Tenten's first thought as she came back to consciousness was that she had never felt so utterly tired in her life. It was a bone deep kind of tired, more than just the result of too little sleep or too much physical exertion. She tried to open her eyes but even her eyelids were heavy and it took her a few moments before she could force them open to see her surroundings. Her memory was a little fuzzy but she recognized that she wasn't in the same place where she had fallen asleep. Asleep…no that didn't sound right…she wasn't asleep, she was unconscious. She was lying on her back in a comfortable enough bed but it ached, especially on her right side and she turned her head thinking she would roll over only to recognize a head of black hair resting beside her left hand.

Neji was slumped over in the chair beside her bed, head resting on the bed and hand on her stomach. His warm hand brushed the fingers of her right hand that rested there but carefully avoided the needle where a drip had been connected to get some fluids into her. He was frowning in his sleep but bolted awake when Tenten's memory of the previous night came flooding back and she gasped loudly in awareness.

It took a moment for him to place what had woken him but the genuine and unguarded smile that appeared on his face when he saw her awake was so stunning that she couldn't speak for a moment.

"Nice of you to rejoin us," his smile relaxed into a familiar smirk, albeit one with an underlying tension she couldn't miss, "how are you feeling?"

Tenten gave him a small smile of her own and shifted a little experimentally to test her pain level. The wound in her back throbbed but someone must have given her painkillers because it was a dull throb. Everything else ached but it was the lethargy she was having trouble shaking.

"Like I got run over by Naruto on the way to a ramen stand…" her voice was scratchy and foreign to her own ears but she heard him scoff lightly and looked down to see him rub his thumb across the fingers of her left hand that was stretched out towards him. He always did that when he was trying to be delicate about something or was overly worried about her.

He pulled away after a moment and reached for a cup of water on the bedside table, holding it to her mouth so she could take a few sips before he replied. He put the cup down and she felt his eyes appraise her as he spoke,

"After the night you have had I am surprised you don't feel worse."

She suddenly remembered everything that had happened and a look of sheer terror crossed her face as she strained to check him over for injuries of his own. He seemed unharmed aside from the exhaustion and distress evident in his face but there was still something not quite right about him.

"Oh Kami, Neji…what happened with your cousin? And the Elders? Was anyone else hurt?"

He held both hands up in a placating gesture to quiet her and leaned back in his chair, "It's okay, calm down. You were the only one of us injured. My cousin stabbed you, but he won't be a problem anymore. I dealt with him."

Tenten recognized the tone of his voice and realised what that meant. She didn't ask for the details.

"Shikamaru and my uncle dealt with the two Elders and for the moment the Council has been dissolved. Hiashi exercised a rarely used power within him rights as clan leader and had the remaining Council members disbanded. Those who remained either share his views or respect his judgment enough to allow it, at least for the time being. I think they were as betrayed as the rest of us by the whole situation. Things will be quite different from now on."

That's when she noticed his what was wrong with his face and two things crossed her mind at once so she decided to ask the easiest first, "Neji your forehead," she took the effort to roll towards him and he leaned forward to allow her to brush her right hand over the now unmarked, bare skin above his brow, "the curse seal is gone."

He closed his eyes at the touch of her hand and simply nodded gently.

"How?"

Opening his eyes again, Neji raised his eyebrows as he answered conversationally, "Would you believe I am not the only person who goes snooping through old clan records? Hinata apparently worked out how to release the seal months ago, but didn't want to mention it until she was sure the council wouldn't simply brand me again if she released it. When she came in last night she figured it was better to release it and risk them doing it again than to just let it kill me. And according to my uncle it won't be going back on, I am officially free…" he smiled a little at her as he said those words for the first time.

He had been confused and shocked when Hiashi told him in the waiting room that he was not going to be rebranded with the curse seal. As it seemed, Hinata had pulled her father aside on the way to the hospital and quietly threatened that she would release it again if anyone decide to rebrand he cousin, and that the evenings events demonstrated perfectly what an outdated tradition it was. Neji had expected his uncle to be mad but Hiashi was almost amused as he recounted the interaction to him, and pleased to see his daughter put her foot down and demonstrate a sense of leadership and command. Neji had simply been pleased that Hinata saw fit to be his ally and to take the risk to support him.

