"Ever since I was a little girl
My mama always told me So when I'm with you, I have fun I hate sleeping alone." - When I'm With You
there'd be boys like you
Yeah when I'm with you, I have fun
Best Coast
"Can I braid your hair?"
"No."
Tenten shifted her weight and leaned up against the tree they sat under.
"Why not?" She wasn't sure if they were well acquainted enough for her to press the issue, but his hair was so long and looked so soft and she wanted nothing more than to thread her fingers through it and play a little.
Neji's voice was low and even and he did not open his eyes or break from his meditative pose. And although he looked perfectly calm, she could hear the irritation that laced his words.
"Because, I don't want my hair braided."
"Just really quick?"
"No, Tenten."
She sighed and leaned up against the tree, pulling her knees to her chest.
"Man, this team is so lame."
"You were not put on a three man squad to have fun."
"I know!" She snapped, turning over to look at him. He still had not moved or opened his eyes. "I just thought that I would have fun people on my team! Instead I'm sandwiched between you - Mr. Serious - and Lee." She leaned back against the bark and looked up at the leaves. "I just thought I'd be placed on a team with people more relatable."
"We could have a very many things in common. You could discover that if you asked a few questions."
"If I ask questions, Lee and Guy will overreact and tell me how youthful I am being and you, you just won't give me a good answer."
"A good answer? What defines a good answer?"
Tenten shrugged her shoulders, knowing he wouldn't see it, and spoke.
"I don't know... You always say 'no' or something cryptic and depressing."
She watched his brows furrow at that before smoothing back out across his forehead.
"Maybe if you are dissatisfied with my answers you should reconsider the types of questions you ask me."
Tenten rolled her eyes, knowing that his answer was also a jab at her request to braid his hair. She fell silent and wound a piece of grass around her finger by her side, playing with it gently, trying not to pull it from the ground. She suspected her silence relieved him and bit back a retort.
Her eyes landed on the soft expanse of hair that fell down his back and her fingers ached.
Slowly, carefully, she raised her hand, hoping she would go unnoticed, and reached over, running her fingers lightly over his hair.
She watched him stiffen and before she had registered the change of the features on his face, her wrist was gripped tightly and pulled away.
The whole while, he did not open his eyes. It was starting to annoy her.
"I thought I said no, Tenten. You should respect my boundaries."
Tenten leaned in close, rolling onto her knees and stared at his closed eyes, willing him to open them.
"We are teammates now," she began, "we will come to know each other very intimately, whether you like it or not. What is the point in resisting?"
His eyes opened and met hers. She was always taken aback by the soft pale irises and pupils, which were a start contrast to her own dark brown eyes.
"Fine."
Tenten furrowed her brows, confused.
"Fine," he repeated, "but I have my own request."
Tenten nodded and felt the grip on he wrist slacken.
"I'd like to see you with your hair down."
A pang of dread slid through her chest. She looked at his hair again, soft and smooth. Her hair would be a wild and poofy mess once released from her buns. And she had no hairbrush to try and tame it. She saw his lips turn up into a smirk.
"W-why?"
"Curiosity. I don't think I've seen you with anything other than those buns since we started at the academy."
"But my hair will be such a mess if I take it out and-"
"You asked me to do something I would rather not do and I now ask the same of you, in exchange."
Tenten could do no more than open and close her mouth, at a loss for words.
"I thought you wanted to bond with your teammates."
Her hand flew up to one of the buns and she ran her fingers over one of the smoothed knots she had tied up this morning.
"Fine," she conceded. The offer, after all, was too tempting to pass up. "But don't look."
Neji shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, falling back into his practice.
Tenten untied the strip of fabric around her forehead and relished the cool air that hit her. She was still not used to wearing it. She looked down at the metal plate and the engraved leaf symbol before placing it on the grass in front of her.
The tips of her fingers rooted into the first bun, finding the hair elastic that contained the mess, and she tugged lightly. The elastic came with her fingers and her hair fell down her back, landing between her shoulder blades. She quickly pulled out the other elastic and secured them both on her wrist. Then she spent a good minute trying to comb down the waves and poof that were a side effect of her hair style.
"Um, okay." She continued to comb down her hair when he opened his eyes, tucking some behind her ear.
Tenten watched him take in the sight and felt her cheeks warm. She was not used to the attention, especially from someone like him.
"You look nice," he offered.
"T-thanks."
Neji shifted forward a little and turned his back to her. She picked up quickly on his cue and grinned.
Her hands quickly found the elastic that held his hair back and she pulled it free, adding it to her wrist. She smoothed and separated his hair into three sections, fingers scraping against the warmth of his back as she did so.
