Hokkaido Holiday

NejiXTenten. Solemn wedding- check. Grand reception- check. Honeymoon- in progress.

Sequel to Possibly Perfect.

I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 2

"Neji, hurry up!" She called as she finished tying her shoelaces.

"Yes, stop yelling so early in the morning." He lazily went out of the shower, drying his hair with a towel.

"There are so many things to see and you're taking your time with your hair!" She said, taking another towel to help him with the task.

"Can we just stay here?" He asked, taking her hand and planting a soft kiss on it.

"I already packed the things that we need for the onsen."

He saw the bags that sat at the corner of the room. He sighed, continued drying his hair, and stood up to check their belongings.

"You're looking for something?" She asked when he suddenly seemed to be frantic.

"Where's that clutch bag?" He asked back. "You kept my phone in it, remember?"

"Oh…" She quickly went through their previous day in her head.

She definitely slipped his phone in that bag. Her own phone was in there, too.

"It must be around here…" She said as she joined the search.

"It better be. Our phones, passports, the plane tickets back to Tokyo, my wallet where I keep my cards, my IDs, my driving license…" He sounded like he would faint any time.

"I have it with me when we came here, I swear!" She said in alarm.

He quickly went for the door, surprised once he turned the knob.

"Did you go out this morning?"

She shook her head. He went back in, picked up the phone receiver and soon, a 10-man hotel entourage was in their room.

"We do not only provide products and services of the finest quality, integrity is also an essential value to us. Our security is tight, our employees are well-trained and…"

"I'm not asking you about the mission-vision statement of your hotel!" Neji roared. "I'm telling you that we've been robbed!"

"Hyuuga-san, if you can understand what I'm saying, I'm actually answering your query."

Neji approached the hotel's assistant manager, stopping once they were face to face.

"You're insulting my intelligence and you're implying that it's impossible that we were robbed." He looked down on the smaller guy. "For what reason do you think are we doing this?"

"Well… H-Hyuuga-san… what… what I'm saying…"

"Neji!" Tenten squeezed her way between the two. "Get dressed, I don't want you to catch a cold!"

He was wearing a bathrobe when he went out of the shower and was unable to change to his clothes due to the turn of events. He backed off to change when Tenten reminded him of it, muttering in vexation.

"Your husband is quite abrasive…"

Indeed, Neji would intimidate by authoritative words or by an ice cold expression rather than by violence. But she thought it only made him even more fearsome. She felt for the poor guy but she could definitely see where Neji was coming from.

"You bet." She folded her arms across her chest. "So don't make him upset anymore."

The assistant manager gulped.

"Look, we were really robbed. We were so tired and sleepy from visiting so many attractions that we didn't notice who went it, but for sure, we lost our valuables…"

"In any case, we will discuss this with our manager." He said, signaling his staff that they should be leaving. "We'll update you regarding this issue."

Lee hung up after several attempts to contact Tenten. He had been trying to call since the previous day but she just wouldn't pick up the phone. And then that morning, her phone wouldn't even ring at all. It was either unattended or out of coverage area, the recording said.

"Lee!"

"Gai-sama?"

"How unsightly!" He shook his head. "You should know that Tenten is spending private moments with Neji! What do you think you're doing?"

"But I just want to know if they're okay…"

"I can assure you that they're doing fine! They're enjoying the most youthful time of their lives, basking in each other's youthfulness!"

"Well... I guess so… honeymoon is such a youthful experience, after all…" He mumbled.

"Yes, Lee, well-said… and one day, you too, will be in the same situation… and I, as the one who truly supports you, will be there to witness it all!"

"Gai-sama! I'm sorry!" He bowed down. "And thank you for your kind words!"

"It's my pleasure!" The older man placed an assuring hand on his shoulder.

The early customer who came just in time to hear the dialogue rushed out of the restaurant in panic.

Tenten opened the door and saw a housekeeper handing her an envelope. She thanked her, closed the door and went to sit beside Neji who had been silent- sitting on the edge of the huge bed.

"I think you scared the assistant manager." She said as she opened the envelope.

"Good. I'm not sorry at all."

She sighed, reading the unfolded paper that was printed with the hotel's logo. He looked at her. She didn't seem to be pleased with it.

"They're asking us to leave…"

"I can't believe they hired that brainless..." He sighed in frustration. "I just spent almost an hour of my time explaining the situation, didn't I?"

"And they want us to compensate them for our stay here."

"Compensate them?"

"That's what it says here." She confirmed. "Otherwise, they will turn us over to the police."

Neji snatched the paper from her, went through the contents and hurriedly left the room.

"I smell blood…" She murmured.

Tenten saw Neji talking to a well dressed lady at the lobby. Probably another hotel official, she thought. They both looked calm but then she thought Neji rarely lost composure or became animated- even when he was really mad. She quickened her pace, worried about the steady gaze between the two. But the conversation was over even before she arrived. He walked past her and she followed him.

"What happened?"

"They're insisting on a payment and they won't even let me call."

"So… what does that mean? How are we going to pay when we lost our stuff and we can't call home for help?" She looked back at the lady. "Who is she anyway?"

