Me: -comes in with a cup of Caramel Frappe- Me: -comes in with a cup of Caramel Frappe-
Kankuro: -cocks brow- What's with the Frappe?
Me: I need a caffeine mix.
Kankuro: Are you high?
Me: High on caffeine, yes. High on drugs, definitely not.
Kankuro: What's with the caffeine mix, then? I thought you vowed not to drink iced coffee again after you stopped growing.
Me: I did not stop growing. My growth just… reduced from six centimeters a year to one centimeter a year.
Kankuro: Still the same. So, what's with the coffee?
Me: I wasn't able to sleep last night. Maybe three hours of sleep only, though. And if I don't drink coffee, I'll fall asleep flat on the laptop.
Kankuro: Well, why couldn't you sleep?
Me: -smirk- I was thinking of what to write in this chapter. And finally, I got the perfect concept. I'm here to write it down. –grin-
Kankuro: … I don't know if I should call you a dedicated writer or a fan fiction freak.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and I'm not drinking coffee right now. But, I am sleepy.
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Thud.
"Ouch. Well, that hurt."
Thud.
"Hey, quit it."
Thud.
"Tenten! Stop pulling on your wrist! I keep getting my head hit, you know!"
"Deal with it! If you didn't get us handcuffed together, we wouldn't be in this shitty situation!"
"I didn't do this! Lee did, damn it!"
"Sure, put the blame on poor, clueless Lee! Now, shut up and let me get dressed!"
Don't know what the hell is going on? Okay, let me explain the scene you are currently witnessing:
Neji leans on the bathroom door, seated on the wooden bedroom door, his hand wedged into the gap between the door and the wall. Red marks were criss-crossed over his wrist's skin since the rings were always sinking deeper into his skin with Tenten tugging on the other end.
Inside the bathroom, seated on the cold, granite bathroom floor, Tenten had her right hand forced to her left, nearer to the door's gap. She's trying to change from her house clothes into decent attire for her first day at work. But, whenever she pulls on her wrist too far, Neji would end up hitting his head against the wall.
Tenten pressed her head against the door behind her, arching her back higher as she tried to get her jeans past her ostrich butt. She grunted a little as she felt the cold surface of the floor touch her bare backside, sending trickles.
The groans she made as she tried to raise her jeans to her hips gave Neji the idea that she was going to take a little longer than expected.
"Hurry up," Neji mumbled, facing the other way like how Tenten instructed him, "I have to dress up, too, you know. I'm still in my underwear."
"I don't consider boxers as underwear." Tenten said as she gave her jeans another tug up her thighs, "They look like beach shorts, only with weird-sounding labels like Calvin Klein."
"Ah, so your underwear doesn't have weird labels like Victoria's Secret?"
Hearing this, Tenten's eyes grew and immediately, she turned her eyes onto the tag at the back of her panty, seeing 'Victoria's Secret' written on the tag. Her eyes remained widened as she concluded, "Oh my gawd, these aren't mine."
Once she had her pants on, Tenten pulled on the zipper and put on the button. And there, she took her nightshirt off, painstakingly wedging the thin shirt through the ring down her wrist since she can't take it off without getting it past the handcuffs (You can't pull a shirt off with handcuffs on).
She remained on the floor with just her lacey bra on after such a difficult endeavor. The Minnie Mouse design was disturbing, but at least she had some underwear on.
"Don't even think of peeking," Tenten warned Neji, glaring at his hand tucked in the gap, "I've got nothing on top."
When he heard this, a smirk formed in Neji's face. But when he realized this, he bit his lip and snapped at her as he knocked the back of his head against the wall behind him, "How conceited of you to actually think I'd do such a thing." But, in truth, it was tempting.
Before proceeding, Tenten peered through the gap to see if Neji really didn't have his eyes on her. And when she found him with his eyes closed, relaxed, with his back against the door, she sighed in relief and went on, disconnecting the clasp at the back of her bra.
She slid the thin straps down her slender shoulders, pulling the strap on her right arm over her handcuffed hand and through the ring to slip it off and put on a new one in a rush, also having a difficult time with the handcuff on.
But she couldn't manage to clip the clasp since her other hand couldn't be folded to reach the back since the handcuffs linked her with Neji's wrist. Despite this, she tried it.
"Ah, shit!" Neji yelped when Tenten neared her right, handcuffed hand to her back. It pulled Neji's wrist deeper past the gap and into the bathroom, pulling him nearer to the door, "Hey! You pulled your hand too far! Get back here!"
And with that, Neji gave his left wrist a sharp jerk, making Tenten's right wrist suddenly wrench towards the door gap again. She squeaked and growled at him, "Quit it, Neji! I'm trying to put my bra on!"
Due to the wrist yanking they've been doing, Tenten's bra straps were slipping off of her since the clasp hasn't secured the bra onto her. She shoved the straps back onto her shoulders and cupped the laced front nearer to her chest, hoping it won't fall off and expose everything.
Neji couldn't help but turn to the gap and give her an angry glare, "Well, you're killing my wrist! Have you seen the cuts I got on my wrist from these handcuffs?" He saw her also glaring at him through the gap, holding her bra onto her chest.
"Well, cooperate for a little while longer for now!" she demanded, sinking back when she silently realized that Neji actually saw her in jeans and almost nothing on top. She pushed her back against the bathroom door and added, "And stop looking, you pervert!"
Neji's wrist was painfully crushed when she slammed herself onto the door in the effort to close it, causing him to scream.
"Stop that!" Neji growled at her, pulling on his hurting wrist, "You're going to cut my hand off before you finish putting on your shirt!"
"Oh, do something useful and shut up!"
