First of all, I'd like to apologize for the awfully long wait I caused. But I had my reasons...I hope that this chapter won't completely suck...and maybe that will make up for the wait...

This chapter has made me wonder...what is the drinking age in Konoha? I'll just pretend Tsunade lowered it to eighteen. She seems like she would...

Also, I would like to express that this chapter has reminded me vicariously of how hard it is to confess to someone that you like them...let alone write about it...

Anyways, here it is...

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 4

"Tenten," Hinata said. "Neji is getting married."

My smile stiffened before dying. "What?"

Hinata didn't answer for a moment. She just stood there with her eyes remotely downcast. She pursed her lips tightly before speaking.

"I...I'm not supposed to tell..." she trailed off, and sighed, seeing my uneasy expression. She inhaled deeply before continuing. "But I came here to t-tell you...l-lately, father has decided that it is his duty to see that Neji-niisan is h-happily married," she explained. "He has hired a m-matchmaker for Neji, and is going to force him to go on b-blind dates...B-but Neji..."

She paused, finally looking up. I was looking at my feet but I could sense her worried and nervous energy as she checked my reaction. I couldn't tell whether I was lost in thought or if I had lost all thought, but my mind felt inert. I felt my hands shake, so I clasped them together. Hinata seemed to be holding her breath, but she continued.

"But...but at first N-Neji said he had no desire t-to marry right now...and then he and father a-argued...and father said that if Neji doesn't have anyone in m-mind...he must listen to him and the matchmaker...b-but...oh, Tenten..."

I looked at her. She was biting her lip. Her voice came out in an almost inaudible whisper, but I still heard her.

"But then, N-Neji-niisan said h-he already has someone he wants...to marry."

The words of that sentence hung in the air around us, ringing through the halls. They hit against the walls and ricocheted at me, hitting me repeatedly. I gasped as they knocked breath out of my windpipe. An endless train ran over my heart, each car carrying a different, conflicting emotion. Melancholy, hatred, regret, and anger roared across my spirit, each dismal feeling crushing my strength worse than the one before. I felt anger multiple times; anger at Neji, anger at the world, but especially anger at myself. They continued to race over the tracks wrapping my core, until Hinata hugged me.

"Tenten," she whispered. "Are you alright?"

I couldn't answer; I feared a sob would escape. I quickly shut my eyes when I felt tears threatening to emerge. I won't cry, I told myself. This isn't worth crying for.

I gently pulled away from Hinata. She looked faint; her face was drained of color and her eyes glittered a little. I willed myself to smile.

"This is...wonderful news."

Hinata's eyes grew in shock and concern. She looked at me uncertainly. "Tenten…"

I suppressed my tears, which were now near the brink of falling. "That's...that's a good thing. I'm so happy for him, and I-"

"Tenten..." Hinata said again in disbelief. "You...you...you're b-being too strong."

"Hinata, I'm okay. And if not, I'll be okay."

She looked unconvinced. I smiled again, and tried to sound credible. "You should go…go home now Hinata. I'll…call you."

Hinata looked unconvinced, but she solemnly nodded. Her expression still looked worried. I sensed she was already aware that I was definitely not okay. But after some persuasion, she agreed to go.

I watched from the porch as she left. I stood frozen in the doorway from the wintry chill and the shock from her news. When I finally had enough sense to go inside and shut the door, I lost it again. Immediately, I started crying. I couldn't fight with the despair anymore.

I tried to muffle the sobs behind my sleeve. My legs felt heavy and lifeless, so I just stood there in front of the door, crying. I hadn't cried so hard since when my parents had died, and the force of the sobs surprised me.

As I wept like an idiot, I forgot I wasn't alone. I didn't notice as Kiba crept out of his room, carefully approaching me. Even when he was finally standing directly in front of me, I still didn't acknowledge his presence. I was too busy bawling like a stupid, heartbroken little girl.

"Tenten?" he asked, tapping me. I ignored him; I was too embarrassed by the idea that he was witnessing me crying. I was about to tell him to go away when his spontaneous trait surprised me for the umpteenth time that day.

I choked a bit on my tears when he suddenly hugged me. Without a word, he delicately placed his arms around my shaking, weeping figure. I felt his hand pat my back lightly, and then stroke the back of my head. My sobs became strangled and broken up as we stood like that for a short second. I was almost about to let myself believe it was comforting, but then I recovered small pieces of my dignity, sense, and a pathetic portion of the strength in my limbs.

"G-get off!" I groused, accidentally sniffling a bit. Abruptly, I shoved him off with an unpredictably brutal power, making him stagger a few steps backward. I sniffed a little to clear my sobs before expressing abhorrence.

"W-what do you think you're doing!" I snapped, recovering some of the vigor in my voice. He stared at me in bewilderment.

"I was just trying to-"

"You HUGGED me...that's so...gross!"

"Gross? You were basically a weeping pile of mucus so I hugged you! And you think the hug was gross!"

"Why would YOU and I hug? That's unacceptable!"

"Actually, some normal people think that hugs are comforting! YOU probably just-"

"A hug from you is just disturbing! Besides, don't pretend like you care!"

"Dammit, I don't!"

"Then why'd you HUG me!"

"'Cause I'm a nice guy!"

I snorted in disbelief. He scowled, doing that unexpectedly intimidating glare. I tried to stare him down for a while, but the atrocious animal-like eyes overwhelmed me. I looked away, feigning absolute detestation.

