The Hyuga Eyes

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Tenten prided herself in being calm and levelheaded.

Except at the moment, she was feeling neither.

Grumbling to herself, she paced back and forth in the living room of her apartment. She'd bitten all her nails down to the quick, and was now wringing them uselessly. She wasn't like this, ever, and it frustrated the hell out of her that she was going ahead and reacting in such a way now.

Blowing out a breath, she came to a stop before taking a seat on her couch. She sat there for about a minute, fingers restlessly tapping against her knee, before giving up and standing to pace again. She was so distracted with all the thoughts rushing through her head that she hadn't noticed that someone was on the other side of her door until they were turning the doorknob. Instinct had her tensing, fingers darting to the kunai at her waist, but she paused when she detected the familiar chakra. Sure enough, the door swung open seconds later to reveal a haggard looking Neji Hyuga standing at her doorstep.

Usually the sight of her boyfriend would quell her worries and turbulent thoughts, but tonight he only made them worse. But of course she didn't tell him that, instead moving towards him as he closed the door at his back. He'd been gone on an ANBU mission, this one lasting almost two weeks. It was rare for them to not go on their missions together, but there were exceptions and that mission happened to be one of them.

Meeting her halfway, he dropped his hawk mask on the coffee table before he reached out the gently touch the side of her face. Her eyes drifted shut as she heard him say her name, almost too soft to hear. And despite her unease, the smile that bloomed on her face was a genuine one.

She'd lost him during the Fourth Shinobi World War.

He died protecting his cousin and Naruto, sacrificing himself for what he believed was the greater good. In hindsight it was the right decision of course, as ninja they had to make all the hard decisions if it meant that it'd save their village, and Naruto did in fact end up playing a huge role in their victory. But Tenten couldn't help but feel the intense bitterness in her heart at the complete and utter unfairness of it all. Why did he have to die? Why Neji? Why did he leave her?

Of course she was thinking selfishly, but she'd just lost her teammate, the man she was secretly in love with, and so she thought that she damn well reserved the right to be at least a little pissed off with the world for taking him away from her.

She hadn't let herself mourn his loss when she first heard that Neji had fallen in battle. Instead, she continued to fight with a newfound ferociousness until the fight was over. They'd won. Except it didn't feel like it to her.

She had crumpled to the floor as cries of victory rang up all around her. But the only thing she could think about was the fact that Neji was dead and she never got to say goodbye. She never got to tell him that she loved him, never got to ask if he felt anything for her in return. She would have succumbed to the grief then if it hadn't been for Lee bounding to her side, nearly shaking with poorly restrained glee. She'd been confused because he had been so visibly distraught over his rival's death just a few moments ago. Before she could even muster up the energy to tell him that she wanted to be alone, Lee had blurted out that the medics had taken Neji back to the Konoha hospital and that there was a chance that they could resurrect him. He continued to say something after that, but she'd barely registered anything after hearing that there may still be a chance that Neji could come back to them. Back to her.

She'd all but flown to the hospital, Lee fast at her heels. Understandably they didn't let Lee or her into the room in which they held Neji, attempting to bring him back to life. But just because she'd understood didn't mean she was okay with it. She'd fought and screamed and clawed at the medics trying to hold her back. She very nearly took out a young woman's eye with a senbon before Lee had to knock her out.

She woke up a couple hours later, but there was still no word on Neji. Tsunade had ordered that she remain in her bed for the time being, and had even gone so far as to have Lee guard her. Since she knew there was no getting by him, she'd simply laid back and sulked while fluidly cursing all the while. It was all just a show to cover up how absolutely terrified she was that this wouldn't work. That Neji would stay dead and the new spark of hope would have been for nothing. They'd waited together, she and Lee, Gai sensei joining them later, for word on their teammate. And a couple more long hours later, Tsunade had walked into her room, her face unreadable. The Hokage remained silent for a long while and Tenten thought she was going to be sick with all the anticipation building up within her.

But then she smiled and Tenten finally let the tears she'd been holding back slip down her cheeks.