She went back to trying to clip together her bra's clasp, grumbling swears under her breath. Her wrist was still limited and whenever she made her hand reach too far, the metal around her wrist stung her delicate skin.
"Gawd, I am not letting this pervert help me with this," she thought, almost promising it, "I'm doing this on my own."
Once again, she attempted to clip the bra clasp again, but this time, she used her free hand. Of course, it was almost impossible to put on a bra with only one hand and five fingers. After six more useless attempts, she gave up and pulled on her hair as she reconsidered…
"Gawd, I can't believe I'm going to let this pervert help me with this."
How ironic.
"Hey, Neji?"
"What now?"
"Help me out here."
"… What can I do?"
Without an answer, Tenten brushed her back nearer to Neji's hand and practically pressed her skin against the tip of his fingers. When Neji traced the details of the clasp, from the metal hooks to the soft material, he exclaimed, "W-What's this?"
She heaved a sigh and muttered, "It's my bra clasp. I need you to work with my hand, okay? Use your hand to hold one end while my other hand tries to hook it with your end. Understood?"
"I'm not a girl, so I can't understand. Why can't I just fix it for you myself?"
"No!" she yelled, wanting to crush his hand again, "I don't want you to see me! Anyway, just hold the left end and I'll do the rest."
Finally understanding even a little of what he had to do, Neji moved his hand over Tenten's bare back, searching for the loose bra end. His fingers ran down her smooth back, feeling her backside unintentionally and eventually reaching too much to the side…
"Hey!" Tenten shrieked, slapping his hand, "That's not funny!"
"What? What did I do?"
Seeing how oblivious Neji was of what he did, Tenten rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Nothing. Just keep looking for your end and once you've found it, hold on to it firmly." She knew her cheeks were flushed as she resisted telling Neji that he had touched the curve of her chest.
"Well, why don't you to tell me to go left, right or something? That'll help."
With that, Tenten simply nodded and monitored Neji's hand as he blindly looked for her clasp with only his sense of touch. Tenten watched over Neji's exploring fingers, hoping he's not actually enjoying this.
"Where now?" Neji asked, halting his search.
"A little to the left."
Hearing this, Neji did as he was told, running his hand to the left till Tenten said, "Then, go a little south. Just a few centimeters down."
Smoothly going down her backside, Neji could feel his hormones bubbling about. But he had nipped his lip in self-control, telling himself that if he goes crazy now, the results could get drastic. Men like him could get a little aggressive when given the chance.
Tenten, on the other hand, couldn't help but smile thinly at his actions. If she could, she'd be leisurely giggling as of now because of his ticklish and (she admits it) soothing touch. But if Tenten didn't exactly like any of this, she'd pulverize Neji for becoming too friendly.
"Warm… warmer… hot… There! You're on the clasp." Tenten alerted him, telling him to just grab the end and stop touching her for both their sakes.
Immediately, Neji took hold of the cloth strip that was at his reach. He held it up and asked, "Now what?"
"Hold still." It was all Tenten wanted him to do. She took the other end of her bra and quickly hooked it, ending the series of failed endeavors. Relieved, Tenten smiled and said, "Thanks, Neji. I got it together."
As if in a great rush, Neji drew his hand away and stated, "Good. Now, hurry. I have to put some clothes on, too, you know."
Rolling her eyes at this, Tenten simply grabbed for the simple tee she had chosen earlier. She picked a thin and soft one so it'd be easier to deal with her wrung wrist. When she went out in her jeans and shirt, finally, Neji stood from the floor and said, "Now, I'm dressing up."
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"And you said I took forever."
"You practically did."
"Well, look at you now! Even when you had your shirt miraculously past the handcuffs, you're still suffering! You can't even button your shirt on!"
"You couldn't put your damn bra on with one hand only, so how can I button my shirt with only one hand?"
"I can button my shirt with one hand anytime!"
"You're a woman! Women can talk on the phone and chew gum all at the same time and not sound like David Letterman! Men can't!"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
The petty insults keep getting tossed back and forth, from Neji to Tenten and vice versa. Neji was standing in Tenten's bedroom, trying to button his shirt with one of his hands. His handcuffed hand was almost useless since Tenten was fixing her hair and she needed her other hand to do it.
These handcuffs were definitely getting troublesome.
Tugging on her hair to keep them in a bun, Tenten told Neji as she stared back at the mirror, "Well, I'm going to be late for work. I don't care if I have to go there with you practically stuck with me. I need the money, anyway."
Hearing her, Neji made a face and mumbled what she said in an irritated imitation. He attempted to button his shirt again, but to no avail. Slowly, Neji's patience was absolutely running out.
When Neji turned to Tenten, he found her spraying on some hair spray, applying finishing touches. It meant she had no trouble at all while he was practically tormented at the disability to button his shirt up. "That is so unfair," Neji growled at her.
After smoothening out a few stray strands, Tenten heaved a sigh and voluntarily said, "Fine, I'll help. But this is probably the last time."
With that, she walked nearer to him and immediately grabbed for the button near the collar and buttoned it without any trouble. In her mind, she was chuckling at how hilarious it was that a few men can't button their shirts with only one hand… and Hyuga was one of them.
And as she went lower, down his polo shirt, she unintentionally took a peek inside, past the loose material…
Shit. Six pack.
Seeing this, she vaguely licked her lips with a somewhat sly grin. Her brows arched and she felt her hands grow numb as an unfamiliar feeling shot up. But when she had realized, again, what she was thinking, she squeaked in mutiny and quickly finished buttoning his shirt for him.
And when she had done so, she patted her hand onto his chest and said, "See? Done. Now, come on, I don't want to be tardy."
Gawd, it was like a morning for a married couple.
