Day to Day
A Naruto fan-fiction
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
(A/N: All right, the votes came in! It's zero for Naruto and Hinata (thanks guys!), two for Sakura and Sasuke, four for Ino and Shikamaru, and…(drum roll, please) five for Neji and Tenten! Here we go!)
Chapter 23: Summer
Summer wasn't her favorite season, but it was one of the nicer ones. She loved winter and autumn, when she could curl up in blankets, be comfortable in her black ops uniform, and truly enjoy warm drinks and food. Now those times seemed like a dream, and spring was silently slipping from their fingers, leaving them with the heat of summer.
If you were to walk down Main Street, or, really, the street crowded with buildings and makeshift stores, you would see the season's influence. Windows were open, lines hung from window to window or from branch to branch with clothing clipped to them. People dressed in light, smaller clothing, kids were dirtier than ever as they ran and played in the mud and dust, curtains billowed through the open windows, farmers and salesmen began calling out deals on summer necessities and summer crops-"Aloe for those horrible burns!" "Fruit! Fresh, right off the branch fruit!" The pace had also picked up. Just that afternoon, she had been walking in the street when she heard a shout. "MOVE!" People shouted and jumped, animals cried out, and the crowd parted as a mad man driving a cart pulled by bulls native to the wilder areas of Konoha rampaged through the middle of the market.
Summer was just a plain, flat-out mad season in Konoha.
Trees burst forth, the grass grew more, and the storms were ten times worse. It was truly a heinous, yet also beautiful, season.
Today was very hot, and, her market day. So, as Tenten got dressed, she chose shorts and a white tank top over the heavy dress she used to wear. She grabbed her old, worn leather wallet, which used to be her father's, and shoved it in her back pocket. Then she walked to her door, slipped on her black sandals that sat next to it, smiled in the mirror that hung next to the door, and grabbed her key and old red cloth shopping bag off the hook. She opened the door, turned and shut it, and then locked it with a swift 'cla-click'. While slipping the key in her pocket, she began walking down the blank, empty hallway, with the slap of her sandals as the only sound. Then she shoved open the door to the vandalized stairway, and hopped down the steps.
The door to the outside world was already open, so she walked straight through and into the hot, light summer morning. It was better to go shopping early, because it wasn't as hot or crowded as the afternoons. But, while the market was her main destination, it wasn't her first.
Where she should've continued straight, she turned to the right and began walking down the dirt street called "West Road". Here, beautiful houses were erected among the trees, and one small girl sat on her porch, braiding her hair and rocking in a wooden rocking hair. Tenten smiled at the girl, and then continued on, her sandals snapping against the ground and her bag securely between her arm and side (it was looped of her shoulder, and she held the strap with her hand casually). She was almost there!
Finally, the thick green grasses came into view, and the road turned. Straight ahead was their meeting place, the edge of the West Forest. It's trees seemed darker and more cluttered together than any other place, and ivy wove up the trunks. And next to one tree was the one person she had made the detour for.
Of course, he was early, and seemed to be napping. Over his shoulder was his own black shopping bag, and he dressed in the clothes he always did during the warmer seasons: black cropped pants, black sandals, and a beige shirt. The light reflected off of his headband, and the front sections of his long hair was held in white bands.
With a smile, she walked forward, and stood by him, waiting to see how long it would take him to sense her chakra.
"Morning."
Tenten rolled her eyes.
"That quick?"
He opened his big white eyes, and his lips tipped upward-the Neji "smile".
"Shall we?"
"Yes."
Tenten lived less than a minute's walk from the market, but Neji lived a good hour's walk away, so they agreed upon a meeting place, and the edge of the West Forest was perfect.
Tenten smiled, and offered her hand. Neji smiled, and took it. The two set off down the street. That same little girl Tenten had passed by before was tying a ribbon in her finished braid when they walked by. She smiled and blushed. "They must be in love!" she whispered. Her mother looked down. "What, honey?"
