Deuce: A tied score of 40-40 during any given game. A player must then score two consecutive points to win the game.

In which they are Olympic athletes.

Olympic Games. Effective communication. Competitions. Summertime sparks.

On Team Japan's third day in Rio de Janeiro, Neji successfully aligned his circadian rhythm with the local time. It was two weeks prior to the Olympics opening ceremony and his countrymen and women were in the throes of adjusting to the foreign environment.

On the seventh day, the tennis star of the East noticed a tan swimmer making oogly eyes at his younger cousin who was a fellow athlete competing in gymnastics.

On the eleventh day, on the cusp of the weekend, the swimming sensation(al nuisance) chanced a leap of faith and approached the two Hyuugas at the communal cafe.

"Hi!" He initiated coltishly, scratching the dorsal region of his spiky blonde head, "I'm Naruto!"

Hinata blushed and descended her gaze to the cup of green tea in her possession. The older Hyuuga took the liberty to speak on her behalf. "She knows. Move along."

"Neji!" The girl gasped. That's right, girl. She was four months shy of her 19th birthday and the entire Hyuuga clan would slaughter him if he allowed this uncivilized creature to dishonor her.

"W-what he meant to say," stuttered Hinata, "Was that we s-saw you on television performing admirably at y-your last competition."

Naruto's grin grew inversely with the tennis prodigy's scowl. "No way! You watched me? First of all let me say holy shit. I've followed your practice sessions ever since they started airing your promos!"

Neji's disapproval intensified. This hooligan reeked of stalker.

"And damn, man," the blonde clapped a hand on Neji's shoulder, "That Wimbledon win was off the fucking chain! Everyone in Japan was glued to their TV for days!"

The compliment caught the older man off guard. He thought the predator was devout in his plans to abduct his innocent relative. Unless, that was a-

"Anywho, the swim team is going out later and I'm asking around to see if other people wanna join. There's a pretty cool place nearby called Bar do Mineiro."

Hinata exploited Neji's temporary distraction. "Th-that would be lovely!"

Naruto punched the sky exuberantly. "Hell yeah! See you tonight."

The Wimbledon champion cut his eyes at the villain who practically floated down the street. Moments later, a soft giggle rudely interrupted his mental calculations for assassination attempts.

"Tonight will be lovely, won't you agree?" Hinata crooned whimsically, assured that Neji will join her out of familial duty. She was not wrong.

"I hear it will be a full moon." He supplied neutrally.

"They say crazy things happen."

Neji rubbed the bridge of his nose, displeased that his quiet evening was soundly put to death. He drowned his misfortune with the rest of his tea. "So they say."

The Japanese were internationally acclaimed for their courteous sports-spectating behavior in addition to their love for alcohol. That night certainly proved the latter.

Winter white eyes scanned the pub scene in scrutiny. True enough, Bar do Mineiro was 10 minutes south of the Olympic Village and the majority of Team Japan was both present and intoxicated. Neji vaguely recalled Naruto rolling into the establishment with a horde of his friends, bringing the proverbial party along with him. And, based on the magnitude of patrons, that essentially included everyone. Thrown into the mix was Naruto's raven haired rival and fellow swimmer, a green eyed judo master, a pale fencer, and one of Hinata's loquacious teammates.

"Hello Ino," greeted the younger Hyuuga, "You look quite beautiful this evening."

The taller gymnast tossed her golden mane, cascading it down her posterior. "You too, babe! Oh, hey, Neji."

He cordially nodded while Ino twirled Hinata in place. "I'm borrowing your cousin for a song or 15. We're gonna dance if you want to join."

He absolutely did not, but nonetheless, the sole purpose of his attendance was to protect his kin. Neji was sensitive to the common theme of the day where blonde's were walking sharks in disguise. With his peripherals, he spied an empty seat at the bar and deferred to Plan B: guard from afar and intervene when necessary. "I shall pass on that offer."

Ino winked at his relative. Pursing his lips, Neji cautioned, "But I warn you to abstain from pressuring Hinata into any debauchery or placing her in any peril."

