endless_scrolls (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endless_scrolls) wrote2009-08-16 07:24 pm
endless_scrolls) wrote2009-08-16 07:24 pm
Entry tags:
Log: RS Reunited And It Feels So Good
Title: Reunited And It Feels So Good
Type: RP log
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Character(s): Inuzuka Kiba, Tenten; brief mentions of Inuzuka Tsume, Inuzuka Hana
Pairing(s): None
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I own only the part that I played in this.
Note: Log originally started for the TheRisingSun RP comm, but never finished.
Dedicated to: Kiba. Nuff said.
So, as far as Kiba was concerned, the entirety of the police department could go sit and spin. Young or old, it didn't seem to matter much, it had been a disaster trying to set up a get together after work with well... anyone. If it wasn't one thing it was another. He'd had hope when the one person who'd actually responded was around his age, but apparently such things hadn't meant much... and he had blown him off too.
Kiba didn't know why he let it get to him, but he had. And that meant going out by himself. Buying one drink. Then another. Buying the girl at the end of the bar a drink. Getting blown off. Buying another drink. Getting comfortably tipsy.
In all truth he was just sick of being alone. Sick of being called 'rookie' or 'junior' or 'kid'. Sick of even though he'd beat any of them in wrestling match, was faster, better built, younger, and needless to say better looking, still getting shit on and treated like their own personal errand boy. Okay, so probably it was just ritual, and wasn't personal. But Kiba was bad accepting things like that. Tired of being the odd man out. He just wanted some company, something to keep him from being alone, even if just for the night. And perhaps that's why he'd started trying to pick up girls.
He didn't do it often, almost never. But tonight? Fuck it. Tonight was different. After two consecutive rejections, Kiba slid into the stool next to yet another girl. This one much prettier than the last, with long dark hair, and perhaps a serious expression now, but he was certain she had a very pretty smile. "Hey, can I buy you a drink?"
All work and no play. Those had been the words that lingered in her mind as soon as she racked up a total of five hours of study time. Confining herself to her suite at the hotel all afternoon for the sake of catching up on material she had missed due to... forces outside of school, Tenten had almost had her fill of The Iliad and the men of the Trojan War. Sure, any other day, she would have embraced the history and ancient culture of the Greeks. But forcing herself to read through the poetry and prose of old literature was another matter all together. Tenten preferred a more active approach.
Still, a reward for her efforts was called for, she felt. And so there she was, out after hours in a bar. Perhaps it might have been a better and more tolerant atmosphere back at the hotel. There was certainly a promise that every single man out on the prowl would refrain from even attempting to charm her. But Tenten spent enough of her spare time there. Hell. She lived and worked there. A little time away was understandable. So the young woman settled on enduring as best as she could, swallowed down any signs of relenting, and chose the nearest bar available that at least held a decent reputation. Low key and mellow, with just the right mix of excitement to keep things from being too boring. And for the most part, it had been a fairly successful night out. That is, until someone decided to slide into the seat right beside her.
Short brown hair, and a more than decent body type from what she could see out the corner of her eye, Tenten had been subtly watching the guy for some time now as he went through rejection after rejection. The count was up to two now, at least. Who knew how many others there were before her arrival. But he seemed determined, almost too much so, as if the night depended on him finding a companion to keep him company for the night. What sort of companion the young man was looking for had yet to be determined, but for some reason, she could not help but find an endearing quality to that. So it was with a small quirk of her lip that Tenten brought the glass already in her hands glass up and took a quick sip before replying. "I'm afraid I already have one. But thank you for the offer."
Not exactly sure how to respond to that, Kiba's eyes shifted around the room for a second, trying to catch his words. He should have expected such a reaction, eventually. Shrugging, Kiba didn't let his smile fail him as he just propped his chin up on his palm. "How 'bout I buy you the next one, then?" Kiba was doing his best to seem charming, but anyone looking in on it could see he was only achieving so in an almost childish way.
"Been here long?" He added, tilting his head slightly. Okay, maybe he felt like he was being too forward. Odds are he was. He did that from time to time... okay... more like a lot. It had both won and driven away dates for him in the past. There was never any telling which way it would end up. He'd just go to the flow, he figured. If she weren't scared away by his tattoos he might actually have a chance.
"If by here you mean the bar, then no. I don't make it a point to go into bars often." Swiveling a bit in her chair, she continued to speak with him in a civil manner. It was the least that she could offer him. The conversation was innocent enough, after all, and the guy seemed nice, at least. Better than a good number of men she had come across before. Any other man would have -- and had in the past -- been a lot more forward with their intent. And if worse came to worse, Tenten at least had the benefit of years spent training to handle opponents twice her size. If pushed came to shove, there was no doubt in the young woman's mind that she would be able to get out with little more than a scratch at best, a few extra bruises at worse. So it was with that thought that she shifted to cross her legs in the other direction, positioning her body to better converse with the other.
Tilting her head just so, that same smirk from before still lingering at the edges of her lips, Tenten leaned back a little in her chair and regarded the other with a mischievous eye. "And...what makes you think I'll even want another drink after this one?"
"Okay, a soda?" Kiba shrugged, a cool look laying across his face, even as he refused to give up on his quest. He could be persistent if he wanted to, but he wasn't about to force the woman into doing anything. He was all right with a challenge, but he wasn't a brute, that much was for certain. No, he'd already gotten this far, his charisma would have to do the rest. "The night's still pretty young, ya know, there's no reason to go home now." He'd only had a few drinks himself, and while he wasn't a heavy drinker, he had the body mass to hold his alcohol all right. He wasn't drunk yet, that was certain. "Regardless of what you're drinkin'. Let's have some fun here, hm? Sit and chat for a while?" He asked, innocently enough. True, he was aiming to find a bed partner for the night, but he knew better than to use the ol' 'nice boots, let's fuck' on a girl. That kind of thing never worked. So he'd just break the ice for a while.
