Uhhhhhh...I know. I'm a bad person. You guys have waited so so so long, I hope its worth it. I didn't really know how I wanted to end this in the beginning, but I think I did an okay job.

Happy Holidays :)

When Tenten woke up the next day, it was as if the night before had been just a pleasant dream because she could only feel dread, like a sack of weights were sitting on her shoulders. She sat up in bed, blearily looking around. Her heart was already hurting in a way that was indescribable. She poked her chest a bit as if to make it go away, but the ache still lingered. Groaning, she rubbed her face into her hands, sighing deeply. "Today's the day, isn't it?" she said to no one in particular. Her voice echoed in the emptiness. She could already hear Watson cooking her a traditional goodbye breakfast—it would probably be the last time she would taste his food again.

She pulled open the curtains and surveyed the now-empty room. It was bare, and the sunlight that drifted through the window made the dust in the air all the more prominent. All her memories were already packed into little boxes downstairs. Tenten willed herself to keep a tight grip on her emotions, as she had already cried enough. Keeping a stiff upper lip, she began getting ready for her last few hours in Japan. She was going to start it just like any other day. She would fold her pajamas. She would put on nice pants and a nice shirt. She would pull her hair up and wash her face and brush her teeth. She would then go downstairs and feast on a delicious breakfast while talking to Neji and Watson…

The toothpaste tasted bitter in her mouth and she felt hotness behind her eyes.

No, Tenten. No crying today.

Taking a shaking breath, she finished her morning routine and practiced smiling before she headed downstairs.

No crying. No crying today.

"Good morning, Tenten," said Watson, finishing the last of his cooking. She stepped into the kitchen, and already she could smell something delicious. She sat down and examined his meal, eyes growing wide. "Wow," she said. "You really did pull out all the stops on this one."

A golden miso soup, rice enveloped in seaweed and sesame seeds, green vegetables, and a plate of small fried fish were plated elegantly on the small kitchen table. Watson grabbed another plate and added the last bit—sweetened egg on top of a bed of rice. Tenten laughed. It was like a round sun on a bright blue plate. "It looks so happy!" Watson smiled and patted her back, and got ready to start the dishes.

Neji trudged in shortly after, with a stiff body and stiff upper lip, and Tenten knew he was feeling as anxious as she was. She tried to joke with him to lighten the tension. "Now Neji, don't worry! I'll write if you're good," she jested, starting to pile food onto her plate. "And we have phones, and email, and lots of things to keep in touch. Technology, Neji! Technology!"

He continued to look like a kicked puppy.

Sighing, she reached across the table at the man she loved, and looked him in the eye. "I'm going to visit you. And you're going to visit me. It's not the end of the world."

He gave her a small smile. "I suppose not." There was a pause. "Unless, you suddenly don't have time for me, being in school and all, and you start working for Sasuke…then it may be the end of the world." He gave her a skeptical glance.

She couldn't help but laugh. "And then I'd rather my position under Sasuke end merrily with my death."

Neji grinned, genuinely, and raised his bowl of soup. "I'll drink to that."

Tenten's last breakfast was a merry one, filled with jokes and laughter, as it would any other day.

But on the inside, though her face was merry, her heart cracked little by little under the weights.

oOo

They got inside the car, Neji and Tenten both taking up the back seat. Watson pulled out of the driveway, and suddenly, things seemed that much more final now. This was really happening. She was leaving. She was finally going to go back home…

But where was home, exactly? With her family? With her friends who were now a year ahead of her in school? Who would she know? Would she be all alone? She still had exams to take, she would be so far behind, versus in Japan—she had already made a name for herself. People across the country knew who she was.

And she would return to China as a normal girl.

She fiddled with the hem of her shirt, suddenly even more anxious and upset. Neji seemed to notice her discomfort and wrapped his hand around hers, a mocking smile on his face. "Hey, you were telling me not to be grouchy, and now look at you!"

