She remembered when they were four and they first met at a dinner party. He was loud and clumsy and she laughed at everything he did. She remembered when they were seven and he picked her a muddy bouquet for her birthday. Despite the fact that the "flowers" were actually weeds and that she had never had a thing for flowers in the first place, she accepted them gratefully. It was the thought that counted and after all, he was her best friend. She remembered the first time he met Sakura, and the devotion he promised to her. She also remembered that the cherry blossom girl had instantly rejected Lee on sight because of his looks. Which was really too bad,
Lee was such a sweet guy.
Tenten speared another piece of sashimi with her senbon and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Come on Neji eat some more." The Hyuuga sat quietly beside her, sipping his tea.
"I'm full."
"How can you be full, you barely ate anything!"
"I've eaten a lot. You just eat more than me."
"Hyuuga Neji, what exactly are you trying to imply." Tenten looked at him, twirling a piece of squid on her needle, voice acridly sweet. Neji sweat dropped. He wasn't stupid enough to call any girl a pig or a whale or anything along those lines. Especially not to her face when she was caring a weapon at very close range. He would have to tread carefully.
"Tenten, this is the fifth platter you've gotten. Aside from Naruto and Choji, I have never seen anyone eat as much as you."
Before Tenten could reply a very pretty waitress approached Neji.
"Can I get you more tea?" She flashed a smile full of pearly whites that could rival even Gai-sensei's.
Tenten scowled as Neji nodded and the waitress bent over, revealing a startling amount of cleavage, to pour Neji another cup. Then she walks slowly away, sashaying her hips and swinging her long black hair.
"Whhewww, Hyuuga. Could you be anymore lucky?" Tenten and Neji whirled around to see a smirking Naruto and an annoyed looking Hinata sitting in the booth behind them.
"Excuse me?" Neji asked, frowning, forever the picture of perfect manners.
"That babe was flirting with you man! Couldn't you tell?" Tenten saw Neji's eyes dart from the waitress, furtively to her own face, then back to Naruto's.
"No." Neji said wisely.
"Come on man! Didn't you see that smile? And how low she bent over so you could check out her-"
"Come on Hinata. Lets go get some ice cream." Tenten interrupted. Hinata looked at her surprised and glanced hesitantly at Naruto. Then seeing Tenten's meaningful look nodded and got up. Naruto as oblivious as ever didn't notice, but Neji did.
"Tenten you didn't even finish your sushi." He informed her.
"That's ok Neji. I eat too much anyway." She headed toward the exit, Hinata in tow.
"Why don't you get your little friend to box up the leftovers for you." She threw over her shoulder as she opened the door.
"Hey! Hinata! Where are you-" Tenten closed the door cutting off Naruto's shout.
……
"Men are idiots, plain and simple." She told Hinata ten minutes later. She finished off the last of her triple-chocolate fudge-chip cone, then smiled widely at Hinata. "So don't feel so bad when Naruto does something like that, it's in his nature. Instead just yell at him and walk away, he'll get the point when you're not there to feed him Ramen or to listen to his rambling."
Hinata nodded smiling shyly, licking on her orange sherbet cone. Tenten was glad the younger girl could tell she was partially, only partially, joking.
"Take exhibit A for instance." She indicated the Ichiraku stand, where Choji and Shikamaru sat, about a dozen empty ramen bowls in front of them. As Shikamaru stared lazily at the clouds, Choji stole his uneaten bowl of pork ramen.
"You see. One's a pig and the other is completely oblivious to what's going on around him." Tenten smiled at Hinata's giggles.
"Then there's also the kind of guy who-"
"Tenten!" Tenten turned around to see who had interrupted her little informative chat with Hinata. Lee came running towards them, a look of determination on his face. "I need your help."
"With what?"
"I need you to pluck my eyebrows." The two girls gaped at him.
…..
"I need Sakura to like me. No matter what it takes."
"And why do you think plucking your eyebrows will help?" Tenten asked him, rummaging though her first aid kit.