The lady he was talking to earlier was still looking at Neji but when she saw Tenten looking back, she turned around and went her own way.

"She suggested that we work to pay off our debt."

"Work…?" She asked, catching up with him. "Like we'll be working as staff here?"

"The amount that needs to be paid will be covered in a week if we work in the kitchen full time."

"You agreed?"

"Of course not!"

Of course not, she thought, Neji working as a staff, as a kitchen staff, for crying out loud. He was no brat but she was sure he wasn't the one for such labor. She wasn't even sure if he had tried washing his own used plate at least once. And besides, for some reason, she didn't want him working for that woman.

"What options do we have?"

"None. I swear this is personal."

She held his hand and pulled him back.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Wait for the police."

"But... that's a big mess… considering we don't have anything to prove our identities, then we'll have to wait for a lawyer… and… are we spending time in jail?"

"Ridiculous, isn't it?"

"Well, why are we paying anyway? I mean, we had all these paid for, right?"

"That's what I thought…" He said. "I asked Sakura for the reservations and the tickets and all that… Shikamaru might forget and Naruto will definitely screw up. That's why I asked Sakura. It's very uncharacteristic of her to make such a mistake."

"I wonder what happened…"

"Somewhere along the way, something went wrong, and someone is going to pay for this." He said kicking a decorative table that unexpectedly and surprisingly, wobbled upon impact.

The antique piece on top of the table fell to the floor and after the crash, there was silence. All eyes were on them. Tenten lightly tugged Neji by the sleeve.

"One week. In the kitchen. I know." He murmured.

"Now, now, isn't that sensational?" Aiba, the hotel's assistant manager said. "The kitchen uniform looks good on you… Hyuuga-sama."

Neji took a step forward and the official rushed to hide behind the line of kitchen staffs that were called up. They were introduced to them as temporary employees. And their circumstance was no secret. Tenten took his hand to stop him from taking another step.

"We owe them some money, remember?" She whispered.

"When I get back to Tokyo, I'm going to make sure to acquire this hotel and turn it to an incinerator."

"What are you whispering to each other?!" Aiba demanded from behind one of the cooks. "Go to work! I won't tolerate such an indolent behavior!"

Neji rolled his eyes though he turned around and folded the sleeves of his white dress shirt so that it showed his forearms.

"Are you sure you can do this?" She asked when the rest were dispersed to their positions. "I think you should stay outside… I'll take care of things here."

"Waiting tables is a lot easier than a job in the kitchen."

"Exactly."

"Exactly why you're going out there and I'm staying here." He said guiding her out of the kitchen.

"Neji…"

"I still think we should just let them turn us over to the police but you said it's complicated… of course, including that antique sculpture… you know, that table looked really sturdy..."

"Can you wash these?"

They looked back and saw one of the staff standing beside a load of plates waiting at the sink.

"If you need help, call me, okay?"

"Stop worrying. I can manage." He assured her.

She reluctantly nodded. He gave her a peck on the lips before he went to start doing the dishes. She wanted to stay longer and see how he was planning to go about it but she heard her name from the dining hall. If they were to pay off their debt- and she wanted to get it over and done with as soon as possible- she knew she had to work hard too.

Tenten made her way to the kitchen. She had been worrying about Neji all day but it was a Friday, not to mention that it was the peak season. The hotel was packed and they could hardly get a breather assisting customers in the dining hall. She wondered just how many plates he broke. Perhaps they would end up in bigger debt.

"No, no, you're doing it all wrong." He said. "Do it this way."

He sounded like he was giving a lecture to some trainee. She stopped at the door, peeking inside.

"Quite impressive…" The kitchen staff said, nodding his head.

"Why don't you take the trash out instead?" Neji suggested. "That old geezer said you have well-trained staff here but you guys don't even know how to properly mop a floor."

"We know how to mop the floor! You're just too systematized!"

"Two people slipped here today and I was almost the third victim." He glared at him. "You call that mopping?"

"Erm..."

"And what are you doing still standing there? Didn't I tell you to take those garbage bags out?"

"Ah, yes, right away!" He snapped, obliging to the task.

She couldn't help but laugh at the situation. Neji was still as bossy despite working as a kitchen helper. She went in when he was alone working on the kitchen floor.

"Looks like I was worried for nothing…" She said as she approached him.

"I told you, didn't I?" He straightened up to look at her. "Nevermind me, how's your day?"

"It's pretty much like working at Youthful China, less Gai-san and Lee."

"Makes sense." He continued mopping the floor. "This won't take long, sit down and I'll be done soon."

"Actually, I'm surprised…" She said as she sat down on one of the chairs that lined the counter. "I didn't know you can work in the kitchen… do you do this like some family bonding activity? I doubt Hanabi enjoyed something like this."

"I grew up doing this."

She watched him as he brought the mop to a corner, taking a clean towel and giving the counters one final polishing. She could be hearing things.

"I don't get it."

"My father was quite a rebel. He left home and never looked back. It wasn't until I was in high school that I lived with my uncle. He had to take me in because I was a minor and I had no one else."

"So you weren't CEO all your life?"