Glancing only for a moment at the woman, the cop soon diverted his eyes to his glass, idly watching the ice cubes shift against each other. It was getting to the point of boredom, hopefully this would be the last shot he needed. He really didn't feel like dealing with this one more time. This had to work.
With a gentle sweep of her hand, Tenten tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, moving it out of the way so that she could slide her sharp eyes in the young man's general direction. "Who said anything about going home?"
There was, perhaps an air of mystery about her in that simple statement, though unintentional for the most part. A leftover persona from the many years she had spent living somewhat of a double life, maybe. Or simply the part of her that never really had a chance to drop all pretenses and just have fun. Yes. That had to have been the reason, Tenten thought to herself. After all, it... had been a long time since she had allowed herself to indulge in a night like this. Talking with a random stranger at a bar. Who would have thought? And it was that notion that the young woman decided to just enjoy the moment, leaning forward to pick up her glass once more. "I'm just not much of a drinker, that's all. No offense."
Tipping her head back, she let the cool liquid slide smoothly down her throat, bringing with it a comforting warmth that usually came with the more heavy alcoholic beverages. Ah, just what she needed after hours of reading over heroic couplets and epic adventures. And maybe, a little bit of playful teasing as well. "But soda and a talk? Wow, you must be really determined to keep me here, huh slick?"
"Hey, I'm not just some asshole tryin' to get girls drunk off their asses. I've got more taste and less desperation than that." Chuckling, shit, he knew that wasn't exactly something he was supposed to be saying out loud. But fuck it, it was true. "Maybe I'm a gentleman. Ya never know." Yes, a gentleman with tattoos on his face, slightly but stylishly mussed hair, and casual clothes. Kiba was no gentleman, that was obvious, but he wasn't exactly a loser or a creep either. What he was exactly, was quite up in the air. Flashing her his usual toothy grin, Kiba had a confidant air around him, even when faced with her peculiar choice of words. Tonight wasn't about thinking, as far as he was concerned.
Maybe this girl was going to say no like the other ones had. Maybe she'd make the excuse her boyfriend was waiting outside. Then again... maybe this time he'd gotten lucky and picked a girl that didn't look solely at the tattoos on his cheeks. The fact had him smiling without pause. Whatever the outcome, this girl really was interesting, despite only knowing her for a few scant moments. Something about her had him wanting to talk... just as much... if not more than get laid. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he knew if he kept talking to her, he'd likely figure it out.
"On the contrary. I never thought you were an asshole." Decidedly, though, she made no comment concerning the other bit about getting girls drunk. That had yet to be proven, although there was just something about this guy that gave her the feeling that he was genuine in his demeanor. For the most part anyways. Maybe he still had other plans in mind if the night proved to be a good one for the two of them. After all, if there was one thing Tenten learned from working with the Uchiha, it was that not everything was always what it appeared to be. Though, Tenten was willing to risk it, at least on this. "But it's nice to know that you're not quite that desperate either. I can deal with that."
And though her expression still remained playful and generally light-hearted, there was no denying feeling... something at the sight of his smile. A flash of familiarity, a feeling that she had seen that grin somewhere before. But surely, that was not possible. Tenten had just met this guy tonight... right? Of course. Through all the people she had seen in her life, Tenten rarely forgot a face. And certainly, it was a hard thing to forget such a distinguished feature like big red tattoos over his cheeks. Unless... "So, not to sound rude or anything, but I gotta ask. What's with those?"
On the surface, it was an innocent enough question, one that anyone would certainly ask upon meeting him. And if Tenten learned more of the guy, all the better for it.
A typical question. Neither unexpected when it came to the Inuzuka, nor was he offended by it. Everyone had to know, and he'd conceded to that fact. "Fair enough." His smile slumped, but didn't fade. "I get that question a lot. Kind of an interesting story." He suddenly glanced at the ceiling, raising one brow dramatically. "Kind of." Looking back down, he checked his smile before starting to spill the condensed version of his story, the one he'd become accustomed to telling.
"My family, way back when, used to be a family of warriors, this was, I don't know... generations ago. So whenever we went to festivals or whatnot, we always painted these red marks on our cheeks. I always thought they were cool and all, but I'd never actually intended to get 'em as tatts. But ya know, guys do stupid shit. Six months ago, me and a group of friends went ahead to celebrate our graduation from the academy, got smashed, and woke up with these. I mean, we all ended up with tattoos. Mine are a little... noticeable, but ya know..." He shrugged, though it was soon replaced by a smirk. "But don't regret it. No point in regretting things. Live with what you got and have a good time while ya do it, I like to say. Regret is for the dead, and I don't count myself among them."
"So... it's a recent thing?" Tenten inquired, brow quirking up just a fraction. That would explain why the smile seemed familiar but not the face. After all, it had been at least two years since she had plunged herself deep into the business, closing out everyone else who did not fit into her new life. The hotel and the university. The University and the hotel. Those were the practically the whole of what her world consisted of -- had consisted of for a while now -- with the occasional reprieve from both. And even then, those occasions were few and far in between.
Still, Tenten listened intently to his story, finding the historical aspect of his family's past interesting. And in spite of herself, she could not help but think of how nice it must feel to be able to trace back that far through the generations and know where you came from. But before that thought could go any further, she had caught on to something else the young man had said. Something that sent up a red flag in her mind and an ominous chill down her spine. "Academy?"
No. It could not be possible. Of all the random people she could have met up with that night, Tenten could not have... met up with a cop... right? However, despite the possibilities, at the very least the young woman was able to remain calm so as not to tip him off. If it were true, then she would have to be cautious about what she said from that point on.
Screwing up her face in a look of disbelief, Tenten took another sip of her drink and regarded the young man with some level of amazement and skepticism. "You're a cop? No way. I didn't think they let you have things like that on the force."
