I apologize for any delays of chapters in the future. I know I mentioned my big vacation starting the 5th, but I'm not so sure our family is going on that anymore :/ My grandfather is in the hospital and they think he is going to pass away soon :[ It's really hard on our family and if he doesn't stabilize in the next day, the vacation is off (though most likely postponed). Either way, I probably won't be on as much do to hospital visits and (though god I hope not) maybe a funeral.

Also due to the circumstances, I have a lot on my mind so it might affect my writing. I'm sorry if the quality drops (again xD). But I do want to write both to finish this story and to help me feel better about things. Enjoy what you can! I'm in a more romantic mood today, so maybe less stupidity and more NejiTen.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Tenten knew the walk to Ichiraku by heart. In fact, she was positive that she could find her way there at night while blindfolded. Yet somehow she was always managing to trip and take wrong turns with Neji (or at least, she almost did. He always caught her elbow and pulled her back. This, of course, made her blush furiously). Could he really affect her that much? Oh how sad she had become. She was no better than a fan girl or a boy-obsessed Ino. Neji was like her marijuana and Tenten was definitely addicted (a/n: figuratively x3 no Tenten is /not/ a crackhead, thank you! xDD)

Like so many of the walks she had taken lately, this one was equally silent. It was weird how everything had changed since they made that bet. Tenten had become far more girly, was more susceptive to falling on her butt, and her social skills definitely fell off a cliff and died. Whoever said change was good had no idea what the hell they were talking about.

Neji lifted up the curtain to the stand for her, and she nodded her head in thanks. Dropping the curtain, he joined her on a stool to her right. The ramen guy (a/n: does he even have a name? Oo …I'll shut up now) turned around from the stove and saw Tenten, his eyes lighting up.

"Hey Tenten! Haven't seen you in the past couple days. Want your usual?" He glanced at Neji, and somehow noticing that he was not some random guy sitting next to his favorite customer, added, "Nice looking guy you got there. Don't take it too fast"

Tenten's face grew hot. "Holy crap, no! It's nothing like that! He's just making up for something very very terrible he dumped on me…" She shot Neji a glare and hissed her 'verys' out through clenched teeth. Neji's lips twitched upwards.

"Ah. I see. So what'll it be, then?"

"The usual will be fine. Neji?"

"Miso pork ramen" he answered without hesitation. The ramen man nodded and turned around to start cooking.

"Do you come here a lot, or do you have seriously fast menu reading skills?"

"I have seriously fast menu reading skills, of course" Her eye twitched and she reached over for a pair of chopsticks to tap against the table. How she loathed his sarcasm.

A few moments of silence passed. "I'm starting to get the feeling you aren't around people very often. Either that or you're part mute" She wasn't going to pass up this opportunity to get him back for his oh-so-infuriating-yet-somehow-sexy remarks.

"Hn"

"Well this seems like the perfect opportunity to ask you something personal, since you apparently have nothing good to say" She observed his reactions carefully. He shifted a bit uncomfortably in the stool but his face displayed nothing.

"You see, every girl at school wonders something. Can you see through clothes with your Byakugan?" She grinned widely, feeling as though she was pulling ahead in this invisible game of insult exchange. "See, some girls think you're a closet pervert while your fangirls seem to think you're looking at them. Of course, your fangirls don't mind. Ever noticed why they get so up in your face?"

Neji turned to face Tenten in his stool, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. Seriously. Hadn't this guy ever heard of annoyance or anger? Why was everything so amusing to him? She gazed at a single strand of hair draped across the bridge of his nose. Her hands balled into a fist to keep herself from brushing it out of his face. And the lighting on his skin tone….

"Hn. I guess you'll never know that, will you? I could use my Byakugan any second now, Tenten, and you wouldn't be able to do a thing about it"

"Oh, really? See, I heard that you can't use Byakugan with two kunai shoved into your eye sockets. Could be just a rumor. Care to test it out?" Her eyes narrowed, but her cheeks burned slightly. Could he seriously see things like that…?

Neji chuckled. "Why do I doubt that you could land a kunai anywhere on me?"

Any feelings of fangirlism vanished from Tenten's body and her eyebrows met sharply. "Is that a challenge? One hundred percent accuracy isn't something to doubt, you know"

"Neither is a one hundred percent impenetrable defense"

Tenten, mouth void of any comeback that wouldn't sound utterly retarded, humphed and turned her head to stare at the wall to her left. Her lips pulled into a pout. Neji always managed to beat her while being sexy at the same time. This had to be some Guinness World Record.

Before any more awkward silences ensued, two steaming bowls were slid towards them from behind the counter. Tenten's mouth watered as she broke her chopsticks apart.

"Ikadakimasu" She said cheerily, momentarily forgetting her spat with Neji at the sight of her glorious Ramen. In a blink of an eye, every last drop of Ramen disappeared from her bowl, including the noodles. It looked almost as clean as it would after being washed.

"You really aren't like other girls…" Neji commented, sipping slowly on his broth. "Most of them would order two radish slices, eat one, then complain of a stomach ache and demand to be take home to regurgitate it"

Tenten laughed out loud. "No way would I ever do that. I don't starve myself for looks. So if that's the kind you like, you definitely need to look elsewhere. I eat as much as I want, or can afford…whichever comes first. Training kinda takes care of the fat part" While speaking she held out her bowl for a refill. The ramen man expected this and had his ladle ready full of soup.

