"Lie to me." She smiled, her brown hair let down for once and blowing in the wind. Lavender eyes looked at her suspiciously, then grunted.
"You look horrible. Let's go." He spat out, glaring at the curious passer-biers. She grinned once more and grabbed her purse, following the lazy man in front of her.
"Thank you Neji. Means a lot." He nodded and stared ahead of him, fighting a rising blush. TenTen had just gotten ready -with help from Ino, of course- and was picked up by Neji, who was taking her to a restaurant where they'd meet with Rock Lee and Gai.
"You know you love these dinners, Neji. It gives us all a chance to meet up again now that we're Chuunin." TenTen tried to start a conversation...again.
"TenTen…you know I have no kind feelings toward them." He stated.
"Them?Neji…they're our team! Come on…Lie to me." She smiled at the last part. They've been playing this game for years. "How do you feel about tonight?"
"….Ecstatic."
She grinned again and continued her way to the restaurant, Neji close behind.
"Did he hurt you again?" She asked, concern adorning her face as she touched his arm. He winced. She pulled out her first aid kit and slowly started patching his wounded arm up.
"Neji…lie to me." He sighed when she put the Hydrogen Peroxide on the wound, the tingling pain soothing him.
"My uncle did not hurt me…I…made an imprecise move in my training." He said, even knowing that this lie was bad from the start. She laughed.
"I knowthat's a lie! You would never do that!" She finished stitching Neji up.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Thank you for coming to me." She replied thoughtfully.
"Hey Neji! Did you hear what's going on? There's going to be a festival this year! A Sakura Festival! How traditional! I'm so excited! Are you going to go?" TenTen shouted, running up to her stoic friend. He merely grunted in reply.
"Aw Neji…come on, let's go! It'll be fun! Lee and Gai-Sensei will be there too!" She persisted. He sighed, trying to find a way out of this.
"Neji…do you want to go…? Neji…" She smirked, "Lie to me."She watched a flicker of defeat flash through his eyes. He sighed again.
"Yes…" She grinned and jumped up and down.
"Great! We'll meet up at Ichiraku! See you tomorrow!"
"Dude…Neji, look!" Naruto said, jabbing Neji in the side and pointing North. Neji glared at Naruto but followed his finger nonetheless, only to be stopped in his tracks, awestruck. TenTen was in a light red kimono that fit her perfectly, bringing out all the right places.
"Hey guys! Naruto! Neji! Shikamaru!" She called, noticing them, and then started running towards them. "Dang dress. Oh well, it's nice. Wow, this place looks great, doesn't it? Come on, let's go! Oh look, bobbing for apples, popping balloons, cotton candy and dango! I'm so excited!" TenTen rushed out of her mouth, starting to run in four different places at once.
"TenTen…calm down. You are being worse than Naruto." Neji said, grabbing her arm slightly. She spun around and smiled gently.
"Neji, you need to lighten up. It's a festival, we don't normally have these. Enjoy the moment! Oh! Look! A Ferris Wheel! Let's do that!" She grinned and grabbed Neji's hand, running towards the said place, leaving a shocked Naruto and Shikamaru behind.
Neji blushed, but covered it up quickly before jerking his hand from hers. She looked slightly hurt. He realized what he did and apologized.
"Gomen, TenTen. You are just too excited right now. Maybe we should slow down."
She glared, "Neji! You never have any fun! I want to go to the Ferris Wheel, and you have to come! So let's go! Don't you want the people around you happy?"
She paused noticing his glare. "Neji." She stated, a slow smirk forming, "Lie to me."
"Fine. Let's just get this over with."
"Whoa. Look at this view!" TenTen said, peering over the cart in the Ferris Wheel.
"TenTen…you are going to fall."
"No I'm not! I have you to catch me!" She laughed, looking to see if she could find anyone she knew. "Oh look! I see Lee and Gai-Sensei! Over there! Look!" She exclaimed, grabbing Neji's wrist to turn him the way she was pointing.
But Neji tripped and crashed onto TenTen, bringing her down to the seat, lips sealed. Both teens stared wide-eyed at each other, blushes painted across their cheeks. But neither moved; instead, Neji closed his eyes and kissed her harder, making the shocked girl gasp.
Neji took this as a sign to continue and slipped his tongue in her mouth, brushing it across her teeth. She got the feel and kissed back, shyly at first, but then harder, getting her tough demeanor up again. Neji licked the roof of her mouth and she shivered. They broke the kiss and panted for air, looking into each other's eyes.
"N-Neji…" He kissed her forehead and moved her bangs, then moved to his seat. "Neji…L-Lie to me!" She managed to get out between the shock and the loss of breath.
"I wish I had never done that. I regret it completely and we will have to continue to be friends and nothing else." She smiled and jumped into his arms, shaking the cart a little.
"I am so glad you said that." She whispered, kissing him again.
Everyone gawked as the new couple walked through Konoha, holding hands. TenTen had a bright red blush permanently stained on her cheeks and Neji had a small smile gracing his lips. Their relationship was very unexpected, some will say, but others will say that it was always there…and some would say…that it's youthful.
"Hello! TenTen! Neji! How are you!" Ino called from her family's flower shop, waving a daisy -her favorite- that Shikamaru gave her, who was standing next to her, a bored yet flustered look on his face.
"Hi Ino! Hello Shikamaru! We're great, thanks! I hope you're well, too!" TenTen shouted back, waving the unoccupied hand back.
"Yes, fantastic! Thank you!" TenTen smiled back at the girl and turned to Neji when he spoke.
"You can not honestly like that girl, can you?"
