Cold

Author's Notes: Once I got "Visit" out of my head this smacked me in the face. That's how it is apparently.

Again: group chapter, meaning Neji, Lee, Guy, and Tenten will have their first cold in this crazy long chapter.

General Warning: made up timelines, OOCness, swearing, and all that other fun stuff. Goes along with the other five chapters (obviously) and is in the Twenty Truths of Team Guy universe which follows the canon so Neji does (eventually) die. Sorry. For completely made up time-line where Neji lives, I've got Bonds and Life, Love, and Genin. *winks*

I don't own the characters but I like messing with them.

Hyuuga Neji

He had always prided himself on the ability to have perfect control over his body. The Hyuuga techniques required him to know exactly how much chakra he produced, when, where and for what purpose. It had become vital for him to learn exactly how to control his chakra because if he did not he may kill one of his friends unintentionally in training with his techniques.

Besides, Neji could not control his station in life as a member of the Branch House of the Hyuuga clan. He had little say over his future where the clan became concerned. So he took to maintaining perfect control over his chakra system and the strength of his attacks at any given time. Therefore, when he woke up one morning with a pounding headache, scratchy throat, and eyes becoming pained from the barely risen sun, Neji loathed the lack of control.

He stayed in bed as sitting up had made him dizzy and tried to figure out what would make him feel so out of sorts. He could hardly breathe through his nose and his body ached as if he had spent the entire day sparring with Lee. He had not been to the training field yet so it made no sense for his body to be so pained.

Hell, he had not even made it to shower yet and Tenten would be expecting him on the field soon. He would sit beneath one of her targets to meditate and she would grab his attention by flinging something above or near his head to make him notice her presence.

As if he did not notice the moment she strode onto the field. He always knew when she came close. He would never admit how attuned he had become to her chakra signature and how much it relaxed him even though they had been officially dating (thanks to Lee no less) for two months.

Neji tried to inhale deeply through his nose but ended up getting hardly enough air, disturbing the itchiness of his throat in the process, and started coughing forcefully enough to make his eyes water behind his closed lids. Neji groaned and winced at how dismal he sounded. He did not know what had befallen him but he would be damned if he missed a training session with his girlfriend.

She would kill him, and besides, he happened to enjoy their morning ritual.

Neji let out a long breath of relief as he settled in front of one of Tenten's targets. The hot shower had helped him to hack up offending mucus from his throat and chest. It had also helped to wake him up and the headache had subsided somewhat. His throat still ached even with the hot green tea and added honey he had consumed before leaving. He had gotten down some plain white rice but even it had not settled well.

His body protested any kind of movement but he would not miss training because of some headache. Or body ache. Or a clogged up nose and sore throat. He would not missing training with all of it combined because damn it, he controlled his body, not the other way around. Neji huffed, swallowed down a cough and straightened his spine against the post of the target.

He closed his eyes and felt wetness trickle down his cheeks as even his eyes had started leaking, mainly because of how bright the sun had decided to be today. Neji wiped away the wetness and rested his elbows on his upper legs. He interlaced his fingers and kept his left thumb straight up. His right index finger and thumb encircled the upright left thumb to complete the linga mudra.

Never had he used this mudra in particular but he had read about it in a book Tenten had gotten him for his birthday last year. This position would invigorate his body, stop the production of phlegm, and strengthen his lungs. It also generated heat and would relieve any kind of cold or infection.

Neji took a breath and let it out slowly. He concentrated inwardly on the hum of his chakra through his body and frowned when he sensed how weakened his body felt. His chakra sluggishly rolled through the coils in his body and did not feel as bright as it normally did. Neji dismissed this and focused on his breathing:

In, hold, out. In, hold, out. In, hold, forceful coughing, out.

Neji sniffled and remained rigid to hold his meditation pose. He steadied his breathing pattern again and felt the familiar sense of calm which settled over him when he meditated. It stayed for another four cycles of breathing until his throat rebelled and he began coughing again. Neji licked his dry lips and smoothed the scowl off his face.

He would not give into the weakness of his body.

Neji tried to swallow but ended up coughing some more and had to unlace his fingers to wipe the wetness seeping out of his eyes again. He kept coughing and spat out a glob of phlegm. Neji scowled at the offending goo and went to his pack.

He found his thermos and poured hot water into a cup before finding the jar of honey he had snagged from the kitchens. Neji poured honey into his hot water and drank it all down before replacing everything in his pack and taking up the meditation pose again.

Neji shifted in the grass and rested his back against the post before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly as he repositioned his hands into the linga mudra. His throat did not itch so much nor did it feel as dry but his head still ached and his eyes stung from the risen sun. Tenten would be here soon.

Neji focused on maintaining the calm breathing patterns even as his throat began to dry out again and tickled like it wanted him to cough. Neji kicked away the urge to cough and focused on maintaining his meditative state for as long as he could. The thunk of steel hitting wood above his head made Neji half open his eyes.

Tenten stood a dozen feet away dressed in her burgundy pants, white shirt with burgundy lining, and with her hair twisted into its typical twin buns. She had a grin on her face and the giant scroll she stored her weapons in rested on her lower back. Neji let the smile, small as it was, spread across his face and began to stand. The world tilted to one side but Neji faked turning to the post to retrieve Tenten's weapon to hide this particular weakness. He took a moment to pull the weapon from the post and an extra few heartbeats to steady his protesting body before turning.

Tenten had closed the distance between them and stood a mere foot away, close enough he could feel her heat and see the flecks of amber in her brown eyes. Her grin made his shoulders relax and he kept his eyes half-lidded since the sun seemed to burn them.

"Good morning," Tenten said.

Her chipper voice made warmth spread through his body and he lifted his hand to offer her the kunai back, hilt first. Her deceivingly delicate fingers brushed over his fingers as she took back her kunai with ease and began spinning it on her index finger as if the ability to spin a deadly weapon with such ease happened to be normal.

"Hn," Neji got out.

Even the simple response sounded rough. Neji swallowed to get moisture in his scratchy throat as Tenten blinked. Her head tilted to a side and she hummed. Neji did not move when her free hand went to his shoulder and she went on her tiptoes to be mere inches from his face. Neji felt the heat in his cheeks and his heart sped up in preparation for a kiss...

"Your eyes are all red," Tenten said.

Neji stared. She hummed again and he felt one of her fingers, callused from constantly working with her weapons, run over his cheek. Neji inhaled then gulped down a cough. He did not want to cough in Tenten's face.

"And you're all flush," Tenten said.

The kunai thunked into the target behind them but Neji did not turn to look. Tenten had shoved her hands behind his head, to the back of his neck more specifically, and for a moment he thought she would twine her fingers in his hair and began messaging his scalp. Instead, his hitai-ate loosened and he frowned.

Tenten had seen his Caged Bird Seal before but he did not like anyone removing his hitai-ate without asking first. Her fingers were too quick to stop her and his hitai-ate hung around his neck a moment later. He opened his mouth to ask why she had done so but paused when her hands pushed the bandages away which took away the final barrier he put in place between his seal and the rest of the world.

He felt his jaw tighten and he opened his mouth again to ask what in the Hell she had been thinking but her hand, the back of it, rested against his bare forehead before he could get the words out. Neji waited a few beats and watched as Tenten's lips curled downwards and pursed as her eyebrows came together.