"Ugh! Just leave!"

"NO!"

"Fine then," I replied sharply. I went to my room, purposely bumping gruffly into his shoulder as I passed him. I slammed the door shut prior to throwing myself onto my bed. I buried my face in my pillow. Suddenly, I shot back up. My memory evoked tons of embarrassing images of myself crying in front of him, and then some degrading images of that damned hug. My pride shriveled a bit. I reminded myself that I didn't need any consolation. Especially not from him.

"Ow..." I muttered, rubbing my shoulder. I realized the impact from when I had shoved past him actually might have done more harm to my own shoulder than his. I frowned at the addition to my humiliation.

For the rest of the day, I stayed on my bed, motionless. I kept feeling tears threatening to return, and I struggled to hold them off until nightfall. I battled them until I fell asleep. Then I finally admitted defeat.

The next morning, I opened my eyes to a rude awakening. I felt stiff, numb, cold, irritable, and horribly depressed. A loud, cumbersome whirring sound was coming from just beyond my bedroom door. I grumpily got out of bed and threw the door open.

Kiba was vacuuming the kitchen floor. He didn't notice as I entered the kitchen. He remained oblivious as I crossly walked behind him and unplugged the vacuum. He turned, startled. I marched over to him, waving the cord in front of his face pointedly.

"Why are you vacuuming…in the freaking MORNING!" I barked. He did that crooked, sheepish grin.

"So you'd wake up in time for breakfast," he replied artfully. I was about to nag some more at the absurd, vague statement, but my eyes fell on the kitchen counter first.

An enormous stack of golden brown pancakes was sitting next to a plate of French toast and sausages. I finally noticed the air was sweet and rich with the smell of butter and maple syrup.

"It's still warm," he said, smirking when he saw my abstracted look of admiration. I was practically drooling. It had been a long time since I had seen real breakfast. The last time I had eaten a real breakfast was before my parents had died. Since then, I had usually just been content with half-thawed waffles or a candy bar. I felt sentiment poke my heart for a second.

"How did you do this?" I asked, sounding baffled. He laughed, shuffling his feet a little.

"Well, after you stopped cry-uh…I mean...after you went in your room yesterday, I went and got some groceries...I figured you weren't gonna eat dinner…so…"

"Thanks," I said.

"It's no big deal…" he answered. Then in a joking way he added, "Just doing my job."

I blinked. "Right…you're the maid." He frowned, and I mentally shuddered at how ungrateful I had just sounded. I hadn't meant to. "Hey…but…you cook?"

He nodded smugly. "It's just one of my many important skills."

Suddenly, I noticed he was wearing an apron over his clothes. It was a frilly little piece of pastel lace that seemed a bit too small for him. I could see a pink sash was tied into a bow at the back. It was covered in a pattern of small red hearts. I broke into laughter.

He stared at me curiously for a second, and then glanced down at what he was wearing over his clothes.

"This...this...I borrowed this from my sister!"

"Sure," I retorted, letting the sarcasm permeate through the single word. He scowled.

"I made you breakfast because you missed dinner yesterday and THIS is how you say thanks?"

"Oh stop whining," I teased. I went over to the kitchen counter, picked up a fork, and stabbed a piece of the topmost pancake in the stack. It tasted amazing; fluffy and soft with just enough crispness around it.

I was about to start devouring everything ravenously, when I noticed he was still standing there, watching with a famished look in his eyes.

"Hey, did you eat yet?" I asked. He shook his head no. "Come try this-"

"Nah, it's okay. I'll just eat after you leave. You're probably hungrier s-"

"Shut up and stop trying to be chivalrous," I interjected. "You know I can't eat all of this by myself."

He blinked before breaking into a childish grin, making me roll my eyes. Idiot.

Twenty minutes later, we had finished eating. Kiba was doing the dishes and I was fixing my hair into my everyday buns. I was just finishing the last bun when the doorbell rang. I ran out of the bathroom and into my room, quickly catching a glimpse of the clock before running into the kitchen. It read 7:58.

Kiba had heard the sound, too. We exchanged an anxious look before racing to the door. I got there first and tried to check the peephole, but Kiba foolishly decided he wanted to see who it was first. He pushed me out of the way and attempted to look before me. But I yanked him down by his arm before he could. I was about to see who it was when he pulled me away from the door.

"Who is it?" he whispered somewhat fearfully. "Is it the landlord or the crazy old lady nex-"

I quickly covered his mouth and shoved him backward.

"I haven't seen yet, you imbecile!" I snapped my fingers toward the guest room before sharply whispering, "Hide! Now!"

He pouted but obeyed, retreating to his room. He was still wearing wet rubber gloves from the dishes.

Before I could think it through, I yanked the door open in impetuosity.

Holy...CRAP.

Neji stood with his hand suspended in midair, as if he was about to ring the bell again. For a moment, we just stood there silently. He slowly lowered his hand, regarding me with inscrutable eyes. I felt my breath catch and I swallowed hard when I felt those horrible tears from last night start to collect again behind my widened eyes. He dropped his gaze before clearing his throat. Then, he looked me directly in the eyes.

"Tenten."