"Yeah. but. it was other 'cops' who got me to do it.. I don't know." He shrugged, not even catching the fact she was slightly uneasy around him now that that particular piece of information was out in the open. Maybe he just wasn't that perceptive, and maybe it was that he'd had a few drinks. Not quite drunk, but it doesn't take much to slightly affect judgment. "I've been working at my precinct for a few weeks. So I guess they do."
Shrugging, Kiba felt like he was starting to lose this one, but really didn't want to. She was really, really cute. "Man, I swear I'm not making this shit up. I'm not trying to like. impress you." He stopped, lifting his hands. "I know, how about we start over?" He asked, a light smile creasing his lips.
Putting out a hand for her to shake, he put on his toothy smile. "Hi. Name's Inuzuka Kiba. What's yours?"
Tenten was not sure just exactly how many drinks this guy had already. Probably not much considering he had not slurred a single word since their conversation began. But then again, whether or not that was a comment on his alcohol tolerance or a sure indicator of just how much he had consumed was a mystery. For all she knew, he could very well hold the ability to 'drink like a fish' as the saying goes. However, at the very least, he had the decency to refrain from making any movement to invade her personal space. Past experience on the matter of encounters made in bars had rendered different results.
"I guess not..." she responded with a shrug. Strange. Tenten had always imagined that offices and government-run places like the police department would have fought to keep a uniformed atmosphere. No one was to stand out of the unit. And surely, facial tattoos would definitely keep this young man distinctly separate from the other officers in the precinct. "If they're willing to look past them, it usually means one of two things..."
Always cool and calculating, she had already settled on the one and only reason any department would allow something as radical and rebellious as facial tattoos on one of their officers. Because this kid was good and they were willing to overlook that minor infraction for the sake of having him join their department. Which mean that Tenten would have to be extra careful to ensure that the Uchiha clan remained little more than a mystery to him. However... all thoughts and precautions on that matter slipped from her mind at his next words.
"Wait... no way..." Setting her empty glass down on the counter, she turned to the other and squinted her eyes a little as if trying to pull the face from out of her distant memories. No. It couldn't be... not after all these years... "...Keebs?"
That nickname brought back memories. In fact the flashes hit him like a ton of bricks. Fuck... that had to be back in high school... that long ago... well at least he had a decent excuse to have forgotten her face. In that span of time between high school and now, a lot had changed. Her hair was longer, but if he looked close, shit, that was still Tenten, no doubt about it.
She had always been the only person at school who had the guts to call him something like that. Not that he was frightening, but no one wanted to be on his bad side. Nobody wanted to get on the bad side of the guy pretty much everyone was friends with.
"Holy crap! Tenten? Sorry, man I didn't even recognize you... if I did I mean..." Kiba scratched the back of his neck, nervously. "I wouldn't have tried hitting on you." No way, not in a thousand years. It had always been a rule: you sleep with girlfriends, but never girl friends. He'd made that oath to himself long ago.
"Well, holy shit, man! What have you been up to all this time?" He said with his trademark toothy grin. "Its been what? Four, five years now?"
There was no mistaking it now. The grin. The habitual nervous scratch at the back of his neck. The way his hair would fall over his brows just so every time he would do that, giving the young man that innocent look he always tried to pull when he just knew he was in for some shit or a lecture. It all came rushing back, although it was a little bit of an effort to look past the tattoos and see the face she had once known. Yeah, definitely her old childhood companion. Inuzuka Kiba. Resident go-to guy you always went to for a good time, a pal, or just someone to shoot the breeze with. ...And her former best friend. "Yeah, about four years I think."
Practically growing up together, living in generally the exact same neighborhood, they had been extremely close at one point. Their families had been very similar in the sense that both had little businesses operating in the same stretch of block. She remembered spending a lot of time with the Inuzuka clan at their animal clinic, helping with the animals when her parents were too busy to look after her. Metalwork was not exactly the safest of conditions to keep a curious child like Tenten. And it had been a great arrangement. But everything slowly began to change the moment she entered into high school.
Of course, the rift had been of her own doing. With her ties to the Uchiha becoming tighter and tighter with each passing mission she decided to take from them, it became a danger to remain so close to Kiba or his family. Tenten would risk her own life for the organization. Not his. Not theirs. Which made this reunion of sorts all the more difficult. Because of who she was, and because of who he represented. But as she listened to him ramble on and on in shock about how long it had been and such, Tenten made a determined promise to herself to keep that part of her life a secret.
He could never know that they stood on opposite ends of the law.
"Heh, not much has changed, I see... well, except these." And with that, she reached out a hand and gently brushed a finger along the red mark along his cheek. Like she would have done in the old days. Whether Tenten was entitled to do so now after all this time... well, she suppose that was up for Kiba to decide. "No wonder I didn't recognize you."
"Four years might as well be a lifetime, huh?" He chuckled, trying to think back to the last time he'd actually sat down and spoken to someone he used to consider himself very close to. It had to have been in high school, before she started drifting away. That had to have been six or seven years ago. He had to wonder how much different she was now that she used to be.
She'd never really offered him an explanation as to why she'd gotten so distant during high school. If it had been a boyfriend, he would have noticed... if it had been studies, or college she would have simply said so. The slow process had been fairly painful for someone who had relied on her to be there ever since he was a kid, even more so that he'd never known why. But he never showed it, because above all else he'd wanted her to be happy, and if that meant separating from him, he'd live with it.
And he had. Watching his best friend drift away day by day had been hard, and he'd never quite replaced her, though he had many friends and made more all the time, none of them really stuck out as being his 'best friend'. Well, he had one friend in particular that stood out on the force, but that guy... that was something else. Why he didn't consider that man his best friend, he didn't know... he certainly fit the bill. It was an odd thought, he really hadn't concerned himself with it until now.
But he'd moved on, just like she had, because no matter how close a friend, there was no reason to stop living his life. He followed the path he wanted to, joining the police force, hopefully someday being a hero to even just one person who's life he'd made better by being on the right side of the law.
