as it was to admit it felt good. She tasted like strawberries and against his better judgment he wanted more. He was fighting the urge to pull Akira closer. He keep thinking if this is what it would have felt like if he had given in to the urge to kiss her years ago.
Akira thought she would feel nothing. She thought it would be like it was with Neji and Naruto but it wasn't. For the first time ever, another guy had caused some emotion in the pit of her stomach. His lips weren't as soft as Gaara's but they were just as skillful. She could feel his tongue asking her lips for entrance and against her better judgment she let him in. She thought it would feel like an intrusion but it didn't. It felt wonderful; she felt a golden warmth spread from the pit of stomach to the tips of her fingers. She was enjoying herself and she knew she shouldn't.
Her lips were tingling and she wanted more. She wanted to run her hands thru his hair but fought the urge, not because she knew it would be wrong; she fought it because they were in the middle of the tea shop and there were witnesses present. She broke the kiss before the rest of the shop became suspicious.
"Damn," Shikamaru whispered not able to look Akira in the eye. He was afraid she would see the desire for more.
"Damn Nara, if I knew it would be that good I would have done it a long time ago," Akira said so that only Shikamaru could hear her.
What the hell had gotten into Akira? Shikamaru thought to himself and then he realized something. He remembered THIS Akira…the fun, never took shit from anyone, never let herself get attached to anyone Akira. The Akira before Gaara, the very crazy Akira he had fallen in love with.
He watched as she turned around to some very random stranger and said, "I don't kiss strangers, your name sir?" she asked.
He looked bewildered but offered his name. "Mao."
She took his face and planted her lips on his. Nothing. Broke it pretty quickly.
Picked another guy, asked for his name and still nothing except him trying to slip his tongue in her mouth. She broke the kiss pretty fast after that.
Take that Ayame, she thought as she kissed the 7th guy. After the 10th guy nothing felt like it did when she kissed Shikamaru. She couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. It was sweet and demanding but he never took more then what she gave him. She could now feel two pairs of eyes wondering what the hell she was doing. She could hear Ayame soft giggle. As she blocked everything out, she wondered if she would let herself kiss Gaara.
Gaara was beyond mad. He was infuriated; he was so upset he could feel white hot anger flowing out of him. What the fuck was Akira doing?
"What the hell is she doing," Gaara asked through clenched teeth.
"I have no fucking idea," Temari said not knowing whether to be mad that Akira had kissed Shikamaru or amused that she was smooching total strangers.
"You really should take a breath and calm down Gaara," Temari said sensing the anger coming off her brother.
"We came to get her to listen to me. Not to see her kiss a bunch of fucking strangers," he said barely above a whisper. "And how come your not over there yelling at her? She KISSED Shikamaru!"
"I'm curious," Temari started off.
"About what," her brother asked still furious.
"Well if she kisses every guy in this shop then that means she's gotta come over here because if she doesn't then people are going to wonder. And if I know Akira she doesn't want people to wonder. Now if she's going to kiss you…I really don't know. I think she will because she doesn't want people to talk. And if she kisses you then you got your way in," Temari finished off smiling.
"What makes you think I'd want to kiss her after all this," Gaara retorted. He was annoyed his sister wasn't as angry as he was. "Why aren't you pissed?"
"Because my amusement is winning over my anger and I really want to know why she's doing what she's doing. Of course you're going to want to kiss her. You're mad because you're jealous. Gaara open your eyes, this is the Akira you met. She was responsible in every aspect but her social life, she loved to have fun and she enjoyed every minute of being reckless. And then she fell in love with you and reckless wasn't something she wanted…all she wanted was you. Maybe…she just wants to be reckless again. It doesn't matter because once you kiss her you'll know why she's doing what she's doing," Temari said still smiling. Her eyes never leaving Akira; that must have been her 13th guy, she thought to herself.
"I don't know if that's going to work," Gaara grumbled. "She's got me completely blocked off and it got stronger once she kissed Shikamaru."
Temari's head snapped over to her brother. "What does that mean?"
"I mean as soon as we walked in she blocked me from entering her thoughts but she could do that before so that's not surprising. BUT I've always been able to feel what she's feeling. As soon as she kissed Shikamaru it was gone. I've got nothing Temari she's a blank fucking slate! So I don't even know how she's feeling right now," he complained.
