My best friend is the man who in wishing me well, wishes it for my sake - Aristotle
Sleepless Night VII
Shikamaru hummed as he sat back on the couch. Currently, he was staying with Ino while his house was under renovation. His mom wanted to redo the flooring and add some central heating to the house so they could stop using the space heaters. The Yamanakas gladly allowed Shikamaru to stay with them, since his parents have been friends with them since forever. The lazy young adult flipped through his pictures. He had posted the photo he took of Tenten during their date on SnapChat and Facebook. Needless to say, he had gotten a bunch of mixed reactions from it. His immediate friend group (the track team minus Neji) gave positive feedback and applauded him for going out on a date with the bunhead; not to mention they tagged said cheerleader with comments regarding how beautiful she looked. For everyone else, they were more surprised than mad about his choice of date. Ino and Sasuke has approached him the Monday of the following weekend and showed their praise. Which resulted in an eye roll as a response. Besides for the one picture, there were other selfies taken that night between eating and sitting at the pier that he did not share with everyone; he had decided to keep those private. Tenten, on the other hand, had posted a full body outfit photo on her Instagram before even leaving the house for their date which had gotten quite a lot of hits-Hyuga Neji being one of the people to like the photo however not comment- as well as on her SnapChat with a caption of "An outfit so dope even Ino would be proud". The Nara smirked when he saw the snap when he had gotten home. Within the team chat he received many questions about the date. He answered every single one truthfully; Yes, Tenten picked the meal. Yes, he couldn't help but check her out a bit. No, they did not kiss. No, they did not have sex afterwards. And yes, he would take her out again. Needless to say, the Hyuga hadn't approached him at all today on campus. Even if Tenten had met up with him during their common hours with him right behind her, Neji did not mention the date or chose to acknowledge it. Shikamaru didn't sense any bitterness or anger from his team captain. It was more confusion and hesitation. The Nara couldn't blame him, though. It was completely out of the blue.
"Mom made some pudding if you want." Ino settled a bowl on the coffee table before them.
"Thank you." The Nara replied not looking up from his phone.
Ino sat beside him and looked over his shoulder.
"I'm happy you guys had a great time. Tenten told he she appreciated that you were the one I asked to take her out on a date," the blonde stated as she grinned. "There was a lot of positive feedback."
"Yeah… it wasn't too troublesome. I enjoyed it as well. She's not that hard to please."
Shikamaru's fingers brushed against the spot on his cheek where Tenten had kissed him. He wasn't too sure how he felt about it but he couldn't really stop thinking about it the whole weekend. They were friends; good friends. He had convinced himself it was just a friendly gesture like how most girls kiss each other on the cheek in greeting or parting in other cultures. And yet, here he was… still thinking about it. Her lips were incredibly soft and full...his face started tingling just recalling that moment.
"Had Neji said anything to you?" His best friend asked.
"No, he hasn't. And I'm not sure why."
"Maybe he's spoken to Tenten already?" Ino pondered.
"Possibly. However, I don't think he went full interrogation on her."
Ino hummed and pulled her phone out of her shirt. She dialed Tenten's number and told Shikamaru to keep his mouth shut. It rang three times before she picked up. The blonde pressed the speaker button on her screen.
"What's up, Ino?" The bunhead's voice sounded from the other line.
"You never went in full detail about your date! You know Shikamaru never tells me everything unless I ask…even then he won't tell me." The blonde Psychology major whined.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes and reached for the bowl of putting on the coffee table. There was already a spoon in it, and he exhaled loudly through his nose as the treat touched his tongue.
"It was great; Real simple and Shikamaru is really charming." Tenten said. "Totally chill."
"Ah, that's good to hear." Ino nudged her best friend's shoulder. "Did anything juicy happen?"
Tenten clicked her tongue as an indication of her thinking.
"No...not really. He did buy me flowers though and we sat and talked for a long while."
"Did you read his palm?"
"Nope, but I did give him some info about our comparability with our signs."
"And-" Ino pushed. "-what's the deal with that? Are you two soulmates or what?"
Shikamaru grunted and leaned his elbow on the arm rest. Tenten let out a laugh.
"That's not how it works, but no. We are not soulmates, Ino."