"Nothing mommy!" She just sat and watched, crossing her ankles and her face flushed. And then, to her surprise, just as the two had passed her house, the boy leaned over and kissed the girl softly on the cheek.
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She walked into the white room, her steps silent on the wood floor, and only the whirr of a fan to fill the silence. Her bed was unmade, and the curtains billowed slightly in the wind from the large fan. On her bed lay Neji, sleeping silently.
Light still poured in through the gaps in the curtains, but that didn't stop the heir from sleeping peacefully on a bed that wasn't even his own.
From her side view from the doorway, all she could see was black hair and a hand; the comforter fluffed up to hide most of the rest. A light smile coming to her face, she walked toward the bed, and looked down at the sleeping boy. Or is he a man now? The thought was almost unsettling. She had known him for so long, but he would be eighteen soon, so he would be…a man. Would she be a woman? Time went by quicker as they lead their lives as jounins than it ever did when they were younger. She felt like she had been with Neji like this for years, not months. But a few months ago, seeing Neji like this would've been alarming! Now she found it comforting, normal, and to be great…well…eye candy.
His lips were parted slightly, his eyes closed and a relaxed look on his face. Black hair lay over and under the hills and mounds of comforter that surrounded him. His face was turned to the side, his right arm was out the side and his hand was open naturally with his palm facing the ceiling, and his other arm was bent slightly with his palm on the comforter. His legs were sunk into the comforter, hiding them from her, and one was bent while the other lay straight. If she were to face the headboard of the bed, which was up against the wall, she would see his toes poking out from the mounds of comforter. His shirt was rumpled and exposed part of his chest and a small scar near his hipbone, which prodded out just above his shorts.
He sighed as he slept, and she had to stifle a giggle. He truly was a good-looking boy. Although, she sometimes wondered what it looked like to date a boy with longer hair than you have. Hers was cropped and barely past her jawbone; his was a good five inches past his shoulders! Ah, either way, he was still cute.
After taking their monthly shopping trip, Neji had seemed tired, and while she put the groceries away, he had walked right into her room and fallen asleep on her bed. It was a bit strange to see him among a light purple comforter!
With a light smile on her lips and some light dancing in her eyes, she crept onto the bed, her eyes on him. He didn't flinch or stir in anyway, but she was still careful not to move too much as she crawled across the bed to where he lay.
Cautiously, she evaded his outstretched hand continued the last few inches to his body, pushing down fluffy comforter in her wake. Then she lay down next to him, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around him. She set her head on his shoulder, and almost jumped when she felt his joints move and his arm hold her closer to him. A sleepy smirk came to his lips, and breathed in through his nose and sighed through his mouth, the way you do when you're just waking up.
'Figures.' She thought, rolling her eyes, and then settling in closer to him. She ran the tips of her fingers down his side in a soothing way, and felt him relax some. He was always a bit stiff when woken, even slightly.
This was defiantly something that never would've occurred months before. It had taken a long time, but here they were falling asleep so close to each other that they could feel the other's bones move. Wouldn't her mother be surprised! Her mother had long been acquainted with the knowledge that her daughter didn't care to date boys, and had never even thought that she would walk hand in hand with one, much less nap with them. In that orphaned, dreamy kind of way, she wondered if her mother would care, or what she would do if she were still here.
She'd probably be asking about grandbabies, knowing her, which was something neither she nor Neji were even thinking about.
"Are you tired, too?" he asked sleepily, not opening his eyes.
"No."
"Ah. Looking at me wasn't enough."
She opened her eyes, and looked at him. A light, sleepy smirk was on his face. The jerk. He was awake practically the whole time!
"What can I say? Eye candy."
This got a tired laugh out of him, and she felt his body shake with it.
"Hm."
