*Possible spoilers for chapter 614 and beyond*
So this is a drabble series dedicated both to NejiTen and Neji himself. Some of them will be connected some will be random. They will vary in length as well as time placement (I will have stories both before and after Neji's death). The majority will probably be in Tenten's POV or omniscient all knowing, but there will probably be a few Neji POV stories thrown about as well.
.:Forgetful Memories:.
She was forgetting.
Tenten's eyes screwed shut as she attempted to clear her mind. To allow herself to focus solely on him.
Her hands twisted in the black performance capris she was wearing. The dull tips of her fingers dug into the clothed flesh just below her knee caps. Her breathing was ragged and her shoulders shook in barely controlled frustration. Tenten's eyes began to burn beneath her eye lids.
How could she possibly forget him? It had barely been seven years and already the memories she had treasured so dearly were fading. Blurring together.
The last pieces she had of Neji were slipping through her fingers faster than she thought possible.
The last pieces of herself.
Her hands flew to her knotted hair and pulled harshly at the roots, resisting the urge to smack herself over the head.
She curled in on herself as a sob broke from her lips.
"Neji, please…" tears began flowing from her closed eyes running messily over her cheeks and forearms, "Neji, please don't leave me."
Her voice cracked as she began to rock back and forth trying to draw forth her memories.
The slight catch of skin as his calloused fingers ran lightly over the back of her hand, the warmth of his body that radiated off him like the heat of an open flame, the soft tenor of his voice, the cool press of his lips over hers….
The memories faded in and out in a disjointed manner leaving her scrounging for the smallest details.
The small jump of the muscle in his jaw as he held back a smile, the serene look he got in his eyes when the sun rose each day, the light twitch in his fingers whenever he was about to attack, the barely there blush he got when she kissed his cheek each morning in a private greeting.
The familiarity of his face had eventually been replaced by the photos that had helped her remember after all this time, but it was never the same.
His eyes never seemed as captivating in her mind as they had once been, though the ghost of the feeling still resonated through her chest each time she thought of them. His hair was never the same shade. His reserved smile and arrogant smirk were never just right, merely passable.
He was never the Neji she had once known, rather a hopeless copy swirling ceaselessly through her mind to quell the gnawing ache.
Her human mind could not retain the perfect details of his appearance. There was never a flawless recall of their time spent together, just bits and pieces that seemed to come and go as they pleased.
She tried.
She tried so hard.
She would sit for hours some days just thinking of him, tweaking the differences until she felt satisfied. She had begun writing down everything she could remember about him. His peculiar habits, practiced speech mannerisms, small displays of affection, his facial expressions, everything, she wanted to remember it all.
She was determined to remember him, no matter the cost.
"Neji, don't leave me," she gasped trying to draw in a full breath, but her chest constricted under the pressure.
"Don't…" she whispered, "not again."
"Ne ne Neji," Tenten jumped her chest bumping against his back as her arms looped over his shoulders.
He cocked his head to the side coming in close contact with her face. His eyes closed for a moment too long as her soft breath washed over the bridge of his nose.
"Yes?" His eyes opened enough to take in her parted lips and bright brown eyes.
She leaned to the side her nose pressing into the hair just above his ear.
"I just might be in love with you," she whispered.
His shoulders tensed for a fraction of a second as her proximity seemed to crash over him. His chest felt tight.
"You don't have to say anything right now," her voice slightly more reserved as she drew back just enough for him to look at her clearly again. "Just thought I'd let you know. Just don't forget, okay?"
Neji's features relaxed and he leaned just the slightest bit back into her hold not catching the warm smile and glimmer of happiness in her eyes.
"Till the day I die," he promised.
I want to take a moment here to dole out my condolences to all you who lost a ship. Not just NejiTen, but any ship. I know with the most recent chapter and the hints of NaruHina right after Neji death probably just made everything worse for those of you who don't ship them. So I apologize, you have my sympathy and understanding because while I do ship NaruHina I have shipped each of them with different people at one point and know it also sucks when the people you want to end up together don't (not saying NaruHina is concrete, as it is anything but, however just thought I'd throw that out there).
I will take drabble suggestions, however that doesn't necessarily mean I will use them (but all suggestion will no doubt help when inspiration is lacking).
Please let me know what you think and enjoy the rest of the drabbles to come.
Long live the memory of Neji.