Tumblr Prompt: Tenten is Neji's bodyguard.
Pairings: NejiTen, GaaTen
AN: Because I'm back to procrastinating, and this may possibly be my last update before I go AFK and study for a whole week. Thank you, keroRiBBIT, imjustanotheroneofthem, fanofthisfiction, Nairil, Reiyaame (and all of you lovely followers and favouriters)!
Disclaimer: I have no idea what it's like to be a CEO, or a co-CEO (if those exist), or a bodyguard, so most of the story is based on what I've googled. You can also view Tenten's dress on my tumblr (shameless advertising: 'misspandalily'; it's the ralph russo one), and I don't own Naruto!
Hyuga Manor
June 28 | 0145 UTC
"Thank you, Mr Hy-Neji," she corrected herself at his pointed look, "But the timing is quite...inopportune." Tenten countered her rejection with a polite smile, then noted his rumpled appearance, the loosened tie hanging around his shoulders, the creased white shirt, and frowned. She'd dropped him off in the Manor's garage hours ago, and as far as she was concerned he'd finished his dinner with the Hyuga family at ten. "Did you go somewhere?"
And without her protection? Was he asking for a death wish?
Neji nodded. "I was at The Tavern with the woman from yesterday. Don't worry," he said honestly, holding up a hand when her face betrayed a hint of frustration, "She was harmless."
Tenten immediately felt the urge to slam the door in his face and thump her forehead against the wall over and over again. It was verging on two in the morning, she had a meeting with the executive team in three hours, and here was her boss being an idiot, a total imbecile. It was pure luck that Neji hadn't directed himself to the nearest social precipice already, him being a bodyguard's nightmare.
As much as Tenten hated to admit it, 90% of a bodyguard's life consisted of waiting around patiently for their principal to finalise their "meetings", illicit affairs or not. On some rare occasions, people in her field were blessed with the grace of Kami and designated more...honourable clients, but unfortunately, Tenten had managed to draw the short end of the stick.
She watched Neji hum contemplatively, hands digging into his pockets as he tilted his head to the side. His eyes flickered to her thick jumper and denim jeans before he nodded once again. "I'll be going now." Neji turned on his heel and strode away. Tenten gawked and ran out. He glanced back when he heard her footsteps patter behind him, eyebrow raised.
"Allow me to walk you back to the Manor, Neji," she quickly shut the door behind her. Seeing the glint in his eyes, she elaborated, "The main house is at least ten minutes away; anything could happen."
Neji, who had been smirking at her in amusement seconds beforehand, suddenly removed his hands from his pockets and gave her a grim smile. "That will not be necessary," he said firmly.
"I insist," Tenten pressed, unsure of his sudden change in tone. "Your security-"
"Will be fine within Hyuga Manor's walls, I assure you," he straightened his posture when her eyes hardened, "Nothing can penetrate this mansion." She stared at him curiously, but didn't voice her speculations. She wasn't meant to, and neither was she entitled to care for his personal reasons, but so far Neji had been reasonably compliant with her security protocols. He didn't even bat an eyelash or reprimand her when she interrupted their rendezvous, so why would he change his attitude now? Tenten furrowed her brows when he unflinchingly returned her gaze with a cold glare. "I will be fine," Neji repeated, voice adopting a sharp edge.
Clearly, she wasn't going to be given another explanation, so Tenten backed down and filed away this information for later. "As you wish," she said through gritted teeth. He nodded stiffly.
"Thank you."
Tuesday, June 28. 6:30 AM
From: HN secretary
To: tenten
Re: 28 June itinerary
1000 - Board Meeting - Room 400
1330 - Meeting with Hinata Hyuga - Room 365
1500 - Fitting - Room 360
2030 - Dinner with Naruto Uzumaki - The Grand Leaf Hotel
Hyuga Industries, Level 36
June 28 | 0930 UTC
Hours later, Tenten's morning was filled with half-assed driving towards Hyuga Industries in Neji's company-owned Jaguar, then ushering him into the building as quickly as possible before the hoards of admirers (read: despisers) camped in front of the office building could notice him, and then running up to level 40 to ensure that the allotted meeting room was free of bugs and suspicious materials. She was pretty sure that Hiashi was giving her his version of a thumbs-up, which was a blink if she was perfectly honest, when he saw her combing through Room 400 with hawk-eyes.