Silence filled the room after that, and all she could hear was his steady breathing and the fan's soft whirring. She half-closed her eyes, and she slipped her hand under his ruffled shirt, softly running her fingers over his skin. She even felt him tense a moment, and then relax. He was such an up-tight person, but he needed to be. His job demanded it. Her job did as well, but she was always able to relax immensely when she walked through those Konoha gates. He seemed to never be able to shut it off.
"Tenten…."
"Yes?"
"When is your birthday…?"
"I'll be eighteen two weeks after you."
He nodded slightly, his brows furrowed.
"Why?"
"Just…wanted to know…"
He breathed in deeply with that sleep-like sound, and smacked his spit quietly.
"Am I…keeping you awake?" she asked him, looking up at his face.
"A bit. I'm…just not used to having someone sleep next to me. But it's…nice."
"I'm glad."
She smiled, and closed her eyes again. This whole room just felt so right, and she loved it. It was cool, quiet, peaceful, and empty, except for the two of them, lying on her purple comforter.
"You know, I love you very much, Neji-kun."
"…Same to you…." He murmured, as he finally fell back to sleep, letting dreams claim him. She felt him completely relax, and heard his breathing become steadier. His chest rose beneath her arm.
Soon, she began to drift off as well, and she last thought, just as she was about to fall asleep, that this wouldn't be such a bad thing to feel forever…she could do this, be with this same person, for the rest of her life….
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Hey Ya'll!
OMG I can't believe I am just now updating! I feel awful. Especially since this is only (on my Microsoft word) only about five pages long. Ah, well. I was gone all last week, the week before that was final exam week (and the last week of school!) and all that. But I shouldn't make excuses! Either way, I should be updating a lot more, what with summer here and school being out.
I know this was a short one, but I didn't want to write about my usual Neji and Tenten topic (I'm sick of it. I might hint on it or whatever later, though). I wanted this to be a good summer opener…smooth, sweet, and very clam, nothing big and dramatic. Besides, I wanted to do a chapter on their progression anyway, because the fact is (in my story) that those two are no longer very shy. In fact, I'd say they're pretty comfortable with each other now, and so on. Sorry if it was gushy! I really did try to get into Neji's character. I really wanted him to be true to his character, and not all goopy. I think I succeeded! Anyway, this chapter really wasn't supposed to have some great "meaning" or conflict. Just something relaxing. I needed to write something relaxing! These last few weeks have been really "go, go, go!" if you know what I mean! Maybe I'll write something more progressive next time.
For anyone who's interested, the band I listened to for "inspiration" and all that is Bloc Party. They kind of are like emo meets soft rock, in a really cool way; Mae without as many sharps. Check them out!
EIGHTEEEN REVIEWS! YAY! I LOVE YOU GUYS LIKE A FAT KID LOVES CAKE!
SaiLaKakashi (Uh, I guess didn't meet any of you're requests, huh? Neji and Tenten won…and then I updated really late! Sorry! In any case, I hope you did enjoy this chapter! Feel free to let me know your thoughts! Thanks!)
Sweetmadien (Hey! Thanks a lot. I'm glad you enjoy reading my chapters! Maybe it'll be Sasuke and Sakura next time!)
Lil bre (Thanks for taking the time to read them all! I have to say, I have some bad ones out there…to think you kept plowing on! Thanks lot! Well, you voted, and it happened! Tell me your thoughts on the chapter!)
Ronkieboy (I always wondered what 'kudos' means. I keep thinking it's like, "carry on" or "good job"…. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. And hey, maybe Naruto and Hinata will come up again! Feel free to tell me your thoughts on this chapter!)
Bayka (I felt really dumb about correcting you because I read, a few days ago in a honorifics guide in a manga I was reading, than couples often refer to each other with "chan" to be cute! I'm sorry! You were right the whole time! Anyway, let me know what you think of this chapter!)
Twighlight16 (Hello! Thanks for the comments! And I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think in your review, okay?)
