A/N: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 2

The person sitting at her kitchen table that she had expected to be Lee actually turned out to be none other then Hyuuga Neji. He was sitting at her table sipping a cup of green tea. Tenten's heart almost stopped at the sight of him.

"Neji!" Tenten looked at Neji sitting there, so calm. She couldn't help but gape at his beautiful face. She had missed him so much while he was gone, and now, he was sitting right before her very eyes, in her own kitchen.

Neji looked different, but at the same time, he was still the Neji she had once known. He changed just like Tenten. He was just an older version of his old self, a better looking older version, that is.

His clothing was the same, he wore the same traditional robes, and he had also grown considerably taller. Good, Tenten thought. Couples look better when the husband is taller.

He was thinner than before, but more muscular, his lips looked like they hadn't smiled in a decade, and his eyes looked different too…they were more worn out than before. He had that look of a real shinobi, not the look of fake shinobis that never got dirty, but the look of those really tough ones, that were bitter towards life. He had the same bitter look as Uchiha Sasuke had, although it was a cruel look to have, she thought it made him look dark…it made him look sexy.

He looked so much like a Hyuuga. He almost looked like Hinata's dad in some ways. The resemblence astonished her.

He gave the first Hyuuga a run for his money. Tenten couldn't stop looking at him. She just couldn't control herself.

Strong, calm, and better than the rest. That was what he was. Those features made him seem so cool in her eyes.

Tenten hadn't talked or seen Neji for about three years. It made her heart break whenever she used to think about him. She was in denial for a long time when he had left Konoha.

Neji went his own way, and Tenten stayed behind. Neji chose to train and become stronger and stronger. Tenten chose to stay in her comfort zone, improving little by little, but Neji seeked to become as powerful as he could, as quickly as he could.

She wished she had run and caught up with him, when she had a chance. But she had missed that chance. She was now in his shadows, she really did want to catch up though.

But the gap was too big. He was so much more advanced than she was. She could never catch up even if she trained 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for one whole year.

He disappeared out of her life. He completely left her in the darkness. He left without thinking about how crushed she would be.

Now here he was, sitting at her kitchen table and sipping tea. She wanted to run up to him and hug him. But she had enough common sense to know not to do that, unless she wanted to end up in the hospital for at least 6 weeks.

Tenten's mother seemed to disappear, her feet bouncing up the stairs to whisper it to her father who would soon be bounding down, his notebook of possible husband questions poised in his hands. How Asian can my parents be? Good lord, keeping a notebook of possible husbands…psh.

Tenten stared at him. She felt so stupid, she was just standing there looking at him. Nothing to say, just staring.

Neji was looking intently at his cup, his Byakugan not activated. He was trying not to meet Tenten's gaze. If he did, something awkward would surely come of it.

Say something dammit! Tenten mentally slapped herself. She still didn't utter a word.

Say something mature and cool, something Neji wouldn't expect his old teammate to say. Tenten tried to say something again, nothing but air came out of her mouth. She mentally slapped herself again.

"What the hell are you doing here?" That was all Tenten could say. She couldn't think of anything else that was cool enough.

Neji didn't even blink. Neji was not amused at her use of language. He was not even aware that she was trying so hard in her mind to impress him.

Dammit... he expected that. Tenten slapped herself about ten times this time. She was out of ideas.

Act mature... be mature... not the child Neji left. Tenten's mind was racing frantically. What to say, what to say, slap, slap, slap!

"Gomen, Neji-kun... I wasn't expecting to see you back... it has been a while." Tenten figured she should apologize for her awkwardness first. That's a good start…WHAT NOW?

Tenten bowed deeply. She felt stupid for a while, but then again, Neji was a pretty formal person in public, so he surely wouldn't mind. Plus, she was wearing a red kimono and make up, so bowing in formal clothing didn't look too bad.

With that said, Neji did blink, and then gawked at Tenten for about two seconds. Neji didn't expect the formal apology from his old teammate. Is that really Tenten, Neji thought, he realized he had blown his cover in those two seconds?

The two seconds that told Tenten she had finally won and Neji lost. Tenten couldn't help but grin at this win. I finally beat the Hyuuga at SOMETHING.

She was just about to celebrate her triumph when Neji instantly regained his composure. Although he had already lost this time, he wouldn't lose again. He wouldn't be able to stand Tenten rubbing it in his face either.

"I've been back in Konoha for a few days, Tenten-san." Neji said this without blinking. He remained calm and composed.

