Notes: Inspired by many late-night chats with fruitysmellz! My second attempt at a "Neji and Tenten have babies" fic.
Here's how Tenten finds out she's pregnant. It's not through a pregnancy test. It's not because she's been throwing up in the mornings. It's not because she notices she's missed her period.
She finds out in the room of her comatose boyfriend, who has been unconscious for two months, missing the climactic end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. She is haunting his bedside, as always, her face pale and her eyes dull. The room is especially full at the moment - Hiashi is there, and Hinata, and the Hokage checking on her high-profile patient. Lee and Gai are there. Kiba is there, accompanying Hinata, and his mother as well, dropping by to exchange quiet words with Hiashi. Naruto is there, as he often is, hangdog expression as he looks at Neji. He blames himself, though no one else does.
Then Hyuuga Neji, coma victim, bolts upright, his Byakugan at full power. Everyone stares. There is a moment of silence.
The first thing he looks at is Tenten's eyes. Then his eyes swing downward towards her belly.
"Oh my god, we're pregnant!" he chokes. These are his first words in almost eight weeks.
Reflexively, the other Hyuuga in the room have activated their doujutsu as well. Hiashi, surprised, is the first to speak.
"…holy shit, he's right."
There is, of course, instant uproar. Between Neji's nigh-miraculous recovery and the discovery of a completely unlooked-for pregnancy, there is a lot for everyone in the room to process. Hiashi is mildly annoyed that Tsume simply stands back and laughs, although he is grateful to her son for catching Hinata when she faints. He hopes no one caught his quiet and inadvertent cursing.
Tenten sways, looking to follow Hinata's example. Neji tries to lunge for her, but his weakened and unused muscles do not obey him. Instead Naruto catches her, supports her, and Tenten leans on him. Neji's face shows a flash of jealousy.
Naruto is beaming. His thought process is clear. 'Neji's awake! A baby coming! Baby! Baby! Baby!'
Lee and Gai are clutching each other and weeping. Their thought processes are also clear. 'Neji's awake! A baby coming! Such an explosion of youth! Youth! Youth!'
Tsunade is an island of calm in the sudden chaos of the room, checking Neji over with swift expertise before turning to Tenten. She holds her right hand over the kunoichi's belly, and it glows with green chakra.
"I'll be damned. You are pregnant," she says. She eyes Neji. "So there was a little sparring in between the sheets before you went to war, hm? Very smooth, Hyuuga."
Neji coughs and tries to look as dignified as possible.
Tsume roars at that, while Hiashi gives thanks his daughter is safely unconscious.
A little while later, the room is emptier. The Hokage has been called away by matters of state. Kiba has offered to carry Hinata to an empty cot - he is sure she will want to visit her cousin when he awakens. Hiashi has departed as well, his duties as clan-head calling him, though he has the time to share a few warm, heart-felt words with his nephew. Tsume accompanies him, teasing him in a low voice about his "lady-killer of a nephew."
Lee and Gai, too excited to stay still, have been banished from the room until they burn off some of their exuberant energy. Tenten had managed to convince them to run a thousand laps around Konoha in honor of Neji's return, and then a thousand more in honor of her pregnancy.
Tenten smiles at Neji, her eyes bright with unshed tears. He opens his arms and she comes willingly. When Lee and Gai return, they find Neji and Tenten entwined together on the narrow bed, peacefully asleep, Neji's hand resting protectively on Tenten's stomach.
The other Konoha 12 gather in Chouji's favorite yakiniku place. Sasuke, still under probation, is not there; neither is Neji, still confined to hospital, nor Tenten, who never leaves Neji's side for very long.
So that leaves the others free to discuss the two soon-to-be parents.
"I can't believe Neji knocked Tenten up!" laughs Naruto. "Talk about a hypocrite…what was all his talk about not being a pervert and not being swayed by 'unseemly passions'?" Despite his words, his tone is fond.
"The clan sees it as a blessing," Hinata murmurs, blushing slightly. "Hyuugas…do not conceive or bear children easily. We usually need….some aid in the matter. This happening so easily…."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Kiba says, counting on his hands. "So Tenten's two months and two weeks pregnant. Hokage was pretty precise and you gotta be with Hyuuga pregnancies, ma told me, cos of what Hinata said, they need lots of doctors and oversight and precise dosages of supplements and chakra infusions at like every stage. That means…." Kiba sits up, grinning widely.
"Oh man! Remember when we all got together for one last big bash right before the war? And those two begged off early because Neji said he was gonna meditate and then Tenten said she was gonna go over her weapons one last time? That's when they banged! It's gotta be! That dog! He snuck off so he could have some bow-chick-a-wow-wow with his girl!" Kiba yelps, admiring Neji more intensely in that moment than he has ever admired any other male.
The other boys - except for Lee - howl with laughter. Hinata blushes and Ino hits Kiba upside his head. Sai diligently takes notes.
When Neji is finally allowed out of the hospital, Hiashi arranges a quiet celebratory meal for the boy. It is truly a family affair - only Hiashi and his daughters are present. And Tenten, of course.
The light dinner conversation drifts in the direction of the wedding Neji has mentioned to his uncle. "I was thinking we could hold the wedding in the Fushimi Temple, Hiashi-sama, and the reception at the main courtyard," Neji suggests.
"Excellent idea," Hiashi approves.
Tenten blinks. "The…the wedding?"
Neji goes pale and drops his chopsticks. "I forgot to ask you," he whispers, turning to stare at her.
Hiashi drops his chopsticks then. Hinata and Hanabi merely freeze mid-bite, all three staring at Neji incredulously.
"Um." Neji actually wiggles nervously. "So, will you?"
Tenten blinks again, and then smiles. "Sure! But is it OK if we use some Yong traditions? Because of my mother's homeland, you know."
"That can be arranged, I'm sure," Neji nods, already regaining his equilibrium. "Let's talk about it some more after dinner."
"Great!" Tenten chirps, and re-dedicates herself to her rice.
Hiashi, Hinata, and Hanabi are all still staring.
The wedding is arranged quickly but well. The clan is impressed with Neji's young bride for her combat skills mostly, (and the younger males for her beauty) but after the wedding they also respect her logistical skills. The wedding ritual itself is small and intimate, attended only by their close friends and relatives. The reception, however, is a much larger affair, filled with high-ranking personalities. It is one of the first excuses Konoha has had to celebrate after the war, and they seize the chance whole-heartedly.
The alcohol flows freely and the food is delicious, varied, and more than enough to satisfy everyone's appetites - even the various Akimichis in attendance. Tenten wears a red silk qipao dress to honor her mother's faraway homeland, cleverly tailored to hide the very slight thickening of her middle, and with golden dragons and phoenixes embroidered onto the fabric. It is obvious to everyone that Neji is utterly besotted; he cannot drag his eyes away from his bride for even a minute. When he is forced to look away, he activates his Byakugan so he can still keep her in sight.
Someone spikes Hiashi's drink and he finds himself weeping on Tsume's shoulder that Hizashi should be here to watch his little boy get married. Tsume tactfully maneuvers them away so no one can see or hear the Hyuuga clan head show emotion.
When the new Hyuuga Tenten moves into the compound, she quickly makes herself popular by being helpful, friendly, and warm. Neji is immensely proud of himself for marrying Tenten, and for fathering a child with her, and he struts whenever he strolls the Hyuuga grounds with his pretty young wife at his side.
His male cousins are getting slightly sick of him. His female cousins, however, are rather struck by the image of Tenten glowing with pregnancy, and they coo about relationship goals, and nod approvingly whenever Neji fetches her things or heads out to hunt down whatever food she's craving.
