A/N: Wow, it's been two weeks. First FF was acting weird and then I lost the chapter in a freak storm so this particular chapter has had a lot of setbacks. It's not the greatest thing in the world, probably riddled with grammer/spelling mistakes, but it's going to bring about some change. Thanks for waiting and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own.

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Chapter 12

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Neji POV

I'm trying not to scratch out my eyes and bang my head against the wall right now because this situation is even more horrible than I anticipated. Hiashi is talking with the other man and do I detect a hint of a smile on his face? This sucks. A lot.

And the girl!

Good god she's a friend of Tenten's . . .

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Tenten leaned out her small balcony in time to catch a glimpse of bright blonde hair and Hinata. She'd heard them talking outside her door and it had been tempting to open it and surprise Hinata, but when Naruto offered to walk her home it just seemed too romantic to interrupt. She's so lucky to like a guy who's so nice and considerate . . . Tenten glowered as Neji's stoic face popped into her mind. I like a guy who's cold and an ass to boot.

She walked into the living room of her small, but cozy, apartment and began closing her textbooks, finished with her homework. I deserve something for handling his rejection so well. She ignored the fact that she had been crying in a bathroom.

What did Ino call it?

Oh yes.

Retail therapy.

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Her hand was poised over a red kimono-like silk shirt decorated with black and gold dragons outlined in a dark gold thread, an ocher color. The price was 25,000 yen (very expensive). The material was smooth and flowed through her fingertips like water and her hand unconsciously moved to her back pocket to grab her wallet, but she sighed and dropped her hand. Even if she did want it she didn't have that much money to spend on a shirt. Tenten walked out of the lavish store, Kaitsuka, and idly began strolling down the sidewalk.

Couples holding hands, laughing and kissing, walked by her and Tenten wondered if the whole world was mocking her. No, it's not other people's fault that Neji is such a stupid, idiotic, loser, jack ass, b—

"Tenten?"

She stumbled over her own feet and found herself tumbling down face first to meet hard concrete but someone's hand shot out just in time and now she was being cradled against a random person's chest. A guy's chest. Tenten looked up into a pale face, semi-short red hair and light green eyes outlined by dark liner. Oh my god . . . Is that . . .

"Gaara?" she asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?" He let her go and she tried not to blush at his dashing good looks.

"Temari, Kankurou and I are back from China. We'll be staying here for a few months."

Gaara didn't elaborate on the reason why he was here but Tenten was just glad he was.

"Do you want to go somewhere to catch up?" she asked brightly, giving him a winning smile.

Gaara took her hand in his and she started blushing the moment their hands touched. "Do you have a particular place you want to go?"

"No." Tenten was surprised how . . . Breathless her voice sounded.

"Do you want to just walk around?"

"Ok." His hand felt warm as it held hers and she smiled.

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"I didn't know it was you I had to have this damn omiai with," she murmured hotly, 'accidentally' jabbing him with her elbow under the table. "I can't stand you, Hyuuga."

"Right now," he whispered back, kicking her shin, "the feeling is mutual." He was not about to be beaten down by some girl.

Temari bit back the urge to stick her tongue out at him, it would seem very immature, and instead focused on knocking salt into his food. The white substance coated his rice and miso soup and she was satisfied when he was stumped for a moment on how to get her back.

"Temari!" Baki slammed his fist upon the table and she winced. "Stop that!"

"Yes sir." she mumbled grudgingly.

Baki gave her one more cold glance and then resumed speaking with Hyuuga Hiashi.

"It's your own fault," Neji said coolly as a new bowl of rice was placed down before him by a waiter. "You got caught." He smirked at her infuriated expression, taking a bite of food.

"You son of a b—"

"Language, Temari-san." he scolded lightly.

She was seeing red and was about to launch herself at the taciturn Hyuuga, never mind the fact that she'd seem like a barbarian, but Baki coughed harshly and she turned at the sound.

Hiashi folded his hands under his chin and regarded them both mutely. "We've decided that you two shall be married in a month. Even though there are some problems between you," he cast Neji a pointed glance, "we believe you two can work them out like adults in the coming days. I expect you both to go to appointments and be on time for dinners and functions for our companies. Understood?"

Temari shot Baki a death glare, he conveniently looked away, and clenched her teeth together. "Yes."