"So," Tenten leaned against Ino's desk while sipping a cup of coffee. Neji was uncharacteristically cooped up in his office for the time being, so Tenten decided to take this opportunity to eat the breakfast that'd been calling for her since four AM. Plus, Shikamaru had everything else under control for the time being. "What's this fitting I'm hearing about from the staff?"
(Right, so Tenten met the Team this morning. As it turned out, they were just as frazzled by Neji's onslaught of hook-ups as she was, and they've all been there for years now. Shikamaru was the Team Leader, because apparently he had an IQ of over 200 but failed his high-school exams because he was too lazy and ended up making use of his skills elsewhere, and as the newcomer, Tenten was introduced to a tattoo-faced Kiba and a bulky guy named Choji. They were all crazy nice, so now she had something other than a paycheck to look forward to for this job.)
Ino tapped down on the 'enter' button and looked up, chin resting in the dip of her folded hands. "Ah, yes. The Fitting."
"What fitting?" she reiterated.
"Bodyguards here don't always get special treatment, you know. In my opinion," Ino leaned in and whispered, "It's because you all work with Neji, and we all know that Hiashi shows his love for Neji through his wallet."
Tenten blinked before biting into a bread-roll. "I genuinely have no idea what you're insinuating."
Ino tut-tutted. "You're familiar with Kevlar." Tenten nodded, still confused. "The Boss fits everyone on Neji's security team with Kevlar suits, all tailored to perfection and custom designed by top-notch brands. I know, it's ridiculous, but money talks."
"And here I thought he was buying yet another suit for an event." Tenten shook her head ruefully and downed the rest of her coffee. She heard Shikamaru's drawl filter through her earpiece, lightly informing her of the Board members' arrival. "I'm off, take care!" Ino sent her a small finger wave and continued typing away at the keyboard and answering phone calls with a chipper tone.
Tenten ventured over to the secretary's desk and gave her a small nod in greeting - which was returned cordially, thank Kami - before knocking on Neji's office door. "Enter."
"Morning, Sir." She was greeted by the divine sight of Neji sitting alone at his desk and scrawling down words onto sheets of paper. He glanced up at her greeting and set his (ballpoint!) pen down on the table.
"Tenten."
"The Board members are beginning to arrive. Would you like to prepare for the meeting?"
She stood in front of his desk with her hands clasped together in front of her, silently observing him flit his cursive writing along the page in fluid precision. After a few minutes, he released the pen and exhaled, then placed the sheet on top of a manila folder. His jaw was set. "Yes, let's go."
They made their way to the elevator, Tenten one step behind him as he tucked the papers underneath his armpit and held the metal doors open for her. A brief smile, a press of the button four numbers above theirs, and the lift was playing a strange tune she hadn't noticed on her first day on the job. Like a strange, jazzy sound mixed with a twenty-first century beat. Her ears were struggling to keep up with the odd combination.
"I'd like to apologise for my conduct early this morning." She heard Neji's baritone voice speak up quietly and turned her head towards him. His words were a surprise, to say the least; she hadn't been expecting an apology at all. Staying silent and ever-concerned for her clients' welfare was her thing. This 'thing' didn't need impeccable politeness when the safety of the client was highest on her priority list. He hesitated when she thanked him graciously. "Despite what may have been your initial impression of me, you can rest assured that I see you as a professional."
The elevator stopped at level 39 before she could let his last words sink in. She immediately shielded her eyes with sunglasses and stepped behind him when the Hyuga sisters stepped in.
"Neji," Hinata greeted him warmly, "Are you prepared for our first Board meeting?"