Neji's POV

I raised my hand to ring the doorbell once more, but the door swung open before I could. Tenten stood there, and I watched her countenance harden as she identified me. I suspected she was still upset from the uncomfortable shed incident from yesterday. I found myself unable to speak when I saw her eyes. They looked shocked. I assumed she could be shocked by the fact that I came to find her at this early hour, when we would surely meet at training a little later.

But there was something other than just shock that seemed to be growing in her soft, brown eyes. I had seen it before, and I felt like an ass for not being able to remember what this look in her eyes meant. Was it anger? Disgust? No, it was something more subtle and muted. Was it...pain? But why? I couldn't quite recognize what the look expressed. Perhaps this is why I am known as the "cruel" and "insensitive" jerk, I thought. I always disregard other people's emotions.

I just wished she wouldn't look at me that way.

It made me remember the times when Hinata would look at me like that. It was back when I wanted to hate her, Hiashi, the Main Household, myself, and everyone. I wanted to hate the world. It was before, when I had tried to kill Hinata. Yes, even before that fight in the Chunin Exams.

It had been a long time since Hinata had looked at me that way. But recently, she did. When I left Uncle Hiashi's study yesterday morning, she was trembling. I had yelled at him. I had told myself a while ago that I would try to refrain from disobeying Uncle Hiashi, but I guess it was a rather pointless pledge to begin with. I don't regret what I said to him though.

There's no way in hell I can marry another girl. I can't right now. At least not before I tell her. I'd rather have Lee force-feed curry down my throat. And I hate curry.

Before yesterday, I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure what it was that was wrong with me. All I knew was that I had started to become strange and almost sick. Whenever she would come near me, I'd feel nauseous. At the same time, I liked the nauseous feeling. When she got hurt, I would become consumed with aimless rage. And worst of all, when she talked to other men and random people who just so happened to be men, I would feel feverish and ill.

These feelings began about a year ago. And through all the months this past year or so, I had decided that these perturbing emotions were some kind of disease. I chose to simply dismiss them as a figment of some kind of insanity I had developed. Therefore, I also decided that the best way to rid myself of the illness was by means of logic. It was a plan that had rarely ever failed me before.

So I began by tracing the origin of these emotions.

It was her. Tenten was my disease.

Then, I devised a treatment. I predicted that if I stayed away from her – if I just managed to keep a distance from her – I'd be safe.

I was so wrong.

For a few months, I made painstaking efforts to make sure I was away from her. I tried to ignore her completely. But for some reason, this made my urge to stay by her even more fervent. I convinced myself that this was natural; Tenten and I have been fairly good acquaintances for a long time.

I'm so stupid. So extremely stupid.

I have to admit that during these miserable and confusing months, I actually did know what was going on. Very deep within the darkest and most isolated crevices of my mind, I believe I was subconsciously aware of what I know I'm fully aware of now. I was just too terrified to acknowledge this.

I had developed affection for Tenten.

And now I had to tell her. But why was it so hard? I had told Hiashi – no, I had yelled at Hiashi – about feeling affection for a girl just yesterday.

He had called me into one of his study rooms. It was right before I left to meet Lee and Tenten for some training...and unexpectedly getting locked in a shed.

Uncle Hiashi was facing the other way when I entered the room. His back was to me and he was standing very still with his hands clasped behind him, feet apart. I couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed, but he could have been looking through the large window that took up the entire wall in front of him.

I addressed him and he slowly turned.

"Neji," he began. "I have sent for you in order to discuss some...significant plans for your future."

I only nodded and he continued.

"You have proven to be a strong ninja and devoted member of the clan."

"You speak too highly of me, Uncle, I-"

"Listen, Neji. I have raised you in your father's place for many years now."

My lips tightened at those words. In my...father's place...

He stepped away from the window and came closer to me, until he was directly in front of me. He put a hand on my shoulder. I stared vacantly at him, but felt uncomfortable at the unfamiliar contact. Over the past few years, the relationship between us had become less hostile, but this action nevertheless made me suspicious. I sensed ominous news advancing toward me. He continued in a solemn, decorous voice.

"I feel that I have an obligation to you and Hizashi," he said. I felt my mouth parching.

Hizashi...my father...

"It is one of my final duties...to make sure you are...suitably joined," he said. "In matrimony."

The blood in my body seemed to momentarily cease its circulation. I felt aggravation boiling in my veins as my blood began to move again. I managed to keep my calm.

"I am...honored. But I'm afraid I have no thought for marriage at the present-"

"You're almost twenty-one."

I clenched my teeth. It was true that Hyuga Clan members usually married early. Especially Branch family members. I had to get out of there.

"I am really honored, Uncle. But I have to decline your...assistance in this matter," I answered stoically. I turned to leave. "I have an appointment to-"

"This isn't an offer, Neji," he suddenly stated in a biting tone. "It is a demand."

I turned back around, giving him an unyielding stare. "Demanding marriage of someone seems rather...offensive and... uncivil," I said, matching his icy tone. He looked away from me.

"It's for your own sake. I've already hired a matchmaker for-"

"I said I currently have no care for marriage." He ignored me.

"The matchmaker has suggested the daughter of a feudal lord in the Land of Coal. You will-"

"No, I won't."

"Since you don't have any women in mind to take as a bride, just follow my-"

"No!" I shouted. He seemed slightly taken aback, before an astringent glower appeared on his face. I continued to defy him. "That's not true."

Shit, what am I saying..?

"Who is she then?" Hiashi asked in a mocking sort of tone. It sounded like he was challenging me. I tried not to panic.

