Oh wow, I was so surprised to hear from so many of you in the previous chapter! Special thanks to the guest reviewer who pointed out my typo. ;) This chapter... I enjoyed writing and reading a lot. ;)
Naruto and its characters do not belong to me.
Complexities of Blackmail
Chapter 23: Gliese Beta - Consequences
Gliese Beta, Jan 12, 2031, 0414 hrs
Tenten wakes to the sound of loud hammering mere feet away from her. She snaps upright, grabbing the loaded gun beneath her pillow. It occurs to her, then, that this isn't her quarters on the Konoha, and that there's someone stirring in the double bed next to her.
Neji. Oh, right.
Muffled voices sound outside the door, and Neji sits up next to her, instantly alert.
"Neji! You in there? Open up, we need to pee!" Kotetsu yells through the airspace between the door and doorjamb.
Tenten freezes. Remembers that there isn't a bathroom in the suite, aside from the two in the bedrooms. "Oh crap," she whispers, realizing that they're going to catch her in bed with Neji at this rate. It's not like they were even doing anything other than sleeping, though.
Neji heaves a sigh. "I'll get the door. Feel free to mask your presence," he mutters, and Tenten winces at the thought of having to even hide.
She releases the pistol and reluctantly lies back down, pulling the sheets and pillows over herself. It's dark in here - perhaps Kotetsu and Izumo won't pay much notice to the bed.
The bathroom light comes on, filtering through the sheets, and Tenten hears Neji unlock the door, swinging it open. "I'd appreciate not being woken up in the middle of the night," he tells his teammates dryly.
"Sorry - had too much to drink last night," Izumo explains. One of them pads into the room, and closes the door to the bathroom. Light stops shining in through Tenten's blanket.
"Someone else in bed?" Kotetsu asks blearily. Tenten stiffens.
"That doesn't concern you," Neji replies, a hint of tension in his voice.
Kotetsu snickers. "I'll bet that's Tenten you were sleeping with," he suggests.
Tenten winces. It sounds far worse than it actually is - Neji had not laid a single finger on her through the entire night.
"Kotetsu," Neji says warningly. "You'd do well to keep your speculations to yourself."
"After all you said about asking her if she's off-limits-"
"Kotetsu," Neji repeats impatiently. "You're reading too much into this."
The bathroom door swings open then, accompanied by the gurgle of the toilet flushing.
"See, she's clearly in bed-" Kotetsu points out.
Neji sighs. "She's armed right now. Finish your business here and get out," he tells Kotetsu shortly. "I don't want to have to explain blood stains on the carpet."
There's a brief moment of silence. Tenten smirks. Damn straight, she thinks to Neji.
"I don't envy you, Captain," Kotetsu says at length, and the bathroom door swings shut once again.
"Sorry," Izumo mutters to Neji soon after. "It was only the couch or the bed by the time we got back to the suite. Figured you'd rather have the bed."
"Don't worry about it," Neji tells him tiredly. "Just take Kotetsu and let me sleep in peace."
Another long silence stretches between them.
"Neji?" Izumo asks quietly. Neji doesn't respond, so he continues, "What would you do if, well, if you don't see your best friend the way you should see a best friend?"
Tenten can imagine Neji's brow furrowing at this point. "I don't quite understand," Neji returns.
"Kotetsu- I- Fuck, we were drunk, but I- There were all these thoughts screwing with my head." A heavy sigh. "You probably don't want to hear the details."
"Probably not," Neji agrees. "I can't help you with relationship issues."
Seeing as how he's screwing his up, Tenten thinks. She can just imagine Izumo flushing at Neji's words, and she contemplates stealing a peek at them, though the idea extinguishes itself when she realizes that it's probably too dark to see anything, anyway.
"He's my best friend," Izumo mutters, "I don't want to ruin it."
Tenten winces in sympathy. The toilet flushes then, and the bathroom door swings open, saving Neji from having to answer.
"Good luck," he tells Izumo, and waits until Kotetsu is out of the bedroom, before locking the door behind them. Tenten lies still, listening to him cross over to his side of the room. The mattress dips a little when he slips back under the covers. "You're probably still awake," he says quietly.
She doesn't answer, replacing her head on top of her pillow. There's no point trying to hide, anyway. No soldier goes to sleep in the presence of a threat. (Or in this case, a threat to her peace.)
"How would you have answered that?" Neji asks. He's looking up at the ceiling, just as she is.