"Free as a bird…" Tenten joked lightly as she watched him carefully, appreciating the ability to see his whole face now without that awful mark. She still felt weak, but her strength was slowly returning the longer she stayed awake and talking, "That is the best news I think I've ever heard. Congratulations…" she caught the sudden change in his facial expression and frowned when he didn't look ecstatic, "What?"

"It isn't all good news, unfortunately…" Neji ran a nervous hand over his face and back through his hair, unable to meet her eyes, and she knew instantly what he was going to say.

"The baby?"

He nodded jerkily. Neji had never expected that he would be so upset to lose something had hadn't really been aware of having in the first place, but faced with the idea of a family, of a glimpse of a life with Tenten, and now unbranded, he had would have relished the opportunity. And he couldn't suppress the gnawing guilt in his chest that no matter what he had tried, no matter how he looked at the evidence, the truth was that he had caused this loss and he had nearly allowed the most important person in his life to be killed because of him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and turned his head further away to avoid her gaze but she caught a look of shame cross his features as he did so.

"Hey, don't do that…I know what you're thinking, Neji. Look at me…" Neji didn't apologise often and when he did it was always with deep sincerity, but it broke Tenten's heart to this he felt responsible for the burden of their loss all on his own.

He turned back towards her but withheld eye contact and she was shocked to see tears in his eyes.

"Look at me," this time he did and she reached over to rub her hand up his forearm, "This is not your fault. None of this is your fault. You told me to stay put and I made a choice to do the opposite…it was my decision and we both know that if I hadn't made it you would be dead. Sometimes it's my job to protect you, not the other way around, and we can't dwell on the what-ifs of the outcome. It happened and it's done now, but the important thing is that we are alive and together. Everything happens the way it is supposed to in the end, all we can do is to feel it, accept it and forward from here…"

He looked less distraught with that reassurance and even mustered up a brief smile in reply.

"I love you."

It was a simple statement, presented in his typically straightforward manner, no flourish of declaration or dramatic public spectacle, but it was absolutely perfect and the first time he had ever expressed it to her directly. Tenten grinned like a school girl despite herself and responded teasingly in mock shock, "I should hope so…you did call me 'babe' after all…"

Neji looked ridiculously embarrassed by that slip of the tongue in his distress and she reveled in the knowledge – he always hated and got that awkward irate twitch when Naruto called Hinata pet names. Tenten reached out for him even as he glared slightly before taking her hand. He eyed her with mock suspicion as he moved to climb up into the empty space beside her on the bed, careful to avoid the line in her arm by resting that hand on top of his chest as he laid back next to her.

"I think the blood loss must have addled your brain, babe…because I have no idea what you are talking about..."

He caught the beginnings of a smirk before she suppressed it, and allowed her to curl up with her head on his shoulder and drape her legs over his as he stretched out, "Well…it happens…" she conceded.

"Hn," he tilted her head up to plant a gentle but certain kiss against her lips that left her momentarily breathless, "Though I could be convinced to use that nickname if you were persuasive enough, I suppose…"

Tenten grinned conspiratorially and replied, "That sounds like a date Neji Hyuuga…your place or mine?"

"How about ours?"

She looked up at him and was surprised to see the he was serious underneath the banter. Hiashi mustn't have been kidding when he said he approved of their relationship, secret or not. Before she could reply Neji added,

"Assuming you are interested in sharing your apartment as more than just a safe haven for when I get into trouble with the clan…" he trailed off with a sly smirk.

Tenten pretended to consider the offer for a moment before linking their hands on top of his chest and closing her eyes contentedly.

