Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto.

Impulse

By Raine Ishida

Part One: Chapter One

…

Tenten held the glass of tequila in her hand and glared at it. Neji was across the room, laughing with some bimbo. Someone who wasn’t her. Well, fine. Two could play at this game.

But who was around to talk to?

Definitely not Lee. This was a college party. They were all at Neji’s family’s estate. Lee had been drunk for awhile. And one does not approach a drunken Lee unless they have a wish to end up in the hospital.

Tenten sighed, tipped back the remainder of her tequila and slammed the glass on the counter, her vision slightly fuzzy from prior alcohol.

“Rough night?” asked a soft voice from behind her. She turned and found pale blue eyes watching her from behind a fringe of black lashes. Spiky red hair adorned his head above his pale face. Gaara.

“I guess,” she muttered. He was still watching her.

She frowned and turned back to him. “What are you doing here anyway? Don’t you usually avoid these sorts of situations?”

“I’m experimenting with being social,” he replied, a soft smirk on his lips.

“Want a drink?” she offered, holding up her empty glass. Gaara shook his head.

“No, thank you.” Even his reply was soft.

“Suit yourself,” Tenten replied, putting her glass gently into the sink. Her hands lingered on the glass, hesitant to give up the one thing she had to give her a reason to go to the bar area where Neji was laughing with that idiot blonde.

“See you,” Gaara murmured, walking away without so much as another glance.

Tenten frowned. What was with him? As she turned, she found herself face to face with Neji, who snaked his arm around her waist, his breath heavy with alcohol.

“Come sit with me,” he pleaded in her ear.

“What about the blonde?” Tenten hissed, ice in her voice as she glared up at him.

Neji blinked. “Her? Oh, nobody. Come on,” he insisted, pulling her back into the next room where everyone was drinking and laughing.

Moments later, Tenten found herself seated on Neji’s lap while he played with her hair, laughed at other peoples’ stupid jokes and drunkenly kisses at her neck, leaving her feeling dirty with his unusually sloppy kisses.

Tenten couldn’t hear any of the jokes. She didn’t laugh when everyone else did.

Looking around at everyone else who wasn’t involved in their drunken conversation, her eyes fell across Gaara, who was at the back door. He met her eyes for only a moment before exiting into the backyard and closing the door behind him.

Tenten’s pulse began to race and by then her decision had been made. But she didn’t get up right away. Subtlety required patience. So she had to wait.

When she did get up, she told Neji she was going to the bathroom, which was a bold-faced lie.

Once she’d closed the door behind her and the light of the porch glowed around her, she found herself slightly overwhelmed by confusion. Now what?

She decided to be brave and stepped into the darkness of the backyard. Neji’s family’s yard was reasonably large, and bordered by trees. A few trees in and her eyes had adjusted to the dark. Leaning against the tree in front of her was Gaara.

“Did you follow me out here?” he asked, uncrossing his arms.

Tenten frowned. Was he angry? No, his expression was soft, unguarded.

Tenten knew the rumors on campus about him. He kept to himself, he didn’t hang out with everyone else. He was a freak.

But as she studied him, skin set aglow by the light of the moon, he hardly seemed the freak everyone claimed him to be. He seemed almost...ethereal.

“No, I didn’t follow you. What are you doing out here?”

“Getting some air,” he replied. He then looked at her as if to ask, ‘Well, what about you?’ But he didn’t say anything. His slightly raised eyebrow asked for him.

“Yeah,” she said, leaning on the tree next to him. “Me too.”

“Neji?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I’m so tired of him,” she groaned.

“Why are you wasting your time, then?”

“…I guess I need to be acknowledged by someone,” she replied softly.

“He hasn’t ignored you this entire time, has he?” Gaara asked, frowning.

Tenten shrugged again. “It’s like…I’m just arm candy to him, most days. I know he cares about me, and I know there was a time we…used to be so great. But…”

“The spark is gone,” the redhead murmured softly. “Yeah.”

“Are you dating anyone?” Tenten asked him after a few minutes of muffled house party noises in the background.

Gaara shrugged. “No, not at the moment.”

Tenten frowned. “But…”

“Are there rumors?” Gaara asked. “People assume, usually, that because I’m quiet and withdrawn that I don’t know what they’re saying about me.”

“What are they saying about you?” she asked.