"Ah, well. It was worth a shot… Shikamaru probably isn't good enough for you." Ino sighed. "There has to be someone out there who is."
Tenten's huff was audible through the phone which made Ino laugh. The Nara glared at the blonde and picked his phone back up.
"Anyway, what are you up to now?"
"Heading to Neji's." Tenten replied. "He wanted some company."
Ino blinked and checked the time. It was a bit late for her to be out on a Monday. But she supposed this was nothing new since the Hyuga was a good walking distance from her own house.
"Alright, I'll let you go then." Ino said before hanging up.
"She's heading to Neji's house right now." The blonde repeated to her best friend.
Shikamaru let out a groan. He'll have his phone on standby.
Tenten hummed as she knocked on the Hyuga's door. She was sure he would be in the living room where his playstation was. It wasn't long until the door opened and her best friend greeted her with a small smile. The bun head's eyebrows shot upwards. Indeed, she thought. Shikamaru was right… and what an adorable smile it was. Neji led her into his condo and shuffled back to the living room. The cheerleader removed her sneakers and peeked over at the couch. It didn't seem like he had moved from there all day judging by the blanket and a couple of snack boxes. He had to be playing Overwatch or Destiny. Sitting herself next to him, she was shocked from what was on the tv.
"I didn't realize you got this far… or that you even started the game." Tenten mused.
"Well, you told me it was roughly seventy-two hours of gameplay. That's not too bad." Neji replied nonchalantly. "Plus, I just made it to Neverland."
Tenten had lent him number one, most replayed game since she was in high school to him; Kingdom Hearts. At first she wasn't too sure if he'd like it since it was colorful and had a major focus on the Disney characters. However, Neji took to the game and found the story to be more meaningful and touching than most of the Final Fantasy games he has played in the past. This scene happened a lot between them; Tenten would come over to quench her boredom and find Neji with his homework and papers already done, in front of his tv playing video games. Then after a while, he'd save the game and get blankets for them to laze about on the couch while watching Netflix.
"Did you eat?" Neji asked after a moment.
"Yeah, Shin made dinner before I left." The bun head replied.
The Hyuga merely nodded before approaching a save point. Handing her the controller, he shuffled to his room to fetch the blankets. His condo was very simple and screamed Hyuga; white walls with barely any picture frames, a grey leather sofa with pillows, a table and an open kitchen. There were two bedrooms and two bathrooms. He had gotten two bedrooms just in case his parents decided to visit him (which was unlikely but just in case). Tenten would normally take the second bedroom whenever she slept over. Or she'd find herself there whenever she'd fall asleep on the couch. The bunhead even had a few sets of clothes in that guest room. She was slowly moving in, as her brother would put it. Neji wouldn't mind, she mused. However, Tenten knew her best friend preferred his silence and removal from social interactions like the introvert he was. Then again, she was approached by him to take the second bedroom permanently and come in and out as she pleased. So, she supposed he had moved him with him?
"Tea?" Neji asked as he tossed her a comforter.
"Nah, I'm good." Tenten replied fixing the comforter and stretching her legs.
The Hyuga shrugged and sat himself on the couch. He leaned back and as Tenten lifted her legs and placed them on his lap. Yes, this was as physical as it got when they weren't absolutely shit-faced drunk. Neji rested his hand on her knee and watched the screen as she tired to pick a movie to them to watch. Should they watch a movie? Or maybe an anime? What haven't they watched together yet? Tenten hummed and sucked her teeth as she scrolled through their options. After a moment she settled on rewatching a show they both highly enjoyed called "Midnight Cafe". They were silent for most of the first episode, the occasional chuckle could be heard from the Hyuga as they watched the exaggerated interactions between the characters. The bunhead has soon lost some interest and her eyes wandered over to him. There on his lips was a small-almost nonexistent but she was certain the corners of his mouth were upturned slightly-smile. His brows were relaxed and his eyes were half lidded but not tired. Neji looked to be in a pleasant mood to her. Shikamaru's words made her think about him for a good while. Well, 'him' as in Neji and the situation they were in. Surely, the way they acted towards each other was normal? After all, he was a gentleman and treated her like a princess. And at the same time he was hard on her like a rival. And their compatibility… she hadn't thought about it until the Nara had asked her about it. What was he priming her for? Did he know something she didn't? It would be surprise her, but when it came to Neji she felt as though he knew more than he did...at least she thought so.