She frowned. "You don't know what's going on in my head. What if I get back home and no one likes me? I'm so far behind in most things now, after this year of 'running away.' I'm literally starting a new page in my life, and no one will know what I've done here. Not many, anyway. Not that I want to be treated like a celebrity or anything like that when I get back, but when I leave here, my name will slowly fade away. And then it will be like Tenten was never here. You know?" Great. Now she was complaining on her last day. She shouldn't have opened her mouth. Grumbling, she turned away to look out the window, since she didn't want to show Neji the debby-downer side of her.

Suddenly, a hand was gripping her chin.

"Hey." Neji forced her to look at him, his gaze furrowed and eyes intense. "You don't know what an impact you've had on my life. If people forget about you, they were never your friends. I'm going to force connecting with you so hard, you'll get sick of seeing me through your computer screen and then I'll have to send you a new laptop. And people back in China will love you. If people love you here, people will love you there. You're a certain kind of special, Tenten. Don't ever forget it. Don't doubt yourself. Stay that headstrong woman I—lo-I know. Okay?"

Don't cry Tenten. Not today.

"I got it mister," she mumbled through her fish-lips since Neji was now teasing her by squishing her cheeks in. She playfully swatted his hands away. "I said I got it! Now stop squishing my cheeks, or you'll get payback beyond your wildest dreams."

He put on a cheeky grin. Tenten rolled her eyes. He was really asking for it. "Bring it on, Ms. Manager. I'll have you know though, I've studied cheek-squishing from the best of the best. You'd better prepare yourself."

And then they were straining against their seatbelts, laughing, dodging, and Tenten was doing her best to pinch his face but her sides hurt too much from laughing. Neji always knew how to pick her mood back up, whether it was with his words or with his actions, or just by being himself. She batted his hands away, he grabbed hers and she couldn't fight back because he was that much stronger than she was. And then he had grabbed her other hand as well so she was powerless. Tenten pulled hard against his grip, but it was too late—he had grabbed both her wrist in his left hand, and his right was inching towards her face.

"No—please Neji-sama, I beg for your forgiveness, my cheeks, they're delicate things—really—"

He smushed her cheeks in with no hesitation. "Oh, what was that Tenten? I couldn't understand you, it seems like you've turned into a fish, and as we all know, fish can't talk—"

"Grshhh Neejiiiiii I hate you shoooo much…"

"What was that Mr. Fish? You want me to pull your cheeks? Hmmmmm?" He tugged on her cheeks gently, not nearly enough to hurt her in anyway, clearly still looking out for her.

She glared at him playfully and he let her go, still laughing. Then, without warning, he caressed her face softly with his fingertips. "Sorry, I may have been a bit too forceful. Is your face okay?"

One of the last times he would ever touch her…was it too sad for her to wish it could have lasted longer? She smiled. "No lasting damage, thanks. Though my ego has taken a bit of a beating."

He leaned back and threw his arm around her and pulled her so that her brown hair rested on his shoulder. Tenten's heart was pumping blood extremely quickly as a result of the sudden development. What was he doing? Was this a friendship move, because he was going to miss her? Was this a move because he…liked her as much as she liked him? Her side was flush against his. It was one thing to give a friend a hug. It was another thing for a man to sling an arm around a woman. Did he know what he was doing? Did he know that in nearly every other culture, that was a signal to other people to say, "hands off, this person is mine?"

Did he know?

"I'm not as strong as you though," he said, after a moment of silence. Tenten's body was getting very hot. "You beat my ego down pretty hard. I've learned a lot from you, Tenten."

She spent the rest of the car ride resting on his shoulder, wishing that moment could last an eternity, letting his words replay over and over in her head.

oOo

But too many granted wishes don't happen like that. Watson had parked the car, and they were in the terminal. And she was no longer on Neji's shoulder, she was standing on some cold marble tiling. And her hands were not intertwined with his, since she was holding her suitcases instead.

And she was no longer laughing.