"Oh, I'm sure we can work something out…"

3 MONTHS LATER…

The first flowers of spring had just started to bloom in the week before Hinata and Naruto's wedding, drenching the streets of Konoha in a myriad of colours and fragrances. Hinata savoured them as she strolled up the street watching the bustle of people in and out of the shops and homes shaded by the overhanging blossoms. It was a beautiful day, but all things considered it could have been a miserably rainy day and she still would have been in the most excellent mood of her life. This afternoon she would get married and she was so excited that she had been awake since four o'clock this morning with a stomach full of ecstatic butterflies. It probably would have seemed like a childish reaction to anyone else but a few years ago the possibility of Hinata being allowed to marry Naruto was so outrageous that she just couldn't quell her happiness at the way everything was working out so perfectly.

Even Naruto hadn't managed to get himself into any real trouble. He had gotten fairly drunk with the boys a few nights ago and tried to climb into her bedroom window, despite the fact that she lived in a compound full of Byakugan users. Luckily or unluckily for Naruto, Neji had been out with them and intercepted him, however forcefully, before he could get himself busted by her father. Neji and Shikamaru had told Hinata not to worry and had kept an eye on him until he sobered up. Now Naruto was busy preparing for this afternoon's ceremony, leaving Hinata with time to spend the morning running some errands before Ino and Sakura arrived to do her hair and makeup. Crossing the street, she turned right at the corner and started up a familiar set of stairs.

Neji was sitting at his desk finishing off his most recent mission report and glanced out the window and beyond the flower laden tree branches to see Hinata walking up the street with a broad smile on her face. He allowed himself a genuine smile at her expression before putting down the scroll – he was gone for almost a month, the report could wait another day. Finishing his tea and rolling his shoulders before he pushed the chair back, Neji arrived at the door just as Hinata knocked. She looked surprised that he answered so quickly but smiled at him and entered when he stepped back to invite her in.

"Good morning, Neji."

"Good morning, Hinata. I wasn't expecting you to be out so early today." He gestured for her to take a seat on the couch as he leaned against the kitchen counter with his arms folded casually across his chest. Hinata's eyes flickered to his wrist and the light bandage wrapped around it before roaming quickly over his body, clad in loose t-shirt and pants, noticing no additional injuries. She looked up at him again,

"I had some errands to run…and was too excited to sleep," she blushed a little but continued talking, "I didn't realise you were injured on your last mission…"

Neji smirked at her blush and replied with a shake of his head, "No, my last mission was a success and there were no injuries. This," he indicated his hand, "was Tenten's doing."

Hinata's eyebrows raised and she gave him a confused facial expression before he elaborated, while examining his bandaged left hand.

"We went to our old training ground yesterday for a morning session and one of her kunai got past me near the end. It wasn't a bad cut but she insisted on dressing it..." he was interrupted by Hinata's pleased interjection.

"She is back training?" He nodded.

"When I went on my last mission she had just started doing exercises with Lee and Shikamaru but yesterday we did a full training session and she caught me off guard." His expression suggested he was withholding something from her and Hinata picked up quickly what it might be.

"I take it she caught you going easy on her?" she questioned with a knowing smirk.

"Hn," Neji avoided eye contact but she thought he suppressed a smirk as he turned his face away guiltily.

"Well I suppose that will teach you," giggled Hinata. Her good spirits were further buoyed knowing that Tenten was almost recovered from her injury a few months earlier. Her facial expression turned sincere, "It's good to hear she is back training again."

Neji nodded his agreement.

"It will take a while before her endurance is back to normal but she was going crazy with having to take it easy."

"I bet she is feeling it this morning though…"

"Actually, I think she is still asleep. She'll want to know you are here though, so let me go and check."

