Equipoise

The sun was setting in Konoha, as its warm colors found their way out from behind the dark clouds and spreading themselves out across the sky. Shop keepers were closing their stores for the day, and the movement of people in Konoha's streets had slowed down. The beaches were cleared of people, and the waves peacefully rolled in and out of the bay. Fisherman's boats were tied securely in the harbors, bobbing up and down slowly and steadily as waves swept under them.

Tenten took all this in as she was sitting at a small table at one of her favorite cafés with her team. They were seated on the café's terrace, overlooking the sunset and the ocean. The voices of chatting people filled the space around, and the waves crashing onto the shore could be heard in the distance.

She looked at Lee, who was clad in his usual green spandex. He was looking over the menu in deep contemplation, his eyes scanning over the food options. "This menu is filled with so many joyous and youthful foods!" he exclaimed, his eyes widening as they continued down the list.

Tenten laughed lightly as she put her menu down. "Lee, I don't think I've ever heard anyone describe food as joyous." She was in a real good mood tonight. They had successfully completed their last mission without any problems, and she was glad to be back in Konoha.

"But Tenten, just look at it! It's wonderful, filled with youthful beauty-"

He stopped talking when the waitress arrived and asked for their orders- such self control coming from Lee was a rare thing. When she was gone, there was then a moment of peaceful silence, when Tenten stole a glance at their other teammate, who had barely said a word the entire time.

Neji was looking out over the expanse of water in quiet self thought, as was characteristic of him. Tenten noticed how the warm colors in the sky illuminated his pale Hyuuga eyes and his handsome face. He felt her eyes on him after a couple of seconds, and he turned his head slightly toward her. One corner of his mouth rose slightly, giving her the crooked smile she loved so much. She smiled back happily at him. That always put her at ease.

She enjoyed moments like these when it was just her and her boys- they were eighteen now, and after knowing each other for so long, they had formed an unbreakable bond. She spent more time with them than with anyone else, and she wanted to enjoy it while it lasted. Next month, Neji would be taking the exam to get into ANBU. If he became ANBU, and he probably would, she definitely wouldn't see him as often- she couldn't help but feel left behind, even though her and Lee were happy being Jounin and it's what they had wanted. But she swore to herself that no matter what, she wouldn't drag Neji down. She knew it meant a lot to him, and she would be there to support him, and so would Lee and Gai-sensei.

Towards the end of the meal, Lee announced that he would head to the Hokage tower and give her their mission report. They said their goodbyes, planning to meet bright and early tomorrow morning for training. He tried to leave behind some money to pay for his food, but Neji insisted he would pay. She watched Lee walk out of the café, and then it was just her and Neji. She felt a slight flutter in her stomach like she always did when it was just the two of them alone.

"Ready to go?" Tenten looked over that him. Neji nodded to her, and put some money on the table before they rose from their seats. She glanced at the cash on the table. "You know, you don't always have to pay for us. We can afford our own food."

"It's not a problem," Neji said in a serious tone. "It's the way I was raised"

Tenten laughed at this. "Yeah, ok. Whatever you say."

Neji narrowed his eyes at her, wondering what was so funny, but decided to let it go.

They headed out of the café and starting walking down the quiet cobblestone streets toward Tenten's apartment. It was dark outside and their way was lit by the lights from the small establishments what were still open. They passed by restaurants and bars, the muffled sound of people talking and laughing coming from inside the buildings.

They walked in comfortable silence for the next couple of minutes, and once again the sound of the waves found its way to Tenten's ears after they passed the buildings. She looked out over the endless ocean, noticing for the first time that there was a full moon. Its reflection was brilliant against the dark water, the image slightly distorted from the gentle ripple of the waves on the water's surface.

"It's beautiful, isn't it," Tenten said as she stopped to admire the sight.

"It is." Neji stopped and stood beside her.

"If Lee were here, he would tell us how youthful and radiant it was."

Neji smirked faintly. "He would."

After a moment, Tenten spoke again. "What were you thinking about earlier at dinner today?"

Neji waited a moment before answering her, not sure what to say to her. He carefully worded his response. "I was thinking…" He stopped himself, and Tenten noted the hesitance in his voice. She looked at him eagerly, interested in what he was about to say. "About how much the ocean reminded me of you." He said it quieter this time, like he was saying it to himself rather than to her.

