Chapter 4.
Half an hour has passed by when Neji woke up to the smell of ramen. Food. He got up from the tub, rinsed himself with warm water from the shower. After drying himself, he wrapped the towel around his waist. A pink towel. He smirked. He opened the bathroom door and there, at the center of the room, was a small dining table laden with food only for him. Barbecue ramen, 2 bowls of steamed rice, sushi, some dumplings, a roasted duck's leg, vegetable side dish, and a cup and a pot of green tea. He nearly drooled at the sight of the small feast. She cooked all of this for him? In just a short span of time?
"How are you feeling...Neji-kun?" Tenten entered the room carrying pillows to sit on. She set them down on the floor and walked towards him.
Totally naked. Tenten smiled to herself as he saw him standing near the table wrapped only in a towel. He has grown stronger, became more stoic perhaps, and developed that hot body of his. If he hadn't been her best friend and if he hadn't played jokes on her, she would be drooling over him right now. She walked towards him. She felt for his forehead, he stirred. He's still not used to someone touching that seal on his forehead.
"Sorry, just checking if you're feeling alright." She said. He said nothing. Ah Neji. Still as cold as the Alps. "You have to eat. My guess is that you've been starving for...10, 12 hours?"
"15." He replied. They both fell silent. Awkward...
"C'mon, have a seat and start eating or else you'll get thin enough that your towel will just fall off your waist." She said. She thought she saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes, as if he wanted that thing to happen.
------
"Wait. I'll go get some shirt and pants for you…and some boxers." She said.
"Pants will do…a-and boxers of course." He said. He went red. He had to hit himself again. Pants will do?
She blushed at what he said. "Uh...yeah, of course." She gave him that cute smile of hers then went out of the room. He breathed a sigh of relief. He can't even speak properly in front of her. Stupidity always sinks into situations where it's not supposed to be.
She entered the room again with his new set clothes. "Pants and boxers won't do. You have to wear something on top, it's cold tonight."
His eyebrow arched. "Really…Then why are you wearing a very short…clothing like that?" He pointed to her lingerie.
"Coz...coz I don't feel cold tonight, ok. Unlike me, you were drenched in the rain for how long, you might catch cold you know." She answered back. The corner of his lips arched and he eyed her closely.
"Eat. The ramen will get cold."
"What about you? Aren't you hungry?" he asked.
"No." she answered. "I'll go get some desert while you eat, ok." She went out of the room.
Neji grabbed the clothes Tenten gave him. He tossed the baggy shirt and the boxers onto the bed and dropped the towel he was wearing. Wearing boxers underneath the pants is a nuisance. He looked for her using his Byakugan, she's in the kitchen, stooping down, looking for some desert in the refrigerator. Girl's got a nice ass... Then he hit himself again. That's you're team mate goddammit!
He quickly put the pants on and grabbed the boxers. He hid them under the pillow on the couch. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the table holding the bowl of ramen. A second later, she entered the room, handed him a small bowl of mixed fruits and then smiled at him. He tried to give her sushi but she refused and said that she mixed some sleeping drug into the food. He choked at what she said and she quickly said that she was just joking. Very funny... he thought.
"Do that to me again and I'll kill you." He said to her blankly.
"Yes, Neji, I'm sure you will." She replied, not taking him seriously.
------
When he finished eating all that she prepared for him, he helped her clean up. That was the only time that she noticed he's not wearing a shirt.
"I thought I told you to wear something on top?"
"And I thought I told you that I don't need to." He answered back.
"Fine." She surrendered. "Want to bring something back to the room, for snacks maybe?"
"Sake." He said blankly.
"Sake!" She growled at him. "I said snacks!"
He shrugged. She stared at him. He stared back.
Finally, he took his eyes off her. "Please." He said to her with an impassive voice.
Tenten virtually slapped her forehead. Stoic but irresistible. Fine! She heaved a sigh and went for the small chair. She placed the chair near a shelf full of bottles of Sake. She started to climb the chair but Neji held her arm.
"I'll do it."
"Four bottles tops." She told him.
"Eight. Four for you, Four for me." He said blankly. Tenten's eyes narrowed in irritation.
"I'm not much of a drinker."
"Please." He said impassively. She thought she saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes but still she concurred.
They brought the bottles back to her room and settled beside the table. He poured her some Sake first before pouring some for himself. She hesitated at first.
"Really, Neji-kun, I'm not much of a drinker." She said to him again. "A few sips, I get drunk easily then BLAG! I fall off to sleep."
"That's ok. We'll take it slow. You know, keep your body accustomed to the alcohol." He said. "Don't worry; I'll stop you if you had enough." The corner of his lips arched in a devilish way.
