A/N at the bottom.
Disclaimer: All characters are Masashi Kishimoto's. I'm just playing house.
Part I: Curtain Up
"Why did you do that, Kazuki?! You could have gotten arrested!"
"Kazuki" looks at her from the couch, and Tenten can tell that he is so over this scene already. Still, he flawlessly delivers his line, with just the right amount of angst, "They wouldn't have arrested me—because I'm one of them."
The set lights extinguish and there are gasps and claps from the live audience, and then she and her costar are bowing and waving and smiling at the crowd (mostly girls) before being joined by the rest of the cast. They bow once again, and then walk offstage to the back of the studio where their dressing rooms are.
Neji lags behind the rest of the chatty group of stars, taking his time. Tenten turns to him, irritated.
"You could have at least tried to act like you care," she snipes, eyes narrowing.
Neji looks down at her and raises his eyebrows, but says nothing. As usual. A small smirk settles at the corner of his mouth.
He stops and crosses his arms, waiting. Tenten copies him, her foot tapping impatiently on the carpet.
"Who says I don't care?" Neji asks, the angst from his voice gone, replaced by his characteristically soft and deep pitch.
Tenten glares at him and gestures wildly back to the stage down the hallway.
"You totally blew that last scene," she accuses.
Neji's smirk deepens, but he leans against the wall, patient.
"The audience had no complaints. And I doubt the producers will either. The only one who seems to have issue is you."
Tenten rolls her eyes and says offhandedly, "Well, I'm the one who has to deal with you the most, so what do they know?"
Neji shakes his head at her, mocking smile in such firm place that Tenten wants to smack it off his mouth.
"This isn't about me," he says.
Tenten lifts an eyebrow in challenge. "Oh? Well, enlighten me, then, what is it about, Hyuga?"
"This is about the writers giving you an eating disorder."
Tenten clenches her fists, and she goes from lightly irritated to livid in a space of two seconds.
"Don't. Talk. To. Me."
She spins on her heel and heads for her dressing room, still able to make out Neji's soft chuckle as she rounds the corner.
Tenten got hired for High School Crisis when she was seventeen. She'd been a bright-eyed entertainer at that time, with several commercials and a made-for-television movie under her belt. A television drama series was her natural next step. But that had been three years ago.
Her character on the show was a classic good girl, but that definitely didn't stop her from dating "bad boy" Kazuki, AKA her costar. In the show, Kazuki was pretty messed up—drug dealer/user, but since dating her character "Yori", he'd cleaned up, gone to rehab, etc. Apparently he was now working with the cops to bust up his previous drug ring—a complete shocker of a season finale.
But Tenten had bigger problems.
She stares at her reflection as she brushes out her hair, still reeling from Neji's comment.
Her character's predicament was no secret anymore—the writers had unveiled next season's storyline just the other day to the cast.
And what was going to happen to Yori? An eating disorder.
Tenten was angry enough to quit. But her contract wasn't up for renewal until the end of the next season.
Tenten broods, cursing Neji for bringing it up, for seeing through her so easily. Sure, they'd been basically paired with each other on-screen since the very beginning, but reality looked a lot different.
The thing was that Neji didn't even want to be an actor; he was just naturally good at it. Which made Tenten decide from the get-go that they would never, ever get along. The story was that his parents were dead, and that he was under the authority of his family. Apparently Neji had been in some grade school play and a talent agent had happened to be in the audience. After the performance, Neji's uncle was approached, and signed Neji on to do commercial after commercial, before moving onto movies and television roles. He was Japan's beloved star. His face was everywhere.
Except he doesn't care for it in the slightest, Tenten thinks bitterly as she charges out of her room, headed to the parking lot. He could quit today, crush the whole country, and he would be completely fine with it.
She spots him on the way to the car idling for her, standing outside, his hand shielding his eyes from the sun. He turns and watches her get into the car, a phone clamped to his ear. Tenten ignores him, annoyed beyond reason.
As the car pulls away, she notices he's still focused on the car. Tenten rolls down the window and shows him her middle finger. She smiles, satisfied.
