Burning Flames

Chapter 11

"If you'll let me"

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Monday, July 24, 2006

"Miles!"

Tenten grabbed her mug of coffee, before quickly securing her pony tail.

The eye patch had been taken off Sunday afternoon at the doctors when she went for her checkup and was relieved to have both of her eyes again. It had been a handicap to her, and she felt grateful to have it off. She grabbed her files and distractedly sipped her hot cup of coffee while punching the security code for the alarm.

Upstairs, Miley struggled to get her white Dora sneakers on. Finally managing to slip her feet into the warm crevice inside the shoe she stood up, and grabbed her bag from the floor.

"We're going to be late Miles!"

Miley pouted at her mother's light threat. It wasn't her fault that her shoe was being stupid. At the look of her own face in the mirror she stuck her tongue out and giggled at the mimic of her reflection. Today, she was wearing a light cream jacket with a SpongeBob T-shirt, and jeans. Miley thought the jeans a bit much just for camp, but hadn't argued when her mom suggested it.

She may have only been 3 going on 4 but all her life she was always thinking and observing the things around her. When her mommy was sad, she could feel it, when she was happy she felt it, and when there was trouble, she usually felt that too. Today, just like every day, there was an aura around the house. It wasn't happy, yet it wasn't sad, she felt no trouble but knew something was wrong.

'I can ask Neji!' The little girl thought. 'He will know what mommy's feeling!'

"Miley Ceria Takahashi I am leaving without you now!" called the voice from downstairs. The little girls eyes widened at the call and she quickly rushed out of her room.

"No mommy! I'm coming!"

She raced down the long stairs as quickly as her small feet could take her. As she reached the bottom she saw that Tenten was already outside. Frowning, she crossed her arms over her chest. 'Mommy's a meany!'

She walked out the front door and closed it behind her. It wasn't until she ran towards the car calling out "Mommy!" that she noticed: there was someone else there too.

"Leave me alone, Neji."

"Tenten please, just give me 10 minutes to explain. I'd hate to leave things the way they were Saturday."

"I don't have ten minutes." The brunette said coldly ignoring the man beside her all together. She continued to unlock her car as if it she usually rushed to work, furious.

"Miley!" She shouted in annoyance at the house, and stopped Neji from speaking.

"Tenten come on, don-"

"Hi Neji!" Miley greeted, hugging the man's thigh. Without thinking about it, she put her hands out for him to pick her up. He smiled down shyly at her. He hadn't even realized she was there, neither of them did. She grinned hugely back and Neji thought it strange; her liking to him, children never really looked twice at him before.

He was about to reach down and pick her up when a sharp voice immediately stopped him. "Get in the car!"

Shocked, both Miley and Neji turned to look at the source of the voice. Miley's lip quivered as she tried not to cry at the tone of her mother's voice. She hated getting yelled at, she hated feeling helpless. "Now miles,"

"B-But mommy…" The little girl tried to reason but froze at the look Tenten shot her way. The older women opened the car door and reluctantly Miley got in.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think— I was just …picking her up." he finished lamely. He reviled how he had a whole speech to say, but then the minute his eyes caught hers, he forgot it.

She slammed Miley's door and then after finally getting in, shut her own. She placed her seatbelt on as he stood there, humiliated and unsure of what else to say, how else to convince her. She stuck the key in the ignition and then turned to him.

"Just like how you didn't think on Saturday?" The question came out faster than she had a chance to think. A look of hurt crossed his face, and Tenten almost, almost felt bad enough to stop the car and listen to what he had to say. Instead, she backed out of her driveway, and sped off to Miley's camp.

"Miles,"

The little girl picked her head up a fraction but did not lift her eyes to meet her mothers. "Are you sad that I yelled again?" She looked up just in time at the rearview mirror to see her daughter shake her head yes.

"I swear Miles, I swear I won't yell anymore. Ok? Baby, I'm sorry." She said this just as she pulled up to the camp. Mrs. Haze tapped on the window before she had a chance to say anything else. She smiled broadly at them both, after opening the door. "Everything ok?" She asked at the unstable silence in the car.

Tenten forced a smile. "Yeah, absolutely."

Mrs. Haze helped Miley out.

"She didn't get a chance to eat this morning I packed her breakfast in her bag." Tenten grabbed the bag and handed it to the woman, who only nodded back. "Bye Miles…"

The little girl looked at her mother and in the saddest voice Tenten had ever heard her own daughter use, whispered. "Bye mommy."

Guilt couldn't even begin to describe the feeling she held coiled tightly in her heart as she watched the small figure walk away.

12:16 pm

"I love these!"

"Yeah? I am so glad to hear you say that."

Her client smiled at her and reached out her hand. "Fabulous job, Takahashi, I have high hopes for you in the business world!"

Tenten blushed, flattered at her compliment. This was her supervisor, giving her praise after all. It wasn't something that happened often. "Thanks so much."

Lind nodded again as her eyes skimmed over Tenten's rough sketches for their upcoming July line. "Everyone is going to love these." She walked towards the door of her office and gave a final wink. "People like you help Ads Inc. stay on top. Keep it up!"

