Please see first chapter for disclaimer, etc.
Prompt: Lovers
Series: Sequel to Choices (chapter 9), prequel to Joy (chapter 16) and Surreal (chapter 18)
Special Thanks: goes out to KNO, DarkAnonymous324, naash, imjuzakyd, and rao hyuga 18 for all your wonderful and heart-touching reviews for the last chapter. I appreciate you all so much!
Author's Note: This is the promised last piece (at least for now) in the Choices/Joy/Surreal storyline. I greatly enjoyed writing this one - it's my second favorite, Choices being my first. I've had this one in the works for a while, and in fact I meant to post it before Joy and Surreal, but I wanted it to be absolutely perfect before I did, so I held off until I felt it was just right. I really hope you enjoy this piece, and thank you all again so much for reading, reviewing, alerting, and favoriting my story!
*~Lovers~*
With Neji, it was always the little things that counted the most in their relationship.
In the beginning of their secret courtship, they would spend every second they could outside of missions together. Even if they only spent their time training, they were together, and that was all that counted for them. They had both known it would be a matter of time until something happened to try to break them up, but neither had determined to concern themselves with the thought. Already, they had faced more than their fair share of trials and tribulations, and they wouldn't let anything stand in their way.
And then Neji told her that the Elders had determined that he should find a bride, or one would be found for him. Her breathing had hitched, but it became almost impossible to draw in oxygen when he told her that he had requested to marry her, but the Elders had refused.
Immediately her mind had gotten busy planning ways around it. She had never been a brilliant strategist, not like Neji and Shikamaru, but she liked to think she could come up with clever solutions for some problems. This situation would be at the very top of that list.
Tenten spent the rest of that sleepless night doing research and making contingency plans. The moment the sun was starting to peek over the horizon, she went to see Lady Tsunade, requesting that she and Neji be assigned the run to Suna for the most recent reports. She had managed to make it all seem like the Hokage's idea (not hard to do when the blonde looked like she was sleep-deprived and severely hung-over), and less than two hours later, she and Neji were well on their way to Suna.
The only uncertainties in her plan had been Neji's reaction (something she realized later she really shouldn't have been that worried about), and Gaara's. The leader of the Sand Village was not what she'd consider a romantic, and that was putting it mildly. She didn't know if he would be sympathetic to two people from a neighboring land, although Konoha and Suna were allies, and consent to marrying them. Especially since she barely knew Gaara, even though she had visited Suna a few times since the chunnin exams when other shinobi or kunoichi weren't available to do the report run. That was the only hitch in her otherwise flawless plan.
Ideally, the trip between Konoha and Suna took three full days, though Gai and Lee usually pushed themselves and made it much faster. Neji and Tenten, while not traveling at such a breakneck speed as one rather notable return trip, didn't linger, and made it in just over two days. The Hokage would expect them to stay for at least a day, if not two, while matters were settled; not to mention the fact that she only expected ridiculously fast trips from the other two members of Team Gai.
Even with all those things factored in, Tenten wanted to broach the subject with the Kazekage as quickly as possible - just in case she ran into trouble talking the Sand Village's leader into assisting them in their scheme.
Gaara greeted them with all the courtesy required of someone of his position. It was obvious he still wasn't very comfortable socializing, but he offered them both seats and called for tea while Tenten handed over the scroll and gave him the customary summary of its contents. She knew he would read the detailed report later, but felt the need to preface her and Neji's request with something else having to do with business for the Leaf.
Neji sat silently next to her the whole while, watching the proceedings with his sharp white eyes. She wondered what was going on in that brilliant head of his - even after all the years of knowing him, and two of those actually courting the man - she still had trouble anticipating his thoughts, though she had long ago learned what his monosyllabic answers and minute facial expressions really meant. He was just frustratingly good at hiding his thoughts.
Evening was descending on the village when Tenten finally got up the courage to ask about what she and Neji had come to the village for. "Lord Kazekage … Neji and I have come to Suna with a request, as well as the report."
Making a steeple with his fingers in front of his face, Gaara gazed at her with his darkly rimmed sea-foam green eyes. "The Leaf has proven itself to be a trustworthy ally, and yourselves equally dependable shinobi," he said. "If your request is within legal limits and my own abilities, I shall do what I can to assist you."
