Late winter found a young woman standing just off the gates of a prestigious compound feeling apprehensive. Behind her, the usually quiet street bustled and flowed with the air of fresh faces alive with the rare shining of the early spring sun. A crisp wind cut through the crowds indifferently, but the swell of activity happily continued unhindered. Just at the corner, hands in her pockets, the kunoichi paced at the small (much quieter) street that would lead her to the village's Hyuuga compound. On her mind was the uncomfortable and surprisingly new dilemma of whether or not she should enter.
In all her years as teammate to Neji, Tenten had never found a problem with entering one of the oldest dwellings in Konohagakure. Thinking back, she couldn't even remember being nervous when she was first invited by her, then, new teammate. All she had to do was walk through the gates, greet the guard, briefly cut through the side garden and she'd be at his door, letter in hand.
Letter in his hand.
She ran her fingers along the envelope in her pocket. Her stomach was a fluttering riot. The last icy winds of winter blew once against her open
face, rosining her cheeks and tearing her eyes. She drew a great gulp of it and exhaled the maelstrom of emotions within her into the dying wind.
It was now or never.
She closed her eyes and placed one foot in front of the other until she made her way to the gate where a bored guard stood on duty. When
she opened them, the sight of a Hyuuga nearly threw out all the reserve she'd acquired, but it was too late. She'd been seen.
"Hello" she squeaked, apparently her voice too had blown away.
"Good afternoon Tenten," came the guard's reply, "Have you come to visit Neji?" Tenten merely nodded in answer.
"I'm sorry to have to disappoint you, miss, but he left a half hour ago." The guard inched forward and added in a low voice, "I think he went
into the city." His eyes flickered towards her hand clenched in her pocket, "To deliver a letter." With a knowing wink he settled back to his post, tilting his head towards where she had come from.
Eyes wide in understanding, Tenten bolted off towards the heart of Konoha, feet barely touching ground in her hurry, heart hammering in her chest. She skid to a halt at the foot of her apartment building, wondering if she dared.
Before she took another step to look at her mailbox, or check under her door, a hand shot out in front of her holding an envelope addressed: Tenten.
A sunny late winter's day had found a young man standing at the foot of an apartment building, waiting to personally deliver a love letter. He found, however, as his pale eyes adoringly roamed chocolate tresses and pink lips, that he didn't need to.
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A/N: Contest entry. Theme- Love letters. (Accidental) 500 word max.