"She's never been able to block you out that way?" Temari asked wondering what the hell was going on. She saw her brother shake his head. "Then you have to kiss her."
Gaara closed his eyes as Akira reached Rock Lee. He couldn't watch her kiss him because he knew that she crushed on him in the past and he knew that the stupid green suited ninja was still in love with Akira.
Lee didn't know what was going on. He watched in complete shock as Akira kissed every possible guy in the tea shop. He realized as she walked toward him that there were only two guys left in the shop she hadn't put her lips on, himself and Gaara. Shit, he thought as he back away towards the door.
"Now, where are you going Rock Lee," Akira asked deliberately bringing everyone's attention to the both of them.
"Nowhere," he blurted out.
"Really? Cuz it looked like you were trying to slip out," Akira said quietly as she reached him.
She crossed her arms across her chest and said, "I'll give you a choice…you can walk out the door or you can let me kiss you. Your choice."
She was smiling because she knew exactly which one he wanted to pick. But she was curious to see which one he would actually pick. She could tell he was trying to figure out what she was doing but she didn't even know why she agreed to this insane bet. All she knew is that she felt better than she had in the morning and that was worth everyone thinking she was crazy.
He stepped forward and said, "I'll step up to the challenge!"
"Good. Now that's the Lee I like," she said stepping closer and gently placing her lips on his.
Lee felt her silky lips and knew he had gone the right way. He could taste her lips and even though they had been on every male in the tea shop they still taste like her…like strawberries. He never asked for more than what she was offering and to his surprise it was her tongue that slid across his bottom lip asking for permission to enter.
For the second time that day Akira felt her lips tingle. It wasn't like Shikamaru's kiss, which was full of unbridled passion and left her wanting more. As soon as her lips touched Lee's, everything felt right. The kiss felt right, it didn't feel like it something she was doing to make herself feel better. Lee felt…right. She found herself wanting more from the simple kiss he was offering her. She licked his bottom lip and he cracked open his lips. She took the opportunity to slip her tongue in to see how it felt.
She felt his hand touch the small of her back and slowly bring her body closer to his, as if asking for permission. She smiled in encouragement and felt her hands wrap themselves around the back of Lee's neck. She gave herself into the kiss. It felt like the natural thing to do. The kiss didn't take her breath away but it did feel good. It wasn't forgettable. It was something she felt herself wanting more of…Lee's soft touch.
It was Lee who broke off the kiss. As soon as his lips left hers she felted like she had lost something. "I think everyone will get jealous if I get more lip time with you than anyone else," he told her softly in her ear.
All Akira could do was nod. If this isn't the weirdest day ever, she thought as she tried to compose herself. "Why don't you have a girl if you can kiss like that?" Akira asked the bushy browed nin in front of her.
"Because I've only been interested in one person and she hasn't been available," he answered softly.
"That's one lucky girl," Akira said softly as she turned her back on Lee.
She was going to walk towards the only guy left when she turned around to face Lee and said, "If she's not interested you could always knock on my door."
As soon as the words left her mouth she heard Gaara growl, quietly but still audibly. She heard Shikamaru mutter "crazy" and took a look at Ayame's face and saw the biggest grin on her friend's face she had ever seen.
She turned and slowly walked toward Gaara. She heard the rest of the shop whispering and caught only a few words as she made her way over to her forbidden redhead.
She knew what they were whispering about. NO GIRL had ever gotten into the Sand nin's good graces. Apparently no girl was good enough for him. He never gave the time of day to any female. But Akira knew why, Akira was the reason for Gaara's indifference to the other women in the village. She smiled as she reached the person who held her heart.
She could still feel his anger and knew it had gotten ten times worse when she kissed Lee. Mainly because everyone in a 5 mile radius could tell Akira had enjoyed that kiss. She looked at him and still felt her heart skip a beat. Damn it. He still has it, she thought as she stood in front of the very angry jade-eyed nin.
"Are you up for it?" she asked him not breaking eye contact.
"Are you?" he countered.
"Always."
She took his face in her hands and felt his hands come on top hers; she felt the electricity his touch always had. She leaned into his ear and whispered, "You know you really should get over me. We're no good for each other."
Her breath tickled his ear and he felt goose bumps rise on his skin. She always did that to him. She was the only one who ever made him feel that way. The physical touch still had done nothing for their connection. She was still as blank as a slate and that was really starting to irritate him.
