A/N: The muse has hit with a vengeance, and so I decided to try my hand at this story - it's been in my head for a while but I don't know if it's actually worth continuing - let me know what you think!

Warning: OOC-ness is bound to occur in vast amounts as this is a total crackfic filled with fluff that I'm writing because I need a break from the drama in Cage of Shadows^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Mismatched and Messed-up

Chapter 1

Tenten's heart pounded loudly the entire time she was getting ready for the party that Kiba was having that evening. Oh, god, I can't believe I'm really going to do this, she thought as she adjusted the blue strapless top that she'd teamed with her black skinny jeans for the tenth time. What if he laughs at me? Or worse, just walks away without a word in that typical Neji-I-don't-face-anything-that-makes-me-uncomfortable way?

She sighed, and took a last look at her appearance in the full-length mirror – finally satisfied by what she saw. She looked completely different from her usual tomboy self – her hair was loose and her clothes a lot more girly and tight-fitting than she would ever normally wear. She winced as she turned too quickly and wobbled a bit on her new high-heeled black sandals. Neji had better appreciate all the trouble I've gone to, she thought fiercely as she made her way out of her bedroom, and down the stairs – taking great care to only take small steps so she wouldn't fall.

"Oh, honey, you look beautiful!" her mother exclaimed from the door to the kitchen, and Tenten blushed in embarrassment. The look in her mother's eyes when Tenten had requested a shopping trip, for the clothes she was now wearing, had been much too knowing for Tenten's comfort – though clearly, her mother was ecstatic that she was finally showing an interest in boys and clothes.

"Uh, thanks," she muttered, and quickly continued before her mother could start gushing again, "Lee will be here to pick me up any second, so I'll just go wait out front." Her mother nodded, misty-eyed, and Tenten gave her a quick hug, before she headed for the front door. "Be back by twelve at the latest," her mother called after her.

She'd just reached the sidewalk when Lee pulled up alongside the curb and she hopped in the passenger seat, aiming a quick, and somewhat embarrassed, hello at her friend. Lee, of course, was not the most tactful person in the world, and he exclaimed, "Tenten! You look lovely! I'm sure that Neji will be unable to resist your charms."

Tenten groaned under her breath, and, for the millionth time, she sincerely regretted having told Lee of the plan to confess her feelings to Neji that night. "Uh, thanks," she muttered again, and quickly turned the volume of the radio up so the music made it impossible to further the conversation.

Much too quickly for Tenten's liking they reached Kiba's house, the loud music spilling onto the street and the long line of parked cars indicating that the party was already in full swing. For a moment, fear froze her into place, and Lee had to literally pull her from the car to get her moving. As they made their way up the path to the open front door, he tossed her a quick side-long glance and said, "You know, you don't have to do this."

Tenten shook her head vehemently, "No, I have to. I can't take it anymore – the not knowing. One way or the other, for better or for worse, tonight I'll know. And then I'll either be ecstatically happy or I'll have to move on – anything is better than this living in limbo, and flirting with each other without it ever going anywhere!" She glared at Lee as if he'd suggested that the opposite was true, and he raised his hands in surrender.

They entered the house, and Lee quickly headed off to the kitchen, while Tenten stared around her, looking for Neji. She was so caught up in her determination to get the entire ordeal over with that she never even noticed Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata standing across from her, all eyeing her in nearly unflattering disbelief.

"Oh, hello," Sasuke muttered under his breath, staring at the way Tenten's top stretched across breasts he never even knew she had. Naruto elbowed him in the ribs, hard, "Oi, we've got company, bastard," he jerked his head at the blushing Hinata, "Plus, last time I checked weren't you hung up on Sakura?"

Sasuke glared at Naruto, rubbing his side, "That hurt, loser. And I was never hung up on Sakura – I merely stated that she's easy on the eyes – anyway, she's with Sai."

Before the argument could escalate into a fully-fledged fight – as it usually did – Hinata intervened. Leaning across Naruto, she said softly, "Um, Sasuke, I hate to tell you this but you won't have much luck with Tenten – there's … a … someone…" her voice trailed off and she blushed as she stared at her hands.