With that, the door to her office closed once more and all was quiet. Tenten dropped heavily to her seat in relief. That July line had been a heavy burden on her shoulders since June, she was more than relieved to see that her bosses liked it. Now all she had left to do was get out some publishing's, make a few calls and sign another contract with Tokiwa Hayashi.

The phone on her desk ran at about the same time Temari walked into her office carrying a big brown bag that smelled an awful lot like fried rice.

"Hello?" She said eyeing Temari suspiciously as she sat down across from her desk.

"Tenten."

She straightened rigidly at the voice. "Yes sir?"

"….I heard about your draft from Lind. Great work."

Unsure of what to say, Tenten frowned. "Thank you sir—"

"Don't get too comfortable though! This doesn't mean you can slack off now. I was easy on you before because of your kid but…"

"I know sir. It won't happen anymore."

"Good…and Tenten, I have a meeting coming up that I won't be able to show up to. I'm going to need you to take my place."

Shocked, the brunette sat gaping as Temari shot her odd looks. By now the smell of food had engulfed her entire office, leaving her breathless.

"I'm not asking you Tenten. You hear me? This is an order. You do it or get fired."

"Y-yes sir."

She heard him hung up on his end and still dazed she hung up too.

"What was that all about?" Temari stuck her hand into the brown paper bag and pulled out a tub of fries and chicken.

'A living, breathing, fucking nightmare…'

At the questioning look the blond sent her as she stuffed her face with fries, Tenten braced herself to sum up her life in once sentence.

"My life is a living, breathing, fucking nightmare. That's what."

"Talk to him."

"I want to. But when I see him I just get so mad that I want to explode at him."

"…."Temari watched Tenten intently and then said. "Are you upset that he hit her or that didn't tell you he had a fiancé?"

"I don't know…both I guess!" She threw up her hands exasperatedly. "I don't know why I'm mad that he didn't tell me he had a fiancé. I guess I just feel betrayed….I misunderstood something and now I'm the only one paying the consequences. The hitting part annoys me too because I never thought he could ever hit a woman let alone his soon to be wife." She furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head at her friend.

"You know?"

The blond nodded.

"I guess it was a bad judgment on my part."

Tenten placed a hand on her face to hide the oncoming tears, because damn it she really had thought he was different. Really thought she understood him.

In a croak similar to a dying goat she said. "I hate men!"

More scrutinizing glances; then came the question that blew her away.

"Are you in love with him?"

"Talk to her."

"I try to! I didn't know what I was expecting when I went to her house this morning but she completely turned me down."

'Like I knew she would.'

The last part he thought to himself, not willing to spit on his remaining pride. He had enough of that from this morning when she completely shut him out.

Lee sighed and stood up to throw the remains of his lunch away in a nearby bin.

"Well, if you ask me,"

Neji glared at the bowl haired man and thought 'I didn't ask!'

"I think you should keep trying!" He shot him one of his 'good guy poses' (insert the shivers) before sitting down. "Love is something precious my dear friend, it would be very foolish of you to let it go. To let her go,"

By now Neji was ready to castrate the man, no…the freak, sitting across from him.

Who the hell said anything about love!?

He grabbed his fire gear and stood abruptly, before walking away. Behind him he shot to Lee. "I don't have time for this!"

Oblivious to his partners raging anger the green beast shouted back. "You asked for my advice dear friend, and there it is!"

Furious, Neji froze mid-step. Shocked he turned back to the man still sitting at the table, and even worse, holding two thumbs at him for luck. Hadn't he been the one to harass him that morning about what was bothering him? Although Neji had guaranteed he was completely fine to begin with! (That's the thing with knowing lee for so long he was able to see through his everyday comments like 'Hn'& 'I'm fine')

Slowly composing himself Neji put his emotions back in check and continued for his office. He would have to find a different way to talk to Tenten, and no one's damn advice or opinion counted but his! (And hers….unfortunately.)

He stood up as he heard the clicking of her work heels on the parking pavement. Bracing himself for an onslaught of threats and rejection, he mentally began picturing her pushing him away.

When she finally came into view and saw him standing there, neither reaction took place. Instead she just stared at him, in surprise, bewilderment, and he could have sworn a bit of relief had flashed in her orbs too. Neither of them said anything for a while, Neji was elated that she at least didn't bite his head off (like he thought she would) and instead just stared at him, into his eyes, at him, then back for what felt like hours until…

"What are you doing here?"

Cautious now, he spoke.

"I'm here so you can hear me out and not push me away like this morning." A look of hurt and regret graced her features and he got back his courage. She made a move for him to go on and swallowing the lump in his throat, he began.

"I know you're mad and I don't blame you. We had such a good time together on Saturday that I hated the way it ended. Sally's…..Sally is...I guess was, my fiancée and we're, well we were supposed to be getting married in a few months. Her and I…" He looked at a loss for words. He couldn't do it, he couldn't put into words their relationship, how little she made him feel, and how much being with Tenten did.