The two went down the stairs, side by side. Lee was rushing everywhere downstairs, stressed as a few of his paperwork flew about and his camera swung around his neck in all directions. "Hi, Tenten! Hello, Neji!" he greeted quickly, "The mayor is coming in two minutes and I'm late! I'll see you later, okay?!"
But, before Lee could even run off, Neji pulled on his collar and grumbled at his ear, quiet enough for Tenten not to hear, "I want you to talk to Rose ASAP about the damned handcuffs. I'm going to die with her nagging down my neck. Got me?"
Lee nodded and curiously asked him, "Say, what did you tell her about the handcuffs, anyway?"
"I told her that you did a magic trick in the party and it went wrong. I told her that she was drunk when it happened, so she can't remember. How much longer do I have to keep lying to her?"
"Why? Does it hurt you?"
Seeing Neji mumbling words at Lee with an enraged glare, Tenten hit Neji's back and scolded, "Oi, are you blaming Lee for the handcuff thing again? Please, Neji, that is so annoying! We'll see you tonight, Lee, okay?" And with that, she flashed a huge smile at the press staff.
Plainly, Lee just smiled back and rushed out of the door, off to work.
Neji shot her a pissed off stare as he said, "Whose side are you on? I told you that Lee did the handcuff thing, you know."
But Tenten simply shrugged at him and took her filled-up application form from her drawer. She folded it six times and made it fit in her back pocket. Once that was done, she made her way to the garage with Neji following her.
Tenten passed through the door at Neji's seat and crawled to the driver's seat. She knew how to get in even with the handcuffs bothering the both of them. Again, Tenten is in the driver's seat while Neji's seated right beside her. She was ready to rev up the engine and drive away…
… until she saw the mail man pass by and shove a few envelopes into her mailbox.
"Damn," she mumbled, opening the driver's door, "Mail's here. More bills to pay." She pushed herself out of the car with Neji following through. They both walked towards the mailbox, getting weird looks from passersby due to the odd physical connection they had (the handcuffs, my dears).
She grabbed all of the six envelopes inside the hollow box and skimmed through their labels and gave them to Neji once she had recognized what they were.
"Electricity bill," Tenten mumbled, shifting from bill to bill, "Water bill, laundry bill, broadband bill, a letter for Lee from his mother and… huh?"
Hearing her, Neji cocked a brow and asked her, "What? Got anything new?"
"It's an envelope. It's got my name on it and a strange logo is stamped on the upper right-hand corner."
"Hm. I don't seem to find the logo familiar at all."
"What do you think is it, Neji?"
"A bomb? Kidding…"
Simply, she shrugged with him and ripped it open with her fingers. The fine rip of the envelope's paper resonated in their ears and once Tenten had managed to peer inside at the envelope's content, her eyes widened and a gasp escaped from her throat.
"Money!" she screamed in shock, clutching the envelope firmly as she remained surprised, "Oh my gawd, someone sent me money!"
When she said this, Neji immediately placed his gaze on the wad of money inside the envelope. There was almost a thousand dollars inside, carefully and neatly tied together with a silver ribbon. Tenten was totally speechless.
"Whoa, why would someone give you free money?" Neji exclaimed, counting the bills as Tenten stared back at the bucks, "You can save that for your college tuition! Or you can pay more than what your bills need!"
"Or," Tenten added, "I can hand this to you so I'm down to 9,000 more dollars! Gawd, and these four weeks could end in a snap if I get a thousand dollars everyday! In 10 days, you can go! Oh, gawd, pray that I'll get more of these bucks within the week!"
But when Tenten mentioned it, Neji didn't agree with her. In fact, his lips quickly curved downwards. Still, she didn't realize it since she was too busy squealing as she held on to the money.
Once she was done, she pocketed the money and said, "I'll give you whatever's left of it at the end of the day. I plan on paying anyone any amount to get these handcuffs broken apart." And with that, she proceeded to go back to the car with Neji.
They were finally back inside the car and when Tenten turned the key, her car pulsated with life then suddenly wheezed and practically died.
"Shit!" she screamed in frustration, "Oh, come on! What's wrong with the car?!"
"Maybe you don't have gas?" Neji guessed, turning to her.
"Don't be an idiot, Screw! The gas tank is full! See?" Tenten exclaimed, pointing angrily at the gas scale, "Maybe it's an engine problem."
With this, Neji rolled his eyes and said, "Well, we can't stay and fix your car now. You'll definitely be late for work at this rate."
And, as if on cue, the rain poured heavily after that statement. The hard pitter-patter sent Tenten's temper into a nearly inexistent form. Irritated to the next level, she tossed her forehead violently onto the wheel in front of her, making the horn sound off.
"Daaaaaaaamn!"
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
The two walked through the rain, sharing the same pink gym jacket with the tiny hood forcibly stretched over their heads. Their handcuffed wrists brushed against each other every now and then. And, obviously, they were getting pretty odd looks.
"I told you we should've worn separate jackets." He grumbled to her, pinching her side in annoyance.
After she yelped, she snapped back, "Okay, ask yourself, Screw: How can we wear separate jackets if we're handcuffed together, huh? Remember how you can't even get one through your wrist without getting me tangled with you and the jacket?!"
"Well," Neji defended, "You could at least pick a masculine-hued one…"
"I'm in a rush! Who cares about masculine colors or feminine colors now?!"
With that, Neji just rolled his eyes in irritation and mumbled inaudible words under his breath. They both quickened their pace as the rain fell harder on them. And with every splash and near slips, Tenten never let go of Neji's hand… as if she unconsciously felt secure with him…
Her steps were light and hurried, and sometimes, she feels like she's just going to fall flat onto the wet pavement. Neji, on the other hand, felt even heavier and sluggish with his long locks getting wetter by the second.
