Trick
By: Sonnie
"This is really, really stupid," Temari whined for the thousandth time that night.
"You should have thought of that before you volunteered," Gaara told her darkly. "And you definitely should have thought of that before you volunteered the rest of us."
"For once, my brother and I are in full agreement," Kankurou told her. "Honestly, there's gotta be a better way of impressing him than this."
"I'm not doing this to impress him," Temari told him firmly. "I'm doing it to prove I can."
"Yes. You; exactly. Not us. We do not belong here."
"Shut up, Gaara, this is going to be easy."
"Easy doesn't always mean pain-free."
"Chicken shit."
"Bitch."
"How old are we again?" asked Kankurou tiredly.
"We're siblings; we can do this until we die."
"Which might be sooner rather than later."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Why not?"
"I'm your sister."
"That's never stopped me before."
"Could we please act like adults?" Kankurou interrupted. "It's bad enough that Temari volunteered to hand out candy at Shikamaru's apartment and volunteered us too, but I for one am not spending tonight listening to you two bicker."
"Pussy."
"Drama queen."
"Ugh, this whole holiday is dumb," Kankurou grumbled, shooting evil looks at both his brother and sister. "The whole idea of dressing up in costumes so you can beg for candy is ridiculous. Where's Shikamaru going to be that he can't hand out candy at his own place, anyway?"
"…Trick-or-treating," Temari said finally, looking away.
"He's nineteen," Gaara said. "Trick-or-treating is for little kids."
Temari's reply was cut off by Tenten and Shikamaru, who just emerged from her bedroom, arguing loudly.
"When you said a nurse's outfit, I thought you meant a real nurses outfit, as in 'I'll ask Sakura to nick one from the hospital she works at,' not 'I'll go to local adult retail store and buy the skank-a-licious version,' " Tenten snapped.
"It looks nice," Shikamaru said weakly as he followed her, trying in vain to finish zipping up the back of the very tight dress.
"Honestly, what size is this thing?" Tenten growled, swatting his hands away.
"A large," Shikamaru said vaguely.
"And what was the little number below the big 'L,' Shikamaru?" Tenten demanded.
"…Four."
"Four is a large only if you're selling clothing to girls under thirteen," Tenten hissed. "I'm a size eight, and that's on a very good day. Do I look like a freaking size four to you?"
"Um…" Shikamaru was honestly dumbfounded. "…Yes?"
"Ugh!" Tenten threw something at him in disgust.
"Hey, be careful with that," Shikamaru admonished, catching it gently.
"Why, did you buy that at Fast Times, Faster Women, too?"
"No, but you need it for the costume."
"And what about your costume?" Tenten demanded. "The only reason I'm wearing this is because I got to pick yours. But where is it?"
"Back in my room," Shikamaru assured her. "It's too hot to wear in here. I just had the heat turned on last week."
"I had the heat turned on last week," Tenten corrected.
"Same difference," Shikamaru grumbled.
"Go put on your costume," Tenten told him. "And don't take too long. I'll only be a few minutes, then we can go."
Shikamaru shuffled to his bedroom, not sparing a glance at any of the Sand siblings. They had the feeling he wasn't intentionally ignoring them.
"I wonder what she's making him wear?" Kankurou said after a moment.
"I hope it's ridiculous."
"I hope it's sexy."
Blond and red-haired heads turned sharply to their sister.
"It was a joke."
"Right."
"Honestly, Temari, keep your hormones under control."
"Shut up, Kankurou," Temari snapped.
"Temari, this night is going to be awful; I have every right to make fun of you," Kankurou told her.
"Damn it!"
All three Sand siblings turned to the bathroom where Tenten disappeared a moment earlier.
"…Are you okay?" Kankurou asked hesitantly. Things between them weren't normal yet and he didn't want to push her. Sharing a crowded bathroom with her would be quite uncomfortable.
"Yeah, sort of," came the reply.
"Uh, need some help?" Kankurou winced at the question.
"Actually, yeah," Tenten told him.
Kankurou hesitated before he went over to the bathroom. Before his knuckles hit the door, she opened it.
"Wow," he said breathlessly.
"Shut up and help me fix it," Tenten commanded. "You're the only other person in this apartment that's any good with this kind of stuff. I'm pretty bad—admit it."
Kankurou tilted his head and studied her. He opened his mouth then closed it again, trying to think of a nice way of stating the obvious. "Well…I'm sure there are people here that are worse," he finished lamely.
"I'm going to kill Shikamaru," Tenten vowed, but the eye patch she wore made it hard for him to take her seriously. "Making me dress up like this is his sick idea of a joke."
"Well, the wig is actually very high quality," Kankurou told her, adjusting it a little to the left and pinning it. "I'm guessing he spent a fair amount of money on it."
"Great, so I get to be trashy and classy all rolled up in one happy little nurse's outfit," Tenten grumbled.
"Elle Driver's more what I would consider crazy than anything else," Kankurou told her, his voice muffled by the bobby pins he held between his teeth.
"I wish he would have said O-Ren instead," Tenten sighed wistfully. "That would have been more fun."
"Fun, maybe; sexy, no," Kankurou told her, inserting the final pin. "Now you just need some makeup."
"Can I borrow some of yours?" Tenten asked.
"Uh, yeah, I guess," Kankurou mumbled. She was apparently not feeling as awkward as he. He paused before he realized what she asked for. "I don't have any makeup."
"Uh, how about kabuki paint, then?" she amended.
"Kabuki paint, yes," Kankurou sniffed. "I'll get you some."
"Wait, you mean the entire time we were dating you were carrying makeup with you?" Tenten asked him curiously. "More makeup than me, might I add."
"I guess I was, if you want to get technical about it," Kankurou told her dully. He looked up at the single bulb that hung above the sink, which had begun to blink. "Wow…you really do live with Shikamaru."
"Yeah, he's really useless," Tenten said, flicking the bulb with her finger. It wasn't even hot. "The idiot can't even change a light bulb. Believe me; I've watched him. He almost broke his neck standing on the kitchen table. I had to do it. Don't even get me started on the light in the closet."
"Speaking of the kitchen, that might be a better idea." And it'll hopefully be less awkward. "This bathroom is insanely small."
"Yeah, I mean, in this lighting I might end up with the wrong look," Tenten said, gesturing to the makeup pots. "Instead of looking like a crazy bitch, I might end up looking like a crazy, whorish bitch."
Kankurou grinned. "Oh well, at least I only have to put eye shadow on one of your eyes, Ms. Driver."
"Ha ha, very funny," Tenten told him. Her retort was cut off by the door bell. Straightening up and trying futilely to smooth the fabric from where it clung to her, she traipsed over to the door in her ridiculous white stilettos and turned the doorknob.
Shit, this is even more embarrassing than last time, Tenten swore inwardly, not even bothering to hide her grimace from the white-eyed man that stood in the entrance. Behind him, Tenten wanted to melt into the ground as she saw Lee bouncing energetically outside.
