Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter Thirteen

Dear Diary,

It's been two years now since Neji confessed.

It's frustrating how my sense of time always revolves around that day, now I come to think of it.

Anyway, enough about him. Today, I found out that I got an A star in every single GCSE subject. I was so happy, I nearly picked up the phone and called Neji.

I know why I wanted to call him...it's sad, really, that I'm still thinking about him after two years of erasing his significance in my life. Somehow his face makes it into every single happy moment of my life...but it seems that I'm doing better than him, surprisingly, even though he's been accepted into Cambridge, Oxford and Harvard...

He's single. He always has been. He's never kissed a girl before, never been out on a date before. And this is Hyuuga Neji, the most lusted after boy in the entire school.

Of course, I know why. The pathetic bastard is still pining over me. Even though he sees me everyday with Gaara.

Gaara. My boyfriend.

He said he loved me. He says it everyday, and I say it back.

And I mean it. I do. Surprisingly, I have fallen in love with Gaara. My first (and it seems, only) boyfriend.

My friends say that it was meant to be, the moment he walked into our classroom.

Speaking of my friends, they all seem to be doing pretty well too. Sasuke and Hinata have won the last three national dancing competitions, and they're practically engaged.

Sakura was heartbroken when she first heard about their relationship, naturally. Hinata was, expectedly, extremely guilty. But Sakura's now going out with (and I still can't believe this) Rock Lee. I have no idea what she sees in him, but they seem happy enough.

Ino...is beautiful. She never has one boyfriend, and her relationships seem to last about a week each. I think she's currently dating two boys in Neji's year called Kiba and Shino. Really, I can't believe how stupid they are not to see that she's cheating on them. It's so painfully obvious I just want to throw something at them and yell 'HOW STUPID CAN YOU GET?!!!'

But anyway, enough with them.

Neji's leaving for Harvard next week...it'll be strange. Even after we stopped talking to each other we still saw each other everyday...I mean, it's not difficult because we live next to each other and go to the same school, and his cousin is my best friend.

It's frustrating, I can't even seem to write down my real thoughts in the privacy of my own diary...

I...I'll miss him...

I've just read over the above line, and I can't believe how pathetic I sound. I'm such a hypocrite. I spend two years making him suffer and telling everyone that I hate him, then I go and write that.

I don't want him to leave...not when we're like this...

Neji pushed the trolley through the airport, trying to find Shikamaru, who was also going to Harvard. He had already said goodbye to his uncle and cousins outside the airport.

He sighed in frustration, and took out his mobile phone to call him, when he heard a small voice behind him.

That voice...

He whipped around and saw Tenten standing there, looking down at the ground.

"Tenten..." He breathed, his eyes wide with shock.

"I just...wanted to say...bye." She said stiffly.

Neji didn't know what to say.

"This...doesn't mean anything..." She seemed to have trouble getting the words out, and was still looking at the ground. "It's just...you've never left m-, I mean, you've never left before and...yeah, bye."

A small flame of hope rekindled in Neji's chest, but he put it out, reminding himself of what had happened to his last hope two years before.

'I suppose it is natural...nobody can just suddenly break off a lifetime of friendship...not even Tenten...'

"Tenten." He cupped her face with his hand and made her look up at him. Her eyes met his, unflinching. "It means a lot to me, that you've come to say goodbye." He said softly, smiling sadly.

"But trust me, it's better that I leave and get out of your life. It'll be better for us both." He straightened up and put his hand back on the handle of the trolley.

"Forget me, Tenten." He started walking away.

"Won't you even hug me goodbye?" Tenten blurted out. She was horrified that she had said that, but...she wouldn't regret it if he did...

Neji only froze for a fraction of a second before continuing to walk away.

Tenten still felt the tingle of his touch on her skin. She wanted to hug him, to tell him that he was the best friend she had ever had, that she would never forget him...

But then her pride took over, and she walked in the opposite direction.

Six years later...

Tenten shivered slightly, and felt her boyfriend's arm wrap around her.

It was a cold winter's night. Snow fell softly around the walking couple as they made their way through the streets.

Gaara and Tenten were making their way back to the apartment they shared near Cambridge, after their graduation party.

"That was a fun party," Gaara said happily.