The music volume increased from background to foreground and the blonde elevated her voice accordingly. "Have you seen my best friend? Sakura can chuck someone's ass across the Andes if they tried messing with us!"

Ino smoothly sashayed away with Hinata in tow and Neji swore he heard, "I make no promises about the debauchery, though."

Before he could object, however, the gymnasts escaped to the dance floor where the aforementioned judo master shimmied and swayed. Inhaling for patience, Neji requested a beer from the bartender to comfort his abysmal luck. He foresaw a looming headache from the calamity of the thunderous speakers and the festivities only begun.

The man behind the bar returned with a popular pale lager in a pilsner glass. He slapped down a coaster and napkin in exchange for the allotted Brazilian Reais. If it was any consolation, Neji was pleased that his collegiate years in England developed his capacity for English - thus making international travel significantly easier.

Neji took a generous gulp of beer and screened the venue once more. Fortunately, Hinata was joined by Haruno Sakura whose pink hair served as a conspicuous landmark. He had just pinpointed their location when a tall woman obscured his view.

"Ni hao," she smiled ebulliently, then continued with a slew of other words lost to him.

The tennis player inclined his head politely. "I apologize, but I cannot speak Mandarin." He switched to his secondary language and translated the sentence.

The woman laughed nervously, simultaneously shrugging her slender shoulders. He surmised that she didn't speak neither Japanese nor English.

"Wo jiao Long Tenten." She enunciated slowly, dropping onto the seat next to him.

Neji was acutely aware of her identity - China's aggressive advertisements for their talented athletes were ubiquitous, after all. Tenten debuted as a finalist in the Australian Open, and although she placed second, her popularity reigned first. Contrastingly different from her stern compatriots, her bubbly and candid nature transformed her into an overnight celebrity. And, as she conversed with him through a vivacious game of charades, Neji concluded that none of it was an act.

The brunette suddenly snapped her fingers and her mocha colored eyes glowed in excitement. She employed fervent hand gestures to communicate with the bartender and soon became the proud owner of a pen. Her accomplished look of surmounting language barriers was - dare he acknowledge it - cute and she peace signed jovially. He watched in amusement as she grabbed the napkin next to his coaster.

'Can you read this?'

Clever. She capitalized on the fact that kanji, one of the popular writing systems in Japan, derived itself from hanzi, otherwise known as the characters from China.

Seeing the upward curve of Neji's mouth, Tenten squealed in delight and penned:

'Hurray! We can finally understand each other!' She drew a miniature smiling panda and passed the writing instrument to him.

'Congratulations.' His handwriting was substantially more refined.

'I should be the one saying that after your incredible win at Wimbledon!' The woman embellished her praise with a depiction of a trophy shrouded in confetti.

'Thank you.'

Tenten enthusiastically gave him a thumbs up.

With subtle hesitation, Neji scribed, 'Should you be elsewhere? Will you not be accused of fraternizing with the enemy?'

She studied his words with knitted brows, adorably perplexed. 'But I'm not competing against you...? Unless you're actually a girl - in which case I'd just beg you for the secrets behind perfect hair.'

Neji gave his companion a wry look. Tenten made a sheepish face and, sensing his ire, scrambled to write, 'Are you up for a challenge? Winner gets a gold medal.'

He craned his neck to find Hinata, who was still enthralled with Ino and Sakura. Shaking his head, he responded, 'I am here to secure my younger cousin's safety. I do not have time.'

Tenten pouted and leaned forward, then twisted her body towards the crowd so that her eyes were level with his. Neji could smell the distinct aroma of cinnamon in her close proximity.

'Your cousin's with the world's number one judo champion in her weight class! Plus, she's an adult! She doesn't need a chaperone.'

He begged to differ. 'No.'

His company mustered a suspicious stare and tapped a finger on her chin. 'I get it, you're chicken.'

Neji ignored the trap and polished off the lager, then hailed the bartender for a bourbon neat. Tenten flashed the man with a bright smile and raised two fingers, indicating her desire to double the order. Unbeknownst to her, the bartender swiftly returned with two glasses of honey colored liquid and additional napkins. She was too absorbed scribbling arduously at something on another napkin and shielding her efforts from the rest of the world with a guarded arm. Sighing, Neji paid for both refreshments.