I noticed my hands were balled into tight, pale fists. What had I just announced? Did I just admit to...being fond of someone? I don't have a girlfriend right now...Who was I even talking about?

Could it be...?

"She's...someone I..." I started tentatively. Uncle Hiashi folded his arms across his chest, daring me.

"She's someone I..." I repeated. He looked impatient now. "She's someone I care for very deeply," I finished. He raised a stern brow.

She's someone I care for very deeply. There. I said it. Now who the hell was I talking about!

I stopped to think about it. Immediately, the first name that came to mind was...

Tenten...?

Did I mean to say that I like Tenten? WHAT? WHY!

Uncle Hiashi seemed surprised. He probably wasn't expecting me to respond like that. I wasn't even expecting myself to respond like that. But it had felt extraordinary. I felt lighter. Hiashi focused his eyes on me once again.

"Then bring this girl...this person you 'care for very deeply'...to meet me."

All of a sudden, I felt heavy again, as the weight came crashing back down to my body.

"I don't think-"

"If you can't even bring her here to meet us, I assume you have no plans to marry each other. I have arranged a date for you this Saturday with-"

"I'm not going."

"Then bring her," he stated firmly. "If you don't bring her by this Saturday, you will go on the date."

"I'm not going wheth-"

"You will do as you are told!"

I stared at him in disbelief. He looked unfazed. "Neji, I know you will do this."

"I won't."

"You will," he affirmed. "This marriage is crucial to the clan."

"This isn't really about you wishing to find me a suitable partner in matrimony? Is it?" I snapped. He nodded, too straightforward for my liking.

"A feudal lord in the Land of Coal is willing to support us in...other matters. A marriage is key to establishing an affiliation with-"

"Choose someone else," I said bitterly.

"I'm afraid I can't," he answered, refusing to reconsider. "You know our clan is presently scarce of sons."

"Send Kenji," I said. He stiffened. Kenji was my other cousin. He had been adopted by Hinata's compassionate late mother about twelve years ago. He had been a nineteen-year-old orphan then, starving on Konoha's streets when she found him. He was now a part of the Main Branch. He had no privilege to become heir because he was an adopted son, but he did fulfill the requirements. He was thirty-one now, older than I was, but still within a reasonable age range to marry.

Hiashi hesitated. "I can't," he replied. "And you know why."

He was right. I did know why. But I refused to concede.

Hiashi glared at me, but I could tell it was a pleading look. He wanted me to stop. I could read through his enraged eyes. They said, Don't make me say it, Neji.

I returned the glare, forcing him to continue. As soon as he opened his mouth to say it, I knew I had made a mistake.

"I will not send the closest I have to a son to spare you."

"WHY?" I shouted in resentment. "WHO AM I?"

The empathy in his eyes dispersed suddenly. He stormed over to where I stood and swiftly removed my headband, revealing my marked forehead.

"You are the son of my younger brother, Hizashi! Don't you dare forget that, Neji!" he yelled. I looked away. "You will heed your responsibility to the Main Branch or I will remove you from your place beneath your father's name! Don't you ever forget that!"

He shoved the headband into my arms and turned away, walking back to the window. I was wordless.

"You are dismissed."

I left his study, curtly shutting the door behind me. I was about to turn the corridor when I sensed someone behind me.

Hinata had been there, with her back against the wall, next to the doorway. She was trembling.

"Hinata-sama," I breathed. She looked at me, giving me the same look Tenten was giving me now.

"Nii-san, are...are...you okay?" she stuttered in a soft voice. I nodded gravely.

"Hinata-sama, please...please do not discuss what you've heard today with anyone."

She nodded. "Y-yes..."

"Including Naruto."

She blushed. "Y-yes...of course," she stammered. I looked at my watch. "Neji-nii-san, who w-were you-"

"I apologize, Hinata-sama, but I'm late to a scheduled training session."

I left before she could finish. But I was most certain Hinata would keep her promise and refrain from telling anyone.

That day at training, I tried to apologize to Tenten. And confess. Unfortunately, we got trapped in a shed full of antique weapons and Lee actually ended up helping us for once. I wish he hadn't helped.

And now I was here, in front of Tenten, about to tell her that I have feelings for her. She wasn't saying anything. Just staring at me with those eyes...

I mentally prepared myself before beginning. Would I be able to do it?

I looked down in an attempt to stop my head from spinning. I cleared my throat a little, which had suddenly decided to clamp shut. I felt like I would pass out at any moment. I looked at her eyes again, feeling my heartbeat oscillate loudly in my chest. I forced my voice to speak.

Again, I asked myself, Would I be able to do it?

"Tenten," I started. "I..."

Back to Tenten's POV

"Tenten."

I tried to say something, but found I was incapable of speech. He continued.

"I...I am just here to escort you to training."

My heart started beating in my throat. "Um, thanks...thanks, Neji."

I reminded myself he was unaware of Hinata telling me about him last night. I realized I had a dazed look about me, and I forced myself to smile.

"Neji...Neji I wasn't expecting you..." I said, desperately trying to make myself sound cheerful. Neji did occasionally come to pick me up and walk me to training nowadays. I presumed it was just a part of his mannerly, Hyuga behavior.

"Did I wake you?" he asked impassively. I shook my head.

