Comments | 80s_no_jutsu: [Thread] I'm Not That Girl [Naruto, Tenten] [Closed]

heavenly_notes in 80s_no_jutsu

[Thread] I'm Not That Girl [Naruto, Tenten] [Closed]

Sep 17, 2008 04:08

The sound coming out of Practice Room 1 that afternoon was manic. Tenten had always been taught that a musician could best argue with themselves via their music. Her fingers tumbled over the keys, stirring up feelings of I shouldn’t have and I must. Lately, she’d been an absolute Chinese Ninja in the two classes she shared with Naruto. Dodging in ( Read more... )

tenten, naruto, closed

Comments 10

heavenly_notes September 17 2008, 09:35:34 UTC

Tenten offered him a heartbeat's worth of smile before she shrugged. "Yeah..." she had spoken quickly, but she hadn't stuttered. "Pretty stupid, right? I'm sorry." Tenten bowed her head in typical Chinese fashion. If she'd wanted to drive it home, she'd kow-tow, but not today. "In like, late July. I'm sorry I didn't say anything, I'm sorry. I wanted to. But... there were lots of things in the way." Like her friendship with Sakura. You didn't fall in love with your friend's ex, especially when she wasn't sure if she was still in love with them.

Now that she'd finally said it, her shoulders felt lighter, but her heart felt heavier. She'd have to go through another round of chocolate and alcohol therapy tonight. "I know it's useless now, anyway..." she shrugged, the feeling automatic. Wetness was starting to well up in her eyes and she looked up at the stained ceiling of the practice room to stop it. She would not start crying. There was her pride at stake here, both as a person with a strong will and as a woman.

orange_epiphone September 19 2008, 01:44:22 UTC

This was just awful. Naruto felt his poorly-healed heart crumple and twist in sympathy, flinging up memories and buried hurts at him in accusation. He knew how she felt all too well, oh yes. And it was like a kick in the gut to know that he'd been the person to do this to her.

He'd never had to feel this way before. Naruto was a heart broken, not a heart-breaker. How could people stand this? All those 'little town flirts', all those consummate love-leavers. Did they do it to fill some void in their soul, not realising that doing so was making the gap in the first place?

The sunshine in his face flickered out into a sad frown as he watched Tenten hold back tears, and wondered what the fuck he could say. What would he want to hear? What had he wanted to hear, so many times?

Nothing. There was nothing that could fix it. He knew that.

"Tenten..."

But he had to try.

heavenly_notes September 19 2008, 05:16:34 UTC

She was hurting him, and something inside her just wanted to pull him close and apologize until she had no voice left. Instead Tenten smiled, gentle and sad, and pushed her bangs from her eyes. This was like trying to put a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. Where was the hot iron to cauterize what he was only making worse with his sadness?

"It's okay," she paused and took a breath, fighting against the twinge in her chest. Pride, Hsiao, Pride. "It's also probably best if we call off the sham marriage." Just keeping it on would make her want things she couldn't have, and drive her crazy.

Tenten wanted to punch something, but mostly, just wanted to escape. "Anyway, I guess I should go." She hesitated, and then leaned forward and kissed his cheek, chaste. "See you."

orange_epiphone September 23 2008, 08:56:39 UTC

Naruto reached up to squeeze her hand gently, an automatic gesture that was nonetheless heartfelt. He wasn't really good with words; he worked best through more tangible things like music and physicality. Writing 'smile' on a piece of paper was less likely to make the reader do so than just beaming at them in person, in his opinion.

So, as he ran out of strings of letters to roll off his tongue and past his teeth, he gave her the only thing he could at that point in time: an apology from his hand to hers, for a sin he didn't realise he was committing and a heart he hadn't known he was breaking.

"See ya, Tenten..."

heavenly_notes September 23 2008, 17:21:18 UTC

It hurt a lot more than she was willing to admit, and Tenten reminded herself that this was for the best. Tenten pulled her hand from his and offered him another soft smile. After, she picked up a tote bag peppered in clef notes from beside the piano bench and walked out. It took everything Tenten had to keep her shoulders firm and her back straight. The door to the practice room clicked closed and left Naruto alone in the room.

But it was just how things needed to be, wasn't it?