The tennis prodigy cleared his throat, but he failed to capture the woman's attention above the deafening music. He tapped her shoulder instead.

"Aiya!" She yelped, clasping a hand atop her chest. Tenten's aura of agitation materialized in the form of an extended index finger. Neji's eyes marginally twitched and he defaulted to nursing his new beverage.

When she finished whatever she was mired in, Tenten immediately brandished the napkin like a flag. She smacked the item in front of Neji and urged him to behold her labors. Complying, he discovered… a caricature of a chicken with long hair, tied in a manner similar to his.

Regardless of the vociferous music, the Wimbledon champion heard the unrestrained laughter from the artist. As unflattering as the picture was, he had to admit, she drew a quality chicken. The gaudy mane satirized the image, but nevertheless, he appreciated the creativity.

He spared a deep chuckle and pointed at the untouched drink. The brunette nodded and reached for her money, only to be blocked by Neji who nodded at the receipt. Tenten "ah-ed" and procured paper bills, anyways. Appreciatively, she presented the cash with two hands between them.

He declined thrice before she withdrew the banknotes. A lively grin laced her lips as she commenced another charade. Over the rim of his glass, Neji observed her comical string of theatrics. Picking up the pen, he theorized, 'You recommend saving this drawing and selling it after you win a gold medal to acquire lucrative sums of money?'

Tenten reclined her neck and guffawed. She poised her palm in the air for a high five, however, he merely stared at her nonplussed. She stuck out her tongue and high fived herself, then plucked the pen from his grasp. 'I thought you were ordering another beer. I'm terrible at English.'

She ceremoniously raised the glass to toast, sang some words in Mandarin, and tilted the liquid into her mouth. Instantly, the woman sputtered, contorting her face with unadulterated regret. Neji almost snorted in response - almost. In reality, he coughed and offered one of the unused napkins.

Tenten accepted the act of kindness but her expression remained in disgust. A deep frown marred her features and tears coated her lashes - the bourbon burned wildly. Ever the gentleman, Neji ordered a plate of pastéis to attenuate her discomfort. Attempting to learn from experience, she snatched the last napkin and scrawled, 'What is that? It better not be some poison again.'

'It's a local appetizer with melted cheese and minced meat.'

His companion lunged for the dish. She popped a couple in her mouth and blithely fluttered her eyes to the ceiling. Tenten amicably pushed forth the appetizer to share, but he purposely drank slowly from his bourbon to mock her prior mistake. Antagonized, she mimicked his actions with exaggerated pretentiousness.

'This still tastes like garbage when you drink it pompously. Can you order a Coke and rum for me, please?'

He "tsk-ed" and beckoned for the bartender. As soon as he finished placing her order, she raised two fingers again. The Brazilian man reappeared with two cocktails and Tenten smiled winsomely, depositing the local currency on the counter. He winked, waved off the tab, and wiggled his brows suggestively at Neji.

Duly scandalized, the tennis prodigy opened his mouth to clarify his intentions when he felt a slender hand cover his. He turned to see Tenten grinning waggishly and prompting him to read her new message.

'Play along! I just scored you a free drink!'

'He believes that you are hitting on me.'

Tenten licked her lips conspiratorially. 'Is it working?'

Neji let out an uncharacteristic snort at the same time that she chortled in mirth.

The woman took another sip from her bourbon neat and chased it with rum. Seizing a blank napkin, she hunched over the tabletop to begin another masterpiece. Averting his gaze, Neji remembered his original mission and gleaned across the crowd, finding Hinata still dancing with her friends.

"Kan yi kan!" The brunette dangled the napkin in front of his vision. He tore the offending object from his face and examined a picture of a dart board, deck of cards, and cue ball. Beneath the drawings was the instruction: 'Choose one.'

'I am preoccupied.'

Vexed, Tenten blew on her bangs and referred to the animated poultry. The man beside her sighed in exasperation.

'One game and I'll let you be antisocial for the rest of the night.'