She's grateful that she and Lee don't have an awkward relationship like the one between Izumo and Kotetsu. (Even if she isn't telling Lee the details about her and Neji.) Tenten shrugs, remembers Neji can't see her reaction. "No idea."
They spend the next few minutes in silence - she's a little too filled with adrenaline from the intrusion to feel tired quite yet.
"Thanks for keeping to your side of the bed," Tenten mutters eventually, figuring that Neji probably hasn't fallen back asleep, either.
He exhales quickly, as if stifling a laugh. "I thought you might prefer it that way."
Tenten raises an eyebrow. "Since when did you turn considerate?"
Neji looks away. "A while ago."
She frowns. "Why?"
He shrugs, a soft rustle of cloth against sheets. "Am I threat enough that you need to keep a pistol under your pillow?"
She can't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "I didn't intend to use it against you, though I will if I have to."
"That's reassuring," Neji says. Tenten snorts.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to sleep," she tells him, turning on her side.
"And if I don't excuse you?" he answers.
"You don't get a choice," Tenten retorts, though it doesn't feel as awkward with him next to her now.
"Guess I rarely do," Neji muses quietly, though Tenten stops replying to him after that.
"Tenten!" Lee bounds over the moment she steps out of the room, fully dressed and ready to go. "How are you this fine morning-"
He stops abruptly in front of the door, looking past her shoulder. Tenten raises an eyebrow at him, prepared for whatever's coming next.
"You shared a bed with Neji?" Lee goggles at the man behind her. "Neji! I trust that you behaved like a gentleman towards our Tenten!"
Further into the living room, Kotetsu snorts loudly.
Tenten steps away from Lee and closes her eyes for a short moment. "You took the armchair, Lee. I didn't have much of a choice there."
Lee's forehead crinkles as he stares back at her. "I'm sorry, Tenten! I didn't mean to-"
"It's fine. Save it. Nothing happened," she adds, sending a glower towards Neji's men.
The door to the other bedroom opens then, and Ino steps out, closely followed by Kiba. Tenten glances over at them - Ino is dressed in a pale blue sundress, complete with strapped sandals and a hat. Kiba, like the rest of them, is in a shirt and jeans, to maintain a low profile.
"Well, Tenten," Ino greets, looking between her, Neji, and the room they've just vacated.
Tenten drags a hand over her face. "Later, Ino."
Ino falls silent, looking speculatively at Neji. Kiba, however, pounces on the situation like a dog who's found a meaty bone.
"Never thought I'd see you heeding my advice, Lieutenant," he drawls, his eyes bouncing between her and Neji.
"Inuzuka," she grits, looking venomously at Kiba.
Kiba knows to take a hint sometimes, right now being one of them. "I'm ready for breakfast," he says instead, glancing at Neji.
Tenten snaps her fingers to signal for everyone's attention. "We're leaving for breakfast in ten minutes," she says. "The opening ceremony's in an hour, and then we'll proceed to the first event for today. Any questions?"
Ino falls into step next to her shortly after they've left the suite. "So, Ten," she whispers, waiting until they've lagged some distance behind the men. "What happened last night?"
Tenten grimaces. "I've been questioned by everyone else already, Ino."
"But none of them know about you and Neji," Ino reasons, glancing at the group ahead of them.
"Thanks for not telling them," Tenten mutters.
"It's not like it's much of a secret anymore, though," Ino muses. "Seeing as how you slept together last night."
"We didn't sleep together," Tenten protests. "Next to each other, yes. I told you, that was just a one-night stand."
Ino rolls her eyes. "We can all see the sexual tension sparking between you guys."
Tenten looks sourly away. "All we did last night was sleep. There's nothing going on between Hyuuga and I."
Ino hums, sends her a considering glance. "So, what happened after dinner?"
Tenten purses her lips, remembers that Ino was the first to return to the hotel. "We had target practice."
"But you didn't return with Kiba and Lee," Ino points out. "Kiba said you and Neji left for more shooting practice."
She rolls her shoulders. "That's what we did. He bought me rounds."
Ino's shapely eyebrows inch up her forehead. "He knows the way to your heart," she deduces.
Tenten narrows her eyes. Ino isn't right - is she? Neji couldn't have known the joy that overflowed in her chest at being presented with two entire boxes of ammo. "Don't be silly, Ino. It was just practice."
"Says you," Ino returns. "What happened after practice?"
Tenten sighs. There isn't a way to escape from Ino's interrogation, really. "We returned to the suite," she answers. Lying by omission isn't quite the same as lying through her teeth. "And found just the double bed empty. Was that your doing?"