"Tenten, why, I didn't know you had dyed your hair!" Lee told her brightly, practically leaping into the apartment so he could inspect her hair from all angles. Tentatively reaching out and fingering a few strands, he clasped his hands together and began testing its tensile strength with short tugs.
"It's a wig," Tenten said weakly, her face falling into the palm of her right hand hopelessly. Waves of blonde swung forward to hide her face. "And it's for Halloween. Guess who I am."
"You're Elle Driver!" Lee exclaimed jubilantly, not detecting the sarcasm in her request. "I love Kill Bill!"
Tenten felt a small smile form as Lee began to reenact scenes of dialogue, much to Neji's annoyance. Before her former teammate took action against him, Tenten decided to intercede. "Um, what can I do for you two?"
"I need to speak to Shikamaru about something," Neji told her simply.
"He's currently indisposed at the moment, but you can come in," Tenten said graciously, stepping back to allow them entry. Neji entered wordlessly, walking right past where Lee had finally decided was the best angle to study her new look.
"Owww! Tenten, I'm going to kill you! Come here!"
Everyone looked up at the sound of Shikamaru's voice.
"If you're going to kill me, I'm staying right here," Tenten answered.
"I need you to help me with this!" Shikamaru called, not realizing Neji and Lee were there and not caring that the Sand siblings were present. Over the past few years they'd pretty much seen him at his worse, but Neji and Lee…
Hmm, this reminds me of last time, Tenten said, a very large grin in place. This might be fun.
"I'm not going back there if you're half naked," Tenten called. "I might lose my lunch before you kill me."
"You didn't lose your lunch the last time, and I actually was naked," Shikamaru yelled indignantly.
"That's because I was too busy laughing!" Tenten cried merrily, giggling.
"Wench, get your ass back here and help me now!"
"I'm sending Kankurou," Tenten told him. "He's much better at costumes than I am. He even helped me fix that god-awful wig you bought me. It looks very nice now, thanks to him."
"Really?" Shikamaru's voice was noticeably brighter.
"You and blondes, Shikamaru, honestly," Tenten muttered. "Anyway, Kankurou" she glanced over at him, where he was shaking his head furiously "would be delighted to go back and help you."
"As long as somebody helps me," Shikamaru wailed. "I think the beard is caught in my zipper. It's wrapped around my neck and it's caught in back and I can't even move my head. This costume is so troublesome."
Tenten covered her mouth to cover her laughter. "So sorry, Shikamaru."
"I'm not helping you with your makeup now," Kankurou told her darkly as he made his way cautiously to Shikamaru's bedroom door.
"Fine, I can do it myself," Tenten sniffed.
Kankurou laughed cheerfully. "Yeah, right." Crossing the threshold into Shikamaru's room, he sighed heavily. "And they call you a genius?"
Neji frowned, getting the feeling that what he just witnessed was only the tip of the neurotic iceberg that seemed to sum up the happenings at this apartment. Lee was fast asleep on the couch, having just gotten back from a mission less than an hour before. Neji glanced at where Temari and Gaara sat at the table, bored out of their minds and across from them, Tenten looking confused and bewildered as she fingered a small paintbrush.
"Damn it," she grumbled, picking up a small pot which appeared to contain a red hue. Opening the lid carefully, she took a deep breath and peered inside.
"Need some help?" Temari asked after a full minute went by and Tenten did nothing.
"Uh, sure, that might be nice," Tenten said absently, tilting the pot to see if its contents shifted too.
"Here," Temari muttered tiredly, sitting next to her and grabbing the pot and brush. Tenten's eyes shifted nervously to where the older kunoichi's hand shook as it advanced forward. Tenten yelped and flinched as it barely missed her nose, leaving behind what vaguely resembled a mustache.
"Uh, maybe someone else…?" Tenten suggested meekly, wiping away the mistake furiously with a paper towel.
"Fine!" Temari snapped, standing abruptly and tossing the items onto the table. "Then who else is going to do it?"
As Temari glared and crossed her arms, Tenten glanced over at Gaara who was currently mouthing the words 'no way in hell.' She winced at Lee's snores from the couch and her shoulders dropped when she looked at Neji.
"Um…please?" she pleaded to the Hyuuga, flashing him a huge smile while her palms met in supplication.
Neji blinked. He blinked again. He briefly considered turning her down, if only just to see how she would react. Sensing this, Tenten's face fell, so Neji acted without thinking. Sitting down on the chair that Temari just vacated, he calmly picked up the brush but picked up the blue pot of paint instead. Tenten half expected the Sand woman to watch, but she'd decided to investigate Shikamaru's plight after another loud curse was thrown out followed by a string of half-hearted apologies.
"This is going to be the worse part, so I'm getting it out of the way first," Neji explained simply, dipping the tip of the brush inside and delicately lifting it out. Her gaze trained on his advancing hand, Neji paused.
"Don't move your eyes around," he commanded. "Look at me, or if that doesn't suit you, looking just past my ear to where your roommate is screaming like a little girl."
Tenten laughed at Neji's unexpected use of humor, but settled for looking boldly at his face. Not really expecting this, Neji stiffened in his chair, pulling back slightly before his hand advanced again. Tenten gasped at the chilling contact of the cold paint, but quickly quelled the urge to move. Chewing on her bottom lip nervously, she hoped he finished before she gave into the strange desire to shiver.
Neji traced the upper lid of her eye, marveling, not for the first time, how dark they were as the iris slid upwards to watch the movements of the brush. When he was younger, he heard someone, an adult, mutter to a friend about how the Hyuuga family had eyes that made them look like walking corpses. They never wore colors, never spoke in loud voices, never laughed or cried or opposed authority. Neji realized that learning the Kaiten and earning the right to be taught by the head of the house was the most progress anyone in the Branch house had made, possibly ever.
Not liking where his thoughts were going, Neji glanced down, finding that her lips were even more distracting. He used to hear her hum every day, always the same song because it was the only one he tolerated. Now her lips were being worked to death by her teeth, or occasionally her tongue would dart out to lick her them nervously.
She looks…worried, Neji thought, frowning. Quite frankly, as her eyes returned to his when he re-dipped the brush, he got the distinct impression she was anxious. Completely oblivious to how intimate the situation was, he continued his work, almost as if she were a painting. Painting was something Neji could do, and if he thought about her as such he'd be able to finish what he'd gotten himself into.
"What's on your mind?" Tenten asked him quietly, noticing that they were relatively alone. Gaara had gone to the couch in the hopes of poking Lee until he stopped snoring. Unfortunately, he did not seem to achieve is desired results because the volume just increased threefold.
"What makes you think I have something on my mind?" Neji asked casually, sweeping the brush along her lower lashes.
"I can just tell," Tenten said simply.
"Yes, but how?" Neji asked skeptically.
After Neji retracted the brush, Tenten leaned forward and said in a very serious voice, "I have my eye on you."
"Very lame joke, Tenten," Neji rolled his eyes.