Tenten blinked in surprise. She had not expected it to be that easy, not in the least. Perhaps Naruto had helped change the Sand shinobi more than even he had thought. "Thank you, Lord Kazekage." She glanced at Neji, thinking it best if he took over from there.
Prefacing his words with a respectful tilt of his head, Neji cleared his throat and set aside his empty cup. "My clan, the Hyuuga, are broken into two separate entities. There is the main branch of the family, to which my uncle and cousins belong, and my branch of the family." His hand slid up to his headband, which he touched briefly. "The lower echelon members of the Hyuuga are branded with a curse seal, one that basically renders us powerless to go against the Elders' decisions regarding our lives. They have determined that I am to be married very soon … but they have refused my wish to marry Tenten. I cannot outright fight the Elders' decision. However…" He trailed off, glancing at her in a signal to pick up the explanation again.
"Since Suna and Konoha are allies, it is within legal boundaries for the Kazekage to officiate a marriage of two shinobi from Konoha. We cannot go to our own Hokage, because at least for now we have to keep our marriage secret from the Elders." She bowed her head slightly. "Neji and I have spent days thinking and discussing this situation. We have come to the conclusion that this plan is our only hope of being together, except for defecting from Konoha or becoming missing-nin, which neither of us wish to do. Please, Lord Gaara - will you help us?"
For a few forever moments, the Kazekage silently stared at Tenten and Neji, slowly shifting his gaze from one to the other and back again. It was obvious he was considering things carefully - was this a doable request, one that would not cause unrest between Suna and Konoha were Neji and Tenten to be found out? Was he, in his position of power, willing to officiate the ceremony for two ninja not even of his village, let alone of good acquaintance?
At last Gaara let out his breath in a long sigh. Tenten felt her heart fall, and disappointment gripped her soul. He was going to say no. Now what were she and Neji going to do?
"Be ready at sunset. I'll help you."
Tenten blinked, not sure if she could believe her ears. "You - you will?"
Neji was the first to recover his senses (if he'd even really lost them in the first place - sometimes it was hard for even Tenten to tell). "Thank you, Lord Gaara."
The redhead smiled thinly, then leaned forward and reached for the scroll on his desk. "If you'll excuse me, I have some business to take care of, first. I will see you two later."
They'd barely made it out of the office before Tenten let out her breath in a shaky sigh that was more than half a squeal that she managed to muffle with her hand. With her other, she reached out to pinch her arm. "This is really happening," she whispered. "We're getting married."
Heedless of anyone who might walk down the hall, Neji wrapped his arms around her and dropped a kiss on her lips. "Thank you for thinking of this," he said. He looked more relaxed, hopeful, than she'd seen him in a long time. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Light pressed insistently against her eyelids, urging her awake, although unwillingly. Tenten cracked open her eyes, squinting at the strong sunlight pouring through the cracked draperies across the room. She blinked sluggishly, wondering why the sun seemed to be so high in the sky. Usually she woke when it was barely peeking over the horizon.
As wakefulness crept back to her in degrees, Tenten realized there was an arm draped over her waist, fingers twined with hers, and a face pressed into the back of her neck, breath gently rustling her hair. Neji.
Rolling her head slightly, Tenten grinned into her pillow. This was her first morning as Hyuuga Tenten, and so far, it seemed like it couldn't get any better.
The Kazekage had gotten things moving quickly, though Tenten still puzzled over how he'd done so. It didn't take long for a group of women to come sweep Tenten away, helping her style her hair and apply some light hints of makeup. She'd packed her one kimono in hopes that Gaara would help them, and while she'd wished Sakura, Hinata, and Ino could be there helping her, the three Suna women had done their best to be helpful substitutes.
Gaara had married them at sunset atop the Kazekage tower that overlooked Suna. His older brother and sister had witnessed the event and signed the marriage papers, making everything legal. Neji had accepted the document, carefully folded it, and tucked it into his pocket. They'd agreed earlier it would be best if he kept it with him, since it was his family that would cause the most trouble when they found out about Neji and Tenten's marriage.
Last night still felt a bit like a dream to Tenten. Everything had been so perfect, unlike anything she could ever have imagined for herself. She'd never really thought about what her wedding would be like, but now that she and Neji were married, she decided she wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Even if it had been small, rushed, and secret, it was - well, perfect. There was no other way to describe it.
And after that… Tenten smothered another grin, unable to help the breathless giggle that escaped her. Well, really, it was no wonder she'd slept far later than usual this morning.