"You're running a fever," Tenten said.

"Hn?"

He said nothing to her eye roll. She did pull the bandages he wore back into place and put his hitai-ate back over his forehead. He did not get fevers. He did not get sick.

"You are running a fever," Tenten said, slower this time as if he had not understood her words.

He noted she had a little smile on her face and her hands had curled into fists which she then rested on her hips. Neji swallowed to get moisture in his throat.

"I do not get sick," Neji said.

He disregarded the fact his voice had come out husky, crackly, and weak sounding. Tenten shook her head then took his hand in one of hers. Neji raised his eyebrows and she smiled.

"Uh-huh, well Mr. Never-Gets-Sick, you've got a cold," Tenten said.

"I do not get sick," Neji repeated.

His body betrayed him and he coughed. Neji turned his head to keep from coughing in Tenten's face and heard her snort. Neji finished his coughing fit and frowned.

"Right, come on," Tenten said.

Neji did not intend to move when she pulled him but his body let him down again. Neji stumbled but took a step forward to stop from falling into Tenten. She did not mention his misstep and hung his head as he followed along behind her. It seemed he had no choice in the matter. Neji cursed his body's defiance then glanced up.

He did not look far and his watering eyes focused on Tenten's backside. Neji smirked and decided perhaps being alone with Tenten while he recovered from his body disobeying him would not be so horrible.

"Comfy?"

Neji frowned and did not want to admit he did not want to move from the comfortable nest Tenten had made for him. She had taken him straight to her apartment then helped him change out of his regular attire into loose jogging pants and a loose tee-shirt he had abandoned at her apartment at some point.

She had put socks on his feet since he had been too dizzy to do so then pushed him onto the couch before wrapping him in blankets and sticking pillows behind his head, back, and other places he did not think would be convenient for pillows to be. It left him half propped up on one arm rest, back against the seating of the couch but not in an unpleasant way.

She had removed his hitai-ate and bandages then replaced it with a cool cloth. The blankets stopped at his chin and went all the way past his feet and the pillows were soft under him. She had even gone so far as to lower the blinds in her sitting room so the bright sun did not make his eyes water.

Now she stood in front of him with her fists on her hips and a tilt to her head as she regarded him with a pursed lipped smile. He knew she tried to keep back laughter. The uppermost blanket happened to be bright pink and she had tucked a stuffed bear near his head which made a nice fluffy place he could snuggle into.

On her table were tissues, the bowl of cold water she had used to make the cloth comfortably cool, a thermometer, a few oranges, some bottles of water, and other objects Tenten had determined were detrimental to his heath. He had not bothered to study most of the objects as looking at her proved to be better.

"Good. Now stay. I'm going to get changed," Tenten said.

Neji watched her go until she left his sight and leaned back into his mass of pillows, blankets, and bear. He felt wonderfully warm and closed his eyes happily. He heard Tenten moving about in her room but did not pay it much mind. He did open his eyes when she came back and saw she had donned a pair of loose shorts, pink slippers, and a clinging tee-shirt. Her hair had not changed but she had come back with a brush and a hair tie.

Neji said nothing as she gently pulled his hair out from under his head and out of the cocoon he nestled in. She began brushing his hair with even strokes and Neji closed his eyes again, enjoying the ministrations. He opened his eyes when she finished brushing then felt her braiding his hair. He supposed it would be best to keep his hair back so it would not become messy as he lay in his cocoon of wonderfulness.

"There," Tenten said.

He watched as she stood then picked up the thermometer. He did not protest when she stuck it in his mouth and under his tongue. They waited and it beeped a moment later. Tenten hummed and shook her head.

"A hundred and one. And you wanted to train. Stubborn Hyuuga," Tenten said.

Neji tried to huff but ended up coughing instead. Tenten tsked once he finished but opened a pill bottle. She helped him swallow the little white pill along with the cool water and Neji let out a happy little breath. She had opened a jar of medical cream and pulled down his blankets enough so she could rub the cream onto the top of his chest and throat.

Neji tried not to pout when she finished but knew he failed when she giggled. She put his blankets back in place then nodded. Tenten sat on the floor in front of him with the table to her right and him to her left. She began to peel an orange and Neji watched her deft fingers moving, mesmerized by even this simple action.

He blinked when Tenten shoved an orange slice into his mouth. Neji chewed the orange when she raised her eyebrows. She nodded once he started chewing then went back to peeling the orange. Neji swallowed the orange slice and received another before he could protest. Neji decided it best not to protest and kept his eyes on Tenten as she carefully removed the rind from the orange slices and any seeds before popping the slice into his mouth.

After finishing the orange she wiped her hands on her shorts and looked to him. Neji said nothing as she smiled. She giggled again when he yawned. Neji wanted to keep looking at her but his eyelids drooped closed and he didn't try to fight it. He felt Tenten brush hair out of his face and hummed before giving into his body's demands to sleep. Perhaps he could relinquish his control for once.

Neji said nothing as he watched Tenten bustle about her apartment when he woke. He did not know the exact time but hours had passed. Tenten had managed to clean her apartment, the parts of it he could see, while he had napped in his blissful cocoon on her couch. At some point she had put a movie on but he hadn't been awake for it and Neji assumed she wanted it for the background noise.

He did not ask why she had picked an action film full of loud explosions and the clanking of swords during fight scenes but Tenten would never watch some romance movie. He appreciated it of her. Neji looked up when she placed a hand on his bare forehead, the back again as she had this morning.

"Hm, you feel cooler," Tenten said.

Neji opened his mouth without prompting and she stuck the thermometer in. They waited and she smiled when she looked at the temperature gauge.

"Well it dropped two degrees," Tenten said.

Neji hummed and watched as she opened the pill bottle again and helped him take another pill. Instead of peeling an orange she headed to her kitchen and Neji tried to shift to watch her. He failed because of the cocoon but did not mind. Tenten came back in due time with a bowl of some steaming liquid on a tray.

Neji shifted to a proper sitting position, mainly with Tenten's help and looked into the bowl once she placed the tray on his lap. Plain broth stared back up at him but Neji did not argue. He drank his broth and frowned when after a few sips he had to blow his nose.

Tenten sat beside him, peeling an orange and handing him tissues every so often. By the time he finished the broth he could breathe through his nose as if he had no cold. Neji ate the orange Tenten offered him without comment and she kissed his cheek in reward when he finished. He watched her walk away with the garbage and the tray.

His head felt better as well and his throat did not feel so dry. His could take a deep breath without choking on lingering mucus or coughing. His eyes did not feel sore and most of the body ache had gone away. He did not feel completely normal but he did not feel as he had this morning.

"Feeling better, dumpling?" Tenten questioned.

She had a grin on her face as if asking him to challenge her use of a nickname. Neji smiled before giving her a little nod. She beamed before sitting next to him again and grabbing the medicated cream from the table.

Neji said nothing as she worked the collar of his shirt down so she could rub the soothing cream on his chest and throat. He could smell it this time and hummed in appreciation as she lingered on his sternum before running her hands softly across his chest and neck.