He inwardly weighed her promise and checked on Hinata once again. Corroborating her well being, he relented. 'Fine. You choose. I am ambivalent.'

The brunette's elation was palpable. She cupped both her drinks and motioned for Neji to follow. In a matter of strides, he found himself in front of a dartboard. Tenten charmed the metallic arrows from the bartender and offered three white ones to him while she kept the black darts for herself.

"Shanghai?" She arched her brows, hoping that he knew the rules. To her surprise, he did. Darts are a popular British pub sport that Neji occasionally partook in during his tenure abroad. The Shanghai version of the game was rarely played, but his batch mates were rabid fans of trying international variations.

Tenten fished a five centavos coin from her jeans pocket and suggested for Neji to select a side. He mutely flipped the piece of copper-plated steel to where a dove was ingrained. His challenger nodded and tossed the coin up, effortlessly catching it and revealing the verdict: he threw first.

She cocked one of her glasses at him for luck. He drained his bourbon before aiming, throwing his three darts squarely in the correct sector. There were two methods to win: the most common required each player to shoot one region per round, alternating 20 regions in the circle dartboard, and scoring only if the darts landed in the corresponding sector of the play. The other approach was virtually impossible.

His opponent golf clapped and assumed the position where he formerly stood. She struggled to focus, clumsily grasping her first arrow. The brunette giggled anxiously but Neji sipped from his rum in sportsmanlike support. Then, with three flicks of the wrist, Tenten nimbly struck her shots in the narrow singles, doubles, and triples band, effectively winning the game.

Neji subsequently clenched his fists and glared daggers at the dartboard. She duped him! The sneak probably practiced daily!

Tenten cackled like a witch and pirouetted in triumph. She thrust her drinks at Neji and gesticulated for him to toast her victory. Sourly, he clinked his glass with her's and sought for the pen and napkin.

'We are competing in pool billiards.'

She downed both alcoholic beverages and sniffed in superiority. "Hao de."

The duo padded to the empty pool table where Neji raised up eight fingers, questioning Tenten's knowledge of the eight-ball game. She nodded and retrieved the pools sticks while he neatly stacked the cue balls. Mutually agreeing that Tenten would take the first turn due to her previous win, the woman gripped the wooden pole and boom! Completely missed the black ball altogether.

She braced herself for derisive retribution against her childish antics at the dartboard. To her surprise, however, none came. Instead, Neji stilled her body with one hand and set his cue stick aside with the other. His taller frame cloaked her back as he altered her grip on the wooden instrument, pressed her closer to the table, and revised her novice technique.

The scent of cinnamon captivated Neji for the second time that evening. Pulling away, he cued her to strike by tapping her wrists. Tenten moved on command and made square contact with the black ball, watching in amazement as it scattered the other multi-colored spheres. A striped ball plopped into a pocket first, indicating her claim to suit. Now all she had to do was sink the rest of the striped objects.

Biting her tongue in concentration, she vied for a striped orange ball adjacent to a corner pocket. Tenten copied Neji's technique and ventured a shot, but unfortunately, the projectile hit an edge and ricocheted away.

The Hyuuga was chalking the tip of his pool stick when she backpedaled to signal the end of her round. Neji arranged himself parallel to the black ball and positioned his fingers expertly. In seven successive shots, he deftly pocketed the entirety of the solid colored balls and flickered a smug grin in Tenten's direction.

She stared at him in utter disbelief, then pitched forward to argue, yet ended up tripping on her feet. Apparently, Tenten wasn't drunk on victory or defeat - she was just plain drunk. The bourbon and rum thoroughly invaded her system.

Instinctively, Neji reached out to save her from plummeting to the floor. He slung her arm around his shoulders and anchored a steadying hand on her waist. The abrupt movements jarred Tenten's vision and vertigo started to beset her. She squeezed her eyes shut and burrowed her head into the crook of his neck.

"BRO!" Hollered a roguish boy from afar, "That was so fucking smooth I'm sweatin' in my goddamn drawers!"

"Silence, Inuzuka," Neji glared at the marathon runner, "You and Aburame are in charge of Hinata's safe return to her room tonight; otherwise I will gravely compromise your participation in the Games."

