A/N: I love autumn. It's my favorite season.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

…..

"You're up early."

Tenten glanced over her shoulder at her husband, then at the two steaming mugs of tea he was holding, and finally looked back out across the front yard. She heard a sigh, and the sound of glass meeting porcelain as Neji set down the tea on the porch table.

He stared intently at her back, waiting for her to stop sulking and act like an adult and talk to him. Tenten was usually not very moody. Exasperated and irritated, yes, but never full fledged moody. On the rare occasion that she was, it was first and foremost, never a result of his actions. But that look she had just given him had said it all. Setting his jaw, he set about the delicate task of coaxing the matter out of her.

"Tenten." He took a silent step forward and watched her shoulders tense, waiting for his touch. He didn't reach out, but he was close enough now that she could not comfortably ignore his presence. His breath tickled the hair on her neck and she did her best not to squirm. "Look at me."

She didn't budge. Patience dwindling, Neji spun her around to face him, one arm curving around her waist to pull her flush against his chest. Her fingers lightly ghosted over the fabric of his shirt, doe eyes a little startled by his forcefulness. He gazed down at her, his other hand coming up to hold her chin with a firm, but gentle grip.

"What is the matter?" he pressed. She gave him a tired look.

"Neji, can you just drop it-"

"No." The finality of this statement resounded in the chilly morning air. Then gentler, "You're upset with me."

Tenten made a small noise of denial, but when she saw the beginnings of a glare in his features, she let out a slow controlled breath. She wasn't exactly "upset with him" as he put it, but he was part of the problem. What she wanted to tell him would probably be inconceivable in his mind. No kids? -Absolutely unacceptable. To a civilian it may not have been such a cause for alarm, but to shinobi lineage was everything. It didn't help that he was the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan, that in his uncle's eyes, the sole purpose of their marriage was to breed super babies.

The weight of Neji's stare was too distracting for her to even begin to formulate a plan to break the news to him without having him go into cardiac arrest (an exaggeration; heart attacks were not very suave and therefore, not very Neji like.)

She pulled away from him, missing his warmth almost immediately as goosebumps rose along the lengths of her arms, but she needed her space to think. "Neji…" she trailed off, losing confidence fast. Her lips twisted as she tried her best not to look him in the eyes. "I don't want kids."

Silence.

"What?" his tone was marked with genuine surprise.

"I don't want to have kids. I-I just don't okay?" Neji jerked her chin up and assessed her face, forehead creasing when he realized she was being completely serious.

"You realize that my uncle expects children soon? That it is part of my duty to the clan to have children?" He didn't seem angry, but she knew underneath the exterior, frustration was bubbling. Tenten was struggling to keep her tears at bay. She wanted to apologize, but sorry wouldn't be enough now. Not when they'd been together for so long (five years of dating, two years of marriage thus far).

"And may I ask why you don't want kids?" Neji wouldn't understand her logic, wouldn't understand her wish to never subject anyone to the absolute misery and chaos the war with Madara had caused in the shinobi world. She loved her job, but only because she knew she could handle it. Because she knew Neji could handle it. But protocol was becoming stricter; people were becoming crueler. Times were changing too soon, too fast. She was afraid of being an absolute failure of a mother, of becoming an embarrassment to Neji, of disappointing herself.

"If you don't explain this to me, I cannot ensure the continuation of our marriage," Neji cut into her train of thought. She let angry tears flow at his words. Even after all these years, after how much Neji had changed he still was trapped in the cage of his clan. All those little whispers and sweet nothings, all those promises he fed her, telling her how he felt completely liberated with her, all those lies. She had thought he had made good with his kin, that he no longer felt the need or obligation to fulfill their every whim. But she was wrong, so painfully wrong.

"I want to be with you, Tenten, but-"

"But what?" she hissed vehemently. "Your clan won't allow it? Are you still so willing to be their puppet? To just lie at their feet and let them tear you away from people? Tear you away from me? I thought you were better than that, stronger than that. I thought that you would at least put up a fight."

Neji was quiet, his lips pressed into a thin white line. After a moment, he spoke in a low voice, rage barely concealed, "Do you really think so lowly of me? You really think I wouldn't fight for you? Do you really think I'm that incapable, that heartless, that I would give you up so easily? Do you not realize how much you're worth to me?"

Tenten bore holes into the porch planks, willing herself to stop crying. This was all so stupid really. It was her mistake; she should have known better. She should have told him sooner, at the start. It would've been better to know things wouldn't work out and forget about it all together, then have her heart broken when she finally had someone to come home to.

In a voice much smaller than her own, she tentatively asked, "Do you regret marrying me?"

Neji snorted (a noise that made Tenten's head snap up). "No. I love you. I'm not ashamed of that." He was done arguing with her. He just wanted to sit and enjoy his tea with her in peace. From the expression on his wife's face, he knew she was just as winded. She moved forward just as he reached out. Once securely tucked under his chin, she began, "I'm sorry. I just-"

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I will talk to my uncle tomorrow. As for now, drink your tea. It's getting cold."

Tenten tried to smile but it came out all wrong. One rough kiss later, she was happily tucked into his side, enjoying the autumn scenery, one hand holding her mug, the other entangled with his.

She didn't want kids. She just wanted to be with him.

…..

A/N: I don't think I've ever read a story where Tenten doesn't want to have kids with Neji. So I decided to write one. It's incredibly choppy, but I tried.

Thanks for reading and please review!

~M.I.