It was now a solemn matter because time had run out. It had run out fast and there was none left, not even a little scrap for her to cling on to. And now she couldn't avoid the truth of the matter any longer. She had to go back.

Her heart cracked a little more, and the weights were back.

Don't cry Tenten. Don't. Not today. Show them your smiling face. Don't make them sad when you go. She forced the stinging in her eyes down. She forced the lump in her throat down. She would make sure to cry where no one could see her. She would make sure.

Neji and Watson stood behind her when she retrieved her ticket. They followed her to place her luggage on the conveyor belt. But security was next, and they couldn't follow her there.

It was time to say goodbye.

Watson gave her a warm hug and a bow. She hugged him back tightly. She remembered how he was the one who brought her in, who saved her, who introduced her to Neji. Without him, she wouldn't be where she was…

Even though he was old, she could feel the strength from his back, and knew that he had been her father figure when she was in Japan. And for that, she was eternally grateful.

"Let us know whenever you need anything, Miss Tenten," Watson said. "We will always be here."

"I'm going to miss your cooking, Watson."

He gave her a warm hearted smile. "I shall send you treats from Japan periodically. I can't have one of my favorite people go without my food for too long."

And then she was turning to Neji, who stood picturesque in the terminal. But his stance was relaxed, and he held his arms open and she jumped right in, and it was so hard to hold back her tears, so hard, but she did it. Under his embrace, she hugged him as hard as she could, trying to convey all the emotions she was feeling inside but couldn't describe. How much it would hurt to miss him. How she would check up on his activity every day. How she would see him in her dreams. How she would reimagine their conversations together. How she would look at that picture of them on the rollercoaster and keep it under her pillow. How she would try not to be annoying, but would want to speak to him as often as possible. How she was greedy. How she didn't want him to look at other girls anymore. How she was now out of the running as his love interest because distance does not make the heart grow fonder. How much he had changed. How he was better. How she would miss their banter. How much she would think about being by his side. How she had so many valuable memories with him.

How much she loved him.

She squeezed him hard. And he kissed her on the forehead. Gently, softly, as if he was giving her his luck for the flight, and telling her this was not going to be the end.

"You keep in touch now," he whispered.

"…I will," she whispered back. "I'm…going to miss you."

And before he could answer her, she ran off, because if she stayed any longer, she would break the promise.

No crying in front of them, Tenten. Not today.

She waved goodbye, watching them slowly retreat into the crowds, and it felt like her heart was a heavy boat which had been filled with water, because all she could do was feel herself drowning in something thick and sorrowful. Her arm grew heavy and she let it drop to her waist. Her breathing grew shaky. They had gone. Her eyes prickled, and she did her best to face forward and not think about what had just happened.

Her breathing kept being shaky, no matter how she tried to quash it. She bit the inside of her cheek. She clenched her fist, but to no avail—the stinging kept hitting her eyes, and she was blinking fast, leaning her head back, trying her hardest not to embarrass herself in a line full of strangers.

What a mess you are today, Tenten. Be strong. You can be strong, right?

Neji's goodbye kiss lingered softly on her forehead, as if the warmth had stayed there, to reassure her. She touched her forehead, hoping to gain some sort of support. This wasn't goodbye. This wasn't goodbye. They would see each other again.

They would.

She gave a quick glance over—half hoping they were still waiting there for her, waiting for her to drift away, rather than the other way around.

They were gone.

The line inched forward.

And then she began to sob quietly into her hands, realizing she was truly alone for the first time since she met Neji.

Neji was about to step through the sliding doors at the airport when he felt something was very, very wrong. It was like a stab to the heart. His chest hurt immeasurably—as if the shock of leaving Tenten hadn't really set in yet. "Wait for a second," he said to Watson. "Just wait—I'll be back really quick—"

And then he was sprinting, sprinting as fast as he could, shoes scuffing up the tiles, running up the escalator, pushing past people, going to the place where he last saw Tenten.

