A/N: My god, how long has it been? Too long. I've been on vacation and stuff so I haven't been updating but I'm back now and with a longer chapter for you guys because you've put up with the extremely long wait. Enjoy!

Sorry about the mistakes and everything . . .

Who has read HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS? I have!

mdlc: I haven't read the sequel yet but I plan to . . . Someday . . . Soon hopefully.

Disclaimer: I don't own.

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Chapter 7

XXXXX

Neji

Training has become a nightmare.

Tenten attacks me with more fervor than before and it's obvious that she's taking out her frustrations on me. She went to Hiashi immediately after arriving at Hyuuga house and was told that he was not in at the moment. She can't get out of here without talking to Hiashi and the Hokage didn't help her when she went and talked to her. I realize that living in the Hyuuga house is a bit . . . Of a change for her, but could she at least make herself a little easier to deal with? It's not like I want her there; it's all Hiashi's damn idea. I have to show her around, fun, I know, and Tenten insists on lagging everywhere, showing me her displeasure. When we're in the presence of Hiashi, he comes and goes quickly so Tenten still hasn't gotten a chance to speak with him privately, we put on the face of a happy couple about to married, as happy as we can, but it's getting a little wearing.

I go into my Kaiten as she begins another barrage of pointy metal weapons.

And then she does it . . . Again.

She throws a giant bomb.

It detonates on contact with my Hakkeshou Kaiten and I falter a little. Tenten takes advantage immediately, sending no less than eight senbon at me. I quickly whip my sleeve in front of my face. Five needles puncture the white material and I notice that they had been aimed at my eyes while three other needles catch my left arm. To my intense surprise, and anger, it goes numb. I stop spinning and glare at her while clutching my useless arm to my side.

"What the hell did you do?" I demand.

Tenten drops her large scroll and rushes to my side. "I've been studying with Sakura on the layout of the human body." she replies quickly while gently removing the needles from my arm. They slide easily out of my arm since they're so sharp and she begins examining my skin. "Numbness should go away in about an hour," she says, running her hands up and down my arm. I eye her ministrations dubiously. Tenten rolls her eyes. "Feeling will come back faster if I do this."

"Hn."

"So what's the score now?" she asks brightly.

I notice the hopefulness in her face and my eyes narrow. "I'm still winning. 9 to 5."

Tenten smiles nonetheless, completely happy to be trailing me by four. "You're winning for now, Hyuuga Neji."

XXXXX

Sometimes Tenten surprises me.

Sometimes she's bitter and angry, mostly at our predicament and sometimes at me, and then she's completely nice and caring. I had thought that she was bipolar or something at first but she wasn't ever depressed so I had then began thinking that she was in a permanent state of female PMS. My opinions have changed, I've found out that this seemingly permanent PMS is just a girl thing, and being with Tenten has actually become somewhat enjoyable. We argue, usually over the most insignificant things, but we get along.

"Neji!"

I turn my head to the sound of my name and Tenten is setting down two cups of tea, green for me and jasmine for her, and a plate of dango. She hums while blowing on her tea.

"Something's wrong."

She looks at me with a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

My eyes search hers. "You're never like this."

"Like what?"

"So happy." I say bluntly.

Tenten laughed and waved my words off.

It was damn unnatural.

I take a sip of my tea and bring the cup from my lips; it doesn't taste right. I look at Tenten and she's not laughing now, instead she's got a frown on her face while looking into her cup.

"Is that mine?" she asks, peering over the rim of my cup to inspect my drink.

I hand it to her and take mine.

Tenten sips some jasmine tea and I notice a small smile on her lips.

XXXXX

Tenten

Wow.

After training and going to get tea and dango I feel great.

I take a bit of my dango and chew while watching some of the villagers pass by, leaning on my right palm. God, Konoha has the best dango in the country, probably the whole world. Out of the corner of my eye notice that Neji's not eating and I push the plate towards him, nudging his hand in the process. He looks at me questioningly.

"Eat some."

Neji looks at me, then down at the dango. "I don't like sweets, Tenten."

"Oh." I say, staring at him. "Then why didn't you tell me sooner? We could've gotten something else."