Tenten pretended to be pre-occupied with her phone as he looked back at her, as he faced his cousin and her friend again to carry on the conversation, and continued to shadow him to the outside of his meeting room. She was used to this, being disregarded. While the men in her line of work stood out from the crowd with their burly statures and muscular figures, she was known for blending into the crowds and the walls of a building like a chameleon. Evidently, it worked, because her friend of seven years hadn't even recognised her.
Hearing feedback was one thing, and seeing the truth at face-value was another. Tenten wasn't sure which one she preferred.
Hyuga Industries, Level 36
June 28 | 1555 UTC
They'd only been at this fitting for a little less than an hour, and Tenten was already starting to bounce on the balls of her feet impatiently. She had work to get to, a businessman to protect, food to eat! Neji's dinner meeting was tonight, and she had to feed herself before she was doomed to eating minimal food at the table a seats away and scanning his surroundings like a hyper-active computer. The designer tsked at her and slapped the side of her leg lightly.
"Be still, hun, this fitting is nearly complete." She took a deep breath and smiled down at Deidara as he flicked his hair to the side and inserted a sewing pin into her waistline. "Your figure is amazing, by the way, very muscular."
And Tenten would be creeped out by that statement, if he wasn't saying it so scientifically. She almost felt like a specimen under his gaze, like a lump of clay set on the pottery block for molding.
"How many suits did we need to go through again?"
"Hun," he sent her a look that wasn't unkind, "Only this one, and we'll make copies of it." She sighed in relief. "It's the dresses you'll have to worry about. Those take time." Nope, never mind.
If she was being truly introspective, Tenten would admit to herself that she hated this fitting because women who join the army for a few years before diverging into bodyguard work just weren't accustomed to being pampered. She was the kind of girl who'd spent years of her life training with Gai and Lee and accumulating a wealth of bruises that she wore on her skin like battle scars and badges. That lifestyle didn't need anything other than a simple shirt and sweatpants, and maybe the occasional dress for formal functions. The thing was, her hair hadn't been let down and styled in years, and neither had her fingernails and toenails been buffed and shined to perfection, ever. And while she knew that the vast array of clothes propped up before her were pretty (especially that dramatic navy blue one), she didn't know how to react to them.
Deidara caught her eye and clapped in delight. "That was my next choice." He seized the dress, pushed her off the square fitting-platform and ushered her into the portable changing room a few metres away. She stumbled into it, somewhat disoriented by his speed and peeled off her clothes.
"Ah, Neji! Welcome!" Tenten froze, then hurriedly hung up the suit and pulled the dress over her shoulders.
"I heard there was a fitting," he replied casually.
"Well, yes. Obviously, hun." They chattered about as Deidara proceeded to pull out clothes for Neji to wear. Tenten allowed herself to relax with the knowledge that Deidara would wait until she was done before urging Neji to change. So she slowly turned around to face herself in the mirror, somewhat nervous about what she would find when she saw herself.
"Red really isn't your colour, Neji."
"Thank you."
She gaped at her reflection, willing the illusion to disappear. The dress itself was nice, with long, see-through sleeves tinged in a beautiful dark blue. In fact, the entire thing was blue, and it made her naturally-tanned skin look lighter than usual. Her shoulders naturally straightened themselves and the heels that Deidara had strapped onto her feet gave her an extra height boost that made the floor-length gown sway at her feet gently. She looked nice, which was the main reason why her mouth was hanging open in disbelief.
Tenten didn't hear the voices come closer until the curtain was roughly yanked aside and Deidara screamed in joy. She jumped, tripping on the hem slightly and knocking her elbows around before finding herself toppling down...and into Neji's chest.
"You look gorgeous," he fanned himself with a smug grin, "And in my finest design yet."
She felt Neji gently push her off his - incredibly solid, why are her cheeks heating up, oh no - chest and help her resettle herself into a comfortable standing position. He met her crinkling eyes with his own; she looked away instantly and tried to focus on Deidara's exclamations. Because that emotion shining through was sending chills down her spine, and seeing how he'd only been her client for a grand total of two days, she really needed him to stop it. Tenten quietly thanked him when the designer started pulling the curtain back, ordering her to change out so he could gift it to her, or something.