And then he saw her, putting her shoes back on her feet, picking her suitcase back up, and turning away to head for the correct flight. Her brown head of hair caught the light, and his eyes picked up on a painful detail. Her eyes were rimmed red, and there were salty trails of tears running down her face. Her body was heaving as if she was trying her best to reign in her sobs.

How? How could he have let her leave?

…She was crying.

She must have been trying to hold it in.

Did she not know how hard it was for him not to pull her back during every stage of the boarding process? How he wanted to prevent her from leaving the house, how he wanted to take her suitcase off the belt and say, "no, we're going back?"

How she had hugged him with such tender ferocity that he wanted to kiss her lips, not her forehead?

But now it was too late.

There were lines of people, security, and distance between them.

He could only stand by helplessly, heart in pieces, watching the love of his life pick up her suitcases and turn her back to him, slipping out of his grasp like a wisp in the wind.

It was the worst plane ride of Tenten's life. She was only too happy to get off, having sobbed silently to herself during every moment, crying a little harder as the island she had called home for the past year disappeared slowly till it was only a little dot beyond the clouds.

And then it was back to the airport in China, where the language of her birth surrounded her, and she understood everything, and she felt warm for the first time that day. Though even that didn't fill the hole in her heart, as all she could hear in her mind was "NejiNejiNeji I want to see Neji".

Ah, but seeing her parents after a year, holding up a sign that said "Tenten, we've missed you! Welcome home!" And them cheering, running to hug their missing daughter, and her dropping her luggage down, letting her silent sobs finally be vocalized because they, of all people, would never judge her, and feeling warm and cozy and protected in their arms, did help a bit.

oOo

She had contacted Neji immediately when she returned home, writing him a message letting him know she was at home safe and sound. She waited eagerly for a reply, and it was almost instantaneous, he let her know that the house already seemed empty without her.

Weeks passed.

She took her exams and passed with flying colors.

She messaged Neji every day.

She talked with him via webcam whenever he wasn't swamped with his acting and singing activities.

She tried not to be annoying with how much she contacted him, but she thought about him so much that the desire to see him sometimes quashed her better reasoning skills.

He told her they had found a manager to take her place, his cousin Hinata, but she was just a placeholder for the time being. She didn't have enough backbone, he said, nor did she really enjoy the job—she was doing it as a favor to him until they found someone better. No one, though, he reassured her, would ever be as good as Tenten was.

Sasuke was still his bitter rival.

Lee was still Lee.

Watson was still an amazing cook as he always was, and true to his word, Tenten received goodies at least once every other week, boxes filled with teas and cookies and cakes (how they never got damaged, she never knew). She shared them among her parents, who agreed with her that they were amazing, and wondered how she didn't become fat eating such delicious food every day.

And Neji was making a new album. It was taking a while, he said, but it would be his best work yet. He promised to let her hear the songs before he released them.

She watched the Japanese shows that Neji was featured on whenever she could. She would tell her mother and father repeatedly (they obviously already knew, but it couldn't hurt to tell them again), that this was the man she worked under, and how amazing he was. And she would gaze adoringly, so lovingly, at him whenever he performed that even an idiot would know she was still in love. Her mother and father would cast knowing glances at one another, and Tenten would never know that they felt a little bit guilty being the reason for her to leave the man she loved.

And though lonely, she was as happy as she could be. She was with her family again, which she now appreciated more than she ever had. She was living out the last days of break before she started school again. And although not as often as she would like, she still got to talk to Neji.

She thought maybe distance did make the heart grow fonder, because it had been more than a month, and sometimes she would just cry a bit to herself because it was unfair how much she missed him, and how it hurt a lot to miss a person that much.

oOo

And one day, a knock came at the door. It was an unassuming knock. A polite, basic, knock. Her parents had headed out to the market to grab groceries, so it was just Tenten at the house. "Coming," she called, rushing down the stairs. It was probably the delivery service—her parents did say there was a package in transit which would definitely not fit in their mailbox, and she would have to sign for it if it arrived. She opened the door, expecting the mailman.

