Disclaimer: If I were to own one character, I'd say I'd like to own Sai. Not only because he's purely made of awesome, but because his glares are hot. And he makes penis jokes. And they didn't cut them in the animation. Yay. But, as it stands, I still work at Sears and haven't done anything with my life yet.
This Is My Destiny
Chapter Eleven
"What do you mean you can't come help me for a week?!" Tenten cried into the phone as she walked down the street to the dance studio. It was only about a twenty minute walk, and she wanted the exercise. Besides, there wasn't a lot of parking at this time of day anyway.
Shikamaru sighed on the other end of his cell phone. "Do you want me to be miserable forever?" he whined. "I'm going to get things set up for Temari. I…have to do it this week."
"Why do you need a whole week off?"
"Promise you won't say anything?"
His serious tone caught her off guard and she frowned, holding the phone closer to her ear.
"I promise. What's going on?"
He took a deep breath. "If this…goes well and she takes to my pleading…I'm going to ask her to marry me."
Tenten's heart leapt and she let out a shriek. "What!!?! Shikamaru are you serious?!"
"Keep it quiet, crazy woman!" he yelled at her. "Gah, you're honestly one of the most-"
"Don't even finish it," Tenten interrupted with a grin. "I know, I know. But seriously? You're going to?"
"Yeah. All or nothing, right?"
Tenten sighed happily. "Well, that's really good. I hope she takes to it, then. I also hope I can find someone to help me in the meantime."
"You don't need help," he said with a frown. "You're an awesome teacher by yourself. The only reason I'm there is because the girls like a guy teaching them."
"I'm not sure whether to take that as praise or vanity."
He chuckled. "Call Naruto. He's always eager to help. You know dancing's one of his favorite things."
"Well, it's a class for girls-"
"You're the teacher. Call him."
Tenten gave in. "Good luck."
"I'll need it."
"Call me with news?" she pleaded.
"In a week."
Click.
Tenten pursed her lips and scanned her phone list for Naruto's number. He didn't work full time, but worked in a small massage parlor, but not the sketchy kind of the 'special massage' variety. He was a fully-trained and skilled masseur, and was very good at what he did.
He answered his phone with a smile in his voice. "Hey Tenten!"
"Hi Naruto, are you working today?" she asked, walking into the studio.
"No, what's up?" he asked.
"I was wondering if you wanted to come help me out at the studio today. I need a volunteer."
"It's nothing crazy like…salsa or quickstep or whatever, is it? You know I can't dance like that."
"I know. It's a class of seven-to-ten year old girls and we're doing ballet. You'll help me lead warm-ups and then supervise. It's just for moral support, basically."
"Shikamaru helps you teach ballet?"
"You think he's nimble from teaching English literature?" she retorted. Naruto snorted on the other end of the phone.
"Fair enough. When do you need me?"
"By three-thirty. Don't wear anything funky, okay? Just some sweatpants and a t-shirt will do."
"Okay! See you at ten thirty!" He hung up with an excited click, if clicks could be excited. Tenten imagined he was now racing around his and Sasuke's apartment, Sasuke having left earlier that morning for law school.
She smiled to herself. This could be an interesting day.
--
At three-fifteen, Naruto came through the door of Tenten's studio room on the fourth floor.
"No one's here yet?"
"You're early," she said with a grin as she hugged him. "Thanks for coming."
"Sure!" he replied, bending down to tie a loose shoelace. "So… ballet, huh?"
"Yep. I won't ask you to do anything. You're just supporting me."
"Why do you need support? Shikamaru said you were a great teacher."
"He always says that. But you'll have fun. Besides, the girls don't always take me seriously."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So you invited me to help you?"
Tenten laughed. "Good point, but they're girls. They listen to boys better anyway."
"Nah, at this age, they worship women like you. But I'll try. Heck, I'll even try whatever you have them doing. I think I could pull something off."
"I'm sorry I left my camera at home, then."
Naruto bit his lip. "Maybe it's best that we don't mention this to Sasuke?"
"Think he'll laugh about it?"
"No. He'll call me an idiot, and wonder why I wasn't cleaning the apartment instead or getting myself a second job."
"Well, he's just grumpy because he has a crappy job and has to go to school all the time."