She stared at him, trying to catch that glimpse of mischief in his eyes again. But it never came back. They talked for a couple of hours. They talked about their Genin days, Gai and Lee's poses, Neji's mission under Shikamaru, Tenten's shopping spree with Sakura,Ino, and Hinata. She laughed and he smirked at Lee's new dance move but, somehow, they never touched the topic about Neji's practical jokes. It was when they fell silent for a couple of minutes that the conversation about Neji's mischief started.
"So...Why -hic- did you do it?" She asked him. She consumed only half of what Neji had drank but she's already red in the cheeks and drunk.
"Did what?" His impassive expression returned.
"Oh...you know...those practical jokes of yours..." She answered. "It's strange -hic- you know, -hic-. I mean, you did silly jokes at first, humiliating jokes, I can take that, you know. But stripping me naked!" Her voice rose. "Maaan! That was...waaaaayyyy overboard!"
Now things are getting serious. Neji looked at her and she looked back. She's drunk, alright. But even so, her face still showed the contempt that she had way back to the day that Neji stripped her.
"I'm...really...sorry, Tenten..."
"NO! YOU'RE. NOT!" She slapped the table so hard that the empty bottles fell like bowling pins. Neji wasn't surprised.
"Yes I am." He said with that same tone of his voice. "Believe me; I...am not proud of it. I never told anyone about it."
"I was lucky that I came back alive after the mission. I wasn't able to fully concentrate on it knowing that someone...close to me...is mad, very mad at me." He continued while looking down, not meeting her glare.
"Wha...? So now it's my fault that you nearly died?" She retorted. "And since when do you feel concerned and uneasy when someone 'close to you' is mad at you, huh?" She continued, emphasizing on "close to you." Her voice was slightly higher than before, her face was redder that before. She poured more Sake and drank it in a gulp. She then poured more, but this time, Neji stopped her.
"You've had enough." He tried to take the bottle from her but she struggled.
"Look. There you go again!" She growled. "You really are an insensitive prick! I want more Sake and now you take it away!"
"I told you that I will stop you of you've had enough."
"God! I was hitting on you! Didn't you notice that!" She suddenly screamed. He looked at her, frowning, eyes questioning. She rolled her eyes in sheer irritation. "Sometimes you can be as stupid as Lee..." She buried her face in her hands.
She lifted her face and looked at him. Her eyes told him that she's not being herself, she's totally drunk. Every word that comes out of her mouth was pure angst-filled honesty. He couldn't move. He decided that he should let her vent out all her frustrations.
"I liked you." She suddenly spoke. "I made...cookies for you..." She laughed. "...and for Lee and Gai-sensei. But I gave them some too so as not to be so obvious..."
"I..." Tenten continued to recall. "...read tons of books on how to properly and perfectly tamper steel so I could make weapons for you that are as nearly as strong as the ones that I conjure...God why am I telling you these things..." She laughed again.
He remembered those things that she said and he also remembered that it meant not that much to him at that time. Sure, he appreciated them, but not that much. Now, he felt that feeling again; the constricting feeling in the chest that he felt when he saw her cry after he stripped her. What can he say to make her feel better? Nothing.
"But you made a joke out of me. Yep. Childish as I might be, I hated your stupid jokes, especially the last one. I dunno why you did it, Neji. But if you only intend to humiliate me, then congratulations, you've succeeded." She continued.
"But still, I was happy that you considered me to be your equal. You never let me off easily during the trainings, I appreciate that." She looked at him teary eyed, voice quivering. "Yep. I liked you Hyuuga." Then she collapsed on the square pillows and buried her face in her arms. She cried and cried and cried. She even pounded the floor with her fist while sobbing. When he tried to touch her, to comfort her, she blocked his hand and shouted at him not to touch her and that he doesn't love her.
"That's...not true." He said softly, unsure if it was alright that he told her that. Man...So this is what happens when women get drunk.
"Yes it is! You stop kidding me Hyuuga!" she shouted, her voice muffled by the pillows. Then she cried again, saying things like '…never been so humiliated…hate you…so stupid…'
"Look I said I was sorry. You have to believe me." He said. He's starting to get desperate but his face never showed it. His jaw clenched in frustration too. He never liked seeing women cry, more importantly because of him.
He sighed to himself then he held her by the shoulders and said to her sternly, "C'mon, let's get you on the bed. You have to get some sleep." She suddenly turned and faced him, and then she pushed him. He slightly fell back but he supported himself in time. She wiped the tears in her face. They stared at each other face to face for several seconds.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"I have to pee."
Neji was dumbfounded as she watched her try to stand up with difficulty. If he was like Naruto, his jaw would have dropped to the floor. I have to pee? One minute she was crying and now she wants to pee? Unbelievable.