Neji disappeared down the hall and into the bedroom, quietly walking up to the side of the bed where Tenten was laying stretched out with her face buried in her pillow. Her wavy hair covered her face and her arms and legs were thrown out at angles that took up the maximum available space. Neji knelt on the side of the bed and leaned down to speak gently to her obscured face,

"Ten, wake up. Hinata is here." He touched her arm but she had sensed him, even half asleep, and simply mumbled an excuse about it being early before turning her head further into the pillow. He sat back and tried an annoying method of getting his girlfriend's attention that had worked ever since they were teenagers. Reaching down past her knees to the bedsheet covering her feet, Neji pulled it up until her feet were exposed, letting the pleasant but still cool spring breeze coming through the window wash over her exposed extremities and send a shiver up her spine. Tenten reacted just as he expected and rolled to he side, pulling her knees up to keep her feet covered and opening her eyes sleepily to glare at Neji from under her bangs.

"What does a girl have to do to get a little sleep around here?" she closed her eyes again as Neji reached over to brush her hair out of her face so he could see her expression.

"Apparently not a lot – it's eight in the morning, Tenten…" he was interrupted by her suddenly sitting bolt upright beside him and looking around.

"Eight in the morning?!" she noticed the light pouring in through the bedroom window and realised he was telling the truth. "What is going on with that? I never used to sleep in this late but ever since…" she trailed off before explicitly mentioning her stay in the hospital after she was stabbed. They had talked about it a few times since she came home but for the most part neither of them was particularly keen to bring up Tenten's near death experience and the loss of their child that she had been carrying at the time. After she had been released, the two of them had taken some time to talk through Neji's feelings of guilt over what happened and the changes that affected Tenten as she recovered. She hadn't been allowed on any missions yet but was due to be reviewed for return to active duty in a fortnight's time. As well as the frustration with being restricted in her activities, she'd had some nightmares and smiled a lot less in the initial weeks after she came home. Things were almost back to normal again now though, excluding her inclination to sleep later than usual.

"Sakura said it would take you some time to get back to your normal routines, didn't she?" Neji replied casually but she saw him run a critical eye over her anyway.

"Yeah, but I still feel kinda…off, physically. Like I'm not quite myself again yet. I dunno…" She shrugged and scrunched up her nose at her less that articulate explanation, but Neji smirked and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

"Well I would happily help you feel more physically yourself…" his lips moved to her neck before he pulled back to look at her again, "but Hinata is still in the lounge room and she is more excited about today than I can handle alone."

She knew Neji was joking, as their physical relationship was another routine that they hadn't gotten back on track with yet – that was the most forward he had been since she got home. Tenten smirked and shooed him off the bed so she could get up and throw on her robe, "Okay, I am coming."

Neji headed back towards the lounge and Tenten was barely a few steps behind, combing her fingers through her hair quickly so she looked mildly presentable. Hinata was looking around the room with a curious expression on her face and didn't look the least bit concerned with her friend's state of dress.

"Hey Hinata. So today is the big day…everything must be going pretty close to plan if you have time to be out and about town." Tenten smiled at her enthusiastically as she swung by the kitchen for a cup of coffee on her way over to join Hinata on the couch. Neji busied himself with cleaning and drying the dishes while Tenten sat down beside Hinata, not particularly interested in wedding related details.

"Yes…I don't want to jinx myself because there are still plenty of hours in the day for Naruto to get himself into who-knows-what other trouble," Hinata and Neji shared a knowing glance and Tenten recalled him mentioning something about Naruto trying to drunkenly break into the compound a few nights ago. Hinata looked back at her friend again, "But so far everything is going just perfectly so I thought I would come and see you before I have to get ready. I have been meaning to come and see you for a couple of weeks now but I just haven't had the chance to get away with all the changes and meetings after the council was dissolved…Neji said you are back at training?"

Tenten nodded, sensing Neji shift behind her as he brought Hinata a cup of tea, leaning past Tenten to hand it to her before taking Tenten's empty coffee mug and disappearing again.

"Oh thanks, Neji." Hinata replied as he turned away and locked eyes again with Tenten, a slightly surprised expression on her face.

"Yeah I have a review soon and I really want to get back to work so now that I am fully healed it's just a case of getting my form back. Felt good to spar after so long…" she paused as Neji returned with her refilled coffee mug and placed it in her hand, brushing her fingers with his as he excused himself quietly.