"I thought it was cute," Tenten wailed.
"I second Neji, it sucked," Gaara muttered.
"Don't take his side!" Tenten accused. "You're so mean, Gaara. You'd better not scare those kids tonight."
"If they're going to be annoying little cowards, that's their problem," Gaara told her. "At least I'll be suffering with my siblings…they'll hate it just as much."
Tenten sighed. "You're just jealous because you don't get to dress up and get candy with us, aren't you?"
"Heartbroken."
"Gosh, your honesty touches my heart."
"As black and twisted as it is, seeing as how you made Shikamaru dress up like—"
"Shh! Don't tell Neji," Tenten admonished. "He needs to be surprised."
Gaara looked at Neji. Neji looked at Tenten. Tenten looked at Gaara.
"Okay, so Neji doesn't care, but still don't tell him," Tenten said.
"Do you ever want me to finish?" Neji asked her suddenly, gesturing to the red pot.
"Oh, sorry!" Tenten apologized, straightening up in her chair. She tried to ignore how close Neji was and how nervous it made her, hoping that he just attributed her behavior to being a bit hyper. He neared with the brush, causing her to move back an inch.
Neji sighed. Lining her eyelids had been easier because telling her to look at or past him made sense. Now, as her eyes were allowed to roam free, it meant she resorted to her usual vice; humming.
"Stop moving," Neji told her again. "You didn't move when I did your eyes."
"That's because now it's harder to see what you're doing," Tenten told him, "and at least I could hum. Now I'm supposed to sit here all quiet like."
"I sit quietly all the time; it isn't difficult," Neji told her flatly.
"That's because all Hyuuga clansmen are quiet," Tenten grumbled, the statement being rather true so Neji couldn't argue. He once again drew closer and she tilted her head, causing him to exhale sharply. Before Tenten could apologize, she saw his hand snap out, grab her chin, and hold her firm. Concentrating very hard so he could finish the task before he gave into the insane urge to kiss her, Neji looked up when he felt her eyes on him.
Busted, Tenten thought, as she quickly lowered her eyes. She wondered how ridiculous she looked, eyes half closed and mouth slightly open.
Concentrate on the task at hand, Neji told himself, not giving any outward sign that betrayed his thoughts. Most men his age wouldn't object to a girl sitting across from them with her mouth half open, wearing what one couldn't ever hope to call a nurses uniform. The blue-lined eyes and red shiny lips weren't helping matters.
"Sdkodsigoiwekoiuqewzxfnasfgsjdg?"
"What?"
Tenten closed her mouth before she spoke this time. "What did you want to talk to Shikamaru about?"
"He has one of my swords," Neji said, indicating that she not move her mouth as he traced her lower lip. "I let him borrow it months ago and it's one of my favorites."
"Oh," Tenten muttered, hoping desperately that when Shikamaru came out in his costume the sword wouldn't be too noticeable. Not, of course, that a little thing like visibility would prevent Neji from finding it. "Actually, I think he's going to be done with it really soon."
Neji looked at her carefully as he traced the delicate cupid's bow of her upper lip. "By really soon do you mean, 'when you two get back tonight'?" Neji asked.
"Um…maybe?"
"He's not taking that trick-or-treating with him," Neji said firmly.
"What aren't I taking with me tonight?" Shikamaru asked, his voice heavily muffled by the large beard he wore.
"OH MY GOD, IT'S PAI MEI!"
Gaara stepped back in time to avoid Lee as he leapt over the sofa right in front of Shikamaru.
"NO WAY! IT'S A WHOLE KILL BILL THEME! THIS IS SOOOO COOL!"
I think I want my sword back just so I can decapitate Lee, Neji thought, eyeing where it rested lightly in Shikamaru's grip.
Luckily the doorbell rang, interrupting Neji's homicidal urge. Tenten sauntered over to the door, nearly falling in the process.
"Hey, what's up?" she said, swinging open the door to let in Sakura, Kiba, and a very shy-looking Hinata.
"My cousin isn't seriously considering trick-or-treating," Neji said emphatically, eyeing where the white kimono-clad girl stood shyly with a black lacquered sword. Eyes as pale as her outfit, she trained them down so she didn't have to look at her angry cousin directly.
"GO-GO YUBARI, I'M YOURS FOREVER!" Lee screamed, throwing himself in front of Sakura's feet. Dressed as the outrageous, mace-wielding, harajuku schoolgirl herself, Sakura's pink hair was still quite roseate but she still looked the part.
Kiba, dressed as Bill, lifted his head to check out Tenten. "Hot damn, girl, you look trashy as all hell," he exclaimed.
Tenten frowned. "Uh, thank you…not really?"
"No, no, it's all good," he said, walking around her and blatantly checking her out. "It's hot. The white stockings are my favorite part of your little ensemble." At the word ensemble, he winked, causing Tenten's visible eye to roll.
"Nah, I dig the wig," Sakura said.
"Me too," Shikamaru agreed, inching away from Neji as he said it. "Hey, if Kankurou was back there with me, who did your makeup?"
"Um…it was Neji," Tenten squeaked.
Shikamaru laughed. "Nice try. No really, did you actually do it?"
"Actually, I did it," Neji told him.
"Wow," Shikamaru said, leaning closer to inspect it. "Pretty good; Kankurou couldn't have done much better."
"Too bad you're clothing impaired and I had to detangle your beard and eyebrows from where you somehow got them stuck in your zipper," Kankurou pointed out sharply. "Honestly, you're pathetic."
"Wait, your costume has zippers?" Kiba asked, cocking his head. "I don't see any."
"Yeah, they're somewhere back there," Temari waved her hand vaguely. "I remember helping him pull up the one on his back."
"Was that the last scream I heard?" Tenten asked.
"No, that was when I pulled it back down after I realized his skin was stuck."
"There's too many people in this room; can you guys just get ready and go?" Gaara said abruptly.
"Actually, the reason I invited you over wasn't so all three of you could hand out candy," Shikamaru said. "It's because we still need a Beatrix and a Budd. Who wants to be what?"
"Well what about Vernita?" Sakura asked.
"And then there's Sofie," Hinata added.
"No, no, that's too many, we're sticking with the main ones," Shikamaru explained.
"Personally I wouldn't mind if more ladies accompanied us," Kiba said gamely.
"Big surprise," Tenten grumbled.
"Well I don't think that Go-Go is really that big of a main character," Sakura said, "but I wanted to dress as her anyway."
"But she and Beatrix have a fight scene, so it's okay," Shikamaru said. "There's enough screen time to warrant a Go-Go. Vernita didn't get any special flashbacks like Go-Go."
"Huh?"
Everyone looked up at Temari's confusion. Her brothers weren't better off.
"Geez, haven't you seen Kill Bill before?" Kiba asked the Sand siblings, all three of whom shook their heads negatively.
"Well, it's a long story, but we basically need two more people to help us so we can be a full ensemble of characters," Tenten said. "Beatrix is the main character and we even brought a wedding dress for you to wear, Temari."
