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Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me, otherwise the NejiTen would be canon.

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Enjoy.

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Chapter 18. Getting back

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He noticed her presence as soon as she arrived and stood outside his apartment. Since they had attacked the Yoshida's, and she had returned to the village, he hadn't seen her again. He was in charge of coordinating the inspection of the grounds, conducting some of the interrogations of the captured, as well as supervising several of these, so he was alternating between the two villages and his free time was quite scarce. She was rearranging her house, and slowly rebuilding her life again.

Tenten entered through the window and he wasn't alarmed, he just turned in bed so he could see her. She made a visual inspection of the place, she had never been there before, turned her eyes to the bed and their gazes met.

"I can't sleep," she mumbled excusing herself, "I haven't been able to sleep well for a long time and..." he didn't answer, just lifted the blanket, moved a little more towards the wall and indicated that she could climb into bed with him. She curled up next to him resting her head on his chest without saying anything else, he hugged her and he could feel that a few minutes later her breathing was rhythmic. She had fallen asleep so he simply closed his eyes and imitated her.

He looked at the clock and because of the time he had to get up to go to work, she was still sleeping soundly so as carefully as he could, he got out of bed without waking her up. Would she be angry for leaving her alone? Hopefully not, because he really had to go. He went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast, on the night table next to the bed he left the food for her. He returned home after 11 p.m., he could see with satisfaction that the food wasn't there. A few minutes after he was in bed the scene was repeated, she was there in front of him and in a mute agreement he allowed her to get into bed.

That was how that rest of the week had gone, but the next day he had to go to the Lightning village again, they were almost done vacating the place.

"Tenten?" she was falling asleep.

"Tell me," she answered in a whisper.

"I'll be a few days away from the village," she looked up, "if you want you can stay here, I'll do my best not to take too long," she only nodded and hugged him, readjusting herself to sleep.

That was the only conversation they had had in those days, she was looking for him to be able to rest, and with her by his side the dreams that had tormented him for so long were finally disappearing. Before leaving he thought about it seriously, and together with breakfast he left her a copy of the key to the apartment, so she could stop entering through the window.

He was away from home for three days and when he returned the routine continued.

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He woke up with his senses alert, someone had arrived and was approaching the window, so in a nimble movement he jumped out of bed and went out the window, blocking with his body the view inside because Tenten was there.

"Shikamaru," he greeted dryly.

"Tsk," the Nara clicked his tongue, "We found a clue about where the last fugitive is hiding, we have a meeting at the barracks."

"Understood, I'll be there in 10 minutes," he would put on his uniform and head to the place.

"Wait," he was going to turn his back to him but he stopped, and the Nara paused, "Tsunade also sent me to check that Tenten is okay, but she's not at her home," he felt his back tense up, "do you happen to know where she could be?" he didn't answer, he just moved to the side of the window allowing him to see Tenten lying down and sleeping.

Shikamaru didn't say anything else and left, he entered again and started to get his uniform ready without making noise. How long had they hidden their relationship? more than 3 years, and now in an almost fortuitous event they had been discovered. He denied to himself, he couldn't say that they had resumed their previous relationship because they only slept together, they only gave each other peace.

ANBU wasn't recommended for ninjas with family, the schedules used to be extensive reaching even 20 hours in a row without rest, and having complete availability all the time. The Clan was completely opposed to its members being members of ANBU because they put family first, and for that same reason he in the middle of all the missions he had requested after Tenten's marriage had thought about it.

And once they had that farewell, he had confirmed that he was going to join. He was aware of what he was giving up and accepted it, because if it wasn't with her, he was simply not interested in having children. That's why he had left the mansion and looked for his own place, he was on his own now.

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She woke up because she needed to go to the bathroom, Neji was hugging her just like he did every night since she had started sleeping with him. She knew how easily he woke up, so she supremely carefully removed the arm around her and got up. His apartment was sober and austere, you could tell he lived alone and didn't stay there in the daytime as the place was dark as the only natural lighting it had was supplied through the bedroom window, the furnishings were basic and everything was gray.

In the bathroom she inhaled and exhaled counting slowly, she ran her hand over her bulging belly, it was still not big enough to make her change her center of gravity but big enough to make her change her clothes and prevent her from some movements. She wet her hands and brought them to her neck to cool down a bit.

