Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A Different Kind of Love

Tenten watched the little girl skip across the field of the Konoha ninja school alongside her two brothers, giggling happily. Her brown hair was blowing softly out in the breeze, and her eyes, the traditional pupiless opal irises, were closed as she laughed.

Her father stood on the other side of the field, his lips curved in a loving smile as he lifted his daughter up into the air, twirling her round and round. Her brothers stood nearby, clamouring to be lifted up too.

Tenten shook her head and walked away from the happy scene. She didn't belong here.

Flashback

"Hey Neji!" Tenten greeted her boyfriend cheerfully as he entered the apartment they shared. "How was the meeting with the clan members?"

She was puzzled by his lack of response, and peered around the kitchen door to see him. "Neji? Something wrong?"

Suddenly she was pressed up against the hard kitchen wall, her wrists pinned on either side of her head, and Neji kissing her with a passion that she had never felt from him before.

"N-Neji?" She breathed breathlessly when he pulled away moments later.

Again, he didn't answer. Instead, he pressed his forehead to hers, and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. His hands had moved from her wrists to her waist, his arms encircling her protectively.

"Neji...what's wrong?" Tenten asked again, a note of fear in her voice. "Why are you so..."

"Tenten..." He breathed, opening his eyes so she saw straight into the depths of his lilac irises.

And then he kissed her again, long and hard, picking her up and transporting her to the bedroom without breaking contact with her lips.

That night with Neji brought the most pleasure Tenten had ever experienced in her life. Neji had been unusually passionate, pounding into her with a fierce intensity that she had never before seen in his eyes. That night...she remembered thinking it was so very special, a night that she would remember for the rest of her life...and she did.

Looking back, there were many things that could have warned her that night. The sheer depth of every kiss, the sadness in his eyes that she had not been able to notice at the time, his constant murmurs of 'I love you' in her ear...it was the last thing she heard before she fell into a blissful sleep.

In the morning, she woke up, greeted by the sight of Neji propped up on one elbow, staring down at her. The amount of pain he showed only in his eyes was enough to make Tenten know that something was seriously wrong.

"Neji?"

"Tenten...I'm marrying Hinata in July."

Vows

Three months later, Tenten received a formal invitation to the wedding of the Hyuuga heiress and the genius of the clan. She had ripped it into pieces and thrown it in the fire.

Every single member of Konoha's rookie twelve attended the most lavish wedding Konoha had seen in fifty years. Except Tenten. She had had no intention of seeing him being married off to some other girl, pretending to be happy for him and putting on a brave face as he walked up the aisle, and listening avidly to his vows that had been meant for her ears.

Her friends told her of Hinata's extravagant wedding gown and her priceless diamond tiara, and how beautiful she looked in them. They told her of the huge white wedding cake, several tiers high, and how delicious it had tasted. They told her of the wonderful band, and how the newly married couple outshone everyone in looks and in dancing skill. They told her how Neji had vowed to never leave Hinata's side, to protect her always, to love her for ever, and gushed over how lucky Hinata was.

At that point, Tenten stopped listening.

Walking away from the pair of giggling girls, she recalled a meeting she had had with Hinata just five days before her wedding.

Flashback

Tenten was standing in the weapons store, gazing listlessly at the ninja star sitting in the palm of her hand. The perfect shape, the gleaming, flawless metal...it all somehow reminded of her Neji.

The bell at the door announced the entrance of another customer, but Tenten didn't turn around until her name had been called. Her eyes widened as she saw Hyuuga Hinata standing self-consciously behind her, as if she were struggling to find the words to say.

"Tenten-san...good afternoon."

"Hello, Hinata-san." Tenten replied stiffly, wanting to be anywhere but here. "What brings you here?"

"L-Lee-kun told me this was the best place to find you." She explained hesitantly, a blush creeping up to her cheeks.

The girl's innocence and fear irritated Tenten. "I see. What do you wish to speak to me about?" Of course, there was only one topic Hinata had to talk about with Tenten.

