In Universe/Alternate Universe
Rating: K+ for mild swearing (7 words, to be exact)
Pairings: Possibly NejiTen if you squint
Disclaimer: I am but just a mere fanfiction writer, not the owner of such a great series like Naruto.
- Summertime -
"Hey, Hyuuga-san, go get that hick." Kiba cackled, pointing openly at a girl lounging on the beach. Neji's lips twitched slightly downward, looking at the girl. He knew Kiba must have tried her at an earlier date and gotten shot down because those were the only girls he was ever told to "go get". To hell with girls, he didn't even know why he joined the mutt on his beach extravaganza. He didn't particularly like Kiba, he hated the beach, he hated the rabid cougars, he hated the rabid teenage girls – Neji basically hated everything about the summer, down to every annoying grain of sand that always ended up in his pants.
Immersed in his thoughts about hating anything summer-like, Neji forgot Kiba was there, waiting for him to move. The hard push he received into the sea wall reminded him of said fact, and he almost growled.
"Go on, Hyuuga-san, unless you're scared." Kiba taunted, grinning wolfishly as Neji vaulted himself over the sea wall, ignoring the shout of the lifeguard. It'd make his day, really, if he got banned from the beach for jumping it. The sand heaped up in large piles against the wall slid beneath his Converse, sending Neji onto his bum and sliding down the small hill amidst Kiba's maniacal laughter. It wasn't one of Neji's best ideas, but he'd do anything to avoid the cougar watching him avidly from the stairs down to the beach. He was sure she'd attempt to do something, and the thought was unappealing to him. With a sinking feeling, Neji realized he'd just doubled the amount of sand that'd regularly get into his pants from his little… stunt. Definitely not one of his best ideas. Though, on the plus side, the girl who Kiba wanted him to "go get" had turned around and was watching him with amusement.
"What are you looking at, country hick?" Neji asked, glaring at her. It annoyed him that his glare, frosty as an arctic wind, and harsh words didn't wipe the smile off her face.
"A stupid city boy, why? Does it concern you?" The banter, he later realized was the beginning of a… flirt-fest, so to speak. Neji grunted his, "Hn," standing up and brushing the sand off the seat of his pants and then shaking his wrists to free his long sleeves of any gathered sand. The girl rolled her honey brown eyes, standing up and walking over to him. Neji froze as she roughly pat the sides of his legs down, relieving him of any outward signs of sand on his pants.
"There. God, you don't know how to get rid of sand, do you?" The girl smiled at him with a warm look as she walked back to her towel, almost inviting Neji to join her. It was then Neji realized Kiba had long stopped laughing and was gawking. Flipping him the one finger salute, Neji slowly walked over to the girl.
"I'm TenTen." She held out a delicate hand, frowning slightly when Neji didn't take it nor respond.
"You're supposed to say your name back and shake my hand, baka. Or are you one of those city guys that do that weird hug thing?" Neji, one eye twitching at the accusation of giving a "guy hug" or whatever they were called, roughly shook her hand.
"Hyuuga." He said, dropping down into the sand next to her, ignoring the stare he was receiving from Kiba.
"Your friend—"
"—He's not my friend."
"Well, whatever, that guy – Kiba-san, wasn't it? – sent you, didn't he? To get back at me, right?" TenTen asked, watching the ocean rather than her odd companion. Frankly, it amused her greatly to see him clad in pants and a turtleneck sweater when the guy he'd come with was only wearing board shorts.
"Yes. Though I'm doubting you honestly care since you were the one that came up to me in the first place." Neji said, sitting erect in a criss-cross-applesauce fashion. TenTen gave a bark of laughter, slim shoulders shaking.
"Perhaps I just thought you needed help out of your infantile attempts at freeing your pants of sand." She said, glancing at him with a challenging look.
"Perhaps your earlier assumption was correct." Neji, knowing it was childish, retorted back. TenTen held her hands up in a defeated way, chuckling.
"No need to be snippy, Hyuuga-san. Do you have a first name, by the way? Because I'd much rather call you by that." She said, reclining back onto the palms of her hands and watching him curiously. His whole body seemed tense, out of habit rather than being in her presence, reminding her of a certain billionaire businessman… Hyuuga, Hiashi. Neji gave her a small look before looking up to watch a seagull fly overhead.
"Neji. And I am not Hiashi-sama's son." He'd seen the sudden recognition in her eyes and would rather refrain from talking about his family.
"Well, Neji-kun, you look like his younger carbon copy. Just saying. Anyways, aren't you hot?" She took his not so subtle hint to not ask him about Hiashi and found a new subject in his choice of clothing.
"If being hot is the price to pay, I'd much rather be covered than be drooled over." He smirked slightly as TenTen fell onto her back, laughing. She was an odd one, he knew, wearing a blood red bikini top and obsidian short-short swimming shorts lined with white.(1)
"So, you're 'paying the price' of being hot for being hot?" TenTen laughed, grinning at him. She liked the smirk much better than the straight line his lips once had been.
