this is the concluding chapter of this story, but the series will have a few more parts. i will probably be posting a new story some time in the next two weeks.

Neji and Tenten drove Hui Na to Lee's dojo a little after six, and she could hardly contain herself in her excitement. Her judo lessons were one of her favorite parts of the week.

The first time she'd worn her judo gear, Tenten had nearly cried over how tiny and cute and fierce she was. Neji had taken about one billion pictures and sent them to his cousins and uncle, who were all very proud.

Lee actually had a picture of himself and Hui Na after her first tournament, which he kept on his desk in his office. He also had another hanging on the wall, and a third at his home. Lee was nothing if not a very enthusiastic uncle.

In any case, Hui Na was just as determined and hard-working as her parents, and she applied herself diligently to practicing judo even on days when she didn't have lessons- something that Neji and Tenten had never told her to do. Her dedication showed- she was the top of her class. (Which consisted of easily distracted toddlers, but still. They were very proud.)

Tenten walked Hui Na into the building as Neji waited in the car, holding her hand as they crossed the parking lot. Hui Na's "Uncle Sensei" hugged them both enthusiastically when they entered, and in the chaos of a dozen toddlers and children putting their shoes in little cubby holes Tenten made quick plans for Lee to go out with her and Neji for drinks in the coming week.

(Hui Na would go visit her great-uncle Hiashi or Auntie Hanabi for the night, which was always something she enjoyed.)

Tenten kissed Hui Na goodbye (a little cautiously, what with her new anti-kissing stance), and headed back out to the car. She slid into the seat and propped her head back on the headrest with a sigh, then turned to face Neji.

"So, we've got about forty-five minutes of us time. Want to go get some kissing in, away from an offended child's eyes?"

"Certainly," Neji said smoothly, catching her hand in his and twining their fingers together. He brought it to his lips and mouthed at it softly, which made Tenten let out a little squeak.

He chuckled and dropped her hand, turning the keys in the ignition and pulling back out of the parking spot. Tenten reached out to massage the tense muscles at the base of his head, rubbing her thumb firmly over the skin. It was a habit of hers she'd developed after a particularly stressful week for Neji- his grandfather had made some highly bigoted statements to the press, and the entire family had been under scrutiny.

(Fortunately, nobody Neji was immediately related to agreed with his grandfather, and those who did weren't people he associated with anyway. Hiashi had gone so far as to cut off ties completely with his own father- which in all likelihood came as a huge relief to him. The former patriarch of the Hyuga family was not a good man, and Neji had confided in Tenten that he strongly suspected him of verbal and physical abuse to his wife and children.)

Now nearly every time Tenten was in the passenger seat next to him, she'd reach out to him. Sometimes she rubbed at tense muscles, sometimes she played with his hair, and sometimes she just stroked his skin.

They pulled into their driveway and into the garage, and Tenten was chewing her lip in thought as they entered their home. Neji was headed straight to the bedroom, which made her grin.

She followed him up, then paused, taking in their room. It was a little messy, at was the case since Hui Na had been born, with piles of laundry and an assortment of items from her work that she kept meaning to put in the home office.

Neji noticed that her attention was elsewhere, and gently drew her chin up to meet her eyes. "Tennie?"

She chewed her lip again, thoughts racing, before clearing her throat. "I, um, I have something I want to ask about."

Neji raised his eyebrows, a quiet prompt for her to continue. She motioned to the bed, and he sat, pulling her with him so she stood between his legs, arms resting on his shoulders.

"Okay, so-" It was the oddest thing. She'd been thinking about this for several weeks now, and she still was having trouble verbalizing it.

"You remember after Hui Na was born, I got an IUD?" Neji nodded slowly. "Well, it's about at the end of its span, so I was wondering… if- if I should get another one, or if we want to start trying."

Neji stared up at her, eyes wide and mouth just slightly agape. She rushed on. "I mean, Hui Na is in preschool, I have a pretty flexible schedule-"

Neji was beginning to smile, and Tenten continued on, encouraged. "And she's five next year, it seems like good timing."

"It does," Neji agreed quietly, still staring up at her in that slightly starstruck way. "And this… this is something you want?"

She grinned, still a little nervous. "Yeah, it's… it's something I've been thinking about a lot."

Neji looked up at her, eyes wide and mouth forming a small, disbelieving smile. After a second, he grinned outright. "Then… yes. Let's- let's do it."

Tenten rested her forehead on his. "Really?"

"Yes, let's… let's have another baby."

Tenten closed her eyes, a wide grin on her face. "Okay."

"Okay," he murmured, pressing his mouth to hers.

They kissed for a few moments, mouths moving in tandem, before Tenten pulled back reluctantly and murmured, "We only have about twenty minutes before we need to leave and pick up Hui Na."

Neji slowly drew his fingers across her lower back. "We can text Lee, and ask if he's okay with her sticking around for fifteen minutes or so." His hands clenched around her hips and lower back in a way he knew she liked, and her fingers dug into his shoulders.

"Fine, but let the record show I feel slightly guilty about it."

"Fifteen minutes of extra sparring time with her Uncle Sensei? She'll be thrilled."

"True." Tenten kissed him again, then drew her phone from her pocket and unlocked it. As she typed, Neji slid her capris down her legs. "Subtle," she told him.

He shoved up her shirt and pressed a kiss to the soft skin. "No time to lose."

"It's not like we can get pregnant right this second. My birth control is still effective."

Neji paused. Finally, he said, very seriously, "Practice makes perfect," and pulled her down with him to lay on the bed.

Tenten laughed and straddled his waist. "Well, that works for me."

Hui Na was ecstatic to have extra time at her dojo lesson, and spent much of the ride home trying to persuade her parents to let it happen every lesson.