It was not the mailman. It was definitely not the mailman. Because the mailman was not tall. He was old-ish and shrunken. And the mailman had mail. This man did not.

This man had a bag in hand. And he was wearing sunglasses. And a scarf, even though it was near summertime. And he wore a facemask—the pollution was bad sometimes, but not right now.

He looked dangerous, dark, mysterious, and to be honest, kind of like a shady character.

But after spending a year with him, he could have dressed up in a chicken costume and she would still know it was him. Her heart nearly stopped.

This man was not the mailman because it was someone else entirely. It was Neji.

"Hi," he said, in a voice that was so beautiful and husky that it sounded infinitely more beautiful in person than it did through a computer or TV screen, "Can I come in?"

She couldn't even say anything. She felt like fainting. And crying. And dancing and screaming and jumping up and down. What do you say to the love of your life that has shown up on your parent's front step? What do you say? How did he know she lived there? What—how—why was he there? Why didn't he tell her he was coming—

It was a flood of questions upon a flood of emotions and an urge that was so hard to quell, how she wanted to just jump into his arms to make sure he was real and not an illusion she conjured up because she missed him so much. And she was also confused. Very confused. Her face was trying to register all the different emotions and it just gave up so she ended up looking very blank.

He chuckled. "I can see you've got a lot of questions Tenten. How about before you ask them, you answer mine first. Can I come in?"

"I—yeah, of course—I—I'm just so surprised and happy to see you I just—"

In one swoop, he slung his arm around her like he did when they last parted, and closed her front door. He sat on her couch—Neji Hyuuga was sitting on her couch in China—arm still around her (he was touching her—she could have literally died happy right then and there).

She held her breath. How she missed his touch. Would it be weird if she snuggled closer to him? Would that be weird? It was true she hadn't seen him in person for a while now, but the time they spent together still allowed for that kind of familiarity right?

She spoiled herself and inched a bit closer to him.

"I have something for you," Neji said, pulling out his phone. "I've been working on how to let you be the first one to hear these completed songs, and I thought bringing them to you would be the best way."

"Your album?" she gaped. "But Neji—its fine, I can always just buy the songs! You didn't have to come all the way over here!"

He smiled. "No, I did."

Urgh, she was so in love it was disgusting.

He placed the earbuds in her hand. She looked up at him and he squeezed her shoulder—god, he was still touching her, did he know what kind of things that did to her? That was his "yes".

She slid the earbuds in, and Neji played the first song.

She stayed in a trance for forty-five minutes, listening to the musical masterpieces come one by one. Each so heart wrenchingly beautiful, so so beautiful she couldn't say a word. Each song flowed into the next, telling a beautiful musical story. And what a story it was—about loneliness, about love at first sight, about a love in friendship, about a supporter, about a friend, about a love that ran away, about regret…and finally, about requited love. It spoke right to Tenten's heart in a way only Neji's songs could ever accomplish. The orchestrated tones, Neji's soft voice, the crescendos, the swell of music to accompany Neji's rich tenor—everything meshed together so simply and in a way so relatable her heart ached. It was a musical masterpiece, something that played on the base of her emotions, breaking down her barriers until her true self was revealed.

For a moment, she sat there stunned, unable to say anything. Finally, she took the earbuds out and placed them back in Neji's palm.

Suddenly, she felt like crying all over again (she was doing a lot of crying lately, it was becoming a bad habit, she should stop it), but it was because Neji was sitting next to her, and it was almost as if they had returned to old times.

Neji gulped. Phase one complete. He pretended to act nonchalant, but inside, he was more nervous than he had ever been. He had worked his ass off to complete the album as soon as he could, going through many sleepless nights in the studio, skipping out on meals, even cutting his events short. He had drank more coffee than he ever should have. His voice was almost completely shot. His eye circles would need intense skincare mending.

But it was worth it.