"You enjoy sweet things." he replies nonchalantly.

"Oh," I reply dumbly, surprised at his thoughtfulness, "well, next time let's go somewhere you like then, ok?"

He nods and sips some of his tea. I notice the way his lips kind of caress the cup rim before he actually drinks and I find myself blushing like some fan girl. God, I am pathetic. When we exchanged cups and I first sipped some tea, I couldn't help but smile because drinking from the same cup as he did would kind of be like an indirect kiss.

ARGH.

I am such a loser!

"Tenten."

I'm startled and jump slightly, some of the hot liquid sloshes dangerously close to the rim, and I turn to Neji. "Um, yes?"

He simply stares at me for a few seconds and then he drops the bomb.

"Hiashi wants to see us tonight. He says to meet at Ryuu."

"The restaurant!?" I ask incredulously. "That place is only for visiting royalty and the daimyo!"

"Tonight." he responds firmly. "Meet me there."

I can feel my mouth open and I'm groping for something to say.

Neji rises and gives me a hard look. "Don't be late."

XXXXX

"You're going to Ryuu!?" Sakura exclaims, eyes wide and voice loud enough to carry over every other conversation within a five foot radius.

"You don't have to scream it." I say, frowning. "So are you going to help me or not?"

"Of course! Did you think I wouldn't?"

I shrug. "I thought you might not have time since you're so busy being a medic."

"Tenten," Sakura says, grabbing my shoulder and staring into my eyes with the most serious expression I've seen on her, "I always have time for one of my best friends." I smile while she takes off her lab coat and tells an understudy that she'll be gone for a few hours. "I'm actually kind of curious why you asked me, Tenten. Do you value my fashion sense that much?" she asks teasingly.

"Ino and Hinata are both on missions." I reply, watching the way her face goes from smug to indignant.

"So I was a last resort!?" she shrieked.

I laugh and jump out of her window.

XXXXX

"So what do you want to wear tonight?" Sakura asks, examining a light, see-through kimono, moving her fingers underneath the fabric and checking the price tag. "A kimono . . . A shirt and skirt or pants? Do you want something see-through?"

"You know," I drawled, eyeing the store, "I don't think we need to start by choosing lingerie." I gaze at the lacy thongs and multiple ribbon corsets. "Neji's not going to see my panties."

Sakura shrugged. "You never know. Maybe you two will really hit it off tonight—"

"Don't even joke about that."

"Ok, ok, I'm just saying."

We walk out of the store, I think I see a flash of light colored hair and I bet it's Jiraiya, what a pervert, and we head across the street to another store, this one with actual clothing.

Sakura immediately spots some dresses and I'm promptly dragged over. We scour the racks and I wait for her to ask it.

"Why don't you like Neji?" she asks, holding up a aquamarine colored dress to me before shaking her head and putting it back. "You guys seem to be getting along better."

"That's only for show; we actually despise each other."

"You guys went out for tea and dango earlier today, Tenten."

I glare at her. "Have you been spying on me?"

"Just tell the truth," Sakura says, putting a hand on her hip and smirking, "you like him."

I notice she didn't answer my question and I roll my eyes. "I don't like him, Sakura."

"So tell me why you don't like him."

"He's . . . Haughty! Totally full of himself!" I say, putting another unsatisfactory dress back. "He's also a killjoy. Have you, honestly, ever heard the guy crack a joke?"

Sakura looks thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head and smiling. "No, I haven't but I think those things kind of pale in comparison to his good attributes."

I snort. "Name them."

"He's smart and an awesome ninja, graduated first in his class from the Academy and is the only one of the Konoha 12 so far to make it to Jounin. Sasuke-kun is close though."

I frown.

"He's trustworthy and loyal and caring, makes the safety of others his first priority on missions."

"Are we talking about the same guy here?"

"Neji," Sakura snaps, obviously disliking my interruptions, "also never fails to complete a mission, that's how awesome a ninja he is."

"It's not like other ninja don't always complete their missions either! What about S—"

"We are talking about Neji at the moment, not Sasuke."

"Ok, fine. Keep going with your list."

"He's sweet too. Didn't he buy you that necklace for your birthday?"

