Neji shut his eyes as the warm water of Tenten's shower beat against the tight skin of his shoulders. Tsunade had finished his healing and what had been life-threatening wounds had become simply pink scars. They too would fade soon. Until then he was stuck in skin that felt two sizes two small for him. Looking at the narrow rim of the tub, Neji consulted the handful of bottles that was scattered there.

He knew it was beyond time to shower. Tenten had been very nice but he imagined that sharing a bed with him was becoming unpleasant. Despite having long hair Neji viewed showering as a necessity but something to be done quickly. Tenten seemed to view it as a vacation, a long one considering the sheer amount of bottles on the ledge. Picking one up, Neji wondered if it was really a good idea to smell like coconuts. Opening the bottle he sniffed and frowned, it was definitely the one that Tenten used. He had smelled her hair enough--

"Damn it," Neji hissed, inwardly furious.

Tenten was becoming his, his obsession. He was not an idiot, he knew how the Konoha Teams worked. He was the angsty, attractive, silent man who was supposed to love the standard Kunoichi. She was supposed to kind of like him but end up finding true love with the bright and happy other team mate, his rival. He was not supposed to get a happily ever after. His life was one of servitude, not one of joy. But if his duty now was to lead the Main House, if he was no longer in servitude, did that mean he got his happiness?

"Shit," the door to the bathroom opened and closed. Neji froze, "sorry," Tenten hissed.

"What's going on?" he asked, holding himself very still, the bubbles of Tenten's shampoo foaming through his hair.

"There are Hyuuga's here," she whispered back to him, "Hinata's with her Team, Hanabi went to join her, its just us."

"Ten they can see you," Neji pointed out.

"I know that," she hissed in return, "but if they see me in here with you then they'll know we're not opening the door for a legitimate reason," she sighed, "so don't look."

"Huh? What?" Neji stared as he heard the rustle of cloths on the ground, "Ten--"

"Pretend its a mission--no, think its a mission. The 'I don't want to deal with my crazy family' mission," she said squaring her shoulders, "I'm coming in."

Neji spun to face the wall as the curtain was pulled back and Tenten got in the shower. Tenten had her back to him as well, her eyes focused on the opposite wall. She knew that this was only way to deal with them but still, being in the shower with Neji wasn't exactly what she had planned when she woke up that morning. Desperate to focus on anything else, Neji activated his Byakugan and looked. Sure enough there were three men standing outside the door. Knowing that standing back to back in the shower wasn't going to do anything Neji took a breath in and did possibly the only daring thing he'd ever done in his life and turned around, grabbing Tenten by the shoulders and spinning her around.

"Neji--what the--" the three men outside hadn't deactivated their Byakugans, still unsatisfied, "they're still watching?" Tenten sucked in her breath, "um--okay--" she looked at him, "we have to kiss."

"We have to kiss," he confirmed.

"For the, uh, mission," she said with a weak smile.

Neji's brow furrowed. Was that, was it disappointment he saw in her eyes. He knew he felt it as well, only his was disappointment for the fact that his only reason to kiss her was to escape the crazy family he had.

"No," he found his voice unusually hoarse.

"No, what?" Tenten asked, her brow furrowing, "Neji we hav--"

"Its not just for the mission," he said before he grabbed the back of her neck and crashed his lips into hers.

Tenten's eyes widened at the two-shot. First he said it wasn't just for the mission and then he wiped her mind clear as his eyes so she couldn't even figure out what that meant. All she knew was that Neji's lips were on hers and he seemed to be just as good at kissing as he did at sparring. Against her will Tenten wrapped her arms around him, the water from her shower pouring around both of them. Even when Neji saw the members depower their Byakugans and blush he didn't stop kissing her. If anything it was better because then he didn't have to worry about anything else. He powered down his Byakugan but didn't stop kissing her.

Tenten's fingers danced along the pale scars that decorated his torso. Even if she blamed herself for them he realized he would not trade them, not for what they had gained him. Finally they pulled apart. Tenten's eyes drifted open to look at his, her eyes half lidded and unreadable. Neji opened his mouth to apologize when Tenten raised her head with a bright smile.

"Do you know how long I've waited for you to do that?" she asked.

Twenty minuets later a much happier, much fruitier smelling Neji and Tenten stepped out of her shower. They got dressed in comfortable cloths and stepped into the living room. Hinata may have been a Princess but she was a neat girl by personality and had returned Tenten's couch to its previous state, the sheets folded and placed on the side of it. Tenten smiled faintly and sat down, picking up the weapons she had been trying to sharpen for a long time. Neji sat on the couch, watching her out of the corner of his eye. Tenten flushed faintly under his scrutiny, ducking her head as her fingers worked deftly with the metal.

"You shouldn't stare so much," she said faintly.

"Sorry," he said, her own cheeks heating, "I don't think I've seen you with your hair down before."

Tenten frowned, realizing he was right. He usually saw her with it down when it was out of its buns. Then it had waves. Naturally her hair was as strait as his was, it just happened to be a bit shorter and lighter. Still blushing she reached out and tucked a lock of it behind her ear, her fingers still sharpening the metal that had become second nature to her long ago. She looked over at Neji, wondering how a simple kiss could have changed everything.

"Its just easier if its up," she said as she continued to sharpen, "so did Tsunade say when you'd be up for training again?"

"She said I could take it easy tomorrow and see how it feels," he said.

"Hmm," Tenten held up a kunai for inspection, "maybe I should stop sharpening these then."

"Not that easy," he said.