"What?" Temari looked indignant.
"Please?" Shikamaru asked. "It'll be a fun part. If you say no, then I'll have to call Ino up and—"
"—I'll be Beatrix," Temari said quickly, grabbing the white dress from Tenten and running to the bathroom.
"Good, now we just need a Budd," Shikamaru said.
"What does this Budd character do?" Kankurou asked.
"He shoots Beatrix in the chest, beats the living shit out of her, buries her in the ground, and dies from a snakebite," Tenten told him.
"Yeah, I'll do it," Kankurou shrugged. He paused. "You know, I think I actually did see part of the second film. Budd should be fun to play."
"As long as there's no method acting involved," grumbled Shikamaru, eyeing Kankurou's enthusiasm. "Anyway, we brought a hat…the rest of the stuff shouldn't be that hard to find.
"I can't believe I didn't get a part!" Lee wailed.
"But we want you to hand out candy," Tenten consoled. "You can keep Gaara from killing all the little children."
"This isn't fair," Gaara bit out angrily. "I don't even want to be here. This is all Temari's doing, just because she wants to please Shikamaru."
"Gaara!" Temari gaped, shocked. It quickly turned to anger, however. "You little—"
"It's true," Gaara told her evenly, meeting her eyes coldly. "But I refuse to be a part of it. I'm leaving."
To illustrate his point, he walked to the door. Backing up just in time, he managed to avoid it as it flew open. Grinning Ino, amused Jou, beleaguered Shino, and content Chouji stood there, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The first two were dressed as witches (a good witch and a bad witch, respectively) and the last two wore no costumes.
"I was wondering when you guys were going to show up," Shikamaru sighed, but smiled as his eyes fell on Ino. "You look very nice, Ino."
Ino beamed. "Thank you, Shikamaru," she said sweetly. Looking at him, she laughed.
"Yeah, yeah, I know it's hard to say the same," Shikamaru grunted, glancing down at his shapeless ensemble.
"It doesn't matter," Ino smirked. "I know what's underneath the underneath."
Shikamaru cleared his throat before Temari decided to get involved. Changing the subject was as good a diversion as any. "Ino, Tenten found that recipe you wanted so you can make as many fluffy sugar cakes as you desire," he told her, hoping his transition was smooth enough.
"I would have had it sooner, if Shikamaru actually told me where he shoved my cookbooks when I was unpacking," Tenten said sweetly.
"It was too troublesome, woman," Shikamaru told her gruffly. "Anyway, I thought you girls might like arranging everything for the party because you're so good at that kind of thing—"
"—And Tenten and Temari suck at it—"
"—Not that you'd be any better, mutt—"
"—And Shikamaru's so goddamned lazy—"
"—so you could have everything ready by the time we get back," Shikamaru finished smoothly, despite interruptions from Kiba, Kankurou, and Tenten.
Temari frowned. She was glad that Shikamaru wanted her to go trick-or-treating (she cringed when she thought about it, since she'd never done it as a child and now was a ludicrous time to start, at the age of twenty one) with him, but he'd pretty much implied that he didn't trust her with being able to throw a good party. Despite Ino being a fussy prima donna, Temari grudgingly admitted that when the younger girl wanted to do something right, she did it with style. The elaborate pink costume the younger woman wore spoke volumes.
"Didn't you think I could cook for you?" Temari asked Shikamaru after mentally debating it.
"Honestly, Temari, you can't cook worth beans," he shrugged, admirably ignoring her pointed glare. "You've got servants to cook for you back at Suna, so there really isn't any reason why you'd need to know. Please don't get mad, since I had you pegged for Beatrix the whole time. You've got the perfect edge to play her part; Ino just wasn't right for the role, you know?"
Temari blinked, the whole situation threatening to just zip right over her head.
"Could I please have my sword back?" Neji asked tiredly, having waited patiently for a gap in the conversation. Too many things were going on at once.
"Could I please leave without someone throwing a hissy fit?" Gaara asked too, not really having any clear idea where he would go if he left.
"It's not like you have anywhere else to go," Temari noted sourly. "Just stay here and hand out candy. The girls will be doing most of the work. Shino and Chouji are just going to chill."
"And eat the food before you get back," Chouji added.
"Please?" Temari asked, voice completely stripped of roughness. "You won't even have to deal with kids."
Gaara sighed. "Fine, but I won't enjoy myself."
"I'm not particularly thrilled either," Shino pointed out, indicating with his finger where some of Ino's glitter had fallen onto the front of his jacket.
"Neji, nothing's going to happen to your sword, I give you my word," Shikamaru said solemnly.
"Return it tomorrow; I'm not staying here," the Hyuuga muttered, jerking his head towards Jou, who only crossed her arms.
"Fair enough, but at least consider stopping by later," Tenten invited cordially.
With his peripheral vision, Neji glimpsed Tenten looking at him hopefully...and then his gaze started meandering south. Pausing, he sighed. "I'll think about it."
"Neji, I shall accompany you home in order to convince you to return here later so that Tenten's wish will come true!" Lee exclaimed. Neji briefly considered refusing flat out, but knew a useless battle with Lee when he found one. Besides, it would be the perfect excuse to come back…
"But you were going to hand out candy with me, Lee-chan" Jou said mournfully.
"Fear, not, Jou-chan," Lee consoled her. "I shall return, and with Neji in tow!"
"Good luck," Jou wished him, smiling evilly at Neji.
"Well then, let's get this show on the road," Sakura said excitedly as the group exited the building. "I'm so excited! I hope Naruto gets back from his mission in time to see our costumes. He really wanted to be a part of it."
"Yes, I hope he can make it tonight," Hinata murmured shyly, a smile touching her lips.
"I bet Sakura's going to get the most candy," Tenten grinned.
"Yeah right, with that getup, you might get more than candy," Sakura winked.
"Very funny," Tenten said primly. Glancing over to where Neji was heading down the opposite street (and where Lee was a whole block ahead), she called out to him. "Hey, Neji! See you later!"
"Yes, see you later!" Jou cackled, being quite keen on his emotional struggle with whether or not to attend.
"Hn," was Neji's response, not sure if he felt like going. Still, as his gaze unwillingly settled on the back of Tenten's costume (hovering somewhere between where the thigh highs ended and where the hem of the skirt began), he wasn't sure if he could stay away.
-O-
"Okay, now I'm going to get started with these cookies!" Ino said excitedly, clasping her hands together.
"I'll get the door if someone comes," Jou told her, rooting through the bags of candy Tenten had bought. "Wow, she's got good taste in sweets."
"Throw me a bag," Chouji asked.
"Okay, but just one," Jou answered, tossing a bag of assorted lollipops.
"Hey!" Ino balked. "I mean, it's okay if Chouji has a bag, but go easy on the rest of it, okay?"
Gaara and Shino sat on opposite sides of the couch, not having anywhere else to sit since Chouji was on the chair. Each eyed the other warily.