"Is that what you're doing? 'Getting over' me," he whispered into her ear. He felt her slightly shiver as his thumb caressed hers. He took pleasure in knowing he still had that physical affect on her after all the useless guys.
She gave him a small smile. "Gaara you're going to get in trouble," she said quietly.
"Akira I really don't give a damn," he countered just as quietly as she did.
He looked into her milky brown eyes and knew that she was going to kiss him. She wasn't going to back out. Maybe the kiss would restore his ability to feel what she was feeling. It was very frustrating not be able to be inside her head.
"Stubborn redhead," she grumbled.
"Could say the same for you," he muttered back but he couldn't continue because her lips had touched his and everything and everyone melted away.
Their lips touched and it was as if no time had passed. His arms wrapped themselves around Akira's waist and pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to catch her breath. There was no comparison in Gaara's kiss, no competition. Gaara's kiss was in another league. Her skin was on fire and she remembered why there was so much passion between them.
He felt her velvety lips and knew he was in. Gaara nibbled on her bottom lip and heard a soft moan that always drove him crazy. She was under his skin again and all he wanted to do was cover her in kisses. He had forgotten they were in the middle of a tea shop. He had forgotten there was a crowd of people in the room. The only thing he cared about was being with Akira. The taste of her lips was intoxicating. He was fully enjoying the fact that he was the only one who could literally take her breath away.
Akira felt her knees weaken and against her better judgment (there seemed to be a lot of that today) she tightened her grip around his neck and felt him lift her effortlessly so that she could wrap her legs around his perfectly toned torso. It was instinctive, something that came naturally when they were together. She heard everyone's very audible gasps but she didn't care for two reasons; the first one because she was enjoying herself way too much and the second because she was having her own private conversation with her forbidden Sand nin.
As soon as their lips had touch every barrier Akira had put up had been broken down and Gaara had full access to the inside of her mind. He could see every memory she had been trying to hide from him. He could feel everything she was trying to keep to herself. And even though he saw the memory that led to this crazy kissing streak he still couldn't help but ask.
You want to tell me what the hell you're doing? His angry voiced filled her mind.
Just having some fun, Akira responded smiling.
Are you enjoying yourself, he growled.
Are you jealous, she snapped back.
Akira…
Gaara, we're no good for each other, her sweet voice told him softly.
This feels good, he retorted as he walked her body into the wall of the teashop. Tell me you want me to stop.
You know I don't, Akira told him as she ran her fingers thru his uncontrollable scarlet locks.
So what are you doing, she heard his voice ask softly.
I am trying to get you to see we can't be together, she replied still running her fingers thru his hair.
His hand moved to her hair and he felt her legs tighten around his abdomen. I don't care.
Don't say that.
I love you, he said as his hands moved down her back.
Don't say that, she begged him.
Why?
You know why, she answered.
Because we don't belong together, he spit out. I don't care. You already left your mark. Don't ask me to move on. Don't ask me to get over you.
She felt his hand on the small of her back. She shivered. Damn it Gaara.
She broke the kiss before they dug themselves in an even bigger hole. She was breathless. "Still the best," she whispered so only he could hear.
"Let me back in," he demanded realizing that as soon as their lips separated he was locked out of her mind again. He was a little pleased when he realized he could still feel what she was feeling. He was delighted to feel she still wanted more.
"Let me go," she murmured in his ear.
"You're worth everything I have to give up," he whispered in her ear. He slowly let her go. "Don't ever forget that."
"It's a little too late for that Gaara, a little too late," she muttered as her feet hit the floor. "Please just let me go," she said as she separated her body from his.
He felt every drop of Akira's pain and knew she wasn't trying to hurt him, she just trying to do what was right for him. Before she walked away he whispered, "It's a little too late for that."
Akira tried to compose herself and realized everyone was in complete and utter shock to see the reaction both she and Gaara had. She tried to think of something to say but came up blank. Thank God Ayame came to her rescue.
"Ha ha…while that kiss was a little steamier then the rest, it was still just a physical connection. You win," she said laughing nervously. She walked over to her friend and put her arm around Akira's shoulders.
"You sure proved me wrong. Can we get a round of applause for my very ballsy friend," Ayame asked as she led Akira back to the booth where Naruto, Shikamaru, and Neji were sitting at.
Akira heard a loud applause as she walked with Ayame. "Thanks," she said almost inaudibly.
