So despite the fact that I should study for my exams... I am just not too much. So in any case I wrote Chapter 7, I'm sorry for it being really boring, cause it's mostly just filler right now. The next few chapters will likely be filler too.
Normally I don't really listen to music WHILE writing stuff. I mean when I'm not clacking away on the computer I listen to it for inspiration, but not usually while I'm writing because I get distracted and headachy. But for this chapter I did. Because some of the songs I've used or planned to use for inspiration helped me think.
There is a whole load of songs and in reality most of them have almost nothing except a few cool lines to do with the story. So in any case... Chapter 7!
Four days had quickly, too quickly in Tenten's opinion, passed. They were on their way back to Konoha at once reluctant and excited to be returning home. They travelled at a slow pace, not quite dawdling. Pausing often enough to give Tenten a chance to rest, mostly at Neji's insistence.
Neji kept a close eye on Tenten despite her telling him various times that she was fine. He could tell right off the bat that she wasn't up to her normal speed and that she was stiff. Neji suspected she wasn't being entirely honest, however if she wanted to push herself so hard he had no right to criticise her.
In truth Tenten knew she should have waited at least another day before travelling. However as nice as it was waking up to Neji every morning and falling asleep with the warmth of his body beside her, they needed to return back to Konoha.
On one hand Tenten couldn't wait to be back among all the familiar faces, going out for lunch with her friends, training daily with Neji and occasionally Lee and sleeping in her own bed. She smiled at the thought of returning home.
On the flip side each step closer to Konoha was the impending end of her budding relationship with Neji. When Neji returned, he'd be expected to do his duty to his family and get engaged. Neji would obey the Hyuuga Elders in this no matter how much he wanted to stay with her. If he listened to them they'd be more inclined to select him as the next Head of the Family.
No matter how much she loved him or he loved her, there was no way she could stand in the way of his dream. He'd simply wanted nothing more than to be acknowledged in his own family. This would be his big chance. His chance to show he wasn't a caged bird.
If she were to force him to pick her instead, she'd always regret it and feel guilty. She'd be the one to clip his wings, forcing him to stay earthbound. A caged bird can always escape however a bird with clipped wings will never fly. It wouldn't matter that she would be doing it out of love.
That night when they stopped to set up camp, the scent of rain was heavy in the air. It would probably rain later this evening or the next morning. Tenten watched as Neji made the fire while she herself set up traps around the perimeter of their camp. That done with Tenten helped Neji in setting up the tent.
Once they'd made two cups of tea, they doused the fire and headed into the tent to prepare for bed. The two of them sat in their respective sleeping bags, drinking the tea to stay warm. Even though it was summer it was freezing outside, and Tenten could hear the first drops of rain hitting the tent.
As time passed and it grew colder Tenten buried herself into her sleeping bag, getting no satisfactory warmth out of it at all. Shivering slightly she tried to concentrate on her breathing. As it was her thoughts raced, thinking despite her wishes, about how she'd be warmer if she were to crawl in with Neji.
Somehow she managed to doze off, only to awaken a little bit later feeling frozen to the bone. She was so cold… She shivered violently and scooted her sleeping bag a little closer to Neji. However it did nothing to alleviate the constant cold. Finally she was so miserable that she climbed out of her sleeping bag. She shivered as she stood in the cold air of the tent.
Slowly she nudged Neji over lightly in his sleeping bag. He was awake the minute she put her hand on him, part of his training. Without saying a word he unzipped the sleeping bag to make room for her. She quickly scrambled in. One arm went around her, the other hand reached out to grab her now empty sleeping bag and throw it over top of the both of them.
"You're cold…" Neji whispered in her ear. Causing her to shiver where his warm breath hit her neck. Her frozen feet were pressed up against his legs. Gradually Tenten warmed up and drifted off to sleep.
Tenten was curled up as close as she could get to him, sharing his warmth. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer before resting his head down beside hers. His nose was buried in her hair and her scent filled his nostrils as he drifted off to sleep beside his teammate for the fifth night in a row.
When she finally woke up in the morning she could still hear the rain pouring, though it had lightened to a drizzle. Her body clock told her that it must be at least eight or nine o'clock. They'd slept in! However at the moment she couldn't bring herself to care it wasn't like they really had to get back to Konoha tonight.
She could feel Neji's hot breath against the back of her neck, and one of his hands was around her waist holding her in that position. She was pressed up against his firm body, which radiated heat. Turning around to face Neji, Tenten realised he was awake and watching her.
"We should probably get going," Tenten sighed. Still despite her comment the two of them lay entwined together, delaying going out into the cold, wet rain. As well as their impending separation.
The rain had let up to a light drizzle. Still Tenten's hair was plastered to her back, having come out of her buns already. Ahead of her she could see Neji's back. Today they went at a slightly faster pace than yesterday, most likely to get out of the rain that much sooner.
Tenten's muscles protested loudly with each movement. She was still recovering and stiff. The rain did not help in general as the mud kicked up clung to her weighing her down. As well her clothes were almost soaked completely through, despite the rainproof cloak wrapped around her.
They were a half a day from Konoha and there was still enough time to make it back early tomorrow morning. Still there was no way Tenten would make it that far, Neji concluded. She was too worn out and if she pushed herself too much more she'd hurt herself.
"We'll stop here tonight," Neji said when Tenten caught up with him.
