Chapter 10

How she managed to not trip on her blind dash home, Sakura would never know. At some point in the journey, she'd hiked the long hem of her robe up around her hips to facilitate running, and the sight of her pale legs flashing under the deep red silk had elicited more than one catcall along the way. Still, half blind with tears—tears? What was she crying about? She could hardly recall—Sakura opted against taking the rooftop route home. Somehow she was sure she would take a serious tumble in her preoccupied mental state.

Ino seemed more than a little shocked to see her when she arrived. Sakura barely registered what her roommate was wearing—a lacy blue baby doll and matching boy shorts –or why she might look faintly irritated as Sakura came careening into Ino's room, sobbing hysterically.

"Sakura, what the hell?!" Ino stood in the doorway, her hands planted firmly on her hips, a look of horror on her face. "Why aren't you back at the Hyuuga place? I was sure you and Neji'd be well into making up by now."

Sakura could only respond by blubbering incoherently into the long silk sleeves of her robe, which was quickly snatched away by her friend.

"Don't," she stated, something faintly dangerous in her voice.

Between tears, Sakura managed to make a noise that vaguely sounded like a question.

"You're going to get water stains on the silk, idiot. That was my grandmother's robe." Ino stood staring at her for a moment, and then sighed heavily. "Just take it off. You've already got mascara all over it, and I think there's some mud on the hem—honestly, Sakura, this is why you can't own nice clothes, you just trash them at the first opportunity." Ino was roughly peeling the formal robes from Sakura's shivering body, clearly irritated. Her jaw was clenched tight in annoyance, just like Neji's jaw clenched. Sakura rolled onto her stomach, sobbing anew.

Unable to take it anymore, Ino finally slapped her friend on the back of the head. "What the hell's the matter? You're totally ruining the mood, Sakura, I'm expecting Shikamaru any minute!"

Sakura bit Ino's bed sheets, trying to calm herself down. After a few minutes of silence, in which Ino finally managed to get Sakura out of anything she could possibly ruin while crying (leaving Sakura in her bra and panties, the only part of her evening ensemble that had actually belonged to her), Sakura let out a long, strangled sigh, and turned to face her blonde friend.

"Ino, it was a complete disaster."

"Well, that should be obvious from the way you're sobbing like a baby on my bed," Ino chided, coming to sit at Sakura's side. "The question is, why was it such a disaster? Wasn't he all over you?"

Sakura couldn't hide her look of complete confusion. "Why would he be all over me?"

"Because—you know, the stuff with Kiba?" Ino had set to smoothing down Sakura's wild pink hair, a look of frustration on her face. Sakura knew she was thinking about all the work she'd put into making it look so classic and elegant before the evening began, but Sakura batted her hand away as she grew more baffled by Ino's answers.

"You mean the part where I felt awful for making out with Kiba the whole time Neji was away, when we're not even dating? That part that made the evening completely painful?"

Ino looked a little startled at Sakura's revelation. "You felt guilty about that?"

Sakura sat up, propped up on Ino's pillows, suddenly registering the candles lit all around the room. Ino had definitely been waiting for Shikamaru. Where was he?

"Yes, of course I feel guilty. Neji's a really…good guy."

Ino made a small noise, and leaned her head on her friend's shoulder. "A good guy, huh?"

"Yeah." Sakura had known it all along, she was sure. Neji was a really good guy. Somebody worth treating well. Her insides clenched like a fist was wrapped in her upper intestines.

Ino sighed and patted Sakura's thigh in a vaguely distracted manner. " 'm sorry," she murmured. I was trying to be helpful."

Sakura couldn't help but snort. "I don't really see how. You're the one who brought Kiba into this."

"Only because he's really easy." Ino stretched her legs, flexing her toes. "I use him all the time."

Sakura jumped. "What?"

"You know, to motivate Shikamaru." When Sakura only stared blankly, Ino continued. "You know, to make him jealous. So he'll do things." Suddenly, Ino was crumpled in Sakura's lap, shaking with silent sobs.