The rest of the fitting was a blur, and half an hour later, when Tenten was occupying herself with trying to look occupied on a seat in room 360, and finally looked up from her list of things to do, he was still shooting her funny looks with his pale grey eyes.
Oh, boy.
Tuesday, June 28. 5:30 PM
from: UNKNOWN NUMBER
This is Neji.
Add 'Neji' to contacts?
- YES
Neji is added to your contacts.
The Grand Leaf Hotel
June 28 | 2000 UTC
She wore her trusty, high-collared black dress to the dinner.
Its skirt was voluminous enough to conceal the gun strapped to her right thigh and the sheathed knife tied to her left, and still managed to make her waist look superb, so it was a win-win situation for her all round. Her comfiest pair of pumps were enclosed around her feet, and she'd decided to let her hair tumble down for the night to cover her earpiece.
And Shikamaru seemed to approve of the outfit too, judging by the nonchalant shrug of his shoulder as she got into the car. They arrived half an hour before the allotted time, during which period Shikamaru told her and Kiba to stay in the car with Neji until he'd finished checking through the building with Naruto's bodyguards and ensuring that there weren't any suspicious devices and/or people lying around.
It was mostly silent, save for her and Kiba's brief, clipped words to each other about the organisation of Neji's security while he was dining. This was Tenten's zone, and she took comfort in the straight-forward world of protocol, where nothing was confusing to her, not even the fact that Neji's eyes were burning holes into the back of her head for no particular reason.
"Alright," Shikamaru's drawl filtered through their comms, "Clear."
Tenten gave Kiba a quick farewell before emerging from the passenger seat with her shades covering her eyes. She strode to Neji's door, checking that Shikamaru was standing at the entrance of the hotel, and pulled it open. "Sir."
Neji stepped out of the car and allowed her to close the door behind him. He touched her shoulder gently. "Thank you."
She thought nothing of it, and she wasn't supposed to in public, striding behind her boss like a loyal guard and ensuring that no one ventured within a two-metre radius of Neji unless they were Shikamaru. They split off when Naruto stood up from his table, calling out to Neji loudly and prompting the Hyuga to slap on a smile and greet him with a handshake. They were collaborating with Naruto's two CPOs, deciding to surround the two businessmen in a compass formation as they dined and discussed. She found herself seated at a table not far from Neji, in comparison to the distance with which the other guards were situated from their principals.
Dutifully, Tenten kept her uncovered eyes peeled on their surroundings and her ears trained on the words coming from her earpiece. The waiter came by with a menu, so she ordered a small plate of pasta, having inhaled a steak (or two) hours beforehand, then propped her chin up in her hands as she subtly angled a look at Neji.
Tenten froze. He was staring directly at her while Naruto perused the menu, head turned unabashedly. How was she supposed to deal with that? No one covered this in her training program.
She was saved by the arrival of her waiter. "Thank you," Tenten smiled politely, then waited for him to walk away. She brought her hand up to her ear and hissed, "Have you done a check on the food?"
"Affirmative," was Shikamaru's monotonous reply. "Why is he staring at you?"
"Beats me," she shrugged, making eye contact with her leader from across the room. His eyes glinted at her suspiciously.
Naruto suddenly burst out laughing, a raucous sound that made her jolt in her seat.
"Hm."
Meanwhile, Neji went through the motions of a business deal, thankfully with Naruto being amenable to Neji's requests as he consumed a shocking amount of ramen. It wasn't until Tenten was starting to wander why a swanky restaurant in the wealthier end of town had a ramen dish when there was an unexpectedly new presence at her table. Tenten's head shot up.
"May I join you?"
"Gaara no Sabaku," she exclaimed softly, at a loud enough volume for Shikamaru to catch her message and start typing into his laptop. As a golden rule, any newcomers to the destination of their client's location was to have their entire history searched on the spot. Gaara didn't seem to notice this at all, and smiled at her.
