A/N: I don't really have much to say... other than the fact that I suck for not updating like I should...
Thanks a ton to all you reviewers! Love you all!
Btw, DarkAnonymous, your request had been heard, and, since you're my most faithful reviewer, I will respect it! No SasuSaku in this story! If any one has any other requests, you know what to do!
In riding a horse, we borrow freedom.
-Helen Thomson
Chapter 4: A Friend
Tenten found herself in a position that had grown more and more familiar to her over the past few weeks that Neji had arrived at the barn. She was lounging comfortably atop his stack of hay bales, weaving the strands of alfalfa together just to undo them and then braid them together again. He never asked for her company when he cleaned his stall, but she was bored and often times didn't have anything better to do, so she stayed there. Sometimes they would talk about miscellaneous things like the weather or the condition of the pastures outside, and other times she would just lay there watching him in an amiable silence as he finished off his chores.
Their lessons with each other had continued even after the incident nearly a week ago, and, as promised, nobody but Tenten and Neji knew about them. Not even Tsunade had a clue, for she was usually passed out in her office that "early" in the morning.
They didn't really talk about what had happened. The Hyuuga hadn't offered anything other than that she was dehydrated and had fallen off Lillie, though there was a strange absence of bruising to tell her that she had actually hit the ground...
She shook her head, deciding resolutely to not bug him about something he obviously didn't want to talk about. It was the same way with his parents and his uncle. He didn't bring them up, and she didn't dare ask.
Her amber eyes gazed at the loose braid of hay that she had made before detangling it and starting over yet again.
"Why do you do that?" Neji's smooth baritone almost startled her. He usually didn't talk to her unless he was answering one of her questions.
Tenten glanced up to where he had stopped working. "Do what?"
"Incessantly play with something. You always have something in your hand to fiddle with. It's quite unsettling."
She grinned at him. "I dunno. My hands just always have to be busy or I'll go insane."
"Tch." He sifted through another pile of sawdust. "ADD much?"
Tenten rolled her eyes at him, continuing her braiding of the hay. She stopped for a second so that she could glance over at his back to her. He really was a very handsome man, she mused as she watched his muscles ripple just below the fabric of her shirt. And she was the only female that he gave the time of day. The thought made her grin spread wider. But... what exactly was she to him? An acquaintance? Would she dare call herself his friend? Certainly she cared for him that way, but did he?
"Neji?" Her voice had gotten softer, and she twirled the escaped hairs at the nape of her neck in a nervous motion.
"Hn?"
"Do you... consider me a friend?" She looked through half-lidded eyes at his reaction.
He stopped working again, but this time he turned her her, a curious expression on his face. He leaned gently on his muck rake, cocking his head and running his long fingers through long hair that had been dampened by the heat. "Why do you ask that question?"
Tenten swung her legs over the side of the hay so that she was facing him sitting up. Her fingers tapped on the edge restlessly. "No reason. I just wanted to know." She lied easily.
She was not going to let him know how important his company had become to her. Her pride was still too big for that.
Neji's fingers tightened imperceptibly against the wooden handle of his rake. "I guess you are a friend, Tenten." He paused slightly, eyebrow barely twitching at the end. "I... like your company better than anyone else's."
The girl smiled at that statement, her heart filling to the brim. "I like your company too, Hyuuga. You're very interesting." She laid back down leisurely on the hay, smiling like an idiot up at the ceiling.
"Wanna go to lunch with me today?"
The brunette heard Neji stop working momentarily. "I guess it wouldn't hurt."
"Cool," she had to stop herself from laughing aloud from the happiness that welled in her chest. "We're taking your truck, though. It's cooler than my beat up thing."
"Hn. Fine."
Tenten giggled at his annoyed tone. He had admitted her as a friend, admitted some sort of feeling for her... and only her. She mattered to him, and that made her happier than anything ever could.
The pair sat at Ichiraku in companionable silence as they waited for their ramen. Tenten fiddled with her chopsticks, sipping her Coke at the same time. She felt Neji's eyes on her, sending heat flushing over her cheeks. She fiddled with the pair of wooden utensils even more vigorously, trying to keep her mind on something other than the attractive man sitting next to her staring at her.
Suddenly, his hand covered both of hers and sent uncomfortable but not unwelcome chills over her body. His long fingers brushed over hers and then tightened around them.
"What are you doing?" She whispered in a small voice, sure that her entire face was red by then.
"Stopping you from fidgeting. It's annoying." He sighed bluntly.
"Ah... right," she murmured, cursing her teenage hormones.
Of course that's all he was doing! She couldn't believe that she thought her newly established friend had actually been holding her hand... She was such a girl sometimes! Which wasn't always a bad thing, but... Ugh, she couldn't even think straight!