Gaara’s shoulders relaxed as if a weight was lifting from his shoulders. “You haven’t heard?”

“No, what are they saying?”

“At least you’re acknowledged by someone,” Gaara replied with a shrug. “Anyone who acknowledges me thinks I’m either a freak or a whore. Of which I seem to be neither.”

“Why would anyone think you’re a whore?”

“Beats me,” he said.

“You don’t strike me as the type to sleep around,” she said, studying his face.

“I’m not.”

“…But you have slept with someone. The rumors needed to start somehow.”

“Is this important?” he asked, a blush lighting his cheeks. “I don’t think it’s that important. Besides, we were talking about you.”

“Aww, you’re all hot and bothered,” Tenten said with a grin, sauntering over to him. “I mean, if the mood arises…”

Gaara frowned at her, his eyebrows furrowing together. “Tenten. What are you talking about?” he asked as she slid up to him, a sly grin on her lips, her body soft as she leaned against him, pinning him to the tree behind him.

“I could appreciate you,” she muttered, her eyes half closed as she looked up into his eyes, focusing her gaze instead on his mouth. He shuddered.

“You’re too drunk to even know what you’re talking about.”

“I am not,” she protested, frowning. He nodded.

“You are so.” But he could not deny that he wanted her. Even though he knew it was wrong, because she was drunk, because she was someone else’s girl, because of everything against his favor, he wanted her.

“But that’s good…I’m not nervous or anything if I’m drunk,” she said, giggling. Her words were beginning to slur.

He took her by the shoulders and removed her, reluctantly, from against his body with little effort. He wouldn’t deny she had him a little excited. Only a little.

He paused as he set her against the tree. Then he made his decision. “…I live in the dorms. My roommate won’t be home tonight. If you still feel this way in an hour and a half, and you’re sober enough to make such a decision, come find me. Building C, dorm twelve.”

Tenten smiled slyly. “An hour and a half?”

“Yes.”

“You promise?”

“I don’t want to, but yes.”

“I’ll see you then,” she said with a giggle.

He sighed loudly, the weight of his decision heavy on his shoulders. What was he doing??

He left her at the tree, her giggling piercing holes in his chest as he walked away. He got into his car and drove back to the university, not a very long drive, thinking, angsting, deliberating the entire time.

Stupid! He cursed himself. I’m such a fool! Why would I make an offer like that?? She’s dating someone! He paled, if possible. Neji could beat you up without even trying. With one hand! Blindfolded! His palms were sweaty against the steering wheel, which he beat in frustration, hitting the horn accidentally and startling himself.

“No. It’s all okay… She’ll understand if I tell her I changed my mind. She’s still drunk anyway. Maybe…she’ll not come at all. Right? Maybe. I hope…”

But still, his throat ached. His heart ached, his stomach ached, and…well, other parts of him ached too. It had been a long time since he’d been with anyone, but he didn’t want to remedy that…like this. So why had he been so quick to offer? “Because I’m an idiot,” he muttered, locking his car door after getting out. His parking spot at the university was a good ten minute walk from his dorm. It gave him time to think. He hoped his roommate was home. That was a great excuse to send Tenten away if she came to see him.

His roommate, however, was the partying type. If he said he wasn’t going to be home, he wasn’t going to be home. For a long time.

Two hours passed and he sat on his couch, his head back, the heels of his palms in his eyes, rubbing slightly. “It’s…almost two in the morning…why am I still up?” he murmured into his hands.

The knock on the door was light, he almost didn’t hear it.

When he opened it, cautiously, he was surprised. Tenten was on the other side, looking sheepish, embarrassed, and blushing a deep shade of pink that for whatever reason, Gaara found quite appealing.

“Sorry I’m late,” she whispered. “I had a hard time getting away…people had…started doing drugs and it got a little scary.”

He ushered her inside, glancing down the hallway to see if anyone had seen. No one was in the hallway at two AM, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t watching from their peephole.

Gaara shut the door with a soft click, his heart pounding in his throat as he studied her, silently praying that his roommate would come home.

“Gaara, I don’t…normally do things like this,” she admitted, her arms wrapped around her torso. She had no purse with her.

“Me neither,” he choked out. “Can I get you anything?”

“…Reassurance?” she asked.

Gaara smirked. “I’m afraid I don’t have any of that in my kitchen,” he joked. Tenten laughed softly.