"Neji!She's great once you get to know her. Maybe you guys should hang out sometime. Or…" TenTen grinned when an idea popped in her head, "Or…we'll go on a double date! That'd be fun! I've never done that before! Neji, wouldn't you want to?"
She finished, but opened her mouth again when she saw the rejection coming and said the three words that always worked on him. "Lie to me."
"Surprisingly," She added, "the date didn't go horrible. I mean, I made Neji go through with it, but you and Shikamaru were all for it, weren't you Ino?" TenTen conversed with the group of girls at lunch.
"She's right. The boys didn't put up a fight at all, which was surprising, because Shikamaru has such a hard head sometimes. Are the two even friends?"
"You know…I'm not exactly sure…I mean they don't act like they hate each other around each us, but I haven't seen them fight at all, either. Not even during the Chuunin exams." TenTen thought out loud.
"You'd think they wouldn't be…but who knows. This world is getting as topsy-turvy as ever!" Ino laughed, "What about you, Hinata? Have you gotten anywherewith Naruto? I mean…you guys have been dating for awhile…"secretly"…of course…" She snickered.
"Yeah, Hinata. Why can't you guys come out now? I mean, how long has it been, three months since Kiba asked him out for you. Oh, that didn't come out right. Oh well, you know what I mean." Sakura pressed, ignoring the giggles.
Hinata grew wide-eyed and blushed heavily. "I-I…u-um…well, we-'ve k-kissed maybe o-once or tw-ice, b-but n-nothing else."
The girls sighed and it was Temari's turn to ask a question. "Alright Miss 'Never-In-My-Life-Will-I-Get-Any", why can't you come out and tell everyone-"
"-that doesn't already know." Ino sniggered.
Temari ignored her and continued. "That you two are a thing? Someone will try to snatch him up, I'm sure."
"Temari, don't say things like that, you'll scare her!" Sakura whispered.
TenTen shrugged. "Well Hinata? Why won't you?"
"Neji! Hey Neji! There you are! I have been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been? Hiding from me?" TenTen smiled, laughing at her own joke. Neji turned around and faced her…his eyes unreadable as always.
She noticed his hesitation but shook it off. He may not always want to talk, right? "So I was thinking, do you want to go on a walk? Like through the park? It's beautiful out." Neji just nodded and followed her through the park.
They got to a bench -pshhh, it just may be the one Sakura was at when Sasuke left…just saying!- and TenTen grabbed his hand and led him to it.
"Look at this view…Japan is very famous for their Sakura trees. But of course you already knew that. It's gorgeous." A long silence came between the two of them until TenTen spoke up once again.
"Neji…I want to tell you something." She started, looking into his pearly eyes. "I have been so happy these past few months since we have started dating…even if the kiss was accidental…you still wanted to be with me…and I never really imagined this or how it would feel like but…"
She took a breath and blushed. "Neji…I…I love you. Yeah, I do. I love you Neji Hyuga! And I want to be with you forever. What do you say? Do you love me?"
Neji's face dropped. He hadn't expected this. TenTen seemed to notice this and her smile immediately vanished, her blush wiped from her face. "N…Neji?"
Neji just sat there, not making eye contact. He didn't love her. He never loved her. Maybe he was using her? Her eyes watered up…she was never the one for crying…especially in front of people…especially in front of the one she loves.
"You don't…love me?" She tested, barely touching the water, shaking.
For the first time…he spoke. "No." He began to get up and walk away, leaving a distraught girl behind him.
"Neji! N…Neji, wait!" He momentarily stopped. "Neji…A-At least…at least…" She trailed off, remembering what always brought them together in their own little comic way. "Neji…Lie to me!"
His eyes widened. He didn't turn around…in fact, he didn't move for a few minutes. But as the wind blew and the sun started going down, he finally spoke. "I love you." And he disappeared, leaving a few tear drops and a devastated girl behind.
(Flashback)
Neji was called to his uncle's room. He slowly walked towards the door, knowing something is up, since there was a crying Hinata in the room next to his. He knocked twice, even though he knew Hiashi knew he was there.
"Neji. Come in." Neji complied and entered, gave a small bow and waited for the worst. "Neji…I have heard from a reliable source that you and this team mate of yours have been seeing each other." He paused and Neji's eyes widened in shock.
"Uncle…I…" Neji started, trying to get a word in before he made everything worse.
"As I was saying…" Hiashi glared at his nephew, "You know it is forbidden to have any type of relations with any member apart of this clan…especially one with as little as not having a name. You are disgracing this clan. If you do-"
"But uncle! You cannot-"
"Do not interrupt me and tell me what I can and cannnot do you foolish child. You are lucky I took you in when your weak father perished. You will stop being ungrateful and you will listen! Do you understand?!" Hiashi yelled.
Neji felt his anger boil and glared down his uncle, tears threatening to rise to his eyes. "Yes…uncle."
Hiashi nodded, a smirk plastered on his face. "As I was saying…If you do wish to continue disgracing this clan and you decide to disown your life…you will be forced to leave the Hyuga household and never come back. Do I make myself clear? Answer me!" Hiashi's voice raised when Neji paused.
"Yes…uncle."
"Repeat what I have told you to do. Now." Hiashi grinned. Neji hesitated.
"I am not to have any relations with my teammate or I will be disowned from my clan, my pride and my life. I may never come back. You have made yourself clear, uncle."
"Good. Go end everything you had with her. You have until tomorrow evening to do so. Oh and Neji…if you cannot gather what little courage a pathetic child like you has to get rid of her…then lie to her."
Fin.