Ever since he saw Tenten's tearstained face at the airport, he had known. Known one fact more blatantly than any fact he had ever known in his life. Tenten could not go back to China. It was not good for him. He couldn't bear it. Even immersing himself in work couldn't distract him from the fact that his most valuable partner was no longer with him. Even seeing her through the computer screen, he couldn't help but flashback to her crying face as she left, and the guilt would overwhelm him. Every time he heard her voice through his tinny speakers, he imagined her next to him, felt wallowing self-pity as she had been right with him up till a few weeks ago.

He shouldn't have let her leave, as there was no other place for her to be other than at his side.

And now that she was tucked safely under his arm, it was even more obvious.

He tried his best not to kiss her. Now was not the time.

"So?" he asked. "What did you think?"

"I…I don't know what to say, Neji. It was…literally the most beautiful thing I've heard in my whole life. There was so much feeling in every song. I don't know how you did this in as short of a time that you did, honestly," she exclaimed, scooching a bit closer to him.

"I had a bit of a deadline to catch, you see," he murmured. Phase two.

"Deadline?" she asked, looking up at him. She was so cute. So so cute. So very cute when she was curious. Also maybe he was a bit deprived of her presence. He had gone much too long without seeing her, and now that they were finally together, it was like an insatiable thirst had finally been quenched. And he wanted more.

"Yes," he answered. "I had to tell someone very important to come back."

He took a breath and quelled his nerves. His plan was so cheesy. It was almost gross. But he put his pride down, because for once, someone else was above it. "This album is dedicated to you, Tenten."

Ah. She was cute when she was shocked too.

He began explaining—if he didn't ride that wave of courage now, none of the words would ever leave his throat. He was running on adrenaline. "I wanted to give you the title song before you left, but it wasn't good enough. I had to make up for my mistake and gift you more songs, and by then, I thought, might as well make an album about how one woman changed my entire life. Because you did, Tenten. I've told you time and time again, but you've made me so much better than the person I was. The intro starts out with 'Ice'. A story about a boy who has everything, but his heart is cold because he has no capacity to love." He took a breath. "That was me. And then, comes 'Regained Sight'. For the first time, he sees something he has never seen before. A girl, who spits fire, who cannot be tamed, who pushes his buttons and gives him a challenge. Then, 'Sunflower'. That's after we got past our differences and supported one another through all of my activities. Remember during Christmas, when you gifted me that scarf? It was the first time I felt something changing between us, and I began doubting my relationship with Sakura. And I broke up with her. Because of how I was feeling…and…"

He was starting to get nervous again, the nerves were coming back but he did his best to quash them. He swallowed and kept pushing. "So that's why that title is named 'The Snow of Rebirth'. And there are so many adventures and I wanted to write more songs—so much, about all the time we spent together. How jealousy fitted in—to be honest, Sasuke pushed my buttons because he was with you so often and I didn't like it. And I had never felt that kind of jealousy before—I've been jealous of people's abilities, careers, social statuses, but never because of a girl, you know? So then there's 'Red'…and I mean I could just relay the story about our lives but you've been there. The album cover has an insert. The graphic designers are still working on that one but it should be done pretty soon, I had to make it good because you're so special to me, and…and…"

Oh god, he was breaking. His throat was clenching up, making his body rigid. His hands were clammy. He was more nervous than he had ever been in his entire life—he would rather sing in front of millions of people on national television than do what he was about to do. But he needed to. He needed her to know how much he cared. He took a breath. "…And we're going to skip a few songs because I really want to get down to the last one, the closing theme, because that's the one that matters the most. It's called '3,000 Kilometers'. Did you know that's the distance from Japan to China? It's roughly 3,000 kilometers. That's how much land and sea was between us. And I wanted to write about it. How it's wrong. How I shouldn't' be that far away from the person I care about. How distance tries people, and it tests their emotions, and the longing for wanting to see a person out of your reach can burn you from the inside. But more importantly, it's a confession. It's the ending of a story between a spitfire girl and an ice-cold boy, and how the ice has finally been melted because I literally love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life, Tenten."