Carefully, and slowly, she began to plate his hair, forming a single, large, braid down his back.
"Has anyone ever asked to braid your hair before?"
"Just you, and every other girl I've ever met."
Tenten believed him. His hair was perfect for braiding.
"And how many girls have you let braid your hair?" She didn't know why, but the thought of any of the other girls in their class braiding Neji's hair sent a wave of jealously through her.
"This is the first - and last - time."
He glanced over his shoulder at her and her heart sped up. She nodded in understanding and looked back down at the braid.
Tenten finished quietly and when she was done she took a moment to admire her work. The braid was smooth and even and she was jealous of how nice it looked. She then slid her fingers in and pulled the braid loose for him.
She smoothed his hair back and tied it back into the low pony tail he usually wore.
"Thanks, Neji."
~o0o~
Every muscle in Tenten's body screamed in protest, but she remained in her spot.
An ache slid through her side. It was the type of ache that came from sleeping in the same position all night. Except she had also slept all day.
On top of that, her stomach was swollen, her breasts were tender and her bed was lonely. But if she rolled over it would be to his side of the bed. She didn't want to lay on his side, she didn't even want to see his pillow.
She wasn't worried that she would see a ghost. No, in fact, it was much the opposite. She was terrified that she would roll over and see nothing.
She would see that the sheets were no longer wrinkled from his form. That she would not sense the warmth he'd left behind on their last night, nor would his ghost lay beside her.
She knew that if she rolled over she would have to face the fact that she was alone.
Tenten didn't cry much anymore, she had squeezed out every last tear the first few days after the funeral. Besides, all crying got her was a stuffy nose and a throbbing headache. It would not bring him back, and therefore (in her opinion) was not worth the effort.
Besides, konochi weren't supposed to cry.
She shifted her weight a little in the bed to readjust the pressure on her side. She found some relief and let herself relax a little.
Through the open door to her bedroom she could hear the front door creak as it opened and she sighed. Although Tenten was never in the mood for visitors, the past couple weeks had brought her Hinata and Lee on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day.
They would bring her food and keep her company. Hinata was usually able to coax her into a shower or just to get up and stretch a bit.
Tenten hated it.
She knew they did it out of love and concern, but she carried a guilt, knowing that they chose to place her needs above their own interests. Tenten hated that she would allow herself to lay in bed and refuse to take care of herself.
She heard the familiar gate of Hinata's footsteps as she crossed the small space of Tenten's apartment.
When the bed sank behind her, Tenten stifled a sigh and pushed herself up to a seated position. With tired eyes she looked over to Hinata, who was dressed smartly in pale a lavender and grey kimono with the Hyuga insignia on the back. It was tied snugly with a black obi and her hair was swept over her shoulder and held there with a pin.
"You look nice," Tenten commented.
"Thank you, Tenten."
"What's the occasion? Surely you didn't dress up to come see me." Tenten tried to crack a smile at her poor attempt at humor, but she was not quite ready for smiles yet.
"A-actually, I d-did."
Hinata seemed nervous, and the slight stutter set Tenten on edge. It was now that Tenten noticed the large box on Hinata's lap.
"I don't understand."
"M-my father has requested an a-audience..." Hinata looked up at her, "With you."
Tenten's eyes fell onto the box. It wasn't very deep. It looked like it weighed very little. She suspected there was a kimono for herself in it.
"I see."
Tenten looked down at her tired and swollen body. Her clothes were wrinkled and dirty. Her hair was greasy and she could feel the weight of bags under her eyes.
"I suppose I should shower then."
Once Tenten was freshly showered, she dried her hair and smoothed out the kinks with a flat iron. She then wove a braid along the side of her head and down into a low bun at the back of her neck. She secured it with a decorative pin and slipped into her kimono.
Tenten shifted awkwardly as Hinata tugged at her obi. Even though Hinata kept the length of fabric looser to accommodate her belly, Tenten felt strange in the outfit. She felt Hinata finish off the knot in the back and circle around to view her work.
Tenten's kimono was light blue with a pink obi. It was very pretty, but she felt out of place next to Hinata's muted colors. Although, Tenten suspected Hinata strove away from the clan's colors and seal so that Tenten would not look too forward with Hiashi.
And the bulky form of the kimono hid her condition a little, she suspected this was intentional as well.
Tenten slipped on her sandals and they stepped outside.
The sunlight made her eyes ache, but eventually the freshness of the air took over and Tenten found that she began to feel better. The walk to the compound took them past shops and stalls and Tenten was able to convince Hinata to break for a quick snack.
