a/n: This stemmed from a challenge a friend (chibimoon2008) gave me: Neji and Tenten, in a tree, when Sasuke comes and tells Neji he needs Tenten. (Because Tsunade wants to see her). Originally, I was thinking of making this a short, multi-chaptered fic with an intense love triangle with Neji fighting for Tenten, but I just don't find the SasuTen pairing very plausible (although I do find it somewhat appealing). ;) So it turned into a cute, kinda-fluffy fic instead. It's very short and rushed, but ah well. Enjoy and review!
"Mmmm," Tenten muttered sleepily, turning over on her side and nearly falling out of the tree. A drowsy Neji caught her just in time and straightened her up.
A smile flickered across his face. "You're snoring," he mumbled, before his own eyelids slowly curtained over his white eyes.
Only a little, he thought to himself, and only lightly. It's really rather…
But he cut himself off after that.
In reply she muttered some intelligible string of words and turned over to rest on his shoulder. He stiffened, and his eyes opened. If Neji had been more of the blushing type, he would've been a faint shade of pink at this point.
But Neji was not blushing. And, in fact, he would completely deny it if, say, that stupid Naruto passed by, pointed rudely, and yelled, "Hey-!"
"Are you blushing!?"
Neji's head snapped up, and he nearly choked on his own spit.
"Eh? What's wrong? I'm right, aren't I?" And Naruto began to engage in his copyrighted obnoxious!laughing.
"Get. The. Hell. Away."
Naruto froze.
"I'm not blushing," Neji growled.
"Just wanted to tell you that-"
"Go. Away."
Naruto ran far, far away.
Next to him, Tenten stirred. Neji hoped she hadn't gotten the wrong idea from Naruto's words, but thankfully she just muttered something.
Neji froze. Wait? What had she said?
This time, ears alert, he listened very carefully.
Sazukunmmmmkendaot,
Neji's eyebrows furrowed. Wait. Had she just said…?
Sazukunmmmmmm…
One coherent thought ran through Neji's mind:
What?
Suddenly, breaking the peace in the worst way, came the crash of shaking leaves and the thump of a body landing with perfect grace on the huge branch he and Tenten were lying on.
"Uchiha," Neji acknowledged narrowing his eyes. The frigid black eyes looked back at him coolly.
"Hyuuga. I need Tenten."
Neji whipped his head in Tenten's direction. She was still asleep (although she was a dense sleeper, not even waking when Naruto shouted at him). Drool was lingering on the side of her mouth, and she had the most serene look on her face.
"What for?"
"Hokage-sama wants to see her."
Neji raised an eyebrow. Tenten was always more than happy to do some work or mission for Tsunade, her idol. But of all times… and why did it have to be him? After…
"Tenten," Neji said, nudging her a little. He tried to retain his calm, to keep the same coolness that the boy across from him held.
She didn't even stir.
"Tenten-san," Sasuke prodded. Her eyes flew open and she blinked twice.
"Eeeeeh?"
Tenten had responded to Sasuke, but not him? Her trusted teammate and friend? The two of them had been through death and back, and she answered when the Uchiha said her name?
Okay, the way he felt right then… was a little bit… odd. It reminded him of how he used to feel about Hinata, and how she got all those opportunities – how he still felt about his cousin, just a little.
He flinched.
Jealousy?
The dark-haired boy nodded in Tenten's direction. "Tsunade-sama needs you."
Tenten sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her warm brown eyes. "Mmm-kay," she replied, a bit drowsily. She turned to Neji. "Sorry, but I've got to go. We can… train some other time, 'kay?"
Neji just nodded, feeling his mood sink a notch more. The way she said 'train'. God knows, they hadn't been training for a couple of hours – they'd been sitting in the tree. And Tenten had fallen asleep. On his shoulder no less. But what bothered him was the way she acted as though this was awkward.
Well, it was awkward. But that didn't mean she had to act like she was acting now – like she hadn't liked it or wanted it. It made him feel like… well, like she wasn't his friend.
What was going on?
Sasuke just nodded. "Ready, Tenten-san?"
Tenten quickly stretched her arms behind her back, then checked at her waist for her weapons container. "Ready," she agreed.
The two took of into the trees.
Neji's spirits sank another fifteen notches.
It was suddenly clear, by the way that Sasuke – Sasuke, who didn't wait up for anyone – waited patiently while she'd taken these preparations. Neji shouldn't of kidded himself: he knew what Tenten had said.
It might have been incoherent, but Tenten had been mumbling Sasuke's name in her sleep.
Fine. So Neji liked her.
He'd tried to deny what he felt for Tenten but who was he kidding? They were seventeen. They were too old for games and denial now, even if that's what suited him. He realized, with an unpleasant leap in his heart, that… well, had he been too late? Had Tenten, perhaps, developed feelings for his arch-rival when he failed to act? Had he left this too late?
"Tenten?"
No answer. He rushed after, jumping from tree limb to limb, faster than he'd gone since running for his life.
"Tenten!"
His comrade looked over her shoulder. "Neji?" then, irritated, she stopped. "What are you doing here? Tsunade-sama asked for me; I need to go-"
He planted a kiss on her lips.
A kiss that stemmed from jealousy, years of longing, and desire.
"Eh?" She pulled away. "What was that for?"
But she was blushing.
Neji kissed her again, this time harder, till he thought he could feel the heat of her lips against his.
Sasuke looked on, a slight smirk spreading across his face.
After all, he'd kind of made friends with her. When they'd been on a mission together just a few months back.
Kind of.
Looks like her plan worked. Maybe it was worth participating after all.
Because Tenten, as chance would have it, was a very, very light sleeper. A dangerously light sleeper, you could say.
And she didn't talk in her sleep.
And Neji, dear readers, could have a dangerously over-active imagination.