The revival had been successful, apparently, but he was in a deep sleep, his body trying to recover from the trauma. As such, they weren't allowed to see Neji for another two days, and the three remaining members of Team Gai stayed glued to the spot right outside his room, eagerly waiting for the moment they'd be allowed to enter.

That moment came on the third day after Neji's revival.

Shizune had come to them with word that they were now allowed to go in and see Neji, and before Gai and Lee could rush in, hooting and hollering, she told them that they were to keep quiet. Of course the two lovable idiots took that order literally as they tiptoed into the room in an almost comical fashion. It would have been funny if Tenten's stomach wasn't turning in knots at the thought of seeing Neji. Alive.

Following behind the two men, she moved into the room as well. She didn't get too far before she nearly ran straight into Lee and Gai who'd stopped to clutch at each other and weep, tears and snot dripping all over one another as they presumably caught sight of the Hyuga. Her heart was pounding with the desire to see him herself, to confirm with her own to eyes that he was in fact still alive. She had all but shoved the green beasts aside in her haste to see him. The moment she made it around them, his pale lavender eyes were locked on her.

Somehow her feet carried her to the side of his bed, the sounds of Lee and Gai's sobbing drowning out in the background. All she could see was Neji. All she could think was Neji. And she wanted to yell at him, to scream and shout and curse him for choosing to leave her. She wanted to tell him that she was in love with him and that she had been for most of her life. There was just so much she wanted to say, but upon seeing him sitting there, very much alive and well, she just couldn't seem to find the words. But he seemed to understand that, in that odd way that he always could, and she watched with wide eyes as he lifted his hand to curl one of his fingers around one of hers.

'I'm sorry,' he'd said, and she squeezed her eyes shut, unshed tears glimmering at her lashes. And in that moment, he was forgiven.

He'd made a speedy recovery, especially considering that he'd been dead and all, but that was expected because he was Neji Hyuga and he would not have it any other way. Everyone was just starting to get back into the swing of normal life in the aftermath of the war. Mass funerals were held days after for those who lost their lives and Tenten thanked Kami for the thousandth time that Neji wasn't one of those people, even as her heart ached for all those who could not be brought back.

In the years that followed, she and Neji had gotten closer, both physically and emotionally. They rarely ever spoke of their feelings outright, rarely professed their feelings of love, but they didn't have to. She felt it every time she looked into his eyes first thing in the morning, every time he'd sit with her without complaint as she insisted upon polishing each and every one of her kunai. Twice. He knew she was in love with him, just as she knew he was in love with her too. The words were unnecessary.

They'd both been promoted into ANBU, him being a captain and her the weapons expert. Neji had also moved in with her, choosing to give up living in the lap of luxury for her and her cozy little apartment. She'd been worried that the Hyuga elders would disapprove of their prodigy shacking up with a woman with no clan or claim of her own. But apparently a lot had changed since the war. Neji was a decorated war hero, up there with Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura even, and that, accompanied by the fact that he'd 'died' protecting Hinata, the Hyuga elders began to treat him with the respect they would a main branch member. As such, they'd listened to his suggestions of eliminating the marking of the branch house members. It was still a controversial suggestion, but with the support of Hiashi, and Hinata, they'd ultimately ruled in Neji's favor. The curse marks were removed from the branch house members and no child would ever be branded again. Recently, talk had even sprung up about how Neji would be made the next clan head. Things were clearly changing within the Hyuga, and it seemed that Neji's childhood dreams of changing the ways of the clan were coming true.

"Tenten."

The sound of her name on his lips drew her out of her thoughts of the past and back to the present.

"Are you alright?" he asked, a tiny little frown marring his perfect face. She'd smiled then, suddenly feeling at ease, as she reached up to tuck a lock of long dark hair behind his ear. Perhaps she could do this after all.

"I'm great," she said, her soft smile morphing into the playful grin that she knew he loved. Sure enough, the frown disappeared as his lips quirked up slightly at the corners.

"I know you are," he whispered before leaning down to capture her lips with his.

Later, after he'd showered and washed away the dirt and grime from the mission, she'd presented him with dinner, take out of course because they both knew that she couldn't cook to save her life.

