Prompt 7

"Can I touch you?"

Tenten wasn't sure what to do. Neji looked so broken lying there in front of her, his body bandaged from head to toe. She had never seen him look like this before—damaged almost beyond repair. And not just physically either; that fight had damaged his spirit as well.

He had fought valiantly, as he always did, but the enemies were too strong. Tenten had done her best to aid him, but her weapons were of little use to the ninjutsu those shinobi performed, and the most she could do was watch on in horror as the great Neji Hyuga—her Neji Hyuga— was torn to pieces before her eyes. It wasn't until backup arrived in the form of Naruto, Shikamaru and Kiba that they were able to turn the tables. Together, the three of them had been able to push back the advancing ninjas and defeat them, but it had taken a long time.

As soon as Neji had woken up in the hospital, Tenten knew something was different. His eyes didn't hold that confident, self-assured look they usually did. His ego had deflated, but it was more than that. It was as if that fight had caused him to give up.

Tenten sat at his bedside, afraid to do anything that could make him worse. His emotional state was a mess, and she feared that even crying in his presence would affect him. Every time the desire overwhelmed her, she had to leave and find someplace quiet to shed her tears.

Neji had been sleeping—he did that a lot lately, and not just because he was recovering from physical wounds—but he woke up, his eyes opening to see the female by his bedside. Her head was resting against her arms on the edge of the bed where she had fallen asleep, her hair having long ago fallen out of its carefully made buns to fall across her face.

He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he was afraid. Afraid that he would mess up and fail again. That he would hurt her. If he couldn't protect himself, how could he protect those whom he loved?

"Neji," Tenten lifted her head from her arms, his movements on the bed having woke her up. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel tired." Was his answer. It was his answer every time she asked him and it made her worry more and more each time he said it.

She forced herself to hold back the tears wanting to fall and, instead, gave him a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Not particularly."

How am I supposed to help him when he refuses to help himself? Tenten wondered miserably, hating what that fight had done to his confidence. To him.

She tried to keep the tears away, she really, truly tried. But she couldn't stop them this time and they ran down her face as she stared at the man she loved, almost a stranger to her at that moment. "Neji, please. What can I do to help you?"

Neji didn't want to see her cry. Not over him. He didn't deserve those tears. "There is nothing you can do Tenten." He whispered, so soft he wondered if she had even heard him.

A sob escaped her chest and Neji winced at the sound, his heart squeezing at the devastated expression on her face. "C-can I touch you at least? Please?" He hadn't let her touch him after he first woke up, and after a while she had gotten too nervous to ask, in case he rejected her completely. But she couldn't hold back anymore. Not in that moment, when she was afraid he would never return to normal again.

Neji's eyes took on a worried look and he didn't say anything, but he gave a nod of assent, and Tenten almost sobbed again. She reached out slowly, until her palm cupped the side of his face, and she stroked his cheek with her thumb. It had been so long since the last time she had touched him and she was afraid that if she stopped now, he wouldn't let her do it again.

"Tenten," Neji's voice was soft and he covered her hand with his, leaning into the feel of her warmth on his cheek. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head, her other hand coming up to grip the other side of his face. She moved his head so he was looking directly at her and smiled lovingly at him, tears still streaming silently down her face. "There is nothing for you to be sorry about, Neji."

"But... I failed."

"No, you didn't. You did your very best and I am so incredibly proud of you." Both thumbs were caressing his cheeks now, as if doing so would make him believe what she was saying.

Neji's hand was still over hers and he turned it around, placing a kiss on her palm before moving it back to his cheek. He closed his eyes, savouring her touch, her warmth. Savouring her. What had he ever done to deserve being loved by such an incredible person?

A single tear rolled down Neji's face and he smiled. It was the first smile Tenten had seen from him in months. Her heart quickened in her chest and she thought that maybe, just maybe, he would be okay.

If you've already read Prompt 6, you might want to go read it again as I have deleted the previous story on it and added a new prompt. I felt it wasn't appropriate. ^_^"

R&R's are loved. =D