Originally this was a song fic called No Air. But after realizing I was drawing inspiration from other songs and fics. I decided on the name change. Anyway, let's get down to business. Enjoy
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Chapter 2:
Neji sprinted down through the hospital corridors. Heart pounding, breathing heavy and shocked plastered across her face. Halt! Lee and Chiharu were posted up in the hallway; right outside of Tenten's room. Lee was clung to his girlfriend back facing any on coming visitors. Being the great girlfriend that she is; she comforted by gently rubbing his back. And to her dismay her shirt was drenched but she'd let him side this time around. She smiled at Neji when he was in view.
"She's awake now. Once the Doctors are finished you can see her" revealed Chiharu
Neji nodded in approval.
"Come on Lee. Enough tears" She gently kissed the top of his head.
Lee stood up, straightened his posture and wiped his face before facing Neji. He took the seat next to him and just as quickly started up a conversation.
"Neji, how are you feeling?" Lee asked
"Truthfully, I'm not sure. And as I recall, you weren't in the best of shape either" remembered Neji
"That is true. I managed to hold it together though until you showed up. You made it very hard for me "Lee chuckled before answering his former team mate.
"Was I that obvious?" asked Neji while arching one his eye brows.
"Yes Like a lost puppy" Revealed Lee
"You tell her and I'll kill you" spit out Neji his voice lacking all his normal killing intent
"Why not? It is nothing to be embarrassed about. Or are you afraid of her response?" asked Lee
"No. If anything she should hear it from. I owe her that much" admitted Neji
"I cannot say, I'm confident that you will but I will honor your request" accepted Lee
"I deserved that. I haven't done right by her in the past. I see that now" exclaimed Neji
This brought an unexpected smile to Lee's face. Maybe through all the tragedy something good came out of this.
"Eat up." Chiharu smiled handing Neji bento box left by Hinata.
"Thank you" replied Neji
"Neji, after you finish eating. Why don't you go home and rest for a while?" Lee suggested
"No, I'm fine" responded Neji in between chewing.
"He's right you know. You're a mess right now. And if you keep this up; you'll end up in the bed right next to her. You're obviously not worried about yourself but what about Tenten. Do you want her see you like that?" questioned Chiharu
Well damn, Neji couldn't argue that. How was he going to look after her if he was hospitalized? As much as he wanted and/or needed to see her , this came second to her overall wellbeing. He waited this long already a few more hours wouldn't matter much. Right?
ooOoo
How long has it been since he was last here? From the look of it, things were exactly how he remembered. Popping up at random times during the day and on occasion at ungodly hours. And yet, Tenten always embraced him with open arms. How many times had she put her life on hold to accommodate him? But everything changed once he was admitted into the Jounin ranks. The ocean between their relationships was clear as day now.
Neji navigated towards the back of her apartment where he knew the bathroom was. Placing is belongs in her room. He entered into the bathroom and took care of his business. When re-entering Tenten's bedroom his vision was blurred with the light of the setting sun. After his eyes adjusted, Neji scanned the room out of habit. Some clutter on her dresser, a few pieces of clothing scattered around her laundry bin. This brought a slight smirk to his face. Being here without her strange but at the same time the environmental screamed of her existence. This was when he dawned on Neji how much he really missed her. So, he'd take a quit nap and try to visit her before visiting hours were over. He laid across her bed and drifted off to sleep.
ooOoo
Neji sat up in respond to a loud banging. He looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. But how did he end up on the couch? The knocking noise only became louder. Localizing the sound he realized it was coming from the front door. Neji opened the front door and found Rock Lee posted on the other side. So what was so urgent that Lee felt it was necessary to knock on the door like a lunatic?
"Lee, what's wrong? "asked Neji
Lee took a long pause before answering.
"It's….Tenten….." Lee managed to push out
"What about her Lee?" asked Neji
"She's…" paused Lee
"Spit it out Lee" Neji probed while moving closer.
Lee placed his hand on his shoulder before speaking.
"Neji, her injuries were far worse than…the doctors realized" Lee took a deep breathe. "I was afraid of how you would react. So, I only shared the minor details" Admitted Lee
"Well, how bad is it?" asked Neji concerned plastered on his face
Lee bowed his head and remained silent.