Reluctantly, Neji also said yes.

His mouth felt like it was full of sand.

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"I'm surprised you're in Japan." Tenten licked her vanilla ice cream cone and stared at him accusingly. "You never mentioned coming back in your emails."

Gaara shrugged. "It was sudden after Hyuuga—"

"What?" she asked, startled. "Neji!?"

"No." Gaara brushed his flaming red hair to the side since it obscured his vision. There was a slight frown marring his calm features. "Hyuuga Hiashi came to my father and said they should merge companies because we'll make more profit that way. My father said yes and sent my brother and I along with Baki and Temari to finalize the deal."

"Deal?"

He looked at her in surprise. "I thought you and Hyuuga are best friends, don't you know?"

"Know what?" she asked warily.

"Temari and Neji are getting married."

She choked on her ice cream cone.

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"Temari? And Hyuuga Neji!?" Ino screamed, stamping her foot on the ground. "Getting married!? It's not possible!"

Tenten tried not to feel so dejected and forced a smile. "I don't know if it's true or not, but why would Gaara lie?" She desperately wanted it to be false, but . . .

"He might still like you," Sakura scrutinized her writing and erased a smudge her arm had made on the crisp white paper. "So he could've been lying." she said reasonably.

"Gaara's not like that." Tenten replied seriously. She'd never doubt his words in another case, but this was so sudden and unexpected. Why hadn't Neji told her himself? He hadn't been to school in a week and she was beginning to worry. Was he sick? Was he hurt? The questions clawed at her insides and she knew she would visit him soon, but the sharp pain of rejection was still fresh. He's your best friend! So what if he kissed you then kicked you to the curb and decided to marry some other girl, he's still your friend!

Tenten inwardly fumed. She would not go visit Neji. Screw him.

"Hey . . ." Ino sat down beside her and nudged her side. "Do you like Gaara?"

"I don't know." Tenten murmured. On their meeting they had walked around the city, visited Tokyo Tower, he'd bought her ice cream and they watched the sunset together in the park. It had been romantic and she had had fun with him. "He's a nice guy." she said, seeing him in her mind's eye. He was so good looking . . . And sweet too . . .

"You guys should go out." Ino said simply. "Everyone thought you two would make a cute couple before, the only reason we never said anything was because we thought Neji," his name left her mouth with disdain, "would ask you out but seeing as how we were wrong . . ."

Sakura frowned. "It doesn't make any sense though. Why would Neji suddenly go and decide to marry Temari of all people? She likes Shikamaru and he likes—he doesn't like anyone."

"Have you asked Hinata about this?" their blonde friend asked, blowing her bangs out of her face absently.

"She hasn't been at school either and I can't get a hold of her over the phone." Tenten scrubbed her hands over her face and groaned. "What do you think I should do?"

Ino said, "Forget about Hyuuga and go out with Gaara." right when Sakura said, "Ask Ino."

"I don't know, I'll have to think about it."

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Tenten sat alone in her apartment and stared at a familiar picture on top of her kitchen counter. Everyone was there but her eyes were immediately drawn to her own face and the one beside it. Neji glowered at the camera while she had pulled on his hair and laughed as Lee, on his other side, slung an arm over his shoulder and moved in to kissed him on the cheek. Neji was not pleased. Naruto and Kiba thought it would be funny if they spiked Lee's drink and it was.

Her heart constricted slightly and she slammed the photo down. The glass frame cracked, she heard it, and Tenten ran her fingers through her bangs.

What am I doing? Her vision blurred and she fiercely held back the tears. I won't cry. I won't cry!

The doorbell rang and she turned towards the sound instantly. Tenten quickly walked to the door and opened it to find a slightly disgruntled Gaara and his older brother Kankurou, looking quite smug and ruffling his younger brother's hair. Kankurou had grown since the last time she saw him and his dark hair sat upon his head in wild spikes, a little like Naruto's. There was a smirk on his face and Gaara scowled.

"Kankurou? Gaara?" she asked, confused as to why they were here.

Kankurou started snickering. "Gaara couldn't remember how to get to your apartment building so I had to come with him here," he pinched his brother's cheek between his fingers and dodged the punch that came sailing towards his head. "Isn't he cute when he's flustered?"

