She Will Be Loved
I don't own Naruto
The first time it happened, she came to training late with red eyes, puffy from crying. I knew better than to ask what was wrong, I already knew. Tenten's first boyfriend had broken up with her, and not in the kindest way. The whole village had heard about it by now. Training went as usual that day.
The second time it happened, she didn't come to training at all. After an hour of waiting, I went to check on her. I found her crying on her sofa, and a sharp pain ripped through my chest. I loved her, I had for awhile now, and seeing her like this killed me inside. However, I knew I could not tell her of my feelings. We were best friends, and nothing more. I went up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, comforting her. I didn't react when she wrapped her arms around me, crying into my chest until her tears ran dry. We didn't speak about it the next day, but I could tell she was grateful.
The third time it happened, she showed up on my doorstep with tear stained cheeks. There was no need for words; we both knew what had happened. I wrapped her into a warm hug. This feeling was killing me. I wanted more than anything for her to be happy, to show her how beautiful she really was. The next morning, she left with the same broken smile I was used to seeing.
The fourth time it happened, I found her by a lake that we used to go to when we finished training. It was our hiding place from the world. She had missed training again, and I knew why. She had had another bad breakup, this time with a long lasting consequence. As I approached her, I noticed the bruise on her wrist. She looked up, noticing my presence, and quickly hid her face in shame. Her hair wasn't in her trademark buns, but instead rested on her shoulders, hiding her tear stained face. I ran towards her, and wiped a tear from her cheek. I noticed that there were more bruises on her arms, and another large one on her cheek. Anger and sorrow flowed through me as I lifted her chin so she was looking directly at me.
"You don't have to let this happen, Tenten," I murmured. "You deserve better."
She gazed sadly at me, a painfully fake smile on her face.
"Who else would have me?" She whispered before standing up and running off.
"I will..." I said as she walked away.
Training the next day was agonizing. That same broken smile graced her beautiful face, masking her pain. I knew I couldn't hold in my feelings any longer. I had to protect her from the pain and heartbreak. Once we had finished training for the day, I walked her home. Right before we reached her door, I wrapped my arms around her slender waist, pulling her into a warm embrace. I heard her gasp before relaxing into my arms. Before she could say anything, I turned her around and kissed her. It took a few seconds before she started kissing back. My hand held the back of her neck, pulling her closer. As we pulled apart, I leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"I love you, Tenten." I suddenly felt a tear slip down her cheek.
"I love you too, Neji."
At that moment, I made a promise to myself. There would be no fifth time. And there wasn't.