A/N: I honestly don't know where I got this idea. Due to Tropical Storm Fay, I've been spending a lot of time in doors, so what else would I do but write Fics? Which reminds me . . . I need to write another Naruto/Sakura Fic soon. . . . But anyway, this is a one-shot. I would say that there's some unwanted sexual tension? I don't know. I'm not altogether pleased with this. It just doesn't feel like I wrote it, even though I did. Gah. Anyway, Neji/TenTen pairing, and some language.

I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I, being who I am, don't own this. Masashi Kishimoto, being who he is, does. I also don't own behindthename dot com.

Liar, Liar.

"Neji, what would you say if, hypothetically, I . . . loved you?"

Neji slowly glanced at me.

"What would you want me to say? Hypothetically?"

"That's not fair! Answer my question first!"

Neji shook his head silently, and I knew there would be no arguing.

"I would just want you to be honest. I don't need pity."

I waited patiently for Neji's answer now. He took such a long time to respond that I thought we would be late for our brief meeting with our hirer that had requested an assassination.

"Hypothetically," started Neji several minutes later, "I would thank you."

"Thank me?" I asked, bewildered and disappointed.

Neji nodded, and with the silence that followed, I assumed our conversation was over.

We arrived at our destination late that night. Our temporary employer had given us the information around ten, and we had all proceeded to the site where we would be assassinating. We were acting as partygoers. I shuddered involuntarily at the word. How stupid. I'd rather just take the guy out bluntly instead of dressing up for it. What a pity, I tsked. I'm going to get blood all over this yukata. Neji, almost as if he heard this plotting thought of mine, turned to glance at me.

"We're not going anywhere near the target. We will assassinate Chou without force. No weapons unless it comes to it, TenTen."

I turned away from him in defiance, disgusted with the lack of combat this mission required. And the pay is nothing to look at, either.

"We will slip this," Neji held up a slim bottle of clear liquid, "into his saki and then leave after he has been disposed of."

"Fine," I grumbled.

We fell into step with each other, following Tsau, our employer. My hand brushed Neji's for a second, and I was sure both of us felt the hesitation. . . . Or was it tension?

We reached the party to discover it was decked out in decorations . . . and absolutely full of people. I heard Neji sigh. More people meant either three things: more witnesses, more people to convince that we were supposed to be there, and more obstacles for Neji and I. None of those three things were good. I turned to look at Neji next to me. His facial expression hadn't changed, but I knew that he was anxious. And that made me nervous.

"We follow through with the original plan," he finally said, looking down at me, decided.

I nodded, but I was still concerned. He touched the inside of my wrist unnoticeably.

"It'll be fine," he mouthed, barely above a whisper.

I nodded again.

We set off across the floor, Tsau abandoning us at the door. Some host.

Neji and I weren't going to dance like some of the other couples. I had two left feet, and we had more pressing matters to take care of. Besides, even though were posing as a couple, we still weren't.

"This way," said Neji quietly, walking over to a small, but private alcove, where people weren't anywhere near.

As we walked, Neji expertly and swiftly removed the bottle. I lost track after Neji lifted it, though I suspected that he had concealed it somewhere where he could reach it easily. Now we had to figure out how we were going to get the poison in Chou's drink.

"Are we going to take out a server?" I asked.

Neji activated his Byakugan discreetly, swiftly scanning the area.

"There are no servers. That's the problem."

"What the hell? Why are there no servers? What kind of party is this?!"

Neji didn't answer me.

"We'll have to find another way," he finally said. "Do you think you could—?"

"Oh, no, Neji. I am not flirting with our target. I've done it millions of times but I refuse to do it anymore! I'm freaking Chunin now!"

Neji glared at me.

"You have to," he said in his 'forceful' voice.

"No, I don't, Neji! I don't have to do anything you say!"

Neji glared at me.

"Yes, you do. I'm team leader on this mission."

I bit the inside of my cheek. Even though he had a point, I still wasn't going to stop arguing until he literally made me.

"So?"

"So, you do as I say so we can complete the mission."

"We're a two-person cell on this mission . . . I don't think it's particularly fair that Lady Tsunade made you leader."

"Fair or not, you do as I tell you."

I crossed my arms as I considered my options, glancing over to Chou. He was ugly . . . in every sense of the word. But we had the mission to complete. And that came above everything in the shinobi world, even my morals. And I knew that rule like the back of my hand.

"Fine," I grumbled, discreetly removing some of my easier found weapons concealed in the yukata, shoving them in Neji's hands.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to give my weapons back to me.

I shook my head at him.

"If he's going to feel me up, I'd rather not let him know that I intend on killing him."

"You're just distracting him," said Neji sternly. "I will ultimately be the one assassinating him. While he's distracted, I will put the poison in his saki. The substance will be strengthened with the alcohol."

"I think you're forgetting about the courtiers he has with him, genius," I said, loosening my yukata some.

"You let me take care of them," was Neji's curt reply.

I rolled my eyes, but prepared to leave.

"Leave after you're done; wait outside the door. I'll be around when I'm finished."

I nodded to let him know that I understood, and left the dark niche we had been in, crossing the lit room slowly, demurely. Well, being acquainted with Ino sure has taught me something. As I neared the table, I caught Chou's attention. He openly ogled me, and in my head, I retched. How disgusting.

When I reached the table, Chou almost immediately jumped to his feet, apparently deciphering my coy attitude.