More than a little confused, Sakura awkwardly patted Ino's back.

"Hey, hey, Ino…what's the matter?"

Ino answered with a high, squeaky moan and furious arm waving.

"Ino?"

"Ino?"

"Ino!" Sakura picked up the blonde woman by her shoulders and shook her.

"I went too far! He's left me for that stupid Sand brat! I'm going to kill her!" Ino managed to squeak out between sobs.

"Whoa, Ino, back up…" Sakura let her friend drop like a stone onto the bed. "What did you do to him?"

"I—" sniffle, "I mess up."

"What did you do, Ino," Sakura cooed, her worry for her friend growing. It was rare to see Ino this distraught.

Ino curled up against Sakura's legs, her nose pressed into Sakura's hip. Sakura petted her long blonde hair in what she could only hope was a soothing fashion.

"Shikamaru told me not to meddle with you and Neji, but I did anyhow. And he was really mad after the party when he saw you dancing with Kiba, and when he left for the mission he wasn't talking to me, but I thought he'd get over it over the week, but he was still mad when he brought you home today, and I think he's not going to come tonight and it's all my fault!" She paused for a quick breath before bawling, "I'm sorry! I was jealous!"

"Wait, what? Why were you jealous?" Sakura was absentmindedly braiding a strand of Ino's long silky hair, and must have pulled some hairs as she started at that last comment, because Ino whimpered.

"I was jealous because—because things haven't been going so well with me and Shika, and I've been so bored lately, and I know he's bored too, and here you are having some fun romantic adventure when I'm just screwing everything up. That's supposed to be your job, Sakura. You're the screw-up, not me."

Sakura almost laughed, but then swatted Ino on the forehead. "Sometimes I'm not a screw up!"

Ino smiled very faintly, turning her ice-blue eyes on her friend's leaf-green ones. "Very occasionally." She ducked away from a second swat, and continued, "And I did think maybe, fifty-fifty, it would help you out with Neji if you could make him a little jealous."

Sakura smiled faintly and looked away. "I—well, I don't think it helped. But thanks anyway, Ino."

Ino propped herself up on her elbows. "I dunno, I think it did help a little."

Sakura raised her eyebrow suspiciously. "And how do you figure?"

"Well," her friend mused, "now you at least know you like him. Or else you wouldn't feel like such shit."

Sakura laughed, a sad sound. "I guess that's true."

"So there you go. I helped, in the end." Ino's eyes shone with a mixture between tears and mirth, and Sakura could only smile back.

"Want my help in fixing it?" Ino asked, squeezing Sakura's hand in her own. Sakura's smile grew wider.

"Absolutely not. You're a complete screw-up."

"Hey! I take offense to that!" Ino pelted Sakura with a throw pillow, and Sakura, laughing, responded by decking her with a bigger pillow. It was war. Neither woman heard the apartment door open, and when they finally stopped, panting, they were both startled by a shadow looming in the doorway.

"Don't stop on my account," Shikamaru said, smirking as he leaned against the doorframe. "I don't exactly mind watching women in their underwear pummeling each other with pillows."

"Shika!" Ino bolted up from the bed, disentangling herself from Sakura's limbs, and pounced greedily on the dark-haired man.

"Whoa, woman, slow down…" he muttered. "We gotta talk." Ino pouted at him as she froze, his shirt already half-way off.

"Don't make that face, you know you screwed up. And so we gotta fix it, okay?" Shikamaru traced her jawline with his thumb, a faint smile on his face.

Sakura smiled at the pair of them, a warm feeling welling up in her chest. Shikamaru nodded in her direction, his eyebrow cocked curiously, as he and Ino came to sit on the bed.

"You wanna put some clothes on, Sakura?"

Sakura felt the warmth in her chest turn to a beet-red blush in a matter of seconds. She wrapped Ino's sheet around herself as she excused herself to the other room for something to wear.