Ino pulls a face at the note of accusation in her voice. "Whoa there, Ten. All I did was pull Kiba into a room. Besides, aren't you glad for the privacy with Neji, hmm?"
She winces. Guess Lee took the armchair without really thinking, then. "I'd rather be sleeping in the armchair."
Ino rolls her eyes. "I bet you wouldn't sing that tune while he's in the middle of giving you a mind-blowing orgasm."
Tenten pinches her nose. She doesn't need distractions like that right now. "Like I said before, Ino, there isn't anything going on between us."
"If you say so, Ten," Ino relents, still smiling. "Want me to get anything for you while I'm off shopping today?"
The first day of the shooting party passes in a flurry - Ino attends the opening ceremony with Hawk and Dragon platoons, slipping away soon after to get started on her shopping. Tenten finds herself mildly entertained by the ceremony - full of marching bands and parades and people dancing along the roads - nothing to shoot at.
The first event grabs her full attention, however. Team Dragon-Hawk does well on the twenty-five-yard targets - but then again, anyone on her team can shoot accurately at a stationary target from that distance.
It is close to sunset by the time they're done with the two events that afternoon. Tenten leads her team towards the food establishments, having sent Ino directions to the restaurant they're having dinner at.
The pile of bags Ino hefts along with her stops them all in their tracks - Tenten gapes at the various plastic carriers the blonde has slung over her shoulders and on her arms, wondering at the sheer strength of her friend. Kiba and Lee race forward to help her with the bags, while the rest of them remain staring.
"How did you manage to shop like that?" Tenten sputters, her jaw still hanging slack. She's never been on a shopping trip with Ino before - it's a miracle that her friend hasn't been robbed or kidnapped yet.
Ino sends her a smug grin. "Trust me, Ten, you haven't seen anything yet."
Tenten thinks her mind broke a little trying to imagine Ino with any more bags than she already has. "Do you really need that many clothes?"
"Yes," Ino grins. "There's lots of space left in my closet, too."
Tenten doesn't see how that's even possible. They end up loading Ino's bags onto the Silver Blade, before heading back to the restaurant for dinner.
"How was the competition?" Ino asks, after they've settled down at the food establishment of Tenten's choice, plied with drinks and menus.
Tenten gives a little shrug. "We've placed in the top twenty out of four hundred teams. I was expecting better, but I guess we've got plenty of good opponents around."
The competition averages the scores of each participant on a team - despite having teammates who don't do as well in accuracy, Tenten can't see herself kicking them off her team just for the sake of winning the competition. That isn't Konoha's motto, after all.
"We'll do better tomorrow than we did today!" Lee exclaims, and Tenten grins at him. His very words are Captain Gai's attitude towards life.
"Anyway, dinner is Hyuuga's treat," Tenten reminds them, and Ino elbows her.
"You didn't tell me how this came about," the blonde accuses playfully.
Tenten grins. "I won a match against him last night. We have witnesses," she answers, nodding towards the rest of the table. Neji watches her from the other end of the table, but says nothing. Ino smiles.
"Guess you should do that more often, huh?" she asks.
Tenten rolls her eyes. "I doubt we'd get that lucky. Ask Hyuuga yourself."
"No," Neji answers just as quickly. "As team leader, you should be the one giving us a treat."
All eyes return to her, and Tenten glowers at him, knowing that he's backed her into a corner she can't escape. "I'll give you guys a treat if we win," she compromises, only to be met by various complaints along the table. "Well, you guys need some incentive to do well, no?"
Tenten decides not to pick the most expensive item on the menu - she might still be sharing a bed with Neji, if her luck runs out tonight. Besides, he probably wouldn't want to bed down with Lee. Tenten shoves that image out of her mind.
"Have you decided on something?" Tenten asks Ino, when the blonde closes her menu.
"Yeah. Salad," Ino replies. "Plus a side of fish."
"Salad again?" Tenten repeats in disbelief. "We go to a Chinese place, and you get salad?"
Ino rolls her eyes. "The Chinese stuff is for you, Ten. Besides, veggies are good for us."
Tenten thinks back on her choice of shrimp dumplings and steamed pork-and-spinach buns, and shakes her head. "I've got enough veggies, thanks."
Ino clicks her tongue. "Veggies help maintain your figure, you know."
"I don't need to maintain my figure," Tenten grouses, lowering her tone.
"Yes, you do," Ino hisses back, and sends a pointed look towards Neji, who's watching their exchange amusedly. "You need to look good in bed, Ten."
Tenten flushes a dark red.
