Okay. Getting facts straight. I actually love getting sick. Especially in the winter. (LOL GOOD JOKE) Actually I just love laying in bed and listening to the rain patter on my window. But Neji and TenTen hate getting sick. :(
Also, I might actually be coming down with a cold :( :( BREAK JUST STARTED. THE WORLD HATES MEEEE. meep
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Fluff 7: Being sick can sometimes be fun
TenTen tapped her foot impatiently. She'd been waiting for Neji for over 15 minutes and in Hyuuga time that was like being 3 hours late. Her brow creased and she twirled a stray piece of hair from her side braid. She could see storm clouds brewing on the edge of the training grounds and obviously they wouldn't be able to train. She sighed and gathered her stuff and headed out. Maybe Neji knew better and decided to practice in the gym. TenTen shrugged and headed back home. She would need to get her clothes back inside before they got soaked on the line.
Rain pattered around TenTen as she walked back towards her apartment. Suddenly she looked up, realizing that she was passing by the Hyuuga compound. She paused, pondering whether to inquire about Neji or not. After all, She hadn't seen Hinata in a long time either and Hiashi wasn't that scary (TenTen: the only person on Earth who thinks Hiashi is nice). She hesitated for a minute and then took a breath and walked up to the main gate. She waved at the guards and they opened the gate for her. She wandered through the halls, confused by the lack of human activity or noise. She crept around, peeking through doors, trying to find some kind of life forms, until finally she happened upon a room upstairs where she could hear coughing. She opening the door with a grin, but that slowly faded away as she took in the scene. Neji was surrounded in his huge bed, by tissues and blankets and the counter was an abundance of medicines and tea.
"Oh my god! Neji, are you okay?" Neji opened his eyes wide and struggled to sit up. TenTen rushed to the side.
"Oh no you don't! Not when you're sick!" Neji growled.
"I'm not sick." His voice was congested and so low, TenTen barely even heard it. She rolled her eyes.
"Oh yeah, that's definitely going to convince me. Why aren't you being taken care of? Where is everyone?" Neji opened his mouth and coughed repeatedly for a couple of minutes. All TenTen understood was that they'd gone off somewhere for something of great importance.
"Well then, I'll just have to take care of you then, won't I?" Neji shook his head.
"I can do it myself!" With that, he tried to lean over to get a glass of water, only to realize there was no water to get. TenTen raised an eyebrow and disappeared from the room, returning with a jug of water with a couple of mint leaves in it.
"You're not allowed to argue with me now. Just lay down and let me help!" She pushed Neji back onto his pillows and proceeded to pick up all of the tissues with prongs and put them in a trashcan. She opened the windows to let in some fresh air and made a fresh pot of tea. Neji watched her work, white eyes following her every move.
"Okay, I'm going to make some soup to bring your fever down. Just don't do anything stupid." TenTen fluffed his pillows, closed the windows, and walked out. As soon as her footsteps receded down the stairs, Neji slipped out of his covers, struggling to walk towards the windows and open them again. He stumbled a bit, succeeded in opening one window, and then crashed onto the ground, wrapped in his comforter and fast asleep. TenTen walked into the room again with a tray of soup and smiled.
"Didn't I tell you to lay down and let me help?" She sat down next to Neji, and knowing that she couldn't lift his limp body onto the bed without help, she pulled a pillow from the bed and lifted Neji's head onto her lap. Slowly, she caressed his silky hair and leaned against the wood panel underneath the windows. A tray of cold soup was left at the door.
"Hey Neji! Looks like I won't be able to come to prac-" TenTen's voicemail was cut off by hacking and coughing, punctured by small gasps of breath. Neji locked his phone and twitched. TenTen was sick… again. This was the third time in the last four months. He muttered to himself as he got up from the bench outside their gym and stalked off in the direction of TenTen's apartment.
The stairs creaked as he walked up to the top floor of her somewhat dingy apartment building. He raised an eyebrow as pieces of plaster floated from the ceiling, large cracks forming near spiderwebs in the corners. As Neji walked up the last flight of stairs, he heard muffling coughing and what sounded a lot like vomiting before he rushed into TenTen's apartment door and literally busted the door off its hinges.