They pushed everyone aside, sometimes leaving the other behind in their haste. But, whenever Neji went ahead of Tenten, she'd give her handcuffed wrist a strong pull, sending him back to her side.
Seriously, their handcuff cuts were getting more painful.
In thirty minutes of tiring running, minor walking and some moments when they nearly get run over by buses, Neji and Tenten finally stood outside the pub, panting and soaking wet (The hobo was staring at Tenten hungrily again. Gross.).
They stepped inside, into the dim bar again, trailing drops of water as they walked across. Nobody minded them, actually, and if anyone did, they'd never realize their state since it was too dark to see anyone's face. Although, you could still where you were going.
Tenten approached Ino, dragging her feet since her jeans felt so cumbersome, and leaned on the smooth counter as she greeted her wearily, "I heard you're taking me in."
Ino, currently in black short shorts and a bolero over her lacey tube (It's either a tube or her underwear), turned to Tenten and replied, "Oh, so you're the new girl who picked a fight the other day. Yeah, I hope you're fine now." She took a bite out of a beef jerky she had at hand and eyed Tenten.
"I'm fine." Tenten told her, feeling embarrassed that she looked horrible on her first day. She felt Neji just behind her, his drenched arm touching hers.
Seeing this, Ino smirked and stated, "I just need the application form I asked you to fill up. Then, I'll give you your first task."
Hearing this, Tenten smiled and said as she shoved her hands into her side and front pockets, "Oh, thank you, Miss. Uh… Wait… I know I have the form here somewhere. I'm sure I brought it. Give me a second…" She went on searching in her front pockets frantically until something seemed to poke her butt.
She squeaked in surprise and swiftly swerved around to see what or who did that, but she just found Neji holding up her folded up (and miraculously not-so wet) application form, saying, "You kept it in your back pocket, remember?" And with that, he handed it to Ino.
Realizing what happened in a split second, Tenten blushed unnoticeably, felt herself shake a little and rub her butt consciously without much reason. "How embarrassing!" she screamed in her thoughts, "Hyuga now knows about my ostrich ass."
Once Ino got a hold of the form, she skimmed through it and finally instructed them, "The pub now does deliveries for the sake of earning more money. I have three twelve packs of hard beer at the back and I want you to deliver it to 5422 Kaede Street, about twelve blocks away from here. If you pass the playground, you've gone too far."
She wrote the address on a piece of tissue she found nearby and continued, "The order placer is an infamous Kiba Inuzuka, who works for the Inuzuka Gym, obviously. Rings any bells?"
Hearing the familiar name, Tenten arched a brow and said abruptly, "Kiba was my High School Sweetie."
"High School Sweetie my ass." Ino thought bitterly as she glared at Tenten and mentioned, "Oh, and I'm not paying your friend here," she pointed at Neji and added, "Unless you want to get paid for doing a few errands, you have to sign your own form."
But, Neji shook his head and answered, "I'll work free of charge."
"Heaven sent, you are. After the first delivery, come back here since you have to do three more. Don't worry, I'm paying you 11 dollars per delivery plus the 10 dollars you earn hourly. You work from 10 to 5, and you have four deliveries today, so you earn…
… at least 124 dollars, I think."
At the amount of money she could earn on her first day, Tenten's eyes gradually grew and her jaw felt like it was going to get unhinged. Seeing this, Neji couldn't laugh too loudly then stop immediately when he was shot with a dangerous look from the brown-locked lady beside him.
"I don't care how you bring the beer bottles to the designated place," Ino said as she fixed herself a martini, "Just make sure nothing gets broken and you send it over within the hour. We have a money-back policy. Now, get out of my face.
Once they got the orders, Tenten tugged on her handcuffed wrist to motion Neji to follow. When he finally did, they entered the back room of the pub and found three packs of beer at the near dead end of the steamy and damp stock room. Tenten picked a case up while Neji picked three up. And there, they left.
"What's with the gun?" Tenten questioned when she saw Neji cock one his guns outside the pub after putting down his case by the pub entrance. He had a snare, most probably.
He tucked the armed gun down his belt and said, "I'll shoot your oh-so adorable High School Sweetie if he touches you."
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"Damn, damn, damn!"
Black Ivory's heavy fist landed onto her desk as she bit her lip in irritation. She had a gun at hand and there was a chewed-on, unlit cigarette between her pink lips. Her fangs peered from her mouth and the bloody glare in her eyes burned in anger.
"Damn Eagle Eye's apprentice for leaking the poison's antidote!" she screamed, trembling in fury, her finger locked onto the trigger and ready to shoot at anything anytime. Indeed, she is perilous when maddened.
Her sister, Blue Gun Shot merely sat comfortably on the couch nearby inside the room, filing her midnight blue tinted nails. Her hair strands were held back in a tight and high ponytail as she eyed her sister pathetically. But, inside, she was wanted to laugh in her face.
"Stop whining, Nii-chan," Blue Gun Shot stated, "It's pretty pissing and all the shit you keep saying's getting to me…"
Blam!
With her patience running thin, Black Ivory sent a bullet flying towards Blue Gun Shot, directly hitting her on the chest and leaving a hole on her new blouse. Blue Gun Shot's reaction hasn't changed at all. For all she knew, Hinata could shoot her all she wants all day. She wears bulletproof vests 24/7.
"Gawd, you need anger-management lessons," Hanabi said, dusting the melted bullet on her chest, "Didn't you know that the poison antidote the apprentice sent was last updated three years ago?"
"So? Do I need to know that, bitch?!" Black Ivory screamed, aiming at her little sister again.
