cookiiex:Yes the idea bug has struck again...but that damn writer's block is pissing me off. Well here's my FiRST (PSHh heLL YEAH!) Naruto Fic. Pairing : Tenten&Neji.
Merrie' Chirstmas. Err...early chirstmas that is.Rookies are 24,Gai's Team are 25.

There, Always There
Authoress : cookiiex
ONE SH0T

In Konoha, Christmas cheer was spread in different forms.

Take Sakura and Sasuke for example. Uchiha Sakura and her husband Uchiha Sasuke, running around the room chasing their precious little set of twins around the house. Once caught they have to decorate the christmas tree. Family fun for the holidays. The Uchihas are that lucky.

Another example are Naurto and Hinata. Four months engaged and counting, they sat near the fireplace in each other's presese. Naruto looked up and smirked. Hinata looked up and turned flused as Naruto placed his lips on the red colored girl. They were just as lucky as the Uchihas.

As if that wasn't a great example, there was also Shikamaru and Ino. Ino sat by her boyfriend on the floor, telling him about her day at the same time knitting him a sweater. Shikamaru wrapped his arm around girlfriend's waist and gave her a kiss on the cheek. They sat there enjoying each other's presense.

Each example was great compared to the next, but when there's a chirstmas there was always a cold hearted soul that despised the hoilday. For example there is,

Hyuuga Neji.


"Damn this stupid weather, and the stupid people who encouraged this stupid hoilday." Neji muttered.

He just got back from his 'stupid', as he put it, four hour caroling with Lee and Gai-sensei.

'How the hell did they get me to go anyway!'

FLASH

"Come on Neji! This will be fun and it will keep your FIRE OF YOUTH from dissappering!" screamed Lee.

It already been 20 minutes since he arrived in front of Neji's mansion. He and Gai- sensei wanted to go caroling around Konoha an hour ago. But seriously only TWO people caroling was a no-funner.

After what seemed to be an hour of brainstorming, they decided to ask Neji to go caroling with them.

"But come on Neji it'll be fun, you won't regret it." Lee suggested only to be met with a glare. Lee sighed.

"But Tenten would've wanted you to go caroling on chirst--" "Let's go"

"Huh" Lee looked up only to be met with Neji locking his mansion door. Neji looked at him.

"Well are we go or are you just going to keep looking at me like that?"

END FLASH

'Damn them.' Neji opened the door to his mansion. When he stepped into the house he took off his boots and jacket.

He walked in to the kitchen and boiled water for a cup of tea. When he got his cup of tea he headed into his living room. He sat by the fireplace.

The fire danced on the wood it was burning. The light casted a shadow on the other half his face, while the other half was hit full force by the light. Oh Lord how he hated this hoilday.

Everyone thought it's a happy and cheer this time of year. Not for Hyuuga Neji. Not until it took her, five years ago. Although it has been five years, he remebered like it was yesterday.

Like yesterday, she smiled and told him she'll be okay,

Like yesterday, told him to wait for her,

Like yesterday, when a letter came and told him she was not with the living world any longer.

He laughed. It was a bitter laugh. As if fate hadn't already killed his childhood. But no,it made another heart-breaking abuse on Neji and took away what had been his light. The one person that he was going to live for..

To protect, to grow old with, to be happy with, but most of all, the one person that he loved.

Fate loved screwing with him, he had concluded. First his dad, then her. 'Kami-sama, your merciless.' he thought while looking at his celing.

DiNG D0NG

"If that's Lee and Gai again, I'm going to wring their necks" he threathened as he walked to the front door.

" Excuse dear sir, can I please use your phone.." a voice asked.

"Nobody's home!" Neji said not even looking at the person, slamed the door in the person's face.

"Jeez, annoying people." he muttered.

DiNG D0NG

"Dammit!" he shouted as he turned around and opened the door again.

"GO USE A PAY PHONE!" he shouted at the person, this time getting a good look of this bothersome person.

He froze.

The door-bell ringer was a women about the same age as himself. She had beautiful chocolate brown eyes, her lightly snow covered hair in two buns. The leaf headband covering her forehead. Her cheeks and nose are at a shade of rosey red baecause of the weather. She wore a white jacket that stopped at her thighs with black pants.

"Please can use your phone I need to call for my gurdians to find me, please.." The girl begged.

Neji recovered from his trance and without knowing,

"Come in."

'What?' he thought. ' Why did let this girl use my phone?'

A smile graced her features. "Thank you, sir...?"

"Neji, Hyuuga Neji."

"Oh, thank you Mr.Hyuuga."

Neji was surprisingly dissappointed that she didn't give him her name. 'What the hell...!' He was going to question himself more until..

"Uhh... Mr. Hyuuga , why are you looking at me like that? Are you like some closet prevert or something?"

His eyes widened. 'That's...That's what Tenten told me when she caught me staring...at her.'

He narrowed his eyes. "No."

She shrugged it off . "Sure.."

As she made her call, Neji looked at her. ' What the hell, she looks,acts just like her..'

"Thank You Mr.Hyuuga. THey'll be here in 15 minutes, do you mind if I stayed here for 15 more minutes?" she put on a puppy face.

"Hn."

"Is that a yes?"

"Hn.."

"Err...I'll take that as a yes."

She walked aimlessly around the room. Neji's eyes followed her every move. She stopped in front of his fireplace. Her lips parted like she had something to say.

Instead she closed them once more and reached out for something on top of the fireplace. A picture. Neji's eyes narrowed. It wasn't any picture. It was a picture of himself and her when they were still 16.

Her finger traced a figure on figure. Neji activated his byakugan. He saw her tracing Tenten's figure in the picture with a smile on her face.

"Was she special to you?"

Neji looked up. "Yes. Yes she was."

"Where is she?"

Neji's eye's narrowed. "It's not your bus--" "Tell me, please."

He sighed. "She's.. gone." She looked at him.

"No,she's not." He glared at her.

"Who the hell do you think you are? She's dead, gone, passed away!" He lost his temper, he knew. This girl...who was she? Neji's anger grew. ' She doesn't know what she got herself in..'

Neji looked at her. He was then shocked.

She didn't glare back. She didn't show any anger. She was not retailiating. Instead she smiled. At him. With what he said.

"You're wrong, Mr. Hyuuga. She was there. Always there. Do you know where?"

He shook his head.

SHe pointed at him. "Right there." He looked at where she was pointing at.

His heart.

As he looked up, the girl embraced him with tears.

"Don't you remember Neji! Don't you remeber me!" she cried. He looked at her. She was crying. 'Why...'

"Neji, don't you remember that day,... five years ago" she whispered.

Neji's eyes widened. "Ten...ten?"

She looked at him with a smile on her face. "You...remembered..."

She then released her grip on him. She was floating into the air, with this light surrounding her. ' Light...' Neji thougt. Then wings came out of her back and her clothes were replaced by white robes. After this transformation she was set back on the ground.

She ran up to him with another embrace. " Merry Chirstmas, Neji." she whispered while kissing him on cheek.

DiNG D0NG!

Tenten walked to the door. She turned the door knob. She opened the door and turned around, her hand still on the door knob.

She grinned. "Our next eye-to-eye meeting, next Christmas okay?"

Neji smirked. "Hn."

She giggled. "I'll take that as a yes." she turned around and dissappeared behind the door she just closed.

Neji ran to the window to see if there was still a trace of her. But no trace of her could found, as if she was never there.

But he knew knew better. She was with him. He placed his hand on of his chest where his heart was.

She was with him there.

There, always there.


-END-