Letting her brush his cheek, he couldn't help but chuckle. At least not everything had changed. Maybe she looked a little different, but the girl he knew was still in there, even after all this time. "Yeah, you know me, always doin' something different, but still just me."
"Feels like a lifetime ago, that's for sure," she finally admitted, both to him and to herself. And as she leaned back in her chair, idly tracing the tip of her finger around the lip of the empty glass, Tenten could not help but compare the differences in the two time frames. Granted, they were still able to speak on friendly terms, even after all this time. Even after she had completely abandoned him -- for his own good, she would argue -- in order to immerse herself into the dark underworld of the mafia life.
Suffice to say, Tenten had never expected to see Kiba again after that day when she decided to walk away from it all. Their friendship. Her life as a normal citizen. And there was still that small space of awkwardness that always came with untimely reunions. At least that was how it felt. Tenten would guess that Kiba had chosen to ignore such a feeling. If he was still the same person she remembered him to be. But now that they had met up again, the young woman was faced with a new dilemma. "So, you became a cop, huh?"
With a small wave of her finger at the bartender, Tenten ordered a regular Sprite for herself and gestured for Kiba to make his order before continuing. All the while, a light smirk quirked up at the corner of her mouth. "I should've known. With all the trouble you used to get into, it was only a matter of time before you decided to catch others before they could cause as much chaos."
"Yeah. Being a cop's not all as bad or as exciting as people make it up to be. I mean look at me, I'm not some tight-assed, crew cut, tool like a lot of the cops I remember running into." That much was definitely true, Kiba was never the type to end up like that, even if he went through boot camp, odds are he wouldn't lose the playful, smart-ass, slightly trouble-making parts of his personality. After all, that's what marked his personality, what made him, him.
"'Sides, I'm not a uniform guy, busting kids for speeding and shit." True, he never would have run into himself as a kid. He never touched drugs in his life, cigarettes, sure. Booze, definitely, but never anything illegal. Well... besides the age he started those things. But that was the past. He was well and legal now. "Thought about it, but wanted to do something more important than that." He paused, for whatever reason. "Narcotics. Me and Akamaru. Busting real criminals, not small frys."
And then he smiled, a bit mischievously. "Naw, kids like me, they can run free for all I care."
Depends on which department you're in, she wanted to point out. But in saying that, there was a chance that he would ask how she knew of such things, innocently curious or otherwise. And then there would be the questions that Tenten would have to dance around. Because it was always hard for her to lie to him in the past. And with how things were turning out, she would not trust herself to lie to him now. At least not until the young woman got a better understanding of the person he was and where they stood.
Because some things could never be buried. No matter how much one tried to forget or change.
"Ha, you in a uniform? If that were the case, then a lot would have definitely changed since high school." With a smile to match his, she glanced in his direction with a brief look of fondness. For what they used to have as friends. For what they seemed to still have, even if it might have been an automatic form of defense on her part. Because it felt far too easy to fall back into the old roles Tenten had thought she left behind all those years ago. "No, you were never a paper-pusher. Always the physical type. Active." Here, she gave a soft snort before continuing, the soft smile sharpening to a playful smirk of amusement. "And getting into trouble every possible chance you got."
She could pretend and say that it was only the need to place up a facade that was the driving force behind her part of the conversation. Blame it on the illusionary necessity of keeping him in the dark about what she had been up to these past few years. But it would have only been half a lie. Because no matter how much she wanted to deny it, cutting all ties with him had been hard and impossible. Not with their long-standing history. And it was not until that very moment that the young woman realized how hard she had been holding on to that little piece of their friendship. "So I'm not all that surprised. Your mom did always tell me to keep my eye on you." Another scoff, a nod to the bartender for her drink, and she added in a lower tone, "Tch, like I'd be able to stop you once you put your mind to something."
"Hey, in my defense, though, I'm not nearly the troublemaker I used to be." Not that he made the best impression, since he'd obviously been trying to pick up a date for the night when they'd met. It wasn't illegal in the slightest, but wasn't up to par with the morals of a lot of upstanding citizens. Hell, there was a day when he would set off the alarms on police officer's cars and book it. Granted, that was back in middle school, but it could have been much worse.
"What about you, Tenten? What have you been up to all this time?" He didn't want to talk about the sore feelings he'd had when she up and walked out of his life. Sure, he thought about it. But maybe it was something better left in the past. From here, they could repair. From here, they could start all over and forget the negative aspects of their past. "I mean, it's all right, my sister beat my ass in your place the last couple of years, so I wouldn't worry all your training went out the window."
Okay, maybe that shouldn't have been so funny to him. Comparing himself to a dog. But now and then he couldn't help it. It was a good way to keep himself from getting pissed off whenever someone else made the same type of jokes, if nothing else.
If there was one word that she would use to describe him in their younger days, 'troublemaker' would definitely be it. So filled with energy and excitement for life, there was hardly an activity within the limits of school that could fully contain Kiba's brand of spunk and spontaneity. And that was where the real fun started. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing. The nearly endless string of antics that made up the early years of their adolescence did well to keep things far from getting too dull. However, Tenten hoped that such things were beyond him now. For the most part, anyways.
"Tch, I should hope not," she snorted. And with that, Tenten took a slow sip of her drink, pausing a moment as the fizzy bubbles stung and tickled her throat as it trickled all the way down to her stomach. Not exactly as enjoyable as her usual drink, but a bit of alcohol between old friends tended to stretch out a meeting. Something she wanted to avoid as the next phrase flowed past her lips. "You're a cop now, after all. Jail-time would be the least of your worries if you ever caused that much chaos again, I'd imagine."
It would certainly be the case if you got involved with me again, she mentally added, Especially now.
Such things were topics Tenten would prefer not to speak of, at least not while Kiba still seemed oblivious to her connections. And the less she spoke of herself, the better. So instead of addressing his inquiries concerning that, the young woman side-stepped the question and focused on the second part concerning his sister. "But I'm glad Hana was able to keep you in line - not that she couldn't before. How is she and your mom, anyways?"