The younger man straightened his posture and saluted. "Sir yes sir!"

Neji lowered his tone to address the woman slumped against him. "Tenten," he hoped the context of the situation would translate itself, "Where is your key?"

She groaned into his neck and in spite of himself, he blushed. The fragrance of cinnamon yet again filled his senses and, not for the first time that evening, Neji noticed Tenten as a remarkably attractive woman. His unruly thoughts were thankfully re-calibrated when he felt a card-key slip into his palm. In haste, Neji navigated them towards to the Olympic Village, less any more troublesome thoughts propagated in his mind.

To his relief, Tenten's lodging was simple to locate and she physically cooperated throughout their journey home. Neji swiped the key and pushed open her door, ushering them inside a darkened room. He gingerly deposited the woman on the bed before removing her flip flops, blanketing her with a sheet, and placing a bottle of water on the night stand.

"N...Neji," Tenten whispered breathlessly and smiled in earnest, "Xie xie."

With a discreet smile back, the Hyuuga closed the door behind him and exited soundlessly into the night.

Sakura clapped her hands together. "Kami, Tenten, you're a miracle worker! Naruto's practically worshiping you!"

The twin-bunned woman playfully bowed at the compliment. "So did he finally ask out the girl of his dreams?"

"Hai," Sakura drank from her chilled cup of acai, "They're suppose to go on a double date after we fly back to Japan."

"Nani? With who? Ino and Sai?"

The pinkette scoffed. "Heck no! They'd scare her away from their raunchy sex talk - they've got zero filter. With me and Sasuke."

Tenten choked on her coconut water from laughing. "Ano... you guys won't scare her away?

"We're private." The judo master hissed. Tenten murmured something suspiciously sassy so Sakura retorted, "Now, spill the juicy details about your hot date with The Hyuuga Neji."

"Oh I wish," the brunette rolled her eyes, "But I mean, despite the fact that I could barely function in his presence, I think I kept myself together pretty well. On the inside, though, I was basically collapsing. I've never seen a hotter guy on this planet in my 24 years of existence."

"He has a super sexy voice to boot," the older woman babbled onwards, "Especially when he speaks in English. Did you know he has a British accent? I don't have a clue what he said, but I had an eargasm every time-,"

Her meal buddy's suddenly panic-stricken eyes truncated Tenten's commentary - Sakura looked completely gobsmacked.

"I, uh, gotta run!" The rosette slid an azure bill on the table. "Sasuke's calling. Ja ne!"

Tenten furrowed her brows in bewilderment as Sakura hurdled a decorative shrub and vanished down the street. What precipitated that desperate departure? Mystified, the tennis player leaned onto the hind legs of her chair and-

Almost fell off. Behind her was none other than Hyuuga Neji in the flesh. And, judging from her friend's visceral reaction, he probably heard her whole monologue!

At that realization, Tenten actually did crash to the ground. She curled on the cafe patio's floor and veiled her face with both hands. The potency of her embarrassment outweighed the scalding tiles burning her skin.

"Fix yourself," instructed Neji, "The locals are staring."

She decided to address him in Japanese. The facade was obsolete now that he caught her rambling the most mortifying things in his mother tongue. "Just let me die, thanks."

The tall man used his foot to nudge her shin to which she responded by bravely peaking between her fingers. Tenten saw his outstretched hand and an arrogant smirk gracing his gorgeous lips. Surrendering to the inevitable, she groaned and accepted Neji's help. She settled back into her seat reluctantly while he claimed Sakura's abandoned chair.

Not one to beat around the bush, he began. "Tell me how you know Japanese."

"My mom's Japanese and I lived in Kyoto for 12 years." Tenten mumbled pathetically.

"Then why," he drawled, "Did you feign ignorance at the bar?"

The woman whimpered meekly. His steely stare wasn't conducive to revealing the truth… or looking less handsome.

"You're gonna be mad if I tell you."

"I will not be mad."

"You're gonna be pissed."

"False."

"Lies!"

Neji crossed his arms condescendingly. "Just like your pretense last night?"