The door behind them opened and a little black girl with beaded cornrows and a pink leotard covered by her fluffy purple jacket walked in. "Hi, Miss Tenten."
"Hi Neesha!" Tenten exclaimed. "How are you? Did you have a good day at school?"
"Yeah, but I got a lot of stupid spelling words today."
"Aww, spelling's no fun. You're a smart girl, I'm sure you'll do fine."
Tenten patted the girl's head as she walked past to hang up her jacket on a hook above the cubbyholes.
Within fifteen minutes, eleven more girls had walked in, all hanging up their coats and settling themselves in a group on the floor in the middle of the room while they waited for Tenten's instruction.
"Good afternoon, girls!"
"Good afternoon, Miss Tenten!" they chorused, all smiles and giggles. Naruto smirked. Kids were hilarious.
Tenten laughed along with them, sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall that was covered with mirrors. Naruto sat down about a foot away from her and observed with wide, eager eyes.
"I'm sure you're wondering where Shikamaru is."
"Well, yeah. Who's the blond guy?" asked Rosie, a girl with pony-tailed red hair and freckles.
Naruto blushed and Tenten pointed at him. "This is Naruto, he's a friend of mine who wanted to come see what our class is like."
"Mister Naruto, are you married?" Lindsey, a curly-haired blonde asked enthusiastically.
Naruto blushed, his eyebrows raised. "Uh…no! Heh, why do you ask?"
"Can I marry you? You're cute."
"How old are you, kid?" he asked with a grin. Lindsey beamed.
"I'm ten."
"Ten. Well, maybe in ten years, give me a call?" he replied with a wink. Lindsey squealed with delight.
"Okay!"
Tenten rolled her eyes. "Alright, girls, let's get started with some warm-ups."
The girls stood and placed themselves around the room so there was room enough to flail without hitting anyone.
At the stereo, Tenten picked a song and hit play. As the music started, she glanced at Naruto. "Pick a spot and follow my actions. It's easy."
---
Forty minutes later, Naruto was panting as he sat on the ground, amused as all the girls who walked past him with their coats and shoes waved goodbye to him, telling them they'd see him again next time.
"Not so easy, is it Naru-Naru?" Tenten teased, poking him in the arm.
"Not at all," he moaned, slumping over onto his back. "And that was your easy class?"
"This class is like…taking a nap for me. You should try my hip-hop class," she replied knowingly. "You'd probably really enjoy it. The guys are cute too. And legal."
"You know as well as I that I don't look."
"Oh, please," she said with a snort, standing over him with her hands on her hips.
He gave. "Okay, so I look. But…"
"The girls are cute too," she added. Naruto nodded as best he could with his head on the hardwood.
"Alright then. Well, I could try it."
"It's tomorrow night at seven."
"You have weird hours for this place."
"Well, people do go to school. Speaking of school, bring Sasuke to the class. He might like it. It could give him a chance to loosen up."
"I try my hardest to get him to loosen up but he's wound so tight sometimes there's nothing my magic hands can do."
"You two can get pretty comfortable on the dance floor," Tenten observed, sitting down next to him. Seconds later, she joined him by lying down and staring at the ceiling with him.
"If he's drunk enough."
"You guys are pretty serious these days, eh?" she asked gently. Naruto was quiet for a long time.
"I guess."
"How many years?" Her voice was soft with her question.
"Like…forever."
"So more than five?"
"Coming up on seven." He stared at the ceiling and sighed. Tenten's lips curved in the gentlest smile she'd allow herself.
"Seven years is a long time to be with just one person."
"Says you, miss Bounce-Around," he teased, sticking out his tongue.
"What are you saying?" she asked, shoving him with one arm. He laughed.
"Nothing. I'm kidding. You were with Neji for a couple years, right?"
"Two, yeah. Then we broke up and weren't together for a few more and now…" She trailed off and Naruto frowned before finishing her sentence for her.
"Gaara?"
"Yeah."
"Is it official?" he questioned with curiosity.
"Yeah, but we haven't announced it or anything. I guess since you know…it'll be announced for sure. Shikamaru knows, but that's it."
"I'm honored," he said with a grin.