When she returned, Ino was tucked in bed like a little child, giggling happily at some small thing in her hands. Shikamaru was stretched out comfortably on the foot of the bed, looking so catlike at that moment that Sakura could only smile.

"Sakura," he said, pointing at a chair, "Sit. We're going to come up with a completely fool-proof plan, alright?"

Sakura nodded, taking the appointed seat.

"Sakura, look," whispered Ino. She held out a small, round, shiny object in her hands. "He brought me a ring from Sand!" It was beautiful, in a clear, pale gold to match Ino's hair, with an icy blue stone that matched her eyes.

"Oh!" Sakura gasped, looking with shock between the two lovers.

Shikamaru stiffened. "I already told you, woman, it's not that kind of ring!"

Ino stuck out her tongue at him. "You shouldn't be buying girls rings, stupid! Any ring is going to look like that kind of ring!"

Shikamaru sighed heavily, muttering under his breath. Sakura could easily guess what he was saying, but ignored it.

"Plan?"

Shikamaru turned his evil eye from that traitorous ring to Sakura, who was waiting patiently. "Right, plan."

----

It had been a very long day at the hospital and all Sakura could think about was getting home and taking a long, hot shower. A team had come in from a mission, a genin team, with three broken arms and one broken nose. Apparently rescuing missing cats had gotten much harder since she was a genin. Their jounin teacher himself had come in with the broken nose, and had squawked more than any of the children as she tended to it.

As she was heading to clock out, however, Sakura was stopped by a familiar silhouette waiting just outside the door. She bit her lip, chewed on it a little. She still wasn't sure what to say to him. What had Shikamaru suggested? She rubbed her forehead with the heel of her palm, and wished that just once she could stop thinking so much and do something. Or that he could. Or that they both could.

She stepped gingerly into the fading light of the evening and smiled tentatively at Neji, who smiled equally tentatively back.

"Hi," Sakura said, her voice a little shaky. She winced at the sound, and mentally berated herself for sounding so guilty. 'Pretend nothing happened, pretend nothing happened, Shikamaru's going to take care of it,' she chanted in her mind.

Peering at the tall, slim Hyuuga from the corner of her eye, Sakura was relieved to see he was smiling, if faintly, at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, already leading her away from town.

'Remain a little passive,' she thought. 'Let him take the initiative.' Shilkamaru's plans sometimes seemed a little impossible. Sakura was not known for being passive.

Sakura nodded, smiling at Neji in a way she hoped was brightly.

"Good," he murmured. "After you took off last night, I was a little…" His voice trailed off for a moment, and Neji cast his pale eyes towards her. "Are you sure you're alright? You look pale."

"I'm fine, Neji," she smiled, pressing her hand to his arm. She wondered where they were going, and marveled not for the first time at the way that crowds peeled back in awe as the tall Hyuuga prodigy passed through.

Her simple gesture was met with the faintest hint of a pleased smile at the corners of Neji's mouth, and the proud straightening (could it really get much straighter?) of his spine. Sakura couldn't help but notice the fine cut of his shoulders and chest, even under his traditional robes, and she blushed at the unbidden thought of running her fingers over his bare flesh. She knew how he would feel, the strange combination of taut muscle under soft skin, and she shivered at the pleasant thought.

"Cold?" he asked, monosyllabic as usual. She shook her head, noting absently that they were heading to a quiet park in a civilian residential area not far from her own apartment, but he didn't seem to believe her as he carefully, gingerly slipped an arm around her shoulders as if to warm her.

Sakura found herself unable to stifle a giggle, which only grew as Neji stiffened, perhaps embarrassed.

"I—I'm sorry if that was too forward, Sakura," he muttered, about to remove his arm, but she caught him by his wrist.

"No, Neji, it really wasn't." She did smile brightly at him. Shikamaru was probably a genius, she mused, something about being passive was working.

She felt rather than heard Neji release a huge sigh. "Good," he stated. His tone seemed almost happy.

