To Tenten's dismay, Neji was already at the dojo when she arrived the next morning. She was hoping for a little time to prepare her mind and she blanched when she saw him in Guy's office, casually conversing with her two co-workers. Tenten inhaled deeply to calm herself. You can do this. She told herself. Just treat him like a regular worker. I only need to see him five more times, then he will be out of my life forever. She exhaled, feeling her heart calm down, and made her way to her locker to change into her dojo outfit.

He was standing by her wall, patiently waiting, when she walked over to him. She plastered a smile on her face when he noticed her advancing. "Hello, Neji. Are you ready for today's lesson?" Be. Professional.

Neji quirked an eyebrow at her but didn't comment about the formal tone in her voice. "Yes. Will you be teaching a new move again today?"

"Not today. I was thinking of demonstrating some of the basic techniques that are taught to beginners." There, this isn't so hard now, is it?

"Tenten, I want to talk to you before your students arrive." Neji took a step forward, his eyes serious.

"Is it work related?" Tenten replied, turning her head to avoid his gaze, which she had come to realize was her weak spot; as soon as he caught her with those lavender eyes of his, she was a goner.

He paused in his approach. "No. It's about—"

"If it isn't about work, then I'm not interested." She interjected.

"Then, we can discuss it after you have finished work." He replied. She risked a glance his way and saw that he was glaring at her, arms folded across his chest.

"Sorry, but I don't think that's a good idea."

Neji moved until he was standing in front of her, forcing her to look at him. "What are you doing, Tenten?"

"I'm trying to work, Neji." She turned her back on him once more, but not before noticing a flash of something resembling hurt in his eyes. She pretended it didn't bother her seeing it. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready for my lesson."

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Tenten made sure to keep her distance from Neji for the next week, avoiding him whenever he tried to corner her after their lessons ended. Keeping it professional was harder than she thought it would be, since every time she saw him, she melted under his gaze.

Friday of their second week arrived, bringing about the last self-defence class with Neji. Her Friday class was the last session of the day before the dojo closed, and usually Guy and Lee stayed to help her close the store. But the two of them had prior engagements and had to leave early, leaving Tenten alone with Neji and her students. Which also left her without a demonstration partner.

"It looks like Lee couldn't make it to our session today, so could I ask for an assistant to help me demonstrate the new technique I've prepared?" Tenten asked her class.

"I will be your assistant." Neji replied from his place by the wall. He had been leaning against it, his camera hanging casually around his neck as he waited for the session to get under way.

Tenten's heart rate spiked, but she managed to keep her face neutral. "I can't ask that of you. You're busy with your camera."

Neji placed his camera onto the floor by the wall and stepped up to the group. "It's fine. I am mainly taking photos of the students anyway. It is best for everyone to see clearly what they need to do."

She knew he was right, which was why Lee normally helped her out instead of one of her pupils, but she still didn't like it. Especially not for the move she had planned. She sighed, knowing it was her best option. "Fine, you can assist me. Step onto the mat and I'll explain the move."

He complied and Tenten fought the blush that wanted to cover her face as she moved to stand in front of him. Ignoring their proximity, she turned to the women. "For this move, the attacker will be standing behind you, holding you in a bear hug."

Neji did what she instructed, having noted during his two weeks that Lee performed each move as she explained it. Tenten couldn't fight the blush this time, her body instantly heating at his touch, and she prayed that her pounding heart couldn't be heard by anyone else.

She took a deep breath before explaining the next step. "Bend forward at the waist. This makes it harder for your attacker to pick you up, and it will give you a better angle to defend yourself." She demonstrated, her bottom coming into contact with his hips. Tenten was sure everyone could see how red she was by now—she never reacted this way with Lee before. "Next," her voice squeaked, and the class laughed. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Next, you will want to angle your elbows up one at a time and propel them into the side of the attackers face, like so." Tenten mimicked her words without actually hitting Neji, then twisted fully and placed her hand on his shoulder, kicking him behind the knee and driving him into the mat. "Counterattacking with your elbows will catch him off guard, and keeping your position bent will help you to twist in his arms and shove him to the ground. You can either knee him in the groin or attack the back of his knee, as I did. "

Neji lay on the floor and Tenten extended a hand to help him up. He had been a good sport, so she should acknowledge him for that. His hand was warm in hers and he held on for a beat too long after he was standing, his eyes boring into hers. Tenten yanked her hand away and turned back to the class. "Okay, ladies; show me what you've got. Pair up and practice."