"Well, that's good. It won't be a secret forever…"
His next question made her sit up. "Do you love him?"
"What?" she asked, turning to look down at him where he still lay, only instead of the ceiling, his blue eyes pierced her.
"You heard me."
"I…that's a scary word."
"Did you love Neji?" Naruto asked, still remaining on the floor. Tenten nodded slowly.
Naruto continued. "Then you know what it feels like."
"But it's different with Gaara," she said. "I…don't know yet. It's all a bit soon, don't you think?"
"It's different for everyone," Naruto said, sitting up. "I knew I loved Sasuke the moment he told me where I could shove my textbook when I asked if I could borrow his eraser during English class."
Tenten laughed, but Naruto, joining in her laughter, shook his head. "I mean it!"
"When you know, you know, you know?" Naruto asked, amused by his play on words. Tenten shook her head and chuckled, pushing at him weakly.
"Let's get out of here. I can only handle so much of this place," she said. Naruto stood, helping her up.
"You mean, you can only handle so much of me!"
"Same difference."
--
After dinner that night, Naruto flipped through the channels, leaning with his back against Sasuke's shoulder as the dark-haired man carefully studied a textbook.
"Hey Sasuke," Naruto asked, still flipping channels to remain as nonchalant as possible.
"Mm," came Sasuke's reply.
Naruto would have to work with that.
"I got to thinking today-"
"Good job," Sasuke put in.
Naruto grumbled in his throat, turning to face Sasuke. "Shut up for a sec, I'm trying to tell you something."
Sasuke glanced sideways at him with a raised eyebrow. Naruto had talked back. It must be serious.
"What is it, dobe?"
"Well, I guess I have to tell you the whole thing: I helped Tenten teach ballet today."
"Really?" Sasuke asked, amusement entering his expression.
"Don't laugh!"
"I didn't."
"Anyway, so I helped her teach these little girls ballet today…and then after they all left I got to talking with Tenten about stuff, and she got me thinking. Did you know that we've been together for almost seven years?"
"I hadn't forgotten," Sasuke replied stoically.
Naruto took the book from Sasuke's hands, careful not to lose the page, and shifted his body so his head was on the pillow in Sasuke's lap before handing the book back to him.
Sasuke shook his head with a smirk, knowing full-well that all Naruto wanted was a little 'cuddle time' and wouldn't leave him alone until he got any. Sex was one thing, but quality time was another. Sasuke could handle watching TV or reading in the same room with Naruto, but it wasn't necessarily quality time without acknowledgement. And so, Sasuke draped a free arm over Naruto's chest and used the other to keep his textbook open.
Within moments, Naruto had fallen asleep. Sasuke closed the book and smiled faintly.
"Usuratonkachi," he whispered, reaching for the remote in Naruto's wilted hand. Prying it from his fingers, he turned the TV off and reopened his book to read in comfortable stillness, the only sound coming from Naruto's soft breathing beside him.
--
One evening a few days later, after a particularly tiring tryst in the bedroom, Tenten lay with her head on Gaara's shoulder, a hand resting on his chest. She smiled inwardly at the rate of his heart, still pounding. His breathing was irregular and he panted as he looked down at her where she lay, his eyes half-closed. He said nothing, which was usual for him, and continued to watch her silently, not even studying her, but staring at her face. She returned his stare and allowed the moment to pass between them, anything but awkward. His left arm was around her shoulders, his hand lazily combing fingers through her disheveled hair, out of its usual buns and hanging loose around her shoulders.
She continued to look up at him and say nothing as she watched his expression through dark eyelashes, her own heart pounding and her hand still over his heart. He blinked slowly and drew in a deep breath. He moved slightly, only to reach for the sheet to bring overtop of them. It was these moments that were best. Post-activity, when they lay there together, saying nothing, in silent harmony with each other. She lay next to him, fitting into the slight curve of his body perfectly, one of her legs draped over his. In that moment, he turned to her, intertwining their legs and tightening his right arm around her middle. Leaning forward and kissing her forehead softly, he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.
"Goodnight," he whispered. She smiled gently, nuzzling her head under his chin where she knew it would fit. She didn't need to return the greeting. His saying it was a general "I'm finished and exhausted, let's sleep," so she said nothing.
