A/N: Happy Neji Week everyone! Over in the NejiTen discord (link on my profile!) we're celebrating Neji's birthday with 7 prompts! I know these are short, but I hope you enjoy them!

Day Three
Lavender

Tenten smelled like lavender. That was what Neji remembered when he caught her face in the crowd just before the ceremony.

He remembered how Hinata had heard about a lavender farm in the Land of Tea; and how Tenten jumped at the idea of a trip. Since the end of the war, there had been fewer and fewer chances to leave the village, especially with half of Team Gai recovering from injuries.

The farm intrigued him, and he would have agreed to go with little persuasion. But when Hinata timidly asked if they should invite Naruto, Neji had insisted on accompanying them.

Neji wasn't naive, he knew the complexities and intimate lines they had likely crossed since they'd started dating, but he wasn't about to let that stop his sense of duty and protection towards his cousin. Naruto may have saved them all, but that didn't mean he couldn't hurt Hinata.

Whenever they flirted, Tenten would tease Neji, and call him a prude. Naruto complained very bluntly about the lack of privacy, and Hinata was her quiet, reserved self seeking to appease the two men who were most important to her.

They were pleasantly surprised to discover that the farm also doubled as an inn. But Naruto's insistence that he share a room with Hinata had soured that quickly.

Tenten pulled him to the other room, insisting for both of them that it was not a problem.

Once the door was shut, Neji vented his frustration.

"How could you agree to that?"

"Neji, they're 19 and have been dating for 6 months."

"It's inappropriate."

"It's their decision."

"Hiashi-sama will—"

"Not know. Because you're not going to tell him. Come on Neji, you know as well as I do that they've already—"

"Don't say it, Tenten."

She sighed at him.

"Such a prude."

Neji crossed his arms.

"Forgive me for not wanting that particular image in my head."

Tenten laughed and dropped her bag on the ground.

"Come on, let's go check out the fields. You're going to need a lot of lavender to help you relax tonight."

Neji rolled his eyes but followed her out of their room.

For a few ryu, they had each been equipped with a pair of scissors and a basket. The woman behind the counter had animatedly encouraged them to cut as much as they want.

"It's the end of the season, after all!" she'd said.

The late summer sun was hot on their backs as they crouched over the stalks of purple flowers.

"It smells so good out here!" Tenten said.

"It's amazing," added Hinata.

"How much should we cut? Do you or Sakura have any good recipes?"

"Sakura and Ino would both love bundles, I think. Sakura can make some tinctures to help patients in the hospital relax."

"Ah, so cool!"

"And we can make some balms and oil!"

Neji enjoyed watching her cousin shine with confidence and excitement. Tenten was good at drawing that out of her.

"Just let us know how much to cut," said Naruto.

The more they cut, the stronger the scent. It hung in the hot air and clung to their damp skin and clothes. Neji would later, privately, tell Tenten he had enjoyed their time out there.

She looked to be in heaven herself with a soft smile on her lips and a basket of lavender on her arm.

When they had cut their fill, they went back inside and sat down to dinner. Each item had been prepared with some part of the lavender plant. They trudged down the hall to their rooms and said goodnight, sleepy from the sun and aroma.

Tenten smelled like lavender that evening too, as they both dropped onto their shared bed, still fully clothed. It was an intoxicating mix of sun-kissed skin, the remnants of sunscreen, and lavender. She sighed content, next to him.

"I'm so relaxed," she said.

"Mmm."

Quiet settled between them before Tenten spoke again.

"There's no way those two are doing it tonight," she yawned, "If they're half as relaxed as me, then they're almost asleep."

"Tenten…"

She rolled onto her side to meet his eyes and laughed.

"Such a prude, Neji. Even after all that lavender."

He smiled at her.

"I suppose I can't help it."

"You're going to need a lot of Sakura's tincture when Hinata gets pregnant."

Neji opened his mouth to respond but caught himself. Tenten had closed her eyes, already dozing, and the calmness that radiated off of her in waves timed to her pulse dragged him down with her into a deep sleep.

A/N: This is my favorite one so far. :3 Please leave a review.