Rating: K+

Paring: Onesided NejiTen and NejiOC

Warnings: OOCness on the part of Neji, or else this fic would've never occurred. XD Lots of crack too!

Genre: Romance / General / Humor

Dedication: Oh, this one's for E, aka I.Heart.Hatake.Kakashi! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIRL! XD This is the fic I was planning as soon as we began talking about –her--… XD Haha, enjoy dearest! I hope I made it justice…

Stick to What You Know Best

"Stop!"

As soon as Gai-sensei had shouted the word, Neji halted his incessant array of attacks towards his Jounin sensei. Himself currently at Chuunin, he had definitely grown in terms of strength, agility, and sheer power over the last few years.

Gai straightened out and gave Neji his signature Nice Guy pose. "Congratulations, my student, congratulations! You have almost made me breathless for a second."

Neji answered in a non-committal grunt. Today was the very first day that Neji got to train alone with his sensei. Usually, it was usually an all-around training session with his two teammates and Gai, or on his own with the kunoichi of their group. But today, Lee had left on a mission alone, while Tenten was sick.

Truly sick, actually, not just faking. As soon as Neji had realized that he would be training alone with his crazed spandex-wearing sensei, he had darted to Tenten's home to attempt dragging her out. After having to break down the door, he had gone up to her room to find her feverish, coughing deeply, with frightening hot flashes. Seeing her in such a bad shape forced the Hyuuga prodigy to sulk back to the training ground, accepting that he would have to train with Gai.

Thankfully, his sensei had toned down on the "weird behavior" and they had both immediately started to train. Non-stop, their attacks went on for hours, until Neji realized that it was long passed lunchtime. Gai hadn't seemed to notice the time, and Neji made no notice of it either.

But now the older man had required a pause and Neji was granting him one. As they both sat down to retrieve their almost-forgotten bottles of water, Gai suddenly sprang a question to him.

"How are you and the flower of our team doing, Neji?" His teeth flashed mischievously as he spoke.

Neji didn't look fazed the slightest as he drank a bit. "Fine. She's a strong kunoichi to spar with."

Gai almost rolled his eyes as he grinned some more. "Come on, Neji! You and I both know that wasn't the question!"

That was exactly why Neji didn't want to be stuck with his sensei for the entire day. The question had been inevitable, and no matter how badly he would turn around the subject, Gai wouldn't stop pestering him until he told him exactly what he wanted to hear.

"We're simply friends at best," he monotonously replied.

"Argh!" Gai shouted, making a few stray birds chirp in annoyance. A few flew away, yet he didn't seem to care as he continued on an equally loud note. "Neji, when will you make your move?"

Now that, he wasn't used to. Usually, Gai's prodding ended as soon as the prodigy stated they were friends- now his sensei was touching a little closer to home.

"Never," he stoically replied, as he stood up to begin sparring once more. Yet Gai remained seated, indicating he had no intention of starting anytime soon. The stupid grin wouldn't leave his face as he began fingering a blade of grass, staring at the boy intently.

"But why, Neji? We both know there is something between you and our precious flower! I believe she has the same feelings for you that you harbor for her, and that she'd delightfully accept your request were you to ask!" Yet another Nice Guy pose.

It was a wonder that Neji hadn't murdered him right there and then. He felt humiliation and embarrassment creeping up his chest, yet he refused to let it through as he snapped, "Are you ready to start training again now? This is what we're here for."

"Ahh Neji, that was not very youthful!" Gai grinned as he stood up. "Yet it makes me believe I'm right! Let's keep on sparring!"

A few hours later, after Gai had announced that they had enough for the day, Neji was still fuming mad. How dare Gai know so much about him? How dare he be right about these kinds of things? He began marching home rather angrily, even though his face betrayed nothing of those emotions bottled inside of him.

"I have to prove him wrong," he suddenly whispered, as he entered the shopping district of Konoha. Often, when he'd walk Tenten home after their nightly sparring sessions, the kunoichi would sometimes stare in a window at a certain object lovingly, obviously wishing for it. The orphan girl was poor, and those luxuries weren't made for her price range. Yet the prodigy, to whom money wasn't a problem, would usually buy the object later on and would send it to her home anonymously.

'No!' he mentally chided himself, 'Stop thinking about her!'

As soon as he shook his head to clear his thought, his eyes suddenly rested on a woman a few meters in front of him. The fifteen-year-old boy halted in his heels and stared lightly as she stopped at a restaurant to sit down. She began talking to the owner, the sounds leaving her lips drifting towards the boy, yet the words remaining unintelligible.

She had shiny jet black hair that went down to her mid-back, and teeth that were perfectly straight. Her voice was musical, and even though she was beautiful to look at, she carried herself with an air of dignity and pride that wasn't found in a lot of people.

'Now, wouldn't it shut Gai up…' the prodigy mused silently, 'if I'd be seen with that woman…?'

She looked slightly older than he was, but then again, he himself did look older than fifteen. People around the village would surely shrug off their age difference; it wasn't uncommon for females to date younger males. After all, no one had really considered the age difference between Shikamaru and Temari when the pair had been discovered kissing during a festival.

Deciding that he was hungry, he conveniently placed himself directly besides her and ordered his food, then peered down as the seconds went by. Eventually, the woman was served, and she began pulling out her purse to pay for her food when Neji spoke up.