Soon after dinner she found herself flat on her back on her bed, Neji hovering above her, his hair curtaining their faces. She could have sworn that she was wearing a shirt five seconds ago, but a quick look down told her that she was, in fact, shirtless. She looked back up at his pale eyes in time to catch the smirk flash across his face. His head began to descend, no doubt to capture her lips again and make her forget her own damn name, but she held him back with a hand to his bare chest. He lifted an eyebrow questioningly, and he must've seen something in her eyes that had him easing up into a sitting position, pulling her up with him. Sitting facing one anther, he gave her a gentle look.

"What is it Tenten?" he asked, his deep voice drifting through the silence of the night. Her earlier resolve gone, she fidgeted, drawing her knees up against her bra-clad chest as her big brown eyes darted around the room. How was she supposed to tell him? Would he be happy? Would he be angry? She didn't know what she'd do if he was displeased with the situation. Well, she'd probably smack him, but she didn't know what she'd do after that. Her teeth gnawed at her kiss-swollen lower lip, not noticing that Neji was frowning ever so slightly again. He reached out to take one of her hands in his to give it a gentle squeeze, though he remained silent otherwise, waiting patiently. Apparently that was the right thing to do, because the reassuring pressure of his fingers against hers somehow managed to soothe her. Taking a deep breath, she raised her eyes to meet his, taking in all the beautiful contours of his face, dramatically highlighted by the light of the full moon. She could do this.

Because she loved him, and he loved her, and they'd make it work.

They'd better.

"I was wondering how strong a trait the Hyuga eyes were," she said finally, eyes trained on his face to detect even the smallest flicker of emotion. Unfortunately, all she could read was mild confusion.

"Strong," he answered in that ever-efficient way of his, clearly wondering why she was asking him such a question. His utter obliviousness was so…endearing, and she couldn't help but smile softly at it. Turns out that the Neji Hyuga was just as clueless as any other male when it came to these things.

"What about if one parent was a Hyuga and one parent was not…would the child have the Hyuga eyes or the non-Hyuga eyes?"

Neji blinked slowly, very slowly, and he went oddly still. She could all but see the wheels beginning to turn in that genius brain of his. For a long moment he said nothing, instead opting to stare at her silently. Clearly he was warring with himself about something, but she didn't know what it was.

"I…Tenten…What are you trying to say?" he asked finally, and she had to bite back a grin at the fact that he was looking quite flustered. She could have come right out and said it then, but she was feeling particularly evil now that the proverbial ball was in her court. And so she decided to draw it out a bit further.

"I'm asking a question," she said, flashing him an impish little grin and she caught a flash of impatience dance across his face. It was rare for Neji to get impatient over anything. In fact, the only time she'd seen anything remotely like it on his face was when she'd decide to tease him in the bedroom, or wherever really, and he'd be practically growling with impatience and desire. This was a different sort of impatience though. The look in his light eyes was completely different this time.

She watched as his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. His eyes drifted shut for a moment, and she could tell that he was attempting to compose himself. A moment later, he opened his eyes again and fixed her with a long look.

"The child would still have the Hyuga eyes," he answered evenly. "The trait is a very dominant one, and so it'd surpass any other traits of the like in the presented gene pool." He paused for a moment. "Why do you ask?"

Tenten shrugged lightly, looking away to try and hide the little smile threatening to break out on her lips. "Oh, you know, what with Hinata being pregnant and all and ready to pop, I was just wondering if the baby would have eyes like hers or ones like Naruto instead."

"I see."

At the tone of his voice, her eyes flashed up in time to see Neji's shoulders sag ever so slightly. She'd have missed it if she hadn't been looking, but the fact of the matter was that she didn't miss it. Nor did she miss the way he averted his gaze a little, looking off to the side appearing to be deep in thought. It hadn't occurred to her until that moment that perhaps Neji wanted to have a baby of his own. It wasn't exactly something they'd discussed before, as they'd spent most of their time training, on missions, or just enjoying one another's company. When Hinata had come over to announce her pregnancy months ago, Neji had congratulated her politely, even offering Naruto a little smile and a clap on the back. She'd brought it up again after the happy couple had left, but he had simply 'hn'ed and then began outlining the details of their next mission.