"I was just about to leave after telling Kib...um...I...do you want to come inside for a second?" I asked, sounding more than a bit unintelligent. I had almost self-incriminated myself by revealing Kiba's presence. In my head, I beat myself up several times.

He nodded. I stepped aside, letting him enter. Neji had been in my house a few times before with Lee after training, but this was the first time he had come inside alone.

Although, it wasn't the first time Neji had seen my house, his eyes wandered critically around my small home. They blatantly examined my dwelling before stopping at the absurdly unkempt array of mismatched pieces of furniture that formed my living room. Kiba's apron was draped over the back of one of the tacky chairs. I could tell he was looking at it. I felt my face flush red as I ran over to the chair and removed the apron.

I laughed in what I wanted to believe was a natural way. He tilted his head, looking severe and unconvinced.

"Ha...yeah...this...this...is mine," I explained, putting on the apron. He looked skeptical.

"Tenten, I don't mean to offend you, but you can't cook," he said frankly. Suddenly, he looked concerned. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You haven't been cooking, have you?"

I couldn't help but cringe, remembering the time I had cooked for Lee, Gai-sensei, and Neji on a mission. It had been a morbid disaster, and I had almost set our campground on fire.

"Actually...I have been cooking," I lied. He opened his mouth to chide me, but I spoke before he could. "And I've been getting better at it!"

He looked doubtful again, but didn't say anything. I forced myself to smile again. Suddenly, I remembered Kiba was in the guest room.

"Okay...well...I'll be right back...I just need to get something before I go. Just stay here...and don't use Byakugan."

He smirked, making me gulp. In an amused tone, he asked, "Why? Are you hiding something from me, Tenten?"

I felt my face redden and prayed he didn't notice. "Ha! What could I possibly have to hide from you, Neji?" I laughed it off to try to sustain my point. It must have sounded pretty unnatural because his smirk disappeared and he raised a brow.

"Just go finish whatever you have to do, Tenten."

I stopped grinning and nodded, hurrying back to the guest room. I opened the door to find Kiba texting something on his phone. I put my hands on my hips.

"Ahem!"

He looked up, quickly shutting his phone closed. "Who was it?" he asked eagerly.

"It was Neji," I whispered. "And he's still here, so-"

Kiba started laughing. "Ooooh...Tenten's crush is here..." he teased. I walked over to him and pinched his arm until he stopped.

"Shut up! He's just here because we're walking in the same direction," I said harshly. He chuckled a little. "I'm leaving now, so just stay inside where no one can see you and don't burn the house down."

"Yeah, sure thing."

I tossed the apron at his head, turned, and went back to the door, spinning the knob to leave.

"And Tenten?" he called. "Good luck."

I turned back around and he winked, smirking. I glared at him before leaving, closing the door behind me. But I couldn't help smiling at his last remark.

When I returned, Neji was standing exactly where he had been before. It seemed like he had barely even blinked. His expression looked unruffled, so I decided it was safe to assume he had not activated his Byakugan.

"Are you finished?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly more impatient than usual. I nodded, taking my coat out of the closet.

We walked down the street in front of my house in silence. About three or four minutes after leaving my house, he decided to speak.

"Tenten, I have something to tell you," he said bluntly.

I nodded. "Yeah, go ahead."

He sighed, seemingly reluctant to tell me whatever it was. Just then, we approached the main streets of Konoha. It was a steeper street, and we were walking slightly uphill. There were barely any people out, but a peddler or merchant would pass us now and then. Neji was walking several feet away from me, closer to the middle of the street. He had insisted that I walk closer to the side. Suddenly, Neji stopped walking. I stopped, too.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He inhaled deeply. Abruptly, he put his hands on my shoulders, turning me to face him before letting go. I blinked, confused by the uncharacteristic action, and disoriented from the sudden contact.

"Tenten, I'm not quite sure how to best inform you that...I have-"

All of a sudden, someone shrieked from the other end of the street. A man with an enormous, scraggly black beard was shouting at us.

"WATCH OUT!" he screamed. I watched in horror as a colossal cart of squashes and pumpkins charged downhill toward me, barely a couple meters away, gaining speed each second. It was massive enough and fast enough to run me over. And it was racing down my side of the road. It was too fast to avoid but I decided to try jumping out of its path anyway.

I never got the chance, though, because before I knew what was going on, Neji pulled me toward the middle of the street, grasping my shoulders again. I was thrown against him as the cart rushed by behind me, just inches away from my back.

Then, all of a sudden, I realized he was holding me to his chest. The adrenaline from the oncoming cart was shooting through my body, making me breath hard. I could feel Neji's breath brushing against my right ear. As I become conscious of this, I felt heat rushing to my ears. They burned hotter with each breath he drew. We stayed like that until we heard the cart crash into the side of a building on the other end of the street. Slowly, he pulled me from him and we stared in astonishment at the stopped cart for a moment. As soon as the moment ended, he turned to face me.

"Tenten, I have to tell you that I'm in lo-"

"YOU THERE! MISS!" someone bellowed suddenly. It was the stout little man with the impossibly long, scraggly beard. As he came closer, I realized his right arm was in a sling. He was talking to me. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," I replied, still unsettled. Neji looked infuriated. The man beamed at us.

""I'm sorry about my grotty wheelbarrow...its wheels are a bit slick," he said coyly.