"It's only because Hiashi ordered him to." I reply flatly. I found out from Neji himself when I asked him how he knew about my birthday. He told me straight out not to think of the gift as something with any meaning, just that he had to get me something at Hiashi's request. Well . . . It's still a nice necklace and even if he didn't get it for me out of the goodness of his heart at least he got me something fashionable, albeit, with the help of my friends. "Got anything else, Sakura?" I ask smugly, crossing my arms across my chest.

"He's hot."

My smile drops a little.

"And you along with every other girl in Konoha thinks he's hot too." she says seriously, eyes piercing mine with a green eyed glare. "Don't you dare deny it. You and I both know it's true." I roll my eyes and try to come up with a good response. "What now, Tenten?" Sakura asks coyly.

Ha! I've got one for you!

"That doesn't mean anything. You know liking a guy and thinking he's hot are two totally different things. You can't base a relationship on thinking a guy is hot. It's got to be more than physical." I reply, picking a dress off the rack and holding it up to myself while Sakura looked it over.

"Ok, ok, you're right," she says, shaking her head at my choice, "but why do you have to act like such a bitch around him? Neji's in the same boat as you."

"If I act like a bitch then maybe Hiashi will see that we aren't compatible and then we won't have to marry."

Sakura scoffs. "If you act like a sunny girl-in-love with Neji in front of Hiashi then it kind of defeats the purpose."

"He talked to Tsunade-sama! She said she'd put me on D-rank missions if we didn't get along!"

"Which is exactly why you should try to get along with him." Sakura replies reasonably, handing me a Chinese-style, light, jade colored dress with dark green trim. "Face it, Tenten, you're probably never getting out of this engagement."

I stare at her for a moment and gasp. "You like the fact that I'm engaged to him!"

"I never said that."

"But you do! Tell me you don't and I'll call you a liar!" I scream pointing my finger at her chest.

She sighs heavily. "Ok, fine, I do like the fact that you're engaged." Sakura rubbed her wrist and then looked at me with concern. "We were worried about you. You never dated and you never showed any interest in any of the guys, not even Sasuke, and we don't want you to end up bitter and alone—"

"I'm seventeen, not eighty."

"—And you know how being a ninja is! You could die any day now and we want you to find love before you get killed or something!"

"Really sweet and touching but I don't need another guy in my life . . ." I reply, trailing off as I think about my pen pal. Anonymous hasn't contacted me in a while, not that I expected him to because I've moved and I don't think he knows how to find me. That's one of the reasons why I didn't really want to move to the Hyuuga house. I like writing to Anonymous. He's actually pretty cool and I wish he'd find me and send me a damn letter . . .

"'Another'?" she asks, giving me an odd look.

I'm panicking on the inside but I stay calm on the outside. "Yeah, you know, I've got Lee and everything now." I say, lowering my gaze so I can look at the dress she's picked out for me. I notice that it's long and there are slits on both sides, ones that go to mid-thigh, that can give you a peek at more skin. I give her a skeptical look. "You expect me to wear this?"

She's ignoring me and I can see the cogs in her mind working everything out.

"Oh."

Realization dawning! Crap!

"You have a secret boy friend!"

I wince. "No, I don't."

"But you said—"

"I meant I don't need any guy in my life." I reply stonily. "Guys are retarded and high maintenance. I don't need to spend my nights stroking some loser's ego."

Sakura frowned. "You sound like some four year old who thinks guys have cooties."

"Hn."

She smirked while pushing me and the green dress into a fitting room. "Neji's rubbing off on you," she sang happily.

Hn, no he isn't.

XXXXX

Neji

"How're things going with Tenten now?" Shikamaru asked while gazing at the Shogi board.

"Hn."

"Getting better then."

Sasuke leans against a wood pillar and gazed at me, dark eyes way too trained on my person for my liking.

My eyes raised from the board and I stared at him. "What."

"You could use real language with us." he said dryly. "We're all competent people."