"Where are we going?"

"Picnic."

"At night?"

"There are lights."

"Still, it's a little weird."

He grunted in response.

"Well, people usually picnic on a fine summer afternoon, not a chilly evening."

Neji's mouth was open as if to speak, but he obviously thought better of it and it snapped shut.

"And how do you know someone hasn't come and ruined the whole thing while you were waiting for me at the hospital? There are like—packs of roving dogs and stuff."

His eyebrows were knitting together, and Sakura smirked. "There are no packs of roving dogs in Kohona, Sakura," he stated, his voice a low rumble in his chest.

"Cats, maybe? Or rats?"

Neji rolled his eyes and pulled away from her to stare at her. "Do you want me to try and do this romantic thing or not, Sakura? Because you're really killing the mood."

She laughed. "Romantic thing? What?"

"Because Shikamaru said you wanted me to be more—" His hands clenched blankly at the air, and he wheeled away with a disgusted sigh. "You're frustrating."

"No, go on—Shikamaru said what?" Sakura's mind was spinning quickly. Had Shikamaru concocted some sort of romantic game plan for Neji as well?

Without answering, Neji grabbed Sakura by the wrist and pulled her quickly through the silent park, finally stopping at a glass conservatory, filled with tropical plants. He threw the door open, and Sakura was greeted by the heavy scent of tuberose and orchid, well-lit by the full moon. Sakura was momentarily stunned, unable to speak. Her free hand went to cover her gaping mouth. There in the middle of the flowers and greenery, lit with a pair of white candles on delicate silver candlesticks, was a small round table, covered by a white linen tablecloth and place-settings for two.

"Oh, Neji," she whispered, brushing gently past him. "You did this for me?"

He sullenly looked away, his arms folded obstinately across his chest.

Sakura turned to him and smiled, hugely. Her impulse was to hug him, but she didn't know how he'd feel about that. Should she? It was probably a bad idea, but this was so sweet of him—she needed to stop over-thinking.

Neji took a few moments to respond to her embrace, but when she obviously had no plans of releasing him, he wrapped his arms gently around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer to his chest. Sakura could hear his heart beating. It was so loud! Was he really that nervous?

"You like it?" he murmured, his nose pressing against her hair. She blushed faintly at the thought of that, knowing she must smell awful from the long day at work, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Yes, I do, Neji." Sakura pushed away from him a little to look up at his face, to show him how much she was smiling. She was pleased to see him smiling back, and she was struck again by how handsome his smile made him look. "It's lovely."

For a moment they stood like that, smiling at each other, both searching the face of the other. His face was so close, and even with the strong scent of the flowers, Sakura could smell him, his clean scent, so masculine yet so refined, much like himself. She closed her eyes and leaned a little closer. Maybe she should try and kiss him, she mused.

He swallowed, quite suddenly turning away and clearing his throat. "It was all Shikamaru's idea…I can't really take credit for it."

Sakura bit her lip, and found her hand catching the loose sleeve of Neji's robe to pull him back to her. "Shikamaru is a good planner, but you're the one who went through with it. Give yourself some credit."

Neji chuckled, his eyes roaming over the carefully placed scene, no doubt making sure everything was in order. "It's not often people tell me I need to give myself more credit, Sakura."

She couldn't help but laugh as well, and ran a hand up his cheek to guide his face back to her. She was going to kiss him, dammit. They both over –thought everything, and that was the problem.

"That's true, you are sort of an arrogant prick sometimes, Neji."

His eyebrows drew together at that and she enjoyed considering the little wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. "That's impolite to say."

"You're not going to deny that it's true, are you?" She ran her fingers lightly over his neck, coaxing his stiff body closer to hers. She was pleased to feel the way his muscles relaxed under her touch, with just the littlest of shivers of anticipation.

"I'm not going to get in a fight with you right now, Sakura," he growled faintly. He growled! Sakura smiled all the more and, imagining the way that Ino closed in for the kill on Shikamaru, pressed her full body up against his.