Sephynarutocloud (I am eternally grateful to my reviews, trust me. I just like to poke fun at people, so if I made you think I was mad or anything in anyway, I'm sorry. Anyway, feel free to let me know what you think of this chapter!)
Raginghobo (If I jungle coins at you, will you chase after me? Lol! Just joking…a little joke on your screen name! Anyway, glad you like this so much. I just have one rule: If I've just written about a couple, don't vote for them. Like, don't vote for Neji and Tenten this time. The only reason I say that is not to be bitchy-I just want your votes to count, and if you vote for one I just wrote about, I won't count your vote, because I want to constantly change couples so that everyone gets to read about their favorite. It's cool, though! My favorites are Neji and Tenten and Sasuke and Sakura, so I can level with you! I just wanted to let you know, you know? Thanks! I look forward to your next review!)
Krissel Himura (Is it that obvious that I'm a girl? Lol. I bet it is! So much for choosing a screen name that could be for a girl or boy… Anyway, I thought most people thought the little "bonding session" with Sasuke and Naruto was wasted typing! But I really like to write about the guys hanging out. It's funny, and a new swing on the mood. I'm glad you liked it! And, hey, you got your Neji and Tenten! Tell me what you think in your review, okay? Thanks!)
Kanashii-emi (You're right…Sakura and Sasuke haven't been center stage in a while! Maybe they'll win next time! Anyway, thanks so much for the compliments! It means so much! I just hope I don't get a swelled head. Feel free to let me know what you think of this chapter!)
Warprince2000 (You know what I just realized? You're a real gentleman, warprince. Seriously. Your "please" maybe spelled wrong, but it's always there. Lol. Thanks. Love ya.)
Saishenoyama (thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my writing so much! I hope you liked this chapter! Let me know what you think in your review!)
Rachel (Hey! Thanks a bunch. I'm glad this is all so heart-warming for you! Maybe we'll have Ino and Shikamaru next, eh? Let me know your thoughts on this chapter!)
Danny (Long time no-um, write, right? Lol. Anyway, the colors in the last chapter's title were very random. I'm a little art child, and therefore I have a bit of an obsession with light, color, and, well, words. And sound. And as I was writing this, those are the colors I kept thinking of. They don't really represent anything to anyone but me. I'm just weird that way…I can write whole chapters based on colors, words, or songs, or combinations. This one was the song Tulips from the band Bloc Party. Anyway, the conversation with Sasuke and Naruto was supposed to be Naruto freaking out over something right in front of his face, and then Sasuke kind of mentally slapping him and moving on. Sort of. In all truth, I just enjoy writing about the guys together. I hardly ever get to write with an atmosphere like that-it's a lot of fun. I just think Sasuke and Naruto have a weird relationship, and there fore it's fun to write about it! Anyway, toward the downloading episodes, I would if I didn't have to share a computer. Most of the computer's memory goes to their games; it sucks. I only save pictures and word documents (okay…and some music). But if I had my own computer, I'd totally do it. Thanks anyway, money saver! Can't wait for your next review!)
NePtUnIaN QuEeN (Hello! I'm glad you enjoy this and found it! I hope that you've enjoyed all of the chapters, including this one! Feel free to include your thoughts in your review! Thanks!)
Bianca (Hey girl! Hey all ya'll! Didn't you just like the eye candy? Lol. My friend and I were talking and she came up with it (only, it was with another guy…). I just wrote it and detailed it! And hey, your reviews are so funny! Mine are serious and right to the point! Thanks. I can't wait for your next review!)
Kaeru Soyokaze (Hello! Thanks. I feel so proud of myself when I find out someone put my story on their favorites list! Maybe I am a nut… Thanks! Feel free to let me know what you think in your review!)
Moonlightpath (Hey, um, I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a website. But if the stories are that good, let me know the site name so I can go check it out! Kudos to whoever wrote those, right?)
Review,
Vote,
Love,
-IHearVoices