"Lee, answer me" asked Neji in pleading voice
"Come with me. I'll show you" said Lee in a coldest tone
Neji walked through the door following Lee and appeared in Tenten's hospital room.
"I don't know any nicer way to put this. So I'll just say it. I'm sorry Nej but she's gone" Lee confessed
Lee stepped aside and bowed his head towards his friend. There was a "white" blanket covering his motionless friend. All the monitors and machines she was previously using were off. Lee attempted to hug Neji in kind gesture but Neji pushed him away and approached the bed. He rolled the top of the cover down to her waist.
"I'm sorry for taking so long but this is a bit much" said Neji
Silence
"You're going to give me the silent treatment now" spoke Neji
No answer.
"I do whatever you want to make amends but please say something" pleaded Neji
Still Nothing?
"Tenten. Are you sleeping?" called Neji
Neji gently brushed the backside of his hand across her face. He reached for her arm to catch for a pulse but nothing it just fell limp.
"Neji" called Lee
No Answer
"Neji" called Lee once again
"I'm sorry…She's gone. It's time to say goodbye" mumbled Lee
"What happen? She was fine when I left early" said a confused Neji
"Her heart just gave out. She suffered a stroke and was declared brain dead" confessed Lee
"Brain dead? No possibility for recovery" questioned Neji
Lee shook his head
"I'm sorry. Tenten wouldn't have been happy in this state. So, I pulled the plug" admitted Lee
"I lost my opportunity to say goodbye. And sorry is all you have to say. How could you make that type of decision without consulting me?" Yelled Neji
"That's what she wanted" admitted Lee "If I had consulted you, I'm sure you would have changed my mind"
"Damn it Lee." Neji said
"Because of your stubbornness I also lost my best friend" retorted Lee
"Lee, I'm sorry" blurted out Neji
"Are you really? Or are you seeking relief from your guilt?" Said Lee
"Lee, you can't honestly believe that" asked Neji
"I know you care for her but I also know no one matters more to Neji than Neji" said Lee
"I care about her as much as you do" corrected Neji
"Enough Neji, I am not interesting in anything else you have to say. Our friend just passed away and you have yet to shed a tear or respond to it at all. And yet you're arguing with me over how you're viewed. Are you really that heartless? Or are you just afraid?" exclaimed Lee
Fades to the black
ooOoo
A Few Hours Later…..
Neji ended up sleeping a lot longer than he intended too. He dropped by a local dumpling shop and picked up a "bribe" just in case. When it came to Tenten, he never knew what to expect. When he reached her room; his heart thumped in antiquation. He slide open the door and found Uchiha Sasuke. Completely ignoring the younger prodigy he shut the door and directed his attention towards Tenten.
"Tenten, how are you feeling?" Asked Neji completing ignoring Sasuke's presence
"I'm okay, I guess" She directed her smile towards Neji
The tension in the air was gradually getting more intense. The natural gloom of the hospital wasn't helping either. Sasuke being the opportunist that he is; decided to take this opportity to leave before things climaxed. And climax it would.
"That's my cue. I'll see you later" Sasuke leaned in placed a kiss on her cheek before exiting. Saying this situation was awkward is like saying Naruto is "a little hyper". Neji have never been much of a talker. So naturally, Tenten was the conversation starter and more times than not the convo progress-er. (Is that even a word?) Consider what just went down; she wasn't going to be the one to break the silence. She is almost as stubborn as Neji and maybe even more so. So, Neji decided to take the initiative.
"Tenten. Has Lee dropped in yet today?" Neji asked trying to ease into things
"He stayed with me pretty much all night but I send him home early this morning" She admitted
"Is there anything I can get for you?" Questioned Neji generally concerned.
"No, I'm okay. So what happened to you?" She said running her hands over her bandage arm
"A minor injury, nothing to worry about" He stated
"Neji, you should really try to be more careful. " Offered Tenten
"I can say the same for you" That came out a lot rougher then he intended.
"Ouch. So mind telling me what's eating you? " She asked straight forward.
"Uchiha. What type of relationship do you have with him?" He asked
"Huh" Tenten responded. "Did he really just ask that?" Thought Tenten
"Uchiha. What is your relationship with him? " Neji braced himself for the backlash.
"He's… my friend." Replied the Kunoichi.
"Friends, as in friends with benefits? " He led and asked at the same time.
"No, were just friends. Where is all this coming from?" asked the confused Weapons mistress.