"Why am I sitting next to you?" she mutters, dipping her chin and slipping a hand over her forehead, to shield her burning cheeks from Neji.
"Because you need tips, girlfriend. Thank me later," Ino whispers back.
The rest of dinner passes uneventfully (Tenten tries not to express her delight with the shrimp dumplings - the comment last night from Neji had been enough), though she smiles while eating her dumplings anyway, and catches Neji stealing a glance at her. Tenten wipes the grin from her face, turns her attention to Lee, and plucks a piece of chicken from his bowl.
"We don't eat together often enough, Tenten," Lee says, and Tenten smiles at him.
"Yeah. I'm usually eating with Ino, anyway," she replies.
Lee beams at them both. "Perhaps I can join you and Ino sometime?" he asks.
Tenten shrugs, glancing at the blonde. "Sure, you might get bored with our youthful conversations, though."
"About training?" Lee queries, and Tenten bites a smile down.
"No, not all youthful conversations are about training," she tells him. Ino talks about guys she's been sleeping with sometimes, and clothes and her research at others. "We talk about clothes too."
Lee brightens at that. "I have a spare set of spandex that I've never worn, Ino, would you like that?"
Tenten, and Neji, who's sitting on the other end of the table, both cringe at his suggestion. Neji probably still remembers the time Captain Gai forced them into those unsightly one-piece suits. Ino gives Lee an uncertain smile - no one forgets seeing their friends in green spandex.
"Um, sure, Lee, why not?" Ino replies. Tenten looks at her in horror, glancing at Neji. He's wearing an expression of utmost distaste.
Tenten leans over and whispers in Ino's ear, "If you've had any hope of laying Hyuuga, you've just dashed it to bits."
Ino whispers back, "Doesn't mean I'm necessarily wearing it, idiot."
"Just look at his face," Tenten answers, and Ino sneaks a glance at Neji, only to have her shoulders sag. Tenten stifles her grin. "You'll find another chance to someday," she consoles Ino.
Lee looks between them both, concern all over his features. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No, no, you're fine, Lee," Tenten answers quickly.
"Would you rather have the armchair bed tonight?" Lee asks then, and Tenten freezes, feeling all eyes at the table swivel towards her. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you last night, Tenten!"
There isn't any way to avoid answering his question, not when all of them are going to know her choice by tomorrow, anyway. Tenten pulls her lower lip into her mouth, biting uneasily on it. She doesn't dare glance at Neji. It really wasn't that bad, sharing the bed with him.
Acutely aware that every additional moment of silence just works to count against her, Tenten parts her lips. If it boils down to sex - she doesn't quite mind sharing the bed, to be completely honest. "I, um, I think the bed is going to be better for my back, actually. I've been having backaches recently."
It's a bald-faced lie - and Lee buys it. (But no one else does.)
"I'm sorry to hear about that, Tenten! I didn't realize it! I'm sorry!" Lee cries, and Tenten tries to mold her expression into something resembling discomfort from having a backache. "But Neji - he's going to be sharing-"
Tenten doesn't know if it can get any more awkward than this. She glances at Ino - the blonde lifts an eyebrow at her, that says very clearly, You're sleeping with him, Ten.
Tenten drags a hand across her face.
"The suite is under my card and name," Neji says, narrowing his eyes. "I get to decide where I'm sleeping - and I prefer the bed."
Damn it. Whether Neji's sealed her fate for the better or worse, Tenten doesn't know. All she knows is that the unease in her gut is making her just a little nauseous. And she doesn't want to look at Neji.
Ino stares gleefully at her.
Chaos breaks out at the table when Neji signals for the bill; Tenten rubs her temples - she's going to get a headache from this soon.
"I trust that Neji will remain honorable towards you," Lee whispers to her.
Tenten doesn't trust herself to say anything. She closes her eyes, nods.
Kotetsu elbows Neji, and Kiba looks over at Tenten, like a dog being offered a bone. "You can't hide stuff like that from me, Tenten, it's so obvious that you're finally-"
She glowers at him, and stands abruptly from the table. "I need some fresh air. For my back."
Ino is the one to hurry after her as she leaves the restaurant, waiting outside while Neji settles the bill. "Hey, Ten - sorry. That was a little too much," Ino admits.
Tenten sighs heavily, lets her shoulders fall. "It's not just your fault, Ino."
It's night by now, and the rows of restaurants are bustling with business. Tenten stares blankly at the crowds around, wondering how she'd be able to get everyone off her back about Neji.