Ayame smiled. "Anytime."
Akira heard some of the guys in the tea shop whisper, "She can use me to prove her friend wrong anytime."
"That was not smart," Akira muttered as she sat next to Shikamaru. "Not smart at all."
"Actually if you ask me, even if you don't ask me, that was the best thing I've ever seen in my entire life!" Ayame exclaimed.
"I totally agree," Naruto said nodding his head.
Neji wouldn't look Akira in the eye and Shikamaru was busying himself with the sugar cup in the table.
"Stuuuuuupid," Akira muttered to herself.
But Ayame refused to let Akira ruin the moment. "But you do feel better, don't you?" she asked her best friend.
"Better?" Akira questioned and then thought about what had just happened. There were only three memorable kisses: Shikamaru's, Lee's and Gaara's. She realized she was going have to talk to Neji later but as she thought about those three very different kisses she realized she did feel better. "Yeah, I guess I do feel better."
"Then it was all worth it," Ayame said nonchalantly.
"You're bad," Akira said simply.
"Not as bad as you," Ayame responded smiling. "Which reminds me, that kiss with Lee was something," Ayame said with a sly smile.
"Damn, where is Lee," Akira muttered as she looked around the tea shop for a green suit. She saw Gaara at the door with Temari. He was waiting for something.
"He left, didn't seem to like watching you and Gaara kiss," Shikamaru said with little emotion.
Akira was pretty sure Shikamaru hadn't liked it either. "Damn."
"So…" Ayame pushed.
"So what?" Akira said tilting her head at her ocean eyed friend.
"Which kiss was better? Lee or Gaara?" Ayame asked with genuine curiosity.
"Gaara," she said without thinking. Akira heard Shikamaru whisper "shit" and wondered what the hell was wrong with him.
"But," she continued, "Lee's was different. Not bad different but make me want more different. It's hard to describe."
"Would it make you happy to know that Gaara was PISSED to see you kissing a bunch of random strangers," Naruto said lively.
"Bad," Akira said in a mock scolding tone.
"He was mad," Shikamaru said.
"Mad enough to get over me," Akira asked raising an eyebrow.
"Nope," Naruto said. "I've known him for a long time and he wasn't that mad. But he is mad enough to do something stupid. Like that make out session you guys just had."
"Stop smiling like a goof ball," Akira told Naruto. "We are not back together."
"I know but the village now knows that Gaara is now interested in a certain someone," Naruto said with a huge grin.
"ARGH!! That's not what I wanted," Akira complained. She scrubbed her face with her hands. She very confused, mainly because she couldn't stop thinking about the three particular kisses.
"I know but it's what he wanted," Naruto said pointing to Gaara. "Now if you don't mind I'm going to get details from my best friend," Naruto said giggling as he walked over to the Sand siblings. But to his surprise he found Gaara and Temari were walking over to the table where Akira was. Uh-oh.
Gaara reached the booth, sat down next to Akira and leaned into her ear. "This isn't over, you owe me an explanation," he whispered softly in her ear.
And for the second time that day Akira felt herself revert back to her old self. "If you wanted another one sweetheart all you had to do was ask," she whispered delicately. She lightly kissed both his cheeks.
Her lips moved to his ear. She lightly kissed his earlobe. Responsible Akira would not have done it. Reckless Akira was enjoying every one of Gaara's responses. "Let me go Hisui."
He didn't know what got into Akira but the more reckless she was the more attracted he became. He placed his hand behind her ear and brought it to his lips. "You know you should have been like this when we were together. I kinda like you reckless," he whispered huskily.
She smiles and licked his earlobe. "I know you do. The best part when we were together was the danger being caught. But you know you really should go, people are going to start talking. And you don't want that."
"This isn't over," he murmured as he kissed her earlobe. "Not over," he repeated letting her go and standing up.
He stood over her and crossed his arms over his chest, put his usually stone face on and said, "Are we leaving now Naruto?" But he looked straight at Akira never breaking eye contact until Temari touched his shoulder.
"I'll see you at home Shikamaru," was all she said.
"Yeah let's go," Naruto said as he touched Gaara's other shoulder. All three shinobis walked out of the tea shop.
"What the hell has gotten into you," Shikamaru complained with wide eyes.
"Nothing," Akira said turning to look at him.