"Oh, for the love of Godaime, I hope you two don't start marking the furniture," Jou groaned, looking back and forth between them. "Can't you two just share peacefully?"
"They're men, of course not," Chouji explained.
"Well, I sat next to Kiba on a park bench before and I could have sworn it must have been two feet wide since he was sitting so close," Jou told him.
"Well, Kiba's a guy and you're a girl, which is exactly why the space between you vanished. When two guys are in the immediate area, they don't like to share."
"Huh?" Jou was confused. Her brother was always sharing.
"Shikamaru and Chouji are basically the only ninjas in this whole village that don't have an ego problem on any level," Ino said proudly from behind the counter, smiling at her former teammate.
"You have enough for all three of them," Gaara mumbled.
"Now, now," chided Chouji. "We mustn't provoke Ino. I know Shikamaru says your sister's scarier than his mom, but an angry Ino could give your sister a run for her money."
Not too familiar with the platinum blonde kunoichi, Gaara shrugged. "I'll risk it."
Ding dong!
Chouji sighed in relief at the interruption, glad that it prevented Ino's temper from flaring.
"I'll get it!" Jou cheered, grabbing a bag of candy and ripping off the top.
"Trick or treat!" Three kids stood on the doorstep, all three dressed like Maito Gai. Gaara felt his stomach lurch and even Shino seemed to pale.
"Oh, you three boys are ADORABLE!" Jou gushed, swooping down to hug them all. True to their costume aspiration, they all took it gamely and smiled. The ping! of their teeth nearly took out the glass in the window next to the door.
"Maito Gai was my brother's instructor," Jou told them distantly, smiling.
"Is your brother Rock Lee?" Gai-number-three asked.
"Yes he is!" Jou exclaimed.
"Cool!" Gai-number-two said. "We saw him at the festival earlier this year. He's really strong!"
On the couch, Gaara shuddered.
"He was amazing!" Gai-number-one proclaimed. "He caught this guy cheating—"
I caught that guy cheating, Gaara corrected mentally.
"—And then he threw all the money that man took into the crowd!" he finished. "I caught a piece and I still have it."
"When we graduate the academy this year we all want Gai-sensei!" the boys cheered. "Our youthful vigor will be recognized at last!"
"Oh, you three can just split the whole bag!" Jou cried, hands to her cheeks as she cooed happily. "You kids are the best! Happy Halloween!"
"Happy Halloween, Rock Lee's sister!" they called, smiling broadly as they ran to the apartment next door. Jou closed the door, her huge, beaming smile only slightly faltering when she turned to meet Ino's angry glare.
"You gave those three kids a whole bag of candy?" Ino asked lethally.
"But they were so cute," Jou explained helplessly, pointing to the door where they stood only a moment ago.
"I don't want it happening again," Ino said firmly. "And it won't. Shino, get over here and help Jou hand out the candy. Make sure she doesn't give out too much. We don't want to be running out later."
Wisely, Shino didn't argue; Gaara could see the resignation in his body language as the ninja climbed to his feet and shuffled to the door. He was beginning to see what Chouji meant when he said Ino was a formidable opponent. If Shino wasn't going to fight her…
This is going to be the longest night of my life, Gaara groaned inwardly, wondering how it could possibly get worse.
-O-
"Well, how about we never go to that house again?" Tenten proposed, rubbing her sore ankle.
"How about we never do this again, period?" a disgruntled Temari grumbled, examining the edge of her torn veil.
"I wasn't prepared to run tonight," Shikamaru groaned.
"I thought you could control dogs, Kiba," Kankurou glared darkly at the Inuzuka.
"Hey, that's enough," Kiba said defensively, rubbing the welt on his knee. "That was no normal dog that chased us."
"You mean no normal pack of dogs," Sakura corrected tartly.
"Er, yeah, whatever," Kiba said sheepishly.
"I think I lost all my candy," Hinata piped up.
"Aw, that's okay, we've got a ton of it and we're just getting started," Kiba told her, patting her shoulder.
"Yeah, don't worry," Tenten consoled her. "At least we're having fun. This has been a pretty exciting night so far. Lots of people loved our costumes. I bet those guys back at our place are bored out of their minds."
-O-
"I AM GOING TO REPORT YOU ALL TO THE POLICE!"
"AND IF YOU DON'T GET LOST AND STOP WHINING, I AM GOING TO SHOVE MY FIST IN YOUR EYE SOCKET!" Ino screeched back.
Gaara covered his ears, his face the absolute picture of misery. To some it might be funny, a beautiful girl dressed in a pink gown, tiara, and delicate slippers to be screaming obscenities at the top of her lungs, but not him. He didn't find it amusing at all.
"IT WAS JUST ONE LITTLE BUG!" Ino shouted. "IT WASN'T EVEN ON THE CANDY! GET SOME GLASSES, LADY!"
"Uh, I'm really fine," the little boy mentioned, looking back and forth between his mother and Ino nervously.
"Who asked you?" Ino snapped.
"Don't talk to him like that!" the mother roared.
"Get lost, lady!" Ino shrieked. "And take your son with you! I bet you made his costume, too, and I wanted you to know that IT SUCKS!"
At this, the boy began to cry. His mother, outraged, started a tirade that was cut off by Ino slamming the door.
"Ino, you really hurt that kid's feelings," Chouji told her.
"Yeah, yeah," Ino grunted, jaw jutting forward. Taking several deep breaths, she uncrossed her arms and glanced back towards the door. "Aw, damn it."
The front door flew open.
"I didn't mean it when I said I hated the costume," Ino snapped, throwing a bag of Skittles into the kid's basket before slamming the door shut.
"Did that make you feel better?" Jou asked tentatively, having given the blonde a wide berth.
"Yes, a bit," Ino huffed, sauntering back to the kitchen sweetly and resumed mixing the ingredients as if she hadn't just been threatened five minutes ago with the police on the doorstep. "Hm, it's a tad warm in here."
Jou, Shino, and Chouji all risked glances at her and silently, between the three of them, decided that one of them was to turn down the heat in the apartment. Jou once again crossed Ino's path, sauntering over to the thermostat and turning it back at least ten degrees after eyeing the blonde warily.
"Okay, so we've determined that Shino isn't really ideal to be handing out candy," Chouji said after a moment of silence.
"That's okay, Gaara can do it," Ino said briskly, not even looking up.
"Why can't he do it?" Gaara hissed, indicating with a jerk of his head to where Chouji sat.
Shino sat down stoically, apparently not bothered by Chouji's assessment. He picked up one of the magazines on the coffee table absently and flipped through it.
"Because Chouji would eat all the candy," Ino replied scathingly, as if he should have already known.
"What if I don't want to?" Gaara asked icily.
"Seriously, don't start fighting," Jou interjected, stepping between them, right on the divide between the kitchen and the living room. "Ino, I'll hand out the candy and I won't give away another bag in one shot. But in all fairness, you did the same thing."