"It's fine," I answered, grinning a little. "I didn't get hurt or anyth-"

"Your cart nearly ran her over!" Neji yelled. I jumped a little at his volume. I had rarely ever heard Neji yell before. The man winced before guffawing nervously.

"I'm so sorry!" he said, apologizing again. He scratched his head nervously under Neji's glare. "Have some f-free vegetables! It's the least I can do to make up for almost running you over, miss!"

"Thank you," I said, feeling sorry for him. Neji was still glaring at him. I elbowed him in the ribs, but he didn't seem to notice. He just kept scowling at the nervous, frightened merchant.

He started down the road, going to retrieve the cart. I stopped him.

"I'll get it," I offered, eyeing his broken arm. He beamed again. I started down the hill, but Neji stopped me.

"No, I'll get it," he persisted roughly, still glaring at the unfortunate merchant. I sighed, too embarrassed to argue with him. He quickly ran down the street and pushed the cart uphill in record time, stopping just inches from hitting the merchant, who flinched. I frowned at my teammate, shooting him a look.

The merchant examined the vegetables in the cart. Surprisingly, they appeared to be in superb condition despite having crashed into the side of a brick wall. He pointed to a few of them.

"You can have half a dozen of anything you want," he offered. I nodded. I began to examine them, but found I didn't really know what I was looking for, so I just grabbed six random ones.

As I was hunting through the cart for vegetables, the merchant spoke, purely to try to avoid the uneasiness from the sullen, brooding stare Neji was giving him.

"Gosh, I've never seen a couple of young folk who look so good together," he said to us, smiling kindly. I gave him a perplexed look. His eyes darted from me to Neji. Neji stopped glaring. I blinked.

"Where?" I asked, searching around in confusion for the couple. He chuckled.

"Naw, miss, I mean you and your boyfriend!" he said, jerking his head in Neji's direction. I blinked again. "You sure look good together!"

I finally comprehended what he meant. I snorted in bemusement. Not this again...

"Oh, this guy! We're not...I mean...he's not my-"

"Do we?" Neji asked suddenly. I turned and gave him a look that said, What the hell?

He smirked at me. The merchant nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, you two go together real swell!" he shouted. I felt my face warm a bit. "I bet you'll make some nice-looking children..."

I felt my face burn vehemently. Neji seemed to smirk even more.

After we left the merchant, I glared at Neji, carefully balancing the various vegetables I had received in front of me. We continued to walk to training. He was staring straight ahead.

"What was that!" I hollered irately. He didn't bother to look at me.

"Your phone."

"What? What does that have to do with-"

"It's ringing."

"Oh..."

I pulled my phone out. Naruto had sent me a text. I read it rapidly, quickly replied to it, and put my phone away before briskly turning my attention back to being annoyed with Neji.

"WHY WOULD YOU TELL THAT GU-"

"Who was it?" he asked coolly. I sighed huffily.

"Naruto. NOW STOP TRYING TO AVOID-"

Neji made a face when I mentioned Naruto. "What did Naruto want?" he questioned.

I sighed again. Neji was always uncomfortable with Naruto now, ever since the blond ninja had started dating Hinata. Neji was always tremendously overprotective of her and constantly suspicious of Naruto.

"He just wanted to know if I was with Hinata," I said. "So I told him she was probably with Ino and Sakura in the Yamanaka flower shop right now."

Neji frowned. "Why'd you tell him that? What if he-"

I smirked at his habitual quality of worrying over Hinata. "Naruto's not that bad, you know. He's actually really sweet. And you know Hinata really likes him."

"Regrettably," he replied. This time, I frowned.

"But you and Naruto are good friends, I mean-"

"Yes, but I still don't approve of him as Hinata-sama's...as her..."

"Boyfriend?"

"Precisely."

I laughed. He frowned more, but it resembled a pout. He sighed as if in defeat.

"Well, I suppose Naruto's better than the last one," he stated. I looked at him curiously.

"Who?"

Neji seemed to shudder.

"That dog," he muttered vaguely. I paused to contemplate who he was referring to, when it suddenly elucidated.

Kiba.

I felt nostalgic as I was suddenly plunged into memories of our genin days. Hinata had been shier, Naruto had been just as boisterous, and Neji had constantly talked about destiny.

Then I remembered Kiba. Memories of him and Shino and Hinata training and hanging out with each other as a team suddenly flooded my mind. Akamaru was miniscule compared to his size now. I smiled a little at the thought. The enormous dog that had knocked me over a few nights ago had been a tiny puppy.

Suddenly, I remembered something different. It was something I had forgotten about.

Kiba used to have a crush on Hinata.

I mentally froze as I recollected this fact. Neji spoke, pulling me out of my daydream.

"You're right. Naruto truly isn't that bad. Kiba, that unruly animal...at least he never got to confess his feelings to Hinata-sama. That would have been far worse."

I blinked. Neji...dislikes Kiba...?

"Well, you know, he's not that bad...that Kiba...he's a pretty well-rounded guy. I mean...he's probably a lot different from how you remember him...he's grown up a lot - probably, but I wouldn't really know because I don't...really...talk to him anymore..." I finished awkwardly.

"Hn."

After training, I walked back home by myself, tired.

After our normal training session, we had met Shikamaru and Choji on our way off the training grounds. Lee dragged me and Neji into another training session with them. A while later, Gai-sensei found us and we were all about to be forced into another rigorous training session. I felt bad for Shikamaru, Choji, and Neji, but I took off before Lee and Gai could push me into it as well. So I found myself walking home alone.