"Of course not. I worked a lot of part time jobs because of school." He paused. "Now that I think about it, I worked part time all my life, even when I was in the university, I worked part time as my uncle's assistant in the office."

"I think he was training you then." She laughed a little at his suddenly frowning face.

He shrugged, walked toward the sink and started washing a few plates left. Unexpectedly, she just learned something new about him. Though she knew that he wasn't Hyuuga Hiashi's son, she never asked him about his circumstances. It was nice to know that he had an ordinary childhood though his demeanor never really gave any clue.

"So… what's the update on our case?"

"I doubt they're doing something about it. I told you its personal, like some grudge."

"That's horrible…"

"I'm sorry to have dragged you into this."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"We'll be stuck here until we're free of our financial obligations…" His grip tightened. "I'm telling you… you wouldn't want to see my first day back in the office…"

"Easy on that plate…" She chuckled.

"You're still worried? I told you I grew up…" The attempted exhibition of his kitchen skills ended up with a serving plate slipping through his fingers and crashing on the floor.

Her lips curved to a smile before she burst out laughing.

"Well, that was years ago…" He said as he picked up the larger pieces of the porcelain. "And at least you're laughing."

"If you did that to make me laugh, I really appreciate it but please, we can't take any more expenses." She joked.

"Neji, can we talk?"

She turned and saw the woman from earlier. She didn't like her. She didn't like her calling Neji by his first name and she didn't like her sounding so casual either. She would have liked it better if she talked to him like how she would talk with any other employee.

"I know…" He said, drying his hands on his apron. "I broke an antique piece and a serving plate…"

"You don't even sound sorry…" She shook her head. "Still arrogant as before, are we?"

At that point, she couldn't help but dislike her even more. Sure, Neji exudes that air of arrogance but that was none of her business. And besides, she liked that about him. But what really ticked her off was that she talked as if they knew each for a long time.

"What right have you got to talk to him that way? Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Sakurai and I'm the manager of this hotel."

"Well, I'm Tenten and I'm the wife of this guy."

"Tenten, it's alright."

"Since when is it alright for you to be insulted?!" Neji's attempt to calm her down was obviously futile.

"I'm surprised." The sleek manager said, looking at her from head to toe. "Anyway, follow me to my office."

"Surprised at what?" Tenten snarled, feeling insulted by that visual inspection. "Don't you dare go with her!" She turned to him.

"I'll be with you shortly."

She was annoyed that he was actually following her to her office. She stared at him before she stomped her way out of the kitchen.

The room that was assigned to them wasn't that bad. Sure, it was old and somewhat cramped but it was okay to her and she was guessing that Neji would be alright with it as well. He didn't have much of a choice anyway.

Contrary to what he said, he didn't follow shortly. She had taken a shower and her hair had nearly dried up when he came. She watched him walk in, annoyed that it took him more than an hour to be there. Without a word, he went straight to the shower- and it annoyed her even more.

When he sat beside her, she made sure to let him know just exactly what was on her mind. She pulled the blanket all the way to her side. But she got nothing except for a curious look on his face.

"What took you so long?" She started, realizing that hints are hopeless. "I bet you want to spend time alone with her!"

"I want to spend time alone with her?"

"Neji, we're married! I swear I'm really angry now!" She warned. "We've been married for just a week and you want to spend time with some other girl? I can't believe you!"

"Where did you get that idea from?"

"You just spent over an hour with her, what will I be thinking?"

"He just…"

"I don't want to hear your lame excuses…" She laid on the bed- her back against him.

He gave an exasperated sigh and laid flat on the bed. Tenten glanced back and sat up when she saw him looking comfortable.

"And you won't even explain it properly!"

He closed his eyes, still in silence.

"Why don't you talk to me?!"

"Tenten, I'm tired!"

She froze for a moment, surprised at his outburst.

"You said you didn't want to hear my lame excuses so what do you want me to say?" He asked, his voice louder. "I need to get some sleep. We'll still be working tomorrow, in case you forgot."

He took a pillow and covered his head. She remained sitting, looking at him. He was tired from working in the kitchen. Wasn't that her concern all day? But her jealousy took over. She remained staring at the back of his head for some time before she leaned closer and placed her hands on his shoulders to give him a massage. He removed the pillow, caught off guard by the sudden thoughtfulness.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered to his ear as her fingers traced tight muscles on his back.

"Sorry for yelling." His voice was soft and sincere.

"No, I was being unreasonable…"

"We talked in his office, it's about the…"

"That's okay." She hushed him. "I trust you."

He smiled faintly, relaxing to her touch and letting out a deep sigh. She smiled as well, kissing him on the shoulder. Her lips moved up to his neck, then to his jaw line- leaving fluttering kisses- and finally at the corner of his lips, stopping to look at his face.

"Neji?"

His eyes were shut. And even when she made as much movement as she could, his eyes remained shut. He's really tired, she thought.

Second day- check.

Second night- check.

Yes, I'm alive. It's a really long story so I won't waste your time with that. My schedule is kind of crazy right now but I'll try my very best to update regularly. Ganbarimasu!

I hope you'll find this update pleasant and enjoyable. I think I'm rusty. Anyway, thanks for reading and of course, reviews will be greatly appreciated xox