Type: RP log
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Character(s): Inuzuka Kiba, Tenten; brief mentions of Inuzuka Tsume, Inuzuka Hana
Pairing(s): None
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I own only the part that I played in this.
Note: Log originally started for the TheRisingSun RP comm, but never finished.
Dedicated to: Kiba. Nuff said.
So, as far as Kiba was concerned, the entirety of the police department could go sit and spin. Young or old, it didn't seem to matter much, it had been a disaster trying to set up a get together after work with well... anyone. If it wasn't one thing it was another. He'd had hope when the one person who'd actually responded was around his age, but apparently such things hadn't meant much... and he had blown him off too.
Kiba didn't know why he let it get to him, but he had. And that meant going out by himself. Buying one drink. Then another. Buying the girl at the end of the bar a drink. Getting blown off. Buying another drink. Getting comfortably tipsy.
In all truth he was just sick of being alone. Sick of being called 'rookie' or 'junior' or 'kid'. Sick of even though he'd beat any of them in wrestling match, was faster, better built, younger, and needless to say better looking, still getting shit on and treated like their own personal errand boy. Okay, so probably it was just ritual, and wasn't personal. But Kiba was bad accepting things like that. Tired of being the odd man out. He just wanted some company, something to keep him from being alone, even if just for the night. And perhaps that's why he'd started trying to pick up girls.
He didn't do it often, almost never. But tonight? Fuck it. Tonight was different. After two consecutive rejections, Kiba slid into the stool next to yet another girl. This one much prettier than the last, with long dark hair, and perhaps a serious expression now, but he was certain she had a very pretty smile. "Hey, can I buy you a drink?"
All work and no play. Those had been the words that lingered in her mind as soon as she racked up a total of five hours of study time. Confining herself to her suite at the hotel all afternoon for the sake of catching up on material she had missed due to... forces outside of school, Tenten had almost had her fill of The Iliad and the men of the Trojan War. Sure, any other day, she would have embraced the history and ancient culture of the Greeks. But forcing herself to read through the poetry and prose of old literature was another matter all together. Tenten preferred a more active approach.
Still, a reward for her efforts was called for, she felt. And so there she was, out after hours in a bar. Perhaps it might have been a better and more tolerant atmosphere back at the hotel. There was certainly a promise that every single man out on the prowl would refrain from even attempting to charm her. But Tenten spent enough of her spare time there. Hell. She lived and worked there. A little time away was understandable. So the young woman settled on enduring as best as she could, swallowed down any signs of relenting, and chose the nearest bar available that at least held a decent reputation. Low key and mellow, with just the right mix of excitement to keep things from being too boring. And for the most part, it had been a fairly successful night out. That is, until someone decided to slide into the seat right beside her.
Short brown hair, and a more than decent body type from what she could see out the corner of her eye, Tenten had been subtly watching the guy for some time now as he went through rejection after rejection. The count was up to two now, at least. Who knew how many others there were before her arrival. But he seemed determined, almost too much so, as if the night depended on him finding a companion to keep him company for the night. What sort of companion the young man was looking for had yet to be determined, but for some reason, she could not help but find an endearing quality to that. So it was with a small quirk of her lip that Tenten brought the glass already in her hands glass up and took a quick sip before replying. "I'm afraid I already have one. But thank you for the offer."
Not exactly sure how to respond to that, Kiba's eyes shifted around the room for a second, trying to catch his words. He should have expected such a reaction, eventually. Shrugging, Kiba didn't let his smile fail him as he just propped his chin up on his palm. "How 'bout I buy you the next one, then?" Kiba was doing his best to seem charming, but anyone looking in on it could see he was only achieving so in an almost childish way.
"Been here long?" He added, tilting his head slightly. Okay, maybe he felt like he was being too forward. Odds are he was. He did that from time to time... okay... more like a lot. It had both won and driven away dates for him in the past. There was never any telling which way it would end up. He'd just go to the flow, he figured. If she weren't scared away by his tattoos he might actually have a chance.
"If by here you mean the bar, then no. I don't make it a point to go into bars often." Swiveling a bit in her chair, she continued to speak with him in a civil manner. It was the least that she could offer him. The conversation was innocent enough, after all, and the guy seemed nice, at least. Better than a good number of men she had come across before. Any other man would have -- and had in the past -- been a lot more forward with their intent. And if worse came to worse, Tenten at least had the benefit of years spent training to handle opponents twice her size. If pushed came to shove, there was no doubt in the young woman's mind that she would be able to get out with little more than a scratch at best, a few extra bruises at worse. So it was with that thought that she shifted to cross her legs in the other direction, positioning her body to better converse with the other.
Tilting her head just so, that same smirk from before still lingering at the edges of her lips, Tenten leaned back a little in her chair and regarded the other with a mischievous eye. "And...what makes you think I'll even want another drink after this one?"
"Okay, a soda?" Kiba shrugged, a cool look laying across his face, even as he refused to give up on his quest. He could be persistent if he wanted to, but he wasn't about to force the woman into doing anything. He was all right with a challenge, but he wasn't a brute, that much was for certain. No, he'd already gotten this far, his charisma would have to do the rest. "The night's still pretty young, ya know, there's no reason to go home now." He'd only had a few drinks himself, and while he wasn't a heavy drinker, he had the body mass to hold his alcohol all right. He wasn't drunk yet, that was certain. "Regardless of what you're drinkin'. Let's have some fun here, hm? Sit and chat for a while?" He asked, innocently enough. True, he was aiming to find a bed partner for the night, but he knew better than to use the ol' 'nice boots, let's fuck' on a girl. That kind of thing never worked. So he'd just break the ice for a while.
Glancing only for a moment at the woman, the cop soon diverted his eyes to his glass, idly watching the ice cubes shift against each other. It was getting to the point of boredom, hopefully this would be the last shot he needed. He really didn't feel like dealing with this one more time. This had to work.