"I'm surprised you still remember me, Tenten."
Seeing Gaara looking dapper in a fitted suit and with his bright red hair jutting out at all corners, greeting her kindly whilst she was on the Job, was not how Tenten had envisioned her reunion with the Sabaku man would go. But she had a cover to keep intact, so she sent Shikamaru a slight, two-second glance, to which he inclined his head, and welcomed Gaara into the adjacent seat.
"It'd be hard to forget you," she saw his eyes widen at the statement, "Because Temari never stops talking about you. That's why." Tenten amended, cringing. Neji was frowning at her table from the corner of her peripheral vision. "What brings you here?"
Gaara shifted in his seat. "Work." She recalled Temari telling her that he was in the police force, and tilted her head at him curiously.
"I have a function here for tonight. You?"
"Oh. Work," she parroted his words with a grin. "I hear you're relocating to Konoha."
"You heard correctly. I should be finished with it in a week or so." His eyes fell on her earpiece, which shouldn't surprise her, given that he's been in the field for as long as she has, and then flickered with recognition. "You seem busy."
"Correct," she affirmed gently. Gaara nodded in understanding as he moved to rise from the seat.
"I'll leave you to it. It was nice seeing you again."
"Likewise," she rose, subconsciously thrusting out a hand for him to shake. She would've, under any circumstance that didn't apply to a formal environment, cringed from the stiffness of her actions, but didn't because Gaara was doing the exact same thing. "That was subconscious," Tenten grinned when he closed the distance between their palms.
"Same." Gaara responded with a light smile and withdrew his hand respectfully. "I'll see you around, Tenten."
Tenten watched him walk away, past Shikamaru's barely concealed skepticism, and into another dining hall, then lowered herself onto her chair when she realised that her heart was beating rapidly in her chest.
Now, Tenten had seen her fair share of romcoms over the years - high school had come before the military, after all - but she didn't really understand the appeal of a smouldering Male Species until two minutes ago. If this was what it felt like to swoon, Tenten didn't know what else to expect in the future.
As someone who always planned ahead and stuck to a rigid schedule like it was her lifeline, the thought of unexplored territory was both thrilling and terrifying.
Tenten shook her head and cleared all thoughts of romance from her mind. She had a livelihood to protect; there was no excuse for slacking off when Neji's life could be at stake. Without much further ado, she stabbed the last of her pasta and stuffed it in her mouth before refocusing on the mission at hand. Neji and Naruto seemed to be approaching the tail end of their conversation, so she signalled for the waiter to give her the bill and strode to the front desk for payment. Shikamaru followed her, expression a cross between amusement and slight concern. He joined her, handing the receptionist a few notes.
"Sergeant Gaara no Sabaku, famed policeman from the Suna Department? Who knew."
Tenten gave him a tight smile and directed her gaze to Neji and Naruto. "He'll be helpful in the future," she asserted, fixing her glasses on her eyes again. "That's all there is to it."
"I'm sure." He pressed his finger to his earpiece and called Kiba to drive up to the front of the hotel. She could hear the man's muffled, enthusiastic reply from the other end.
Neji branched away from Naruto moments later, allowing the blonde to talk to an old, white-haired man by the name of Jiraiya after their meeting was finalised. Tenten and Shikamaru stood by the door at attention, faces carefully set on a blank slate. He stiffly greeted them, eyes refusing to make the same contact with hers as they had been doing all of dinner, and pushed the glass doors open.
If Shikamaru noticed any of that, which he probably had, he didn't comment on it. The only one who did was Kiba, who quirked an eyebrow at Tenten when Neji crawled into the backseat quietly.
"He hasn't done that in a while," Kiba told her over the meeting room table early the next day. "Gone home without a hooker, I mean."
She shrugged, nursing a warm cup of coffee in her hands. "So, what?"
He looked away. "Interesting."
~ Daily Horoscope ~
All that glitters is not gold