Tenten laughed, Neji and his pride. Neji looked forward, his arms crossing defensively. Tenten smiled brightly and laid the kunai down before she knelt on the cushions of the couch and leaned forward, gently fitting her lips over Neji's. The angle was a bit awkward but he shifted to make it less so, his hands coming up to run through her hair as she held her weight on her arms. Neji leaned forward, his arms sliding around her shoulderblades to support her. Now that they had kissed once it would seem it was impossible to stop. It was like being drugged, like being--

"Greetings my Youthful Stud--"

"Youthful tea--oh my God!"

Like being interrupted by Might Gai and Rock Lee.

The two pulled apart reluctantly to see their team mate standing in the doorway. At the knowledge that Neji was going to be alright Lee had decided his Spandex were due for a revival. Now the two stood in the doorway, though they were not their usual chipper selves. Rather they were suddenly frozen, their faces full of identical jaw-dropped shock at catching their team mates making out on the couch.

"I knew my two youthful protege's would open their eyes and see each others fragrant blossoms!" Might Gai bellowed triumphantly, "your youthfulness has restored the youthfulness Neji lost in battle! Furthermor--"

"We should go," Lee blurted out.

"Lee it is unkind to be so unyouthful!" Might Gai scolded, "just because you are in a rush to collect your winnings--"

"Winnings?!" Tenten screeched.

"Of course," Gai said with a teeth-baring grin, "all of Konoha has been waiting for you two to--"

"You can't tell anyone," Neji snapped shoving himself off the couch and marching over to his two team mates, slamming the door shut and locking them in.

"Why not? Youthfulness must be celebrate--"

"You have no idea what kind of danger that could put Tenten in," he interrupted.

"Danger?" Tenten shoved herself up and marched over to the little gathering, "for your information your family has never scared me."

"Well they should have," Neji returned.

"Well they don't," she hissed, "and furthermore just because I was naked in a shower with you does not mean you get to become an overprotective jerk, got that? I'm not going to be sneaking into dark bushes with you Neji Hyuuga I'm not ashamed of what I feel for you and if you are, well," she put her hand on her hips, "well thats just too bad."

Lee and Gai traded looks, feeling like they were standing in the middle of a battlefield rather than in Tenten's apartment. What happened to 'visiting our youthful team mates'? Now the two of them were wondering if they were going to have to grab Neji and run from his angry team mate/girlfriend. Lee was pretty sure that if Neji showed up with more injuries--especially Tenten style injuries--Tsunade was going to save someone else the trouble and just kill him with her own two hands.

"No, I--" Neji stopped, "I'm not ashamed."

"And?" Tenten prodded

"You're not going to be an overprotective jerk," Lee hissed to him.

"Thank you I know," Neji snapped before looking at Tenten, "I can't help being overprotective."

"Try," she growled.

"I'll try," he said finally.

"Good," she said before her eyes went to Lee and Gai, "you can't tell anyone about this."

"W-w-w-what?!" Lee cried, very confused, "but that's what he just said--"

"It makes sense," Tenten said defensively crossing her arms, "I just wanted to make sure we understood each other."

"The springtime of youth is blossoming!" Gai said triumphantly before he slung an arm around Lee's shoulders, "we must find you a girlfriend, my protege, so your youthfulness may also blossom."

Lee looked desperately at them. Tenten stepped up with a laugh and put an arm around Lee.

"We're stealing Lee, okay Gai?" she said, "we'll have him back tomorrow."

"Your kindness warms my heart," he said with a teary smile, "I must go tell Kakashi of your wonderfulness! Team Seven will be forever shamed!"

He bounded off. Lee looked between his two team mates, wondering what was going on. He knew the two of them would wind up together eventually but he had always wondered what would happen to him when they did. Would they have room for him in their lives? Or would he go back to when he had no friends.

"Come on and help me," Tenten said sitting on the couch, "Neji's not being any help."

"How un-youthful of you!" Lee scolded, "I will help you, Ten."

"Thank you," Tenten said with a grin as they fell into their easy rhythm.

Before long Neji joined in. The three members of Team Gai sat on the couch and sharpened Tenten's weapons with the easy banter that came with years of being so close to each other. When he left a few hours later Lee wasn't worried about his team mates not having room for him in their lives. He felt very foolish, in fact, for ever doubting them.

Later, after Hinata and Hanabi were peacefully asleep out in the living room, Neji and Tenten got into her bed. Instead of sleeping back to back though, Tenten immediately snuggled into his side, her head cushioned on his chest.

"Am I hurting you?" she asked as he shifted his arm free and wrapped it around her waist.

"No," he said.

"Good," she said, her arm draping across his waist, "did we have our fist fight today?"

"Ten we've fought before," he said.

"Yeah but, I mean, you kissed me," she looked up at him, "does this change things Neji?"

Neji looked at her, wondering what she meant. He saw that she was worried and knew he was feeling nervous too. It was hard, getting something you had dreamed about for so long. Neji knew firsthand. When he got his Seal removed, he had felt nothing but fear and confusion and an almost longing to have the thing that had defined him back. Now he was doing something he had always dreamed about, not just being Tenten's best friend but her lover as well. He was just as nervous but instead of feeling the depression he felt, he felt excited.

"It does," he said honestly. She nodded and looked up at him, "but I wanted them too."

"Me too," she said softly, closing her eyes and hugging him a little tighter.

Neji did his usual sweep of the area with his Byakugan. Satisfied no-one was there he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, a small smile on his face, happy that Tenten was in his arms, not by some sleep induced dream but by choice.

AN

Yays! Hanabi and Hinata will return I promise!

AN