"In a nutshell, yes." He said, eyebrows twitching downward slightly. It was almost like he was laughing, and TenTen found that adorable.
"Well, Neji-kun, I'm sure you're not that hot. Come on, show dearest TenTen-chan your every secret underneath your winter clothes. I'm sure you're not that ugly." She teased, poking his side.
"You sound like a psychiatrist. And, perhaps another time. There is this one cougar who won't take her eyes off me." It was strange, Neji realized, that he was actually talking to the girl. Usually, he wouldn't talk to anyone, especially girls. They tended to… go over the top with him, but she was just treating him like a normal guy friend. With the sudden realization, Neji snapped mentally to get himself back to reality. He was needed to sell ice cream at two, and it was already quarter past one, according to his vibrating cell phone.
"Someone calling you?" TenTen asked, hearing the vibrating phone. Neji shook his head slightly.
"A reminder that I need to get to the 1:30 train back to Konoha." He explained, standing up. TenTen smirked, getting to her knees and relieving Neji of the sand on his pants everywhere but his bum.
"That, I'm afraid, I can't touch in case you jiggle." She teased, giving Neji a mock salute in farewell.
"Hn." He brushed the seat of his pants off, turning around in an almost embarrassed way, knowing she'd watch him until she couldn't see him anymore.
"Hey, maybe I'll see you around, Neji-kun."
"Hn. Perhaps."
Neji couldn't help but replay the scene of his last beach visit in his head as he walked on the sea wall with Lee, wondering remotely if he'd ever see TenTen again. Other than Lee, she was the first person he actually "clicked" with. Never the optimist, Neji didn't believe he'd ever see her again, and his thoughts idly moved over to how he'd gotten conned into going to the beach. Shirtless. In board shorts only. He'd gotten more looks already than he had coming in pants and a sweater, and that was saying something. Neji also had a feeling the lifeguard on duty remembered him since he wouldn't stop watching them with a keen gaze as they walked on the sea wall.
"Lee-san, why—" Lee interrupted Neji's quiet question by shoving the younger boy over the side of the wall. His landing wasn't as graceful as his first time, sloppily loosing his balance in the sliding sand and rolling down the hill instead of sliding.
"NE!" Oh, yeah, the lifeguard did remember him. To hell with that guy, though, Neji had more pressing matter to attend to.
"Lee-san, what the he—" Once again, Neji was interrupted, but this time he got his square in the back of the head with a well-aimed soccer ball. Summoning every ounce of self control he had, Neji turned around, hand jumping to the back of his skull. The glare, twitching right eye, and smirk actually did wipe TenTen's smile off her face.
"Ano, bad time?" She laughed sheepishly, wondering if she should run. Though she'd only talked to him or about fifteen to twenty minutes just about three years previous, she knew Neji was not happy.
"I'm going to kill both of you." Perhaps it was the fact his spirits soared with the birds when he saw her, perhaps it was the lifeguard climbing down form his post, maybe it was Lee laughing jovially, maybe it was the annoying sand sticking to his skin, or perhaps all of the above – whatever the cause, Neji started chasing TenTen down the beach, deciding to kill her first. It was a shameful act, really, and any self-respecting Hyuuga would never do it. But Neji did it anyways, loving the way TenTen screamed as she turned and ran, obviously terrified. Not too long after the chase started, he tackled her to the ground, smirking at her laughter.
"Okay, Neji-kun, you won, just do—wait! Wait! Put me down! Ass hole!" TenTen started yelling again when Neji hefted her onto his shoulder as he stood, fists pounding into the sinewy muscles on his back. He trudged, purposely shifting her body on his shoulder every few seconds to make her uncomfortable as he could, into the ocean until he was knee-deep and threw TenTen's tanned, lithe body into the water. Neji could hardly repress a smirk at her scream that got interrupted by her splashing into the water. She surfaced soon, pulling a face and spitting water form her pouting lips.
"Oh, god, Neji-kun, that was definitely overkill. Ughhhh…" TenTen stood, rubbing her eyes furiously and hacking. Salt water was definitely the worst thing she'd ever tasted, including pig uterus. (2)
"You planned this with Lee-san." Neji stated, walking back to the sand, which he liked better than the sea, stretching out his arms and back. TenTen, sneezing furiously trying to rid her nostrils of the salt water, followed his lead.
"Yeah. I met him via text messaging. He had the wrong number for your new phone, and, well, we then talked on IM since I said I knew a Neji-san but wasn't one… and viola, instant friends." She explained, voice a bit hoarse. Neji nodded, eyes trained on Lee's figure descending to the beach on the stairs.
"Do you wish to join me in getting Lee-san back?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder. TenTen, whose face was still pulled at the sea's awful taste, brightened.
"Hell yes!" She cackled, rubbing her hands together. Both of them enjoyed the task of getting Lee several times with her soccer ball before chasing him down and throwing him, screaming, into the ocean. He came up in a similar style to TenTen, sputtering and eyes watering.