“…Why am I here?” she asked. Gaara sighed.

“The question of the night. Why are you here?”

“To get back at Neji? To…be my own person.”

“That’s a good reason,” Gaara concluded with a small smile. Tenten paced the small room, glancing over the TV, the couch, the door to the bathroom.

“…Where’s your room?”

“It’s nothing impressive,” he said with a forced laugh, scratching the back of his head.

“Show me anyway?” she asked, clasping her hands together in front of her. When she did that, it pushed her breasts together under her tshirt and distracted him.

“Yeah,” he muttered, walking past her so she would no longer be in his line of sight.

His room was small, but sufficient. A poor student, his mattresses were right on the floor, a desk in the corner piled high with books and papers and a jar of pens and pencils. There was no laundry on the floor, no dirty socks taking up residence in corners. Tenten looked around, impressed.

“You’re so clean…Were you expecting someone?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. Gaara shook his head.

“I’m just not a slob. My roommate is, you should see his room.”

“Maybe later,” she replied softly, glancing over his bookshelf but not really looking at the books.

“Why…are we doing this?”

“Doing what?” she asked, turning to him with a sly smile. “We aren’t doing anything.”

“…I’m-”

“You made the offer, Gaara. You’re gonna bail on me already?”

He watched her slink around his room, her hips mocking him as they swung, her graceful fingers brushing over the titles on the bookshelf, over the papers on his desk. Her mouth was curved in a sweet, wicked smile. She wasn’t looking at him. He felt he’d die if she did.

“I won’t. But you should,” he decided.

“Why? Because I have a ‘boyfriend’? He’s nothing to me anymore. He’s nothing but an inconsiderate, ungrateful, whining, spoiled little child.”

“Does he know you feel this way?” Gaara was being backed into the wall. Had he closed the door? He couldn’t remember, but his bedroom door was closed. Maybe he’d left the oven on earlier. …he should go check it.

Before he could even move any further, she had pressed him against the door, her body, now familiar to him, once again holding him in place, her hands on either side of his head.

“Well now. That’s better, isn’t it?”

“I…”

“You’re nervous?”

“I’m….”

“Stuttering. I think I should be flattered.” Tenten’s nimble fingers went for his belt buckle first and he gasped in shock.

“Give up, Gaara. You’re going to lose this game,” she said, dropping his belt on the floor with a soft thud.

Gaara stared into her eyes, the eyes that smiled so wickedly, so deliciously at him. He wanted her. He wanted her so badly it was aching in his bones, but he knew it was a bad idea…but did he always have good ideas? Not always.

…And he had no one to blame it on but himself in the morning.

He gave up. His body relaxed and he took her hips, holding her in place.

“Fine. You win this round. But you’re going to be sorry because the bonus round is always a killer,” he hissed, kissing her deeply before she even had a chance to object. Not that she would.

..

All she knew was the taste of him. Lips, and teeth and tongue, and his grabby fingers that weren’t too grabby, but just right. Not the kind that left marks, surely. He didn’t want to leave evidence.

She hadn’t managed to gasp his name, which she was thankful for. That would…seal the deal. It would make this…whatever ‘this’ was official. And she couldn’t acknowledge it. More than she wouldn’t look at herself in the mirror for two days after this, her shame would be so great. Then…how would she look at Neji, let alone kiss him? Let him kiss her, or more?

“Stop thinking,” the redhead muttered to her. “You’re making too big of a deal out of it. Just…relax.”

“Funny to think that a little while ago it was me telling you something similar,” she said.

“I don’t…think we should talk at all,” he told her simply, a moment later. “Sorry.”

She didn’t protest. She’d ask him why later and tangled her fingers in his hair.

…

When Tenten woke up at dawn as the sun was streaming through the open window covering, she gasped because she didn’t know where she was. She thought for a moment that maybe she was at Neji’s, but this wasn’t Neji’s room. A quick glance discerned she was naked. Mostly. She still had her bra on. She turned to look behind her and saw a mess of spiky red hair. Gaara. He was still asleep, his lips parted slightly, his breathing soft. Gaara?! she thought, but then she shook her head to clear it and remembered. Right. She’d come over here of her own volition. Right, right…right.

She needed to get out of there, and it needed to be now.

She glanced around the room, looking for her clothes, and spotted them a few feet away. Sliding out of the bed as quietly as possible, she dressed quickly, but not before she’d woken Gaara.