"I'm going to take a shower," Tenten nodded and smiled at him in thanks and he looked over to give his cousin a brief nod before retreating up the hallway to leave them alone, "Hinata."

"Bye Neji, see you this afternoon." Hinata watched for a moment as he disappeared and then leaned forward conspiratorially, "Does he do that a lot?"

The knowing grin on Tenten's face suggested she knew exactly what Hinata was talking about but she clarified anyway, "You mean being domestic?"

Hinata nodded with wide eyes, "I have never seem him look so comfortable with the whole 'being at home' thing. He is so relaxed…"

"Yeah, to be honest I was kind of surprised when it first happened too. He was so quiet and withdrawn the first couple of weeks that I thought maybe he regretted moving in – he is so used to being on his own, we both are really – and I wasn't very good company not being able to do much but lie around when I first came home."

Tenten took another sip of her coffee as she gestured casually toward the sound of the running shower, "But once he stopped feeling responsible for everything and I got up and moving again, we reorganized the furniture and I guess he relaxed because it's like he is a totally different Neji."

"He let you move furniture?" Hinata raised a delicate eyebrow.

"No, he made me sit and direct while he moved everything even though it was my idea. I thought it would make the apartment feel more like ours than mine but he didn't really mind where anything went…except for the desk. He was very specific that his desk should be in the lounge room and face the window." Both women looked over to the offending article of furniture, which admittedly look very inviting sitting under the morning sun with a blooming tree just outside the window. "I can barely pry him away from the stupid thing but it makes him happy, so…" she shrugged and took another sip.

"Well it's nice to see him so unburdened…" Hinata looked at Tenten again, "and you look pretty relaxed and happy yourself. You would hardly guess you have had time off."

"Yeah, for sure. Other than the slightly wonky body clock I am a hundred percent. To be honest I just keep thinking how lucky we were that it all turned out he way it did," Hinata tilted her head to the side in question but remained quiet.

"There are a thousand ways that the investigation could have gone wrong if Neji or Shikamaru had made slightly different decisions, or if I hadn't come looking for Hiashi, and for all we know it might have ended with one or all three of them in body bags and me being held captive who-knows-where."

She brushed her bangs away from her face and smiled gently at her friend, "Given the circumstances, I think everything worked out just as it was meant to and definitely better than it otherwise might have."

"I like to think you are right," Hinata responded with a nod, "and speaking of things working out well…I know you were going to get ready here and come over this afternoon but since you are so sick of sitting around home and I need another level head to mediate between Sakura and Ino, why don't you bring your stuff to the compound and get ready with me?"

"Are you sure there aren't going to be too many people rushing around the compound already? I don't want to get in the way…"

"Nonsense! I would love to have you there, and Ino would love a chance to do your hair again, I'm sure."

They both laughed and Hinata took their cups to the kitchen to wash while Tenten retrieved her bridesmaid's dress and other accessories from the bedroom. She left a quick note for Neji on his desk and the two women headed off for a morning of makeup, dresses, and wariness of Ino's love for hot irons and tongs.

The wedding was stunning. Everything about it was beautiful from the weather, to the garden in the compound that served as venue, to ceremony and even Naruto's damp eyes when he saw Hinata in her wedding dress. Tenten had thoroughly enjoyed the entire event, as much for the opportunity to be out with all of her friends as for the spectacle of the wedding itself. Neji had insisted that it was simply a result of the Hyuuga tendency to require everything to be a lengthy ceremonial affair, the more dramatic the better, but she also noticed a small smile grace his features a couple of times, when he thought everyone was focused on the bride and groom.

Despite everything that had happened in both the cousins' lives, Neji and Hinata had developed a deep and lasting affection and respect for one another, and Tenten knew he was secretly very pleased to see her so happy. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as they made their way through the quiet, almost-dark village streets to their own home. Neji was holding her hand, something they had only started doing recently but that he had seemed instantly comfortable with, despite his general aversion to public displays of affection. Tenten was generally affectionate whether he liked it or not and was still reveling somewhat in the ability to be so open, now that they didn't have to keep their relationship secret. Despite this newfound freedom and the lack of anyone walking near them, there was a definite tension radiating through his body and she wondered at what it could be. Pivoting so that she was walking backwards in font of him she turned her hand so that just their fingers were touching,

"Naruto loves her, you know Neji. He will take good care of her."