"Hey, I meant to ask you…"
Tenten blinked, her eyes meeting his.
"How was your date?" Neji asked. "You went out with Shikamaru right?"
"Yeah… it was pleasant. A bit out of the blue but we had a good time." Tenten replied nonchalantly.
Neji hummed, his lips pursed together expecting her to say more. But when she didn't, he squeezed her knee.
"I saw his snaps. You guys went to the pier?"
"Yep. We found a nice hot pot spot and had a few drinks too." The bunhead said.
"Kind of casual for a date, don't you think?"
Tenten shook her head. "It doesn't take much to woo me, even you know that. I'm perfectly content with the simplest of activities. Besides, he let me pick where to eat and that's what I chose."
Neji's head tilted to the side. He appeared to be thinking, she noted.
"What happen after that?" the Hyuga pushed a bit tensely.
"Oh, we found a bench and just sat there. We talked about some stuff and just stared off into the sky for a bit." Tenten offered a smile as she recalled the personal moment she had with Shikamaru.
"Hn. That does sound like something Shikamaru would do." Neji murmured to himself.
Tenten blinked and asked why he was so interested in her date. The Hyuga mere shrugged at her; he had seen the snaps on Snapchat and was just curious. At this the cheerleader cocked an eyebrow at him. He seemed a bit bothered by this, she thought. But why? Did he think that she and Shikamaru were now a couple or something? That definitely wasn't the case and she had to make sure he understood that.
"Shikamaru and I decided to just stay friends," she stated. "We do have a lot in common and get along very well… but we can't see each other together like that."
"Oh?" The Hyuga returned his attention back to the tv.
"Yeah, and frankly you don't seem to like the idea of me being with him anyway. Or anyone for that matter… it's like you just don't like the fact that guys are coming up to me. What's the matter, Neji? You think you're going to lose me forever or something?"
Ivory eyes doubled in size as Neji's head snapped back her way. Her question was bold, rather, he had wondered if he had been found out. There was no way though, he knew she was absolutely blind to whatever hints he threw at her, or his subtle smiles whenever they held hands or linked arms.
"No… I just don't think you two are a good match." He stated smoothly.
"And you certainly didn't appreciate that I hooked up with Sasuke either." She pressed with a grumble. "I still don't get why you even cared about that."
He scoffed at the mention of the Uchiha. He was playing nice with Sasuke only because he was friends with Tenten. If he were to show any attitude towards him, his best friend would shoot him a glare and tell him to suck it up. No, he didn't like the fact that she still spoke to Sasuke. And when it came to her date, he was ready to hunt down Shikamaru and install fear into his soul if he tried anything funny with Tenten. The lazy philosophy major knew better, though. Shikamaru is probably the only one Neji would trust with Tenten (besides for Lee, of course.)
"That was only because you kept that from me and I had to find out randomly over the phone, Tenten." The track team captain stated flatly. "Frankly, I don't like being the last to find things out. Especially, if it involves someone I care about."
Tenten's mouth hung slightly ajar. He was… sulking right in front of her over the fact that she didn't tell him about her plans? There was not way he was that childish to be upset over the fact she she went on a date and didn't tell him. In fact, what did it matter if she went on a date or not? Neji argued that she was the closest person he had and felt that it was his right to know about certain things. Especially since he felt it was his responsibility to feel out whomever she chose to indulge since they were incredibly close. Furthermore, he stated that she was a bit oblivious to certain things and needed him to point them out to her. Tenten huffed; the audacity of this guy! Her arms crossed over her chest tightly as she glowered at him.
"You sound more like my father than my best friend."
Neji sucked his teeth. "Don't get mad at me just because you can't read others romantic gestures as easily as you can combat ones sass with your own." He murmured bitterly. "You don't see anything unless it's spelled out for you, apparently. How typical… what a way to waste other's time."