When she was able to stand up, she started for the bathroom. She walked slowly, wobbling. The whole room, in her perspective, was spinning like crazy. Neji stood up; ready to catch her if ever she stumbled. She nearly did when her foot caught a pillow. Neji arms were around her in the blink of an eye. Her surroundings were still spinning like crazy and her bladder's pulsing like crazy too, she has to take a leak.
"Oi. Hyuuga. You can let go of my breast now. I have to pee." She told him blankly as if nothing awkward is happening. Apparently, Neji's hand inadvertently landed on her breast when he tried to catch her from falling. His face went red, he swallowed hard but, still, he wasn't able to let go of her breast.
"Neji. Let go." She jumped slightly while in his arms, indicating that she really needs to piss. Finally he did. Heart racing and body sweating, he stepped back, sat at the edge of her bed and waited.
"Byakugan!" he hissed. He saw her in the bathroom holding on to the wall for support. She reached the toilet pulled her underwear down. He never saw what the underwear was covering. Then she reached for a small hose with a nozzle beside the toilet tank and washed herself. The girl is hygienic. She dried herself and pulled her underwear up. She ignored her lingerie's strap that fell off her shoulder. He swallowed hard and bit his lower lip at the sight of her half-covered full breasts. He clenched his fists in frustration, for longing to touch them, for wondering what they would taste like in his mouth. He virtually had to hit himself in the head. This is wrong. He shouldn't be watching her while she's in the bathroom. He shouldn't be fantasizing about his team mate like this. She walked towards the sink and faced the mirror.
Then she threw up. She coughed a bit and then steadied her self. She gargled thoroughly and she rinsed the sink with running water. Then she paused for a while. Neji frowned. What is she doing?
Suddenly, she looked again in his direction. There's sharpness in her eyes as if there's danger lurking somewhere near her. She's breathing heavily not taking her eyes in his direction.
"Oh...Hyuugaaa..." She said in a loud sing-song voice. "I know that you're watching me..."
Shit. He swallowed hard and deactivated his Byakugan. He then lay down on the bed and pretended to stare at the ceiling. The bathroom door opened and she came out, eyes looking straight at him, narrowed in frustration.
"What?" He looked up and asked with his seemingly innocent and impassive voice trying to hide the fact that he did watch her in the bathroom. She glared at him for several seconds, waiting for him to avert his gaze from her. He didn't budge.
"Don't act like you did not peek." She said to him in frustration. She started heading towards the door.
"Where are you going?"
"Outside my room?" She said in sarcasm.
"I know that." He said blankly. "But where?"
"To the kitchen ok." God! He is just so annoying.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you going to the kitchen?"
To get some Sake. "I'm…I'm thirsty. I'm gonna get some water." She lied.
"You're not drinking another bottle of Sake." He ordered her.
She remembered that she can't hide anything from him. He can read her mind. "None o' your business, Hyuuga." she muttered.
"You've had enough. You've already thrown up."
"Ha-How did you know that?" She blurted out. Then she realized, "Ah, so you were watching me while I was in the bathroom! I knew it!"
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her, blocking her way out of the bedroom. He stared at her with his cold pearl eyes. He frowned slightly as if commanding her to get into bed and never go out of the room. But she didn't give in.
"Just get out of the way, Neji." She rolled her eyes in annoyance.
All of a sudden, he grabbed her by the hips and slung her over his shoulders like a duffel bag.
"Ouch! What the hell are you doing! Put me down!" She yelled at him. He threw her onto the bed and she landed on it legs open. He stood at the foot of the bed frowning and watching her. With her legs apart, his gaze landed on her black lacy underwear. He felt himself grew hard. He swallowed. His breathing became heavy. He wanted to tear her clothes off her. He wanted to devour her. His jaw and fists clenched in frustration. He tore his eyes from the sight between her creamy legs and looked to the right instead.
She stared at him scornfully, her lower lip pouting. She tried to catch his gaze but he was trying his best not to look at her.
"Look at me." She said.
"I can't." His answer frustrated her more.
"Don't you have anything to say to me?" she asked again, her voice quivering. She was expecting to hear something like 'I don't like you' or 'I like you too.' Any answer would do. The whole situation is just so confusing for her. One moment he was warm to her then the next moment he's giving her a cold shoulder. He never answered directly to anything that she asked him.
"Close your legs." She didn't realize that she was lying in front of him in that position. She closed her legs. That was all that he had to say to her. It's as if he never heard her say her feelings to him. The alcohol's influence is slowly dissipating in her. She then moved to one side of the bed, lay her head down and hugged the nearby pillow and tried to sleep. She is now conscious enough to once again understand the gravity of the situation. She told him that she liked him...but that's not what she really feels.