"Hn" Neji was quiet for a moment like he was thinking intensely about something. He also held out his bowl for a refill, and once it was received, spoke again.

"I agree. You don't need to starve yourself. You're good the way you are"

Tenten opened her mouth to say something insulting back to him. It took a few moments, but she soon realized that Hyuuga Neji had just complimented her and her mouth closed. The insult thing was a reflex. She had totally expected him to call her fat or tell her that she should go anorexic. But instead he said something nice? Her chopsticks hung in midair as she sat in total shock.

On the other end of the stand, two shinobi men in their late thirties ate their ramen while watching Neji and Tenten intensely. Seeing how it was just them and the two teens inside, it was rather easy to follow the conversation.

"Hmm. If you ask me they're too young to be dating. Why, I waited until I was in my twenties to start and look at me now! I'm married with a kid and couldn't be happier. Teen love only leads to heartbreak," he lectured his friend, chopsticks clanging as he dropped them into his empty bowl.

"I don't know," he said, contradicting the man. "That Neji kid is quite a hunk"

His friend stared at him, mouth agape, and while he was preoccupied with sighing dreamily and staring off into space, slipped out of the stand quietly and ran home.

Tenten managed to complete two more bowls without saying another word, then pushed back from the counter and sighed in satisfaction.

"That was good. Thanks, Neji," she commented, trying to talk casually. He definitely couldn't know that she had practically gone in a coma from a small compliment like that.

"Now both our debts are paid," he pointed out, taking out his wallet. Tenten purposely tried to not look to see how much green the guy could possibly have. Her curiosity got the better of her and she peeked. It was like a forest in there…color-wise, at least.

"I just noticed," he started, after paying the man and returning his wallet to his pocket, "that you just called me Neji for the first time. Usually it's 'Hyuuga' or 'Barbie' or 'asshole'" He was grinning while he said it which is why Tenten chose to ignore the comment.

Neji once again raised the curtain for her and Tenten stalked out, arms crossed. When she entered she had, of course, be fantasizing about something a bit more romantic. He had specifically pointed out that this was not a date, but she had hoped anyways. Now she realized he was a man of his word. This definitely was nothing more than meal between two people that could hardly even be called friends. She was disappointed…more than she wanted to be. It wasn't fair that he was screwing up her emotions like this without even knowing. Heck, she'd rather be on her period. At least then she had an excuse for such mood swings.

The cool night air helped clear her mind. She chose instead to focus on the crickets and comforting bustle of people doing their nighttime activities. The lanterns hanging from the shops and homes glowed softly, and the moon overhead was beautiful against the cloudless sky filled with stars.

It's almost full, she noted for no particular reason at all. It seemed important, somehow.

"I love nights like this," Tenten sighed, feeling a bit bolder now that she was out of that hot ramen stand and not thinking about Neji's godliness. He glanced down at her questioningly, his eyes burning bright white at night. (They looked so much like the moon, Tenten had noted to before scolding herself mentally)

"They make you feel so warm inside. When I'm out on nights like these, it's almost impossible for me to feel sad. I feel like I'm not alone. I used to spend every night on a hill after my parents passed away. It was…very hard for me then. But when I sat up there on that hill and looked up at the moon and stars…it was like nothing mattered. The beauty of it all was enough for me then, even if I was so…alone," she struggled for her words. Neji briefly wondered if she was going to cry, but noticed how excitedly her eyes shone when she spoke.

"I still go there sometimes on those nights where I just feel depressed for no reason. Sometimes if I wake up from my nightmares I'll go out, even if it's midnight, and just sit on that hill. The feeling never fades. It's over there, if you ever want to go there yourself. You know, if you ever feel bad," she pointed in the direction of her sitting place, though she doubted Hyuuga Neji ever got nightmares.

He continued staring at her curiously. Tenten blushed, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She looked down at her shirt to see if she had spilled Ramen on her front. She was clean.

The walk didn't last much longer, however. They were in front of her apartment complex, much to Tenten's relief, ending the scrutiny. She started through the gate when she suddenly remembered something and turned around. To her relief, Neji was still there, watching her.

"I forgot to ask. Are you going Sakura's Halloween party thing? Sasuke will be there. You and him can probably survive the thing together. Seeing as how you share so many qualities…"

"Are you calling me emo?" he asked, though not in an insulted tone.

"…Maybe. Though I think 'ice cube' would be a better term," she giggled, putting her arms behind her head into her 'Tenten position'. Neji smiled, though not at the joke. But Tenten, of course, didn't know that.

"When is it?"

"Next Friday. You'll need a costume, though. Doesn't have to be fancy, but you'll need something. Trust me. Sakura will kick your ass if you show up in jeans. This is beyond a big deal to her"

She turned around and started to walk towards the flight of stairs when Neji called out.

"Hey. You look…nice tonight" Then he walked away. Tenten looked down at herself, realizing she still was wearing the outfit she had worked on so long just to please him.

And for the second time that night, Tenten nearly fainted.

Aww! Fluffiness! 33 Ah. That was totally what I needed. I'm in a better mood now : I'm so glad I wrote this.

And to all guys, don't be ashamed of thinking /things/ about Neji ;) He is a total hunk, after all! XDD –is starting to realize that I really need to get a life-