"I'll pay for the lady."

She turned to him with a bright smile, one so attractive that it reminded him of Tenten's. Lowering her purse lightly on her long-skirted lap, she looked at him with thankfulness in her eyes. "Are you certain?"

"Yes," Neji nodded lightly, forcing himself to give the woman a small smile. "May I know your name?"

"Of course. I am Yoshe," she introduced herself, forsaking to give him her last name. "And I recognize you, you're Hyuuga Neji, aren't you?"

'She knows me. This will make it even easier for me.' He smirked lightly. "Yes I am." He then began digging his brain for the meaning of her name. He had often studied name's origins, since most of the Hyuuga family believed that the name would define the individual's personality.

Finally, his mind clicked into gear. "You do know that your name means "beautiful one", don't you?" He knew that it sounded dangerously like a flirt, yet the woman brightened obviously once he said it. Hence, he pushed it a little farther. "It suits you quite well."

"Well, thank you Neji! You seem to know a lot about names!" she melodically complimented, as Neji received his own food.

They both ate together, keeping their conversation away from anything too personal. It was light and airy, and Neji surprised himself by actually enjoying her openness and friendly attitude.

Eventually, though, Yoshe excused herself to go back home. After profusely thanking Neji for her meal and declining his offer to accompany her home, she departed, leaving the prodigy to walk back to the Hyuuga compound.

As he was crossing the road, though, he noticed his sensei making push-ups randomly on a bench on the side of the road. Rolling his eyes, he attempted to pass him without being detected, yet the dark-haired man stopped his training to grin at him. "Hello, my dear student! How was your meal?"

"Fine," the prodigy answered as he attempted to leave.

Yet Gai refused to let him go as he sat up. "Who was that stunning flower you were talking with?"

Then Neji saw his chance as a smirk surfaced. Turning to face Gai with a slightly haughty look, he answered coolly while judging his sensei's reaction closely. "She is my girlfriend."

"Oh really?!" Gai gasped, then began laughing loudly. Soon, he shook his head and regarded Neji with a twinkle in his eyes. "I knew that there was nothing at all between you and Tenten! She is quite a beautiful woman, Neji; you are a very lucky person!"

"Hn," he gloated lightly, before turning his back on Gai and walking away. Surely, this would shut him up about Tenten for a while…

Today was the day when Lee would return from his, as Gai had put it, perilous mission of the most important secret. Hence the remaining member of Team Gai had the day off, yet their sensei had importantly announced that they'd all spend their day by youthfully awaiting Lee's return, to be able to greet him back to his hometown with all the love he deserved.

'Perfect,' Neji grumbled mentally as he made his way to the front gates. 'Surely Gai will make us sing something for Lee as well. How just perfect.'

He was, as usual, the first one to show up. Sitting down, he failed to notice that a figure had been following him, until she sat carefully besides him. Neji turned around, surprised that he hadn't been able to realize someone had been coming, then almost choked on air as Yoshe stared back at him with a jolly look on her face.

"Hi Neji!" she chirped happily.

The prodigy eyed her warily, yet then forced himself to soften. "Hi Yoshe." He didn't add anything else to his greeting, instead choosing to stare glumly at the horizon. If only Lee could show up right about now, maybe Gai wouldn't have the chance to talk to Yoshe and figure out his lie…

But of course, fate worked against him, and Gai appeared a few minutes later.

"Well, if it wouldn't be one of my students, anxiously waiting for his teammate!" Gai almost giggled as he arrived. Then he bowed deeply to Yoshe before exclaiming, "And hello to you too, precious flower of womanhood!"

Neji almost twitched, but Yoshe simply laughed and answered, "Good morning, Gai!"

Out of curiosity, Neji forced down his impassiveness to ask, "Do you two know each other?"

Gai smirked. "Of course, we know each other! After all, she's my student's 'special someone'! How could I pass her in the streets without greeting her?!"

Neji's blood froze as Yoshe laughed again and shot the prodigy a glance. 'He told her. He told her what I had told him… Kami, I shouldn't have lied to him…'

To change the subject, Neji spoke again, this time to ask a question that was starting to bother him. "Where is Tenten?"

"She's still sick," Gai informed him with a snicker. "But I'm sure you don't miss her, don't you, Neji?"

'What the hell is wrong with him?' Neji fumed, but then he only felt one emotion: relief.

He didn't think he'd ever be as happy to see Lee as he was during that moment.

The younger Green Beast surged through the gates, stopping eagerly in front of Gai and giving him a Nice Guy pose. "Mission done, Gai-sensei!" he exclaimed loudly, obviously proud of himself.

Then, he looked at Neji, who was standing besides Yoshe now. Opening his arms wide, he began running towards the Prodigy.

Neji braced himself, but Lee suddenly flung himself at Yoshe, who caught him expertly. Loudly, the spandex-wearing youth yelled one word that made Neji want to die on the spot.

"MOM!"

As Yoshe was gladly hugging her son while Neji looked utterly mortified, Gai chuckled as he patted the Hyuuga's shoulder. Leaning down to ear-level with him, his sensei whispered teasingly, "I think you're better off sticking with Tenten, Neji. Why don't you go see her right now?"

Still stunned, Neji nodded rapidly, and vanished under a few seconds.