"Tenten? Are you okay?"
Her hand twitched under his. "Yes..."
"Hn."
Neji's hand slid gently off of hers as he looked up at the chef over the counter.
"Here you go, kids. Enjoy!"
Tenten grabbed her bowl, silently laughing at her friend's disturbed face at the use of the term "kids."
She grabbed the previously discarded chopsticks and started slurping at the noodles with fervor. Neji did the same, but slower and less messily. Amber eyes rolled. What was the fun in that?
They ate in silence for a bit, each enjoying their separate dishes thoroughly. The brunette paused in her slurping a minute to gaze down at the broth in the bowl. She chuckled humorlessly.
"Geeze, I'm such an idiot." She shook her head, disgusted with herself.
"What's wrong?" Neji asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
Tenten turned her stare to the ceiling. "My friends at the barn have been trying to get me to go out to lunch with all of them forever. I ignored them all because I said that I was too busy training for the show. I was so rude to them, no wonder they've been leaving us alone."
The male shrugged. "You should apologize. If they're really your friends, then they'll forgive you immediately and take you back. If not, then I guess we'll be spending more time together."
"You wouldn't mind having a loser who ignores her friends hanging around you?"
"You're not a loser." He declared forcefully. Seeing her shocked expression, he softened his tone. "Don't call yourself a loser. You're not. And I wouldn't mind you hanging around with me even if you were a psychopathic mass murderer."
She gaped over at him, a stupid grin lighting up her face. "Aww! Neji, that was the sweetest thing you've ever said to me! How adorable!"
He cleared his throat, letting his hair fall in front of his face to hide the blush that lightly dusted over his cheeks. "Forget I said that."
"Why would I want to?" Tenten laughed gently at his expression. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone! It's our secret!"
Neji grumbled softly under his breath, but a slight smile graced his regal features.
They finished their meal in silence. The male got up slowly, laying down money for both of their lunches and turning to leave.
"Um, excuse me, Hyuuga, but what is this?" The brunette asked incredulously, pointing at the bills on the counter.
He raised an eyebrow. "I believe that it's called money. I know it's a new invention, but I thought that you'd know about it."
She huffed, exasperated at his sarcasm. "No, I mean, why didn't you let me pay for my own lunch? I have money!"
Neji looked affronted that she'd even suggested such a thing. "I would never let a girl pay her own way, especially if its just the two of us."
"But..." She felt slightly insulted that he didn't think of women as capable of paying their own way. "We're just friends, and I am capable of paying my own way, thank you!"
He stepped closer to her, sighing. "I know you are. It's just how I was raised. It's polite for the man to pay for the woman's meal, no matter the situation. That's my stand on it, and it's not going to change. Now, come on."
Neji grabbed Tenten's arm and stared towing her to his truck.
"Well fine!" she huffed grumpily, "But I"m not happy about it."
He smirked at her antics. "I didn't expect you to be."
"Neji!" Tenten whined playfully as she finished putting away the last of her supplies that had been used throughout the day.
"What, Tenten?" He yelled from the other side of the barn, sounding more than a bit annoyed.
It was a Friday at eight thirty at night, so the barn was deserted except for the two of them who were cleaning up around their stalls. Tenten lived in the house on the outer edge of the barn's property, so she could go home anytime, and Hinata had gotten a ride to their apartment from Sakura, so Neji wasn't in any rush either. So they found themselves alone in the barn as the horses munched on their hay and everything settled down for the night.
"I'm done cleaning!"
"Good for you!" She heard echo off the barn's high rafters.
The female laughed quietly at his response before shouting back. "I'm bored!"
"What do you want me to do about it?" Neji's voice sounded pretty exacerbated.
She thought for a second, suddenly getting a very simple, very fun idea that she hadn't done in a while. "Bridle your horse and meet me by the gelding pasture in five minutes, kay?"
There was a pause, a barely audible sigh, and then: "Whatever."
"Yeah!" She punched the air, grabbed her bridle from the cabinet across from her stall, and then rushed to Lillie with an exuberant (and slightly evil) chuckle.
Four and a half minutes later, the two friends were standing by the gate to the gelding pasture with their horses in tow.
"Tenten, what are we doing out here?" Neji looked up at her in the fading orangey light of the setting sun.
She gazed over at the horizon. "Well, it won't get completely dark for another two hours, so we have enough time..." Her eyes flicked over to his face. "We're going bareback riding in the pond!"
His expression went from confused to disbelieving in no time. "There is no way I'm taking Sky swimming at eight thirty in these clothes!" He motioned down at his nice (and fairly clean for being worn all day at the barn) kakis and expensive Ariat boots.