"You can't seriously mean Lee," Sasuke said glaring at Hinata, the disbelief evident in his tone. Hinata's blush deepened, and she started twisting her fingers together. "I-I d-don't" she stammered, but Naruto interrupted. "Sasuke – quit scaring my girl! If you're so dead-set on trying to score, when we're only trying to save you from humiliation, then go right ahead – just don't say we didn't warn you." He put his arm around Hinata's waist and quickly steered her away from Sasuke and deeper into the crowd.

Hmph. Sasuke quickly decided that Naruto and Hinata had no idea what they were talking about, and while Tenten wasn't Sakura, she was pretty and, best of all, unattached. He'd been feeling at a bit of a loss recently – with all of his friends involved in relationships - and he'd begun to think that maybe it was time to cut his losses with Sakura – she clearly wasn't about to forgive him, and he didn't want to be alone for all eternity, on the off chance that she might wake up in a forgiving mood one morning. If he was honest with himself, there was also the added appeal of the fact that Tenten had never before displayed any interest in him whatsoever – and he loved a challenge.

Sasuke shook his head, really, he was over-thinking it, and Naruto was dead wrong, as usual. He was relieved, at least, that Naruto hadn't subjected him to a lecture about treating girls with respect – really, what was so disrespectful about admiring the beauty of the female form - so Sasuke had been spared a humiliating explanation of how he didn't intend to score, as Naruto so eloquently put it. Uchiha Sasuke did not do one-night stands – sleeping around was a fast track to hell – and he had no intention of ruining his life by having an unplanned pregnancy on his hands at the advanced age of 17. But he had his reputation to consider.

For some reason he was considered a player and that label suited him just fine – but then Naruto knew very well that it was just an empty label, and Sasuke definitely did not want Hinata finding out that he wasn't nearly as wild as he pretended to be – he'd had his fair share of rampant hormones and make out sessions but he'd never let up on his control – and she was sure to tell all the girls and Sasuke really didn't relish the thought of his friends teasing him about being the only virgin left in the group – even Naruto and Hinata had finally reached the next level in their relationship. No, Sasuke definitely did not want his virility called into question – before too long there would be rumors that he was gay.

Sasuke swept his eyes over the living room, searching for Tenten but she was gone, and he briefly kicked himself for getting so caught up in his thoughts. He took a swig from the bottle in his hand, and quickly started winding his way through the crowd, ignoring the flirtatious looks he received every now and then. She had to be around here somewhere.

Tenten stared in shocked silence at the scene in front of her. She watched as Neji smirked and grabbed Ino by the waist, pulling her toward a darkened bedroom. Thankfully they were a ways down the hallway, and so at least she was spared whatever they were saying. Her heart cracked, then shattered into a million little shards as she watched Ino briefly resisting, before allowing Neji to pull her into the doorway. Her long, blonde hair swung around her, shimmering golden in the light as she wound her arms around Neji's neck, and leaned in for a kiss. Tenten squeezed her eyes shut tightly, there was no way she would be able to hold on to the little composure she had left if she had to witness their kisses, and she quickly whirled around, blindly making her way to the kitchen – where Lee was - unaware of the tears streaming silently down her cheeks.

Lee laughed at the joke Kiba had just told, and as he turned to pick up his can of Coke – he never drank – he caught sight of Tenten hovering in the doorway. She was pale as a sheet, and trembling so violently that she had to wrap her arms around herself to stop the shaking. Concern furrowed his brow, and when Tenten raised her eyes to his, he was taken aback by the despair shining from their depths as the tears streamed unchecked down her cheeks.

Without thought, and in a tone fraught with horror he said, "Oh, god, he said no." Tenten shook her head, and her knees buckled, but Lee moved quickly and grabbed her arm to steady her. He steered her over to an empty chair, thankful that the rest of the guys had taken to their heels at the first sign of a girl in tears. Lee glanced around frantically, and spotting an open bottle of brandy on the counter, he grabbed a clean glass from the dishwasher and poured a generous measure of the amber liquid into the tumbler. "Drink. It'll help for the shock. I think." He pushed the glass into Tenten's hand, and obediently she raised it to her lips and took a small sip, before coughing and spluttering. "Drink," Lee repeated, as he took the chair next to her. When she simply took another small sip with no argument, Lee could feel his spirits sinking into his shoes. Tenten never did what she was told without an argument; it must be a lot worse than he'd thought. Softly, he stroked a hand over her hair, "Tenny, what happened?"