"It was Shino's fault," Ino sniffed.
"Whatever you say," Shino shrugged, eyes still fixed on the magazine.
"If Gaara doesn't want to, he doesn't have to," Jou said, her voice accepting. She glanced at him. "I'm not as exuberant as Lee, and there are still plenty of things that he can't get you to do. If you're going to sulk, you can do it over there just fine if you want. God knows we've traumatized enough kids tonight."
Gaara paused, wishing that if he was forced into handing out candy, those kids dressed like Gai would come back so he could frighten them away. Or kill them. Since pretty much everyone in the apartment would get on his case if he scared any children, Gaara thought it best to stay where he was.
"Ino, I can finish baking the cookies."
Every pair of eyes in the apartment turned to Shino.
"It makes sense, since you're wearing a costume," Chouji pointed out. "This way you can hand out candy. I bet the little girls will love your dress."
Ino eyed Shino warily, not quite sure if she should take him up on the offer. She did love to bake, but she also loved the idea of little girls fawning over her admittedly beautiful costume.
"Okay," Ino said slowly. "I have everything mixed together; I just need you to bake them. The directions are on the paper by the stove."
Giggling to herself, Ino washed her hands in the sink and dried them daintily. Since no one was at the door, she rooted around in one of the bags she brought, hands emerging full of black streamers.
"Wow, Ino, you went all out," Chouji remarked, eyes following her movements as she carefully strung the glittering black strands over the door. The windows soon followed; she was much faster than she looked and he had to admit, the results were impeccable. Ino didn't believe in doing anything halfway.
Gaara eyed the orange, ceramic jack-o-lanterns that Ino placed on every flat surface; the top of the television, the coffee table, every counter and windowsill. Though they were unlit, he wondered vaguely if there was a fire alarm in the apartment.
"Chouji, help me with this, please," Ino asked him, perched on top of the sofa so she could fasten a rather interesting, festive lantern from the ceiling. As much as Gaara couldn't understand the whole point of the holiday, he had to admit that she had good taste in decorating for the season. Nothing was cheap, plastic, or gaudy; even her outfit was not as appalling as a pink dress could be.
"I can tell what you're thinking," Chouji muttered, eyes trained on the Sand ninja. "Believe me, for as much of a fuss she can make, she's never a disappointment."
Gaara wondered if Shikamaru thought that too. For as much trouble as they both were to him, he cared about them both. He was curious as to which one the lazy ninja would pick, if he ever got around to it at all.
"Oh, I'm so glad Shikamaru let me do all this for him," Ino sighed, smiling absentmindedly. "I've been baking for the last two days…all kinds of cakes and pies and cookies. I made all of his favorites, too. I hope he likes them."
"Ino, you're a wonderful cook," Chouji told her truthfully. "Shikamaru always appreciates when you do things for him, don't worry."
"Yeah, but he still didn't ask me to go trick-or-treating with him," Ino said sadly. "He wanted Temari to go with him instead. I don't even know why he's going trick-or-treating…it's normally too troublesome."
"Oh, Tenten's forcing him to go in exchange for all the laundry she does," Jou enlightened. "He tried it once…he didn't know you need to separate colors, fabrics, delicates, and the like…ruined a few of her clothes. Now she does all the laundry. And since she wanted to do something a little different for Halloween, she organized the whole Kill Bill thing. It's a big hit, but don't worry about not being invited. I wasn't."
"You look more like Go-Go Yubari than Sakura does," Ino admitted.
"Hey, Temari got mad because Shikamaru didn't trust her enough to stay here, in a sense," Jou pointed out. "Just think of it as playing to your strengths."
"She's right, Ino," Chouji confirmed. "Just have fun tonight. There's no need to get upset or anything—Shikamaru didn't mean anything by it."
Ino smiled. "Thanks, guys," she said cheerfully. "Temari's going down! I'm going to make the best sweets ever and he's going to love them!"
Gaara frowned, wondering if all friends were like this. Lee, Naruto, and Tenten offered him conversation, but he never felt comfortable asking for their support in anything, because truthfully, he didn't need it. He could tell Ino was insecure but also that Ino was competent—did she just pretend to be foolish so she could get compliments?
But Gaara noted that despite Ino's happy new demeanor, she was still scared and hesitant. Gaara wasn't sure he was rooting for anyone when it came to Shikamaru; the man had good and bad qualities like everyone else, but was completely unique. He could tell his sister needed him and that this other blonde did too, but couldn't say for certain who needed him more.
Ding dong!
"Trick or treat!"
Gaara supposed it was wishful thinking to dream that some of these kids might be familiar and capable of comprehending the phrase "inside voices." The blonde loudmouth was bad enough for his patience.
"My, what lovely costumes we have here," Ino said, giving each girl a speculative gaze. She settled on the girl on the left, who wore purple.
"You know, purple's one of my favorite colors too," Ino winked conspiratorially. "Be princesses always wear pink."
"Your dress is so pretty!" the first girl gushed.
"Did you make it yourself?" the girl on the right asked in awe.
"I sure did," Ino nodded. "Do you like it?"
"It's so soft."
"It's so sparkly."
"It's perfect!"
Ino beamed. "You girls have good taste, both of you," she said, kneeling down beside them. "And even though candy isn't good for the figure, you girls can take your pick of Twix or Mounds."
Holding a bag of candy in each hand, she smiled even brighter when both girls picked Mounds.
"Aw, you girls picked my favorite, so I'm going to give you these," Ino said, setting down the candy bags and reaching behind her head. Pulling out two tiny sprigs of baby's breath, she handed them to the girls. "I work in a flower shop, so I can always get some more. You girls have a great night!"
"Thank you!" a chorus of praise broke out as they hugged Ino, who looked every bit the royal figure she was portraying. The girls giggled as they skipped away, turning around to wave.
Well, I guess Temari's screwed in that department, Gaara noted offhandedly as Ino gently shut the door. I suppose Ino can be rather nice when she's in a good mood. Too bad Temari's hardly ever in one of those…
-O-
"Damn it," Temari swore. "I can't believe that guy. One piece of candy each. Everywhere else, we got at least two."
Tenten was trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile behind her hand.
"You're really getting into this," Hinata observed.
"Well, if he's going to hand out candy, he should be doing it right," Temari said sensitively.
"And he should definitely keep his eyes focused above the neck," Sakura grumbled.
Kankurou laughed. "I thought it was pretty funny," he offered.
"Aside from the fact I don't have much of a chest to be staring at," Sakura pointed out. "I mean, honestly, we've got Tenten and Temari for that. All he did was look at me!"
"I'm getting tired of lugging all this candy around," Shikamaru whined. "Can we go back?"
"No," Tenten said simply. "Two hours of trick-or-treating doesn't make up for three months of laundry."
"Are you still sore about what I did with the first load of laundry?" Shikamaru asked her, his frown rather amusing because of the white eyebrows.
