Man on the Moon
Its eleven thirty two, and two out of four are still awake.
Tenten got up from her bed made of Lee's leg and sand and walked over to the river's edge. There sat Hyuuga Neji, his eyes glowing like the moon. Those eyes that tied him to the moon.
It took about five seconds before he made it clear he knew Tenten was there.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" She walked out of the woods and onto the river's bank. When she was as far away from the water as Neji was, she stopped.
"Because I'm awake," she responded and smiled down at him. When they were alone, just Neji and Tenten, he wasn't stoic like he was around other people. He opened up to Tenten because, she assumed, they were good friends. But it seemed tonight was different. His face showed no signs that he'd heard her. "Neji, are you ok?" She asked, taking a seat beside him.
"Hn."
"Then why do you look like Gai Sensei made you go bikini shopping with him?" Tenten giggled at her own joke. Neji's face scrunched for a brief second, then returned to normal.
"Not now, Tenten."
"Neji? Something is wrong, isn't it?" She asked, looking at him without a returned gaze. "Oh, wait... What's today?"
"The fourteenth."
"Oh no... I'm so sorry I forgot, Neji. On this day--"
"Yeah. On this day, nine years ago, my father passed away."
The two Genin sat there quietly for a while, eyes in a trance with the moon. Ears fixated on the current of the water. Skin tingling from the heat of summer.
"You know Tenten, its childish, but sometimes I wonder if my mother and father are stars, watching down on me. Actually, sometimes I hope they are. Just so I know they are with me." Neji looked at her, and instantly regret saying that. She look surprised at his words and it made his thirteen year old self blush with embarrassment.
"I know what you mean. I hope my parent's are watching over me, too. And we have to be strong for them, Neji. Our parents would want to watch down on us with pride, right?"
"Yes... pride. Something else I wonder... If the face on the moon is made of souls of those who have important people to watch over. People who never had enough time to spend here on Earth."
"Yeah right, Neji. I mean, I was taught that the face on the moon was made of craters, but your idea is good too."
Neji smiled at this and nudged her playfully. "See, this is why I don't open up to people." He sighed.
"But I bet you're right, Neji. You're parents are watching you. They're keeping you strong and protecting you. I can see it in your eyes."
"Can you?" Tenten nodded. Neji was satisfied with this and looked back to the moon.
"Um, Neji... If you want to be alone now, I can go back to camp."
"No. Stay, please. I mean, I can hear Lee snoring from here. You'll never get any sleep if you go back."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Tenten scooted closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes, she started to drift.
"No matter where they are, on the moon or if they're stars, they love you. They wouldn't want you to give up."
For a long while after those words were mumbled by a girl now sleeping in his lap, Neji thought and wondered and eventually smiled, under the moon.
Fin
Yeah, they were way OOC, right? I was trying to make them seem young (although this is the age they are in the manga/series) and they just ended up weird.