At the sound of her childhood nickname, Tenten burst into tears. Through the sobs she related the scene she'd just witnessed, and Lee just let her talk. A long time later, when she finally calmed down a little, she wiped at her eyes and said, "The worst part is, Neji has always hated Ino – but he'd rather be with someone he hates than be with me, I mean, there's no way he can't know that I'm interested in him – I've been so obvious! I'm so stupid, I should've taken the hint when he never fully responded to anything I did," she took a shuddering breath, "but I guess now I know, right?" She aimed a watery smile at Lee.

He squeezed her hand gently, "I'm so sorry this had to happen to you, but maybe it just wasn't meant to be. And, if he can't see how special you are, then he doesn't deserve you, anyway" he finished, loyally. Tenten smiled up at him, a mere hint of her usual sparkle in the gesture, and opened her mouth, but before she'd managed to get her sentence out, a voice spoke up behind them.

"Hey, what are you guys doing hanging around in here?" Neji walked over to the fridge and casually helped himself to another drink, completely oblivious to the sudden tension his appearance had caused. Once the drink had been opened, he turned to look at his friends and the first thing he noticed was the tear tracks on Tenten's cheeks. His eyes narrowed, "What's wrong, Ten? Did something happen?"

Tenten closed her eyes as she felt Lee's hand squeezing hers tightly and she knew that he was fighting just as hard against the urge to simply knock Neji's front teeth out – a sudden surge of thankfulness ran through her as she realized again how incredibly lucky she was to have friends like him. When she opened her eyes again, she deliberately didn't look at Neji, but he was not about to be put off.

Neji placed his drink on the counter and walked over to stand next to Tenten, concern in his voice when he placed his hand on her shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. "What's wrong?" he repeated.

Tenten jerked violently away from his touch, nearly landing in Lee's lap. Only Lee's quick reflexes saved both of them from landing on the floor, he grabbed her around the middle and held on tightly. Tenten glared up at Neji, who took a step back in confusion at the venom in her tone, "Don't touch me," she snarled. Neji glanced at Lee, his confusion mounting when he saw the mingled anger, guilt and sadness there. "What…?" he asked, shaking his head, but Tenten had already wrenched herself out of Lee's grasp and headed for the door where she paused and said quietly, "You know, Neji, if you didn't want me all you had to do was say so." She was shaking with anger and hurt and she didn't even stop to apologize when she nearly collided with Sasuke in the doorway. Sasuke reflexively grabbed her arm when she slipped but she merely pushed past him and stalked away.

"What the hell?" Neji asked again. Lee sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, "Don't do this to me, Neji. You're both my friends, but right now Tenten's need is greater than yours," he turned for the door and said over his shoulder, "she's right, you know. Why didn't you just tell her straight out that you weren't interested? I was there earlier today– I heard you flirting. Why get her hopes up? You've known for years that she liked you, but you still led her on with vague promises only to break her heart because you couldn't keep your pants zipped."

Neji's eyes darkened - the confusion and worry replaced by anger, "I never led her on – that's why I've always kept my distance. I didn't want to ruin our friendship no matter how attracted we were and you know that! I have no idea what I'm supposed to have done, but don't you dare blame me for Tenten letting her fantasies get the better of her. "

Lee sighed, "She saw you with Ino, Neji. But, whatever, I'll talk to you later or something, okay?" without waiting for a response he turned to leave, brushing past a smirking Sasuke who leaned against the doorframe listening to their conversation with interest.

"What?" Neji snapped as he caught sight of Sasuke who shrugged and said smoothly, "Just leaving."

Neji watched Sasuke disappearing into the hallway, and with a groan he dropped into Tenten's vacated seat. He ran his hands over his face, raking back his hair. How the hell had things spiraled out of control so quickly?

Halfway down Kiba's block, Tenten finally paused in her headlong rush. She'd been so intent on getting away from Neji that she'd simply left – walking home might take her a while but it was better than staying in the same house as that son of a bitch.