The Hyuuga girl flinched at Tenten's sharp tone, but continued bravely. "I...I wanted to apologize...I-I knew you two were in a relationship, a-and that you were...devastated when you heard the news."

Tenten made no reply.

"I...I want you to know...this was all arranged by the clan elders...Neji had no choice." She said earnestly, looking desperately into Tenten's eyes for any reaction. "He...he protested at first, but...they used his father.

Tenten looked away. His father. Ha. They probably fed Neji some crap about disrespecting his father's sacrifice or something. Neji was always ready to do anything for his dead father. His one and only weakness.

Hinata stared down at her feet, her blush now turning crimson. "I can't be any more specific than that but...Tenten-san, you should know...Neji didn't want to do this at all...please, forgive him. I...I sincerely hope you will be able to move on."

The girl left when Tenten made no response.

Jealousy

Tenten had secretly admired Hinata's selflessness at that time, and how she never even brought up the fact that she and Naruto had to be separated as well.

But any admiration Tenten had once held for Hinata was now gone, replaced by pure and bitter jealousy.

This was not only because the girl had married the man she loved. No, Tenten would have accepted that. If Neji and Hinata lived together in misery for the rest of their lives, living only for the clan, Tenten would have been able to accept that without jealousy or spite. But this was not the case.

Tenten had not seen Neji at all for the first few months after his wedding. She had been avoiding him. When she did see him, it was by complete coincidence.

He had been walking with Hinata back to the Hyuuga compound from a restaurant. Tenten had been in the restaurant next door, and they happened to leave at exactly the same time.

Tenten had intended to run, because it was too painful to talk to him; she didn't want an awkward reunion. But when she realized that the couple had not noticed her, she stayed, just out of curiousity. For what were Neji and Hinata doing in a restaurant together? Surely the clan did not order them to go out.

It hit her eventually, while she had been following them, hiding in the shadows as they walked. They were too busy chatting with each other to notice her.

They were on a date.

She still remembered their conversation that night clearly.

"The food was delicious, N-Neji-nii. Thank you." Hinata said shyly, but Tenten immediately noticed that Hinata was less reserved in Neji's presence. She even stuttered less.

Neji chuckled. Something Tenten thought only she was allowed to hear. "I'm glad you liked it, Hinata." The affection layering his voice was surprising. Tenten had never heard Neji use that tone before, except in their most private moments together.

"D-do you think Hanabi will like it?" Hinata asked, holding up the bag full of takeaways.

"I'm sure she will. She likes anything she can put in her mouth."

The girl giggled. "That's true." She looked up. "Oh, the town dance is in two weeks. I wonder what it'll be like..."

Tenten could almost hear the smirk she knew had stretched across Neji's lips. Why did he show his feelings so easily around her? Even with Tenten, he had kept his mask on at all times. "Are you hinting at something, Hinata-sama?" He even teased her openly. It had taken Tenten years to get her relationship with Neji this far. And the two had only been married a few months...

Tenten could see the blush at the back of Hinata's neck. "N-no, o-of course not!"

He laughed. Really laughed. A sound full of amusement and affection that Tenten had only once heard. "I'll take you."

Hinata laughed with her husband. "You know, I really w-wasn't aiming for you t-to ask me o-out!"

"Of course you weren't." Neji said wryly.

But what surprised Tenten most was the kiss that Neji bent down to place on his wife's cheek.

And, as hard as she tried, Tenten couldn't remember a single time where Neji had been willing to even hug her in public.

Fate

Only after she saw them together like that did Tenten begin to doubt that she and Neji were soulmates, meant to be together, but cruelly ripped apart.

Perhaps Neji was made for Hinata, and Hinata for Neji. Perhaps...this was fate.

And that the thought of that...stung.

Of course not, Tenten thought, shaking her head furiously. She and Neji were meant to be; everyone had said so. They were perfect for each other. Fate wasn't Neji and Hinata. Fate was Neji and Tenten being in the same Genin team. Fate, was Tenten falling in love with Neji. Fate, was Neji accepting Tenten's love...and returning it.