But looking at him now, she almost thought he looked…disappointed, and her heart swelled with the realization.

"I'm pregnant," she said softly and watched his eyes snap to hers before the words were even completely out of her mouth.

"What?"

"You deaf, Hyuga?" she asked, grinning now. "I said, 'I'm pregnant'."

He paused, going very, very still again. Ten minutes later, he still hadn't moved, and she was beginning to get a little worried at how pale and statue like he was beginning to look.

"Neji…?" she questioned softly, shifting to her knees on the bed, and that seemed to jar him out of his momentary paralysis. His pale eyes flitted over her face before dropping down to her still flat abdomen. She noted his hesitation and knew what he wanted to do. "Go ahead," she said to him, and his eyes darted up to her face for a second before returning to her belly. Slowly, he brought one hand up to his chest.

"Byakugan."

She watched him as he watched her, or rather, watched the life they'd created together. His Byakugan allowed him to see the rerouting of some of her chakra pathways, to accommodate the baby, as well as the faint trace of a new chakra signature altogether. He released his Byakugan and slowly lifted his eyes to hers, this time a look of complete and utter awe on his face.

"You're pregnant," he whispered, eyes wide, and for some reason the raw emotion in his voice had tears swimming into her eyes. Damn those pregnancy hormones. Sniffling slightly, she nodded, attempting to force the tears back. It was useless however as one slipped down her cheek anyway. All of a sudden she found herself surrounded by Neji's scent as he pulled her into his lap. She was in the process of lifting her head when he swooped in and captured her lips in a bruising kiss, his arms tightening around her. And then he stopped just as abruptly as he started, his arms going slack around her and nearly making her topple over. She frowned at him only to see the wide-eyed look he was directing at her stomach.

"I'm sorry. I was too rough. Did I hurt you? Did I hurt the b…you know…" he mumbled, trailing off, and the look of worry on his face was so sweet that she released a watery laugh.

"The baby, Neji. You may as well start getting used to saying it now," she teased gently. "And no, you didn't hurt either of us, we're both tough cookies you know." Saying so, she flexed her arm as though to prove her point. Neji just stared at her for a long moment. Not her stomach, just her, and the look on his face had the breath catching in her throat. There was male pride, and satisfaction, yes, but there was also complete and utter happiness.

Smiling softly, she reached up to cup his face in her hands. "You're excited," she stated, and watched him nod curtly.

"I…that would definitely be one way to describe it. I also find myself…worried."

At that, she furrowed her brows, frowning slightly. "Worried? Worried about what?"

"What if…I'm not a good father," he whispered, and her heart clenched at the crestfallen look on his face. Neji rarely expressed his emotions, verbally or otherwise, so the fact that he was so boldly displaying his fears to her then told her that it really was bothering him.

"You listen to me, Neji Hyuga," she said, injecting some steel into her voice. "You will be an amazing father, because you are an amazing man. And don't you dare forget it, or else I'm going to have to beat it into you." He cracked a little smile at that, seeming to relax at the conviction in her words, as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Have you been to the doctor yet?" he asked after a moment, and before she could answer, he continued. "How far along are you? Have you been experiencing morning sickness? We're going to have to take you off the active roster, you can't be going on missions in your condition. And you're going to have to stop eating all that junk you call your meals. And no more soda. Or sake. Or sweets. Have you-"

"Neji, please," she laughed, covering his mouth with her hand. She'd never in all their years together seen Neji act quite this way. It was nice, but she wasn't ready to be answering all those questions, nor did she want to argue that she would absolutely not be giving up her sweets. Or staying off active roster, at least not until the doctors told her to do so. Dropping the hand over his mouth she smirked up at him. "Relax for a moment, will you? No more questions. You're making my head spin-"

"You're dizzy? Should I get Sakura? Do you need to throw up? Do you want water? Let me get you water."

"Neji, I swear to Kami if you move from this spot I will stab you."