The brunette pursed her lips thoughtfully. "So take the boots off. Seriously, the pants can be washed."
"Tenten..." He sighed tiredly.
"Neji..." She copied him playfully, earning herself a glare. "Please?" She batted her eyes in her best impersonation of Ino.
The Hyuuga rubbed his temples, not wishing to continue the argument. "Fine. But I'm not doing it for you."
"Hmm..." Tenten grinned, not believing him in the slightest. "Whatever you say, Neji."
The male threw his reigns over Sky's head, grabbing his mane so he could vault up.
"Uh, wait a second..." She looked down at the ground sheepishly. "Some of us aren't prodigies, so could you... help me up?"
Neji's eyes rolled upwards in annoyance, but he left his stallion anyway in favor of helping Tenten up onto Lillie's back. The brunette grinned at him thankfully.
"Alright," He grabbed her knee a little more harshly than what was needed. "Jump on three. One... Two... Three!"
He tossed her up easily and she swung her right leg over her mare and settled easily onto the palomino's bare back.
"See? That wasn't so hard, you grump!"
"Hn."
Without further distraction, he vaulted up onto his stallion and sighed. Neji reached down to unzip both of his boots and shook them off his feet. "Let's go, then."
"Alrighty!" She chirped, leading the way through the gate.
She led them through the field and back into a wooded area. They weaved skillfully around the trees and in only a few minutes had arrived at their destination: a pond tucked away in the east corner of the gelding's pasture surrounded by trees and cattails.
"Peaceful, isn't it?" She murmured contentedly, watching the fading sunlight dance playfully through the trees.
Birds chirped above them as dragonflies and butterflies skittered back and forth in the air. It really was a gorgeous place. The female glanced over at the man that had accompanied her. Especially when there was someone to share it with.
"It is." He caught her gaze, and the look in his silvery eyes both confused and exited her. "Thank you for bringing me here, Tenten. It's beautiful."
Her smile was gentle and subdued, a far cry from her wild grinning of earlier. "Come on... Your horse likes water, right?"
"He loves it, I'm afraid." Neji replied honestly.
"Perfect."
The girl led Lillie to the edge of the pond, and, with barely a tap on her sides, urged the mare to step down onto the bank and into the water. That close to the edge, it only reached the mare's pasterns, but they stopped there in favor of turning around so Tenten could stare Neji down until he got his horse in the water too.
The Hyuuga obeyed the unspoken command and followed her into the water. Once they were in, Tenten's impish grin returned as she nudged Lillie to go deeper.
The mare pawed slightly at the water, splashing herself and her rider. The brunette only laughed, patting the horse's light tan hide. Lillie plowed on, and soon enough, the bottom dropped out from under them and she was swimming easily, Tenten clutching onto her mane to keep herself on the palomino's back.
The water swirled around her thighs, dragging them backwards, and threatening to pull her off if she didn't hang on. Lillie's powerful strokes kept them effortlessly afloat, but the water still soaked the entirety of Tenten's jeans, leaving her a little colder than before. Soon enough, Lillie's hoofs found purchase on the other side of the pond, and she hauled them both up to the other bank.
"Your turn!" She called to Neji.
"I've never really taken Sky swimming before." He confessed, just barely even in the water.
Her jaw dropped. "What the heck? Are you serious? Well, just lean forward, hold on, and let your horse do the rest! It's easy, like Western!"
She heard his deep chuckle at her crack on Westerners, and it took her breath away. She wanted to make him laugh more often.
"I'm coming, don't worry."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Tenten retorted. "You just don't fall off."
He didn't answer, and by the time she looked up, he was already in the middle of the lake, swimming like a pro.
"Ugh! Can't you ever make a mistake?"
"Not that I know of!"
"Shut up, you!"
He chuckled, sending her heart soaring again. Tenten decided that she very much liked this side of him that he showed when they were together. It made her feel special, like he reserved a special part of himself just for her. And she loved it.
She made Lillie wade deeper into the water, swishing through the water toward where Neji and Sky had just found their footing. She sidled up to them, her mare shivering underneath her at being so close to a stallion. She inwardly groaned. Stupid mares. But she leaned over anyway, her face level with Neji's chest, and smiled evilly. Tenten placed her hand on his waist, felt him freeze up, then shoved him as hard as she could.
The look on his face as he flailed wildly before slipping off into the chest deep water was priceless. The teen couldn't help it. She burst into hysterical laughter as he came up soaking wet and sputtering breathlessly.
"Oh my gosh, Neji, you should've seen your face!" She was almost crying, she was laughing so hard.