"Hmm." Tightening his arms around her waist to let her know he was awake, Neji carefully pushed her tangled hair out of the way and nuzzled the back of her neck. "Good morning." His head lifted as he gazed past her, toward the window. "Is it that late already?"
Tenten deftly twisted in his arms, rolling over so she could face her husband. Team Gai had been on countless missions together, most of them including overnight stays at various locations, but she couldn't ever remember seeing Neji so - disheveled. His dark hair formed a tousled curtain over half his face, and his eyes still drooped sleepily, half-veiling his pale eyes. Lifting her hand, she carefully brushed his hair away so nothing obscured her view of his face. She didn't say anything, merely closing the short distance between them so she could kiss him. There were no words to describe the love and happiness she felt inside herself.
Neji looked a little more awake when she pulled back a little while later. "We'll be expected for breakfast," he remarked, but made no discernable effort to move away.
"I don't know about you, but I'm not hungry," Tenten replied. That seemed to be the answer Neji was waiting for, and she laughed as he rolled them over and buried his face in her neck, lips forming an easy smile against her skin as he kissed her.
If they had their way, they would stay there forever.
After retrieving the report scroll from Lord Gaara that they would deliver to Lady Tsunade upon their return to Konoha, Neji and Tenten left Suna for their return trip home. They'd lingered in Sand as long as they dared, knowing that things would become indescribably more complicated back in the Leaf.
Neither said much as they traveled, content to silently enjoy each other's company. Several times Tenten thought about broaching the subject of the Elders, but she always held her tongue. She and Neji were playing a very dangerous game - if those in the Hyuuga clan that disapproved of her and Neji's wedding found out too early, their marriage would be annulled and it was very doubtful they'd ever have a chance to try again.
Konoha seemed like a different place to Tenten when she and Neji arrived. For some reason the walls that had always seemed so protective and comfortable in the past now seemed almost like a prison. It felt like everyone's eyes were on her and Neji, calculating and condemning. She felt uneasy in the streets, and even more so in the Hokage's office. While Tsunade didn't act like she suspected anything, Tenten knew that she and Neji were in just as much danger from the Hokage as they were from the Elders, for it would be she who would officiate the annulment were they to be discovered.
When Tenten arrived at her apartment, she found herself wandering aimlessly through its few small rooms. She felt so lonely without Neji already, since the past few days she'd been spending as much time with him as possible to make up for their forced separation when they got home. Absently, she rubbed at her left ring finger, mourning the fact that she and Neji hadn't dared wear rings. He had surprised her with two beautifully crafted silver bands at the wedding ceremony, but they'd been forced to take them off when they left Suna. Hers was safely hidden in a drawer in her bedroom, waiting to be put on again at the right time.
Her hand went to her flat stomach thoughtfully. How long would it be before she could finally tell Neji that she was expecting their child? During the long, sleepless night she'd spent planning this whole scheme, she hadn't really allowed herself to dwell on the subject of children. She herself was an orphan, having lost her parents to the dangers life as a ninja naturally presented. Every time she left the village on a mission, she knew she risked doing the same thing. While she was pregnant, she wouldn't go on missions, naturally, but after the child was born, she knew without a doubt she'd want to continue her career as a kunoichi. And that whole time, Neji would still be a shinobi, one of the best in the village.
Turning abruptly away from where she'd been staring blankly out the window, Tenten went to shower and fix herself a cup of tea. She wouldn't think any longer on the subject, at least for now.
The rest of the day passed with agonizing slowness as Tenten forced herself to find various things to occupy her mind. She kept one eye on the window, watching as the sun sank deeper and deeper behind the horizon. When it was completely dark, Neji would come to her, as they'd arranged earlier that morning before coming into hearing range of the village. They dared not be together at Neji's home, since the walls were thin and the Hyuuga family had very sharp eyes and ears.
Over the next few months, they settled into something of a routine. Whenever they weren't out on missions, Neji would come to her bedroom window at dark, they would spend a few wonderful hours together, and then he would leave before sunrise to sneak back into the Hyuuga compound. Tenten would occasionally fall into a bit of a depression: they'd been married for a while now, and she still showed no signs of being pregnant. However, Neji would always find ways to cheer her up and keeps her hope alive.