Behind his closed eyes, Gaara panicked. His heart continued to pound erratically, despite his having calmed down. He was terrified. The more he thought, the more afraid he became. In those last few moments of being with her, not in the sex itself (though that he would not deny as amazing), but in the lying together with her in silence, he realized that it was most probable that he might not ever like being without her. And it scared him. Continuing on that thought pattern, Gaara spiraled until he came to the conclusion that it was quite possible that he loved her. But he had never loved anyone! How was this possible?! How was he to know what love was? How was he to know, when no one had ever loved him! Dalliances were dalliances, but love…was unexplored territory. How was it different to this strange relationship he and Tenten now shared?
His heart continued to pound erratically as his thoughts grew more and more panicked. Tenten, with her forehead against his collarbone, sighed. Her breath tickled him and raised goose bumps over his skin.
"Gaara…I don't want to be cliché and ask you what you're thinking about, but whatever it is, it's freaking you out. Calm down, or talk to me about it."
He tensed, and knew right away that there was no way she hadn't noticed.
"I'm fine," he excused, feeling her scoff against his skin. She pulled back enough to look him in the eyes.
"Right. Well, whatever's bothering you…save it to worry about tomorrow. You need to sleep. It's late," she said with a soft concern etching her features. Gaara bit the inside of his cheek. She was beautiful. He wanted to kiss her.
And kiss her he did. With his free hand, he tilted her chin up and met her lips gently.
"Thank you," he said softly before closing his eyes and settling with a deep breath. Moments later, he was asleep.
--
In the middle of the night, Tenten found herself still awake, staring at the ceiling. Sure, she had every reason to be asleep. She was tired, she had to work in the morning, and the person next to her had shallow, even breathing which soothed her deeply.
But why wasn't she sleeping yet?
She turned to look behind her, as her back was facing him as he slept and found herself smiling. Gaara was lying on his back, as per usual, one arm draped across his middle, while the other lay casually by his side. His lips were slightly parted as he carried on in his peaceful slumber. She thought he looked like an angel.
But he was so far away, she noted. There were times when she'd wake in the middle of the night and find an arm around her, or even a finger or two touching the small of her back, just so there was still contact between them. She wasn't sure if he did it on purpose or it was just an unconscious thing, but still, she loved it. Oftentimes she'd wake up on his chest with his arms around her, unsure of how she'd gotten there.
This evening, however, there was no more contact, as he had rolled over earlier and was sound asleep. She was still awake!
Sighing, she turned to face him and studied him in sleep for a few minutes. She knew he'd probably wake up if she kept on staring at him, so she pursed her lips in frustration and studied the rest of him instead. The heater was on more often in the colder days, so they were both only using the sheet as a covering. As far as her eyes could see, there was the perfect, milky skin of his chest, his arm draped over it as he slept. The moon was shining through the large windows, as Gaara had never been one to shut the blinds in his room, and it illuminated his skin, giving it an ethereal glow.
Boldly, she shifted closer. If she moved too suddenly, she'd wake him up, and she didn't want that.
His left hand, the one that was at his side, was free. She could go for that one, and he probably wouldn't wake up. The probability with that one was a lot higher than, say, snuggling against his shoulder.
She reached for his hand but found herself drawing back at the last second.
Come on, Tenten, what are you so afraid of? You've had those very same hands all over you before, what's the problem in holding it? she argued with herself.
It's a lot different when there's an established relationship. This isn't just fooling around anymore. This time…there's something there, she argued back. This had to be it. The final go!
She brushed his hand with hers before chickening out again and pulling back. He stirred and she cursed inwardly.
He's going to turn over and then you'll have missed your chance, she scolded. Tenten sighed and scooted closer. With one fluid breath and movement combined, she reached forward and wormed her hand under his, lacing their fingers together. He shifted slightly, but his fingers reacted to hers and folded around her hand gently. Tenten's eyes slipped closed and she found a blissful smile spreading across her lips. There, she thought. That's better.
Moments later, she was asleep.
---
Notes: Shikamaru is going to be in the next chapter, Sethsuyara. I know you'll be happy about that. And it's definitely something to look forward to. Just trust me.