"Well, yeah. You see, I modified the poison a few days ago. So, the antidote isn't upgraded enough to fully eliminate any traces of the poison."
Hearing this seemed to be great news to Black Ivory. She put her gun down and whispered, "Go on."
With this, Hanabi sighed and went straight to the point, "Even if they've already taken a dose of the antidote, the poison's still in effect. Like I told you, it's slow acting so no suspicions arise. But, the poison's full effect is triggered by contact with another poisoned victim."
"Don't make your explanation sound elaborate. Make it simple."
Rolling her eyes, Blue Gun Shot snickered as she finally said, "The poison's full effect will come if Eagle Eye and his captive have contact. The poison's molecules' mix will cause a reaction and only then will they drop like rain from the sky. Get it now?"
With that, Hinata cocked her brow and questioned, "What… kind of contact are we talking about here?"
"If they share a glass, there'll be effect. If they share a lollipop, that'll make the effect take place. If… well, they sleep together, there's maximum effect."
"You actually think that Eagle and that girl would—"
"I don't have that kind of perverted hunch, but I'm sure the poison will eventually take effect."
And with that, Hinata smiled and stated, "Have I ever told you how brilliant you are, My Baby Sister?"
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"I want you to answer very honestly and very accurately, Neji."
"Is this 20 Q&A?"
"Obviously not!"
"Well, alright, what d'you want to ask?"
They managed to hitch a ride from a truck that transported goats straight from the countryside (and the driver never knew) by sitting on the back with a few goats peering down their shoulders. It stunk, it creeps them out, the rain somehow made things worst, but it was better than walking with the heavy cases they had.
And the handcuffs were still bothering them.
When Tenten was supposed to ask him her question, she suddenly bit her lip and smiled thinly and mumbled, "Wait… never mind…"
Cocking a brow, Neji smirked and questioned, "Why're you backing out now? Whatever your question was, I'm sure I can answer it. Now, spill it."
With this, Tenten sighed and fixed her gaze on their handcuffed wrists, side-by-side and now very bruised. Once those handcuffs are finally off, she'll definitely throw a party. But it was so odd that Ino or anyone for that matter didn't notice it. Either it was too dark, or they thought it was…
… normal.
"Don't wonder why I'm going to ask this, okay?" Tenten warned Neji, pointing at him with a somewhat accusing glare. But, she felt like she was just going to burst out cackling just thinking about what she wanted to ask. In the first place, why did she want to ask such a thing?
But, anyway, she finally asked, "Uh, you know, since I got enough money from the envelope I got this morning, maybe you'd… uh… want to… well, I don't know… Maybe you'd want to spend the night…"
A flush of red spread across Neji's face and a somewhat embarrassed (for her and for himself) feature came around. He slightly bent back as she went on stammering a little. The song 'Hotel California' played in his head even though he had tried not to think about it.
"Hey! Don't get that perverted face!" Tenten scolded him, flustered, "Let me finish before you go concluding what I want to say! Okay, here…" she cleared her throat and finally said, "Would you like to spend the evening in the pub. I don't know about you, but I'd like to relax tonight."
The sound of car horns beeping, the pitter-patter of the rain and the annoying chortles of the goats behind them invaded their silence of words. Tenten went on as Neji just looked at her, "Alcoholic drinks aren't really my thing, so I'll get some fruit drinks or something. My only intention is to… well, chill for just tonight and maybe get to know you a little more."
"What the fuck…?" Neji thought as he realized that she was asking him out, "What's this bitch up to? Get to know me a little more? Where did that come from?" But, nevertheless, he carved a flattered smile and replied, "Sounds fun."
And with this, Tenten beamed cheerily and said, "It probably is. Count on it."
All Neji did next was nod and chuckle at her sudden hospitality. Unexpectedly, Neji jolted and exclaimed in surprise and slight alarm, "Shit, we passed the playground." When Tenten heard this, she also got alarmed. They both remember hearing Ino say that if they passed the playground, they've gone too far.
And with that, Neji hopped off with Tenten and as the truck drove through the traffic, they took their beer cases and took off back down the road they took. Through the still pouring rain, everything felt so much harder and farther. Even if this was so, they kept moving.
And in five minutes' time, which fifteen minutes to spare, they finally stood in front of a five story tall building with 'Inuzuka Tower' on the top. It was pretty impressive, but Neji simply scoffed it in his head since, compared to the Hyuga property, it was a bamboo hut.
The two stepped inside the building, through the automatic glass doors (which Neji also compared to his mansion's automatically opening, closing, locking and talking gates) and to the Information booth at the center of the ground floor. Everything gave off a corporate office look.
"Uhm, excuse me," Tenten started after approaching the woman in the booth, "We're here to deliver the beer cases of Kiba Inuzuka. Mind if I ask where I can find him?" Hearing Kiba's name simply made Neji cringe since he heard High School Sweetie next to it every time.
The woman looked up at them and motioned them to wait a minute. And there, she dialed a few numbers on her cellphone and suddenly blurt out in a very enrage tone and a furious expression…
"Kiba, you little bullshit, how many times do I have to tell you that Mom didn't allow you to buy beer?! I know it's because you have friends over, but I am still not going to tolerate your drunken bastard-ness at 3 am for Snuffalapagus! Fine, I'll let you through today, but not next time. Bye."
Once she had the phone down, she noticed Tenten and Neji's stunned looks, taken aback, and muttered, "He's on the fourth floor."
After a quick thank you, they walked to the nearest elevator and were sent towards the fourth floor. As the elevator music played ('All Star' by Smash Mouth), Tenten only had her mind on the money she'll soon be getting, but Neji had Sasuke's ATM card and High School Sweetie haunting him… not to mention that the song 'Hotel California' is still playing in his head.
