AN: The first draft of the winter section from my fic in-progress, 'Only Eden' (my excuse for the lack of updates here xD; ). The final version will be different, but consider this a teaser:) The parenthesis are from This is the Countdown by Mae. Enjoy!

Withered Chrysalis

"Tenten?"

She leaned against the birch, watching melting snow fall off the bare winter branches. Cheerfully she twirled a kunai around her finger, humming a pleasant tune as she closed her eyes, rising her barely-tinted cheeks to release a cold breath into the arms of spring.

"Yeah, Neji?"

She lazily cracked open an eye, a peaceful smile warming her lips as she watched him stare at the cracking ice beneath his feet. Time ticked by like a compass in slow-motion as mist rose into the fluorescent sun. His arms hung stiffly at his sides, and if he wasn't a Hyuuga she would've sworn he was fidgeting and-god, did he just bite his lip!

At last he looked up at her, firm white eyes set with a fresh determination. His fingers twitched-no, shook as he tentatively took a step closer; then another, and then another and another, forcibly becoming steady strides. She looked at him curiously, both eyes open with interest and slightly shaking with something like nervousness. What did he want that made him so anxious?

The faint flush on her cheeks darkened with something else entirely than the cold as his arms encircled her waist.

"Uh-" she breathed tensely, her white breath fading in the space between them. She lifted her eyes to meet his, face burning as his strong gaze pulled her in. She opened her lips once more but no words came out. His eyes held her, something unfulfilled breathing in their hollow tones as he tightened his arms around her closer to him.

She blinked, dazed as she felt his burning veins tense, muscles tightening with self-control. His lips tightened briefly, then loosened with a cool heavy breath. She watched the mist dance away into the afternoon sun-anything to distract herself from his eyes.

(You put your nets out
and still you chose to do without.)

"Wh-what do you want?" she asked, eyes forced downward. She urged the blood to drain from her cheeks. This couldn't be happening-he couldn't possibly want her, after all the years of indifference and mocking her dreams. She had made the illusions vaporize a year ago, when his arranged marriage to the Cloud princess had been announced. He had barely looked at her then, the hardened frames of his eyes shaking with something nearly undetectable but uncontrolled. She had looked away then, too. And she wouldn't start looking now. What was he thinking?

"…" He stared at her, lips motionless. Words were fluttering on the tips of his mind but they only managed to seep through his glass eyes. And yet the message still blazed clear.

"Now? You've had years to say something, and only now when you're getting married do you finally make a move?" She pushed out of his arms, teeth tearing at her lip at the effort it took to keep her eyes away from his. "No, Neji." She managed, lips shaking. "You had your chance. You lost it."

(The only way to catch a butterfly
is never waiting for the wings-)

She turned away, eyes closed. "Can't you at least say something?" she whispered desperately, a mere faint wish draining away into the world. He watched her with empty eyes, feeling blank and lost as she treaded off through the trees, leaving deep footprints in the snow that would be gouged in his mind forever.

The wish was not unheard.

But he didn't know what to do.