I had some free time to post this chapter, which I finished this past weekend.
Hope you guys like it. :)
KawaiPanda: Thanks!
crystaliris94: Thank you very much; I'm glad you like it! Really? I use it as a pairing in a few of my fics, just smatterings though, until I can get Neji and TenTen together. ;D
SilentlyDoomed: :O Go. Watch. Star. Wars. Now. I order it. :) You don't without careful preparation. ;)
vicious-fluffy-bunny-llama: :D Thanks.
tennisxdork: He's not a tease! ;D He's just . . . mysterious. ;)
Essence of Moonlight: By stabbing, you mean TenTen? No, he did not stab her. :)
sweet-spiced crack: What confused you? The question at the end? If so, don't worry about it. ;D
Drea1284: I think you know me well enough by now that I won't say anything about it.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN, FOR PETE'S SAKE.
Something.
"Don't be angry with me," TenTen asked the next time she saw him.(1)
A faint smile appeared on Neji's lips.
"I'm not angry with you."
TenTen frowned.
"Then what happened? Last time we talked you walked out like you were angry," she pressed, leaning across the table.
It was bright in the yard. Prisoners milled around, bartering and ranting about their trials.
Neji considered his crossword and penned a word in ink. It fit perfectly in the neatly aligned boxes.
"I was frustrated," Neji murmured, glancing up at her. "You seem to forget sometimes that I am a prisoner, and I do have a past. One that I'm not exactly proud of."
TenTen waited for more, but it didn't come.
"You're still not going to tell me what you did, are you?"
Neji shook his head, his eyes smiling a little.
"No. The timing has to be right."
TenTen raised her eyebrows, confused.
"What does that mean?"
Neji didn't explain, just stared at her for a few seconds with his pale, intrigued eyes.
"How's the wedding planning going?" Neji inquired, changing the subject.
TenTen grimaced.
"I hate it. I hate choosing stuff. Did you know you have to decide how to have your dinner plates set? And what type of cutlery you use?" TenTen cradled her head in her hands and groaned. "It's awful."
Neji smiled, genuinely amused.
"If it bothers you so much, why go through with it?"
"It makes Kiba happy," TenTen mumbled through her fingers.
"But not you?" Neji prompted, filling in another section of boxes.
TenTen didn't reply, keeping her thoughts to herself.
Neji looked up, considering her.
"Don't forget you always have options," he told her softly.
TenTen smiled wryly.
"Really? And what options do I have?
"You could always not marry him. . ." Neji said.
TenTen stared back at him, chewing on her bottom lip.
She eventually shook her head, ignoring the creeping blush that was rising from her neck to her cheeks.
"It would break his heart."
"Not as much as it would break yours when you realize you're married to someone who can't make you happy."
TenTen gazed at him, surprised by his opinion.
"You just don't like him," TenTen brushed off.
Neji shrugged.
"I won't debate that. I don't like him. But I also think that if you truly loved him, you'd be more excited about marrying him. You wouldn't have hesitated to tell me that you were engaged. You wouldn't have been jealous when you heard I had a female visitor. . ."
TenTen's flush deepened.
"It's just an observation," Neji muttered, turning back to his crossword.
TenTen quickly leaned across the table and snatched the pen from his hand.
She waited until Neji met her eyes to speak.
"There is nothing between us," she uttered slowly, emphasizing her words.
Neji raised an eyebrow.
"You don't really believe that," he replied. "There is something."
TenTen glared at him.
"TenTen, what's a nine-letter word for irresponsible?"
TenTen shook her head, but offered, "Senseless?"
Neji smirked.
"Impulsive," he countered.
TenTen clenched her jaw.
–
Kiba rolled over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling.
"How many bridesmaids do you want?" he asked TenTen, who was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed.
"I don't know," she replied, truly having not thought of it before.
"Well, don't you think you need to decide? I mean, we've got a lot to plan, TenTen."
TenTen sighed, exasperated.
"Not really, seeing as we haven't even set a date yet," TenTen remarked edgily.
"About that," Kiba began. "We need to get that straightened away too."
TenTen considered her expression in the mirror.
An extreme look of annoyance was impressed on her features, deep crease lines embedded in her forehead.
"I told you," TenTen said as she left the bathroom, "I don't want to rush things. We agreed that a long engagement would be best."