With a gentle sweep of her hand, Tenten tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, moving it out of the way so that she could slide her sharp eyes in the young man's general direction. "Who said anything about going home?"
There was, perhaps an air of mystery about her in that simple statement, though unintentional for the most part. A leftover persona from the many years she had spent living somewhat of a double life, maybe. Or simply the part of her that never really had a chance to drop all pretenses and just have fun. Yes. That had to have been the reason, Tenten thought to herself. After all, it... had been a long time since she had allowed herself to indulge in a night like this. Talking with a random stranger at a bar. Who would have thought? And it was that notion that the young woman decided to just enjoy the moment, leaning forward to pick up her glass once more. "I'm just not much of a drinker, that's all. No offense."
Tipping her head back, she let the cool liquid slide smoothly down her throat, bringing with it a comforting warmth that usually came with the more heavy alcoholic beverages. Ah, just what she needed after hours of reading over heroic couplets and epic adventures. And maybe, a little bit of playful teasing as well. "But soda and a talk? Wow, you must be really determined to keep me here, huh slick?"
"Hey, I'm not just some asshole tryin' to get girls drunk off their asses. I've got more taste and less desperation than that." Chuckling, shit, he knew that wasn't exactly something he was supposed to be saying out loud. But fuck it, it was true. "Maybe I'm a gentleman. Ya never know." Yes, a gentleman with tattoos on his face, slightly but stylishly mussed hair, and casual clothes. Kiba was no gentleman, that was obvious, but he wasn't exactly a loser or a creep either. What he was exactly, was quite up in the air. Flashing her his usual toothy grin, Kiba had a confidant air around him, even when faced with her peculiar choice of words. Tonight wasn't about thinking, as far as he was concerned.
Maybe this girl was going to say no like the other ones had. Maybe she'd make the excuse her boyfriend was waiting outside. Then again... maybe this time he'd gotten lucky and picked a girl that didn't look solely at the tattoos on his cheeks. The fact had him smiling without pause. Whatever the outcome, this girl really was interesting, despite only knowing her for a few scant moments. Something about her had him wanting to talk... just as much... if not more than get laid. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he knew if he kept talking to her, he'd likely figure it out.
"On the contrary. I never thought you were an asshole." Decidedly, though, she made no comment concerning the other bit about getting girls drunk. That had yet to be proven, although there was just something about this guy that gave her the feeling that he was genuine in his demeanor. For the most part anyways. Maybe he still had other plans in mind if the night proved to be a good one for the two of them. After all, if there was one thing Tenten learned from working with the Uchiha, it was that not everything was always what it appeared to be. Though, Tenten was willing to risk it, at least on this. "But it's nice to know that you're not quite that desperate either. I can deal with that."
And though her expression still remained playful and generally light-hearted, there was no denying feeling... something at the sight of his smile. A flash of familiarity, a feeling that she had seen that grin somewhere before. But surely, that was not possible. Tenten had just met this guy tonight... right? Of course. Through all the people she had seen in her life, Tenten rarely forgot a face. And certainly, it was a hard thing to forget such a distinguished feature like big red tattoos over his cheeks. Unless... "So, not to sound rude or anything, but I gotta ask. What's with those?"
On the surface, it was an innocent enough question, one that anyone would certainly ask upon meeting him. And if Tenten learned more of the guy, all the better for it.
A typical question. Neither unexpected when it came to the Inuzuka, nor was he offended by it. Everyone had to know, and he'd conceded to that fact. "Fair enough." His smile slumped, but didn't fade. "I get that question a lot. Kind of an interesting story." He suddenly glanced at the ceiling, raising one brow dramatically. "Kind of." Looking back down, he checked his smile before starting to spill the condensed version of his story, the one he'd become accustomed to telling.
"My family, way back when, used to be a family of warriors, this was, I don't know... generations ago. So whenever we went to festivals or whatnot, we always painted these red marks on our cheeks. I always thought they were cool and all, but I'd never actually intended to get 'em as tatts. But ya know, guys do stupid shit. Six months ago, me and a group of friends went ahead to celebrate our graduation from the academy, got smashed, and woke up with these. I mean, we all ended up with tattoos. Mine are a little... noticeable, but ya know..." He shrugged, though it was soon replaced by a smirk. "But don't regret it. No point in regretting things. Live with what you got and have a good time while ya do it, I like to say. Regret is for the dead, and I don't count myself among them."
"So... it's a recent thing?" Tenten inquired, brow quirking up just a fraction. That would explain why the smile seemed familiar but not the face. After all, it had been at least two years since she had plunged herself deep into the business, closing out everyone else who did not fit into her new life. The hotel and the university. The University and the hotel. Those were the practically the whole of what her world consisted of -- had consisted of for a while now -- with the occasional reprieve from both. And even then, those occasions were few and far in between.
Still, Tenten listened intently to his story, finding the historical aspect of his family's past interesting. And in spite of herself, she could not help but think of how nice it must feel to be able to trace back that far through the generations and know where you came from. But before that thought could go any further, she had caught on to something else the young man had said. Something that sent up a red flag in her mind and an ominous chill down her spine. "Academy?"
No. It could not be possible. Of all the random people she could have met up with that night, Tenten could not have... met up with a cop... right? However, despite the possibilities, at the very least the young woman was able to remain calm so as not to tip him off. If it were true, then she would have to be cautious about what she said from that point on.
Screwing up her face in a look of disbelief, Tenten took another sip of her drink and regarded the young man with some level of amazement and skepticism. "You're a cop? No way. I didn't think they let you have things like that on the force."
"Yeah. but. it was other 'cops' who got me to do it.. I don't know." He shrugged, not even catching the fact she was slightly uneasy around him now that that particular piece of information was out in the open. Maybe he just wasn't that perceptive, and maybe it was that he'd had a few drinks. Not quite drunk, but it doesn't take much to slightly affect judgment. "I've been working at my precinct for a few weeks. So I guess they do."
