A/N: Wow somehow I got a couple days ahead of schedule. I suppose I was anxious to conclude things here. Well, I'm almost done with another one. I was worried at first but this has turned out pretty good. I hope you agree with me. This is chapter five

Disclaimer: This disclaimer is better than you (and, of course, I don't own Naruto).

Hinata Hyuga had always been a child lost to dreams. It was in her dreams where she could escape from herself, from her weakness. Yet despite the sweet memories the young ninja associated with her dreams, Hinata Hyuga was quite happy to find upon waking up that she could not remember that night's dream. She somehow doubted she had dreamed anything at all. What was the point in dreaming anymore, after all? Her whole life was now a dream.

As she stared at the naked girl lying asleep, and straddled along side her, as she felt this girl's warmth against her own, she couldn't help but know that this was that happiness she so often longed for. This was an unfamiliar place, an unfamiliar bed, but in an instant, it had more of the feel of a home to it than any place Hinata had ever been.

Hinata now wondered how things would have changed had she been blessed with the strength of this girl before her. Tenten was so strong, Hinata knew in her heart she never could have confessed to loving someone, especially under such unfavorable circumstances. Part of her wondered whether that if she had this strength this would have been Naruto's bed she was now sharing. But that was a dream best left abandoned, Tenten was her reality, and she doubted his embrace would be any warmer, his touch anymore pleasant.

As she stared at the girl's softly sleeping face, she couldn't help but be overtook by it's beauty. She tried to remember what kissing Tenten had been like. In all the amazing sensations of the night, she had become dislodged and disoriented. She yearned to taste those sweet lips again. In an instant, she found herself drawn to them, planting a soft kiss. The girl's eyes opened to meet hers.

"I-I'm s-sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." Hinata started with a blush

"No, I can't think of a better way to start a morning…" Tenten said with a comforting smile.

"Oh… I'm glad." Hinata smiled back.

"Did you sleep well, Hinata?" Tenten asked with a soft yawn.

"Better than I ever have before…" Hinata said with an enthusiastic nod.

"Well that's sweet… I'd say I feel the same way." Tenten said as she began caressing Hinata's shoulders and back tenderly.

"Tenten… What did I do to deserve this, to deserve your love?" HInata asked wistfully.

"Just be you I guess. That really should be enough to get anyone to fall for you. What's more amazing is that you let me love you…" Tenten spoke slightly.

"Am I really that great?" Hinata asked.

"Yes, you just need to learn to see it." Tenten responded as she playfully stroked Hinata's face.

"I-I believe you. For you, I have to be someone great and with you I think I can be." Hinata said forcefully.

"I'm happy…" Tenten said lovingly.

"I love you." Hinata muttered for the first time.

"Thank you…" Tenten said now brought to tears.

"Tenten…" Hinata started in a consoling tone.

"I still just can't believe it turned out like this…" Tenten interjected still struggling against emotion.

"But you're great too Tenten, why wouldn't I fall for you?" Hinata answered.

"I just thought that, t-that I wasn't good enough for you. I'm a girl, and you already had someone you loved, and I'm not as strong or great as Neji; I may not always be able to protect you." Tenten spoke, embattled with her own doubts.

"It's okay, Tenten, You're enough for me, You'll always be more than enough for me, and if you can't always protect me then I'll protect you too. I mean isn't that what you said earlier, that we'd share each other's strength. I think that will always be enough." Hinata responded strongly.

"Yes, you're right." Tenten concluded, calming down.

"Good, then let's get dressed and go." Hinata said as she got to her feet.

"Go where?" Tenten asked, now slightly fearful.

"To tell father…' Hinata said with a smile.

"What? Already, you sure you're ready for that. I mean, shouldn't you allow yourself happiness a little longer before…" Tenten started brokenly.

"Calm down, I was just going to tell him about my decision to reject the marriange offer." Hinata said lightly.

"Oh, well that's a relief." Tenten said with a sigh.

---

After a couple hours of playful preparation, Hinata and Tenten had made their way back to the home of Hiashi Hyuga. A dedicated look now slung across the young Hyuga girl's face.

"Alright Tenten, you wait here well I go tell him." Hinata said with a endearing look as she told her lover to wait outside the main chambers.

"If I'm just going to wait here why did you bring me along in the first place?" Tenten asked, humored.

"Because, I needed the inspiration. If I know you're right outside this door, I won't be as scared anymore." Hinata chimed cutely.

"Alright, good luck." Tenten said with a loving nod before setting the girl off to meet with her father.

"Hinata what is it?" Hiashi Hyuga asked upon seeing his older daughter's approach. Neji Hyuga, who was only a short distance away stopped to look on.

"I'm sorry to bother you father… but I have reached a decision on the proposal you had for me." Hinata started showing only minimal nervousness.