He growled lowly, rounded Sky's flanks and came around to stand beside her mare. The laughter died in her throat when she witnessed his vengeful expression. Without hesitation, he'd grabbed her calf with his left hand and her thigh with his right. His fingers burned through her jeans ans sent a blush up her neck and over her cheeks, but he didn't notice as he was too busy yanking her in alongside him. Tenten barely got to scream before the chilly water surged over her head, effectively dulling her senses. She opened her eyes under the murky water, ignoring the stinging protest, and found the outline of Neji's legs. She swam for them and latched onto one, dragging him under with her.
The girl surfaced, coughing a little and wiping the water away from her eyes. Neji popped up not seconds after her, showing her the full force of his glare.
"What was that for?" He demanded loudly.
"Well, you pulled me in." She replied innocently, nearly laughing at his incredulous face.
"Only because you pushed me in first!"
"Water fight!" She screamed joyously, sending a large wave her friend's way.
It gave her the desired reaction. Almost immediately, he joined in, splashing her rather violently in the face. She giggled, slipping under the water to escape the torrent he was showering her with.
Up above, he saw her dunk herself underneath the surface of the murky water. She was trying to escape his punishment by swimming away from him.
"Not happening." He grunted competitively, reaching for the last spot he'd seen her. His hands came in contact with a writhing body, and he found her waist and latched on, dragging her forcefully to the surface.
Tenten gasped for air, glaring at her captor through the streams of water trickling down her face. She brought her arms up to splash him, but he was having none of it. Instead, Neji pulled her into him roughly, trapping her arms between her body and his. They were both breathing heavily, liquid spilling over their soaked bodies as the sun set in the background.
As soon as both of them were aware of all of this, their faces ignited in an embarrassed blush, but neither let go.
"So," Tenten panted. "That was... interesting."
"Yes..." Neji coughed awkwardly, removing his arms from her waist.
She silently mourned the loss of his body heat. "Yeah..." The brunette swiped her bangs behind her ears nervously, a smile quivering on her lips. "Friends, right?"
"Of course."
There was an underlying conversation that ran deeper than either teen was aware of quite yet, but they understood some of what had happened between them.
The girl reached up shyly to brush away a wet strand of hair that had stuck to Neji's forehead, causing him to smile just a bit more than he ever had.
" I like your smile." Tenten whispered.
"And I like your laugh." The male looked up at the fading light and the stars slowly taking over the sky. "Time to go in, Ten."
"Neji?" She murmured as they slogged out of the water and to their horses.
"Hn?"
"I don't like nicknames." There was a disappointed silence before she continued. "But I like it when you call me that."
"I'm glad." Neji grabbed Sky's reigns, shivering a little bit.
"Let's put our horses away, and then head to my house. we can dry off and watch a movie or something."
"Sounds good, Ten."
She smiled over at him, feeling happier than she ever remembered feeling. She couldn't believe how close she and Neji had become in the month since he'd been here. She'd learned so much from him, and even his jumping was improving. Tenten found it hard to digest the fact that her life was going so perfectly well. Nothing this good had ever happened to her, and yet, she glanced over at Neji, there he was. Her best friend and possibly maybe something more in the future perhaps. Tenten grinned at the thought.
"Ten?"
"Yeah, Neji?"
"I'm not watching a sappy movie."
She laughed lightheartedly. "Wouldn't dream of making you sit through that."
"Thanks." Neji took a breath, unsure of how Tenten would take what he was going to tell her. "And Ten?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you for being the only person that would put up with me long enough to befriend me."
Tenten stopped dead in her tracks for a second. Did he just imply that he'd never had a real friend before? The thought made her want to cry.
When she spoke, her voice was strained from holding back her emotions. "No problem, Neji. I'll always be here for you."
"...I know."
A/N: Yeah, another chapter finished! This was kind of a filler chapter with plenty of fluff to rot your teeth! Those are my personal favorite!
So, Sorry to tell you guys this, but I'm gonna be out of commission for two weeks because I'm going to Kazakhstan! If any of you don't know, that's the fairly big country right under Russia. I'm going there on a missions trip to visit an orphanage and will not have any access to the Internet whatsoever, so do not expect an update for the next two weeks. And for those who don't read author's notes:
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ! I AM GOING TO KAZAKHSTAN AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO UPDATE UNTIL JULY 26 (OR AROUND THERE)! SO I AM NOT ABANDONING MY READERS, I'M JUST OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
Wish me luck, guys! Well, thanks so much for reading, and please review! I'll still be getting over culture shock and jet lag and stuff like that, so I'll need some motivation!
Love you guys!
~KMXII~