Goodbye

Up until then, Tenten would wake up with her head full of all sorts of worry. Worry for herself, worry for Lee, her parents, Kiba, her team, the lachrymose past, the bleaker future, so on and so forth. But that day her mind was clear of any negativity, and instead filled with thoughts of felicity that however brief, couldn't be denied of its existence.

Tenten could have sworn that Neji had carried the smell of wet soil and tattered grass when she placed her nose against his hair the night before. She knew now such a thought was perhaps a paranoid delusion, for what were the gritty smells of a tragic battlefield became an array of floral and pleasant scents. Now she could only wonder – which was the illusion?

Her biological clock had been set in a way to only allow her the least amount of sleep needed, and judging by the light, or lack thereof, coming in from the window it was still early in the morning. Perhaps it had been cold the last night, as she had her nose pressed against Neji's back and her arms tight across his shoulders by the time she had awoken. Tenten refused to acknowledge the fact that she had succumbed to such a desire to be so literally clingy.

Neji didn't seem to mind nonetheless. In fact, he seemed to be quite comfortable in her warm grasp, for when she drew back her arms, that's when he stirred. The minute motion, however small was still significant, and Tenten shook with fright.

"Awake, are we?" he said. At that hour he had no energy to worry about Tenten's little jump. He swept his lashes roughly with his fingers, and didn't hesitate to dash to their bathroom.

"What time is it?" Tenten asked.

"Sometime early," Neji mumbled. "We'll have plenty of time before my train departs."

Tenten grinned. "But you're a pilot; you could just fly away."

"Suppose I could," replied Neji, pausing to spit out the toothpaste he had been swishing in his mouth, "But the skies are a dangerous place for a fledgling like myself."

Tenten got out of bed herself and snuck off to pick something they had bought the day before. "Don't be so humble, Neji."

Neji then appeared at the door in a flash, neatly redressed in his uniform. The only difference now was that he was armed with a coat. She had yet to fix up her bottoms, and he already held the door out for her with all of their things hung across his arm. He said not a word, but the impatient look on his face spoke for him.

She rolled her eyes and hopped around while struggling with her sock, tumbling over to hook him by the arm.

"I'm gonna miss you again, I know it," she muttered. She pushed her head on his shoulder. Neji made do with a small hum, stating his agreement.

It was his illogical hypothesis that somehow convinced him of the fact in which the more they conversed the more painful their parting would be.


On their trip to the station Tenten got tired of Neji's sudden quietness. She had tried some small talk which netted her a handbag and him a new cap as they stepped through the streets, but she had not been successful in her attempts to spread some cheer. She had even suggested they go for some ice cream, and yet his frown never broke, not even for her sake. Had she said something, done something to upset or offend him?

Walking through the drizzle-kissed streets the cold air bit into their skin; she couldn't help but think she had done something very, very wrong.

"Say something, damnit!" she hissed. Tenten took her second ice cream and chucked it close to her feet. The rain quickly devoured the dairy sweet, carrying the double sprinkled vanilla cone away in a stream of rainbow water.

Neji turned his head, wistful and tired to her. He shook his head, and Tenten wasn't sure if it was the light precipitation or a tear that descended from his eye. God, he looked like, like he was about to burst. It was the very first time Tenten had saw him showing such difficulty with restraint. His strong teeth bit down on his poor lip, and his fists clenched tight at his sides.

"A-are you alright?" Tenten brushed his cheek with the back of her index finger. She had no regard for anyone that watched their very public display of affections. Neji squinted, and in peak of sentiment he took that one hand and pulled it close to him, bending over to sob into their entwined fingers. Tenten was decisive as she let him fall into her robust hold, so that she too could help him carry the weight of his burden, if only for just a minute. Neji's hands extended to reach her shoulder blades. And as soon as they had spun around her, he constricted. His fingers all but clawed at her back. Tenten put one hand behind of his head and stroked his wetted hair. "Oh, baby."

"Tenten." Neji's tears were a broken, strong dam, aided by the rush of adrenaline that had rushed up the back of his neck. Saliva had gathered in his mouth, his nose was running quick and it felt like he was right back to being a damn kid again, although it no longer bothered him how much he was letting go all out. "I'll miss you. I... I already do."

He tucked her under his chin, perhaps feeling for the last time her breath on his neck.

It was almost time to go.

"Try to pretend that you're happy," Tenten commanded, placing both hands on each side of his face, "For me."

