31_days | [October 11th] [Naruto] Disease [Neji/Tenten]

Title: Disease
Date/Theme: October 11th / I know how furiously your heart is beating
Series: Naruto,

hs_no_jutsu universe
Character/Pairing: Neji/Tenten
Rating: PG-13

Once upon a time…

Tenten was fairly spoiled. She was used to getting what she wanted when she wanted, no questions asked. She always had the newest toys, the nicest clothes and the most expensive alcohol. She was the only girl in school that had a sweet sixteen at age thirteen. No and wait were words she only ever heard from one person: Hyuuga Neji.

"I want you," she said with rare patience. She tapped a pink pen against her desk. "I don't understand what the problem is."

He refused to look at her. "You'll get over it."

There was something about Neji that made her want to throw all of her books onto the floor and have a good, old-fashioned temper tantrum. "I don't want to get over it!"

"Stop acting like a child," he chided, opening his textbook. "Class is starting. You better pay attention."

Tenten mustered her fiercest glare. "You just wait, Hyuuga Neji," she said, gathering up her books and moving to a desk by Lee. "I don't let go of things I want so easily."

Neji learned that the hard way.

there was a boy and a girl…

Tenten decided the summer before high school began that it was time to lose her virginity.

"What?" Neji choked, dropping her from his lap. His face was already beginning to break out in red splotches.

"Sex," Tenten said, rolling her eyes. "I want to have it. With you, preferably."

"What?"

She picked herself up from the floor. Really. "You know," she said, slowly, as if she were talking to a young child, "when the boy inserts his penis into the girl's – "

"Please stop talking," said Neji, putting his head in his hands. "Please."

She waited for him to give in. He usually did. And if he didn't, she would start quoting erotica or strip down to nothing. Either way, it would be amusing. "So?"

"Why do you torture me?" he asked, his voice muffled by his hands.

"Because it's fun," she said, kneeling in front of him and removing his hands from his face. He let her; she knew he would. She moved to kiss him and he let her do that, too. "I want you to make love to me, Neji."

"Now?"

Tenten noted with a grin that his voice shifted down an octave. Victory. "Tomorrow night," she said, fingering his hair. It wouldn't hurt for him to worry about it for a little while. He was cute when he was nervous. "You can cook me dinner first."

She knew he wouldn't say no.

…who kind of, sort of, liked each other…

While Tenten was busy setting up her apartment for The Big Moment, Neji wandered the streets of Konoha, lost in his own mind. How could he have even thought about agreeing to this? They were too young. They were being too irresponsible. Things could happen. Bad things. He was halfway to convincing himself that the whole situation was ridiculous when he heard her voice, clear as if she were standing next to him: I want you to make love to me.

One man should not so easily be toppled by a girl.

The story of his life.

… most of the time.

Unfortunately, even the most meticulous of plans often go awry.

He meant to make a certain purchase from the pharmacy and one from the flower shop, but in his state of introspection (translation: anxiety), he hadn't realized that he asked the pharmacist for roses and Inoshi for condoms. Ino herself complicated matters when, as Inoshi was busy planning whether to flay or roast Neji on the outdoor barbeque, she flew down the stairs and into his arms in her usual forceful greeting.

By the time Neji managed to escape from the Yamanakas, the roses were wilted, he had a black eye, and he was two hours late to meet Tenten.

He never did get to buy the condoms.

Love is something that sort of just happens….

The firefighters were really nice about the whole thing, Tenten thought. And why wouldn't they have been? It wasn't as if she meant to set the curtains on fire with the candles – it just happened. And how in the world was she supposed to know that all of that alcohol would burst into flames like that?

She retreated to the shower to wash the ash from her hair.

At the worst, he could always join her there.

… like a virus…

Neji was six blocks from Tenten's apartment, finally, when his cell phone rang.

"Yes, Uncle…. yes, I do know what time it is but… no, I didn't know that they ate two packages of Play Doh this morning… well, what do can I do about… yes. Yes, Uncle. I'll be right there."

He snapped the phone closed and looked longingly toward Tenten's apartment complex before turning in the other direction.

… and you just have to flush it out…

Her eyes fluttered closed next to an empty bottle of wine and two, empty glasses.

… but it isn't so bad…

It was nearly three in the morning when he found her, curled up on the couch, dead to the world. So she hadn't waited for him. It wasn't as if he had any excuse, after all, so why should she have? He took her in – clutching her pillow, smiling as if she knew a very good secret – and he knew he could have watched her sleep for hours.

Neji compared her unfavorably to a disease as he moved next to her and pulled her in to his lap. No matter how hard he tried to cure himself of her, there she was, infecting. She stirred at the movement and her eyes opened to regard him carefully. Tiredly. Drunkenly. "Hey," she managed without slurring. "You're late."

"I had flowers," he offered. "It's a long story." He paused. "What's that smell?"

She stretched, moving to lift herself so that she was in his lap proper. "It's a long story."

His hands moved to her hair and released it from its ties. "I have time."

… most of the time.

It was a beautiful disaster.

"I'm sorry," he managed, forehead against hers. He tried to catch his breath, tried to ignore how beautiful she was underneath him, how much he wanted to show her that he wasn't a failure at everything.

"It wasn't bad," she comforted, her hand on his cheek. "I promise."

"… did I faint?"

"Only for a few seconds toward the end."

He groaned.

"We can try again."

"Can we? I promise, next time, I definitely won't pass o – "

But she was already kissing him.

And they lived happily ever after…

"You bastard! How could you cheat on me with another guy!?"

… sort of.

[end]