She doesn't see her costar for a few days because of the show break, but she runs into him at a studio party at the end of the week. He looks nice, dressed cleanly in a low-key suit per his manager's request. Tenten absently smoothes a hand over her own dress—cream chiffon cropped at her knees, completely not her style. But they all had their images to maintain.
He catches her eye from across the room, but Tenten distinctly ignores him, going over to greet one of her makeup artists.
A few minutes later, there is a tap on her shoulder, and a voice in her ear says, "I need to speak with you."
Tenten turns and stares at her on-screen love interest, disbelieving. Neji is already retreating, leading the way to the stairwell. Curious, she follows.
When Tenten reaches the stairs, she sees that Neji is already on his way to the top.
"Come on," he calls down.
Compelled, Tenten obliges. He waits for her at the top, holding the roof door open for her to exit.
It's a lovely night, if not a little breezy. Tenten crosses her arms.
"What do you want, Hyuga?"
Neji steps on the edge of the roof, looking down at the street below. "I pulled some strings."
Tenten shakes her head, already tired of whatever game he's playing.
"Pulled some strings for what?"
"For whom," Neji corrects, glancing at her. "For you."
Tenten's forehead wrinkles. "What are you talking about?"
Neji steps down from the edge and faces her. "The writers will rewrite the part about giving Yori an eating disorder next season," he says.
Tenten lifts an eyebrow in surprise.
"What makes you think they'll do that?"
"Because I made them," Neji answers simply, with a small shrug of his shoulders.
Tenten laughs. "You're not serious."
Neji tilts his head at her in consideration. A smile is itching along his mouth.
"Why do you think that?" he asks her, interest in his voice.
"Because! You're just some star of a television show. Who are you to tell the writers what to do?"
"Well," Neji begins, smirking, "considering I've been in the business for so long, and I have such a large fan base, it's pretty easy to persuade people to my thinking—even the writers."
Tenten hugs her body, wondering if this is a joke or not. But he wouldn't have dragged her all the way up here if it were some scam—he would have wanted other people to see her embarrassed reaction, right? Unless he just wanted to delight in the pleasure of it himself.
"It took some convincing," continues Neji, "but after a few autographs and a few pictures, well, they could hardly say no."
"You're serious, aren't you?" says Tenten, still having a difficult time believing him.
Neji shrugs again, and looks out over the city's lit-up skyline. "It would mess with the little character development they've already given Yori. If they wrote that for her, it would just blow up in their faces."
Tenten shakes her head slightly in wonder. "Who are you?" she asks.
Neji looks back at her. "What?"
Tenten gestures to his person. "This. What is this? You just saved my character for me. Why?"
"I already told you. Yori's character development—"
Tenten waves this away in dismissal, staring hard at her costar.
"Thank you, Neji. Really. I don't know what I can to do to thank you."
Neji walks over to her and grasps her hand. He makes eye contact with her as he curls her fingers into a fist.
"Keep your rude gestures to yourself," he whispers, raising an eyebrow. He brushes past her, back down the stairs to rejoin the partiers.
Tenten feels rooted to her spot, still feeling the intensity of his gaze. She wonders how someone she's known for three years, however impersonally, could make her feel so happy but so small in the same second.
She decides to bring him coffee, because she quickly realizes that she really won't ever be able to repay him for what he's done for her, but she'll be damned if she doesn't try.
She finds him in his dressing room, getting ready for the promotion pictures for next season. Kazuki's trademark leather jacket hangs off his makeup chair. Neji is still dressed in his street clothes.
"Here," she says, offering the drink to him.
Neji glances between the cup then back to her, before returning to getting ready.
"No, thank you."
Tenten stares at him. She's trying to be nice, here. "Why not?" she demands.
"I don't drink coffee."
"Oh," Tenten replies, sighing. She sinks into his makeup chair and sips the coffee she had meant for him. "What a shame."