Eventually they reached the compound and Tenten felt her stomach churn. The last time she had laid eyes on the smooth white walls surrounding the lavish estate she had been told never to show her face there again.
She remembered the bliss from that afternoon, she then remembered the pain, the reprimanding, the anguish and chaos that had ensued. It was a shame, she thought, how such a small amount of love could conjure up so much hate.
Tenten followed Hinata across the grounds and onto the polished wood floors, where they removed their shoes and shuffled down the hall with practiced ease.
Hiashi's office was simple, bland, and sparsely decorated. She was unable to take the time before to study the surroundings. A lacquered desk sat in the middle of the room with stacks of papers and notebooks neatly organized, in stark contrast to Tsunade's desk. Behind the desk hung a tapestry with the Hyuga seal on it, a bookshelf on either side.
Much to Tenten's relief, Hiashi's office was more modern, equipped with chairs. She would not have to struggle with kneeling today.
She eased herself into a chair and muffled a sigh of relief as the ache in her back began to fade. When she looked up she found the same pale eyes that haunted her dreams. Hiashi's lips were drawn in a tight line, slipping into the smallest of frowns, however Tenten could not read what the frown meant. Neji had always been easy for her to read and Hinata, Hinata made no effort to hide the aura of emotions that seemed to pulse around her. Hiashi, however, was a mystery to her, and that made her even more nervous.
"Tenten," he began, "you look well."
She noted, just barely, the way his eyes flicked to her stomach and back.
"I am doing better, Hiashi-sama," Tenten bowed her head. Despite the emotions that swirled around her and their rocky past, Hiashi had been the one to carry her off the battlefield and demand she be taken straight back to Konoha. And that, she could not forget. "Thank you."
"I was pleased to hear of your release from the hospital. I..." he paused, trailing off. Tenten caught her breath, realizing he was at a loss for words. Hurt flicked across his face and her chest ached. For a brief moment, they all lingered in the anguish of his death. Hiashi tried again.
"Neji was like a son to me." His eyes fell down to the desk in front of him. "I promised my brother I would protect him. I may have been too harsh at times, I admit, there were many mistakes I wish I could correct."
Tenten heard a muffled sniff and glanced over to see the way Hinata trembled as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"But," Hiashi continued, "Neji died the same way his father did, choosing to protect a loved one and for that there is no amount of gratitude I can express. And yet," Hiashi's eyes rose again to meet Tenten's gaze.
She held her lips together, in as straight a line as she could. She chose to focus on a point just beyond his gaze, to keep her composure. She did not want to give him any more opportunity to read her thoughts and feelings. She smoothed a calm mask over her face. She hoped it was enough to rival Neji's.
Hiashi's eyes settled on her own and he continued.
"And yet, this is a pain I had hoped I would never feel again, a pain I had hoped my daughter would never feel and a pain that - despite our past encounters - I would have never wished upon you."
Tenten felt the ache grow in the room again and she wished he would get to the point. Although she had sworn she'd shed every tear she had, new ones were threatening to form.
"Neji's death has brought with it the gift of life," Hiashi's eyes landed on Hinata and she saw the creases in his face soften at the sight of his daughter. Hiashi looked back to her. "And although he has left us, a piece of him remains."
Tenten fisted her hands and felt her nails bite into the soft flesh of her palms. It stung, but it distracted her.
"Tenten, you married my nephew."
She pulled her gaze to meet his and sunk her teeth into the spongy flesh of her cheek, in addition to the nails buried in her palms.
"I told him to stay away, and you were the first place he ran to. I told him to do his duty and he chose to plant his seed within you. I have pushed this too long and now nothing can be changed."
Tenten parted her lips, tongue heavy and dry. Her voice was raspy from the surge of emotion she was holding back.
"If nothing can be changed, then why am I here?" The words were supposed to be laced with confidence, but she thought they fell out of her awkwardly and spilled around her in a detached pile of self pity and loathing.
"Because I would like to do something right for my nephew and his family."
Tenten furrowed his brows at the acknowledgment of her marriage and her child. She hadn't been expecting that.
"Move into the compound."
Tenten sat up a little straighter.
"I... What?"
Hiashi sought to clarify and shifted awkwardly in his chair.
"You are almost to term, we would like you to come and live here. We would help you raise the child, and if he has the byakugan, we would teach him our techniques. You may move into Neji's apartment, if you like, or you may have a new apartment."
Tenten's hand fell on her belly. It was tucked away under layers of silk and cotton but Hiashi had brought it all out in the open. He was offering her what they had wanted and planned for after the war.