"Well, maybe if you hadn't managed to melt three articles of clothing together (god knows how), pour bleach in with my bras, and wash the reds and whites and blacks in hot water, I'd be okay," Tenten told him sharply.
Temari blinked. She had someone to do her laundry when she was at home, but still…most clothes came with directions on the tags.
"It was too troublesome to do four different loads of laundry," Shikamaru mumbled. "And hand washing…what's up with that?"
Tenten sighed. "And this is why you're trick-or-treating with me."
-O-
"We're getting low on candy," Ino remarked from the door.
"I wish I had my guitar," Jou said wistfully, settled on the couch evenly spaced away from both Shino and Gaara. She'd sat down since Ino was so focused on taking care of the trick-or-treaters. Hands poised as if she were actually playing an acoustic, she was humming notes very softly and strumming her fingers experimentally.
What a weird girl, Gaara thought, not for the first time, as he watched her work out a song. At least she's being quiet. That's all I can ask for someone who's related to Rock Lee.
Ding!
Shino hopped up as the cookie timer went off. Gaara could tell by the way he moved that the ninja was no stranger to baking. Weird, but then again, the man never really spoke that much. Who was to tell what he liked or didn't like?
"Gaara, if you do at least one thing all night, would you help me mix punch?" Ino asked him. Gaara was beginning to wish that she was afraid of him like most people. Even Jou was a little, and she hadn't even seen him fight.
"All you have to do is stir," Ino promised. "This way you can say you helped out."
Gaara just stared at her. "I don't care."
"Yes, I can see that, but it sounds nice to say that you did, and you don't want to lie," Ino said, waving a hand as if to dispel his negative attitude.
Gaara acquiesced, not wishing to slip to Shino's level of compliance but not desiring to incur what he imagined would be her terrible wrath. Trudging over to the table, he watched Ino pour two separate drinks in the huge punchbowl.
"Are any of these alcoholic by any chance?" Gaara asked her plaintively. He was not a fan of alcohol and knew if Lee came back and took a sip, the whole party would fall apart. Literally.
"Naw, too expensive," Ino said. "Plus, I don't want Tenten or Shikamaru to get drunk together…I heard they were in Grass Country the last time it happened…apparently, they pretended they were married, ended up kissing, and were found the next morning in bed with each other. I think it was the type of drink they had; usually they both just get surly, but that time they were very amorous."
"I hope Neji didn't hear that story," Jou sighed. "He'd freak out."
"Well, naturally I did too, but I just talked to Tenten about it and she told me what really happened," Ino said, waving a hand flippantly. "They did get drunk and did kiss and did end up in bed, but absolutely no sex. Plus they entered a dance competition together!"
Gaara found it really strange the girl thought this was funny instead of maddening.
"You aren't jealous?" he found himself asking.
"Well, considering all they've been through and they're still friends, I'm convinced they're going to stay that way," Ino said. "Besides, Shikamaru does not like a jealous woman; it's one of the reasons he cites for liking her company; Tenten doesn't get jealous, and if she does she doesn't lose it. I mean, it can't be easy for her to see Neji act so respectful to Sakura when he hardly ever talks to her, his former teammate."
"Personally, I prefer Tenten," Shino piped up unexpectedly. "Pink hair isn't natural."
"Says the man with bugs in him," Ino countered. "But seriously, sometimes I think Tenten and him could sleep together and still remain totally platonic. I've asked Shikamaru about her, and he says he finds her attractive, but isn't attracted to her, at least not like he is to some other people. He said she's the ultimate 'safe' relationship for him."
"Then it sounds perfect for that lazy bum," Jou remarked.
"Ah, yes, but Shikamaru needs some trouble in his life," Ino said knowingly. "And I'm just the girl to provide it! Besides, Shikamaru couldn't become romantically involved with a woman he was living with…he's too old-fashioned for that. Tenten's quite forward-thinking, and while he enjoys that about her, it makes them incompatible in certain aspects, relationship-wise."
"Which is exactly why she's stuck on Hyuuga," Jou grumbled sarcastically. "Blah blah blah FATE blah blah blah. I mean, there's nothing like good old-fashioned fatalism to complement an open mind. Ick."
"You really don't like him, do you?" Gaara asked her archly, tilting his head back to glimpse her frown.
"Are you still mad he put you in the hospital?" Ino asked her.
"He started it," Jou sniffed, crossing her arms. "And he just happened to finish it. I'm more upset that he made fun of Lee on the very first day of school. But still, unless he gets his act together then he's got nothing to offer Tenten."
Gaara silently agreed. He liked Tenten, at least as much as he could like anyone at the moment as he remained trapped in Shikamaru's apartment ostensibly handing out candy to youngsters.
Ding!
Shino was once again at the oven in a flash. Gaara could tell that Ino was a little unnerved by his apparent skill; was it rivaling hers?
"Ooh, I see more kids!" Ino squealed, glancing out the window. She was really enjoying this, and not just the compliments part. Gaara glanced over at Shino, who was carefully removing the cookies from the sheet. Chouji was asleep, his empty bag of chips resting against his stomach. Jou was nodding off absently; Gaara tapped her shoulder in the hopes that if she tilted to one side it wouldn't be on his. Proving to be the deciding factor, she slumped over onto Shino's side of the couch. Upon his return, Shino simply sat on the arm of the chair.
How much longer is this night going to last? Gaara wondered, bored out of his mind.
-O-
Neji managed to shut Rock Lee up for a total of five seconds before he started talking again. Both were sitting at their old training ground, a place where both felt comfortable.
"You're going to the party, aren't you?" Lee asked, not for the first, second, or even twentieth time. Neji estimated the count to be thirty seven.
Neji wondered if he really wanted to; Lee's surprise party was in less than a month. Tenten had broken the silent treaty of non-contact and given him the invitation, asking him to come. He didn't really mind social functions, but here of late…
I'm not really sure if I want to deal with her, Neji ascertained. That can hardly be a sign that I care about someone…
"Lee. I have a question."
"Hmm?" Lee was a bit taken aback but didn't show it.
"You liked Sakura, correct?"
"Uh huh," Lee said, nodding slowly. He had no idea where this could be going.
Neji paused.
"Was there ever a time when you didn't feel like seeing her?"
Lee rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Sure."
When he didn't elaborate, Neji glared.
"Oh, you want to know when?" Lee asked, wanting Neji to admit that he was curious, even the slightest bit.
Neji's look of disgust was enough, and Lee broke into a smile.
"Well, every time she was raving about Sasuke, for one," Lee said good-naturedly. "And whenever she was sad…I didn't like that too much. Nobody likes seeing the people they care about upset."
Neji blinked. Well…could that be it? It has to be more complicated than that.
"Any other times?" he asked after a moment.
"Look, just talk to her," Lee sighed.
"And what would I talk to her about?" Neji asked pointedly.
All façades dropped, Lee pressed on. "Tell her how you feel."
"And how would that be?"
"Neji, this is why you're such a headache," Lee said, being uncharacteristically blunt. "You don't have to have everything figured out before you start a relationship. In fact, learning things is a big part of it."