Tenten quickly made her way to the other side of the room, as far away from Neji as she could, keeping an eye on her students while they practised. Neji watched her retreat before collecting his camera from the ground. With the spotlight off her, Tenten took several deep breaths, her heart slowly calming down.

It was a good thing today was their last lesson, because Tenten wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up her professional persona in front of him.

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"That's the end of the session, class." Tenten informed her ladies. "Today was Neji's last day with us, so please look forward to his final products in the next coming weeks."

The women flocked around the dark-haired man, thanking him for his hard work—a couple of them even asked for his number, Tenten noticed, but he politely declined. They said their goodbyes to both he and Tenten before leaving, and Tenten was suddenly very nervous about being alone with him.

"You're welcome to leave now too, Neji. I just need to pack up the mats before I can go."

He had finished packing his camera away and was leaning against the wall, his eyes watching her movements. "I'll wait and leave with you."

Tenten glanced at him, wary at the meaning behind his words. "You really don't have to."

"I want to. Besides, I thought we could go through that move once more, so I can take shots of you demonstrating it now."

Tenten turned to look at him fully, her brows furrowed in confusion. "I thought you didn't need to get photos of me?"

Neji shrugged, unfazed. "I lied. Your form is a lot better than theirs, so it is better for me to take photos of you for your potential new students."

"It's just the two of us, who are you expecting to take the photos?" Tenten felt like a deer in headlights, trapped with nowhere to go. She could barely deal with him being so close to her with a class full of people. How was she supposed to do this when it was just the two of them?

"I brought my camera stand." He made his way to where his bag rested by the wall and started assembling it. He placed the camera on top and fiddled with the settings, making sure it was set to take burst shots on a timer. His eyes drifted back to Tenten and he raised a brow. "Are you coming? The camera is ready."

Tenten forced herself to take deep, calming breaths and chanted be professional to herself as she made her way back to the mat. Neji followed and took up his position behind her, already knowing the routine without needing to be reminded. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close to his chest. Tenten let out a squeak at the movement and immediately flushed. Be. Professional. She moved to start the sequence, but he squeezed her waist, stilling her. "Not yet. The timer is set for a minute."

Her eyes bulged at his words. "A minute? Why the hell did you set it for that long?"

"I didn't know how long it would take for you to come to the mat."

"Then why didn't you just wait until I was on the mat before setting the timer?" Tenten fought the urge to glare over her shoulder at him. He was much too close for that to end well.

He bent his head forward, his lips grazing her ear, and she couldn't stop the involuntary shudder that coursed through her as a result. "I wanted an excuse to hold you for longer."

Tenten couldn't form a retort. She stood, frozen, while the seconds ticked away, Neji's even breathing ruffling her hair. After what seemed like a lifetime, Neji finally whispered, "you can start."

Tenten wasted no time. She bent forward at the waist, shoved her elbows up towards his face and twisted her body, slamming Neji into the mat with more force than was necessary. He grunted as he fell, not expecting the aggressive attack.

"Here." She held her hand out for him. It was etiquette to help a sparring partner up after felling them, and Tenten was a stickler for martial arts etiquette.

Neji grabbed her hand, but instead of standing up, he tugged her arm so she fell forward. He caught her in his arms and flipped them so that she was lying against the mat, his body pinning her down.

Tenten blushed to the tips of her ears, her eyes wide as she stared into his lavender ones. "What the hell are you doing, Neji?"

Neji narrowed his eyes at her in response. "I have been trying to talk to you for two weeks, but you have constantly ignored me. I will not let you go until you answer my questions. Why have you been avoiding me, Tenten?"

"Avoiding you? We've been working together Neji; I can't avoid you." She laughed, as if even the thought was ridiculous.

A low growl sounded from his throat and quietened. She had never heard that noise from him before. "Don't play dumb, Tenten. You know what I mean."

Tenten sighed in defeat. This wasn't something she was keen to talk about, but she did owe him an explanation at least. "Fine. Can you let me up first, before I tell you?"

His glare heightened. "No."

She wriggled under him. "But this is embarrassing."

"I don't care." He pressed down onto her further, and she gasped at the feel of him. This is not the time to get turned on, Tenten.

She groaned, closing her eyes in order to say what she had to say. "I don't think this—us—is a good idea."

"Yes, I remember you saying that last Monday before you ran away."

Tenten winced. "You don't have to make me sound like a coward."