He's right. Hanging out with fellow geniuses Shikamaru and Sasuke was slightly liberating. Having someone to talk to who wasn't a compete moron was good. We've been getting together once every two weeks on Sundays for the past few months. All we do is play Shogi, Shikamaru's idea, and talk about politics, how much we wish we could be on missions or elsewhere and, now, my love life. I was not too happy when Shikamaru first asked me about Tenten, but now it's become so expected I don't give more than a sound as my answer and he finds it satisfactory.

"Hn."

Shikamaru moved his knight and then turned his attention to me. "Seriously, how are things going?" I opened my mouth to give my infamous one-syllable-answer-for-all-questions sound thing and he adds lazily, "Answer with real words this time."

"Things are . . . Getting better. We don't fight as much anymore and she's actually . . ." I search for the right adjective in my extensive vocabulary and I can't come up with anything better than, "Nice." God, I want to kill myself. Sasuke's raising an eyebrow at my choice of word and I scowl impressively at him. He shrugs but I can tell there's a smirk on his lips.

"Nice," Shikamaru repeats, lighting a cigarette and popping it in his mouth. "Is that all?"

I watch him inhale on the cigarette. It's a bad habit and I can't believe he took it up. He's supposed to be a genius, right? Asuma was a bad influence on him. Maybe he does it because it reminds him of his dead sensei and he feels like Asuma is still there if he smokes away his health.

"What else could there be?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back against my pillar turned back rest.

He exhaled smoke and gave me a weary look. "I don't know. Do you think she's pretty?"

"I don't see why that is anything you and the Uchiha need to know." I remark icily. My emotions, or lack thereof according to a certain brunette kunoichi, and likes are mine and shall be kept private. "We are not going to examine my relationship with her."

"So you think she's pretty." Sasuke affirms, giving me a smirk. "What else do you think of her?"

"I told you we're not doing this."

"We've done it enough, Neji." Shikamaru says dryly. "Tell me what you think of Tenten."

"I don't think anything." I snap. "I'm just going to marry her, have a kid and be done with it all. I don't give a damn about her."

"Harsh even for you, Hyuuga." Sasuke intones, giving me an odd look. "Nara and I know you're lying."

I let a growl like sound rip from my throat and Shikamaru rolls his eyes.

"If," I began, "Tenten and I have any sort of relationship it is only that of two people who are being forced to marry."

"So you two aren't friends?" Shikamaru asks.

"No."

"Then why were you two having tea and dango earlier today?"

My eyes narrow to slits. "Have you been spying on me?"

"Yes." he admits, shrugging his shoulders. "And you didn't even notice."

XXXXX

I retied my hair and leaned against the wall of Ryuu. There are tons of red Chinese lanterns hanging outside and they cast a sort of reddish-gold glow on the street. I can hear laughter and chatter from inside the restaurant. This place is only for royalty and the daimyo, I checked, and I wonder how Hiashi got us a private table inside. Probably the Hyuuga connections.

God, where is she?

Hiashi's already inside, I know he is because I went in and he told me to go back outside and wait for Tenten like a gentlemen and escort her in when she arrived. I hate waiting. It's a waste of precious time. I run my fingers through my bangs, brushing over my bandage covered forehead. I hesitate for a moment, thinking about the curse seal imbedded there. Does Tenten know about this curse? I frown and grip the bandages as if I was going to rip them off, which I won't. I know that things have gotten better between me and the Main branch but I still feel . . . I still can't stand the curse on my forehead. I'm not a caged bird anymore but I'm still not totally free and I can't figure out why except that this seal is keeping me bound and chained in ways I don't want to be.

If Tenten and I do have children I don't want them to be the way I am.

I should tell her.

She doesn't know what she's really getting into.

"Neji?"

I force myself not to jump at the sound of my name and stare forward to see Tenten's face extremely close to mine. Her face was filled with worry and she tentatively grasped my hand and forced me to release the bandages. She pats my hand and frowns at me like an aggravated mother. For someone who never had parents, she does the face very well.

My eyes flicker down her form and I like the dress she's wearing. It's a beautiful color and the shiny green trim on her dress catches the light nicely to highlight the curves of her body. Tenten has nice skin, not too dark and not extremely pale like the Uchiha's but a sort of natural color. I notice the slits on the sides of her dress. She has nice legs. They're very . . . Long.