He said it. He finally said it. He finally told her that he cared, and that he loved her, and that 3,000 kilometers of land and sea could not keep them apart, and she would know. Even if she couldn't return now, his confession would tie them together like a red string of fate. And his calls, his messages, his songs, his TV appearances, his skype messages and emails would slowly strengthen that red string until he could pull her across the ocean back to his side.

Because if she was to leave him, he would be but a shell of himself.

For the first time, during the explanation, he looked at the woman by his side for her reaction. Tears were coursing down her cheeks, and she was wiping them off as quickly as she could, the most dazzling smile he had ever seen glowing beneath her tears. She was laughing and crying and for a moment, Neji thought he had made a grave, grave mistake. She was ridiculing him and his plan had failed. She did not like him back. He was silly, and thoughtless, and air brained to have ever believed the cheesy scheme he had cooked up would actually work.

He gave a broken laugh in response to her reaction, because that was how he felt inside. Utterly broken. "Ha…! Sorry Tenten, that was weird, I can understand why you're laughing! Sorry to have taken up your time with a dumb confession, I'll…I'll just go back…to Japan…and you'll really never have to see me like this again I pro—mmfff!"

She had grabbed his face and kissed him with such a ferocity and closed his words so that his mind went numb and exploded in the brightest of fireworks, like the sky was raining shooting stars.

He loved her. Tenten couldn't believe it. The one wish that she prayed on so ardently had come true. And when he said it, said it to her face, in her house, so vulnerable, with an album made just for her, her heart had blossomed into pink and yellow blooms of happiness. And of course, she cried again, but this time it out of happiness because what he had done for her was literally the nicest thing anyone had ever, ever done for her. Oh, and he had misjudged her reaction (how cute he was, even when he was sad) but words weren't enough to explain how she was truly feeling. Nothing could ever describe the insane joy and euphoria that coursed through her veins, but actions spoke more than words so she acted on her giddiness and her love for him and finally kissed him.

It felt so right. It felt like sparks were dancing behind her eyelids, and she was so happy she didn't know what to do with herself. She pressed her lips against his, and a heat like pocket warmers in winter spread through her body, lighting firecrackers down her spine to her fingertips and toes. Her heart was beating a million times a minute, and she could smell his aftershave and oh my god she was finally kissing him and it was absolutely amazing and wonderful and the most perfect experience she would ever feel in her entire life.

She pulled back to gauge his reaction, and sure enough, he looked shell-shocked, but in a good way. His eyes were wide and his mouth was agape like he couldn't believe she liked him back. Tenten smiled coyly and laughed, wrapping her arms around his midsection and holding him close because that action was finally allowed now and she didn't have to feel awkward about it! And of course, she kissed him again. And again. And again. And by the tenth kiss, Neji finally got out of his shocked state and kissed her back.

oOo

The funny thing was, her parents had known he was coming, and had purposely left them alone. Because typical Watson had saved their number, and Neji had called telling them about his situation and how he would like to surprise her. Her parents (unbeknownst to the both of them) were secretly rooting for the two individuals to get together, and had allowed the meeting with full hearted approval. And of course, as a result, Neji was staying for an authentic Chinese dinner before he had to return to Japan. Tenten's mom had pulled out all the stops—she confessed she had bought out all the available crab at the open market, to everyone's amusement.

"Mom," said Tenten through a mouthful of rice, "Your food has never tasted this good."

Her mom winked at her with her crinkly eyes, and responded, "That's because you are happy."

And Tenten flushed red from her hair to her toes and Neji laughed at her because even though he wasn't 100% proficient in Chinese, he knew what they said and the food tasted wonderful in his mouth as well. He linked his hand with hers under the table and Tenten's face grew to an even brighter shade of red.

Too cute, he thought while chewing. Too cute.

5 years later

"Neji," said Tenten, impatiently tapping her foot. "You're going to be late. Again. Stop fixing your hat, it looks fine."

