And here is the next chapter, devoted readers!
Tenten's skin seemed to glow in the pale light filtering through the bedroom window. To be entirely honest Neji felt like a total creep staring at her with such intensity, but despite that, he couldn't get himself to look away.
She was like an addiction, or some strange form of cancer. She had burrowed through his bones and into his soul in a matter of days. And it seemed like she wasn't ever going to leave.
Tenten sighed in her sleep, the warm gust of air moving over his chest.
With great reluctance, Neji swung himself out of bed. Staying in the cocoon of blankets with her was a bad idea and he knew it.
Tenten mewled at the loss of his body heat, and a few minutes later one dark eye cracking open to stare at him sleepily.
"What are you doing?"
Neji was in the middle of a crescent kick, and froze at the sound of her voice.
"I'm stretching."
Tenten groaned softly and sat up. "Why so early in the morning? It's not even eight yet."
Neji shrugged. "Why not? I'm awake."
Tenten flopped back down on the bed, "Well I'm not."
He laughed and flowed through the rest of his kick, continuing with his stretches.
From her vantage point on the bed, Tenten could easily see the power in Neji's body. From the cut lines in his upper arms, to the little defined lines on his torso, this was a body capable of great cruelty, if not for the kindness in his eyes.
She settled herself against the pillows, content to watch the show.
Neji desperately tried to ignore the way Tenten's sleepy eyes tracked his movements. Her attention was both welcome and strangely disconcerting.
He felt like he was in kindergarten again, and was trying to get the girl he liked to notice him.
Only in this case, she definitely noticed him, and he was just preening for her attention.
Neji ran through every stretch he could think of, hoping to distract himself, but he ran out far too soon.
Panting lightly, he stopped and stood silently in Tenten's guest room.
"How long have you been doing martial arts?" Tenten asked quietly, breaking the silence.
"For as long as I can remember."
Tenten nodded. "Do you like it?"
Neji shrugged. "I suppose I like it well enough now. When I first started, I absolutely despised fighting."
"Why?"
The question seemed to throw him off guard. No one had asked him that before. "I'm not really sure. Probably because my family's martial arts aim to hurt, not to defend."
"And you still stuck with it."
It wasn't really a question but he answered anyways, "Yes. I didn't have much of a choice in the beginning, but when I got older I realized I could make the distinction between defending and hurting myself."
Tenten smiled. "Honorable even as a child were you?"
Neji shrugged and tried to change the subject. "What do you want for breakfast?"
"Your call. There's fresh fruit in the fridge and stuff for waffles in the pantry."
"Fruit sounds good to me. That okay with you?"
"Sure." Tenten swung out of bed, taking a minute to straighten her tank top and retie the drawstring on her shorts.
The two left the room and started breakfast, slicing up chunks of strawberries and kiwis and putting them in a bowl. They sat at the counter across from one another and just talked about nothing. How the weather was. What school was like. How excited they were to graduate.
There was a knock at her door.
Neji looked over at her and frowned. "Are you expecting someone?"
Tenten shook her head. "No."
"I'll get it." He was already halfway to the door.
Tenten got up to follow him.
Neji answered her door like he owned the place. He frowned and picked something up from the floor. Turning around he handed her a manila envelope.
"It's addressed to you."
Tenten gingerly took the package and returned the counter with it. Pulling a knife out of the drawer she cut through the packing tape. Inside was a note.
I'm sorry for ruining your night out. Please forgive me.
Nabu
Tenten reached farther into the envelope to reveal two tickets to an exclusive nightclub she'd never been to.
"What is it?" Neji asked, leaning over her shoulder to take the note. He stiffened as he read it, then looked at the tickets he'd sent her.
"You're not going."
Tenten turned to scowl at him. "You are not my keeper Hyuuga. You are my house guest. You don't get to say what I do and don't do."
"I don't trust him, and neither would you if you were smart."
"I never said I did trust him. I never said I was going. The point is you don't get that kind of say in my life."
"Like hell I don't!"
"Who died and made you God Hyuuga?"
Neji's scowl turned murderous. "You are not using those tickets."
"Why not? Maybe I've always really wanted to go to the club and just never got around to it."
"Then I'll take you!"
Tenten stared at him, "How is there a difference."
"There is." Neji said. "If you want to go to the club I'll take you. But I can guarantee if you go to whatever event those tickets are for, Nabu will be there."
"You are… you are…"
"I am what?" Neji asked darkly.
"A possessive ass! That's what." Tenten practically shouted. "Just when I think I'm starting to like you, you pull something like this out of the blue!"
He shook his head. "You need to cool down. You know that going to the club is a bad idea."
"Of course I know that! That isn't the point, Hyuuga."
"Then what is the point Tenten? What the hell are you so worked up over?"
"The point is that you waltzed into my life and suddenly decided you could make decisions for me. The point is that you suddenly think that you have some control over me you don't."
"Control? This isn't about control, Tenten. This is about being smart."
"Yeah? Are you implying that I'm not smart? Despite the fact that I'm clearly not a genius, I do maintain a solid 3.8 GPA. I've been living on my own for years now. I can handle myself Hyuuga. I don't need you to tell me what I do and don't need to do. Today it's the club tomorrow it's my hair the day after that it's the way I talk. I don't need that."
"I… I'm not trying to control your life, Tenten. I'd never do that to you."
"Haven't you already Hyuuga? You muscled your way into my guest room. Now you're telling me where I can't go." Tenten looked like she was going to cry.
Neji didn't have a response to that. When she put it that way, he really did seem like a Grade A jackass.
He took a deep breath. "Tenten … I'm sorry."
"Sure you are."
Nothing he was going to say was going to convince her he really was sorry, so he did the only other thing he could think of.
He turned and started walking back to Tenten's guest room.
"Where are you going now Hyuuga?" Tenten's voice sounded tired.
"I'm packing my bag." He shoved a few things into his duffel and swung it over his shoulder.
"When the going gets tough the Hyuuga gets going huh?" Tenten remarked dryly.
Neji didn't say anything as he walked out of her door. Not anything. Not even a goodbye.
Damn it, she was not going to cry over that cold hearted bastard. She wasn't going to do it!
But a few hours later, Tenten was starting to feel really bad about the fight with Neji. Pulling out her phone, she was about to send him an apology, but realized she didn't have his cell number.
Refusing to be discourages, she instead dialed Hinata.
"H-hello?" Hinata's soft voice was music to Tenten's ears.
"Hi Hinata. Is Neji around?"
"Neji? I thought he was with you?"
Tenten could hear the worry bleed into Hinata's voice. "Oh alright then. He mentioned that he might swing by to get some more clothes on his was to the grocery. I wanted to remind him we need milk. Then I realized I don't have his cell number."
"Oh okay then! I don't know his cell offhand either. I'll have to ask him next time I see him."
"Yeah me too." Tenten tried not to feel too bad at her bald faced lie.
Someone knocked at her door.
"Sorry Hinata. I gotta go. Someone's at the door."
The two said their goodbyes as Tenten walked to her front door and cracked it a little.
Neji stood on the stoop.
She swung the door open wider, "What the hell are you doing back - "
Neji proffered a bright purple lily. "May I please stay in your guest room?"
Tenten took the flower and felt a big smile take root on her face. "Get in here Hyuuga."
There you are! Expect the next chapter shortly! (I say that every time don't I?) R&R please!