"Tenten, You're not lying to me are you?" Neji dug a bit more.
He was sincerely hoping she wasn't. Tenten wasn't a liar or at least that what Neji was hoping to still be the truth.
"No. Why would you think that?" she asked feeling slightly insulted
"Because he kissed you; Friends don't go round kissing friends." added Neji in a condescending tone.
"What…Are you calling me a liar? Snapped Tenten
"Did I stutter?" injected Neji
"Fuck You Hyuuga" hissed Tenten
Pause, Neji caught himself. This was not the time to being arguing with her. She just recently woke up from a coma. As mad as he was, it wasn't worth it. He felt a slight pain in his chest. He was looking forward to them being together and even more so after he returned home. And here was arguing over something so unnecessary. Maybe dream Lee was right? Maybe his concern for her came second to Neji.
Maybe he should go for a walk? Walking away from Tenten never ended well. Either a weapon or verbal assault would follow; no question about it. But truth was he didn't want to leave. He missed her; all he wanted to do was talk to her. Truth is, he deserved whatever she dished out. Neji watched her in silences. But Tenten refused to look at him. And when Neji couldn't take it anymore he made his presence known.
"Tenten" he called softly
She ignored him and continued to stare out the window.
"Tenten" he called once again
No response.
"Ten Chan" he called hoping she would response a name that normally annoyed her
But to his surprise she didn't even flinch. He smirked at her resolve.
"I'm not mad anymore. Please say something" he pleased
"Asshole" was the only thing she muttered.
He was practically standing right in front of her but she refused to look at him. Why? She couldn't seriously be that peeved with him. Neji sensed something below the front she created. Neji stepped in front of her and wrapped his arms around her; it was needy. It was desperate. Two works she would have never associated with her genius of a best friend. So saying Tenten was surprised was an understatement; like saying Might Gai was a little flamboyant. Like saying Tsunade enjoyed Sake. This is something expected from Lee not the ice cube; Not Neji. What the hell was going on? Her body shuddered from the combination of the contact and shock. This didn't stop Neji from tighten his hug. Tenten sigh and patted her friends back affectionately.
"Hey..What's wrong Neji" she asked super concerned.
"I'm sorry Ten" he whispered slowly.
This surprised the hell out her. She wanted to ask what for? But she bit her lip and opted out out of asking. She'd save that for another time. An apology from the Hyuuga was a rare occurrence. She was touched even though she didn't know whether or not it was appropriate to be. So, she did the only thing she could think at the moment. She gently rubbed smoothing circle across his back. Drip! She felt something cold make contact with her neck. Wait! Was he crying? Wait! Was he crying for her? She turned her head to make sure she wasn't tripping but his long hair shielded his face.
"Neji, speak to me. You're scaring me" she urged
Neji loosen his grip. Here he was burdening her once again. Was wanting to be close to her really that bad of a thing? He stepped back and let go. He wiped the wetness from his eyes before facing her. Ruffling his hair he gave her the most genuine smirk he could manage.
"I'm glad to see you're doing better. I was worried" he admitted
"I'm sorry" added Tenten
"No don't be" Neji swung his back off his shouldered and pulled out a brown paper bag and placed it in her lap.
"What's this?" she asked staring at the bag in her lap.
"A peace offering" calmly replied Neji
"Peace offering? Wait? What? So you're saying you were planning to argue with me from the very beginning" she looked at him dumbfounded.
"No. I was just trying to making light of our current issues. Open it" Neji couldn't help but smirk;
She opened the bag and peeked inside. She pulled out the container of dumplings.
"Look, I over stepped my boundaries. The people you choose to keep around is your decision alone" spit out Neji
Huh? Tenten's shock plastered all over her face. Did he just apologize again? Yes, he surely did. Tenten, felt stupid for being mad with him in the first place and this only made things worst. She was very proud young lady and he should know that better anyone. But she sucked it up this time.
"I'm sorry too. You called me a liar. Is that really what you think of me Neji? " she asked.
He never out right used those words but he suggested them.
"I know your not but I don't like that hiding your hiding things from me. You're entitled to your privacy and I can respect that. But eat up before they get cold"" finished Neji
"Thank you Neji" finished Tenten
So, what did you think? Let me know via comments or DM. Thanks for reading.
S. Hollyhood 03/02/2015