"Neji," she says seriously, "you're going to hurt yourself if you do that."

"Yes, mother." I reply sarcastically. Tenten gasps, a sort of strangled sound, it's barely audible but I hear it and I look at her. "What."

"No—nothing."

I give her a disapproving frown and quickly take her hand. "Then let's get this over with."

XXXXX

Tenten

Oh.

My.

God.

Neji was funny.

The world is ending.

I absently pick at my food and Hiashi stares at me with those eerie Hyuuga eyes of his. For some reason, they seem a lot more dangerous on his face than on Neji's. Maybe I've just gotten used to Neji's, but the fact that they can see everything kind of freaks me out. Does that mean it can see through clothes?

"Tenten-san, you should eat." Hiashi says, sipping some of his tea.

I give a small smile. "I just don't have an appetite right now, Hiashi-sama."

"Is the food not to your liking?"

"No! It's wonderful." I say, noticing the way one of the waiters was ready to swoop down on my plate and give me another menu. "I'm afraid I just don't feel very hungry tonight." I try to make my voice as apologetic as possible and Hiashi seems to buy it because he says not to worry and to eat when we got back to the Hyuuga house. Thank god. It's not that the food was bad, it really was great, I'm just really nervous right now for some reason and having a pair of all-seeing eyes on me does not help my nerves.

"How has Neji been treating you?"

I choke on my drink at the sudden question. Out of the corner of my eye I see Neji stiffen.

Crap.

What should I say?

"Um," I began, searching for the words. "He's been treating me well?"

Crap. I turned that statement into a question. Oh god dammit . . .

Hiashi gives me a sort of smile before turning to Neji and giving him a chilly glare. "Neji."

"We are getting along quite well." he replies promptly.

The Hyuuga head stares at us both, hard. "You two have been together for almost two months," he states and I kind of fidget in my seat from worry, "have you two kissed?"

Neji's staring back at his uncle calmly but I can feel my eyes going wide like giant saucers.

"No, we haven't." Neji answers.

Hiashi seems to decide something in his head when he hears this and laces his fingers together and lays his chin upon them. "You two will be going to pre-marriage counseling starting tomorrow."

I rise to protest but Neji puts his hand on my leg—my thigh—and gives me a warning look.

Not now.

I grudgingly sit back down and shove his hand off of me.

"Since neither of you have any objections be at Hokage Tower tomorrow afternoon." Hiashi gets up and brushes invisible dust from his robes. "I bid you both goodnight."

When he finally leaves is when I explode.

"Pre-Marriage counseling!?" I shriek, grabbing the neck of Neji's Hyuuga robes. "What the hell!? We don't need to go to counseling!" I shake him roughly with every word and he calmly takes my attack. It'd be so much easier if he would yell back, do something.

"Tenten," Neji pries my hands off his clothes and forces them down into my lap. "Whether you like it or not we must do this. Don't make our situation any worse than it already is."

"You could've told him no!"

"He would've forced us to go anyways." he replies.

"But you're the Hyuuga prodigy!" I say, pointing a finger at his chest. "If you didn't want it then Hiashi is bound to let us off."

"I am also a Branch member, Tenten. I assure you, he would not have." I'm about to retort but Neji lays a finger over my lips. "There's no use arguing. Just bear with it until Hiashi deems us a sound engaged couple."

"Which we'll never be." I reply dejectedly.

Neji raises an eye brow at my comment. "And why is that?"

"Because neither of us want to be in this situation to begin with."

"Hn."

We enter a bout of silence only interrupted by some of the noise from the rest of the restaurant.

I can't take it anymore and say dubiously, "I can't believe we have to go to counseling."

Neji doesn't say anything but I know inside he's fuming.

"Hey, Neji?"

"Hn."

"What did you mean about being a Branch member?" I look at him and notice the way his brows furrowed. "Neji?"

"Nothing." he answers. "Just an old resentment."

I drop it because Neji obviously doesn't want to talk about this—whatever it is. If it's important I'm sure he'll talk to me about it because . . . We're . . . Something to each other.

I think.

XXXXX

A/N: Please review! Reviews equal my happy crack.