She had returned to the village a few weeks ago, since she had left with Toshio back to the Lightning village, and with the upcoming plan to attack the Yoshida, the Hokage had prepared everything for her return, arranging for the people who had rented her house to deliver it so that she would have her home available. She had tried, at first she had tried to be at home arranging the furniture, changing the decorations but she couldn't sleep, sleep evaded her. Her head began to work at a thousand per hour as soon as she touched the pillow, and she felt alone with the challenge that was approaching to have her son, Toshio's son.

Neji was busy, as she could corroborate after finding out in a conversation with her friends, he had moved out, leaving the Hyūga grounds he had finally joined the ANBU forces, and had been the leader of the whole mission against the Yoshida. Now he was in charge of closing the matter and that included him leaving the village on several occasions.

She was exhausted, she had been nearly 2 weeks without being able to sleep properly, her head was going to explode but she couldn't take any medication because of her pregnancy, and Tsunade was reproaching her that she must rest for the sake of her and the baby. So her mind gave her a crazy idea, a place where she could finally find the tranquility she was needing. She knew that his schedule was long so she waited until almost midnight to leave her house and use her abilities to find Neji.

It wasn't that hard for her, he lived in a second floor apartment so in one leap she was outside his window. What if he told her to go away? She took a deep breath to gain momentum and entered through the window, she observed everything around her, and then turned her gaze to the bed that was stuck against the wall, he was looking at her carefully.

"I can't sleep," she justified herself for the intrusion, "I haven't been able to sleep well for a long time and..." she didn't know what else to say to him, he said nothing, he made room for her on the bed and she curled up next to him, finally sleep overcame her.

He had given her the key to the entrance for her comfort but when he was out of the village, she stayed in her own house. And as soon as she felt his return, she sought him out so that she could have peaceful nights of sleep.

She approached the bed and grumbled, Neji had turned over in his sleep, and was now on his back, not even before her pregnancy did she fit in the space he left. She saw the other side of the bed, there she could get comfortable. With a clumsiness unbecoming of a shinobi she climbed on the bed and passed a leg over him, she stood still thinking that perhaps it wasn't the best way to pass over him, because now she was in that compromising position, and precise he opened his eyes.

"You moved on the bed and didn't leave me any space... I was going to move to the other side, but..." she explained hurriedly, he watched her motionless, breathing heavily, she didn't try to get off either.

She put her hands on his chest and could feel his accelerated heartbeat, so she decided to give him that kiss she had been craving for so long, she leaned towards him but when she felt the obstacle her belly had put she stopped, he shortened the missing distance to be able to join their lips.

The kiss was soft at first, as if they were rediscovering each other but the intensity increased rapidly, it was a hungry kiss. Neji had removed her pajama shorts, but she hadn't allowed him to remove her blouse as a part of herself didn't want him to see her in that state. Instead she had taken it upon herself to make the t-shirt and underwear he wore to sleep disappear.

And with her straddling him they had finally joined their bodies again, the swaying of hips hadn't lasted long, he had given her his hands to help support her as she rode him, and she felt her own climax trigger his. She stayed in that position with erratic breathing, smiling. They definitely need that! When her breathing calmed down a bit, she lowered herself to the side of the bed that was free, Neji turned on the mattress to face her, he removed her hair from her face with a caress and kissed her, a long and romantic kiss without any further intention. They ended the kiss to catch their breath, and he just hugged her so they could sleep.

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The sunlight radiated the room and she opened her eyes alone in bed, just like every morning she had stayed there, on the night table was her breakfast, she ate it meditating on what had happened the night before.

She hadn't wanted that to happen, ever since her return to the village she had wanted to run into Neji's arms but she shouldn't. Displaying all the self-control he had tried so hard to instill in her, she had restrained herself, and he hadn't pushed anything at all. But she hadn't been able to help it, she needed and missed him, and she could sense that Neji felt the same way too, yet she still felt that it wasn't right. She was expecting another man's child, and she didn't want to drag him into that.

She caressed her belly, Takeshi. No, her son wouldn't have that name, her fifth month was beginning and soon the baby would start to move, would this baby feel that he didn't have a father because she had betrayed him? Would he reproach her? She shook her head, it would have been worse if that baby felt the mistreatment she experienced, and grew up in a family that only craved power.

She organized the apartment quickly and left. At home she was uncovering some boxes with her belongings and looking for a place for them, she had organized the refrigerator with the week's meals according to the diet recommendations she had been given, so for lunch she took out a cup and heated it up. Night came and she resignedly went to her own bed, she wasn't going out.

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All corrections and comments are always well received, they help me improve a lot.

Hope you like it!

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Regards, Sally K.