With a cheery chime, the elevator doors split up and opened to the fourth floor. As a reaction to what they saw before them, Tenten had her cheeks tinted with a bright pink while Neji seemed like he was going to throw up.
Muscular, sweating, able-bodied men working out were everywhere, in every corner of the gym. Honestly, Tenten didn't know if she should scream fan girlishly or smack her hands over her eyes and whine about how she's not supposed to look at people like them.
Neji knew what he had to do: He thought, "Damn, how many Arnold Schwarzeneggers are in this place?"
Once Tenten had entered the gym with Neji beside her, all eyes shot to her and one pair was very much familiar. One of the men smiled and greeted her, saying, "Tenten! Is that you?"
Dark chocolate strands dramatically drenched in sweet sweat hung loosely above his enchanting yet demanding eyes with the blood red triangles barbarically streaked down his dimpled cheeks. He wasn't ripped like most of the freaks present, but he was buffed, anyway…
And Tenten first noticed the six pack.
"K-Kiba?" she acknowledged his greeting, catching her almost off-guard. Neji merely growled under his breath as they grinned sheepishly at each other. She went up to him and asked nicely and curiously, "Do you work here, Kiba?"
"I own the fourth floor gym, Tenten. My sister owns the second and third floor and my parents have the fifth floor. We practically share the whole building."
As he went on talking to her, she couldn't help but notice how Kiba's muscles were evenly toned and, strangely, Tenten wasn't stirred by the six pack…
Somehow, Neji's were better (A/C: screaming).
"So, I see you've got a new boyfriend," Kiba mentioned, smirking as he referred to Neji beside her, "You two look good, actually."
Hearing this, Neji's eyes grew and he snapped back, "Acquaintance!"
But, Kiba simply laughed and added, "Oh, sorry to keep you carrying those crates. Just put it down by the treadmill and I'll pay you as soon as you're done." He pointed at the treadmill at the far left and with that, Neji and Tenten walked towards that direction.
Once they had the beer cases down, Neji mumbled to Tenten discreetly, "Do you plan on staying longer to flirt with Inuzuka?"
"Of course not." Tenten defensively snapped at him softly.
"Good."
And when they were about to leave, Kiba landed a firm grasp on Tenten's shoulder and said, "Hey, you guys leaving already? Stay a little longer. Come on, Tenten, shouldn't high school friends at least have some fun together again? And I can get to know your boyfriend here…"
"Acquaintance…" Neji grumbled from under his breath as he bit his lip in anger.
But, Kiba ignored this and went on, "Why not have a beer or two before going off? I mean, Tenten, it's been a while since we last talked, right? Wouldn't you like to spend a little more time with me? It's been almost three years." His tone seemed pleading yet also stipulating.
And, because of this, Tenten reconsidered, "Well, ten minutes never hurt…"
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"You okay?" Kiba asked her as she tried to catch up with the treadmill's pace, panting and absolutely exhausted.
She thought that if she stayed, she'd be talking to him and all. They did, but she never thought that they'd be doing so while jogging in the treadmill at almost 3 steps per second. Her sweat dripped down her sides and she has never felt so tired in all her life.
Neji sat on the floor beside the treadmill, holding his wrist up so that Tenten didn't have any obstruction to her exercise. He had earphones plugged into his ears, listening to 80's love songs through his phone without much thought. His stare was straight and he was totally indifferent to whatever was happening.
"… Okay… I think I've had enough, Kiba… Make it… stop!" she screamed as she kept on running on the rolling ground under her feet. Immediately, Kiba got off his treadmill and halted Tenten's jog.
Once that was over, Tenten almost melted, falling onto the floor. She felt like she was going to die on the spot of dehydration. Her breathing made her chest heave up and down as she tried to catch her breath. Neji seemed like he didn't see or hear her at all (maybe because he didn't, really).
"I need… a break…" Tenten admitted, panting and having difficulty breathing. With this, she finally sat up and grabbed the water bottle Kiba held for her. As she downed the drink, a great feeling ran through her tired limbs.
But, without warning, Kiba took his seat beside her and shot a question at her, "What's a mob boss doing handcuffed to your wrist?"
Hearing him, Tenten spat some of the water in her mouth and stared back at Kiba. From what she saw, his face was straight, dead serious and very firm. He knew about Eagle Eye and he knew about them being handcuffed (Big duh) and he might report this.
"I-It's not what it looks like…" Tenten said, defending the two of them and she was just glad that Neji was too busy and musically deaf to hear nay of this, "My father owes his mafia money and I'm the only one left and—"
"Tenten, this is a very hazardous matter," Kiba told her, grasping her hand tightly, "These people won't cry if they suddenly just pull the trigger and kill you. How can you trust him? You should've reported them before…"
"I swear, Kiba, he won't hurt me."
"What proof do you have?"
With the question, Tenten stopped in her thoughts. He was right. What did she know? But, no doubt, she was quick in trusting Neji that he wouldn't just harm her. In fact, finding him handcuffed to her in bed with her this morning was slightly traumatizing.
Her eyes were soft and she mumbled, "Kiba, please don't report this matter. All I have to do is earn 10,000 dollars within four weeks and I'm free. Nothing else. There's no harm in that. They're also human, they need the money, too…"
"People like them can steal money from anyone anytime." Kiba told her, still persuading her with his glare, "All I'm worried about is you. If you get hurt, I'm going to regret not reporting this situation earlier."
And when Kiba was about to take his phone out to call the police, Tenten tugged on his sleeve and pleaded, "Kiba, listen to me: Eagle Eye has no intention of hurting me. They told me they badly need the money, so killing me would be a stupid idea…
… I trust him."