"Nothing?" he question. "That did not look like nothing. You go like 5 months not acknowledging his existence and now, NOW you decide to throw that all that out the window and act…act…crazy," he said stressing the last word.
"What is wrong with you Shikamaru," Akira said raising an eyebrow. "You come to my bedroom door for two weeks and tell me that I need to get back to normal. That I need to be the Akira I've always been and then when I act like the girl that you've known forever and you freak on me. What the hell is that about?"
"I'm not freaking out. It's just…I haven't seen this side of you in a long time and…" he was quiet while he thought about what he wanted to say. "It's just…what the hell did the Hokage say to you?"
"Ha…that's what you wanna know? Bullshit," she said smiling. She had some idea of what was wrong with him. And they were going to deal with it right now.
"Excuse us," she said grabbing one of Shikamaru arms and dragging him out of his chair. "Sorry Yame, I'll see you tonight and tell you about all the details. Right now me and this butt head have a couple of things to talk out which I don't want to bore you," she said as walked away and out of the tea shop.
It was mid-afternoon and she realized she had been in the stupid shop for a very long time. She was aware of Shikamaru's reluctance to be alone with her. She dragged him to the back of the tea shop where she knew they would be alone with no interruptions.
She pushed him against the wall and put her hands on her hips. "You're going to tell me exactly what the hell is wrong with you."
"Nothing," he said stubbornly.
"Nothing?" she questioned. She saw him nod his head.
"Nothing," he whispered.
"Nara…" she said looking at him and knowing exactly what was wrong with him. "You're mad you kissed me back."
It was a statement not a question. He looked at her in silence. He was mad he kissed her back. He was mad he felt something he shouldn't. He was mad he didn't get to kiss her the way Lee did. He was mad she kissed Gaara the way she did. But most of all he was mad that he was feeling jealous. He was in a relationship and he shouldn't want to kiss Akira again.
"So you're going to give me the silent treatment," she observed quietly. "That's just awesome," she said as she stood next to him with her back against the wall.
"I wanted more…and I shouldn't," he started off quietly as he slid down to the cement floor. "I shouldn't be thinking about your lips but I am. I shouldn't be jealous but I am. And this wouldn't be happening if you hadn't agreed to that stupid bet."
Akira sighed. She wasn't surprised by his confession but strangely she didn't feel any guilt. She was starting to wonder maybe there was something wrong with her. "Would it help to know I wanted more too," she asked just as quietly. "And I shouldn't because…"
"You're still in love with Gaara," he finished.
"That obvious, huh?"
"What about Lee?" Shikamaru asked.
"That was weird. I would have never thought I'd want to kiss him. It was just weird," she said closing her eyes.
"You're confused," Shikamaru observed.
"You still know me the best," she confessed.
They sat next to each other in silence. Akira was confused. She still love Gaara he was the only one would made her feel like her world was upside down. But Shikamaru had passion she never thought he had BUT he was unavailable. And Lee…Lee was available. Lee didn't make her blood boil but he did make feel wanted and she didn't feel it was wrong to be with him. At was all very confusing. She put her fingertips to her temples and pressed down on them.
"You're very confused," he noted when he saw her massage her temples.
"I've got a theory Shikamaru," she whispered more to herself.
"About us?"
"Yep. There's a reason you want more of me," she started off.
"Which is?"
"because in there—" she said pointing to the tea shop "—I was the Akira you fell in love with. I haven't been her in a long time. But that's not the only reason."
"Really?"
"When we were growing up we never let ourselves hook up," she said smiling. Her fingertips were still rubbing her temples. "I think we've got an overflow from never letting ourselves—"
"Be together," Shikamaru finished off. "So what's your proposed solution?"
"What? The smart ass doesn't see the solution. I thought you were always three steps ahead," she chuckled.
"I know what it is. I'm hoping you've got an alternative," he sighed.
"No alternative Shikamaru," she muttered.
"Do you really think letting ourselves give each other another kiss is the smartest idea?"
"No I don't. Personally I think we should…just to get it out of our systems. Morally I think it's wrong. Personally I don't care. Morally I should. Morally Shikamaru I shouldn't be thinking about you that way and not just because your Temari's boyfriend; also because you're my friend and I really don't want to lose you because I did something stupid. Soooo I'm just going to go before something else happens," she said standing up and dusting off her pants off.