When I reached my porch, I sighed. For some reason, I felt the need to tell Neji about Kiba living in my apartment as my housekeeper. He probably wouldn't care, but I still felt like I should tell him. Maybe this was the result of freshly hearing his negative disposition toward Kiba, but I felt that if he were to accidentally find out, he would be upset with me for associating with someone he didn't particularly like.

I got out my key with some difficulty, fumbling around with the vegetables from earlier today. I unlocked the door, entering the house. Something was wrong. The lights were all off inside. It was evening and the house was dark; the extra training sessions had taken up the entire afternoon. As I walked down the hall, I saw a pulsating light coming from the kitchen. I silently let my vegetables drop to the floor. I left the lights off, not wanting to reveal my presence as I approached, stepping cautiously with a kunai in my hand. I suspected a robber was here.

Upon entering the dark kitchen, I saw an eerie silhouette lighting candles on the counter. The mysterious figure turned to me as they sensed my presence.

"Oh, it's you, Tente-" he began, but I cut him off by grabbing him and shoving him against the wall behind him. I held the kunai to his throat.

"Wait!" he cried. He lit a candle in his hands between us, illuminating his face. I blinked, letting him go.

"Kiba?" I asked, puzzled. "What are you doing?"

"The crazy lady from next door came by while you were gone and screamed that the power was going to be out until next morning," he explained. "She literally screamed in my ear. She's really scary, you kno-"

"Well, what are you doing creeping around in the kitchen?"

"I was lighting candles," he replied matter-of-factly. He did his distinguishing lopsided grin. "I have a surprise for you."

"Well...give it to me, then..." I said a bit too bluntly. He laughed, sniffing the air.

"Go take a shower first," he suggested. He drew closer and sniffed the air near my neck. "You smell like onions and garlic and soil mixed with sweat."

I pulled away from his skilled nose, frowning at him. "You're so sincere," I said sardonically. Then I tried to explain why I smelled like crap. "It's because Lee made us train for an extra five hours."

He nodded and smiled, pinching his nose while giving me a push toward my room.

"Go take care of the vegetables," I ordered. He gave me a really silly look. "Just go to the front door and you'll know what I'm talking about."

Twenty minutes later, I came back out in some pajamas with my hair still damp. I realized the pajamas would probably make me look ridiculous in front of the mutt, but I decided I craved comfort over pride at the moment. My limbs were about to fall off from the extra training. Kiba smirked when he saw me.

"Flannel," he said, referring to my pajama bottoms. Then he sarcastically added, "That's so elegant."

"Shut up," I commanded. "What's this surprise, anyways?"

"I'm going to give you another lesson to better your love life."

I groaned. No...

"How about we do this next week? Or the week after that? Or preferably never-"

"Stop being so grumpy about everything," he said, grinning. He gestured to the kitchen counter.

I hadn't realized two things. Firstly, I hadn't realized that the room was now noticeably less dim. Candles were floating everywhere around the kitchen. It was stunning. Flames of light glowed softly against the dark and the walls at different heights. They radiated a warm, quixotic ambiance. Some rested on tables and countertops, and a few were placed on the windowsill. The room was filled with a mixture of scents, but the most distinct one was of roses.

The second thing I had failed to realize was how appallingly hungry I was. The training had seriously carved the energy out of me. I took my gaze away from the breathtaking decoration of candles and focused it on what he was gesturing to.

The kitchen counter was loaded with food. Two wine glasses were sitting on each side of the counter, and the stools were set for two. A bottle of nice red wine stood at the center of the table.

I was flabbergasted. I looked back at him. "Wh...How did you...?"

He pulled out the frilly, pastel apron. "I told you, it's just one of my many skills."

I broke into a smile. "So is this the surprise? Because I'm starving."

He shook his head. "Nope. The surprise is that I'm going to teach you what to do on a dinner date."

I frowned. I wished I hadn't admitted I was hungry.

"How about we eat first...and then you can teach-"

"No, you're not getting out of this one," he said slyly. I sulked.

"Fine, but make this nonsense brief so I can go to sleep."

He laughed. He went to the counter and pulled a stool out for me. Reluctantly, I sat down as he made his way to the other side.

I immediately began eating, stuffing a giant chunk of steak in my mouth. He snorted.

"No wonder you don't get dates," he exclaimed. "You eat like a pig."

He poured some of the red wine in my glass, and then poured some into his own. I downed all of mine at once, being extremely thirsty from training. I poured a little more.

"Hey!" I shouted, pointing my fork at his head. "You try training with Rock Lee for over seven hours and see if you're not hungry enough to eat like a pig. Heck, try just being around both Lee and Neji for an entire day and see what happens! You'd be famished, too."

He reached over with both hands and took the fork, which was still aimed at his head, out of my hand. I had been waving it around in the air in front of his face, as if it would help prove my point. He gently removed it from my grasp with his right hand and placed it back on the table, next to my knife. His left hand suddenly took hold of my hand. His right hand soon returned to rest on top of mine. I blinked and swallowed my mouthful of food loudly. He was holding my hand.

"Inuzuka, what do you think you're do-"

Abruptly, one of his hands left mine to put a finger on my lips.

"Shhh...Tenten, this might happen if you go on a date. Holding hands is a pretty common form of flirting."

I glared. "Yeah, well then why're you holding mine, moron?"

