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Aquarius Galaxy
Guest no. 1
Fruits
NarutoShippings

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Chapter 2- The Moon: Waxing


Tenten had only been in the Hyuga compound once in her life. She and Lee went to the compound to find Neji, who they discovered was ill, and they were invited to use the Hyuga family dojo instead of leaving to train.

The estate was eerily colorless, with stark white walls and nothing adding any life to the place. There was no art or pictures adorning the walls. No foliage hidden in the corner. Even the people that walked around the house were dressed stiflingly and seemed to refuse to speak unless spoken to. Tenten remembered an ironically funny moment of clarity. It was so obvious why Neji was so standoffish and cold; nearly everyone in the house was that way.

She had to, unfortunately, learn that his father's death had also affected his personality greatly.

She wanted to tell him that she knew how it felt to lose a father so young; that if he ever needed to talk to her about it, she would be there.

There was a moment, when they were in the middle of their second chunin exam when Tenten told Neji that her father died. She was struck with a heavy fever and babbled incessantly throughout the whole experience and she cried like a baby about her father. Neji sat there quietly, he never said a word, actually, patting her head with a cool towel.

When she felt better, several days later, she apologized for whatever she said to him. Instead of indifferently accepting her apology, he looked straight at her and said, "Your father, what was his name?" She blinked, a bit confused. "Satoru," she replied, her voice barely a whisper.

He simply nodded and murmured a soft, so soft she could barely hear it, prayer of loss. She couldn't, that was how affected she was by his actions. They never spoke of that moment, but they didn't need to.

The manor was still an barren as a desert, with nothing to make it seem like a home. The man that graciously let Tenten inside walked quickly, weaving through crowds of people , to lead her to Neji's private rooms. He told her, in mumbles, that Neji liked to do his work for the family in complete privacy, which Tenten smiled at hearing, as it was so like him.

The man left her alone in the large, blank office and explained that "Lord Neji" would return shortly and to make herself comfortable. Never one to simply sit around in an unfamiliar place, Tenten walked slowly around the room, gazing at the small bits of decoration adorning the walls.

There were a few paintings depicting soft, pastel koi ponds and bamboo forests. There was a large plaque hanging against the parallel wall that stated what Tenten assumed was his family's creed.

"We strive for complete balance,
for beauteous sight we have been granted,
by the Sun, source of our rotation."

Tenten read it twice, her head slightly cocked to the side. She could never understand how these major clans held these rather cryptic words so close to them. As she started to read the words over again, she heard the door slide open, and despite herself, her stomach flipped in something akin to nervousness.

She quickly plastered a smile on her face and turned. Neji stood in the threshold, his figure something very familiar and yet so different, almost intimidating. He was always tall, but he seemed leagues high now. He was always handsome, but his face seemed like something from those paintings on his walls. He was draped from head to toe in silk, his kimono draped to show his lean figure, his haori embellished to make his shoulders seem broader. His robes were various, smokey shades of white and grey. His dark hair was still long and loose and, despite the fact that he had not gone on a mission in the past year either, he still wore his Konoha headband.

Tenten held back the urge to look down at her own clothes in disgust. Before she could do that, Neji spoke. "You look the same," he murmured, a bit stiffly. Tenten pursed her lips. "Well, not all of us can be dressed in such beautiful silk," she nearly snapped, but quickly changed her tone from abrasive to slightly teasing.

Neji, in all his regalia, took a few uncomfortable steps toward her. "Are you upset with me? You seem hostile." Tenten felt a flush form on her cheeks. "We haven't spoken nearly enough for me to be mad at you," she said through gritted teeth.

His eyes seemed to narrow knowingly. He sat and motioned for her to be seated as well, which she did, a table between them. When she was comfortable, Neji murmured, "You feel like I've neglected you." Tenten tossed a glare at him, her jaw fighting to drop, her mind forcing her not too. "It's not that-"

"That wasn't a question. It was an observation," he said, the slightest smirk on his lips. Tenten inwardly seethed. He would do things like this all the time when they were younger; always charmingly pulling the rug out from under her. He only showed that side of himself to her though, and she was always flattered to know that.

Now, she was furious, among other feelings, but mostly furious.

"Funny. Very funny. You've gone and bought yourself a sense of humor in the past year. Congratulations." Tenten folded her arms, but then quickly unfolded them, her body breaking out into fidgets. Neji watched her, which was unnerving and exciting, before saying, "It has been difficult adjusting to life after the war. This does not, however, excuse that I have been a bad friend to you."

Her body finally seemed to be at ease and all she could do was stare back at him, his face hard and eyes earnest. Tenten softened and reached out to take his hand. "Look, Neji, you don't have to feel bad or anything. I think... I think I needed this time by myself." He nodded in understanding. "How have you been then?"

Tenten shook her head absent-mindedly. "I have nothing to say for myself. I've been numb this entire year. I know you must miss being a ninja, but at least you're doing something productive; I lost everything. Everything. I have no job and no purpose."

"You have a purpose," Neji said abruptly. Tenten sighed deeply and nearly whispered, "What is it, then? I can't see it."

The silence that followed was quick, but stifling and heavy, like the weight of the next words out of his lips. "My sight is better than yours."