But it didn't quite sit well with her. Surely, she thought, they would expect Neji's son to be just as brilliant as his father and they could not risk allowing a Hyuga to be raised outside of the compound.
Tenten also suspected that turning down his offer would be difficult. It was quite a position she was squeezed in, and she hated politics.
But she had something that she needed to try and she thought it would be easier to get if she was compliant.
"Hiashi-sama, your offer is too kind and I could never turn you down."
Hiashi seemed to relax a little at the ease of her acceptance.
"However, I must make one request."
He nodded, knowing better than to concede without hearing what she wanted.
"My child will not have the curse seal placed on his forehead."
The tension that splayed across his face was brief, but instant. Surely this was not something that he could agree to without much debate among himself and the elders.
"All he wanted was to break free from your rules and I think that he is owed this much at least."
Hiashi nodded and rose from his chair.
"There is still time before the baby comes. We will discuss this more." Hiashi circled the desk and stilled in front of her. He held out his hand to her, an offer to help her up. "For now, why don't you stay with us and see how you like it?"
~o0o~
"Tenten."
His tone was filled with warning and her fingers fell away from his hair. She was sitting behind him, disrupting his meditation, trying to braid his hair.
Tenten slipped her arms around his torso, hugging his back to her chest, and rested her chin on his shoulder.
"Come on Neji," she whispered, "please?"
"No, Tenten."
"You let me once before." She thought back to that afternoon from their gennin days and smiled. "Remember?"
She felt his chest expand and then she heard his sigh. He turned to look back at her.
"Is interrupting my meditation sessions your favorite pastime?"
She felt her lips pull back into a smile.
"No." She leaned into his ear and whispered, with lewd detail, her favorite pastime.
She felt his breath catch and her fingers slipped over the button that secured his shirt. Neji caught her hand and pulled away before he turned around to face her. He then pushed her back to the ground, gently, and climbed over her, before he claimed her lips for himself.
~o0o~
The room smelled intoxicatingly familiar.
Hiashi and Hinata had allowed her a bit of privacy to take in the surroundings, and for that she was glad.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Tenten let herself cry.
His apartment was so much different than hers. Hers was hollow and empty and she was bitterly alone.
But here, she was surrounded by everything that had been a part of his life.
She took her time, moving slowly through his space, picking up a trinket here and there and running her fingers over a surface as a memory slid into view.
When she reached the bedroom something compelled her to tug at her obi. She wrestled with the silk knot until it loosened around her. She dropped the silk and began tugging at the other strips that held the gown in place until she was able to slip it off of her shoulders.
Tenten crossed the room, undressing, and left a trail of expensive cloth crumpled at her feet.
When she reached the dresser, she was stripped down to her underwear.
Carefully, she pulled open the drawer and pulled out a shirt. She brought it up to her nose and inhaled deeply, burying her face in the soft cloth.
When she had her fill (although it could be argued that she could never get enough of his scent), Tenten slipped the shirt on over her and crawled into his bed.
The sheets and pillows smelled like him and she nuzzled under the blankets.
The ache in her heart was strong and she allowed herself to cry until she was too tired for the effort required.
But behind the ache rested contentedness. And when she dreamed that night, she dreamt of the happiness she had once known by his side.
~o0o~
The sun was warm and Tenten relished in the way it made her skin tingle with pleasure. The only thing that had felt better was the gentle weight on her lap and the silky feeling between her fingers.
Tenten lay on her back, in the soft grass, with Neji. He rested his head on her lap and lay back with his eyes closed and hands folded over his stomach. He looked relaxed.
Between her fingers, Tenten was looping a loose lock of his hair, wondering why hers wasn't half as nice as his.
She stretched and sat up, decided that she wanted to admire him over the sunshine. He remained as he was, unperturbed by her movements. She found herself grabbing larger pieces of hair as she played.
Her fingers began to move on their own and the small chunk was partitioned into thirds and she began to cross them over each other.
Neji knew what she was doing, Tenten was sure. He always seemed to know what she was doing or thinking. But today he made no move to stop her.
She wove a small braid, a smile graced her lips.
"I love you too, Neji."
She saw a smirk on his lips and felt her heart soar.
Her eyes roamed the grass and she plucked a dandelion just to her left. She brought it up to them when she felt a hand on her wrist and noticed the stern, pale eyes on her own. However, he was still smiling, even as he warned her.
"No flowers."
A/N: Sorry for the long wait between updates. I've been struggling with my motivation on finishing this. But I promise it will be finished. :D As always, thank you for taking the time to read and review!