He laughed softly, letting go of my hand and recoiling back to his seat. "And that's exactly how you fail a date."

I stuffed more food in my mouth. "I don't fail at dating. I'm just not really interested in it."

"I know it's because of lack of interest...but it's probably not your lack of interest..."

I glowered at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means...that you don't display any of the qualities guys look for in a datable girl."

"Like what?" I challenged. He cleared his throat dramatically, as if preparing to give a long list of attributes I lacked. In fact, he did just that.

"Charm, sociability, femininity, shyness, ladylike manners, you don't strive to appear cute in any way, you lack intuition, you don't try to show sex appeal, you-"

"WHAT!" I roared, banging my fists against the table. He flinched.

"Well...I think you get the idea-"

"Watch it," I warned. He snorted, making me glare. For about ten minutes, we ate in silence. It really wasn't a bad silence, it was a peaceful one. I finished my second glass.

"What kind of qualities do you look for in guys anyway?" he asked casually. I chewed keenly.

"Why do you care?"

"I told you already, I've decided I'm gonna help you."

"You say that like you think you can help me."

He smirked. "So you admit that you do need help..."

I blinked. Damn...

"Whatever," I replied brusquely. He laughed.

"So what is your type? Do you even have a type?" he asked intrusively. Suddenly, he cringed. "Is Neji your type?"

"What's wrong with Neji?"

"He's so tense and stuffy and uptight all the time. And he's not exactly a joy to be around."

I thought about it for a moment; he had a viable point. Neji really wasn't a joy to be around. But maybe that was just part of why I liked him to begin with. I liked all of him, and that included his bad-tempered, "tense and stuffy and uptight" mannerisms and personality. That was who he was. Besides, he wasn't nearly as uptight as he was when we were kids. And he was definitely more than that. At times, he could even be sensitive and passionate as well. Not to mention attractive, sexy, clever, hot, smoldering...

"But he's smart, talented, and level-headed...unlike some people..." I retorted, clearly stabbing at him. He grinned and came back at me with a sarcastic remark.

"Wow, no wonder people like you, you're not rude at all."

"Ah, but you are," I shot back, mostly joking. He ignored me.

"So that's your type..." he stated. He seemed frustrated. I was almost done with my meal.

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked. I took the last bite of my steak, eyeing his from across the table. I added, "Are you gonna finish that?"

He slid his half-eaten steak to my side of the table. I didn't mind that it was partially-eaten by him; I was more urgently distressed by the remaining hunger in my stomach.

He bit his lip. "It's just that…this'll be a lot harder than I thought it would be."

"Why?" I asked my mouth full of food. He sighed.

"Neji's type is the hardest type to get."

"Why?"

"I don't know exactly why," he started. "But girls just always love those kinds of guys. I guess they ignore the fact that they're snobbish jerks who act like they have a stick up their-"

"Look, you didn't hear Hinata the other day, but Neji's getting marrie-" I began to say it but quickly placed my hands over my mouth. He stared at me.

"You have a crush on Neji...and he's...getting married!"

"No, I didn't...I wasn't supposed to say-"

"So that's why you were crying..."

"I wasn't crying!"

"Yeah...of course you weren't..."

"Hey! I wasn't supposed to tell you. I just...I don't know," I suddenly noticed an odd heat had crept into my cheeks. "Oh my god, I'm already drunk, aren't I? No wonder I just-I can't believe I just told you..."

Kiba chuckled, taking a sip of wine. "Yeah, you were drinking pretty fast...even before you finished the steak."

I sighed. "Yeah, well you can't tell anyone."

He nodded. "So...are you...I mean do you still...?'

"Yup," I said, nodding slowly. I grinned, feeling happy all of a sudden. I took another sip of wine. "But I still like Neji. He's the best!"

Kiba seemed to be trying to suppress laughter. He looked a bit blurred, and I put my glass down, realizing I had already had several. I sighed sadly, suddenly feeling a wave of melancholy sweep over me.

"But he's getting married. M-R-A-R-I-E-D..." I spelled lethargically. "Married..."

Kiba gave a low laugh. "M-A-R-R-I-E-D," he corrected.

"Yes. That," I agreed. "And he won't ever...know...about...me...liking him..."

Kiba didn't laugh this time. I grabbed the bottle and began to chug it, not bothering to pour it into the glass. Kiba gently took it from me.

"Hey!" I bellowed, reaching for the glass. I think I missed. Kiba set the bottle on another counter, next to the sink, got up from his stool, and came over to my side. He took my arm and put it around his neck. I squirmed.

"Hold still," he said softly. I pouted.

"Hey, you better not be thinking of doing anything funny to me, Mister!"

He chuckled again. "Trust me, Tenten, something 'funny' is the last thing I'm thinking of doing to you right now..."

I murmured something incoherent at him as he helped me up, using his arm around my neck and my arm around his to support me.

The last thing I remembered from the night was Kiba tucking me in and leaving my room.

Thank you for reading. Next chapter will be updated sooner than this time. Once again, I'm really sorry for the wait...but I hope I did make up for it a little with the extra 4,000 words or so...over 9,700 total according to the word count...

PLEASE review! I don't even care if you criticize the entire story thus far in the harshest and cruelest way possible!

Okay...actually, I will care...but please review! I enjoy hearing your opinions! They usually do affect how I plan the rest of the story.