Then another problem started to present itself. The Hyuuga Elders had introduced Makoto Hoshi into Neji's life, saying she was from an honorable Konoha family that traced its lineage back several generations, and the Makoto clan had proven themselves several times over to be loyal to the Leaf. Tenten met Hoshi once, when she went to the Hyuuga compound to visit Hinata. She was a beautiful girl, soft-spoken and elegant. While not a kunoichi herself, several members of her family served in ANBU and were of either chunnin or jounin levels. Hoshi had shared a few of her drawings with Tenten, who tried not to let herself feel envious.
During the day, Neji would spend his time politely pretending to woo Hoshi under the Elders' watchful eyes. Then, at night, he would come to spend as much time with Tenten as he dared. She admitted to him once that she felt jealous of Hoshi, afraid to even look at his face as she whispered the confession. Neji had taken her face in his hands and kissed her, erasing any lingering uncertainties and jealousies from her mind. He was hers, she was his, and it would always be that way - that was what his kisses and touches promised.
At long last, around seven months after she and Neji had married, the symptoms Tenten had been longing for began to manifest themselves. Trying hard not to get her hopes up, she made an appointment with the Hokage herself, saying that she had a private medical matter to discuss with her. While she wanted very much to tell Neji of her suspicions, she kept it to herself, not wanting to get his hopes up if nothing came of it.
Lady Tsunade performed Tenten's checkup with the professional efficiency she always showed, only raising a questioning brow when Tenten quietly asked her to test for pregnancy. Though it didn't take long for the Hokage to go over the results and come back to share them, Tenten sat on the exam table with a white-knuckled grip on its cold, thin paper sheet, all but holding her breath.
And then came the news she'd been hoping for: Tenten was about two months pregnant. Naturally, Tsunade did not know the circumstances, so Tenten was subjected to a questioning of the mission dating around the time of conception.
It was time to come clean. She couldn't call for Neji to come to her side, but Tenten herself carried a copy of their marriage papers, which she showed to Tsunade. Then she explained the situation, and begged for her superior's discretion for another few days, until she and Neji were able to announce their marriage and impending parenthood to the Hyuuga Elders. Then she could do nothing but sit and wait for the Hokage's reply.
Tsunade was quiet for a long time, silently gazing at the worn paper she held in her hand, then at Tenten, then back around. At last she tugged a paper from Tenten's file, scribbled something on it, signed it, and stamped her seal upon it. "Here," she said, presenting it and the marriage paper to the younger woman. "Congratulations, and good luck with the Elders."
Great effort was required for Tenten to act naturally for the rest of the day. She was supposed to meet Sakura, Ino, and Hinata for lunch, a tradition they'd set up for times when their times off coincided and wanted to catch up with each other. Tenten forced herself to act normally, laughing and talking with the other three women as if her world hadn't completely and totally changed for the better. If her friends noticed something different about her, they said nothing.
Never had the hours felt so endless since the first day she'd gotten back to Konoha after she and Neji got married. Tenten sat by her bedroom window for a good two hours before complete darkness, rehearsing over and over how she would tell Neji the good news. All her plans went for naught, in the end, since the moment her husband closed the window after himself she threw herself at him, twined her arms and legs around his neck and waist respectively, planted an enthusiastic kiss on his lips, and excitedly announced, "I'm pregnant!"
Neji's reaction had been everything she'd expected it to be. He'd spun her in a quick circle, then carefully lowered her to the floor, acting as if she were made of glass and, should he move too fast, she would break. Tenten didn't care at that moment, so happy was she to finally be able to let go of their secret and be with her husband all the time, like she'd wanted so badly.
They made plans to tell the Elders the next evening, after Neji had time to break the news to Hoshi. Tenten knew he hated being forced to string the woman along for so long, but they both hoped that she'd be able to find someone with whom she could share a love like they had.
Tenten didn't know how things were going to go tomorrow, but as she lay curled up in Neji's arms that night, both their hands resting on her stomach, she knew as long as she had him - her teammate, her best friend, her husband, her lover - with her, everything would somehow turn out just fine.
*~The End~*
Author's Ending Notes: I think this is my second-favorite installment in this little mini-series I've had going, with Choices being my favorite. At least for now, this is the last installment I have planned in this storyline, so next up it's something new again! I really enjoyed writing this piece (and I still feel sorry for poor Hoshi!), so I hope that you enjoyed reading it! Thank you again!