"I ran into Sakura again today." Lee's eyes turned into hearts. "She was talking to Ino and I went up to say hello and proclaim my undying love!" The hearts disappeared. "But then she told me that she didn't like me, and would never like me. Then Ino said maybe if I plucked my eyebrows I would have a chance, and Sakura screamed something at Ino and the two started fighting. So I left. But I will do anything to get Sakura to like me. YOSH!"
"And here is Exhibit B. The kind of guy that is completely clueless to everything around him," Tenten smiled fondly at Lee, "But he's still undeniably sweet and energetic. He's like a little kid, or a… a… "
"Narcotic puppy?" Hinata suggested shyly. Tenten stared at the normally timid girl in surprise. Maybe going out with Naruto was good for Hinata after all.
"Alcohol?"
"Check."
"Ice cubes."
"Check."
"Lollypop"
"Che- what?" Tenten looked at Lee, "What do you need a lollypop for?"
"Whenever Gai-sensei tells me to go to the hospital, they give me a lollypop." Tenten sweat-dropped.
"Lee I'm plucking your eyebrows, not giving you a booster shot. Now be quiet so I can start."
…..
"Maybe, uh, you should have not taken so much from underneath." Hinata commented timidly to Tenten. Tenten laughed nervously. That was the understatement of the century. Tenten stared at Lee. Lee, or a person that somewhat resembled Lee, stared back.
"Uh, Lee, since you have new eyebrows, maybe you should get a new hairstyle too. You know, out with the old in with the new!"
"Ok Tenten if you think it will help increase my chances of winning over Sakura."
"Right now, anything will help increase your chances." Tenten muttered under her breath, then louder. "Go find me a pair of sissors."
"Yes boss!" Lee sped off.
"You know Tenten." Hinata smiled behind her hand, " Now he actually does look like a narcotic puppy."
……
"Hey! Hinata I've been looking for you all day!" An energetic Naruto jumped in front of them as soon as they enter the local hangout.
"Here." The blue eyed ninja shoved a bunch of flowers at Hinata. "I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. Neji told me why you left." Tenten watched as Hinata's eyes softened and she accepted the flowers from Naruto.
"Thank you Naruto-kun, they are very pretty."
"Yeah, well. Ino helped me pick them out. I'd buy you dinner, but I spent all my money on them." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Heh, maybe I can get Ero-senin to give me some money."
"It's ok
Naruto-kun. I'll treat you to Ramen." Tenten watched as the two
seventeen years olds headed to the Ichiraku bar, filled with something
that was suspiciously close to jealousy. Hinata turned and waved to her.
Tenten waved back then, went to sit at a table. Alone. It sucked being alone on a Friday night.
"Here." A small take out box is shoved into her line of vision. She looked up to see Neji standing next to her.
"What's this?"
"Your sushi."
"My sushi?"
"You, uh, (at this point he actually coughed uncomfortably) told me to get it boxed for you." Despite the reminder to what had taken place before, Tenten couldn't help smile ironically. Trust Neji to take everything she said literally.
"You didn't have to." She opened the box and popped a piece into her mouth. It was cold from being in the refrigerator.
"I know." He slid into the booth beside her and she took note of this. Not across, next too.
"Tenten," Neji cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I want you to know that there is nothing between me and that waitress besides seeing each other over obvious business exchanges."
Tenten bit her lip to keep from laughing. Nobody besides him could make something like this so awkward or sound so formal.
A scream sounded from her right. She turned to see Sakura staring starry-eyed at a black-haired handsome looking guy.
"Tenten, is that?" Neji asked looking completely shocked.
"Lee? Yeah, it is."
He stared.
"How?"
"I plucked his eyebrows."
"You got all that from plucking his eyebrows?" She beamed
"Um, well I did some other stuff too."
Silence.
"Gai-sensei won't like this."
"I know Neji."
"Tenten."
"Mh?"
"You're a miracle worker."
"I know Neji." She smirked at him and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"What can I say? When you're good, you're good."
He glared at her, but didn't push her away.
Yes, she was definitely good.
Yeah! I'm like on a writing spree people. Whoo! Love it, love it. Maybe I should start taking requests...
Anyway. Review! Please and Thank You!