She finished and he frowned. She kissed his cheek again before pulling the blankets around him but not as tightly. It allowed him to remain upright and sit comfortably beside her as she leaned against his shoulder. Neji looked to her to see her smiling happily. He frowned.

"I do not mind you sitting so close but, will you get sick?" Neji asked.

"Aww, you secret softy in worrying about me. I'll be fine, don't worry," Tenten replied.

"Hn,"

"I've been taking immune system boosting pills Sakura gave me,"

"Hn?"

"She uses them in the hospital so she doesn't get sick,"

"Hn?"

"She gave them to me because she figured you, Lee, or Guy would end up with a cold with the insane training you guys go through and someone who's sane would have to take care of you,"

"Hn,"

"Yes, training in the rain when it's cooler than normal is excessive. Jeez,"

"Hn,"

"Oh hush, you. Besides, it's nice to spend a day relaxing, right?"

She grinned and he could not help smiling. He had spent the day sleeping in Tenten's apartment on her couch but now they were able to sit peacefully beside each other with no obligations. Neji shifted so he could wrap her in the blankets with him and she laughed.

"I did let your uncle know you're sick so he's not worrying. He doesn't mind you hanging out here," Tenten said.

Neji kissed the top of her head and she rested her hand on his knee and squeezed. They cuddled on the couch watching the movie until the credits rolled. Neji pouted when Tenten freed herself from his grasp but did not mind the fact she bent over in her shorts to put another movie in.

She returned to him quickly enough by jumping onto the couch and Neji snorted while Tenten giggled. They snuggled into the blanket and pillow nest while the movie started. Neji yawned part way through but Tenten said nothing. He did not remember what happened next but when Neji opened his eyes, the television had become blank and the light barely streaming in reminded him of morning light.

Neji sat up and looked around. He smelled something delicious on the air and spotted Tenten in her kitchen. He stood and took two steps before realizing his head did not hurt. His eyes were not stinging and leaking in protest. His throat did feel dry but not as horribly as it had before. His chest did not feel congested and he could take an enourmous breath and let it out without being bothered by mucus.

"Morning sweetie," Tenten said.

Neji hummed before striding into her kitchen to join her at near the stove. She made omelets, rice, steamed vegetables, and had water boiling for tea. Neji kissed her cheek before setting the table for two as Tenten finished breakfast. He helped her bring the food to the table and had no qualms about eating.

"You should rest today," Tenten said.

"I feel fine," Neji told her.

Tenten raised an eyebrow. Neji opened his mouth to protest then blinked. His options were to go out and train with Guy-sensei and Lee yelling about youth or spending a quiet day cuddling with Tenten on her couch watching movies.

"Hn, I should rest," Neji said.

"Right, make sure the cold's completely run its course,"

"Hn,"

"I mean, we do want to make sure you're completely over it before running around with Guy-sensei and Lee all day,"

"Agreed,"

"Good. Besides, you look adorable all wrapped up in blankets and snuggling with teddy,"

She giggled and Neji snorted. They finished breakfast and Neji helped Tenten clean up. They had to untangle and re-arrange the blankets and pillows on the couch but Neji did not mind. He did take the vitamin pill Tenten offered him and settled into her couch with her moments later to watch another movie she had wanted to see.

Neji wrapped an arm around Tenten's waist and she easily leaned into him with a smile. Her body fit perfectly against his and Neji looked down to her as the movie began. Giving up his control had not been so horrible. He smiled and snuggled closer to Tenten. No, he did not mind allowing Tenten to control him for the day, or, perhaps, the rest of their lives.

Rock Lee

"I cannot believe I am stuck taking care of you,"

Lee looked up at the Hyuuga prodigy and tried not to cough. Neji stood above him with a frown on his face, his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes narrowed. Lee had come to training as normal despite his entire body aching and his nose leaking to find Neji meditating against one of Tenten's targets.

Lee found out, quickly, Guy-sensei had been pulled away from them for a mission while Tenten had been pulled away for some kind of special kunoichi training. Lee hadn't minded one bit since it meant he would spar all day with his Eternal Rival.

Then he had tried to do a spinning kick, got dizzy, fell to the ground and started hacking. He had coughed up some goo and now he didn't feel like getting up since the world spun the moment he sat up. Neji had come over and felt his forehead with the back of his hand then scowled. Now they were having some kind of odd stare down contest.

Lee did not bother to tell Neji he could see up Neji's shorts with how loose they were. Lee couldn't see much besides Neji's mid-thighs anyway and besides they went to the bathhouse together with the other males and Guy-sensei enough it didn't really matter. He did not tell Neji how intimidating the other looked with the scowl on his face and his white eyes narrowed in glaring position.

At least Neji hadn't simply scoffed upon seeing Lee alone coming to the training field like he had last year. Naruto had beaten some sense into Neji, literally, during the chunin exams six months ago. Neji had been coming around since then and hadn't been so obsessed with fate. Even Neji, the prodigy, had spent time in the hospital because of the failed Sasuke Retrieval Mission.

It had made Neji realize people cared about him and he had been ill-informed about his entire reason to despise his clan. Lee knew and did not blame Neji in continuing to dislike the Caged Bird Seal. Lee thought the practice happened to be barbaric but didn't dare inform Neji about it. He could not predict how Neji would react. Besides, he rather hated the hospital.

"How in the world did you even catch this sickness?" Neji questioned.

Lee opened his mouth to respond but started coughing instead. He saw Neji shake his head and watched as Neji bent. Lee tried to help in the standing process and they got to a vertical base. Neji hummed and Lee let out a long breath of exhaustion as Neji arranged their arms. Lee said nothing and managed to keep back a grin. Neji had wrapped one arm around Lee's waist and one of Lee's arms embraced Neji's shoulders while Neji held the wrist.

"Hn,"

Neji's tired sound and Lee felt horrible for losing his youth and catching a sickness in the first place. He did walk when Neji began to and tried to breathe through his nose. It did not work well and Lee ended up coughing. He heard Neji sigh and wished he did not feel so weak. He loathed people seeing him as weak and wanted to work through the cold. Neji probably would not let him and Lee did not want to incur the Hyuuga's wrath.

Coming around or not, Neji could still be horribly terrifying which Lee did not feel like dealing with today.

Lee kept quiet as Neji stood in Lee's tiny apartment. They had arrived an hour ago and Neji had dropped him onto the couch. Lee had stayed where he had been dropped as Neji went into Lee's bedroom and came out with a pair of old jogging pants and a heavy sweater. Lee had helped best he could to get changed and didn't complain about being pulled from his training gear and into clothing he wore so rarely he was surprised it fit.

Neji had then thrown Lee's two thick blankets over him and given him two pillows to rest in. Now Neji poked around Lee's kitchen looking for something. Lee didn't know what exactly Neji sought but didn't want to ask. Neji had the annoyed look on his face which meant if Neji's thought process became interrupted he would not be pleased. Lee could not run away so he didn't want to test Neji's patience.

"Where do you keep your tea?" Neji asked.

He had turned. Lee opened his mouth but coughing came out. He watched Neji lift an eyebrow and wished he could laugh when Neji's Byakugan activated. Neji hummed and found the tea. Lee lay back on his couch in the comfortable warmth of blankets as Neji started a tea pot to boil.