Fate, Tenten laughed bitterly in her denial, was warped.

Flashback

Everyone in the hall gasped as Neji Hyuuga came in through the doorway, escorting the beautiful Hyuuga heiress. Neji had never shown up at a public celebration like this before-why now?

They all came to the same conclusion soon afterwards, when they saw the adoration in Neji's gaze when he looked at her, the love that saturated his voice whenever he spoke to her, the fact that he would dance with her and only her...

It was Hinata. Ever since he had been married to her, Neji had opened up, become less reserved and more considerate. Hinata with her timid voice, her shy blushes, her quiet determination to gain approval in her father's eyes...Hinata had changed Neji, and that was a feat worthy of praise.

Tenten had caught Neji's eye once during the entire night. One look that lasted for a fleeting moment, before he turned back to his wife again.

The apology in his eyes was too much for Tenten to bear. She ran outside, where the heavy rain fell on her. The rain couldn't wash away the humiliation of his gaze, but served to disguise the tears that rolled freely from her eyes.

Friendship

Tenten never told anyone of her feelings, not even Lee. She grew more silent, anti-social. She never went out with her friends anymore, for fear of seeing Neji. When shopping for groceries needed for survival, she frequented the store on the other side of town; it was far, but it was the furthest away from the Hyuuga compound. Whenever she was assigned a mission, she always checked that Neji wasn't on the team; if he was, Tenten declined.

Naturally, her friends were worried about her. They visited her apartment several times a week to make sure she was alive, tried to get her to go out with them. But she always refused, and they stopped asking.

The one who had been most affected by Tenten's new lifestyle however, was Lee. He came over to her apartment everyday without fail, always chattered away about anything but Neji and Hinata to distract Tenten from her misery. Tenten was grateful to him for it, and welcomed him. He never tried to get her to do anything she didn't want to, nor did he ever ask her about her feelings towards Neji. He was the perfect friend.

But, one day, Lee had come over unexpectedly, and the door had been left open. He found her on the floor, her whole body wracked with sobs, crying out 'Why, why, why!' over and over again. In front of her, scattered on the floor, were several photos of her and Neji together before his engagement.

Lee took a quick glance at them, and saw a photo that had been ripped in half. The words 'Love you forever' were scrawled carelessly across the bottom in Neji's handwriting. He and Tenten had been holding hands and laughing in the snow-covered streets of Konoha. Lee remembered that day. After all, he had been the one to take the picture.

Seeing Tenten on the ground, sobbing like that, so broken...for the first time in his life, Lee felt angry, truly angry at Hyuuga Neji. This didn't feel like the times when he had tried to defeat Neji, nor when the other man had patronized him with words of fate. Lee was...infuriated. After making sure Tenten was alright, he sprinted towards the Hyuuga compound.

Lee's flashback

"Neji!" Lee yelled, marching straight up to his bewildered team mate. He lashed out to strike Neji across the face, but Neji caught his hand easily, and frowned down at him. "Lee? What are you doing here?"

"Do you know what you've done to Tenten! Do you even care!" Lee shouted in his face wildly. "You haven't even visited her since that day you left her! And you dare claim that you once loved her!"

Lee's hand fell from Neji's. "Tenten?" His voice was full of shock.

"You've forgotten who she is?!" Lee asked in disbelief. "Neji, you have no idea what's happened to her, none! You were the cause of that, and you're responsible for fixing her! I've taken responsibility ever since you left, but she wants you, Neji!" lee had gone from anger to frustration and desperation. He so wanted for Tenten to be happy again, to be the friend he loved..."She needs you, Neji. Just visit her once. She deserves at least that much. You might love Hinata now, but," Lee's voice quietened, "you once loved Tenten too."

Both men were silent for the next few moments.