Shrugging, Kiba felt like he was starting to lose this one, but really didn't want to. She was really, really cute. "Man, I swear I'm not making this shit up. I'm not trying to like. impress you." He stopped, lifting his hands. "I know, how about we start over?" He asked, a light smile creasing his lips.
Putting out a hand for her to shake, he put on his toothy smile. "Hi. Name's Inuzuka Kiba. What's yours?"
Tenten was not sure just exactly how many drinks this guy had already. Probably not much considering he had not slurred a single word since their conversation began. But then again, whether or not that was a comment on his alcohol tolerance or a sure indicator of just how much he had consumed was a mystery. For all she knew, he could very well hold the ability to 'drink like a fish' as the saying goes. However, at the very least, he had the decency to refrain from making any movement to invade her personal space. Past experience on the matter of encounters made in bars had rendered different results.
"I guess not..." she responded with a shrug. Strange. Tenten had always imagined that offices and government-run places like the police department would have fought to keep a uniformed atmosphere. No one was to stand out of the unit. And surely, facial tattoos would definitely keep this young man distinctly separate from the other officers in the precinct. "If they're willing to look past them, it usually means one of two things..."
Always cool and calculating, she had already settled on the one and only reason any department would allow something as radical and rebellious as facial tattoos on one of their officers. Because this kid was good and they were willing to overlook that minor infraction for the sake of having him join their department. Which mean that Tenten would have to be extra careful to ensure that the Uchiha clan remained little more than a mystery to him. However... all thoughts and precautions on that matter slipped from her mind at his next words.
"Wait... no way..." Setting her empty glass down on the counter, she turned to the other and squinted her eyes a little as if trying to pull the face from out of her distant memories. No. It couldn't be... not after all these years... "...Keebs?"
That nickname brought back memories. In fact the flashes hit him like a ton of bricks. Fuck... that had to be back in high school... that long ago... well at least he had a decent excuse to have forgotten her face. In that span of time between high school and now, a lot had changed. Her hair was longer, but if he looked close, shit, that was still Tenten, no doubt about it.
She had always been the only person at school who had the guts to call him something like that. Not that he was frightening, but no one wanted to be on his bad side. Nobody wanted to get on the bad side of the guy pretty much everyone was friends with.
"Holy crap! Tenten? Sorry, man I didn't even recognize you... if I did I mean..." Kiba scratched the back of his neck, nervously. "I wouldn't have tried hitting on you." No way, not in a thousand years. It had always been a rule: you sleep with girlfriends, but never girl friends. He'd made that oath to himself long ago.
"Well, holy shit, man! What have you been up to all this time?" He said with his trademark toothy grin. "Its been what? Four, five years now?"
There was no mistaking it now. The grin. The habitual nervous scratch at the back of his neck. The way his hair would fall over his brows just so every time he would do that, giving the young man that innocent look he always tried to pull when he just knew he was in for some shit or a lecture. It all came rushing back, although it was a little bit of an effort to look past the tattoos and see the face she had once known. Yeah, definitely her old childhood companion. Inuzuka Kiba. Resident go-to guy you always went to for a good time, a pal, or just someone to shoot the breeze with. ...And her former best friend. "Yeah, about four years I think."
Practically growing up together, living in generally the exact same neighborhood, they had been extremely close at one point. Their families had been very similar in the sense that both had little businesses operating in the same stretch of block. She remembered spending a lot of time with the Inuzuka clan at their animal clinic, helping with the animals when her parents were too busy to look after her. Metalwork was not exactly the safest of conditions to keep a curious child like Tenten. And it had been a great arrangement. But everything slowly began to change the moment she entered into high school.
Of course, the rift had been of her own doing. With her ties to the Uchiha becoming tighter and tighter with each passing mission she decided to take from them, it became a danger to remain so close to Kiba or his family. Tenten would risk her own life for the organization. Not his. Not theirs. Which made this reunion of sorts all the more difficult. Because of who she was, and because of who he represented. But as she listened to him ramble on and on in shock about how long it had been and such, Tenten made a determined promise to herself to keep that part of her life a secret.
He could never know that they stood on opposite ends of the law.
"Heh, not much has changed, I see... well, except these." And with that, she reached out a hand and gently brushed a finger along the red mark along his cheek. Like she would have done in the old days. Whether Tenten was entitled to do so now after all this time... well, she suppose that was up for Kiba to decide. "No wonder I didn't recognize you."
"Four years might as well be a lifetime, huh?" He chuckled, trying to think back to the last time he'd actually sat down and spoken to someone he used to consider himself very close to. It had to have been in high school, before she started drifting away. That had to have been six or seven years ago. He had to wonder how much different she was now that she used to be.
She'd never really offered him an explanation as to why she'd gotten so distant during high school. If it had been a boyfriend, he would have noticed... if it had been studies, or college she would have simply said so. The slow process had been fairly painful for someone who had relied on her to be there ever since he was a kid, even more so that he'd never known why. But he never showed it, because above all else he'd wanted her to be happy, and if that meant separating from him, he'd live with it.
And he had. Watching his best friend drift away day by day had been hard, and he'd never quite replaced her, though he had many friends and made more all the time, none of them really stuck out as being his 'best friend'. Well, he had one friend in particular that stood out on the force, but that guy... that was something else. Why he didn't consider that man his best friend, he didn't know... he certainly fit the bill. It was an odd thought, he really hadn't concerned himself with it until now.
But he'd moved on, just like she had, because no matter how close a friend, there was no reason to stop living his life. He followed the path he wanted to, joining the police force, hopefully someday being a hero to even just one person who's life he'd made better by being on the right side of the law.
Letting her brush his cheek, he couldn't help but chuckle. At least not everything had changed. Maybe she looked a little different, but the girl he knew was still in there, even after all this time. "Yeah, you know me, always doin' something different, but still just me."