Tenten frowned, she refused to stand for it. "You came here to explain right! So explain!"

Neji's eyes widened at her tone. It was so sad and yet so fierce.

"Explain, damn it! Why did you hit her? Why did you hide it from me? Why did you bring me over when you knew she could show up?" Damn, she had promised to stay calm. Although to her credit, she didn't expect to meet him again so soon.

"I-I,"

'W-w-why are you making me fall for you?' She thought.

Watching her, watching tears roll down her cheeks brought him back to reality. Made him upset.

"I love her, but not as a wife, not even as a lover. To me, she was safe. She was the only one who could deal with me."

Flustered and even a bit angry Tenten made to get into her car. But Neji stopped her.

"Wait. I didn't finish." His eyes softened and his heart hummed like the wings of a butterfly. He couldn't breathe, and he most certainly couldn't think. But his heart was telling him what to say and with that he decided to just be honest. For once in his life he felt good, safe, like he'd finally come home. She brought him that feeling. She brought him true happiness.

He didn't know what to call it, maybe he was right and it was nothing but friendship, or maybe he liked her…or maybe, maybe Lee was right and it was love. But he didn't know, couldn't tell.

But he hoped that if she felt the same, that they could discover this feeling together.

Him and her, her and him, he wouldn't hide from anything this time.

"I don't know the answer to all your questions Tenten, and I'm sorry. I brought you over, because I love spending time with you, I wish we could be together every day, Miley, you and me together. I didn't tell you about Sally because you never asked and I didn't say anything because I didn't want you to feel strange about our spending time together." She stopped struggling under his hold and finally relaxed; finally decided to listen.

"You were so honest with me, about your past, about Saito, about you. And although I have never been honest with someone the way I am with you, and I never once told you a lie, I also wasn't completely open. But I will, if you can give me a second chance, you just ask, and I'll tell. My past isn't like yours so I don't normally share it but just ask and I will.

"A-and I hit her…I couldn't think. I was so angry, so blinded by the fury of the way she treated you, and spoke to you, as if the whole situation was your fault, it set me off. But I swear I have never, ever hit a woman in my life before, and that one time was a complete accident. I swear."

"Why do you care so much what I think?"

He took in the scent of her, light vanilla with a sprinkle of berry. And knew…

"Because I care about you, immensely."

She turned around slowly, eyes still damp, hands still shaking, and breathed. "What?"

Neji frowned and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles to sooth her nerves, only a couple of weeks he has known her and already he felt like he understood her as well as he understood himself. "If you were to hate me Tenten, over this, I don't think I will be able to forgive myself."

"I don't hate you. I can't. I-I,"

He brought a hand to her lips, and placed one of her small hands onto the surface of his hard chest. It stayed there for a good minute until he smirked lightly in a joking manner. "You see? You see what you do to me; my hearts beating so fast that I can barely stand up here with all my courage to speak to you. You will one day be the death of me."

Tenten searched his eyes determined to find a lie, a treachery in his words, but there were none. "Yeah?"

He nodded, more serious than he remembers being in a long, long time.

"Yeah... I really like you, Mrs. Takahashi. I like you with every fiber of my being, every part of you, your daughter, your home, you're grieving. I know that my feelings for you can grow. But only if you'll let it and you'll let me into your life."

Tenten blinked, her eyes felt heavy and puffy. Her chest no longer ached or felt burdened, she was smiling, but it contained sadness. "What about Sally?"

He stared her straight in the eyes. "I promise that I'll get things straightened with her tomorrow. I can't keep living a lie, and I know that by staying with her, I will be. I want to give us a fair chance."

Tenten could not believe her ears. This man…he cares for her!

He stepped closer to her, until their bodies were almost touching. She started to tremble, but not out of fear, but of excitement. He looked deep in her eyes and started leaning towards her, slowly like a teenage boy kissing his girlfriend for the first time, until finally, their lips met.

It was like a million explosives, a million sparks of happiness, safety, and warmth exploding in her belly. It was so soft, so possessing, so remarkable.

She felt his hand cup her face, before he pulled back. She looked up at him, breathless and he stared back at her. They had finished what they had begun at his condo that Saturday, but none of them had any regrets. Their worlds were poles apart, they had many things on their plate, some too many, but they knew that at the end of the day none of that mattered.

What mattered was that feeling of pure bliss that sparkled to life, whenever they were together.

Whether a daughter, or a soon to be x fiancé, or a grieving soul, or a dreadful past, all shall be conquered in time. In time, all shall be conquered together. Was what they thought.

She smiled and he smiled back.

'Only if you'll let me,' He thought.

A/N: The update you all have been waiting for! Thanks for all the patience. FF's being acting weird lately but i finally managed to update!

MUCH love!

Also, if any authors have been having an issue with updating try replacing the word 'Property' with 'content' on the URL once the error type 2 message pops up. (Thanks to Fireflygirl119 for that!)

If you can, let me know what you thought of the chappy. ;)

~Animehostess