"What is your name?" he asked, his tone in what he seemed to think was polite.

"Miu," I replied quickly, picking randomly.(1)

"Miu," said Chou, "I am Chou, the host of this party."

I bowed in respect, knowing full well that some of my cleavage was showing evidently. When I returned to my full height, Chou looked disappointed. Pig, I thought. Still. Now he gets the temptation part.

"A woman as pretty as you should appreciate the mirrors I had installed. Would you like to see them?"

I nodded eagerly, and Chou took my hand, leading me.

We didn't see any damn mirrors, as Chou had promised. Not that I thought we would have anyway, I mean, I knew better.

Chou was as savage as I had expected. What made me mad, though, was how he went about it. I suppose that my acting had made Chou think that I was just an innocent little girl. He was wrong about that; I wasn't naive. Freaking jerk. He played the act for a while, as we wandered through his big dark house. But (almost before I knew it) he shoved me into another dark niche, already his hands groping, searching. Oh, for the effing love of the Hokage! I grunted in anger, but I suppose Chou figured that was a cry of pleasure? Idiot, I thought, disgusted. Neji is so gonna pay for this.

When he had gotten tired of me, Chou left. Thank Kami he did too. One more second and I would have strangled him. Really.

I walked back to the grand room where Chou was holding his party. None of the courtiers were there, so I assumed that Neji had done his job already and was finishing up somewhere. I speedily left the room, exiting through the front door. I was tightening my yukata as tight as it would go as Neji came out the door. He looked the same as ever as he glanced over and found me.

"You owe me big time, Neji," I told him in a deadly voice.

He smirked, but nodded.

I shoved past him, leading the way back to the inn we were staying at.

As soon as we returned to our shared room, I collapsed onto the floor, exhausted of all of the festivities. Neji smirked at me as he laid down the weaponry he had retrieved for me.

"Tired?" he asked.

I grunted in assent.

"You know," he began several moments later, "I don't think I answered you as correctly as I should have earlier."

I sat up, staring at him, slightly confused.

"What I would say," said Neji, turned away from me, "was that I love you also."

I took a second to comprehend.

"You mean hypothetically, right?"

Neji shook his head slightly.

"No," he replied somewhat condescendingly, turning to look at me certainly. "I'm perfectly serious."

I gaped at him.

"What the hell? Are you serious?!"

Neji rolled his eyes at me.

"Did I just not say I was 'perfectly serious'?"

But before Neji had even blinked, I had jumped him, hugging him, close to tears. He stiffened automatically, but tried to force himself to relax. I could feel his heartbeat slowing down, settling for a more steady rhythm. A realization hit me then, as I pulled away.

"You lied to me," I said, a little unbelieving.

Neji half-shrugged.

"Possibly" was his answer.

My eyes narrowed before I hit him across the chest. Neji caught my wrist as I attempted to retrieve my hand, however.

"You lied too," he said, an eyebrow raised.

"No, I didn't!" I exclaimed.

Neji nodded.

I wanted to smack him again. Neji, as if reading my thoughts, tightened his grip on my wrist.

"You lied the easy way. You said 'hypothetically'. That was a mistake. Odds are, with you, 'hypothetically' means realistically."

I looked at him, shocked, my mouth agape.

Neji fingered my neck with his free hand and kissed me. I felt my eyes widen, but I was more focused on his lips on mine.

This is crazy, I thought faintly.

A second later, however, Neji withdrew, looking entirely pleased with himself.

Smug bastard, I thought evilly, wishing he hadn't stopped kissing me.

"So, we should be heading back to Konoha," he said, turning from me to gather his things that were already packed.

"Wait a second!" I exclaimed, glaring at him.

"What?" inquired Neji, sounding unconcerned and not turning to look at me.

"This hasn't been settled!"

This time Neji did turn, giving me an undecipherable stare.

So, I had his attention now, huh?

"It hasn't?" he asked dully, staring.

"No!"

Neji waited for my evidence, crossing his arms.

"You don't know how I feel about this!" I made up quickly, crossing my arms defiantly.

Neji rolled his eyes again.

"Okay, sure. Now, let's go," he replied, packing a few forgotten things of his.

I made a frustrated noise. Kami, he was infuriating!

"Stop!" I yelled at him.

Neji sent me a baleful look over his shoulder as he picked up my weaponry catalogue.

"I'm done talking to you!"

"Well," responded Neji, "I am. Get your things."

I obeyed, but not happily. I'm sure the inn would be sending a bill to the Hokage in a day or so for all the things I trashed in my fury. Neji watched all of this, not helping, apparently amused.

Stupid effing Hyuga.

As we began to enter Konoha a couple of days later, Neji took my shoulder to stop me.

"What?!" I snapped at him.

Neji glared at me until I ceased my frustrating huffs.

"You're not going to be angry with me forever, you know. You'll forgive me, eventually."

"Don't be so sure, Neji. I've gone months mad at people," I insisted.

Neji quirked an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Alright then, Liar."

"Liar?!" I asked, confused.

Neji smirked, continuing to walk towards the Hokage's office.

"Wait, Neji! I'm sorry!" I shouted, running after him.

(1) Miu means "beautiful" and "feather" in Japanese. I thought it was really pretty. I got the meaning and name from behindthename dot com, where I get all of the names I create. I love that site, for real.

So, what'd you think??