Ino links arms with her and drags her away from the restaurant, turning so they're facing the door, and will know when the rest exit. "You're sleeping with him, aren't you?" she asks.
Tenten grimaces. "For the most part, no."
The blonde frowns. "But you do have sex with him once in a while, is what you're saying."
She hesitates before answering. "Essentially, yes."
"So, not a one-night stand. Are you interested in him?" is Ino's next question.
"No." Tenten shrugs then, glancing towards her friend. "Can we get out of this place for a bit?"
"Sure." Ino pulls her computer out, tapping a quick message. "I told the rest of them that we're going for a walk."
"Thanks," Tenten replies gratefully, and allows Ino to lead her away into the streets, mingling with the rest of the crowd. She doesn't want to tell Ino about the walk last night, or her conversation with Neji this morning - it probably isn't relevant in the long run, anyway. "How are you and Kiba doing?"
"Good, good." Ino shrugs, turning to her with an easy smile. "Wanna do some shopping?"
Tenten stops and stares at Ino. "More shopping? Aren't you done for the day?"
"Well, I'm done for today, yes," Ino answers thoughtfully. "But there's something called retail therapy, you know? Buy things and it'll make you feel happy."
"I think that applies more to you," Tenten mutters, but follows as Ino leads her through the crowds, to shops that are tucked away on little streets.
"I think you'd rather look at the things that go bang," Ino tells her. Tenten purses her lips, and Ino grins, knowing she's hit the right answer. "I saw a few firearm shops while I was wandering around today."
Much to her surprise, Tenten relaxes soon after they step into the first weapons shop - there aren't just guns here, however. Traditional oriental weapons hang from the walls in numerous racks, some of which she's never seen before.
"How'd you find this place?" she asks Ino. "I've never seen this during all the times I've been to Gliese Beta."
Ino gives her a smug grin. "You're the sort that grabs things in a store and goes right out - you hardly poke around the quiet alleys. And that's where I come in."
"Ever the consummate shopper, Ino," Tenten agrees, stopping by a rack with what appears to be ancient Japanese weapons - throwing stars, and pointed daggers with cloth-wrapped handles and a ring at the end. "I wonder what this is for."
Ino stands around while she looks over the selection, intrigued by the sheer variety of pointed objects. There are the once-popular weapons, like nunchucks and swords, though Tenten finds her attention drawn to intricately-painted explosive tags and sickles attached to metal chains.
"Feels as if I share some kind of history with them," she mutters, shrugging. Perhaps her ancestors had used these.
They spend close to an hour in the store, and Ino types again on her computer while Tenten surveys the variety of swords and spears, twirling the pointed dagger from before on her finger.
"Don't hurt yourself with that," Ino warns, though Tenten angles a smile at her.
"I don't just have an affinity for guns, it seems," she says, tossing the dagger into the air, and catching it deftly.
Ino shakes her head, smiling fondly at her. "Well, Ten, your next babysitter is here."
"Babysitter?" she echos, almost offended.
"See you later." Ino turns, waving to someone else. "All yours!"
"Huh?" Tenten looks around, frowning, though all she sees are the tips of Ino's blond hair, and Neji walking towards her, carrying a large bag of bottles. "What're you doing here?" she blurts.
Neji shrugs, coming to stand next to her. "Yamanaka said you needed someone watching over you."
Tenten grimaces, and makes a mental note to shake Ino for this, or something. "Well, I don't need a babysitter," she tells him dryly. The bag of bottles nags at her attention; she glances between them and Neji. "What are those?"
Neji shrugs nonchalantly, sets the bag of bottles down. "Conditioner."
"That many?" Tenten tries to stifle her smile and doesn't quite succeed. Of all the people she knows, Neji probably goes through the most hair conditioner, period.
He looks almost balefully at her. "You'd know the volume required if you condition your hair before shampooing."
Tenten isn't able to hold her grin down this time. She sees him clearly in her mind, standing in the bath and spending forever working that stuff into his hair. "No, I don't. I shampoo first," she tells him, amused to no end.
Neji folds his arms and looks away.
"Where are the rest?" Tenten asks after a while. She's all but forgotten her embarrassment from dinner - Ino's retail therapy actually worked.
"Yamanaka's gone to join Kiba and Lee back in the suite. Izumo and Kotetsu are hanging around somewhere," Neji replies, observing the dagger she's gone back to twirling. "You've taken a liking to kunai?"
"Is that what it's called?" Tenten glances down at her dagger with a frown. "How do you know stuff like that, anyway?"