Wearily she leaned against a tree and bent over to remove a shoe, rubbing her foot and wincing when she felt the blister forming on her heel. She'd given up on wiping the tears away, they just kept coming, and so she merely stared blankly at the sidewalk, her vision cloudy. Her day had started so brightly, the hope had been like a shining beacon when Neji had asked her if she was planning on going to the party – when he'd smirked at her and told her that she'd better save the last dance for him, so he could take her home safely.

Tenten sniffed loudly and dropped her shoe so she could tend to the other foot. Walking home barefoot in the middle of the night really wasn't the smartest thing she'd ever done, but her cell phone was still in Lee's car and there was no way that she was going back to that party. By now, everyone must know what had happened and she just couldn't take pity on top of the humiliation. She sighed again and slid to the ground, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs as she buried her face in her knees, and fought against the tears.

She stiffened when she felt a presence next to her, sure that it was Lee, but her head jerked up in surprise when a deep voice sounded, "Hyuuga's an idiot." Tenten stared at Sasuke in total amazement as he lowered himself to sit next to her. Why on earth was Uchiha Sasuke sitting down next to her on the pavement? For a moment, he was quiet, too, as he scrutinized her red-rimmed eyes.

To Tenten's eternal astonishment he reached out a hand to cup her cheek and wiped at the tears on her face with his thumb before quickly withdrawing – as if he, too, couldn't quite believe the gesture. Then he gave her that lopsided smirk that was his equivalent of a grin, and said, "What he did is totally unforgivable and he's not worth your tears."

For some inexplicable reason, his words helped a little, and Tenten could finally swallow back the tears that she'd been unable to stop before. Sasuke got to his feet and stood with his arms crossed, looming over her as he said, "Now, are you going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he's gotten to you, or are you going to show him that he's not that great after all?"

Tenten swallowed before replying in confusion, "I'm not sure what you're getting at?" Sasuke sighed, and bent down to sit on his heels before her, "I mean, are you going to come back to the party with me and show him that it doesn't matter to you in the slightest what he does, or are you going to slink home and hide in your bedroom thereby confirming that he's important enough to hurt you?" He stared searchingly at her, and held out his hands.

When he put it like that she really didn't have much of a choice, and Tenten had to admit that the idea of showing Neji that he didn't matter to her anymore – that he was beneath her now – did have appeal. Slowly, she reached out her hands and placed them in Sasuke's. His grip was surprisingly warm and firm – why had she ever thought that he would be cold – and he gave her a devastating grin before pulling her firmly to her feet. "That's the spirit," he said with a chuckle, and Tenten could finally appreciate what all the other girls saw in him – when he smiled like that … really, the boy was just far too pretty for anyone's peace of mind.

She ducked her head as she pulled her hands from his, and said softly, "Why did you come after me? It's not like we're great friends or anything." Sasuke sighed, and Tenten nearly sank back down again in shock, when he tilted her chin up and said, "Well, in this instance, I thought I might be of assistance," he grinned at her again, "I'm alone and you're alone, and so we might as well be alone together – who knows? It might even be the start of a long friendship."

Tenten couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her – really, it was just too ridiculous – the Uchiha Sasuke wanted to be her friend. But she could see the humor lurking in his tone and she decided abruptly that she wouldn't question his motives any further. She smiled back at him, ignoring the ache in her heart, and bent to quickly pull her shoes back on. That task accomplished she waited expectantly but Sasuke tilted her chin up again and said dryly, "Smile, Tenten – you want to seem happy, remember?" Tenten blushed as he examined her features, and once he was satisfied that she looked presentable again, he grabbed her hand and led her back to the party.

There was a hush when they re-entered the house, and Tenten couldn't help but be thankful that Sasuke was so used to being the center of attention. He didn't pay the stares the slightest mind, only propelled her forward with a hand on the small of her back. She had no idea what he intended to do, but her decision had been made, and so she meekly allowed him to steer her in the direction of the kitchen. She tensed up when they neared the door, and Sasuke leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Relax, we're only getting a drink – I've got your back."

She took a deep breath and entered the room. From the corner of her eye she saw Lee start, but then she quickly glanced away when she noticed that he was standing with Neji, Hinata and Naruto. They all gaped as Sasuke grabbed a couple of bottles from the fridge, and in one smooth motion twisted the top off one and handed it to her. Tenten hadn't been paying attention to what drinks he selected, and she was so surprised when she took a sip, and realized that he'd picked her favorite drink, that she spoke without thought, "How did you know what I drink?"