Neji peered into Lee's refrigerator as the tea boiled and Lee wanted to tell Neji he wasn't hungry. Neji huffed and closed the refrigerator. He leaned against the counter with his arms cross over his chest and staring at the tea pot. Neji's eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were half-lidded. His lips were curled downwards but pursed.

If Lee didn't know any better he would think Neji looked concerned. No, Hyuuga Neji would not be worried over someone like him, Rock Lee. Teammates or not they had not made it to that level of friendship, at least, not that Lee had seen. They had played riveting team building exercises in which they knew each other secrets but it didn't make them instant friends.

Lee didn't think it mattered he knew Neji harboured some esteem issues about the color of his eyes, liked to sing in the shower, and would want Tenten to be the last person on earth with him. It didn't matter Lee had taken Neji's first kiss and they had found out Neji liked having his hair played with. Neji still, probably, maybe, didn't consider him a friend.

The teapot whistled and Neji went into action with smooth, graceful movements. Lee could not help being awed at how Neji made preparing tea look like an art and kept gaping even when Neji came over and gave him the hot tea. Neji hummed and moved a tissue box closer to Lee's proximity. Neji still frowned and Lee wondered.

"Stay here. I will return momentarily," Neji said.

Lee nodded and watched as Neji left the apartment. Lee shrugged and drank his tea. He did not expect Neji to return, not really, but Neji bringing him home and helping him get settled on the couch had been enough. Lee sipped his hot tea and blew his nose when the snot started to loosen from the tea's steam. He would get over this, alone, as per normal. It would be fine.

Lee didn't know what to say when Neji strode into the apartment. Lee had finished his tea and curled into his blankets on his couch to nap and had been napping for, well, some time and now Neji had returned. Neji, shoulders sagged, eyes looking weary, and with a light frown on his face, carried four bags bursting with whatever it is he had purchased.

Lee watched as Neji came over to him and placed the bags on the floor beside his table. He kept staring as Neji began unpacking the bags. First, oranges, a dozen of them in their own bag, came out and were placed on the table. A bottle of pills which said something about helping with colds was placed beside the oranges followed by a medical cream Lee recognized as helping with chest congestion.

Two more boxes of tissues, herbal tea, cans of broth, and a bag of candies to help with the soreness of a throat were revealed and Lee simply stared. He couldn't close his mouth and he knew his eyes were twice the size they normally were. He wanted to cry and hug his Eternal Rival but Neji would easily side-step the hug since Lee happened to be in a weakened state. He blinked when Neji gathered his bags, empty now, and headed to the kitchen.

Neji placed his bags neatly on the counter before opening Lee's refrigerator and coming back with a bottle of water. Lee continued to gape as Neji opened the water then the pill bottle. He shook a pill out then offered the pill and the water. Lee took both and swallowed down the pill. Neji nodded before sitting on Lee's floor, between the table and the couch, and grabbed the bag of oranges.

"Neji?" Lee croaked out.

"Hn?"

"What are you doing?"

"Hn,"

Lee blinked at Neji's "don't be dense" sound. It came complete with an eye roll Lee saw because of the proper angle of light. Neji had even lifted one corner of his mouth in a semblance of a smirk. Lee grinned then coughed. Neji snorted and handed Lee the medical cream.

Lee opened the cream and began rubbing it into his chest and throat. He wanted to stop smiling but he couldn't help it. Hyuuga Neji would be taking care of him, Rock Lee, while Lee got over the cold. No one would believe Lee if he said anything but he didn't mind. It would be enough Neji had decided to stick around. Perhaps getting sick had its advantages.

Lee watched as Neji peeled an orange and began taking it apart slice by slice. He sipped his cold water as Neji relieved a slice of the rind and offered it to Lee. Lee took the orange slice and popped it into his mouth as Neji began working on the next slice. Lee noticed Neji's gaze kept on him more oft than not and wanted to grin with how hawk-liked the gaze had become.

Lee knew from experience Neji's eyes missed nothing. The slight tremble of an opponent's hand showing either fear or exhaustion, Neji could see it instantly. The extra second during a blink to relieve the eyes from sweat dripping down a forehead, Neji used it as an advantage. The tiniest wince when a hit landed, Neji would take it as a sign to keep going.

Even in their academy days Neji had been able to see the slightest differences in a person's stance during a fight to know when he had the win. It had been why he had become so perturbed during the fight with Hinata during the chunin exams. Hinata had shown all the signs of weakness during the fight but did not back down. She kept standing which finally made Neji snap and almost kill her.

Lee had understood. He had not agreed with Neji's methods but he knew all about the segregation between Main House and Branch House Hyuuga and how much Neji hated his position in life, chosen for him, fated for him, and leaving him with no control. Lee had heard the fate speech enough times in the year he had known Neji before the exams.

He did not miss the speech.

Lee ate the next orange slice and considered his teammate. Neji had begun to hum lightly as he worked but Lee would not mention it. He would rather remain comfortable in the blankets Neji had gotten for him with his chakra network working smoothly. Neji's deft fingers worked smoothly to remove rind from orange and Lee couldn't help being fascinated with how dexterous his Eternal Rival was.

Of course Hyuuga Neji could make peeling an orange look beautiful. Lee had a feeling Tenten could as well. The way she beat up her hands practicing with her weapons and hitting her targets perfectly each time lent to having hands capable of doing any task with grace, flexibility, and awe-inspiring motions.

Neji did not speak as he kept offering orange slices he deemed cleaned enough. Lee did not dare say a word to break the soothing moment and simply ate his oranges without protest. Lee did not like oranges much but he knew he needed the vitamins they provided to get over this sickness which had sapped his youth quickly.

The orange disappeared as Lee took the last slice and Lee wondered what Neji would do now. He watched as Neji cleaned up the skin of the fruit and the rind. Neji threw out the mess and Lee figured surely now Neji would leave. Lee kept staring as Neji came back to the table and grabbed the cans of broth.

These were moved to the kitchen and Lee assumed Neji would make it simple for Lee to make the broth when he got hungry later so Neji could simply walk out. No, Neji arranged the broth on the counter then came back into the sitting room. Neji had his face in a mainly neutral expression but Lee, well, he had gotten used to Neji's expressions or rather, lack of expressions over the almost two years they had known each other.

Neji's lips were turned down slightly more than normal and his eyebrows had the smallest of furrowing happening. Neji's eyes were also downcast and he had lowered his eyelids the tiniest amount so he did not seem so intimidating. Neji's shoulders were also stiffer than normal, his entire stance was and Lee knew Neji happened to be uncomfortable.

Neji hummed and Lee watched.

"Stay," Neji said softly.

Lee nodded. Neji left and Lee blinked. Lee leaned back in his couch and arranged the blankets over him so he was comfortable. Neji should not be returning this time but Lee could not be sure. Lee yawned and tried to stay awake but he couldn't. Lee let his eyes closed and let a smile come over his face. It would be interesting to see if Neji came back.

"Lee, Lee, wake up,"

Lee cracked his eyes open to see Neji staring down at him. Neji nodded and shifted back. Lee turned his head to see a steaming bowl of broth on his table along with a new bottle of water, a pill, and a cup of tea. Lee shifted until he could sit properly which made Neji lift the tray of broth. Lee took the broth and lifted the spoon but stopped.

