AN: Short, but necessary.
#5. Discovering Boundaries
In the afternoon-colored evening her room was doused in tentative degrees of yellow to orange. Generally life was still. The digital clock in her living room read exactly 6:30 on the margin, glowing luminescent biogreen. Here it seemed like an artifact of the distant past. Something that was there and never changed. She'd never had the patience for analogue.
Patience, after all, was not her strong suit. This was no insult or critique—simply another integer of her person to sum up to Tenten. He tried to be considerate of her and of this fact of her character as he sat with the girl herself in her apartment, each on the couch, one with stubbornly folded arms and the other disconcerted with himself. Clearly, she was waiting for him to take action of some kind, deliver the explanation that had been promised. That had been his intent to begin with… however…
For the gods' sake, why in the world had it taken him this long, until the very moment he stood before her to realize these things. Right when he'd been prepped to put the entire affair and the misunderstandings and the uncomfortable feelings that came with it in the past. "Planning for the unpredictable"... one does such a thing not expecting the unpredictable from himself.
"Aren't you going to say something? I'm not in the mood to sit around doing nothing, Neji."
His eyes were set with her but words not so fortunate. "... I understand why you're upset. I came here to tell you that you do not need to be."
"... What do you mean by that." The weather in her tone was still so omnipresent that she phrased it like an objective statement. Truly, he had a task ahead of him.
"You're under the assumption that I've told other people about that night between us." No use being vague or indirect about it now, after all. No, it's much too late for that. "That night," the day they'd come too close to having sex. "And I've come to clear your mind. I haven't, and I never would consider doing so among that lot."
"... Really?" Some medley of skepticism and incredulity froze to her speech. "Are you sure about that, Neji?"
"... What did the dog boy say to you."
"That's…" Without having perfect vision or even looking at her, he sensed that her eyes were fixated on the table by her side or anywhere else which lacked a byakugan stare. "... Ugh. I don't want to have to repeat it. I don't like dirty jokes. But… considering recent events, it had awfully convenient timing. And you didn't even hint at it?"
"I would not lie."
She focused a scrutinizing gaze over him for a time, judging with curiosity and a quirked lip. Finally, her shoulders slumped with a deflated sigh, as if all of the tension in her body was at long coveted last able to escape. "... Yeah, I know you wouldn't. I believe you. But why didn't you just say so earlier today? Then I wouldn't have needed to be so mortified all afternoon!"
"The reason for that is… where I misunderstood."
"Huh? What do you mean"
"Chuunin Appreciation Day, by the camp… That date was the last time I'd spoken to Kiba, and it was the day Lee had chosen to boast to the other ninja of our side that we are in a relationship."
"What, you mean… nobody else knew before?" Her head tilted to the left.
Neji nodded. "That is why I didn't explain before. I'd thought… that was the subject whose secrecy was an issue for you."
Quick on the uptake, "... Ah. Ohhh. So that's…"
"Where we met at a misunderstanding."
"Oh, for crying out loud." She all but smacked her hand unto her forehead, eyes shut tight in frustration. "Ugh. I'm so sorry, Neji. I feel really stupid right now."
A similar snake of tension had eased off of him as well. His shoulders became a bit less rigid, and it felt good to breathe. "It's fine."
"No, I mean, besides even that. I feel bad for shoving my own personal problems down your throat. It wasn't fair."
"...?"
"What I'm saying is… I think part of me knew that you'd never brag about that to other people. And I just… wanted a reason to be mad at you."
"Why would you need something like that?" Genuine, near offended curiosity crossed his tone. Of all things, what more could he have done so wrong?
"Seriously, Neji…" Her head turned to the left so that he saw her profile, and there was… red, definite shameful red coloring her face in rosy strokes. "After everything, do you really need to ask that..."
It was a joking tone, but nonetheless one lilting on deliberation.
"... No, I suppose I don't."
"Yeah, well… It's just… Neji, we're always on the same page. We think so similarly. And then… and then, that time, it totally made sense that you wanted to stop. I'd completely misread you and tried something really stupid. So… I'm sorry, is what I'm saying..."
"..."
It was strange? He felt discontent with the way things had come to a bend. His haughty, prideful side which would never truly disappear wanted to accept her apology with a nod and leave with the upper hand. Of course he'd rather accept mistakes and faults on her behalf in place of recognizing his own.
… But. That prideful side of him, along with all other of his parts, were sides which loved her. And so wisened with love and consideration he understood that she shouldn't be the only one saying sorry. It was a humbling certainty to come to terms with.
He really had grown more mature.
"... Tenten."
She looked up at him again. There were faint levels of shame he could feel coming off of her still. It mirrored the same brutal shame he'd felt on that night, and he never wanted her to feel that uncomfortable weight that he had. Not with something like this.
"I did not… hate it." Of course he didn't. "Rather… the reason I stopped you is because I did not feel ready for it."
Her head tilted. "... Huh?"
But it wouldn't hurt for her to be a little less dense.
"What I am saying to you… is that you are not at fault. You didn't… 'misread' me."
"... What? I don't get what you mean."
Neji pushed the hair in his face behind his ears, a contradictory movement as he would much rather conceal his eyes and the creeping heat emerging to the surface of his skin. He felt much like a certain Nara boy at this moment, lamenting the "total drag" this was going to be. It seemed appropriate. So he closed his eyes, took a deepened breath, and with some effort, faced her directly. I am speaking to you. He wanted her to see that.
"... I wanted you."
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AN: Gosh...