He seemed surprised by her comment but nodded as they made eye contact, partially focused on Tenten and partially focused on the path behind her.

"I know."

"So why the tension? I thought you had a nice time?" her brows knitted together in a frown as she tried to discern what else might have been bothering him about the otherwise enjoyable wedding.

A smirk flashed across Neji's face at his girlfriend's display of concern and he pulled her back so that she was facing forward as they reached the stairs to the front door, pulling his own key out of his pocket – an action that still brought him a strangely satisfied feeling.

"The wedding was fine, I enjoyed it." He unlocked the door and ushered Tenten in ahead of him.

"Sooo…"

"Sooo…nothing. I am not tense, just…" he trailed off without being able provide an explanation and Tenten was shocked to realise that the ever eloquent Hyuuga couldn't figure out what he wanted to say. She stopped and turned to him, forcing Neji to halt as the door closed behind him.

"Spit it out, Hyuuga." Her tone was light and mocking but he caught the underlying concern as well.

"…" he opened his mouth to start to explain but suddenly closed it again, turning to look into the steadily darkening lounge room.

"Is it being here? Or the public affection thing? Because I don't mind if you don't want…" Tenten was cut off by Neji's lips pressed gently but firmly against her own, catching her off guard as her eyes slid shut and her hands reached to wrap around the back of his neck automatically. He encouraged her closer with his hands on her hips but leaned back to regain some distance when they broke apart.

"I love you. And I love people knowing it, and living with you," she relaxed into his chest upon hearing his response but her confused expression returned.

"But I still wake up sometimes wondering if today is the day you realise I'm not worth the pain I cause you. And as selfish as it is, I miss you…"

Tenten could feel his eyes on her but she directed her frown to where her hands had settled flat against his chest as she considered her response. After a moment she looked up to meet his opalescent white eyes,

"Neji, we have been together in one manner or another for most of our lives…for better or worse, I've made my decision and I don't regret it being you." She pressed her hands gently to the sides of his face, thumbs brushing his temple, "If we didn't have to go through the bad stuff, we wouldn't be able to feel the good stuff. That is just life."

This time she leaned up on her toes to kiss him, pulling away to add, "I don't know why you would miss me though…you've been stuck with me 24/7 since your last mission…"

Neji couldn't help but give her a once over with his penetrating Hyuuga eyes before smirking and pointedly answering, "I meant a different kind of missing you…"

He watched her expression morph from befuddled to cocky despite the blush that crept over her cheeks at his implication, and she gave him a sly grin as she wound her arms close around his neck and tossed her loose hair back over her right shoulder, "Well why didn't you say anything before you went on your mission?"

Neji shrugged slightly and leaned in close enough that their lips were almost touching, "I didn't know if you were ready to go there again, and I didn't want to push."

Tenten huffed inelegantly and closed the distance to kiss him again, lingering as she pulled him more forcefully against her.

"When have you ever not been pushy? I was waiting for you to make the first move so I guess we both have some lost time to make up for." She felt more than saw the smirk on his face as he pressed his lips against hers with increasing force, reaching down to her thighs to boost her up and carry her down the hallway.

"Hn, I guess so."

Neji only made it a few steps before Tenten pulled away to ask in mock innocence, "How wild are you feeling?"

"What do you have in mind?"

Tenten's expression was utterly seductive for someone trying very hard not to grin and she massaged her fingers against the nape of his neck enticingly.

"Well that desk of yours is kinda new…." She almost laughed at the mixed expression on his face, part insanely turned on and part utterly horrified that she wanted to desecrate his new favourite possession. Apparently turned on won. He shook his head with a grin and redirected them towards his new desk.

"Anything you want, babe."

THE END