TenTen emerged from the bathroom, face dripping with water from washing her face. She looked angry… well angry enough for a sick person.
"NEJI! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Her voice was pretty loud for someone who could barely talk. He ambled into the room, completely ignoring the huge dent he'd made in the wall when he slammed the door open and all of the peeling wallpaper that he'd helped TenTen put up when she first moved in.
TenTen glared at him, gathering the blanket she'd pulled from bed when she went to the bathroom around her and plopping on the couch.
"You know you're going to have to clean that up, right?" Apparently yelling that loudly that cleared up her throat, which felt like crap after she dry heaved for five minutes.
"Hn." TenTen rolled her eyes. She felt a tickle of coughing coming along and unsuccessfully tried to muffle it into her blanket.
Neji looked at her convulsing, huddled in the couch, and decided that training wasn't that important today. He sat next to TenTen and put his arm on the top of the couch.
"You should get some tea for that. I think peppermint or jasmine would help." TenTen looked up, happy at the thought of tea, but then her face dropped.
"Awwww, I didn't get my last paycheck. It went straight to the stupid landlord! I'll need to take another shift at the nursery…" Neji looked at her, confused.
"Wait, I thought you worked at the music school. When'd you change jobs?" TenTen blushed and snuggled into the corner of the couch. For a second, Neji wished she would snuggle into him for once, but he dismissed the thought.
"Welllllll, I needed more money to help pay my rent since the price went up and I almost got kicked out. I've been working the midnight shift cause they need people to make sure the plants in the hot house stay hot, especially since it's freezing this time of year." Neji raised an eyebrow.
"So this is why you've been sick so many times? Why didn't you just ask the landlord to give you an extension?" TenTen shook her head and sipped water from a bottle on the floor.
"He already kicked me out once. I had to sleep on the roof. So no, two jobs it is." Neji frowned.
"Well the least I could do is get you some tea. Get back into bed and try not to do anything stupid." TenTen stuck her tongue out and crawled into her bedroom in the back.
Neji walked down the street, pondering the bad conditions TenTen was living in. Of course, he probably was worried because she wouldn't be able to train and they wouldn't have as much of a chance, but… life without so much TenTen in it just wasn't fun… He shook his head and walked into the grocery store. Maybe she'd like some mochi too, or cake, or miso soup…
The door was still on the floor when Neji came in. He winced and reminded himself to put that back before he left. Hands full of grocery bags because he knew that TenTen couldn't feed herself for her life, Neji dumped everything and went into the bedroom. TenTen was peacefully sleeping inside a bundle of white fluffy blankets. Neji chuckled as he remembered that the only time TenTen ever indulged herself was when she saw the fluffy comforter and decided that she might as well sleep well. He stood there for a moment, eyes roaming over TenTen's face. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually looked at TenTen.
Now her face was thin, dark circles underneath her very tired eyes. Tendrils of hair fell across her pale skin and Neji noticed that the arm popping out of her blanket was skinnier than he'd ever seen it before. He was shocked, TenTen looked so sickly. She'd probably been skipping meals to work. Neji mentally punched himself for not noticing before. But… she still looked beautiful. You could make out the fierce girl that Neji battled with everyday underneath the weak girl on the bed. Her hair was falling out of its braid, curls a stark contrast to her pale skin and white sheets. Neji sat next to the bed and out of its own accord, his hand moved to push her hair off her face. She murmured and shifted. Neji froze and dove off the bed. He walked back to the main room, trying to breathe normally. He eyed the grocery bags and decided that TenTen would like a nice hot meal when she woke up.
TenTen stretched, yawning. She felt a lot better and the room seemed a lot warmer. Maybe cheapo landlord decided to turn on the heater for once. TenTen turned her head to the door, smelling wonderful smells that had never emanated from her apartment before. It could only be Neji. She grinned and snuggled into the covers, wishing that it was him she was snuggling into.