"That was not called for!" Lee shouted, sniffling (then severely regretting it), pointing a finger dramatically at his smirking and cackling friends.
"Karma is a bitch, Lee-san." Neji said suavely, turning heel and walking back to where he saw TenTen's things deposited. TenTen followed, holding her stomach in laughter, and finally Lee came to his senses, realizing sitting in knee-deep water was not a good way to get said water out of his eyes, mouth, and nose. TenTen told him the best ways she knew of getting rid of the taste or burning sensation (drinking something, sneezing purposely until the burning stopped, and letting his eyes water for a bit) before she faced him questioningly.
"I got the impression when I last saw Neji-kun that he'd rather be caught dead than going to a beach in beach wear. How'd you do it?" She asked, smirking at an almost pouting Neji.
"Well, I youthfully stole all his clothes and put them in the youthful bath." Lee grinned, giving her a thumbs up. TenTen laughed, jabbing Neji between the ribs with her elbow.
"Neji-kun, I do believe you've received more stares today that the last time, so I have to agree with you. I'm betting if it weren't for me, some cougar would have already tried to make a move on you. Oh, and your ass does jiggle." TenTen, who could hardly contain her laughter while speaking, lost it with Lee when she was done. Neji closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. How he'd ever befriended Lee was beside him, but adding TenTen was too much.
"I am sorry that my body is normal in producing—"
"Oh, shut up, science geek." TenTen interrupted his monologue, pretending to gag. She, herself, could be considered a science geek, but it was the summer. TenTen wanted none of it. She yelped sharply when a cold finer prodded her between her ribs, body jumping ever so slightly closer to Lee on instinct.
"I prefer the word prodigy." With the teasing smirk he wore, TenTen found it hard not to laugh… so she did.
"Oh, god, you two are a comedy feat yourselves. How are you two not popular?" She asked, sighing contentedly. Lee had told her neither of them were too popular at Konoha Senior Gakuen, and she was quite surprised.
"I am only popular with the fan girls. The male population hates me for that, and the female population that do not fan girl me think I'm a bitch." Neji said, shrugging. He could care less, really.
"I am not youthfully popular since I am called Gai-sensei's pet. I cannot help but admire his youth and idolize him! It is not my fault! Though the youthful soccer team and our youthful fans like me." Lee explained, lying on his back.
"Okay… I guess that makes sense… but why do the girls who don't fan girl you think you're a bitch?" TenTen said, imitating Lee and lying on her back.
"… I asked a particularly annoying fan girl if she'd fallen from heaven… since it would explain her face.(3)" Neji said after a bit, not expecting the slap he received on the arm before the laughter he did expect.
"However annoying, you never tell a girl that, no matter how hilarious her face would have been." TenTen chided. She smirked at the sky, closing her eyes and savoring the sun's warm rays.
"I'm transferring this year… to some school you guys know pretty well. KSG, or the Senior Academy." She said after a bit of companionable silence fell between the three.
"… Hn." Neji couldn't bring himself to dread the thought of having both TenTen and Lee in his life at the same time, yet he couldn't quite love the idea, either. He was sure he'd go insane before his last school year at Konoha Senior Gakuen was done, though whether it was a good thing or a bad thing he wasn't sure.
"Yosh! How youthful! I must go do 500 push-ups to celebrate!" Lee yelled, leaping to his feet and going two yards away before dropping to the sand to do push-ups.
"Don't tell me he does crap like that often…" TenTen said, suddenly regretting her transfer to the Senior Academy.
"Unfortunately, he does. Get used to it, TenTen-san." She groaned playfully, causing Neji to smirk.
It would be a good year, their third year.
A/N:
1) I have no idea what they're called, but their swim bottoms that go over a girl's bikini bottom (or she could just wear them and not the bikini bottom since it's got lining on the inside) and they're booty shorts that are made to swim in. I think they're sold at Academy, but don't hold me to it.
2) Sorry if anyone likes pig uterus. I'm tempted to try it if I ever got to Tokyo. And, yes, people do grill it up and sell it. It's Tokyo's new comfort food for senior high school to college kids.
3) I got that line (Did you fall from heaven? Because that'd explain your face.) from Tanya Lilac's high school one-shot. I'm not sure if she made it up or what.
Oh, and the jump off the sea wall? It's pretty safe. No one does anything right up against the sea wall, and the drop down isn't very far (or mine isn't…) and the sand lies in large heaps right against it. Dried seaweed (which is very uncomfortable to walk on, mind you) doesn't reach it, either. I've seen a group of boys do it, too, and they got up afterwards with out any hassle. I'm not too sure what would happen if one was pushed, but, eh. I'm pretty sure one would be able to land on their feet and then tumble down, like I had Neji do.
There really was no point behind this other than it's summertime and I wanted to write something inspired from Summertime by New Kids on the Block (which I don't own). XD It's just a Team Gai friendship with probably a dusting of NejiTen, but eh.
~ Tobi