He shrugs lightly, following the circular trajectory of the weapon. "I was taught to use it when I first began physical combat training."
She didn't know that about him. Neji has to be referring to when the Hyuuga started his martial arts lessons. Imagine if she'd learned to fight at that age. "That isn't fair," she tells him, her tone casual.
"There are disadvantages to being born in my family," Neji reminds her, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear.
She sees that familiar green tattoo then, half-hidden behind his earlobe, and drops her gaze, remembering the way he was when she first knew him. "I guess you have a point."
Neji trails back to the rack of daggers, picking out an identical kunai. "Do you want lessons on its usage?" he offers.
Tenten's eyes grow wide. Neji's volunteering to teach her stuff? "Why would I need lessons? Isn't it similar to an ordinary dagger?"
He lifts a shoulder. "It's more durable defending against head-on strikes. You can change their trajectory with wires tied to the rings."
She absorbs this information quietly, catching the dagger in her palm. Learning to use a new weapon promises fun, even if it wouldn't really provide much defense against pulse guns. And even if Neji's the one imparting that information to her. "Just one lesson," she allows.
Neji picks out another two kunai from the rack, handing them all to her. "Are you buying these?"
"Sure." Because there's certainly nothing wrong with adding more weapons to her collection on this trip. Tenten smiles to herself, bringing the daggers over to the cashier.
Neji is waiting by the door of the shop when she's done, and she follows him back out onto the street, being sure to note the location of the shop for future purchases.
"Why even offer me lessons?" Tenten asks, as they follow the river of people along the streets. "You've never done that."
He shrugs, continues looking forward. Glaring neon signboards light the street ahead of them, that is packed with people. "We've trained together before."
Tenten purses her lips. "That was a long time ago. What's your real motive, Hyuuga?"
"You wouldn't believe it if I told you," he says mildly, and provides no further explanation.
She rolls her eyes. "You're hiding something."
"Don't we all?" Neji returns, slanting a look at her.
Tenten blinks, and wonders what she's hiding from him. Her attraction? Her disappointment, that he's so different from who he used to be? Her confusion? Surely Neji is aware of the last, at least. He smirks when she doesn't have an answer for him.
"It's been a long day," she tells him instead, blinking tiredly. "We'll have to wake up early tomorrow."
At least she's got it across to everyone that she's sharing the bed with Neji tonight. Tenten narrows her eyes. And nothing is going to happen between them. She'll make sure of it.
The strains of loud, off-key singing reaches their ears as they near the hotel. Tenten looks around warily, and raises an eyebrow at the figures of Kotetsu and Izumo by the stone fountain in front of the Blue Mountain. From the look of it, there are several more beer cans around them, and the men have their arms around each other; Kotetsu's head is on Izumo's shoulder.
Neji pinches his nose. "They aren't usually drunk on their days off," he mutters.
They approach the men slowly, and Tenten stills when Izumo stops singing and presses a kiss to Kotetsu's cheek.
"Um," she blurts. "Isn't that a private moment?"
The kiss somehow transforms into a full-out, mouth-to-mouth snog, and Neji plasters a hand across his face.
"I did not need to see that," he says in an undertone.
Tenten winces. "Neither did I."
(Ino, no doubt, would have loved to be privy to this piece of juicy gossip.)
But there's something vaguely captivating about the men kissing; after the exchange between Izumo and Neji this morning, Tenten can't help but stare at them, and wonder if this is something both of them would have wanted, were they sober. Would this end up changing their friendship?
Had Neji been thinking about kissing her last night?
Tenten frowns and blinks rapidly, wondering where that thought came from. Neji couldn't possibly be interested in her. She stares unseeingly at Izumo and Kotetsu, remembering Neji's proximity, his warmth, and his breath on her lips. The distance had not been unwelcome - just confusing. Close to a decade ago, she would've been overjoyed to have Neji kiss her.
Now? Tenten can't decide. She doesn't like him that way, after all. All she feels is physical attraction.
But she wonders what his lips would feel like against hers.
"We should probably bring them back, in case they get into trouble," she tells Neji, who sighs and steps forward.
Kotetsu leans back a little too far, and splashes into the fountain, dragging Izumo with him in another great splash. Neji sets his bag of conditioner down, strides up, and hauls both men out of the water, using his knee as leverage on the lip of the stone basin. Tenten shakes her head when they emerge, coughing and sputtering.
She slowly approaches Hawk Platoon, watching as Neji glowers down at his men, arms folded across his chest.
"You're drunk," he tells them. "We're going back."