Neji's intense gaze shifted to the pill and Lee put down his spoon to take the pill. Neji gave his sound of affirmation and Lee began sipping his broth. It made his nose run and Lee took tissues from the tray every so often to clear out his nose. He finished without comment from Neji who took the tray with the now-empty tissue box, the empty bowl, and a mass of used tissues away. Neji started walking to the kitchen but stopped and gave a pointed look to the medical cream. Lee picked up the jar and Neji gave him a nod.

Lee rubbed the medical cream on as Neji cleared off the tray then returned to peel another orange. Lee took up the steaming tea when Neji gave the tea a meaningful look. Lee wanted to laugh at Neji's actions but didn't want to test his reflexes yet.

The soreness of his throat had mainly disappeared and he did not feel so congested. Lee felt as if he could run around and train again but knew he body would get tired faster than normal. The cold had not run its course yet and besides, Lee had decided he did not mind having Neji around to care for him.

Lee noticed a bag beside his couch and realized the bag matched the one Neji took on away missions. It meant Neji had packed to stay overnight and Lee did not know what to do with this information. He opened his mouth to ask about it but Neji offered an orange slice. Lee took the slice of orange and chewed it. He took another sip of tea when Neji gave him a look.

"You are staying?" Lee asked.

"Hn,"

Neji's agreement sound, specifically the one which said not to argue or question him in his decision. Lee nodded. He would not argue with his teammate. Team Guy worked so well because they were all notoriously stubborn in everything they did. They never gave up so if Neji decided he would stay overnight then there would be no swaying him.

"Thank you," Lee said.

If not for Neji, Lee would have been alone. Guy-sensei, if not on the mission would have come to take care of him without question. If Tenten had not been in her kunoichi training then she would be doing this because she mothered them all. Lee had not thought Neji had come around so swiftly.

"Hn,"

Neji's happy sound which made Lee smile. Lee continued to eat the orange Neji offered and sipped the herbal tea Neji had prepared. The orange and tea depleted which made Neji get up to clean the mess. He came back with two cups of tea this time and Lee accepted his as Neji settled onto the floor again.

They said nothing but the silence had no ill tones. Lee found he drifted in a state of half consciousness and dozed as Neji sat with him. Neji did not bother him for not drinking the tea and Lee snoozed on his couch under Neji's sharp gaze.

"Lee,"

Lee opened his eyes to see morning light streaming through his windows and Neji standing near him. Neji's long hair had been left loose and Lee noticed the dark brown locks were damp. Neji wore his normal training attire but had forgone the bandages he normally wrapped around his right leg and arm.

Lee smelled eggs, vegetables, and other savory scents and his stomach rumbled. Neji hummed, amused, and Lee sat up. He did not remember falling asleep but did notice Neji had likely used his shower. He also spotted boxes of take out on the table along with tissues, two large mugs of tea, and oranges.

Lee settled on the floor in front of the boxes of take out and said nothing as Neji helped him open boxes. Omelets, brown rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and steamed vegetables were revealed and Lee had no issue beginning to eat the large breakfast.

"Are you feeling better?" Neji questioned.

Lee considered. He could breathe and eat at the same time and his throat did not feel sore. His body hurt a little but he could train through it. He did not feel so dizzy and he wanted to race out into the day to train.

"My youth has returned, thanks to you, Eternal Rival," Lee said.

"Hn,"

Neji's joyful sound complete with a small smile and a nod of his head. Lee beamed and continued to eat. Lee had no issue with helping Neji clean up, after of course he had eaten the orange and drank the tea Neji had provided. Lee zoomed into his bathroom to wash then into his room to dress in his beloved green spandex.

He came out of his room expecting Neji to be gone but Neji sat on the floor, finishing wrapping the bandages around his right arm. Neji's left leg had the bandages in place and Lee stared at his teammate, his friend, for a moment as Neji finished then stood.

"We will do some light training today so your body can finish getting over the illness," Neji said.

"Yosh," Lee agreed.

He spotted the little grin on Neji's face and smiled. Neji nodded and together they left Lee's apartment. Lee noted Neji had brought his bag with him and had a feeling Neji had packed the oranges, tea, and some form of lunch. Lee did not race ahead as he normally did and strode beside Neji through the streets of Konoha as the Village woke up around them.

Birds sung in the air and the bright blue sky overhead had few fluffy white clouds marring its perfection. The air had a crisp, cool smell to it and Lee beamed. Autumn had begun its descent but he did not mind. It meant his birthday would be coming soon. He would get to celebrate with his friends and Lee gave into the urge to wrap an arm around Neji's shoulders.

Neji hummed, content, and nodded. Lee chuckled. Losing his youth for a day had not been so horrible and today would mark the brightness of the friendship he and Neji shared. Lee could not wait to tell Guy-sensei. Their team bonds had become stronger and Lee knew they would be unstoppable. Today would be perfect.

Might Guy

His youth had been sapped from him and Guy moaned at the injustices of the world. He lay on the floor in his apartment and stared at the ceiling which had the morning light splayed across it. He had moved from his bed with his normal morning leap then promptly fell on his face with a groan after his body tried to get rid of a lung.

It had taken him much too long to roll onto his back and here he lay in his green boxer shorts and a white muscle shirt staring at his ceiling. He could barely move and all his throat wanted to do was be dry and itchy. He had to breathe through his mouth since his nose happened to be clogged with snot which currently tried to escape down his throat.

Guy hacked a few times and groaned. He should be meeting with the Hokage today about becoming a sensei but he could not get off the floor to even stumble to the shower. The Hokage did not know about the meeting but Guy wanted to lay claim on the boy in the academy who had no ninjutsu or genjutsu and no chakra control to speak of.

Rock Lee.

The stubborn child who trained as best he could but still lacked any stamina and skill to be any kind of shinobi. There was a fire in the boy's eyes Guy liked and recognized as the Fires of Youth. Lee would become a great shinobi but Guy had to be the one to take him under his wing. The boy needed his guidance and graduation would be happening soon.

Guy needed to convince the Hokage to let the boy pass and be placed on a team with him. The other two with Lee would not matter so long as Guy could teach Lee all about Youth, cool suits, and deadly taijutsu. Guy would make Lee a taijutsu master...once he could get off his floor.

Guy struggled to sit up and made it. The motion took the breath from him and Guy had to catch said breath. It didn't work as he immediately began to start coughing and he had no choice but to hack the offending gunk in his throat onto his floor. Guy looked at the mucus and sagged.

Of all the times he had caught the cold going around in Konoha, it had to be on the day he decided to talk to the Hokage about being Lee's sensei. Guy shifted to get to his hands and knees and crawled across his apartment to his kitchen. He grabbed onto the counter and hoisted his body up.

Sweat poured from his forehead and he panted as if he had spent an entire day training at full force. Guy leaned against his counter and its blessed coolness as he tried to catch his breath. He hacked more mucus into his sink and leaned there while his body protested in pain and his head swam.

Guy gave into his body's demands to sit down and slipped down his counter until landing on his rump. He leaned his head against his cupboards and closed his eyes. Every muscle hurt as if he had performed Morning Peacock too many times then decided to run laps on his hands a thousand times around Konoha.