"Good," she whispered, on her toes to get her mouth as near his ear as possible. He (very helpfully, she noticed) caught her up, his hands on the small of her back, and brought her a little closer.

"The plan was to kiss you after dinner, Sakura," he said, and she could feel his heartbeat racing even more. She absently wondered if he'd ever kissed anyone before. She could imagine that he, so stiff and so unnatural in romance, never had. She started to giggle, and his brows knit together more under his forehead protector. When she didn't stop, he let her go and looked up at the sky through the glass ceiling as if begging the heavens for an answer.

"Sorry." She was still giggling as she sat down for dinner. "You can kiss me after we eat, as that was the plan. Don't want to ruin it and all."

Neji frowned slightly and carefully helped her with her chair. Was he disappointed? Well, they had all night, really, he shouldn't be, she thought, smiling to herself. What good manners.

Halfway through the second course, it suddenly occurred to Sakura to ask who had prepared the food. Surely it wasn't Neji—it must have been a servant of the Hyuuga household.

"No, I made it all myself," he stated simply. "I've been cooking since I was a genin—Tenten was terrible at it, and I'm not much for curry, so I had to learn how."

Sakura almost choked on her oyster. "You're an amazing cook, Neji," she said, truly impressed.

He smiled smugly. "Thank you, Sakura. You're an amazing eater." With a nod he indicated the two oyster shells on his plate compared to the nine on her own. She blushed, mortified, and slapped him on the arm with the flat of her hand.

He caught her hand, and his pale eyes locked on hers, any hint of a smile wiped from his face, he straightened it out and kissed the heel of her palm.

His lips were softer than she had imagined, and she could feel the hot breath from his nose on the pulse point at her wrist. She wondered if he could hear her heart, now racing, in her wrist. He could probably see it, fluttering in her chakra, sense her disturbed aura. He smiled against her palm and she, trying to be quiet, trying her best not to be awkward, scooted her chair a little closer to his. It made a horrible sound as it scraped against the slate of the floor, and she was surprised to hear him chuckle, but more surprised when he wrapped his arms around her waist and, so carefully, so tentatively, his pale eyes fixed on her green ones, pressed his lips to hers.

Soft as they may have been on her wrist, his lips were softer still on her own. His hands remained resting chastely on her back, and his mouth was barely open, but she could tell that he was hungry for something more...animal than this prim, careful embrace. Still, as self-possessed as ever, he made no move to deepen their kiss until Sakura pressed in against him, her tongue looking for entry into his mouth, her hand winding into his hair like silk, her heartbeat and her breathing loud and hurried with a note of urgency. Did he even know the historic uses of raw oysters? She could imagine that he did, but just as easily, she could imagine he didn't. Shikamaru, on the other hand, probably knew. Damn him and his terrible plans. But, oh, thank goodness for his generosity.

Should she start undoing his robes, Sakura wondered, standing half-crouched now in front of Neji, her nose pressed into his collar while he nibbled on her ear. She loved the sound and feel of his hot, moist breath on her damp skin. She slipped her hands under his robe and was pleased to hear his sharp intake of breath—she was less pleased, however, by an insistent rapping on the glass of the conservatory.

He heard it too, and he carefully guided her back to her chair.

"Sorry," he whispered in her still warm ear, and he pressed a quick kiss to her temple.

"Neji Hyuuga! We have a message from your uncle!" Clearly these people had no sense of propriety—just busting in as soon as they knocked. What if they'd been in a compromising situation? Sakura found herself absently thinking of compromising situations and Neji Hyuuga. She didn't feel herself blushing at all.

Neji ran a hand through his hair, straightening it where she'd disarranged it. "Continue." There he was, instantly returning to his formal, commanding comportment. Sakura smiled. He was so well trained.

"Your cousin, the Lady Hanabi, has gone missing."

And for anyone unaware, oysters were thought to be an aphrodisiac.