She hears Neji emit a small chuckle in his throat, and it brings a smile to her lips. She turns her attention to his station, but it is absent of most of the products that line hers. On his, there is a taped down schedule, a few photographs of his family, and several collegiate-looking textbooks.
Tenten pulls one over to her and examines it. On the inside, Neji's name is inscribed in neat-looking print.
She casts a glance at him—he is assessing the outfit they want him to wear for the shoot.
"Are you taking college classes?" she asks, incredulous.
Neji's gaze flits to the book in her hands. Sheepishly, he nods.
"What? How did I not know this? How did you keep this away from the press?"
Neji comes and takes the book from her hands, flipping through the pages absentmindedly.
"I have a very good publicist," he responds with a smirk.
"Clearly," Tenten retorts, shaking her head. "You've kept this from everyone. How do you even manage it?"
"Not everyone. The studio heads know, because they have to." Neji places the book back on the tabletop. "I have a very flexible schedule. I go to class when I have to, but otherwise I just do the work and turn it in online."
"What are you studying?"
"Physics."
Tenten stares at him. "You're kidding."
Neji shakes his head.
Her brow furrows. "Why are you studying science? Shouldn't you be studying theatre? Or literature?"
Neji shrugs and goes back to the outfit on the hanger. "I like science. Now, you should probably go get ready. We're first in line for couple shots."
Tenten obediently leaves, sipping the coffee meant for Neji in confusion.
"Tenten, it's Shizune."
Tenten sinks into her bed. She's only just gotten home.
"Hi," she tells her publicist. "What's up?"
"Hyuga Neji wants you as his date to some function this weekend."
Tenten stares at the ceiling, her mouth popping open in surprise. "What?"
"I know, weird, huh? He never takes dates to press functions usually, but I guess he's wanting to put on a good face for the show. He's ending his contract after next season, you know."
Tenten sits up. "What? No, I didn't know that! He's ending his contract?!"
"Yes, Iruka told me this morning when he called with Neji's request. Anyway, we're getting ahead of ourselves. The function is on Saturday, and you're free. Do you want to go?"
She taps her fingers against her thigh, trying to figure out her costar's motive.
"Yeah, I'll go," she tells Shizune, eyes narrowing.
The event that Neji invited her to was some ritzy affair recognizing some director that Tenten had only heard of and never met. Apparently Neji had worked with him when he was a little younger.
She sits facing him in the chauffeured car, analyzing. Neji stares back, unperturbed, drinking water from a bottle.
It had been everyone's idea that they should arrive together, since Neji had formally asked Tenten be his date to the event. Though Tenten wasn't so sure this wasn't also a press stunt they weren't telling her about.
"Why are you staring?" he asks, tilting his head at her.
Tenten had decided that she likes this gesture of his—it makes her think that he's inclining his ear to catch every word she might say.
"I'm trying to figure out why you put me in this situation with you."
Neji's expression remains flat. "Let me know when you come to a conclusion," he says, looking out the window of the car.
"You could tell me," Tenten replies, pushing her bangs to the side. Her hands come away sticky from the hairspray.
"Ah, but you didn't ask," Neji responds, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Why did you ask me?"
"I can't take my onscreen love interest out on a date without a reason? What is this world coming to?" Neji says, his tone ten layers of sarcasm. He sobers and gives her a more straightforward answer, "Good publicity."
Tenten rolls her eyes and leans back into the plush leather of the seat.
"I knew it." She eyes him coldly. "Shizune told me you're bailing."
"Bailing is a bad choice of words. I'm making a creative decision."
"Or, you're abandoning me," Tenten adds, pressing her fingers to her forehead. She's getting a headache.
Neji gazes at her. "I'm not abandoning you. Your contract is up the same time mine is. Just quit."
"I can't just quit. I don't have your kind of leverage." Or experience, she thinks to herself.
Neji taps his finger against the armrest, lifting an eyebrow. "You have more control over your circumstances than you think."
"Not like you," Tenten says bitterly, crossing her arms.
Neji shakes his head.
"That's not true. You're a good actress. Which is why the studio wants to keep you. But it's up to you if you let them."