Nevertheless, Tenten was completely caught off guard, and again she got that fluttering feeling in her stomach. "Really?" There was a hint of excitement and astonishment in her voice, and Neji took note of it. "Well, you remind me of something, too." This time it was Neji's turn to be taken aback, but his face didn't betray any of his emotions. "Your eyes remind me of the moon." She looked up at him and he finally met her gaze, his pale eyes looking into her hazel ones, the slightest bit of confusion evident.

Carefully, as if his body now acted on its own free will, Neji slowly raised his hand and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, his eyes taking in every detail of her face. She stood perfectly still, afraid that if she moved, the moment would end. The blood rushed to her cheeks, and her face felt hot, and she hoped he wouldn't be able to see her blush. She leaned into his touch subconsciously. His fingers traced the outline of her cheek bones, and then his hand made its way along her chin, around her lips, and up to her forehead where he slowly brushed away a stray strand of hair from her face. Tenten opened her mouth as if to say something, but he gently placed a finger to her lips. Again, as if on instinct, he closed the remaining distance between them, and slightly bent his head down towards hers. He felt her warm breath on his face; he could smell her sweet scent- that's when he realized that this had been waiting to happen between them for years.

Without warning, he pressed his lips to hers, gentle at first, as if asking for permission. He felt her smile, and he smiled back with his crooked smile that he knew she loved, and he felt her body press against his. He felt her tongue tease his lips, and he quickly gave in to his wants. Many different thoughts were running through his head, he wasn't sure what to make of any of them. This was an entirely new experience for him. He felt a need, a craving for her, now more than ever. This must be what love felt like.

Tenten was elated, to say the least. She defiantly hadn't seen this coming. She was glad that Neji had finally let his façade fall, if only for a couple of moments while with her. This definitely changed things now- what did this mean? Were they still friends? Or more than that? But hadn't they always had a special bond, different than the one she had with Lee?

They finally broke the kiss. Tenten took in a lungful of air- she had forgotten to breath. But Neji didn't stop. His mouth made its way down her neck, exploring every inch of her skin. "Neji?" she whispered, still slightly out of breath. His exploration only slowed for a second when he heard her voice, but then he continued. "What is this between us?" This caused Neji to pause, and he slowly lifted his eyes to meet her gaze.

"It can be whatever you want it to be," he whispered to her after a tense moment of silence. He was almost positive she felt the same way about him, but he wanted to make sure. "Do you feel this, too? This wanting, this desire…" he trailed off, not sure what to say.

Tenten took in his confused expression- this time there was no blank face, no façade, no wall- she was finally able to see the true Hyuuga Neji, amid the confusion and sudden flood of emotions he had let loose. It almost pained her to see him in such a confused state- to think he had been denying himself all these human feelings this entire time. He'd never had the chance to care for someone, to show affection.

Neji noticed her sad look, and wondered if he had done something wrong. "Tenten?"

Tenten quickly perked up and smiled up at him, not wanting him to worry about her. "Yeah?"

"Are you alright? Am I going too fast?"

Tenten laughed at him in surprise. "Neji, this has been waiting to happen for years!" Her lips brushed against his once more, before he quickly pulled away from her.

"Tenten…"

She gave him a questioning look, and waited a couple of seconds for him to continue.

"Is this what love feels like?" He said is so quietly she wasn't sure if it was him or the wind that had uttered it. He had seen relationships develop between his friends; he had seen the things people did when they were in love. But he had never experienced those feelings for himself.

"I think so," she whispered a moment later, just as quietly.

Neji wasn't sure what to do with these new feelings that were beginning to overwhelm him. He felt uneasy. They were exposing themselves in the open, and he found it difficult to hide them and keep them locked away. But was it really that bad that he wanted to finally love someone? Ninja weren't supposed to form attachments to people- their lifestyle made relationships hard, and these relationships sometimes ended up causing more pain than love.

Tenten had been one of the most important people throughout Neji's life. She was always there for him when he needed her. And being with Tenten, right here in this moment, Neji knew that he wanted to risk everything to make things work between them. More than anything, they both deserved to be happy.