"We still have enough time—"
"You're worn out completely, it's not necessary to kill yourself in an attempt to return home." Neji said in a tone that indicated his orders should be followed.
The two of them set camp up under the shelter of a small group of trees; it was less damp over there. That night Tenten combined the two sleeping bags into one large one. Tenten lay wrapped in Neji's warm embrace. He made no comment on their new sleeping arrangement.
His lips lightly brushed her shoulder. "Neji…" Tenten whispered. "Please don't."
"Why not?" Neji asked, she could feel him smirking against her shoulder.
"It reminds me that tonight is the last night I can call you mine," Tenten explained to the silence in the tent. Neji was silent, she could feel his movement but she couldn't see him. "Neji?" she asked.
His lips pressed lightly against hers, so soft that it was almost like a dream. It was such a bittersweet kiss, full of longing and denial. He pulled away. "Just for tonight…" he breathed into her ear. Lips ghosted over soft skin, creeping lower and lower. Beneath him he could feel her body react. She arched into him, breathing heavily. Her eyes were half lidded.
"Neji please…" She couldn't remember if she was trying to tell him to stop or to keep going. In the darkness her voice sounded as if she were on the brink of tears. "Just for tonight…" she sighed.
She couldn't resist anymore, as much as she despised herself for giving in. She knew that in the days to come this would only make it much more difficult. Still for now she wanted to pretend that he was hers, just like she'd done back in her genin days.
She woke up that morning, feeling trapped in Neji's arms. Her head lay on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Normally this would calm her down, but today she was too agitated. They hadn't gone much further than kissing last night, so she couldn't understand why this was affecting her so deeply. Shrugging off his arm she exited the tent. The sun had finally chosen to reveal its face, but it felt as if it should be raining instead.
Neji gave her the distance she craved as he packed up their camp. The day's travel was filled with an awkward silence. Both of them consumed in their own thoughts, mentally and emotionally preparing themselves for the moment when it would really end.
They were maybe a mile away from Konoha when finally Tenten spoke. "Neji?" She asked.
"Hn," he turned around promptly to face her, then stood waiting for her to continue to speak.
"We can't pretend anymore can we? This is the end…" Tenten stared at the ground, she couldn't bear to look at his face. She wondered if he wore that impassive face of his, or if it were twisted in some sort of sad longing.
She's shaking like a leaf, at the moment she seems so fragile, belying her power as a kunoichi. She won't look up to face him because the moment she does she knows she will be crushed, crushed with all of her emotions. "When we get back maybe we should avoid each other for a bit…" she's hesitant.
So many parts of her are screaming 'No! Don't do that!' and yet in her heart she knows that if she doesn't she'll end up no better than Sakura after Sasuke left. Seeing him when she knows she can't have him is more torture than she can withstand.
"That might be best," Neji is looking over at a tree slightly to her left. "When we get back I won't be able to train for a week. Hiashi-sama wishes to complete the discussions fairly quickly."
"I guess I will see you sometime after that then," Tenten's gaze lifts up to look at him. Her eyes are dry but he can't help but think he's never seen her eyes looking so dead.
They continued on and we greeted at the gates only by the ANBU guards. "Neji-sama, Hiashi-sama has left word that once you finish your report to the Hokage you are to return to the Hyuuga Compound immediately," One of the guards told Neji.
"Thank you," Neji said as impassive as always. Tenten quailed inwardly at the contents of the message, already she was losing him. They'd only been here a few minutes and already he was gone.
They handed their report into Tsunade-sama and collected their payment. "Tenten would you please go to the hospital for an extra check-up on your injury?" The blonde Hokage added before they left her presence. "Sakura will check up on you."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Tenten whispered obediently. Once the door was closed she turned to face Neji. "I guess this is goodbye then," she anxiously twisted her fingers together.
"Goodbye Tenten," Neji whispered in her ear before he left. She can only watch him as he walks away, leaving her behind. She can only think, He will never be mine again.
"Tenten, you're back!" the pink haired girl hugged her older friend tightly. "We were wondering if something went wrong… you said you'd only be gone for a week." Sakura then pulled back. "Why do you look so sickly?"
"I came for a check up, Tsunade-sama sent me," Tenten said. "I got injured on the mission and she wanted it checked out."
Sakura immediately became more official, pointing to a seat as she collected her equipment. Tenten wearily took the indicated seat in her friend's office. "What happened?" Sakura asked as her fingers lightly brushed the wound on her friend's neck.
"I took a senbon in the neck, my pulse stopped for a while and Neji took me for dead."
"You're lucky, it just missed your vitals or they aimed intentionally not to kill you," Sakura murmured. "Your Chakra is low, you pushed yourself too hard on the way back."
"It was more important to get back," Tenten replied.
"Not if you kill yourself trying. As it is I'm going to get you taken off the mission roster for a week. You need to rest," Sakura wrote down the note on her clipboard. From the corner of her eyes Sakura watched the older girl; she looked as though she were on the brink of collapsing. "Do you need help getting home?" They stood in the doorway of her office.
"I'll be fine," Tenten brushed off the pink haired girl's help.
"Go home and rest," Sakura advised. "We'll take you out for supper later tonight, you can tell us all about your mission."
"I'll see you later," Tenten said as she exited the hospital. As she murmured her own goodbye Sakura could only think that her friend looked far too worn out.