A Little Too Practical
Tenten was a practical girl. She liked to think she was one of those few people who are perfectly honest with themselves about the way things are. She knew this took courage, confronting ones imperfections and acknowledging the uglier side of loved ones, and she allowed herself a rare pride in acknowledging that she possessed this extraordinary courage. She knew, for example, that she could never live up to the legacy of Sakura Haruno. With her vibrant hair and flaming green eyes, her perfect chakra control, her incredible strength and prowess in battle and the pride and admiration of the entire village, the Hokage, and even Sunagakure, Sakura was clearly at a level Tenten could never hope to reach.
Yet still, despite this harsh truth, Tenten refused to be bitter. She was good at accepting life the way it was, good at coping and learning and adjusting. Sakura's fame and talent were just another fact of life, and Tenten would not let reality deter her from her determination to push her abilities and skills to the edge and beyond.
In the same way, Tenten knew she could never feel resentment towards the more silent member of her team. It would be all too easy to despise those whom she could never hope to pass or even equal, and the truth is that if she let herself--if she wasn't so very practical--she might hate Neji, despite all his good points. (And actually, because he was so good at everything he set his mind to.) The ease with which she shunted aside tendencies toward resentment was hardly helped by the sad truth that he had the emotional sensitivity of a very dense rock and a nasty tendency to let arrogance and superiority colour nearly every statement, every action, every smug look he deigns to give the world.
But despite all the reasons, Tenten could never hate Neji, and had long since moved past this truth and adjusted accordingly. A far harsher truth was the one with which she currently tormented herself, because while she may be honest, and while she may be accepting, she can never stop trying to better herself. After all, facts can change, and maybe—just maybe, if she tries hard enough, trains long enough, throws fast enough—perhaps she'll be good enough for him. But for now, the cruel truth remains that she will never deserve him, never be his equal.
But Tenten is a practical girl, and she will take what she can get and use it to better herself and bring her one step closer to her goals. So she cherishes the friendship Neji offers, however awkward and stunted it may be. She hopes that one day he will see her as his equal, but she knows that even then she could not possibly be good enough for him. But that is the future, and Tenten is much too realistic for daydreaming, so she accepts his offers of extra training and adjusts accordingly, and she smiles and waves until he acknowledges her with a nod, his mouth twisting into that particular frown of his, and she drags his sorry carcass to Ichiraku's now and again when it becomes clear he has been working too hard and too long.
He is precious to her, and people have always been more important than sleep, or food, or money—and most of all, he is Neji, and she knows she will always love him, even if she can never be good enough to do more than guard his back.
And so when he follows her to Ino's front door after a long evening with their friends and slips on his boots, and buttons his coat, and inquires ever so calmly as to whether she minds company, she can do nothing but accept him and save her questions for later.
The night is cold, and as they step out of the flat, Tenten cannot help the slight shiver that trembles through her. She forgot her coat at the cozy little café where the group had dinner, and already regrets the loss of warmth.
A soft hum of contentment escapes her mouth, even as she takes care to rub her arms against the chill of midwinter. She knows Neji realises just how cold she is, and it comforts her to know he has not offered her his own coat. She appreciates the respect he affords her, and is glad to know they are close enough friends to warrant no false politeness from the Hyuuga prodigy.
Snow crunches underfoot as they walk down the quiet streets, glistening thick and white and hard and soft all at the same time under the flickering light of the streetlamp. High over head are the stars, bright and wise and almost cruel in their beauty, and Tenten imagines that maybe some of their light is carried down to Konoha in each tiny snowflake, alighting on house and tree and ninja alike.
The moon shines down on the pair, growing in luminescence as they pass beyond the streetlamps and turn down the dark alley to Tenten's flat. Hands brush against each other, casually, comfortably, and Tenten forces herself not to flush or do anything to spoil this rare consideration Neji is showing.
All too soon the walk is over, having passed in comfortable quiet born of a mutual respect and understanding, and Tenten turns to thank her silent companion. What she sees in his eyes surprises her, and while she accepts the change of expression for what it is, she still tucks the image away to analyse later. His pale eyes remain soft on her for what seems like an eternity before he gives a slight nod in acknowledgement of her unspoken gratitude, lips curling slightly at the corners. She smiles, relieved to be rid of the strange intensity of his eyes and the confusing emotions they send racing through her.
She searches for her key, digs around in the small backpack filled with this week's groceries, bares her pockets, but all in vain. Now that she thinks about it, she realises she lent her key to her flatmate shortly before the other kunoichi left that morning on a reconnaissance mission.
Muttering softly under her breath, she stalks up to the door and checks to make sure it is locked. Much to her dismay, the door remains stubbornly immobile. The sound of a throat clearing invades her ears as Neji impatiently makes his question known.
"My flatmate has my key." His slightly raised eyebrows encourage her to continue, "She's on a mission. Won't be back until late tomorrow night." He nods, aware of the slightly absentminded nature of his teammate's roommate.
"You are a ninja." He states, tone slightly derogatory.
"I know. I'm not that stupid. Nor am I stupid enough to try to get through all the traps hardwired into our flat. The instant I try to sneak in, everything in that flat is going to blow straight into Kami's face."
Uncomfortable silence fills the air as both think through possibilities. Tenten hopes she hasn't offended him too much with her blunt rebuttal, but his next few words cross out any thought of that. "You should stay with a friend tonight."
Her heart speeds up at those words even as her mind whirrs to life, analysing the meaning behind them. A cruel hope rises within her, only to be ruthlessly crushed by her ever dominant practicality. She tilts her head to the side questioningly, tone forcefully neutral. "What are you suggesting?"
To her surprise, a small flush stains the porcelain contours of his face as he reads the real question behind her inquiry. "Haruno-san has a large enough flat for two, easily."
She nods, recovering from her hurt even as the full force of his dismissal makes itself known. She smiles up at him, mouth crinkling but eyes dark with rueful acceptance. Of course he wouldn't offer her a room for the night. While they may be friends and teammates, to do so would tarnish his reputation in a way she could never hope to deserve. She is startled, however, when firm hands grip her shoulders as she turns to walk to Sakura's home. "Hiashi-sama has required my assistance in housing three visiting branch members." His pale eyes bore into her and convey all the emotion his cryptic words cannot. She nods, eyes lighting up even as he starts to walk back down the street. When he pauses for her at the corner, she cannot help the thrill that shoots up her spine, nor the radiant smile that spreads across her face. After all, facts do change, and maybe—just maybe—she's become good enough for him.
AN/ I blame my deranged mind for this one. A scene of the two walking down a snowy street at night just popped into my head last night and I simply could not sleep until I put it on paper. I have to admit, I'm falling more and more in love with NejiTen every day. And as a note, I personally do not believe Tenten is any less than Sakura-- those statements at the top are what Tenten honestly perceives as truth. She might be incredibly honest with herself, but she doesn't realise just how awesome she is.
And I forgot to mention, I dedicated this to JanuaryFriend, Golden Peony, I.heart.Hatake.Kakashi, and SMOKE13 for their inspiring reviews :)