Author's Notes: I've received everyone's requests, but I must stress once again that requests are closed until "Crossing the Acheron" is finished, so it'll be awhile before you see them here. For now, enjoy my homage to my OTP. NejiTen.

Crimson

Neji staggers into the hospital, tattered and breathing raggedly, one pale eye closed against the blood dripping down his face from a cut on his forehead. In his bandaged arms he holds his teammate, her slim body a mass of small slices, each one bleeding freely until it looks as if she's been painted crimson. She seems to be very near death, if not already gone, and Neji is not much better, weaving on his feet as if ready to collapse any moment.

"She needs help," he says to anyone who will hear, his voice cracking like something old and unused, the splinters of his words striking the patients in the waiting room. Tenten's blood is dripping into a puddle at his feet as Sakura dashes to him, green eyes widening as she examines the unconscious woman. Fearfully, she checks for a pulse and finds one, a faint fluttering under her fingertips. She looks up into Neji's all too still face and nods once. Something flares to life again within his eyes.

Sakura calls more medics and they take Tenten from him, a trail of splattered blood marking their path back to the emergency bay. He stands there, his own wounds forgotten as he watches the door she disappeared behind, his stunned mind wondering if he'll ever see her walk out of it.

Then Lee is there, just as broken and battered, limping up to him to rest a hand on Neji's shoulder. He speaks but Neji doesn't understand what he's saying.

"She's strong, Neji. She'll make it."

He doesn't want to hear this. "She was hit by poisoned senbon, Lee," he says coldly, shrugging off his friend's comforting arm. Even with one eye he can still freeze people. "And she wouldn't even be in there if you hadn't rushed in like a fool."

He starts walking, ignoring the nurse's calls to halt. He can only see that door, the one keeping him from her, and then he's through it, seeing nothing but her torn body and tangled hair. Tubes are already attached to her, pumping antidote into her system and he can see it run through her system, saving her. Her fingers twitch in spasms, her system struggling in a battle he cannot help her with.

Something leaves his throat, a word, a name, a sound – he's not sure. Then he's by her side, grasping her hand and feeling something inside of him piece itself back together as she returns his grip unconsciously. There are voices in his ear, telling him he shouldn't be there, he's in their way. Sakura snaps something back in his defense but he doesn't care, he's counting Tenten's breaths.

An hour later he's still standing there, holding onto her incase she decides to leave him. Sakura is treating his wounds as best she can while he's standing and he barely feels touch of her chakra, all his concentration focused on the one person that means the most to him.

Someone brings him a chair and he sits automatically, his fingers still entwined with Tenten's. After a moment, he leans forward and speaks to her in a tone that no other person alive has ever heard. The words he uses are ones only his father has been graced with.

"Don't leave me."

And as if something has been tightened, fixed, held, her eyes flicker open and she sees him. The corner of her mouth curves. She whispers his name.

"Neji."

Just that is enough for him, but she gives him more. She always has.

"I'm here."

The End.