Tenten looks at him, mystified. "What are you—?"
"We're here," interrupts Neji.
And so they are. Tenten is blinded by the camera flashes and she hasn't even left the car yet.
"Come here," Neji says.
Tenten scoots beside him, and Neji gives her a measured once-over before opening the door.
When they get inside, Tenten is still reeling from the paparazzi. The press had had a field day with she and Neji showing up together.
"We're going to be all over the Internet in a matter of seconds," she comments as Neji escorts her to their table.
Neji doesn't answer as he pulls out her chair for her, and takes the seat to her right. He greets the other invitees at their table and introduces them to Tenten. The wife of a well-known writer strikes up a conversation with them and keeps Tenten talking until the lights go down.
The event starts off with a brief short film documenting the honorary director and his films. Then everyone is served dinner, while music is played.
When dessert is being passed around, Neji rises from his chair. Tenten shoots him a look. "Where are you going?"
Neji raises an eyebrow and gestures to the stage. "I'm up."
Tenten gapes at him, and Neji walks away, imparting a sly grin as he turns his back to her.
True enough, when the lights go down again, Neji is standing on stage holding a microphone.
"Good evening, everyone. I'm Hyuga Neji, and I had the great privilege of working with Mizuki-sempai several years ago on a film called The King's Brother, which won many accolades and awards. During the filming, this revered director treated me with such kindness and favor. He taught me so much about film and acting and communication. Our friendship has continued over the years, and I am honored I can call him a dear friend of mine. Thank you, sempai, for everything." Neji bows deeply to the director, who comes up on stage, and hugs him.
Tenten is confounded.
Later, as they're getting into the car, the cameras flashing in their face, Tenten asks again, "Who are you?"
Neji shuts the door behind them, looking at her quizzically.
"What are you talking about?"
Tenten gestures to the building as the car pulls away. "What was that?"
His sly smile is back in place.
"What?"
Tenten shakes her head, and reclines in her seat.
"Mizuki is a good friend of mine," Neji says simply. "I was asked to pay tribute, so I did."
Tenten stares at him. "You're so—I don't even know. We've worked together for three years, and I'm beginning to realize that I don't know anything about you. And I'm not sure anybody does."
Neji stares back at her, and Tenten watches as he calculates. He leans forward, and Tenten can see him clearly in the dim light of the car.
"I think you'll find out that you and I aren't so different, and that you know me better than you think you do."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Neji sits back, and his face is cast again into darkness. "You hate me," Neji states.
Tenten's forehead wrinkles in confusion.
"No, I don't," she protests.
She hears him laugh a little.
"Are you sure? The only times you ever talk to me is when you're upset with me or when we're doing the show. Sure seems like you hate me."
"I don't. . . Hate is a strong word," Tenten mutters, fiddling with her dress.
She can feel Neji's smile, rather than see it.
"I'm not as bad as you think," Neji responds. "I think you just have a wrong impression."
Tenten is silent for the rest of the ride home. When the car stops, Neji opens the door and gets out. He walks her up to the lobby of her apartment building, but she pauses, not wanting to go inside yet.
They consider each other quietly.
"It's not polite to stare," Neji informs her softly.
Tenten glares at him. "Then stop staring," she retorts.
Neji sighs, and glances into the lobby. Tenten watches his face, wondering why she feels nervous.
"Thank you," she says.
Neji looks back at her, his expression confused.
"For tonight. Thank you," she clarifies.
He turns away with a nod, and Tenten goes inside. Before she even reaches suite, her phone buzzes with a text. It's from Neji.
Don't go on the Internet—save yourself the trouble.
Though this tempts her to look, Tenten decides it's better to obey rather than rebel this time. She enters her empty apartment and slides the lock into place. Her phone buzzes again.
Also, you looked lovely tonight.
Tenten feels a blush dust her cheeks.
The next time Tenten walks out her door, she's swamped by paparazzi asking her for details on her supposed relationship with Hyuga Neji.