"No, you agreed. Or rather, you decided."
TenTen looked at him, eyes blazing in anger.
"Get out. Now."
Kiba stared at her, shocked.
"What?" he queried, leaning up on his elbow.
"Get out of my apartment. You're always over here. And I need my space. So go. Now."
Kiba continued to stare openly at her, incredulous.
"GET OUT!" TenTen shouted, taking a fistful of Kiba's things and flinging them towards the door.
Kiba scrambled out of her bed and tripped into his clothes, being careful to slam the door behind him as he left.
TenTen sourly sat down on a kitchen chair, and wrested off her engagement ring, wordlessly throwing it into the depths of her small living room.
–
"Hyuga."
Neji looked up to see an officer waiting with cuffs.
"Booking office wants to see you."
Neji raised his eyebrows but said nothing, offering his wrists to be shackled.
Neji allowed himself to be led to the booking office station, where TenTen was waiting.
"Thank you," TenTen said to the officer.
He nodded and returned the way they had come.
Neji glanced at TenTen, taking care to notice that she wasn't wearing her engagement ring.
TenTen silently took Neji's elbow, steering him down a hallway.
She didn't begin speaking until they were entirely alone.
"I freaked out on Kiba the other night," she murmured.
Neji considered this before saying, "Why?"
"He was pressuring me. About the wedding stuff."
"Is that why you're not wearing your ring?"
TenTen looked down at the ground.
"I kind of lost it somewhere in my living room."
Neji spared her a smile.
"Why are you telling me this?"
TenTen stared up at him, unable to defy the intense pull she had to him.
Wordlessly, TenTen turned to a door set in the wall and held it open for Neji to enter.
He gave her a curious glance before going up the stairs behind the door.
TenTen followed, pushing aside her anxiety.
The night was nice, balmy and pleasant.
Neji looked around, soaking it in.
"I haven't been outside like this in such a long time," he murmured softly to himself.
TenTen looked at him, smiling some.
"Makes you wish you were free, right?"
Neji snorted.
"Who doesn't want to be free?" he retorted, turning to her.
TenTen bit her bottom lip, feeling her nerves vibrate with excitement.
Neji noticed the change in her expression and smirked at the ground.
"Is there a reason why you brought me up here, TenTen?"
TenTen swallowed past the growing lump in her throat.
"Not—not really," she mumbled.
"I mean, other than the fact there are no cameras up here?"
TenTen started to feel like she'd made a mistake. Still, she did not move from where she was standing.
She forced herself to shake her head.
Neji looked at her and shifted closer.
He touched her face, his fingers light on her skin.
TenTen bit her lip, trying to summon the words to make him stop.
Except . . . she didn't want him to.
Reluctantly, TenTen met Neji's pale eyes.
He was waiting for her, his face calm and intent.
Neji exhaled quietly and brushed back some of her hair.
"I won't if you don't want me to," he said gently.
TenTen barely knew what she was doing, but she grasped the back of his neck and pulled him into her; her lips brushed his mouth.
TenTen's cheeks flushed when her breath caught; Neji had kissed her back.
Her heart was beating erratically fast; Neji kissed her again.
It was driving her crazy, enough for her to push him away.
"Just—," she stopped and shook her head, walking shortly away from him.
TenTen struggled to maintain regular breathing.
When she accomplished this, minutes later, she turned back to Neji, her thoughts somewhat collected.
"Here's what's going to happen, Hyuga. We're not going to speak to each other. Or look at each other, or converse in any possible form. Do you understand?"
Neji was frowning, not even attempting to conceal his dolefulness.
"You're making a mistake," he murmured lowly.
"I already did!" TenTen exclaimed, gesturing harshly. "I never should have brought you up here. I'm just so damn stupid I didn't think about it at all!"
She shook her head brusquely and strode toward Neji, gripping his elbow tighter than need be.
He waited until they were back inside to speak again.
"You're sure that this is what you want? You don't want me to talk to you . . . or look at you?"
"No, I don't," TenTen compelled herself to respond.
TenTen sent a darting glance at Neji.
His face was stone.
"Then I won't do any of those things."
TenTen dutifully escorted him back to his block, doing her best to avoid how close Neji was.
(1) I imagine this about four weeks after the last chapter.
Yeah, so, review! :)