"There isn't a proper place to start," Neji stated.
"There doesn't need to be a proper place!" Lee exclaimed. "It's the glorious springtime of your youth! You've seen that men are interested in her, so don't act like you shouldn't be having feelings for her. You're really complicating things."
"And she doesn't have a part in that?" Neji countered.
"Well, you're not giving her a lot to work with," Lee shrugged. "Even Sakura didn't stay totally fixated on Sasuke forever; Tenten's never been that obsessive with you. It's only natural that she feels inclined to move on."
Neji eyed Lee oddly. He recalled what Tenten said, about Lee being naïve but not stupid. Still, he seemed a great deal more knowledgeable than naïveté would allow.
"How do you seem to know so much?" Neji asked finally.
"Jou and I talk about it," Lee said easily.
"Jou ought not stick her nose in things that do not concern her," Neji said stiffly.
"Take into consideration that there isn't anything for her to stick her nose in," Lee said crisply, not meeting Neji's eyes. In the rare occasion when Neji and Lee had a conversation, Jou was left out for that very reason. Neji never had anything nice to say about her, and visa versa.
"So Jou knows a fair amount of what's going on in Tenten's life?" Neji asked carefully.
Lee looked at him strangely. "I know you're not asking me for private details, but I'll help you out if you want it."
"…Is anything going on between her and Shikamaru?" Neji asked, figuring that in the long run the lazy ninja was a bigger threat than Kankurou.
"Well, they have an interesting relationship," Lee settled on, being uncharacteristically vague.
"Are they sleeping together?" Neji asked bluntly.
"Neji!" Lee was on his feet. "Are you suggesting that our former teammate's flower of youth would be surrendered so carelessly?"
"Should I be worried about that flower?" Neji asked.
"I am shocked, Neji!" Lee huffed. "Tenten has done nothing to compromise the immaculate flower of her womanhood."
Neji knew he shouldn't, but he was having fun tormenting Lee. "How can you be so sure they're not having sex?"
"Tenten wouldn't want her first time to be with him, she said so herself," Lee blurted out. Turning bright red, he covered his face in shame as his words dawned on him. "I have betrayed the trust of my beautiful teammate!"
"Former teammate," Neji corrected, not feeling guilty in the slightest for having coerced the information. "Since you've already spilled that, why not everything else? At this point it wouldn't matter."
Neji could physically see Lee working this out in his mind; dark eyes focused, brows furrowed, and mouth drawn. Face screwing up as his inner debate continued, he turned to Neji and pointed a finger at him accusingly.
"My rival, Neji, you think you can trick me again!" Lee shouted, probably waking up every bird in the forest.
Well, that's sort of true, Neji conceded mentally. But while part of it was actually curiosity…part of it was also me just wanting to see you look ridiculous.
"I will not allow any more questions on the subject, not even one," Lee said firmly.
Neji smirked. "Not even one?"
"Not even one," Lee repeated, smile faltering the tiniest bit.
"Really?" Neji asked quietly. "So if I were to admit that Tenten was virtuous, as I knew all along, you wouldn't be willing to confirm any other ideas I might be having about her and Shikamaru?"
"Feelings for someone don't necessarily always lead to romance, sometimes they're just feelings," Lee said after a moment. He looked at Neji evenly, dark eyes narrowed slightly.
"Maybe if you hadn't lost touch with her, you wouldn't be fishing around like you are now," Lee pointed out. "If only you hadn't let the fragile bloom of her company slip from your careless fingers…Oh Neji, how could you!"
Neji gave the standing Lee a reasonably strong shove which sent him stumbling (but not falling). Shuffling back over, the shiny-haired ninja sat next to his old comrade as if the entire event never took place.
"Don't worry about Shikamaru," Lee said finally. "Your youth shines brighter than his!"
Neji rolled his eyes, wondering why he felt a little better.
-O-
"Okay, no more houses, we're going straight back to your place," Temari ordered Shikamaru, who had absolutely no argument with her desire.
"You guys want to go back already?" Sakura asked, puzzled.
"I'm sick of dragging all this candy around," Kankurou muttered.
"And sick of getting a lecture from some strange woman about how your character's actions were absolutely despicable?" Kiba teased, reminding him how a woman started a rant about how Kill Bill encouraged violence against women and the like.
"Shut up, she acted like everything was all my fault," Kankurou grumbled.
"I don't see how any guy would want to tussle with her," Tenten remarked.
"She was a beast, I know," Kiba agreed.
"I never expected so much candy, especially after I lost my first bag," Hinata said softly.
"Well, O-Ren is a popular character," Sakura shrugged. "You're much nicer, though, Hinata-chan."
"Thank you," Hinata blushed, smiling. "But people liked your costume a lot too."
Of course they did, Inner Sakura bragged.
"Oh, but not as much as yours," Sakura said sweetly.
"I hope that Ino-girl of yours can cook," Kankurou mumbled. "I'm starving, and I refuse to look on one more piece of candy."
"Ino's a great cook," Sakura gushed. "But I bet that's not all she was doing. Shikamaru, she's been so excited about this for weeks. It's all she's been talking about. I bet she's got decorations up and everything."
Temari frowned at the small smile Shikamaru allowed himself. It wasn't just amusement at an old teammate's antics, either. He almost looked a bit embarrassed at the attention that Ino was surely allotting for this venture, but definitely not in a bad way. Temari didn't want to think that in all the time she'd spent with him, that he'd end up picking Ino instead.
"Sounds like she's trying a bit too hard," Temari muttered. "Why doesn't she just throw herself at you?"
"Watch it, Temari," Shikamaru told her, a dark look halting any scathing retorts.
Temari felt her heart seize. How was it that he could do what no other man could? He didn't even have to raise his voice and she was cowed. Adjusting her veil so it covered her face, she dropped away from his side and walked next to her brother.
"I hope Gaara didn't scare any kids," Sakura said thoughtfully.
"Not that he'd have to try too hard," Kiba laughed, grin disappearing when he made accidental eye contact with Kankurou.
"He probably didn't have to, since Ino and Jou were there," Tenten said.
"Actually, Shino probably helped them too," Hinata piped up. "He's quite helpful."
Frowning at the admiration in her voice, Kiba stuck out his chin. "I would have helped if they needed it," he told her.
"I know that, Kiba-kun," Hinata said shyly, inwardly smiling at the huge grin she caused.
"I can't wait to get back," Kiba yelled. "We're gonna have a PARTY!"
-O-
TBC
Yes, I am a cold-hearted bitch, ending it there for now, but honestly, this is nearly thirty pages long and I don't need a sixty-paged chapter on my hands. It got a lot more long and complex than I originally envisioned. Don't worry, I started the second part (okay, I have the first sentence). Anyway, please review (nicely). I'll update as soon as I can (hey, I write to procrastinate from schoolwork, so I'll be working on this quite a bit). Yay for parenthesis in this last paragraph.