Tenten went wide eyed at his tone. He never used that tone with her before,even the Hyuga was shocked at his own tone. They sat there in silence for a moment. Perhaps he went a bit far in that last statement; his own jealousy and frustration getting the better of him. Side glancing at her, he noticed her golden brown eyes had casted downwards and were slightly misted over. Neji had hurt her feelings. An invisible weight began to push on his chest as he looked at her-biting her lower lip, unsure of what to say. She wasn't oblivious, not in the way he had blurted out. He wasn't thinking as those words escaped his lips and he definitely regretted them. Tenten's cheeks puffed up slightly as she could feel his eyes on her. She was used to his blunt remarks but where was this coming from? What was her indulging in her romantic life such a big deal to him? It shouldn't be a big deal to him. But maybe he was right; Neji has never lied to her and he had no reason to now.
"Oh, Tenten…" he whispered after a moment.
Neji reached over and gently grasped her hand. He gently pecked her knuckles before pulling her over to his side of the couch. She didn't fight him, which meant she wasn't completely mad at him. Her cheek rested upon his toned chest as his arms snaked around her. His chin rested on her head. Tenten nuzzled into his embrace. No, she thought, she couldn't stay mad at him for too long, but she was a bit hurt.
"I...I'm sorry." He murmured after a moment. "What I said was uncalled for."
Tenten didn't reply. She instead hummed lightly and closed her eyes. His heart beat had quickened in the moment he had apologized to her. The pounding of the muscle was clear to her ears and the warmth of his skin was comforting. He didn't let go of her, not until she pulled away first. That was how they always were. It was at this point where Tenten began to feel a lightness in her stomach. It was as if her mind had given a new lense as she stayed comfortably in the Hyuga's arms. Suddenly, she became hyper aware of his scent, the mix of his natural body smell and mint entered her nose. It was a pleasant scent that caused her nose to tingle every time she inhaled. Inner heat began to creep up from her chest, up her neck and to her cheeks. It was comforting- this position- and yet she couldn't stop her hands from sliding upwards, her face meeting with his as her arms locked themselves loosely around his shoulders. That's when Neji tightened his grip.
"You're right." She whispered in melancholy. "I really do need this kind of stuff spelled out for me."
The Hyuga shook his head, unwilling to answer or speak. He had compromised her feelings and felt terrible about it. Their breaths soon correlated in the same pattern as they held onto each other, trying to make the other feel better. For Tenten, she was aware of Neji's bitterness towards the situation. She was a bit responsible for his feelings and didn't think about how he would feel. For Neji, it was for running his mouth without considering her feelings. All this time he kept his emotions towards her to himself; she was no mind reader and what he said was uncalled for. It was her own love life and he had not control over her feelings.
She pulled away and walked herself to the kitchen without another word. Tenten could feel his eyes following her as she moved. Opening his fridge, the bunhead began to go through his groceries. Some veggies, leftovers and take out… nothing seemed to peak her interest so she opened the freezer. His ice box was stuffed with frozen meals and bags of dumplings. Tenten grabbed a bag that was half full and placed the bag on the counter. Grabbing a pot, she started to boil some water. Footsteps were heard behind her as she watched the water start to boil. The fridge was open yet again and Neji pulled out some veggies. He chopped them up and pulled it some oil and a pan. Was it odd that they had just returned to normal after that? As if it never happen? Some would say no it wasn't odd; that's how it should be. They should just move on. Others may say that they should've pushed it further. Perhaps Tenten should've asked Neji why he was being so blunt and-dare she say- sensitive to the topic of her dating life or just whomever she took interest in. But she didn't. And perhaps Neji should've kept his emotions in check like he usually did and repeated the fact that Tenten had a right to date whomever peaked her interest.
The pot was at a rapid boil when Neji grabbed some bowls. It didn't take long for the dumplings to thaw and cook through. They served themselves and made their way back to the couch. There was more silence as their attention went back to the tv as they ate. After a moment, Tenten playfully kicked his hip with her foot; the awkwardness had turned back to their normal sexual tension. Neji let loose a smile as he rolled his eyes. Setting her empty bowl on the coffee table, the bunhead wrapped herself in a comforter and leaned against the couch cushions. That smile didn't return to Neji's face.