Tenten gave him a sharp glare, her brows furrowed with quick anger. "What's is that supposed to mean?" Neji stared at her calmly. "I can see you better than you can see yourself. That's all I meant."

"That's your problem, Neji; you think you know everything," she snapped, her body shooting in a standing position as she leaned toward him menacingly. "Guess what; you know nothing about me. How dare you even imply that you know-"

"Do not insult me that way. Just because you're upset with me for this past year does not mean that you can simply dismiss our friendship," he replied, his mask of indifference quickly fading into smoldering anger as he towered over her. "I have given you more trust than I have given any person."

Tenten folded her arms and scoffed. "I know I should be very grateful to even be in the presence of Neji Hyuga." She watched his face harden coldly and she felt her heart jump at how upset he looked so suddenly. Tenten adverted her eyes and felt increasingly saddened by how this conversation turned.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, "I don't know what came over me. I..." Neji came around the table and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. "You've had a difficult year, I know that, but, you must remember that you've been through much worse than this. You've been trained to handle stressful situations and you've shown great proficiency in such endeavors. You are strong, Tenten, you can overcome this."

She looked back up at him and smiled slightly. "I've missed your sagely wisdom." Neji's face softened and his lips curled gently. "I must also apologize. I should have reached out to you sooner." Tenten shrugged in good nature. "Better late than never, right?"

She suddenly felt very warm and flustered. Her mind kept telling her to move away from him but she felt the urge to deepen their contact. He was close enough that she could smell whatever perfumed soaps he used to bathe and admire the intricate embroidery on his beautiful robes. She knew her face was flushed, which only embarrassed her more.

"Well, um, thanks again, Neji," she blurted out awkwardly, while craning her neck to give him a peck on the cheek. She noticed a confused look in his eyes as she started to pull away. He didn't let her, however, and clasped his hands around her waist, effectively pinning her against him.

Tenten felt so right against him. They fit together perfectly; he was warm and rough but comforting. Under the softness of his silk robes, she could feel the drumming hardness of his chest and his heartbeat was almost melodic. His right hand went slowly up her back in a soothing manner that was hot against her skin.

She felt emboldened, like a rush of flames were coursing through her veins.

She gently took his face in her hands and pulled him toward her, and pressed her lips against his. It all happened so quickly; the kiss was very one-sided to start, then Neji cupped her cheek to deepen the kiss, she pressed her tongue against his, he pinned her to an adjacent wall, she moaned, he groaned and the kiss was broken.

For mere seconds.

Neji found her lips again after a quick breath and Tenten took her time to be surprised, then returned the kiss in full force. He was a passionate kisser, and even Tenten would have assumed that Neji would show indifference in everything. There was nothing impassive about what they were doing now.

She could have stayed entwined with him like this for hours. Her hands were beginning to travel across his chest when there was a soft knock on the door. Neji pulled away from her with a deep sigh, rested his forehead against hers and eventually walked to the door.

Tenten collected her breath as he spoke softly with whoever was at the door. She should have felt a bit more flustered, but she felt a rush; she was more than excited to continue what they started. After a few minutes Neji walked back over to her and cupped her shoulders, gently caressing each of them, all of his earlier passion gone.

"Duty calls?" Tenten half joked, mostly disappointed. When he nodded in response, Tenten couldn't help but sigh and shrug out of his grip. She felt deflated, like all the momentum she felt moments ago had been forced out of her and thrown away.

She noted the frown on Neji's face and slowly started to regret leaving her house and daring to visit him. "You are always welcome here, Tenten," he murmured sincerely, "If you would like to... continue this conversation at a later date, please feel free to come by."

Tenten couldn't help but laugh gently, sarcastically. "Oh, no no no, Neji. I don't chase."

"You don't chase?" he mumbled, his eyes narrowing. Tenten shook her head quickly, an infernal grin on her slightly swollen lips. If she knew what her challenging comments were doing to him she would have been a bit nicer, but she had always enjoyed instigating him.

He tersely took her by the hips and pulled her toward him. She playfully pushed at him and eventually looped her arms around his neck, her fingers entwining in his hair. "Fine," he said shortly, his lips pecking at her cheeks, "Then come and see me tonight." Tenten giggled and suppressed a moan when he began to gently suck on the underside of her jaw.

"I don't take orders either," she teased, her laugh fading into a harsh sigh as he nipped along her neck.

He pulled away from her suddenly and straightened his robes. Tenten stared at him in disbelief. "What are-"

"If you don't wish to adhere to my requests, then you remain in control of the field. The next move is yours," he said, a smug smirk gracing his features. Tenten wanted to be furious but her arousal was completely overpowering. Neji offered her a final smoldering look and left the room quietly.

Tenten eventually left after several minutes of stunned silence. When she has nearly home, she couldn't suppress the wide smile on her lips.

The move is mine? He has no idea what kind of game he started...


Alright, how'd you guys like it?

Like I said, I'm really excited for you guys to see where this goes.

If I missed you in the shout-out section, I apologize, you will be acknowledged in chapter 3

I do appreciate every kind of feedback, so please, REVIEW

Chapter 3- The Moon: Full
If you liked the tension in chapter 2, you'll love the "ten"sion here. (M for a reason, folks)