Tenten says nothing, and calls Shizune when she gets in the car. Before she can say a word, her publicist says, "I know; I'm already handling it."
She frowns, displeased by the men with cameras crowding her car.
"This is a problem, Shizune."
"I know, Tenten. Just trust me."
Tenten hangs up the phone, not appeased in the slightest.
Today she has some auditions, and Tenten is waiting to be seen when her phone buzzes. Another text from Neji.
She hadn't responded to his text from the other night—she hadn't known what to say.
Are you getting hounded too?
Tenten smiles.
Yes, as soon as I walked out of my building. You?
I was at a press interview and they ambushed me. How are you doing?
Fine. It's just annoying, that's all.
He texts back, I guess it is my fault. Sorry.
Tenten pauses, hearing her name called. She goes in for her audition. When she exits, another text from Neji is waiting on her.
How can I make it up to you?
Tenten bites her lip, inquisitive.
You can't. You've brought suffering on both of us just so you'd have a date for some function. Now we just have to deal with the consequences.
She can imagine him smiling. When I asked, I didn't realize you would be so much trouble.
You've known me for three years, and you hadn't realized that already?
On her way to her next audition, he responds, Beginner's mistake.
Tenten isn't sure what he means by that, but she grins anyway.
A week later, she texts him, just because.
What are you doing?
I'm actually in class. You?
Just looking over scripts. How do you even go to class? Wouldn't all the students tell on you?
I don't meet with other students. I have private lessons with my professors. Saves me time and a headache. And pictures.
Well, look at you. Special treatment, much?
I deserve it.
Tenten smiles, but she's not certain if he's kidding or not.
A half hour later, he texts, Did you want to get lunch?
Tenten responds, Yes.
The paparazzi are still tracking them, so Tenten meets Neji at an inconspicuous restaurant near the outskirts of the city, close to his university. It is after lunch hour, so the restaurant is hardly crowded, though it looks like it sees little business regardless.
After ordering, Neji asks, "Why haven't you thought about going to school?"
Tenten twirls her straw in her water, thinking.
"Who has the time? I have all of these commitments."
Neji gestures to himself. "Didn't stop me."
Tenten rolls her eyes. "Well, you can do anything, or so it seems."
Neji dismisses this. "What's the real reason?" he presses.
Tenten half shrugs. "I just—school's not for me, you know? I do a lot better with practical knowledge. Which I learn by landing jobs. I just never really had a need for a degree."
She runs her fingertips across her glass, hoping he didn't think she was stupid.
"I understand," Neji says, inclining his head to her. "My parents never went to university. I'm the first of my immediate family."
Tenten cocks her head at him, curiosity twisting around her brain.
"Your parents have passed on, right?" she inquires softly.
Neji nods. "Car accident when I was a toddler."
"Oh."
He goes on, noting the interest on her face, "I've lived with my uncle and his family since then. They're all educated. They wouldn't have expected anything less from me."
"Even with all your success? You've done so much already, though."
Neji's mouth is tight. "Not enough, I'm afraid." He lifts his eyebrows. "But it doesn't matter. I like going to university, so it doesn't really matter."
She shakes her head at him. "The next thing you're going to tell me is that you're also a superhero and you're just off the clock right now."
Neji smirks. "Who told you?"
Tenten doesn't know how it happens, but she and Neji end up spending the rest of the day together. After lunch Neji takes her on a discreet tour of his nearby school, though they have to dodge a few students.
They get dinner, which leads to a car ride back to her building. There are still some paparazzi lingering, so Neji escorts her to the back entrance, deciding to walk her to her door to make sure she arrives without being harassed.
Neji leans against the wall as Tenten unlocks her apartment door, but she doesn't go in yet, glancing up at him.
"Thanks, for today," she says, wondering what conclusions he's drawing about her.
"You don't have to thank me for that," he responds. "I enjoy being with you."
Tenten purses her mouth. "I'm not so sure. It only took us three years to do this. What stopped you from asking before?"
"I think we were on different paths then . . . but now, I don't know," answers Neji, studying her with a guarded expression. "And you have never been keen on me."