With those words, Kiba's shocked expression seeped through, "How could you trust a savage assassin?"
"Don't call him that," Tenten growled, pushing Kiba's grip from her wrist, "Eagle hasn't hurt me at all within the five days we've been together. I trust him!"
"How could you trust someone like him? You've got about 23 more days to be together, right? Wouldn't he hurt you within the remaining days?"
"He. Won't. Believe me."
"I can't help but doubt your decisions, Tenten. Let me report this to the police. You'll be safe and the debt will be off. His mafia's been wanted for generations already, and if we report them now, you'll be a hero…"
"I don't want to be a hero, then."
And with this, she stood up and threateningly told Kiba, "Don't report this or I'll hate you for eternity."
When she was going to tell Neji that they were leaving, Kiba told her, "I won't until you're finally on my side. And I'm sure you will be soon."
Frustrated, Tenten shook her head at her High School Sweetie and walked off with Neji scampering up to follow her with his wrist going ahead of him. Once the elevator was already there, Tenten angrily entered the lift and as the doors closed, she kept her glare enraged at Kiba.
I won't until you're finally on my side…
And I'm sure you will be soon.
"Fat chance, Kiba…" she bitterly thought, clenching her fist in exasperation, "Never in a million years…"
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"Do you dance?"
Hearing that out of the guy handcuffed to her, she shot him a shocked glare and mumbled a suspicious question, "What made you ask? Do I look like someone who does?" She snorted at him and went back to her fluted glass of Strawberry Sensation.
Cautiously, she took a mouthful of the sweet liquid and downed it, feeling the lump of gunk go down her throat. It was almost miraculous to not hear any drunken laughter or to see any intoxicated thugs walking around with a mug of frothy, freshly brewed beer.
Such a great and almost impossible miracle, indeed.
All she could sense was the chilliness in the air-conditioned pub, which got intense since the heavy rain still hasn't stopped. The stench of strong alcohol didn't linger around. Instead, traces of fruity cocktails came, like the place was a dirty pub at morn and a sophisticate's tavern at night.
She felt oddly calmer and more relaxed, somewhat forgetting her worries for the day… the troublesome deliveries… Kiba… Neji handcuffed to her… Everything was a blank…
It was her night.
"But, really," he persistently said, keeping the subject, "Do you dance? I mean, look at all those… people on the dance floor…"
"There's no dance floor. They're just swaying 'round the middle of this stuffy place. Get a grip, Screw…"
"You get a grip, Twenty. You're acting all tough on me."
Seeing where the foolish conversation was going, Tenten snorted at him once again and took another sip of the mocktail, licking her lips to savor each drop. Man, Ino made great drinks.
Beside her, Neji leaned on the same table, drinking vodka shots every now and then. To Tenten, vodka, tequila or any alcoholic drink for that matter sent tingles down her arms, raising her hairs. For Neji, vodka, tequila and margarita drunken straight from the bottle without a lemon or any salt are refreshing ways to cool off.
But, she somehow had an idea why Neji was asking her if she danced: Either he wants to know so he can tease her about it…
…or he'd want to actually dance with her.
"I used to." She answered, as if in a monologue, "The last time I did dance in a bar was with my friends… and I was pretty much drunk."
Hearing her answer, Neji chuckled without even turning to her and remarked, "Same here… only I wasn't drunk."
Tenten took another long sip of her beverage and giggled, remembering, "On that night, my friends and I were senior high school students, celebrating our pre-graduation night in the bar."
Something made Neji cough a little, spitting some tequila out, until Tenten went on.
"I was so tipsy from drinking light beer. It was my first time, so I wasn't able to keep track of how many mugs I have had." Tenten admitted, twirling a lock of hair around her finger shyly, "Before I knew it, I was floppy and holding on to some random guy while we just swayed on the dance floor."
Neji could just imagine Tenten with her hair in places, face red from drinking and her arms all gelatinous and limp around some other guy. It made him smirk in hilarity for a moment, but scowl in the next.
"The next morning, I had one hell of a stomach ache and a monster headache." She said, chuckling on her own, "The, it turned out that I was dancing with Kiba on that night. We were all laughing at it in the end."
Kiba's name sent a slight infuriation through Neji and a quick sense of worry and anxiety shot through Tenten's arms, making her shiver. But, as the recovering finished, Tenten asked, "So, what… uh, why'd you ask if I danced?"
At this, Neji merely shrugged and answered, "I was going to ask you if you wanted to dance, but it all seems kinda weird, y'know…"
"Well, why not?"
Her words shot through him unexpectedly. He stared back at her in surprise and she said, "I mean, I suck at dancing and I'm sure you do, too. So, why don't we see who sucks at dancing the more, hm?" She smiled at him in amusement, hoping he'd agree.
Hearing the silly proposal, Neji chuckled and mumbled, "Are you sure about this?"
"Surer then ever!" she exclaimed, standing up, ready to go to the center and dance.
And with that, Neji had no choice but to follow her since they were linked together, anyway.
You're looking kinda lonely girl.
Would you like someone new to talk to?
I'm feeling kinda lonely, too.
If you don't mind, can I sit down here beside you?
Hearing the currently playing song, Tenten snorted once more and commented, "Oh my gawd, my Dad used to listen to this music. What's this, 70's or 80's music?" She walked to the center, amid the slowly swaying people under the neon lights.
Neji smirked and added, "I've got something worst about this song: My parents danced to it on Saturday nights. And they don't give a damn if I'm there to watch them. It makes me sick, sometimes, seeing them still in love at an old age." He shivered a little and snickered.
To Tenten, it wasn't sickening at the very least. It was actually romantic to know that they loved each other to the very end.