"Lee..." Neji searched for the words, the correct, formal response that the husband of the Hyuuga heiress should be able to produce. "I appreciate your concern, but-"

"You're using that tone with me?!" Hurt was now laced into his tone, making Neji wince inwardly. "Have you...have you completely forgotten you team mates, Neji! Don't you...don't you care about Tenten and me anymore!" The tears of frustration were clear in Lee's eyes, making Neji hesitate to send him away.

"Neji, please, I'm begging you. As a friend." Lee raised his head to look into Neji's eyes. "Go see Tenten. Just...help her."

Neji didn't speak, but looked away from Lee, his eyes gazing into the sky with an unreadable expression on his face. Even after so many years of being friends, Lee couldn't always decipher Neji's facial expressions.

"Lee...you don't understand." Neji started quietly, still looking to the setting sun. "I...can't see Tenten."

"Why? Why not? You can't just abandon her for your own-" Lee's angry rant was cut off.

"Lee, I really cannot see Tenten. The elders...have forbidden it."

"What?" Lee asked, aghast.

"They have forbidden me to see her. Ever since the day they told me that I was to marry Hinata." Neji gave a small, mirthless laugh. "That last night I had with Tenten...I wasn't supposed to be there. It was against the rules. But I couldn't...I couldn't just leave her like that."

"The elders wanted me to fall in love with Hinata as quickly as possible. Hiashi-sama...wanted me to love his daughter as she deserved. And it worked." Neji's gaze turned back to Lee, a small, almost invisible ghost of a smile on his face. "I love Hinata. I realize now that she's the person I'm meant to spend my life with. She...she understood me, Lee. She never forced me to tell her anything, as Tenten did...Hinata is everything I wished for Tenten to be...patient, caring...Hinata...ever since the beginning, she never asked for anything. She just stood by me silently as long as I needed her to. Tenten was demanding, Tenten needed love, to know that she was loved...Hinata never asked for anything and gave everything...and I love her for that, Lee."

"...so what are you going to do about Tenten now?"

"Tenten..." Neji hesitated. "I used to think about her a lot after I left her...I never loved her, Lee." He looked down at the floor. "Now that I know what true love is, I realize that I never truly loved Tenten as lovers are supposed to. It was...a different kind of love. She was more of a very, very dear friend to me. I loved her like a sister. I...still do."

"If you still love her, you would go to her."

"I can't, Lee!" For the first time, Lee heard the anguish in Neji's tone.

"At least give her some way of knowing you still love her, Neji! She's...broken."

Neji tuned away from Lee, back at the sky. "I want to help her...but how can I?"

"Find a way."

Closure

The news was heard all around Konoha. The Hyuuga Hinata's child was finally born, after months of preparations both in the village and in the Hyuuga compound. Hiashi was pleased; his nephew's marriage to his daughter had exceeded his expectations by more than he had ever imagined.

Triplets. Hinata had given birth to triplets. One daughter and two sons.

The birth of the three children was celebrated all around the village; the birth of the children of the heiress of one of Konoha's most noble clans had to be celebrated.

Their names had been announced in the town centre: Hyuuga Hiroji, Hyuuga Hiroshi...

And Hyuuga Tenten.

There was a collective gasp of surprise as the last name was announced.

And Tenten, who had been standing on the balcony of her apartment to listen to the announcements, felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"Hey Neji, if we had a kid, what would you name it?"

"A girl, or a boy?"

"Mmm...a girl, then. What would you name her?"

"Tenten, of course."

"Really? Why?"

"Because, Tenten...if my daughter had that name, I would love her as much as I love her mother...I couldn't love her more than that."

I'm sorry if the ending is a little...inconclusive. Oh, and Neji wasn't insulting Tenten in Lee's flashback...it was a comparison.

I will update Amusement and The One he Holds Dear soon, I just accidentally deleted the only copy I had of the next chapter of Amusement one day, and I was feeling a bit (understatement) frustrated...(yes, the lemon chapter, it took me over two hours)...I'll write it again after my GCSE is over.

Anyway, please review this story!

Flames complaining about Hyuugacest will not be tolerated.