She watched him patiently, and he leaned his back against a wall. He looked her over once, and she could not read the look in his eyes. It was a mix of sadness, a feeling of being weak, confusion and wanting.
'Why does she have to be the one to see me like this?' He wondered and slowly sank to the floor, feeling too tired to stand. She knelt next to him, and Neji began to study the ground beneath him. Tenten watched him closely, and he didn't like being examined.
"Don't stare at me like that," He growled.
"If I knew what to do, I wouldn't be staring like this," She said matter of factly.
"Just give me a minute and I'll take you home," He sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"Don't we need to pack?" She asked and it was his turn to stare. "You're staying with me now, remember? So while we're here let's grab some of your things." Neji could only nod his agreement as he got up again. She tried to help him, but he didn't seem to take it well. Tenten frowned at him, 'Stubborn brat,' she thought as she followed him to his room.
They went in without a word and Tenten pushed him towards the bed. He stared at her for a moment again, and she just laughed at him.
"Lay down, recover some strength. You're no good to me worn out," Tenten managed to find a bag to pack while she made him rest. He just collapsed onto the bed and watched her go through all of his drawers. Neji didn't even argue as she went through the most embarrassing ones and put things into the pack for him. When Tenten had finished, she came over and sat next to him on the bed. Had Neji been feeling better, he would have considered using this to his advantage. He looked up at her wearily, thinking about whom her Father was talking to. Her fiancé, and here he was; her bodyguard.
Tenten rested a hand on his forehead for a moment and then felt his cheek. Neji wondered what she was doing, until she said that he felt feverish. He groaned, that would be the mark of the caged bird returning to normal. Tenten looked concerned, and looked around the room from the bed for something that might help.
"Well, I don't know what to do," She sighed. "Do you think you're okay to get back to my house?"
"Maybe, I don't think walking is the problem."
"I'll just help you then, come on," Tenten jumped off of his bed enthusiastically.
Neji wasn't sure what she meant, but sat up anyway. She took the pack and he led her out of the Estate. As they passed out of the front door, Tenten slipped an arm around Neji's waist and he jumped at the contact.
"What are you doing?"
"I said I was going to help you, now come on, this is no big deal," Tenten had the tone of voice that he knew meant she had made up her mind.
"At least give me the pack," He said and she didn't object.
Neji slid the straps onto his shoulders and allowed Tenten to put an arm around his waist again. He put his around her shoulders and they set off, him putting as little weight on her as possible despite feeling as weak as he did.They went out past the gate like this, not noticing the two shadows nearby. There was a giggle from one of them as the two passed.
"I was wondering how long that would take," Hanabiwhispered to Hinata, who nodded as they went into the Hyuuga estate.
xxxxxxx
"He is so wrong! How can you think that Neji?" Tenten yelled at him, but felt like laughing at the same time. They were arguing over the last episode of Inuyasha, and they were taking sides over Inuyasha and Kagome's latest argument.
"He's wrong? Kagome's the one who keeps going back the second things get difficult!" Neji looked ready to laugh too. Tenten was surprised at how much he'd opened up in the last few days. Apparently living with someone made a difference.
"Inuyasha has Kikyo! It's not like he's lonely! He owes it to both of them to just pick one!" Tenten argued and slowly realized she'd picked the wrong point. She felt like she had two, even if she didn't know who one of them was. And, well, the other didn't even know he was being considered.
"Kagome's always mad over something, how's he supposed to keep up anyway?" Neji smirked. "She's too high maintenance." Tenten threw a pillow at him, which he expertly ducked. This started the usual pillow fight, and when all of the pillows were gone Tenten's Mom called for dinner before they could raise all sorts of chaos.
The young weapons master walked into the dining room followed by the Hyuuga prodigy, still shoving each other in good fun. Rumiko smiled at the two of them as she set the food on the table. They all took their places when there was a knock at the door, and Neji jumped up to get it. After a few days of arguing it with him, they finally agreed that the bodyguard might as well get the door.
Tenten and Rumiko continued to eat when Neji came back in followed by Amaku. Rumiko greeted him happily and Tenten jumped up to give him a hug. Neji allowed himself a small smile at Tenten's happiness. Amaku sat down at the open spot at the table as Rumiko rushed off to get him some food.
"Tenten," He said with a smile, and pulled out a package. "I brought something back for you." Amaku slid the package over to Tenten who smiled as she pulled the paper off and saw a beautiful sword. It was long and had a graceful cherry-colored handle that could be for one or two hands. The blade curved gently and was engraved in ancient symbols. Tenten lit up instantly at the sight of it, and she lifted it away from the packaging like it was made of glass.
"It's beautiful," She cooed and smiled up at her Father.
"Tomorrow I will show you that technique I told you about," He smiled back at her and she nodded in agreement.
Neji watched the scene before him in silence, thinking. He nearly laughed out loud when it occurred to him that she could easily make herself a widow in no time with a sword like that. Neji almost pitied the poor soul she was engaged to now, even though he much deeper down felt jealousy.
Neji woke up the next morning in a room he could not recognize, it was decorated in all pastels and smelled strangely sweet. Looking around, he realized he was not alone. On his left shoulder there was a head of brown hair, the locks cascading gently around the woman's body.
'What on earth…' He thought and then Tenten opened her eyes, smiling up at him. His stomach twisted in confusion. 'No way…We didn't…'
"Good morning, Neji," She reached up with her hand to brush a stray hair out of his face, and he saw the ring on her finger. He panicked, thinking he'd just done something very wrong with a married woman. "Neji, what's wrong? Neji? Neji!"
Neji jolted upright in his bed, and looked around. He could hear Tenten pounding on the door yelling for him to get up, and he knew he was still staying in their guestroom. With a sigh of relief, he yelled back at Tenten that he was up and she went away. He got dressed and went out to see what it was that she wanted.