His chest felt stuffed with cotton and his throat mimicked the desert of Suna. His ears rung softly and his head felt too heavy for his body. Guy wiped his leaking eyes and knew he had no cold medicine in his apartment. Perhaps he could try to gain enough strength to make it into the market to stock up on something to get rid of this cold.

Guy had no idea how long he sat there but he heard his door opening. Guy managed to move his head enough to see someone picked his lock and blinked when the door opened to reveal Kakashi.

"Yo," Kakashi said.

Guy stared and wished he could close his mouth. The dimness in his apartment told him the day had passed and Guy wanted to cry. Leave it to his Eternal Rival to come check on him in his hours of need.

"Kakashi," Guy got out.

Guy watched as Kakashi's eyebrows lifted and the exposed eye blinked a few times. Kakashi snapped closed his orange-covered book and walked deeper into the apartment. Guy said nothing as Kakashi kicked the door closed and walked into the kitchen.

"You're sick?" Kakashi questioned.

He sounded stunned. Guy didn't blame him. Guy was the most youthful, beautiful beast in Konoha and he had succumb to a common cold which had sapped his youth and left him feeling like a child.

"Huh," Kakashi said.

Guy kept staring and didn't protest when Kakashi tossed him over a shoulder and headed towards Guy's bedroom. Guy tried to warn Kakashi about the dried mucus on the floor but Kakashi stepped in it. Kakashi didn't seem to notice and Guy let out a tiny breath which made him start coughing.

His eyes rolled in his head as Kakashi threw him into bed and for a few minutes Guy watched the ceiling spin. He grunted when he was forced into a sitting up position and blinked at the bowl of steaming broth on the tray which had appeared on his lap.

Guy looked to his rival to see Kakashi smiling under the mask. Guy felt tears in his eyes but would hug his Eternal Rival later. Instead he took a spoonful of broth. Guy swallowed but wanted to spit the broth out.

It tasted horrible and he could hardly taste. Too much salt and oil for some odd reason and Guy wished he could give Kakashi cooking lessons. No wonder Kakashi came around near dinner time or ate out. He couldn't cook to keep himself alive.

Guy drank down the broth as quickly as possible and hated how the running of his nose impeded him from getting the offending broth down. At least it helped him get the mucus out of his nose and allowed him to breath.

Guy blinked at the orange which replaced the broth and began peeling it. He watched as Kakashi nodded then his Eternal Rival hummed.

"You're going to need some medication. I'll be back. Don't try to move," Kakashi said.

Guy blinked and nodded. He said nothing as Kakashi headed to the bedroom door then paused. Guy kept Kakashi's single-eyed gaze for a few moments and wondered what his Eternal Rival thought of.

"Who am I kidding? You're going to try to move," Kakashi muttered.

He bit his thumb through his mask and Guy blinked when Kakashi summoned a small pug, Pakkun. The pug looked between Kakashi then Guy and let out a huge breath.

"Make sure he doesn't go anywhere," Kakashi said.

"Right," Pakkun muttered.

Guy said nothing as Kakashi left and Pakkun came up to the bed. It took the pug a moment to leap onto the bed with Guy and Guy had a staring contest with Kakashi's summon. Guy did a mental victory dance when Pakkun lowered his eyes, well, rolled his eyes as much as a dog could.

"Eat your orange," Pakkun said.

Guy nodded and peeled his orange. He took it apart slice by slice and removed the rind before doing as Pakkun suggested. Pakkun's nose wrinkled at the smell of orange but Guy couldn't help it. Guy finished his orange and put the tray on his night stand.

Guy leaned back in his pillows and let out a long breath. He watched as Pakkun spun in a circle a few times then lied over his lap. Guy smiled and lightly scratched behind the pug's ears as Pakkun got comfortable. Guy closed his eyes and rested. He would be on his feet soon.

"More broth,"

Guy cracked his eyes open to see Kakashi smiling at him through the mask and holding another tray of steaming broth. This tray had a box of tissues, medical cream, a bottle of pills, oranges, and a bottle of water. Guy didn't have a choice in taking the tray as Kakashi set it down on his lap.

Guy spotted Pakkun by his side and felt the bed shift as Kakashi sat beside him. Guy could smell the foul broth and sighed. He took the offered pill first, rubbed on the medical cream, and blew his nose with a few tissues before picking up the spoon.

Guy saw Pakkun's eyes go wide and the pug's lips parted as Guy put the spoon full of horrible broth into his mouth. It was saltier and Guy noticed brown pieces of something floating it in along with too hard rice. Guy had no idea Kakashi was such a horrible cook.

"What is the brown bits?" Guy questioned.

"Chicken," Kakashi said.

Guy stared at the atrocity of the burned chicken in his broth and wanted to cry for the offense Kakashi had done to the cooking world. Guy made a promise he would show Kakashi how to cook properly once he could get back on his feet. Right after he talked to the Hokage about getting to be Lee's sensei.

"Did the Hokage assign sensei's to the new genin teams?" Guy asked.

"Hm? No, not yet. Not many are offering and he's got about ten teams for sure. Why?" Kakashi returned.

"I want to be the one to train the boy, Rock Lee,"

"Dead last?"

"I was dead last,"

"Point,"

Kakashi looked pensive and Guy gulped the broth down as quickly as he could. He felt terrible after but he could breathe properly and his stomach didn't feel so empty. Besides, Kakashi looked elated. Kakashi took the bowl and spoon before leaving the room.

"I can't believe you drank that," Pakkun said.

"He tries," Guy said.

"Urg, you'll get food poisoning on top of this,"

"He's not that bad,"

"You'd be surprised,"

Guy inhaled deeply through his nose as he stood in his beloved spandex, orange leg warmers, flank vest and shinobi sandals. He had to tie his hitai-ate a little tighter than normal around his waist but Pakkun had been correct. He had gotten over the cold but Kakashi's broth had given him food poisoning. Guy had been down a total of three days but now he felt as youthful as normal.

So long as Kakashi didn't cook him anything ever again, all would be well. Guy strode up the steps to the Hokage Tower and hoped he wasn't too late. The students would be assigned sensei in two days and Guy needed to train Rock Lee.

The boy would fail under anyone else because no one would see his potential. Guy knew he could bring out the power, determination, and youth of Rock Lee. He knew he could make the boy a taijutsu matter but it would all be for naught if he could not even get to introduce himself to the boy.

Guy entered the Hokage Tower with a beaming grin and the old man looked at him with raised eyebrows as smoke filtered out of his pipe. Guy gave a Nice Guy pose and saw the Third grin. The third's attendants rolled their eyes but Guy didn't mind.

"I am requesting to be the sensei of—" Guy began.

"Rock Lee. It's done," the Third said.

Guy stared. No one else had known of his desire...Kakashi. Guy thanked the Hokage profusely before running from the room to track down his Eternal Rival. He found Kakashi within minutes, leaning against the wall of the Academy with the little orange book in front of his face.

"My Eternal Rival," Guy shouted.

He hugged Kakashi who actually took it and began crying. Kakashi snorted but Guy didn't care.

"How kind of you to speak to the Hokage on my behalf! And taking care of me when I was ill! And staying with me through the entire sickness, not only the runny nose part! Thank you Kakashi! How will I ever repay you?"