He sat up, stretched and frowned at her. “Why are you leaving so early?”

“I have to get out of here,” she replied hurriedly. He reached for his pants and pulled them on.

“Hang on,” he said, putting his finger to his lips. Glancing at his clock, which read that it was 6:30am, he frowned, then cursed.

“What is it?” Tenten asked, alarmed.

“My roommate’s home.”

“How do you know?” she asked. Gaara got off the bed and went to the door. “I can hear him.”

Tenten followed him to the door. “There’s no sneaking you out,” he explained. “We just have to face the music.”

…

Gaara exited the room with as much dignity as he could muster, holding his head up high, back straight, shoulders squared. His roommate was in the small kitchen, a frilly pink polka-dotted apron on and a spatula in his right hand while he watched the scrambled eggs cooking.

“Only you would make breakfast at such an ungodly hour,” Gaara said, announcing his presence.

His roommate turned around and grinned. “Yeah, well, some of us didn’t eat anything all night. Well, not food anyway.” A sly grin followed.

“Gross,” Gaara muttered, sitting at the table. Shikamaru approached the table, his hands on his hips, the spatula still in his right.

“So, how was the party?”

It was then that Tenten decided it safe enough to leave the room. Shikamaru heard Gaara’s bedroom door creak and he glanced up. Once his brain had registered that it was Tenten, he gasped. Loudly.

“You didn’t!” he cried. Gaara kept his gaze at the table, shamed.

Tenten blushed. “Hey Shikamaru,” she said softly, approaching the table.

“You idiot!” Shikamaru was yelling at Gaara. “Do you know what Neji could do to you!?”

“We’ve discussed it,” Gaara said calmly, standing as Tenten reached the table. She blushed deeper when he pulled back the chair for her.

“Well, have you thought of what you want your headstone to say? You’d better tell me, because you know he’s going to kill you. Or have one of his cronies do it. Either way, you’re going to die.”

Shikamaru was pacing now. He remembered his eggs and turned the burner off, too distressed to eat.

“Want these?” he asked, offering Tenten a plate of scrambled eggs. She smiled softly.

“Thank you, they look delicious.” She ate in silence while Shikamaru huffed and puffed, eventually throwing the spatula into the sink.

“You’re crazy,” he accused, pointing to Gaara from across the kitchen. “Absolutely insane. You’ve lost it, haven’t you? Unless she seduced you and you’re trying to cover for her because that’s just the stupid, idiotic gentleman in you…”

Gaara sighed. “Shikamaru, shut up for a minute, okay?”

“No, but honestly-”

“Shikamaru. I said shut up.”

Gaara’s tone was enough and Shikamaru sat down at the table, folding his arms. “Well?” he asked, turning to Tenten. “Talk to me, darling. What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, wiping her mouth with the napkin he handed her.

“Don’t play dumb with me, sweetheart. I know you’re smarter than that.” Shikamaru leaned forward on his arms, resting on the table. “Why would you forsake your gorgeous, violent boyfriend for this redheaded, albeit also gorgeous, idiot like my roommate?”

Tenten blushed a deep red. “I don’t even know.”

“There,” Shikamaru said, satisfied.

“But in his defense,” she followed quickly, “I don’t think he knows either.”

“So it was just a spur of the moment decision?” Shikamaru asked. They both nodded simultaneously. “Oh. Well, good. I make those,” he said, standing up. “But I’m not dating anyone! Especially not someone who could kill me with his bare hands!”

“Shikamaru, drop it, would you?” Gaara asked. “We’re sneaking her out once you’re finished ripping us both new ass holes.”

Shikamaru bit his bottom lip and sighed heavily. “I…don’t know what to say, you guys. Tenten, I adore you, you know that. You’re adorable and I love your hair. But...I can’t have you putting my roommate’s life at risk by sleeping with him. Please. Don’t do it again, okay?”

She blushed, but nodded. “Okay.”

“I’m sure it’s too bad, what a loss, blah blah…But really. If Neji finds out I helped you sneak out, darling, I’m in danger too. And I’m too young to die.”

“Too many more men to deflower,” Gaara translated, quoting with his fingers. Tenten covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Shikamaru shot Gaara a dirty look. “Say what you want. Now come on, let’s get her out of here.”

……

To Kate.