"It's because you're a showoff," Tenten informs. "No one wants to be around someone who is good at everything."
"You're making an assumption." Neji's mouth sinks into a half frown. "I'm not good at everything."
"Name one thing you're not good at," she challenges.
She feels naked beneath his sweeping gaze.
"I'm not good at you," Neji says quietly. "Never have been, probably never will."
Tenten's eyes narrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Neji shifts, his eyes leaving her to glance around the hallway. "It means that you're right. You keep saying that we've known each other for three years, which is true. But neither of us has been very . . . intent on communicating with the other." His focus finds his way back to her. "I'm regretting that now."
Tenten feels herself move a little closer to him, though she can't remember making that decision. It's like he's magnetic.
"Why is that?"
Neji stares at her seriously, no trace of a smirk to be seen.
"Isn't it obvious?" he asks.
Tenten is silent, wishing her heartbeat would calm down.
"I want to kiss you," Neji says, waiting.
"Okay," Tenten responds, her fingers itching to touch him.
A corner of his mouth lifts, a fleeting look of embarrassment crossing his face.
"May I?"
Tenten feels herself nod. Neji's hand gently comes to rest on her neck, moving up to grasp her chin. He places his lips against hers, and Tenten is dimly aware of her hands coming to rest on his chest.
She's kissed him multiple times before, of course. Playing one of the most popular television couples means that romantic showmanship was something they had to learn to participate in early on in their careers with each other. But they have never kissed like this before.
As Kazuki, Neji had almost always been the one to initiate first. Kazuki kissed aggressively, with his hands grasping her waist and pulling her close. Passionately, possessively, is what the script always instructed. For her part, Yori was always very tame and innocent—all pecks on the cheek and hands on the shoulders and soft giggles.
But this kiss is so different from all of the ones they have shared onscreen. Neji kisses her slowly, relishing the way her bottom lip rolls between his lips, moving with care and purpose. His thumb rests on the pulse point of her neck, so he can feel just how fast her heart is beating. Tenten presses closer to him, pulling on his bottom lip with her teeth. She slides her tongue into his mouth for a brief second before Neji pulls away.
Tenten looks down at the floor, instantly embarrassed. His hand is cradling the nape of her neck, and she can only hear their labored breathing until she hears Neji softly laugh.
She chances a glance at him. His face is red and his eyes are surprised, but not disappointed.
"I didn't realize you were a wild card," he whispers.
Tenten smirks. "You probably should have guessed that."
Neji thinks about this for a second, before kissing her again, this time too quick, too chaste, for Tenten to catch him. When he draws away, he leans his head against hers, eyes closed. Tenten watches him, absently running her tongue over her bottom lip. She wants him to kiss her again.
Neji cracks an eye open, inscrutable. "Thank you," he says.
Neji straightens, his hand slipping away from her neck to fall at his side. Tenten suppresses a shiver.
His mouth lifts into a half smile. "Think the paparazzi are still out front?"
"I would go out the back, just to be safe."
Neji nods and waves, heading down the hallway. Tenten's eyes stay on him until the elevator doors close.
She enters her apartment, head buzzing like she was tipsy. Tenten showers, and watches a little bit of television, but when her face appears on the small screen, she turns it off and decides to go to bed.
She texts Neji when she cuts the lights in her bedroom.
This is serious, isn't it?
Before she falls asleep, he responds, though Tenten didn't really require an answer. She already knew the truth.
Yes, it is.
A/N: This is another Tumblr prompt, but I must admit that I didn't expect it to run away with me like it has. That being said, this will be a multi-chapter, but not a long one, maybe three parts. We'll see.
Another note: The title of Part I, "curtain up" is an entertainment term that refers to the start of a performance, regardless of it is in the theater or not. Self-explanatory, really.
Also, the title of the fic, "subtext" is also an acting term. It is the character's thoughts and emotions and motivations, which are hidden beneath their actions and words. But you guys knew that already, smarties. ;)
Questions? Responses? Please let me know!