Hair Ties

Wow it sure has been a while and let me just say for the longest time I could not decide on what to do with this chapter, the last chapter of this fic of mine. Sometimes I had too many ideas and sometimes I had none at all but, finally I settled on one, it came to me today and I knew this is the one and, here we are now. Hope you enjoy.

**Just need to let you know a sexually suggestive moment is near the end but nothing graphic enough to be M rated**

Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 10: Hair Ties

It was after eight p.m. and Neji was sitting comfortably on a cushion on the floor with his eyes closed, completely relaxed as small hands brushed his long silky hair. A small smile appeared on his face as the brushing stopped and he waited for the question that always came at this point. His answer would always be the same.

"Which hair tie do you want in your hair?" her voice asked sweetly as she peered over his shoulder.

"Whichever one you want." he heard her laugh excitedly to herself. She hopped off the bed and went to his side table and opened the box filled with all different types of hair ties. The one that caught her attention was a black hair tie with a panda charm on it, it was definitely the cutest one in the box so of course she chose it.

"It's time for bed, Keiko. Are you done yet?" Tenten asked as she walked into hers and Neji's bedroom.

"Almost mom," Keiko, Neji and Tenten's six year old daughter responded before racing back to her father's side. She had the signature pearly white Hyuuga eyes but she looked like Tenten. With a smile on her face she gathered up Neji's hair and tied it in his usual low ponytail before sitting in his lap and wrapping her small arms around him.

"So is it okay?" she asked.

"You did it perfectly like you always do." he ruffled her hair. "Now I believe its bedtime."

"Goodnight dad." she gave him one last hug before standing up and walking over to Tenten. He watched the two of them leave before standing up himself and heading to the mirror to see which hair tie she'd chosen.

A warm feeling of nostalgia erupted inside him when when he saw the panda charm wrapped neatly around the bottom of his hair. The very first hair tie he'd gotten from Tenten back when they'd first met. Oh how time flies.

"Mom, I've seen you and dad with the same hair tie, the one with the panda charm on it. Did you get them for each other?" Keiko asked as Tenten tucked her in the blankets.

"Actually both of them were mine." she chuckled. "I was a little older than you are now when I met your dad. We were playing in the snow together and his hair had come out and we couldn't find it, so I gave him one of mine. Just like you did now, I tied his hair up with that hair tie."

"And then you became friends right?" she asked curiously.

"Yes and then we became friends."

"Do all his hair ties have a story?"

"Well not all of them but most of them. His hair ties as well as my own."

"Can you tell me another story about them?" she asked and tried to hide her yawn. Tenten brushed her daughter's hair from her face.

"Maybe tomorrow night. You need to rest." she kissed her forehead and headed out when she was sure Keiko was asleep.

When she walked back into the bedroom Tenten found Neji sitting on their bed with his box of hair ties, a few of them scattered in front of him.

"What are the odds she'd have chosen the first one I gave you?" she slowly sat down and reclined next to him. He moved closer to her and placed his hand on her ever growing belly, their second child was only a few months away.

"Most of these have a story behind them, they've become more than just hair ties."

"They were always more than that, even back then." she picked up the one with the sunflower charm on it, Neji's favourite one. They were precious keepsakes filled with memories and more than that they were tangible reminders of their relationship since childhood. From the start of their friendship with the panda charm hair tie, to their dating years like the sunflower one or the ones with metal clasps, their relationship was marked by these seemingly insignificant hair accessories.

Neji took another out of the box and immediately smirked.

"Remember this one?" he asked teasingly as he held up the white hair tie that was now completely useless as a hair tie since it had snapped.

"You're going to remind me of this forever aren't you?" she blushed.

"Yes I am." he kissed her on the cheek.

The story of that hair tie was from just after they'd gotten married. While on their honeymoon away from the village Neji and Tenten were gifted a hot spring getaway that their friends had paid for.

After they'd had dinner and settled in to their large yet comfortable room, what had started off as a sweet kiss had escalated into something more sensual and before they knew it clothes were discarded and their bodies connected in their first completely intimate moment together.

They were so absorbed in each other, revelling in the pleasure they gave each other, Tenten ran her fingers through his hair as he kissed down her neck, over her warm skin. And in the moment of it all had snapped his tie, causing his glorious hair to spill out as if curtaining her.

The next morning when he'd shown her the now unusable hair tie they'd both laughed about it but, Neji always made it a point to tease her about it, which is exactly why he'd kept it.

"I can't believe you still have it." she chuckled.

"But you're not surprised that I still have the one from when we were eight?"

"That's different."

They continued on in their nostalgic conversation, still wrapped in each others arms. Their relationship hadn't been perfect the entire time they'd been together but, they stayed together regardless.

In a way their relationship was like the many hair ties that they owned. Not invincible and definitely has its breaking point but for years and years, it stays together and even when stretched out, it can come back together.

It wasn't long until they both fell asleep, their hands resting on the growing life inside Tenten, and they knew just like they'd done when Keiko was born, they'd get another hair tie to mark the special moment in their lives.

Aww I really liked that ending, did you? I sure hope so. And that is the end of this little Hair Ties adventure, writing these bite size chapters was a lot of fun but also difficult at times but overall I'm extremely happy with the outcome. Reviews are totally appreciated, what were your fave chapters and moments?

Well that's it from me-

Until the next story:

Ketsui Tasogare :-)