Tenten had to agree but from the look on the red haired boy's face it was unwise to comment.

"Kankurou," Gaara said calmly, masking his embarrassment, "go back to the hotel and play with your toys."

"I told you before they aren't toys; they're puppets!" his brother yelled, indignant. Kankurou suddenly turned towards her and said, "He's just pissed I embarrassed him in front of y—" He didn't see the second punch and Kankurou let out a line of obscenities as he clutched his smarting arm. "Dammit Gaara!"

"Go home." Gaara replied flatly.

Kankurou raised a hand and pointed at his brother. "I'll remember this tonight so you had better watch your back."

Tenten grinned as Kankurou disappeared around the corner. "So, why are you here?" she asked him, motioning for him to come inside but Gaara politely declined with a shake of his head.

"Kankurou and I were inside the Marriott and they had a very nice bakery," he magically brought out a previously concealed bag and handed it to her. "I remember you told me you like sweets in one of your emails and that you like lemons."

She opened the bag and a small gasp escaped her lips. Inside was the most exquisite cake she'd ever seen. White frosting coated it from top to bottom and swirls of thick lemon glaze, yellow, covered the top and sides. A beautiful flower was in the center, made of yellow icing and around it were small spun sugar lilies, also yellow.

There was also a red rose, sweet smelling and still slightly wet with water droplets.

So it was then that she made a decision to truly forget about loving Hyuuga Neji.

'Forget about Hyuuga and go out with Gaara.'

She would.

Gaara looked a little startled at first when she moved closer to kiss him, he hadn't been expecting it, but immediately responded.

If Neji's moving on why can't I?

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Most people didn't know it, but trying on different tuxes for a wedding was exhausting, especially when you had to have Temari with you to critique it. Neji must've tried on a at least 50, but maybe 51 would be lucky.

"No." Temari idly crossed her legs and bobbed her foot up and down. "Not right."

"What do you care what I wear?" he asked, aggravated as he shrugged out of the black Armani jacket and picking up another from the enormous rack that had been delivered to Temari's hotel suite. "They all look the same."

"If I've got to marry you then I want you to look good in the wedding photos." she responded simply. Temari frowned at his jacket and shook her head.

Neji put it back on the rack. "Don't you like Shikamaru?"

"Yeah, but I have to do what my dad says, just like you have to do what your uncle says, right?" Temari glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "What?"

"I don't want to marry you."

"I wouldn't want to marry me either."

Neji gazed at her inquisitively. "What?" he asked.

Temari's mouth turned upwards in a smirk. "I'm going to make your life a living hell."

Joy, he thought. At least I'll be dead by then.

"I'm leaving." he stated, walking purposefully to the door.

Temari shrugged and shoved the clothes rack towards a wall. "If you're so in love with Tenten, why are you marrying me?" she asked, feeling satisfied that she'd hit a sensitive spot as he stopped mid trek.

"I don't love her." he replied. Neji could feel her skeptical look raking over his back.

"Whatever."

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The phone was ringing again.

Hinata ignored it and slammed the kitchen cupboard closed with more force than necessary, causing Neji to turn towards her a little irritated.

"If it annoys you so much then pick it up." he said, spreading butter on his toast and taking a bite.

"You know it's Tenten trying to find out what's happened to you." she hissed.

Neji had come to realize that whenever Hinata was incredibly angry she never stuttered. "Hn."

"You need to talk to her some time," Hinata murmured, putting a bowl, a spoon and a box of cereal on the table. She opened the refrigerator and got milk. "You're going to invite her to your wedding at least, right?"

"Hn." He had thought about inviting Tenten to his wedding, a lot. It engrossed his thoughts and he found himself debating whether or not to call her in the middle of the night. He wondered if she was thinking about his as much as he seemed to be doing of her. Neji couldn't tell anyone, but he missed her terribly.

Hiashi was pretty happy about his impending marriage to Temari and was constantly on the phone with his assistants booking places and signing papers to merge Hyuuga Enterprises and Sabaku Corporations.

Neji glared into his food.

The wedding was three weeks away.

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A/N: Throwing Gaara (he's so freaking awesome) into the mix adds a twist and more tension. Soon enough we'll be seeing Jealous Neji! Yay! If you liked it please review!