The old Neji was back. Neji was determined not to let a loss like that happen again. He would stay hard and emotionless, the way he has been since his father died.

Strong, calm, and better than the rest. That was what Neji was. These traits of Neji used to always make Tenten drool over him whenever she saw him.

He was a Hyuuga, and always will be the best Hyuuga in his prime. Tenten knew that for a fact. He had inherited most of the Hyuuga talents, skills, abilities, and looks, even more than Hinata or Hinabi.

The Hyuuga that didn't need anyone's help, in anything. He was fearless and too arrogant to admit he needed any help at all. Even Sasuke, who had been softened after his return, often commented on how Neji would die before he went to a hospital to get help.

"Oh... that is wonderful," Tenten said pleasantly. She wanted to keep herself seeming calm. Down inside she was thinking, he was here for a few days already…how come I haven't seen him around?

She had a long time to refine her etiquette skills. She had learned a lot lately from her mom. Her mom insisted on Tenten acting more like a "proper young lady" rather than a kunoichi because of this whole marriage situation.

She could out beat Neji in a battle of the manners. Tenten knew it, I mean, how could she not? Tenten had been at home for these past few years trying to grace suitors, while Neji had spent those years in possible seclusion, training, and hardening himself up.

"If I may ask, Neji-kun, why you have graced your presence upon me?" Tenten said in a feminine voice. She used big words that she would normally have only used towards elders. She had also learned how to carry out a "proper" conversation ever since she started hanging out with Lee, it really came in handy sometimes.

Tenten smirked inwardly. Mentally, she was pumping her fist in the air. Yes, beat that Hyuuga!

Neji could never beat that. Why should he? There was no point, inside his mind he thought, I will not play into her childish games of "who has better manners."

And he didn't. Although he thought Tenten was still very naïve in the way she played these little games, he was secretly impressed with her expanded vocabulary. She must have been doing a lot of training with Gai Sensei and Lee…Neji thought.

"I thought it may be good for us to go train one more time." Neji said this with his face void of expression. He didn't allow himself to blink, blush, smile, anything.

Tenten didn't want to train. She was secretly hoping to just stay in her own home and hang out with him. But she knew that would never happen, and she had definitely not wanted the first thing Neji to ask her when he got back to be to train with him.

It was her birthday, dammit! Who trains on their birthday? She had been planning for this to be her most carefree, fun day of the year, but Neji was now asking her to train with him?

She glanced at Neji. She was looking to see if he was really serious, he was. She surveyed his appearance one more time, she had loved the way Neji looked ever since she was 13.

The Neji she went to the Academy with, trained with, battled alongside with. Tenten used to be with him every single hour of the day until she went home to rest. She missed those days.

She smiled. She could help it, he was just too beautiful. She debated with herself, I don't want to train on my birthday…but training with Neji would bring the good old days back…kind of…sort of…right?

She would train on her birthday, because this time Neji was asking to train. Before, it had always been the other way around. Tenten had always had to ask him for asisstance as an excuse to be near him.

He never asked. When would he ever have to? He wouldn't, that's when, his skill level had always been higher than hers, so he never found the need to train with someone lesser than him.

"I would love to." Tenten gladly accepted his invitation. She wanted too badly for Neji to be near her for her to decline his offer.

Neji stood up and walked to the door. Tenten stared at him, she stared at his beautiful figure. He had grown into a man, he was no longer the little boy she once adored, he was now a grown up Hyuuga.

Tenten picked up a small pack with weapons and scrolls and followed Neji. She quickly remembered she was wearing tons of makeup, her hair was fancy, and she was wearing a new kimono, she would have changed but she didn't want to hold off being with Neji any longer. She shrugged off the thought, Mom and Dad won't get too mad, after all, it IS my birthday.

"Neji-kun...do you know what today is?" Tenten asked. She realized he had not mentioned her birthday at all. She tried to ask the question nicely.

"Saturday." Neji didn't know what she was talking about. Has she lost track of time since I left?

"Um, no…today is Wednesday." Tenten gave him a funny look. Has he lost track of time since he left?

Neji was silent. He didn't meet Tenten's gaze. He didn't want to see the look she was giving him.

He hated being corrected. Being corrected was in a way being inferior to someone else. Neji wouldn't allow being second to anyone.

It was visible on his face. Tenten noticed the way she made Neji upset. Oh no, I'm already getting on his bad side, and he just got back!

A/N: Please comment/review, thanks!