"Well, you can stop yelling in my ear for one,"

Guy beamed as he stepped back and held Kakashi by the shoulders. He could see Kakashi grinning under the mask and laughed loudly. Kakashi nodded once.

"Thanks for eating my broth. I know I'm not the best cook," Kakashi said.

Guy decided to keep his mouth shut on the topic. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head with a little chuckle and Guy waited.

"I know I gave you food poisoning so it was the least I could do to tell the Third about the kid," Kakashi said.

Guy coughed to hide a laugh and Kakashi shrugged. Guy patted Kakashi's shoulder and gave him a Nice Guy pose which Kakashi smiled at.

"Then allow me to repay you by teaching you how to cook," Guy said.

"Ah, well all right,"

"Wonderful! Let us go now and burn in the flames of Youth!"

Guy dragged Kakashi away from the wall of the academy and away from the window where the next class of genin watched with wide-eyed stares as their sensei muttered something about the craziness of Guy. Said sensei told them to hope Guy wouldn't ever ask for a genin team then went about with one of the final lessons.

A pair of pearl-like eyes narrowed and the owner of the white eyes huffed at the too loud man in his green spandex before glaring at the sensei teaching him what he all ready knew. The Fates would not be so cruel as to put him with such an immature man.

A large pair of dark eyes under a mop of messy black bangs stared in awe at the powerful looking man in the dashing green outfit and wished Guy would be his sensei. Surely he would learn much from the energized man and become a superb shinobi even without genjutsu or ninjutsu.

Brown-gold eyes were wide as the girl with buns a top her head hoped she would be with anyone but the green-clad man. She needed someone level headed to show her more weapons she could master. The green-clad man wouldn't know anything about the sharp pointy objects she obsessed over.

Guy, Guy knew none of this. He was too busy dragging Kakashi to his home and yelling about how to properly make chicken noodle soup at the same time as buying the proper ingredients for said soup. Kakashi wished he had not agreed to being taught how to cook and wondered why there were so many ingredients for a simple soup. Didn't all it require was chicken, rice, oil, water, and salt?

Guy, oblivious Guy, would meet his team in three days after spending all three teaching Kakashi how to prepare a proper meal. Kakashi would come out of it feeling mentally drained but thank his friend, his Eternal Rival for the lesson then watch as Guy met his team and laugh as Guy ran around with the three children like the madman he was.

Guy, he wouldn't trade any of it for anything.

Tenten

Sunlight streamed through the window as birds happily chirped outside. A warm breeze blew through the open window and Tenten groaned. She cracked one eyelid open and winced at the brightness of the sky.

Her head pounded and she couldn't breathe through her nose. She coughed a few times then pulled her covers over her head to block out the beautiful sunny day. Tenten shivered under her blankets and curled mainly into herself. What a time to get sick.

Of course it had to be when Neji would be on a mission. He wouldn't be due back for another day or more and out of everyone she knew he would be the one to check on her to make sure nothing happened. Well, Guy-sensei and Lee would too but they would take too long to figure out to come to her house then be too loud for the headache she had.

Neji, pretty, pretty Neji would be quiet as he helped her get over her sickness. He would bundle her up in blankets, feed her warm broth, and give her pain pills like she had done for him when he'd gotten sick last year. Her boyfriend would dot over her with the kind of sweetness no one thought possible of him.

Tenten grinned then started coughing forcefully. It made her head throb harder and she groaned. She felt snot running out of her nose and snuck her hand out from under the covers to snag a tissue. Blowing her nose made her head pound and Tenten moaned. She might have to drag her achy body out of bed to start fixing her cold alone.

The immune boosting pills Sakura had given her had worked last year. Too bad she'd forgotten to pick up more this year when cold season started. Then she had gone on the mission in the rain a few days ago and trained way too hard with Lee and Guy-sensei for the past two days. No wonder she had gotten sick.

Tenten sighed then coughed again. She snuggled deeper into her blankets and wished her quiet Neji happened to be around. If he had been back from his mission then she would be late arriving to the field by now and he would have come to check on her. He knew she would never miss training and knew something would be wrong.

Hell, he would have arrived with chocolate ice cream, pain pills, tampons, and her favorite action movies. He'd make sure she was comfortable with a heating pad, tea, and whatever else she needed as she worked through a horrible day of being female. He wouldn't judge and she would snuggle against him on the couch while he lightly rubbed her back.

Tenten didn't know how she'd gotten so lucky landing the prettiest and most considerate guy in the world. He hadn't run away to become powerful, he didn't complain about training, and okay, maybe he was socially inept sometimes but he tried. Okay, maybe he'd never show his soft side to their friends but she didn't mind. She didn't even care Ino didn't believe the "Hyuuga Ice cube" could be melted but Tenten would never tell the blond Neji could and would melt if Tenten had anything to say about it.

She grinned but it didn't last long as she began coughing. She needed to drink something hot preferably, and get a lot of vitamin C into her. Tenten took a deep breath and pushed the covers down. She managed to sit on the edge of the bed and had to take a breather as her head swam and the room tilted funny to one side.

Her stomach cramped and Tenten grunted. She blinked the water out of her eyes and stared at her stomach for a few moments. Tenten put a hand to her belly as a cramp came again and tried to decipher the cramp.

It could be her body wanting to throw up because of the cold. It could be the fact she had to use the bathroom because of all the vegetables she'd eaten in the past few days, more than normal as Guy-sensei had been trying new ways to sauté and steam them. She prayed it wouldn't be the third reason for a cramp. That would be too cruel of Mother Nature.

The cramp came again and Tenten folded into it. It wasn't from being sick or eating veggies. No, she had started her cycle on top of getting a cold. Tenten whined and shifted until she ended up on the floor in a crouch. She couldn't stand but she had to get to the bathroom so her bedroom wouldn't look like a murder scene.

"Stupid cold, stupid uterus," Tenten muttered.

She crawled towards her bathroom across the hallway and had to stop once she reached the cool tile. Tenten let out a long breath and closed her eyes for a few long moments. Another cramp reminded her why she had gotten out of her cozy bed and she groaned. Tenten opened her cupboard and found what she needed.

It took her way longer than she wanted to make sure she wouldn't bleed all over the place and when she finished she leaned against the bathroom wall. Her head pounded and she wanted to go lie down because the world had gotten spinny again but she couldn't move. She coughed and choked on the mucus in her throat. Tenten got the glob into her bathtub and smirked at her impeccable aim even when sick.

Tenten closed her eyes and considered her situation.

Okay. She had gotten a cold and her period on the same day. Obviously Mother Nature hated her. Her boyfriend wouldn't be back for a few days yet while her sensei and best friend were too oblivious to realize she'd be missing from training until at least mid-day.

She wasn't strong enough to get off her bathroom floor but she needed medicine, oranges, broth, tissues, water, and a heating pad. Ice cream would be nice. And a back massage. Oh and for her temples to be massaged with little bursts of chakra so her headache would go away. She needed her boyfriend for the latter. Or his cousin.

She would get none of it sitting on the bathroom floor. At least she wouldn't make too big of a mess of anything. Tenten sighed and began coughing. She wiped away the snot leaking out of her nose and prayed Guy-sensei and Lee wouldn't be too slow.