If I seem to come on too strong,
I hope that you will understand.
I say these things 'cause I'd like to know
if you're as lonely as I am
and if you mind…
"So, shall we?" Neji muttered as they finally stood face to face under the dizzy swirling lights of the bar. He held his hand out, letting the chain that held their wrists together make a soft chime as he did.
She laughed melodiously and questioned, "Look, I don't know the first thing to do, a'ight? I don't know what to do with my hands, I know no steps… nothing!" She shook her head as she laughed at herself and her foolishness. But Neji didn't seem to be joking at all.
Seeing this, Tenten turned her gaze up at the straight face he held and mumbled shyly, "Are you serious?"
"Well," Neji replied, smiling at her at last, "Of course I am. Just for fun. Look around and copy whatever the dancers around us are doing."
With this, Tenten turned to her right and left, seeing the other dancers in each other's arms, swaying to no definite rhythm. It was like they didn't have a care for the world. No one's opinion mattered. It was all about chilling out and having a good time…
…And that's what she's supposed to do, too.
Sharing the night together, oh yeah
Sharing the night together, oh yeah, sharing the night.
"Alright," Tenten finally said, taking his hand awkwardly, "But… respect distance, okay?"
"I know, I know." He answered as he pulled her closer, laying her hand on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist. The hands that were obstructed by the handcuffs simply met and there, unconsciously, their fingers entwined.
We could bring in the morning girl
if you want to go that far
and if tomorrow find us together
right here the way we are
would you mind
Sharing the night together, oh yeah
Sharing the night together, oh yeah, sharing the night.
And there, Tenten just took tiny steps to the sides and Neji simply did the same, making their steps harmonious and somehow choreographed. In fact, Tenten found herself giggling at how fun it felt and how comical it was that they were dancing together.
Through the music, they could hear each other's heart beat just getting hasty, maybe at the moment or at the exhaustion from the day's activities. Whatever it was, it didn't fail to make Neji grin sheepishly.
Soon, out of laxity, Tenten just muttered, "Hey, you're pretty good."
Neji smiled at this and said, "You, too. I guess we tie. We equally suck."
She chuckled with him at the comment and there, Neji's forehead met hers, making them smile timidly at the sudden closure. She could notice the same amazing lavender tinge in his eyes and only now did he see the perfect teeth and tiny lips she had.
The respect for distance was almost gone.
Would you like to dance with me and hold me?
You know, I want to be holding you
'Cause I like feeling like I do.
And I see in your eyes
that you're liking it too.
"What's with the smart ass smirk?" she suddenly asked him in a sweet whisper as her forehead still leaned against his. She could feel his pants brush against hers and she sensed his breath near her lips, somehow. It was awesome to finally conclude that he seemed to have an everlasting mint in his mouth.
Clearly, Neji had a sly smirk on him, mesmerizing her with his eyes. His pale features worked like magic to her. "What smirk?" he whispered back, holding her closer as she somehow and very involuntarily almost hugged him near.
And there, her eyes seemed to grow heavy. Either it was from the swerving lights or it was really the mood the ambience of the place was setting… or maybe it was the charmer she had before her.
Everything felt blank and Tenten couldn't feel her toes anymore. It's as if she's floating in air with him holding on to her so she'd never fall. But, over-all, something simple yet very self-explanatory described her thoughts right now…
'I'm dancing with a mob boss and I don't care.'
Without much thought, their lips neared, but never met. It just felt like they just wanted to feel the other's breath, their presence. No words came out of them. Then and there, their true colors came out. They let out what they truly felt that they've realized only now.
In a slick movement, Neji positioned his lips near her ear and whispered in such discreetness…
"I thought you didn't trust me."
With those words, Tenten's didn't react. But her mind was listening despite everything.
Neji silently chuckled and added, "Didn't you say that you'd never trust a mob boss? So, why are you in my arms now?"
And with this snap realization, Tenten's eyes shot open and immediately, she shoved him away and said nothing. The words were holding on to the tip of her tongue and Kiba's words were echoing in her head again.
"I can't help but doubt your decisions, Tenten. Let me report this to the police. You'll be safe and the debt will be off. His mafia's been wanted for generations already, and if we report them now, you'll be a hero…"
"I don't want to be a hero, then."
And as she looked at him, his enchanting and seemingly-innocent smile and that polo shirt that hid his six pack, she suddenly woke up to a fact that she once denied but is now fully accepting. When she tried to hide it, it came out.
She had always trusted him.
Even if she said she didn't, her words didn't prevail. Her actions spoke louder than ever. The pleading of Kiba not to report him… The promise to Kiba that he'd never hurt her… The going to the hotel party… Dancing in his arms…
She trusts him… or did she trust him too much?
And there, she simply smiled at him, concealing the confusion she felt inside and muttered, "It's getting late. Let's go home, hm?"
It was 6 p.m.
It was hard to believe, but it's the truth. Tenten now trusts the mob boss Eagle Eye…
… and something, a strong gut feeling, told her that he really would never hurt her.
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I had a major case of writer's block in the middle of this, so please forgive me for taking me almost a week or so to post this. Now, for the suspense chapters (which you guys read so you can stay up tonight, thinking and anticipating. Jk.):
Will Lee be able to unlock the handcuffs by the next chapter? Will Kiba be able to actually 'brainwash' Tenten into betraying Neji and reporting him? Will she eventually take Kiba's side? Will the poison of Hinata and Hanabi transmitted into Tenten and Neji eventually take effect?
Will Neji and Tenten finally admit that they're in love?
(My answer: It takes them so damn long to realize this! I can just scream at them, "Fall in love already, Dattebayo!" –huff- -huff-)
Kankuro: Great. I'm staying up tonight.