Thankfully Neji stilled, knowing damn well that she'd have carried through with her threat.

"I just meant that we'll take this one step at a time. Starting with my doctor's appointment tomorrow. Would you like to come?"

"Of course," he answered instantly, giving her a look that suggested that she was an idiot for even asking.

"Of course," she repeated, a stupid little smile blooming on her face when he shifted to put his hand on her stomach. She put her hand on top of his, resting her head on his shoulder. The young couple fell silent again, simply basking in the glow of this new blessing. She felt Neji draw in a breath then, and she waited for him to speak.

"I know you said no more questions…but I've got one more for you."

Grinning slightly, she nodded. "What's that?"

"Marry me."

She froze. Blinked. Very nearly choked on air.

She managed to find her voice a moment later. "That wasn't a question," she said, her turn now to look up at him wide eyed to see him smirking down at her.

"Same difference," he said simply. "Was that a yes?"

"I…you don't have to do this just because I'm pregnant-" She hadn't even finished her sentence and he was gently moving her out of his lap so he could get up and pad silently to the drawer. Tenten frowned at him from the bed, wondering what the hell he was doing. He rummaged in the drawer for a moment before returning to the bed and sitting down by her side. He had something in his hand. Not one for stalling, Neji brought his arm around and presented her with a little velvet box. Caught off guard, she looked from the box to his face and back again.

"I've had this for a while now," he said idly as he flipped the lid to reveal a beautiful ring. "I had it made specially for you." And she could see that. It wasn't big or gaudy or flashy. It was simple. Sturdy. There were no parts that stuck out like most engagement rings did, instead the stones of this ring were set into the band itself in a dainty filigree type pattern. He knew that she was careless enough to catch the jewels on something had they been set on the surface. Her eyes began to get all misty again as she looked up at him.

"Neji…"

"I knew that I wanted to marry you back when we were just kids. It mainly just started off as you being the only girl I could tolerate and hence my only option, but it quickly became something more than that. You and me…Tenten, we just fit. We always have. There's just something about you that I've always been drawn to, and it wasn't until we grew older that I realized what that was about." Pausing, he reached out swipe his thumb over her cheek. She hadn't noticed that her tears had fallen over. "You are my home Tenten. You've always been my home, and when I'm with you I feel…safe. Free. And now you're giving me a family too. This is everything I wished for myself as a child, but I was so overcome with the notion that my fate was sealed that I never really let myself believe that I could have it. And now, because of you, I get to have it all. I know I don't tell you often enough, but you…you make me happy Tenten. You always have. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She was full out bawling at this point, stupid hormones, and she was so overcome with emotion that she barely even noticed that he'd slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. Of course it was.

Holding her left hand in his, he fell silent, allowing her a moment to collect herself.

"I thought I told you not to move," she managed to say finally, half sniffling, half laughing. When he smiled at her, her heart fluttered.

"Are you going to stab me?"

She pretended to think about it for a moment before reaching out and grabbing him behind the neck. "Perhaps I'll let it slide. Just this once." And then she pulled him in so she could kiss his smirking lips.

As it usually did, the kiss began to get heated in a couple moments, and Tenten eased herself onto her back, pulling Neji on top of her. She began to slip her hands down into his sweatpants, eager to continue what had been interrupted earlier. But Neji caught her wrist, pulling it away from his body.

"Perhaps we shouldn't…It could hurt the baby."

"…For fuck's sake Neji, I don't even have a bump yet! There's nothing to hurt!"

"Don't swear, the baby can hear you."

"What the fuck are-"

"Don't swear."

"Neji Hyuga if you don't fuck me-"

"I said, don't swear."

"Where's that kunai? I changed my mind about the stabbing."

"That's quite a shame."

"I'm going to-wait. Are you smirking? You're fucking teasing me, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you mean. And please Tenten, stop swearing."

"You cheeky bastard."

"I love you too."

"…Yea. I know..."

Neji ultimately decided that they probably wouldn't be hurting the baby by engaging in…certain activities…

I hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I enjoyed writing it :D

Should I do a sequel? Leave me a review and let me knowww.