"We aren't drunk," Kotetsu whines, and looks around for Izumo, before hugging him comically.
Tenten purses her lips. "Actually, they're kind of cute like that," she observes.
Neji raises an eyebrow at her. "And you're the one losing your mind when someone makes suggestions about us," he reminds her dryly.
She looks away from him then, embarrassed. "Well, we do know that Izumo has feelings for Kotetsu," Tenten reasons.
Neji raises a brow at her, and she frowns. "Did I say something wrong?" she asks.
"No, you didn't," he acknowledges, turning back towards his teammates.
"You love her, Neji," Kotetsu points out, a silly grin on his face.
Neji freezes, pinches the bridge of his nose. "You're drunk, Kotetsu. Let's head back now."
Tenten frowns. That couldn't be the truth, could it? Why else would Neji have been doing all sorts of crap to her? She trails behind as he guides his men back to the hotel, bag of conditioner back in hand.
Sure, he's blackmailed her - but only for sex, something she already views as a commodity. And he actually asked when he wanted to have control over her. On all occasions, she responded to him and wanted to screw him anyway, even if she's tried denying it.
He gave up his copy of her pictures in the lab, whereas she'd gone and lost her copy of his surveillance video. And he doesn't resent her for it. He gave her updates on Kiba during the Aesis mission, when she wasn't the leader and didn't require that information to carry her part out. He's held off on approaching her for sex. He bought her rounds, and didn't even touch her last night. Then there was the offer of weaponry lessons just earlier. Do all these mean that Neji is in love with her? Right at this moment?
Well, this is awkward.
Tenten snaps out of her thoughts when they reach the suite. Neji looks back at her, where she's been trailing behind, and holds the door open for her until she's stepped in.
"Go to sleep," he tells Kotetsu and Izumo. The hideaway bed has been tidied, and is conveniently folded open, ready for sleeping in.
Lee is snoring on the fold-out bed in the armchair, limbs hanging haphazardly off the mattress, and the door to the other bedroom is shut tight once again. Tenten waits in silence as Kotetsu and Izumo lumber towards the couch, before flopping gracelessly onto the mattress, wet hair plastered all over their faces. The springs squeak beneath them. It isn't long before they're fast asleep, still with their shoes on.
At the sound of their even breathing, Neji turns out most of the lights in the suite, and nods towards the bedroom, where he's stashed his bag of conditioner. Tenten follows him in.
Unwilling to wait through the time he takes to condition his hair, Tenten grabs her overnight bag, heading for the bathroom. "I'm showering first."
She leaves him standing at the desk, looking down pensively, as if deep in thought. The bathroom door seals her into the well-lit bathroom, and she strips quickly, stepping into the shower.
The idea of Neji in love just doesn't strike her as probable. In all her years of knowing him, Tenten has never seen him expressing interest towards anyone. Did something occur while he was at the Orion cluster? Why else would he begin blackmailing her? She hasn't heard any nasty tales about him doing the same to others from Ino - the blonde would be quick to inform her if she knew.
"You look preoccupied," Neji comments when she exits the bathroom. He's seated at the desk now, typing away on his computer.
Tenten shrugs, deposits her bag on the floor next to her side of the bed. "What happened while you were at the Orion cluster?"
"A number of missions. Would you like me to rank them by importance?" Neji offers. He stands and steps over to his own duffel bag, pulling his shower necessities out.
"Something changed you," Tenten says quietly, watching him.
"And you've changed as well, haven't you?" he asks, pausing at the bathroom door to glance at her. There's an intensity in his pale eyes that makes her stomach flip.
"I don't think I did," she answers, and he smiles vaguely at her, before closing the bathroom door behind him.
What is with all his half-assed answers, anyway? Tenten frowns to herself, and slips into bed, tugging the covers over herself more forcefully than she needs to. She's tucked her handgun beneath her pillow again, out of habit.
Her thoughts drift as she lies in bed, just a little tired, but not enough for her to fall asleep immediately. Is Neji capable of feeling love? Does he feel something towards her?
He steps out of the bathroom half an hour later, bringing a wave of humid air into the bedroom. Tenten glances at him, at the same time he flicks his gaze at her. "Not asleep yet?" Neji asks.
"Well, I can't sleep not knowing what you're going to do once you get in bed," she tells him wryly. Neji raises an eyebrow.
"I was thinking of sleeping," he answers plainly.
