I found a couple of variations on my Neji vs. Toddler prompt, and decided to share. This one is more lighthearted - enjoy!

Bullseye

It had been a long time since Tenten had a chance to play darts, what with being a new mom, and the league times being late in the evening, and some people still being salty about losing to her. (That reminded her, Uchiha and Sai owed her $25 apiece.)

So when Naruto called and begged her to be a last minute replacement, she had really wanted to say yes.

"I don't think I can," she said mournfully. "That goes right through the munchkin's dinner-slash-bath-slash-bedtime."

"Aw c'mon, Tenten," Naruto pleaded, loud enough that Neji looked up, recognizing the voice.

"What does he want, now," Neji grumbled, still irritated with Naruto for sucking him into that tortuous poker game the other night that ended with Naruto's declaration that Neji was abysmal at cards, and he would be calling Tenten for any guy's night stuff from then on.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he saw that Hinata was calling.

"Yes?" he answered.

"What the hell, Neji?!" Naruto asked in exasperation.

"Oh," Tenten looked at her phone and then back at Neji, confused. "Hi, Hinata – how are you?" Tenten shrugged helplessly at Neji and went into the other room to talk to her sister(ish)-in-law.

"Listen, you jerk," Naruto continued while Neji grit his teeth. "This is tournament week and Teme broke his arm. We need Tenten to come out tonight or we will have to forfeit."

"One," Neji said coolly, "As I recall, you are the reason Sasuke's arm is broken. Two, you can't bring in a substitute this late into a tournament anyway. Three, she already told you no."

"One, you are a dick," Naruto countered, "and Two, I put Tenten's name down on our alternate list ages ago. Half of the league did!"

"That can't possibly be legal," Neji scoffed.

"It is when the reigning champ of the league is semi-retired and the owner of the bar where we have our tournaments makes a shit ton of money when she plays," Naruto said. "And three, she didn't tell me no. She told me that your kid needs to be fed, bathed, and put to sleep. If you are home, then what's the problem? Does your prodigy-ness not extend to taking care of a one-year-old?"

"Fifteen months," Neji corredted with clenched teeth.

"Oh, yeah," he could practically hear Naruto rolling his eyes. "I can totally see where that would make a difference."

Tenten's laughter wafted over from the next room, squelching Neji's acid retort.

She was grinning at something Hinata said, and it reminded him so very much of how she had looked when he'd first seen her all of those years ago - oddly enough, playing darts.

"She needs a night out, man," Naruto sighed. "You see how tired she's been lately? Let her have a break for once."

Indignation flared in Neji's chest - he was not an unconscientous spouse. He regularly helped with their child, and made sure that Tenten had help during the day.

"That's not going to work Naruto."

"When was the last time she got to go out with her friends?"

"Last week," Neji said flatly. "With your wife and Temari."

"And the kids," Naruto added. "And not those friends. Do you have any idea how many friends she has at the league? She hasn't seen most of them since that last tournament before the baby was born."

Neji frowned.

"That can't be right."

"Uh, yeah it can. When was the last time Tenten played darts not at home, and not with one of us?"

That gave Neji pause.

When was the last time Tenten had really had a competitive game of darts that wasn't against him or one of their mutual friends? She'd said something just last week about wondering how the tournaments were going, hadn't she? Perhaps she had been missing it more than she let on.

Naruto must've sensed his hesitation.

"One, measly, baby-free night, Neji. That's all we're asking. You can do that, can't you?"

Neji pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and took a deep breath. He stood and found Tenten leaning a hip on the kitchen counter as she chatted amicably with Hinata.

"Tenten."

She blinked up at him.

"Yes, Neji?"

"Are you in the mood to go and save my idiot brother-in-law?"

Tenten frowned.

"But baby-"

"I can take care of our daughter," he waved her concerns away. "Would you like to go?"

"It...it's been a long time since I got to play," she ventured.

In the end, it was that carefully banked hope in her eyes that got to him.

"Alright," he directed his attention to his phone. "Tenten has agreed to help you - but she had better come back with no broken bones, or any other repercussions from your nonsense."

Both Neji and Tenten had to pull their phones away from their ears at Naruto's WHOOP! of excitement.

There was the sound of phones being switched, and Tenten said "Yes, I'm here," just as Hinata's voice came over Neji's phone with a "Sorry about that."

Neji watched his wife's cheeks pink with anticipation.

"It's alright," he said gruffly.

As soon as the phone call ended, Tenten shook her head.

"Naruto never changes."

"True," Neji snorted.

"And... you really don't mind?"

"Of course not," he kissed the top of her head. "If you wanted to start going back to the league, all you had to do was tell me. We would've made the arrangements."

"I don't think I realized how much I wanted to until now," she slipped her arms around his neck. "We can talk about that for next season - for right now I'm going to go get ready."

"Mm-hm," he hummed agreement against her lips as she kissed him soundly, before heading off to their room.

Inside of an hour, Tenten was showered, dressed, and had gotten all she needed to get together for their child's evening routine.

"Her jammies are laid out, so is her towel and washcloth. Bottle in the 'fridge, clean and sterilized pacis in the jar in the kitchen." She slung a cross-body bag over her shoulder. "You sure about this?" she worried her lip. "I mean it's such short notice, and -"

"I'll be fine," he interrupted her, even as she looked past him to where their daughter was quietly playing, content in her own little world."She's been calm all evening."

Tenten nodded absently, but he could feel the buzz in the air around her, and sense the smile hovering at the corner of her lips, waiting for permission to shine.

"You're excited."

"Yeah," she smiled crookedly, "I guess I am."

"Then," Neji unlocked the front door, "I'll clear a place for the trophy."

"You're the best," she laughed and kissed him goodbye. "I'll have my phone on me."

Neji pulled her in for a final, lingering kiss, and then she was gone. He closed and locked the door, in a suspended state of contentment, proud to be able to give her this small happiness. All was blissfully peaceful for about ten whole seconds.

His daughter toddled into the hallway, scanning the length of it before turning her dark gray eyes up to him and asking "Mama?"

"Your mother is gone for the evening," he said simply. "It is just the two of us."

"No Mama?" she puzzled, a frown tugging at her lips even as she tightened her grip on the ball in her small, chubby hands.

"No Mama," he confirmed. "She will be back, but for now, why don't we..."

The toy bounced off of his forehead with uncanny accuracy.

His child crossed pudgy arms and glared at him with an eerily familiar determination.

"No, Dadda. Mama."

And just like the first time he saw that expression on the original (the same pert nose, and pretty pouted lips, and sharp eyes, and iron will) the realization broke over him as clearly as if it had been announced for all to hear.

"I am so

fucking

screwed."

I love the idea of Neji with a determined daughter, don't you? I think my kid was 2.5 yrs old before anyone else but me did bed time, and it was an adjustment, friends. A big, fat, crazy, adjustment.