It was Neji's turn sigh. He lifted his body off hers and sat down on the floor, his eyes never leaving hers. "I like you, Tenten. I would like to get to know you better. And I am certain that you feel the same. I do not understand why you are being so stubborn about this."

He liked her? She wasn't just a notch on his belt, but he actually wanted to get to know her better? Tenten's heart soared for a for a brief moment before plummeting back to earth. She couldn't. Tenten was scared that she could find happiness with Neji, and if she did that, what then? She would end up feeling more guilty because of that happiness. Her past would haunt her—even more so than it did now—and Tenten wouldn't be able to handle that.

She sat up slowly and faced him, her lips turned down into a frown. "I-I don't think it's a good idea."

Neji shook his head. "You keep saying that. I will not accept that answer unless you tell me why, Tenten?"

"I just… What if it doesn't work out? We barely even know each other." It was a weak excuse, but it was far better than telling him the ugly truth.

He reached out to grab her hands and he gave them a comforting squeeze. "We will not know where this will lead unless we try. The whole point of dating is to get to know one another."

She knew she shouldn't. She didn't deserve to live a life of happiness—a life that she suspected Neji would be able to give her, if she allowed him to—but she wanted it. She wanted to be happy, to feel the kind of joy she hadn't felt in years. She wanted to try, with him. I'm sorry, Akari. She thought, closing her eyes to plead her case. Please forgive me for wanting this. I promise I'll make it up to you for the rest of my life. I'll take any punishment you have in store for me. Just please, I want to try to be happy again.

Tenten kept her eyes shut tight to hold back the tears threatening to spill. "Okay." She said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Stop being so stubborn, Tenten, and—wait. What did you say?" His voice was surprised, hopeful, and Tenten realized for the second time that night that Neji was serious about this. About her.

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, giving him a small smile. "Okay. I want to get to know you better, too."

Neji smiled; a genuine smile she had only seen him show to her students. But this one was infinitely better—it was solely for her. He pushed off the floor and stood, helping her to her feet as he did so. "I will take you home."

Tenten nodded, suddenly shy. Her guilt continued to niggle at her subconsciousness, but she tried to squash it down. She would worry about the ramifications of her decision later. For now, she just wanted to enjoy being in Neji's presence without feeling guilty or ashamed.

After helping Tenten pack the mats away, Neji waited while she changed and collected her belongings. After locking up, they walked together towards Tenten's small apartment. Neji reached over and grasped her hand, interlacing their fingers together as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Tenten blushed fiercely at the gesture—a silly thing, after everything they had already done together.

They walked in silence until they reached her front door, and Tenten wondered if Neji was feeling just as nervous as she was. Her mind had blanked the whole way home, unable to think of something to say to the man beside her.

Tenten reached into her bag for her keys, her fingers trembling with nerves. She cleared her throat and sent him a quick glance. "Thank you for walking me home."

Neji smiled in response. "You're welcome."

She unlocked the door and opened it, turning around to face him one last time. "Right. Well, goodnight Neji."

She turned to head inside but he grabbed her hand, tugging her back to face him. "May I have your phone number?" He asked, phone already in his free hand.

"Oh, of course! How else would we keep in touch?" She laughed at herself and pulled out her phone, inwardly cringing at her awkward behaviour. They exchanged numbers and she turned to leave again, only to get pulled back once more.

Neji tugged her into his chest before wrapping his arms around her waist. He was almost a head taller than her and he had to bend his neck slightly to plant a kiss to her lips. "I want to take you out tomorrow." He murmured between kisses.

Tenten was feeling lightheaded from his lips, but she managed to comprehend his words. "Out? Like, on a date?"

"Yes, Angel. On a date." He pulled back slightly and smirked at her.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not planning on just taking me back to your place, are you?"

"Oh? I wasn't aware that was what you wanted. I would be more than happy to oblige, if that is your wish. Although, if that is your wish, we could easily start here. Why wait for tomorrow?" His smirk was sinful and Tenten momentarily forgot how to breathe.

"N-no, I was only kidding. A date sounds perfect."

Neji tugged her in for one more kiss, lasting much longer than the others. He pulled away and bid her goodnight, waiting until she was inside before turning to leave.

Tenten slumped against the door, her body on fire. Maybe I should have let him stay over, after all.

Sorry for being so late with the update! Being cooped up indoors all day everyday has made my creative juices run dry. I hope you are all keeping safe during this difficult time!

Please rate and review if you liked the chapter. I really appreciate those who take their time out to do so, and I enjoy reading your comments. :3