"I will," he said. And then Neji's lips fell up to form a mild, however genuine smile.

"Look, I'll be alive by the time this is all over," she reassured him. Her mind was set, and her gaze pure steel. "And nothing's going to stop me."


At the station there were two hours until the train would depart, and the whole time the duo said not a word, only communicating through their unrelenting grip on each other's hands. It was a more difficult feat than most would imagine; there were a crazy amount of people in the station, and the majority of them were in a rush. They had not the time to be selfless, resulting in hundreds of bumped shoulders and pulling currents, and once or twice Neji and Tenten nearly lost sight of one another and been trampled over in that stampede of wives and husbands and mothers and fathers and soldiers and children. Even considering the noise, it would be difficult to correspond using an oral method. At least the worst of the rain was unable to catch them and only began to pour when they entered that roofed shelter.

And really, they needn't have said anything more because their tongues were tired of talking and loving from the night before. However, when it was finally time for them to separate once again, their poor tongues were put to use again in a last, at first sloppy, kiss. What began as a careless exchange of saliva however, evolved into a more fervent and heated entanglement. One would find that their embrace was not unlike the saturated pop art plastered on sappy propaganda posters. But they didn't care; it was the one moment they could share before they parted.

As he boarded his train, Tenten had never been as reluctant to let go of his hand to the extent that he had to wring it off her. It hurt her somewhat to see him do just that, even if she understood that they both had their own duties to fulfil. They were responsible for the defence of their country and all else that they loved.

Neji soon became comfortable in his seat, but not before he decided to call out to Tenten after a series of mini-discussions he held in his head, and the final verdict insisted really was necessary to tell her what he had been holding in for so long.

"Tenten!" he called out to her. She was almost indistinguishable in the sepia crowd. She immediately turned to him and ran up to the window he put his hand at, waving and kissing her goodbyes. "Yes?"

Her eyes were full of trust and patience as she tilted her head to look at him.

"Send a greeting to the team on my behalf, would you?"

Tenten nodded. The train moaned, as the engine roared and the conductor blew his whistle. She looked at Neji impatiently, biting down on her lip. Her fingers loosened around his. Neji had more to say, so he retightened them around hers. More heads stuck out of the window, and Neji shortly found himself squeezed against several other men by his left and right. They all stretched out their arms, and Tenten was joined too by lovers and family alike, reaching out to their counterparts.

"You take care!" he shouted over the aggravated steam blowing from the train.

"You too!" she yelled back. The train sprung alive.

"You'll send the crew my greetings and best wishes, won't you?" Neji added.

"Yes, yes."

Chugga chugga chugaa choo-choo!

"You promise?" he prodded. Her answer was delayed as the wheels began to beat down harder, faster against the tracks. Tenten was moved to jog along the platform, pushing random bystanders like herself out of the way.

Stomp, stomp, stomp.

"I-I promise."

Neji better of made it quick; time was running out. "There is just one more thing I must tell you!" he proclaimed. "I..."

It was harder than he had thought to push it through his mouth, but with Tenten sprinting alongside the train like so, it was difficult to deny her his confession. "I..."

Tenten had already begun sprinting by then, and what would be an impatient glare had instead come on as a look of desperation.

Even in the midst of that pressure, Neji paused right there in sudden epiphany, smiling a satisfied smile. She seemed to have noticed it and slowed down in her run.

It had taken Neji all too long to realise it was never necessary to say what he had to say. He stood there shaking his head like a fool, while Tenten stopped and beamed right back at him with a full set of teeth. She grew ever the more distant as the train tore their hold apart. However strong their hands held onto each other in the trenches, it mattered little know against the deadly momentum of the train. Tenten ran towards the end of the platform until she could only stop. She was difficult to see, but she understood what he was trying to say with that one cheeky smile. There was not a need to put it into words, for as he saw that smile Neji knew he'd already proved it.

She knew all along, and there had never been any need for those words.

She could be within him again, and nothing but death could get in her way.

fin.

A/N: Goodness it feels good to complete a fic, especially one that is almost 100K and has taken two years to finish. And yet, at the same time, it always feels sad to part with a story you've put out there, especially a long one such as this. And saying goodbye to your readers is even more of a distressing experience, especially an excellent, gracious, kind and lovely audience such as yourselves.

Gah, I have too many soppy, sappy things to say to all of you. Please give me a moment to compile an acknowledgement page, and please check pack to see your personal dedication posted up soon.