Disclaimer: Stfu owns nothing.

On a particular Saturday evening, in a convenience store, there's uncertainty, companionship, and a pair of chapped lips.

"Ne, Neji, which one's better?" She outstretches both arms, revealing in each hand a tube of lip balm. "Rose & Almond Vaseline or Vanilla Mint ChapStick?"

"The first one."

Her eyes brighten. "That one smells lovely." Her eyes dim. "…But I feel that it doesn't have enough of a rich, creamy flagrance as the other one…"

"Oh." He blinks. "Then get the second one."

"Yes, the vanilla scent is simply marvelous." Tenten sniffs it once more. "But…then again, so is the Rose & Almond one…"

"Oh." He thinks. "Then get both."

"I can't." She wrinkles her nose in light discontent. "I'm on a tight budget." A sigh escapes her parched lips as the indecisiveness continues.

"Get the cheaper of the two."

"Oh. Right." Tenten smiles and checks the prices. A quiet second passes. "Neji…" A deep sigh. "They're both 500 yen."

"Oh." He blinks and thinks. "I'll buy them for you." A pale hand moves to his pocket.

"Eh?" Another hand stops it. "No, Neji, you don't have to do that."

"I know." He continues to search through his pockets. "But I want to."

She purses her lips with mild disagreement, but waits nevertheless.

"…" Neji grunts. "I forgot to bring my wallet."

"Ah, it's alright." A sheepish grin graces her features. "Just help me pick one." Tenten holds the two cylinders before him again. "That'll be enough."

He scrutinizes both flavors for a moment, while his partner watches with full anticipation. "Then, the one with almonds."

"Why?"

"Huh?" Neji meets her eager gaze with perplexity. "What do you mean?"

"Why are the almonds better?"

"Because…" Though a bit irked, he pauses to search for a viable reason. "Almonds are edible."

"But so is vanilla," Tenten retorts with zero hesitation.

"…Indeed." He can feel his patience withering. "But almonds taste better."

"Really," she asks flatly.

Patience, Neji, patience. "Certainly."

She persists. "I personally think—"

"Tenten," he interrupts curtly. "Almonds are better."

Her eyebrows furrow at the sudden shift in tone. "But vanilla—"

"Almonds are better."

Tenten frowns. "Prove it."

"What?"

"Prove that they're better."

A wire of annoyance traces across his features. "Forget it." His jaw tightens. "Just pick whichever one you like most."

Her composure is dissolving as well. "But I don't know which one I like most, Neji, which explains why I bothered to ask for your opinion in the first place."

"…"

"And also, whether or not the flavor's contents are edible is completely irrelevant to the actual application of the product." She rests her clenched hands on her hips defiantly.

He exhales tiredly. "Tenten…"

"Moreover, the fact that we're even here in this gaudy grooming aisle is essentially your fault, Neji. Thanks to your sick obsession with endless hours of training and absolute disregard of something important known as thirst, I'm dying from dehydration half of the time."

"Tenten—"

"And because of this lack of water, my lips are now incredibly dry, and therefore require a lip healing ointment that provides the best relief and feeling—"

"Tenten."

"Neji," she counters readily, "I'd like to point out that my lips are feeling far from okay right now. In fact, they're on the verge of cracking—bleeding even! The feeling's beyond uncomfortable and not to mention, downright unattractive! So if you could just help…"

Her voice trails off when, much to her surprise, Neji growls with heavy displeasure, snatches the products from her hands, and returns them violently to their respective spots on the aisle's shelves. "You don't need either one." With that said, he drags her out of the store.

"Neji, what are you doing?" she hisses with a scowl, pulling her arm back with stubborn resistance. "Let go of me."

"No. I'm helping."

"You're not."

"I am."

"Well, do you see my lips getting any better? Let go—"

An unreadable expression unravels upon Neji's face, and he whips around to face her. "Would you like for me to show you?"

Tenten freezes. "What?"

Without warning, Neji snakes his right arm around her waist, pulls her body into his, and brings a hand toward her astonished, bewildered face. "I can prove it too, if you'd like."

"…Neji?" Her eyes flutter in confusion.

He brings his gaze down to Tenten's slightly parted mouth, and gently raises her chin. "Neither vanilla nor almonds…"

"Huh?" is all she can breathe out. The fluttering stops.

"…will make your lips feel any better."

"W-Why's that?" Her eyes unconsciously close.

He leans in—

"Because your lips can only feel better with mine."

—and proves it this time.

— Lips