"Feels like a lifetime ago, that's for sure," she finally admitted, both to him and to herself. And as she leaned back in her chair, idly tracing the tip of her finger around the lip of the empty glass, Tenten could not help but compare the differences in the two time frames. Granted, they were still able to speak on friendly terms, even after all this time. Even after she had completely abandoned him -- for his own good, she would argue -- in order to immerse herself into the dark underworld of the mafia life.
Suffice to say, Tenten had never expected to see Kiba again after that day when she decided to walk away from it all. Their friendship. Her life as a normal citizen. And there was still that small space of awkwardness that always came with untimely reunions. At least that was how it felt. Tenten would guess that Kiba had chosen to ignore such a feeling. If he was still the same person she remembered him to be. But now that they had met up again, the young woman was faced with a new dilemma. "So, you became a cop, huh?"
With a small wave of her finger at the bartender, Tenten ordered a regular Sprite for herself and gestured for Kiba to make his order before continuing. All the while, a light smirk quirked up at the corner of her mouth. "I should've known. With all the trouble you used to get into, it was only a matter of time before you decided to catch others before they could cause as much chaos."
"Yeah. Being a cop's not all as bad or as exciting as people make it up to be. I mean look at me, I'm not some tight-assed, crew cut, tool like a lot of the cops I remember running into." That much was definitely true, Kiba was never the type to end up like that, even if he went through boot camp, odds are he wouldn't lose the playful, smart-ass, slightly trouble-making parts of his personality. After all, that's what marked his personality, what made him, him.
"'Sides, I'm not a uniform guy, busting kids for speeding and shit." True, he never would have run into himself as a kid. He never touched drugs in his life, cigarettes, sure. Booze, definitely, but never anything illegal. Well... besides the age he started those things. But that was the past. He was well and legal now. "Thought about it, but wanted to do something more important than that." He paused, for whatever reason. "Narcotics. Me and Akamaru. Busting real criminals, not small frys."
And then he smiled, a bit mischievously. "Naw, kids like me, they can run free for all I care."
Depends on which department you're in, she wanted to point out. But in saying that, there was a chance that he would ask how she knew of such things, innocently curious or otherwise. And then there would be the questions that Tenten would have to dance around. Because it was always hard for her to lie to him in the past. And with how things were turning out, she would not trust herself to lie to him now. At least not until the young woman got a better understanding of the person he was and where they stood.
Because some things could never be buried. No matter how much one tried to forget or change.
"Ha, you in a uniform? If that were the case, then a lot would have definitely changed since high school." With a smile to match his, she glanced in his direction with a brief look of fondness. For what they used to have as friends. For what they seemed to still have, even if it might have been an automatic form of defense on her part. Because it felt far too easy to fall back into the old roles Tenten had thought she left behind all those years ago. "No, you were never a paper-pusher. Always the physical type. Active." Here, she gave a soft snort before continuing, the soft smile sharpening to a playful smirk of amusement. "And getting into trouble every possible chance you got."
She could pretend and say that it was only the need to place up a facade that was the driving force behind her part of the conversation. Blame it on the illusionary necessity of keeping him in the dark about what she had been up to these past few years. But it would have only been half a lie. Because no matter how much she wanted to deny it, cutting all ties with him had been hard and impossible. Not with their long-standing history. And it was not until that very moment that the young woman realized how hard she had been holding on to that little piece of their friendship. "So I'm not all that surprised. Your mom did always tell me to keep my eye on you." Another scoff, a nod to the bartender for her drink, and she added in a lower tone, "Tch, like I'd be able to stop you once you put your mind to something."
"Hey, in my defense, though, I'm not nearly the troublemaker I used to be." Not that he made the best impression, since he'd obviously been trying to pick up a date for the night when they'd met. It wasn't illegal in the slightest, but wasn't up to par with the morals of a lot of upstanding citizens. Hell, there was a day when he would set off the alarms on police officer's cars and book it. Granted, that was back in middle school, but it could have been much worse.
"What about you, Tenten? What have you been up to all this time?" He didn't want to talk about the sore feelings he'd had when she up and walked out of his life. Sure, he thought about it. But maybe it was something better left in the past. From here, they could repair. From here, they could start all over and forget the negative aspects of their past. "I mean, it's all right, my sister beat my ass in your place the last couple of years, so I wouldn't worry all your training went out the window."
Okay, maybe that shouldn't have been so funny to him. Comparing himself to a dog. But now and then he couldn't help it. It was a good way to keep himself from getting pissed off whenever someone else made the same type of jokes, if nothing else.
If there was one word that she would use to describe him in their younger days, 'troublemaker' would definitely be it. So filled with energy and excitement for life, there was hardly an activity within the limits of school that could fully contain Kiba's brand of spunk and spontaneity. And that was where the real fun started. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing. The nearly endless string of antics that made up the early years of their adolescence did well to keep things far from getting too dull. However, Tenten hoped that such things were beyond him now. For the most part, anyways.
"Tch, I should hope not," she snorted. And with that, Tenten took a slow sip of her drink, pausing a moment as the fizzy bubbles stung and tickled her throat as it trickled all the way down to her stomach. Not exactly as enjoyable as her usual drink, but a bit of alcohol between old friends tended to stretch out a meeting. Something she wanted to avoid as the next phrase flowed past her lips. "You're a cop now, after all. Jail-time would be the least of your worries if you ever caused that much chaos again, I'd imagine."
It would certainly be the case if you got involved with me again, she mentally added, Especially now.
Such things were topics Tenten would prefer not to speak of, at least not while Kiba still seemed oblivious to her connections. And the less she spoke of herself, the better. So instead of addressing his inquiries concerning that, the young woman side-stepped the question and focused on the second part concerning his sister. "But I'm glad Hana was able to keep you in line - not that she couldn't before. How is she and your mom, anyways?"