"Ahh, and what is it that you have decided?" Hiashi responded with a slight smirk.

"I have decided to decline the offer…" Hinata said still trying to suppress fear through memory of her lover's face.

"Oh, and through what reasoning have you reached this conclusion?" Hiashi asked intently.

"I'd rather not have my life dictated to me by others. I want to follow my own destiny rather than be forced into a role. If the person that I am isn't who the family want to guide them as your successor, if they feel Neji would be better, than perhaps it is time they look into breaking away from some traditions." Hinata found that closing her eyes and silently praying that she wasn't going to get hit into the ground calmed her nerve as she spoke.

"Is that so? Very well, if that's what you have to say, then I am sure we will all find that acceptable." Hiashi said still giving off a slight smile as the girl departed from him and found her way back to the one she loved.

"So how did it go?" Tenten said curiously.

"I think it went well. I got a little scared, but I don't think he was mad at me. I really couldn't tell how he felt." Hinata said with a relieved look.

"I bet he was proud of you. I know I am." Tenten said with a smile.

"Maybe you're right." Hinata said with a laugh.

"But if he knew the whole details, I'm not sure he'd be as accepting. But that's best left for another time." Tenten said with a look of embarrassment.

"I'm sure he'll figure that part out on his own pretty quickly, and whatever decision he makes, I'd be willing to accept as long as we can be together." Hinata said cutely.

"Right." Tenten said with fierceness in her eyes as the two exited the Hyuga home. As they did so they were soon greeted by Neji who was waiting in the houses shadow.

"So is it you're work then?" Neji asked collectively of Tenten.

"Is what my work?" Tenten responded softly.

"Hinata. The words that she spoke did not come from her mouth. I'd say it was you who planted them there." Neji said with a sly look.

"No, really it was her…" Tenten started before being broken off.

"Yes, it was Tenten who put the words in my mouth... Do you want to know how she did it?" Hinata said with a large smile.

"Hinata, what are you talking about?" Tenten asked in a confused way.

"I… guess so..." Neji said inconclusively to Hinata with an odd look.

"Like this." Hinata chimed before moving into Tenten's reluctant embrace for a soft kiss.

"Hinata we can't now… why would you… right now." Tenten said in broken confusion.

"You see, Neji, Tenten is the reason I was able to find those words." Hinata said now feeling slight embarrassment set in.

"I… see… well that makes sense then." Neji said with an unbelieving look of horror.

"Um, I know this wasn't what you intended when you told me to be her training partner. And I hope you don't feel betrayed or anything, and can still see me as a friend and comrade and, and…" Tenten said in apologetic nervousness.

"I-it's fine. I mean… I think it is interesting and… probably something for the best… it's just a little…" Neji still spoke disjointedly.

"Cool." Tenten said allowing an end to Neji's rambling.

"I guess that leaves on thing for us right now Tenten." Hinata started with an enthusiastic smile.

"Oh you wanted to get some things for when you move in with me." Tenten said in recall.

"Yes, I can't wait. Let's go." Hinata said happily as she pulled her lover back in the direction of her room.

Hinata knew things were different now. Love was an amazing thing. Perhaps in all her dreaming all that she had truly sought was this love. As it was, she loved Tenten, and was certain her love would always be returned equally. She was for the first time truly happy, she was for the first time truly loved, and she now knew her heart was not something only to be shattered. As she contemplated this new wonder of love, Hinata knew that she had found in it her hope.

A/N: And there we have it, another fic finished. I hope you all thought it was great. I tried pretty hard to make this one good even though I had a rough start. Unlike the rest of this fic, this chapter is very dialogue heavy and wa again pretty short. I hope that was cool. I also hope you didn't mind the OOC'ness of Hinata. I had trouble imagining Hinata without the incessant shyness and nervousness, so I just made her real happy and kinda obsessed with Tenten and hoped that would work. Anyways on the topic of the next fic, I put much deliberation into it and decided, to take a new approach to the pairings requested of me. I don't want to end up having scheduled myself with a fic to write, and have no basic plot outline in my head when starting it again. Sure this fic turned out fine, but I'm afraid the next one might not. So in the future I've decided to put more thought into what fics I actually write. I know this may sound like I'm ignoring requests, and now going back on stuff I said I'd write, but hopefully you'll understand that this is the best way to ensure that I can do this and actually come up with something acceptable. So basically in short I have decided to reduce the list of fics I'm for sure doing down to the following three: Ino X Temari, Kurenai X Hinata, and Temari X Anko. If you still really want to see a pairing that used to be on my list please tell me and I will try to think up something for it, but these three I already have ideas for. Hopefully you'll all be cool with that, and I hope to see ya soon.