"Yeah," Tenten giggled. "I never thought I'd see Hinata drunk."

He chuckled softly, and they walked in companionable silence for a few moments.

"The snow is beautiful, isn't it, Tenten?"

"Yeah..." She smiled. Gaara loved seeing that.

'Well...now is as good a time as any...'

"Tenten." He suddenly stopped. Tenten looked at him curiously.

"Hm?"

He took something out of his pocket and knelt down in front of her. Tenten's eyes widened as she realized what he was doing.

"Gaara..." She breathed.

"Tenten, I love you. You're...You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I want to be with you forever." He held the ring out towards her.

"Will you marry me?" He said softly, his eyes alight with hope.

Tenten had stopped breathing. Her eyes were wide with shock

Gaara...was proposing?

Her eyes met his and she almost jumped as she saw his face morph into someone's that she hadn't seen in five years...

Someone who had had the same hope in his eyes when he had confessed his love...

'I can't ruin this like I did last time...I already have too much I regret...'

'I love Gaara...he'd never hurt me like Neji did...and I can't hurt him like I hurt Neji...I'm not that selfish teenager anymore...'

"Yes."

Neji unlocked the door of the flat that he and Shikamaru shared in Tokyo, yawning.

"You're finally back." Shikamaru drawled from the living room.

"It was a long mission." Not allowing the exhaustion show in his voice.

Neji and Shikamaru worked at the biggest secret intelligence agency in Japan. They had been headhunted into the agency the moment the graduated. Shikamaru's intelligence had helped him rise quickly in the agency's intelligence work. Neji, on the other hand, was the best field operator they had.

Neji grabbed a pile of letters from the coffee table and leafed though them, ignoring the bills.

Then, a beige envelope caught his attention. He ripped it open and saw something that nearly gave him a heart attack.

You are invited

to

Gaara and Tenten's Wedding

He flipped it over and saw the details on the back.

'This is ridiculous...she's only 22...' He thought angrily. They were getting married in his hometown in a week.

He threw the invitation back down on the table and stormed into his room.

Shikamaru only had to glance down at the coffee table to know what was wrong.

"Neji, I'm coming with you."

The only response he got was the thud of Neji's suitcase being throw open.

Tenten panted as she jogged through the neighbourhood, as she did every morning. Usually Gaara would be running with her, but today he was busy checking something with his siblings.

She broke into a sprint, loving the feeling of the air rushing past her...

Then she noticed that someone was running beside her and she turned her head.

She slowed down , eyes wide in shock.

"N-Neji?"

"Tenten. It's been a while."

Neji observed the beautiful woman in front of him. Her cheeks were flushed from running, her breast heaving as she panted...

His gaze moved lower and he took in her slim waist and her long legs, which were bare as she was only wearing shorts.

'Six years really does make a difference...she's even more beautiful than she was when she was sixteen.'

Tenten looked admiringly at the muscles that she saw in his arms and chest. His hair was even longer than before, tied as it always was, at the bottom.

'He is hot.' Then, she guiltily added 'But...not as hot as my fiance...'

"Tenten?" She looked up to his face, and immediately felt her admiration turn to irritation as she saw the smirk on his face.

"What do you want?" She asked flatly. 'If you say a single thing against Gaara and me...'

There was hurt projected in his eyes now. "What do I want? I have to have a reason for coming to see the girl I love?"

If Tenten was surprised by his question, she didn't show it.

"That's a pretty rude thing to say to a girl that's about to be married." She said coldly, folding her arms.

Neji frowned. "I leave for six years, not hearing a single word from you, and suddenly I get an invitation to your wedding. Is that not rude?"

"It's not like I heard anything from you." There was no emotion in her voice.

He felt a pang of guilt at that. "I was busy. I had exams, then I had to work."

She arched an eyebrow. "Then you must have been too busy to read anything you got from home."

"Tenten!" Neji burst out in frustration. Tenten's composure slipped in surprise, but she quickly regained it. "Stop being so difficult!"

There was silence for a while.

"Alright," Tenten said at last. "It's been nice talking to you Neji. Really." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, as she turned away and started running away from him.

Neji just stood there and watched her run away.

Don't worry, this is still a NejiTen. Gaara will be...dealt with, later on in the story.