Tenten flinched in remorse. "I only told a white lie about my Japanese! I really do suck at English and you really did save me from face planting-,"

"I will excuse your mendacious behavior if you tell the truth now." Neji angled his chin as if he aced an opponent.

The brunette bemoaned the ultimatum. On one hand, she was loyal to Naruto and the intricate plot her friends wove to aid his love life. On the other, Neji was the top men's tennis seed and a respected professional in her field. Plus, there was a niggling guilt that she had, indeed, beguiled him when she genuinely enjoyed his company at the pub.

Coming to a stalemate, she resolved to her last resort.

Neji quirked a brow as the flustered woman dug in her pockets. She procured another five centavos coin, whispered something in Mandarin, and flipped it in the air. Allowing the piece of currency to fall on the table, Tenten held her breath in anticipation as it halted to display the dove on the reverse side. Fate decided for her.

"I was acting as Uzumaki Naruto's wingwoman so he could ask out your cousin."

The Hyuuga's imposing disposition could make the most notorious lawyers intimidated. "A plot which Yamanaka and Haruno orchestrated?"

Tenten hung her head in self deprecation - of course her target doubled as an interrogation expert. "Hai."

"Was Uzumaki successful in his endeavors?"

Her shoulder's progressively sagged. "Hai."

"And did Hinata comply?"

"Hai…," Tenten weakly answered, then quickly provide an addendum, "But they're going on a double date! You have nothing to worry about and no reason to interfere!"

Neji exemplified the paragon of poker faces. "With whom will they be accompanied by?"

She sighed in relief, grateful to tread in safe waters. Her friends were famous and estimable individuals. "Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke."

"Absolutely not."

Tenten unhinged her jaw in alarm. "What?"

"Hinata shall not be corrupted by such uncouth scum."

"Sakura's a doll!" Tenten defended, mentally affixing the adjectives 'firecracker,' 'insane,' and 'crazy-powerful.' "And Naruto's a sweetheart. Sasuke's-,"

"A sententious bastard." Neji deadpanned.

The woman amended the description carefully. "A nice guy in private."

"No," the top tennis seed vetoed, "Hinata will not be pursuing any romantic forays without proper supervision."

Tenten stammered. "B-but you said you wouldn't get mad!"

"I am sufficiently displeased."

"Same thing!" Her mind raced, reflecting on the massive damage she accidentally inflicted on Naruto's nascent love life. "Hinata's a grown woman, she can do whatever she wants!"

"Our clan would severely disapprove."

"Well then…!" Tenten searched her head for alternative solutions, "You go on a double date with them!" She grumbled something along the lines of, 'Jeez, that's so weird. Give them some space.'

"Fine." Curiously, he smirked in a manner identical to when he hit a winner - a trait Tenten was accustomed to witnessing on television. "When's the next time you'll be in Kyoto?"

The implications of his question froze her. It was the last thing she expected out of his mouth. A mouth she could definitely envision herself exploring if he meant...

"Right after I win a gold medal. So I can show my relatives, and all."

"Well then," Neji imitated, "I hope for Hinata and Uzumaki's sake that the odds will be in your favor."

Tenten edged forward and grinned coquettishly. "And yours."

Author's Notes

Fu Yuanhui's adorableness inspired this rendition of Tenten. I wanted to address the themes of different cultures and travel - something prevalent in my current lifestyle. Anything mentioned between China and Japan is NOT meant to be offensive at all. You know the drill - reviews will garner faster updates! Should I keep cranking out one-shots? Or make this into a multi-chaptered thing? I'd love to know your thoughts :)

A shout out to keroRiBBIT who leaves the best reviews to all my stories. Your kind words warm my heart and inspire me to write more NejiTen. In other news, if ya'll are interested in more NejiTen goodness, here is a shameless plug to check out my other fic called "The Right Side of Rock Bottom."

P.S. Happy U.S. Open 2016!

P.P.S. A huge thanks to fruitysmellz for the CUTEST DRAWING EVER of tennis!NejiTen which is now the cover picture! Find more the full picture here: fruitysmellz's tumblr page! (/image/150041814784 with the whole URL)