Tenten doesn't know if she believes him, so she watches as he puts his clothes and shower things away, before joining her beneath the sheets. Unlike the day before, he doesn't keep his hair bundled up; Neji unwinds the towel from around his head and covers the pillow with it, before gingerly lying down, spreading his hair across the towel.
"Wow," Tenten remarks. "You've turned that into an art."
He exhales quickly, smiling. "I wasn't aware that you'd find my actions entertaining."
"I do not," she informs him, glancing quickly back up at the ceiling.
"You have a backache?" Neji asks after a pause. He looks at her from the corner of his eye.
Tenten bites her lip then. She'd be outright lying if she admitted to it. If she answers in the negative, then it would be obvious that she wanted to share the bed for a different reason. And she isn't about to lose her pride.
"What's it to you?" she returns guardedly.
Neji shrugs, looks at the ceiling. "I was going to offer a back massage."
Her eyebrows seem to have migrated across her forehead and into her hairline. "Are you an impostor?" she asks. Stares at him. "The Hyuuga I know never offers a massage."
He flicks his eyes at her. "I'm not an impostor."
"Tell me something about me that no one else knows," she challenges, frowning.
Neji hesitates for a moment, thinking. "You led the truffle mission when we were fourteen. I was shot in the leg."
Tenten falls silent then. She has not expected him to remember much from their trainee cell days. "Another fact," she adds, disbelieving.
"I dislocated your shoulder when we were fifteen. You took three months to recover," is Neji's reply.
She winces. Just thinking about that injury makes her shoulder hurt. He is Neji, without a doubt. Different, yet perhaps still the same in some ways? Tenten ruminates on the thought.
"Are you interested in the massage, or not?" he asks.
It's difficult to refuse a luxury like that. Tenten shuts her eyes so he wouldn't be able to read her, and nods. "Yeah."
"Lie on your front, then," he proposes, and she grudgingly squirms, so her face is buried in her now-damp pillow, wet hair parted to either side of her neck.
Neji shifts closer to her, pushing the sheets down to her waist. She feels the heat of his body radiate at her side and mumbles, "Don't try anything funny, Hyuuga, I'm armed."
"I wouldn't dare," he answers, and presses his thumbs into either side of her spine, just beneath her neck.
Tenten moans at the pressure, involuntarily closing her eyes, and what follows for the better part of half an hour is Neji's palms and knuckles kneading into her back, making their way down and up in slow circles, slowly spreading to her shoulders, and then closing in at the small of her back.
She feels herself approaching the haziness of sleep, when Neji asks, "Where is your back really aching?"
Tenten mumbles an incoherent response, turns her head heavily to the side.
The question slips from her tongue before she thinks to stop it. "Are you in love?"
Neji's hands still on her back, and he draws away, slipping back beneath the covers. He pulls the sheets up over both of them. "Does it matter?" he asks. The lights in the room go out, surrounding them in a blanket of darkness.
She doesn't think much of his reply, letting her eyes slide shut. Until she feels his hand rest on her hip, easing her slowly onto her side, so her back faces him.
Neji curls an arm around her waist, hugs her to his chest.
Tenten snaps awake then with a snuffle, and stiffens. "What're you doing, Hyuuga?" she demands, looking unseeingly at the door.
"Attempting to sleep," he answers.
"This isn't..." she trails off when she realizes that this is all there is to it - an unfamiliar warmth curling around her, that is inexplicably comfortable at the same time.
Tenten swallows thickly. She really should pull away from him. She tenses her muscles and raises herself inches away from his frame - Neji makes no move to stop her - before she realizes that she's never actually experienced intimacy like that. Her previous boyfriends (from short, inconsequential relationships) slept beside her, but never this way.
One night couldn't hurt, could it?
She lowers herself back to him, her heart thudding against her ribs. Her body feels entirely too relaxed after Neji's massage. He smells like conditioner and soap, and Tenten slowly allows the tension to seep away from her body. Neji doesn't say anything else, so she doesn't either, unwilling to initiate conversation when his heat lulls her towards slumber.
He falls asleep long after she does that night.
A/N: Lots of stuff happened in this chapter. ;) In particular, I wanted to address...
(1) KotetsuIzumo - yes, it is happening. ;) You received warning the previous chapter. This is pretty much the worst of it in Blackmail though.
(2) The backache - so hilarious omg.
(3) If you missed the Naruto weaponry references, shame on you ;)
(4) and the fluff - who didn't like the fluff?!
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! As always, thank you for taking the time to leave a review. :) It was recently brought to my attention that Blackmail actually comes up as a topic of discussion between friends - I had no idea and never thought that would actually happen omg! :O