"But Ran would never wear his hat improperly. Besides, you shouldn't be telling me what to do. Didn't you get your degree in business?"

"Yes, with a concentration in business administration and a second degree in management and hospitality so I could make sure I don't mess up on the job. And we are going to be late, at no fault of mine."

After she graduated college, Tenten went right back to work as Neji's manager (and his girlfriend, of course). The two were not afraid to make their relationship public. Well…that wasn't true, Neji had been a bit frightened for Tenten's safety, but she had scoffed and told him she wasn't afraid of his fans in the slightest. Tenten's word was the law, so Neji had begrudgingly allowed her to make the announcement. And, to both of their surprise, for the most part his fans actually supported their dating status. Unbeknownst to them, it was because most of the fans actually respected Tenten to some extent.

Tenten was a star at the job, per the usual, and Neji had been whipped back into shape though it took some time. Hinata had been a bit lax in her administration, and was only too happy to place the reigns back in Tenten's hands.

Not much had changed in her absence. Most of her friends returned to Neji's place to throw a welcome back party. Sakura had cut her hair short, which was the biggest change. Sasuke's ego had inflated even more (somehow, that one was not surprising). Lee was still boisterous, Watson's cooking was still amazing, and Tenten felt like she had never left in the first place.

And so, the weeks and months passed. Tenten and Neji were still in love, but the honeymoon phase passed the longer they spent time together. Instead of the tender, loving, ooey-gooey faces they had made before, they were now more like partners in crime who joked and teased, but all in good fun. Neji had his schedules after all, and she had her jobs, so the only time they could sneak a quick kiss or two without the paparazzi all up in their business was at home. And of course, they still cared deeply for each other.

So back to the present. Tenten was tapping her foot impatiently, trying not to smile, as Neji tilted his hat several degrees. They were about to go out to a recording, but had been a bit…delayed due to Neji's "disguise".

He shot her a look. "Do I look cool yet?"

"You were never cool," she answered, poking him impatiently. "Now are you ready to go or not?"

"Hey, remember when you were my maid and you couldn't disobey me? I think we should go back to that," Neji said offhandedly, waggling his eyebrows at her.

Tenten laughed. "Oh yeah, I remember. I also remember how I kicked your ass into shape two times."

Neji pouted. Tenten gave him a kiss to show she wasn't serious. He kissed her nose in response, and grabbed his jacket. "I was just waiting for the kiss," he winked, opening the door for her. "M'lady, Tenten. After you."

She rolled her eyes playfully at him. "Oh, you. So cheesy." She gave him a peck on the cheek as thanks and walked out, where the sun in Japan shone brightly across the lawn.

Neji locked the door and caught up with her, linking his arm in his. "You know I love you right?" he said as they walked down the path to the gate. "And that I'm super grateful to have you in my life and you're literally the best thing that's ever happened to me?"

"Well, I mean you could care to repeat it a couple more times…I'm just kidding, Neji! Of course I know. But you got one thing wrong—I love you more."

"No you don't."

"I do. I swear I do. I fell in love with you first."

"No you didn't."

"I did! You were dating Sakura!"

"…Right…"

They continued talking as they strolled. Arm and arm turned into hand in hand, their fingers laced together so comfortably, with no hesitation. Both were content, the two sides of a whole finally meeting and creating one set of people in unison. Before they opened the gate, the couple shared a quick, gentle kiss, both breaking apart with a smile. And together, they walked into their future, where only more golden times and happiness awaited them.

The end.

Thanks to everyone for sticking with me all the way. This was the biggest story I have ever written. It was a pain. It was hard to keep going sometimes. But a lot of readers messaged me, asking when I was going to continue, making me get off my lazy tush and finish this monster. You guys know who you are. Thanks for motivating me.

I couldn't have done this without you guys.

Hope the wait was worth it.

And of course, even though this was the last chapter, R&R, critiques are welcomed. I love you guys. Thanks for the journey!

-Ms. S