Tenten
Slowly, slowly, his eyes opened. His mind wanted him to find where that rhythmic blipping was coming from.
"Where the heck am I?" Neji asked.
"Oh, good! Neji's awake! Hinata, come quick!"
"Water..." he groaned.
Hinata poured him a glass from the pitcher on his bedside table and handed it to him. Neji was too weak to lift his head, however, so she slipped an arm under his neck and steadied him as he drank.
"Am I...in the hospital?" Neji asked.
Hinata nodded, meeting his confused gaze.
"What happened to me? I feel so...awful."
"You fell down some...stairs," Hinata began, "And got a concussion...and broke some ribs...and, well, punctured a couple of organs that are kind of important...and...well, that's about it. Oh yeah, and you have the flu."
Neji groaned in pain.
"I feel so...messed up..."
"It's not what we talked about last night, is it?" Hinata asked, worriedly.
"Well yeah...kinda..." Neji lay his head back down in the plush pillows. "I want a stronger drink."
Hinata made a face. "That wouldn't do, especially with Tenten outside the door."
Neji's eyes widened. "Is she? I can't use my byakugan. How long has she been here?"
"Relax. she...she just got here. I felt her coming through the door a minute ago. I...I called her because, well, I figured she'd want to know, but..." Her voice trailed off, and her eyebrows furrowed with worry.
"It's OK. Could you go get her for me?"
Hinata nodded and looked towards the door. Tenten peered in, then rushed through as Hinata gestured her forward. She was at Neji's bedside in a moment, and quickly picked up his limp hand. She curled her fingers around his his fingers as she met his blank eyes.
"Neji...are you - well of course you aren't, but - oh, Neji...you look awful." She managed a weak smile. "Baka! How in the world did you get yourself into this? You had me so worried, you stupid boy."
Neji didn't really know how to respond. Somewhere in the midst of this Hinata and any other cousins present had slipped tactfully out of the room. (Neji figured they were watching via byakugan down the hall, but he was too weak to check) He smiled weakly.
"Well, I've got some good news."
"You had better! Can you imagine how It felt to wake up with thirteen messages from Hinata-chan either predicting your death or updating me on your condition? You could have died! Do you think I'm ready to lose my best friend? I mean, maybe if you went out in battle I could stand it, but falling down the stairs! That sounds so grim, I mean, I'm saying I'd rather have you killed in front of me, but, I was so...I don't know...I, I..."
"Tenten, I think I'm in love with you."
That shut her up really fast.
"You what?"
Neji made his expression inquiring. "Shall I say it again? I'm in love with you, Tenten."
She sat, gaping; her eyes widened with shock.
"You mean...?"
Neji inhaled deeply, and exhaled luxuriously. He squeezed his eyes shut, which kept trying to close on him, and squirmed uncomfortably.
"I'm so tired. Do you think you could ask the nurse to amp up my painkillers? As soon as I'm out of here, I promise we'll go out and do something fun.
This has been an...interesting day...
The nurse entered the room, and Neji let the darkness take him. The last thing he felt before the drugs kicked in was the warmth of Tenten's fingers still laced through his own.