Shikamaru knew his next move was going to be stupid but didn't care. He stood up and before Akira knew it he had her pressed up against the wall. "Get it out of our systems right," he said a little breathless.
"Nara…" Akira cautioned as she felt his hands pin hers to the wall.
"I've got to be able to look at you and not want you. So if this works then why don't we just forget about our morality," he whispered in her ear.
She felt the hair rise on her arms. She was trying to convince herself to walk away but her reckless half won out. "Forget morality," she said as she freed her hands and took his around her waist.
"Out of our systems," were the last words Shikamaru said as his lips touched hers.
As soon at their lips touched it was just like before. She still tasted like strawberries. Her lips were softer and now he didn't have to restrain himself because nobody was watching them. His hand went up her back and landed right behind her neck. He felt her hands slide up his shirt and he involuntarily shivered. She chuckled but never broke the kiss. Shikamaru press his body closer to hers to feel her body heat. He was letting himself go too far and he knew it.
Akira felt his tongue slip into her mouth and she sighed. She was all too aware of his body pressed against hers; all too aware of the need for more his kiss was asking. She was also all too aware of her need for more of him. Instead of breaking the kiss she felt his lips move to her jaw and then to her neck, all the while planting small soft kisses. She didn't stop him because for some reason she wanted more and she didn't know why. She knew she should, she knew she should not have been enjoying herself but all she could think about was what he looked like without his shirt.
And that was a thought that should have never entered her mind. So before she did something that she'd regret later she called out his name, which seemed to bring them both back to their right senses.
"Damn it," he muttered. His grip on her had loosened but his body was still tightly pressed against hers.
"You can say that again," she whispered, letting her hands fall to the side.
Neither one of them made any move to separate their bodies. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She felt his forehead gently fall on her right shoulder.
"Damn it," he said quietly. "We should not have made that pact when we were young," he complained softly.
"The one where we pinky swore we'd never hook up," Akira laughed quietly. "Why?"
He lifted his head off her shoulder and took her face in his hands. He waited until she looked him in the eye. "Because this would be out of our system."
"But it's not," she confessed softly.
Shikamaru saw her smile. "What's there to be happy about?" he asked miserably.
"I've got an idea," she continued to smile. "We could just pretend this never happen!"
"Akira Kioshi that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say," he said. But he smiled because he knew she was just trying to lighten the mood.
"So what now Nara?" she asked placing her hands on top of his.
"We forget that—" he began.
"—that we're attracted to each other," she finished off. "That should be easy," she said sarcastically.
"Hey I could use your help here…a little will power," he said finally pushing himself off of her. There was about an inch of separation between their bodies.
"Right…forget…I can do that," she said lightheartedly.
"Akira…"
"I'm sorry Shikamaru," she said softly.
"For what?"
"For reverting back to my old self," said with a small smile.
He took her hand in his. "I like you better like that."
She smiled. "You belong with Temari."
"You belong with Gaara," he whispered.
"No," she answered as she pushed herself away from him. "I belong…alone. Always have," she finished off sincerely.
"Kioshi—"
"Go home Shikamaru," she said as she walked away from him. "Just go home."
He watched as she disappeared around the corner.
Now all I have to do is forget. Great! Maybe I should have asked her how to do that, he thought miserably as he put his hands in his pockets and walked to Temari's place.
The room looked different from the way he remembered it. He remembered sneaking into it in the past. The dressers and the walls were bare. There was a small glow from an alarm clock on her nightstand. It was waaaaaay passed midnight and he knew he shouldn't be there. But after everything that happened that afternoon he couldn't help but come and see her.
He slowly walked over to the edge of the bed. He was surprised he didn't trip on the stupid rug in the middle of Akira's room. He looked around for it and realized it was gone. He reached the edge of her bed and watched her; he watched her even breathing as she slept. The moonlight hit her ivory skin making it glow. She was beautiful just laying there hugging her pillow. He walked around to the side of her bed to catch a glimpse of her face. Her striking scarlet hair was brighter against her white linen sheets. One strand of hair had fallen across her face.
Without a second thought he brushed his fingertip across her resting face and moved the lock of hair behind Akira's ear. Suddenly he felt her fingers grip his wrist and he froze into place.
Her sweet voice filled the quiet room. "Subaku just what do you think you're doing?"
A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! And I hope to have the next one in the next two weeks. Let me know what you think!!!!