Sasuke smirked and leaned forward to whisper into her ear, "I pay attention. Now, if you really want to get them talking about something other than you and Neji, just play along, all right?" Tenten couldn't help the shiver that ran through her when his breath brushed her ear, and she instinctively whispered back, "All right." Why on earth she was trusting Sasuke she had no idea, but a small, sane voice in the back of her mind whispered that she was no better than Neji – using Sasuke to make her feel better about herself. Firmly, she pushed the thoughts away – it wasn't like that, she wasn't really interested in Sasuke – her heart belonged to Neji – but since Neji had no interest in her heart she couldn't see what was wrong with allowing Sasuke to cheer her up – so what if it didn't hurt that he was really hot – this wasn't going anywhere. He was simply doing her a favor - allowing her to save some face.

Sasuke drew back slowly, so their onlookers would attach more significance to their whispered words than the words really warranted. Without lifting his gaze from Tenten's he called across the room, "Lee, Tenten came with you, right? Give me your car keys – we just want to get her stuff. I'll take her home later."

Tenten nearly winced, and fought against the urge to hide her blushing face in Sasuke's chest, as she heard the audible gasps from across the room, but some hidden reservoir of strength, some sense of self-preservation, and the urge to hurt Neji as much as she'd been hurt propelled her to keep her eyes locked with Sasuke's.

"Um … I don't … I mean, I promised her mom," Lee said hesitantly, the confusion evident in his tone, but Tenten cut him off. "It's fine, Lee. Don't worry. Sasuke would never do anything bad to me," she added with a flirtatious look up at the Uchiha, and threw a slight glance at Neji with her last words. Satisfaction zinged through her veins when Neji's expression twisted, clearly, he'd caught on to the implication that Sasuke was the better man.

Sasuke suppressed the grin that threatened when Tenten flirted slightly and pointedly threw it in the Hyuuga's face – maybe he really was going to wind up liking her – she had spirit. He finally drew his eyes away from hers and crossed the room. He paused in front of Lee, as the other dropped his keys slowly into Sasuke's upturned palm. Studiously, he ignored Naruto, who was glaring daggers at him, and turned to face Tenten again. He held out his hand, and was gratified when she placed her drink onto the table and walked over, to entwine her fingers with his, without a moment's hesitation. He could feel the glare boring holes into his back, and he nearly laughed out loud again. Why he was enjoying this so much he had no idea – but something inside him had twisted when he'd caught sight of the lost, hopeless look in Tenten's eyes when she'd first brushed past him her haste to get away from the Hyuuga. It had reminded him of the way he felt whenever he looked at Sakura, and so he'd reacted without thought, the urge to help her, and in so doing, help himself, uppermost on his mind when he'd raced after her.

Dead silence rang through the kitchen as the occupants stared at Tenten and Sasuke's retreating backs. After a long, tense moment, Lee spoke up, his voice despondent, "She's totally in over her head with him," he rounded on Neji, "and it's entirely your fault! He'll use her, and crush what little self-esteem she has left." Neji glared at Lee, "I've told you, time and again, this is all a misunderstanding – I never meant to hurt her, and if she would just actually look at me, I would be more than happy to apologize. Don't make the mistake of imagining you're the only one who cares about Tenten – do you think I'm happy that she's fallen for Sasuke's smooth-talking?!"

"He he," Naruto laughed slightly, clearing his throat. Sasuke was his friend, after all, and he couldn't just stand there and let them insult him. "Don't worry – I know it seems weird, but, trust me, Tenten is safe with Sasuke – he's really not that bad. The stories get blown way out of proportion." A moment later he wished he'd kept his mouth shut, when both of them rounded on him. He raised his hands in surrender, and grabbed Hinata. Walking away he firmly ignored the frantic voices behind him, as they plotted ways to get Tenten away from Sasuke. This was one time his best friend would have to look out for himself - no way was Naruto going to get involved in this mess.

A/N: Don't kill me *ducks* I know Neji is coming across as a total ass but it's necessary for his character development, so thanks for bearing with me!