Tenten stared at the vibrant green concoction in her hand and stared at Guy-sensei who beamed at her. Lee had an equally happy smile on his face and Tenten wanted to know where they had found nurse hats and aprons. The white smocks and hats made their green spandex brighter and Tenten had to squint so her sore eyes didn't simply roll out of her head in defeat.

"Drink precious lotus! You will feel revitalized," Guy-sensei said.

He didn't understand speaking softly around a sick person and Tenten winced as her ears rung and her head keep pounding. The green stuff in her glass looked horrible. Thick, green, and it had bubbles of something it in. She didn't want to drink it.

All she had wanted was broth, oranges, and some water. No, now she had been cocooned in blankets, way too many blankets, and propped upright on her couch while the two males of her team in Konoha tried to convince her to drink the horrible mush.

"It is full of kale, spinach, banana, orange, strawberry, carrots, and green tea," Guy-sensei said. "Enough to beat back this sickness which has sapped your youth and get you back to training in no time!"

Tenten hated raw spinach and liked her green tea warm, not mixed in with fruits and veggies in some kind of weird cure her insane sensei had brewed. Guy-sensei kept giving her a Nice Guy pose and Tenten gritted her teeth. She chucked the glass and unerringly whapped Guy-sense in the head. Lee gaped and Tenten wished she could get to her feet so she could yell at the two.

"I said broth, oranges, and water! Not some weird cure you think'll help! Urg," Tenten shouted.

She pulled a blanket over her head and decided ignoring the two would be better. Tenten closed her eyes and heard Lee dragging Guy-sensei away, towards her kitchen. She rubbed her temples as Guy-sensei hummed and made other sounds as he thought of a solution to the problem.

Tenten wanted to request tampons and pain pills. She had one tampon left and her pain meds were stashed in a cupboard in the bathroom. Tenten knew Lee and Guy-sensei would buy the entire selection of tampons if she asked and she didn't have the storage space for a store's worth of feminine products.

She heard Guy-sensei moving around in the kitchen and sighed when he said he would make her some other cure. Tenten wanted to pinch the bridge of her nose in exasperation but it wouldn't help any because of snot and mucus. She heard the blender stop what felt like hours later to her poor sore head and knew Guy-sensei stood in front of her with something else. Tenten pursed her lips and flung out the senbon she had hiding in her couch.

Tenten grinned when Guy-sensei yelped and a second glass shattered. Lee commended her on her aim and she leaned back on the couch. Again Guy-sensei promised another cure and she heard him go to the kitchen. Tenten groaned but the blender had turned on again so her sound of annoyance couldn't be heard.

Again Guy-sensei came to stand in front of her and Tenten peered out of her blanket nest. The cure still had a vibrant green tone. Tenten sighed. Guy-sensei kept grinning with Lee giving a Nice Guy pose beside him. The staring contest lasted all of five minutes before Tenten used a shuriken under her couch cushion to break this cure.

She said nothing as Guy wheezed dramatically before announcing he would make yet another. Tenten knew she could out-stubborn him on a good day but she wanted to rest and curse Mother Nature alone. This wouldn't end well, not when she had a scroll tucked into the cushion beside her.

Guy-sensei and Lee came back with another bright green cure and Tenten sighed. She jolted when her front door slammed open and gaped in awe. Tears welled in her eyes and she beamed happily.

"What in the Hell are you doing?" Neji questioned.

His eyebrows were furrowed and he had a scowl on his face. White eyes were wide for the full creepy effect and his entire body stayed tense. Tenten noticed he had a few little rips in his Hyuuga robes here and there as well as a bit of dirt on his face. He still looked way better than anyone had a right to after a weeklong mission.

"Trying to cure our ailing lotus," Guy-sensei boomed.

Tenten winced. She watched as Neji calmly strode into her sitting room. He glanced to Tenten and she pouted. One eyebrow rose and Neji hummed. A moment later, he moved. Guy-sensei and Lee hardly had time to yelp before they were Gentle Fisted back through her door. Neji closed the door silently and turned to her.

"Hn?" He asked.

"My head hurts, my back hurts, I can't breathe and my throat is all itchy and I hate being a girl sometimes," Tenten said.

Neji blinked and Tenten sniffled. He nodded and Tenten leaned back in her blankets as she watched him moving about her kitchen. Her heating pad came out first and she smiled as he filled it then came over to help her out of the blankets so she could sit properly. He helped arranged the heating pad for her before going back into the kitchen and cleaning.

He made broth quickly and found oranges in her fridge. Within an hour, Tenten happily ate Neji's broth as he peeled an orange beside her. He had to keep wiping her nose or held a tissue to it so she could clear up the snot dripping out because of the steam but he didn't mention anything. Tenten finished her broth and ate the orange Neji had peeled for her as he cleaned up again.

He went down the hallway and Tenten kept beaming as he came back with her pain pills. He gave her a bottle of water and she looked up at him. He leaned down enough to wipe the hair back from her forehead and she flushed when his lips landed on her forehead.

"Stay," Neji said.

Tenten nodded. She snuggled into her couch and knew Neji would be back with what he knew she needed. She closed her eyes and tried not to consider how lucky she had been he had arrived as if summoned. She wouldn't question fate.

Tenten blew her nose with the tissue Neji offered wordlessly. She had taken the medicine Neji had bought at the store and she had been able to change her tampon with the exact brand Neji had purchased for her. Her favorite ice cream was in the freezer and he had made more broth for her to eat.

He had also rubbed vapor gel along her neck and upper chest which made her able to breath and given her a temple massage with chakra flares to beat back the pounding in her head. He had then lied out on the couch so she could lay a top him the way she liked and he rubbed her back as they watched one of her favorite movies.

"Thanks," Tenten said.

"Hn," Neji said.

Tenten smiled at his content sound. She stared into his face and saw his eyes were half-lidded and a small smile curled his lips. He had relaxed completely under her and she cuddled into his body. He had taken his shirt off and she could feel all his smooth skin and the hard muscles underneath.

She had one hand over the rough, puckered flesh of the scar on the left side Kidomaru had left him with but he didn't mind. Her other hand snaked back around his waist and she kept her head on his sternum. The steady beating of his heart made her feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

His legs had tangled around hers under the blankets. He had made sure she had been fully covered from foot to the back of her neck even if it meant leaving his upper chest and arms exposed. Tenten knew he didn't mind.

She studied the regal cut of his jaw and his slender nose. The arch of his slender eyebrows caught her attention and she noted the thickness of his dark lashes. Her eyes roamed over his high cheek bones and the curve of his Adam's Apple before looking towards the column of his throat.

She beamed when his white eyes shifted to stare at her. The smile on his face became a little wider and she kissed his chin. The slightest bit of stubble had started to come out along his jaw but she didn't mind. He would shave it in the morning.

Tenten placed her head back down and let out a happy sigh. Neji hummed under her as his hand ran up and down her spine in comfort. Tenten felt her eyelids grow heavy and let them shut.

Her head didn't hurt and her throat wasn't as sore or scratchy. She could breathe through her nose and her cramps had subsided thanks to Neji's natural body heat and them lying stomach to stomach. The world could fall into ruin around her but Tenten wouldn't care. She had her boyfriend to help her get over the double whammy she'd been thrown and she couldn't think of anything better.

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