"Lovie, your Uncle Lee can't be there for extra time every night."

"Hm, okay. What if I practice all by myself?"

They both paused for a second, before Neji asked, "All by yourself in the dojo?"

"Yep."

"I- no, that won't work either. Maybe Uncle Lee can practice with you sometimes during weekends, okay?"

Hui Na frowned and kicked her legs, the closest she ever really came to a meltdown. She sulked all through the ride home, and refused their offer to stop at a bakery for treats on the way home.

She brightened when they offered to let her watch a movie, and picked out The Lion King- an unsurprising choice, as it had been her favorite for several months running.

Hui Na settled herself on the couch with the air of a queen sitting in a throne, then turned to her parents. "Mama, you sit here," she instructed, pointing at her side, "And baba, you sit here." They sat as instructed, so Hui Na was sandwiched between them. Just before they started the movie, she said "Oh! Wait please," and took off for the upstairs.

They watched her go, baffled. Upstairs they could hear her feet thumping across the hall, then a scuffling sound.

"Is…" Tenten listened intently, eyes squinted in concentration. "Is she in our room?"

"It sounds like it. What is she doing?"

Hui Na's little footsteps thumped back down the stairs, and she entered the living room holding a bundle of cloth. "Here, mama. You wear this one, and I'll wear this one, and baba wear this one."

Tenten looked at the bundle that her daughter had deposited in her lap. It was one of Neji's sweatshirts.

A few weeks previous, when it was just Hui Na and Tenten for the night, the two of them had raided Neji's closet for his coziest sweaters to wear during their movie. (Incidentally, The Lion King.) Apparently, it was an activity that Hui Na had enjoyed, because here she was repeating it.

Hui Na's borrowed sweatshirt reached well past her knees, and the sleeves hung over her hands. She held them out patiently to Neji, who folded them over for her, his own sweatshirt in place.

Tenten pulled on her assigned sweatshirt. Privately, she thought she'd gotten the best end of the shirt distribution- it was Neji's preferred sweatshirt, and was ridiculously soft and cozy. It smelled like a mixture of his shampoo and cologne, and she filled her lungs with the scent as she adjusted the fit.

Properly attired, Hui Na nodded in satisfaction. "Okay, I'm all ready now. Thank you for waiting."

"Of course, lovie. Thank you for bringing us the sweatshirts."

"You're welcome!"

Neji started playing the movie, and Hui Na sat back into the couch with a quiet, content little sigh. Her legs stuck out straight in front of her, with only her feet dangling over the edge.

As the movie progressed, Hui Na slowly tipped against Neji's side, and after the stampede scene she started sniffling. "Hui Na, sweetheart, are you okay?" He asked softly. She nodded, her chin wobbling. "Come here, little bird." He lifted her into his lap and settled his arm around her. She tucked herself against his chest with a little sob, eyes on the movie even as she gripped his hand in both of hers.

Tenten watched the interaction from her side of the couch with a soft smile. After a second Hui Na turned to face her with tear-filled eyes. "Mama, you come here too. I got sad."

Tenten stretched out so her head was on the other side of Neji's lap, reaching up to thumb away some of the tears that were falling down Hui Na's round little face. "Yeah, it's a sad part of the movie, isn't it?"

"Yep." Hui Na grabbed Tenten's hand and held onto a few of her fingers, turning her attention back to the screen. A few seconds later, Neji started rhythmically carding his fingers through Tenten's hair.

By the time the movie ended, Tenten was snoring softly in Neji's lap, one hand resting on Hui Na as Neji kept stroking her hair. Hui Na, who had remained riveted to the screen, finally noticed that her mother was drooling a few inches away from her.

She glanced up at Neji, eyes wide. "Mama's sleeping," she whispered. Neji nodded and murmured, "We should probably wake her up so she can go to bed, huh?"

"Okay." She whispered. She reached out and tapped on Tenten's cheek with a few fingers, whispering "Mama. Mama. Mama."

Neji fought back a laugh. "Here, sweetheart, let me do it." He shook Tenten's shoulder, and she stirred and let out a little grunt.

"Tenten," he said.

"'M sleepin'. Go 'way."

He shook her again. "Tenten-" She smacked his hand away, which made Hui Na let out a little chortle. "Mama! That's so rude!"

Tenten poked a finger against Hui Na's nose. "Shhhh. Sleep time."

Hui Na turned to look up at Neji, raising her hand and widening her eyes in a "can you believe this" kind of gesture. He laughed, and lifted Hui Na off his lap to set her on the ground.

"Alright, how about you and I go get you to bed and I'll make sure mama gets up later?"

"Okay." Hui Na watched as he gently lifted Tenten's head off his lap and onto the couch cushion, then raised her arms up. "Will you carry me?"

The sight of his daughter, wrapped up in his sweatshirt that was much too big, reaching up towards him while swaying sleepily on her feet, made his chest ache.

He picked her up and tucked her against his side, pressing a kiss to her head as she rested it on his shoulder with a sigh. They headed up the stairs and into Hui Na's room, and he helped her change into her pajamas and brush her teeth.

They had a little dispute over bedtime stories- Hui Na demanded her usual three, but because she had watched a movie that night, and because it was already past her bedtime, Neji would only read her one.

Eventually, he had to tell her that she could have one story or no stories, and she acquiesced. She was nodding off in his lap by the time he was halfway through, and when he finished the book he lifted her into bed without a fuss.

"Good night, Hui Na. I love you."

"Night night, baba. I love you too. Will you tell mama 'night for me?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Night night."

"Good night." He kissed her cheek and quietly exited the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

The master bedroom was still dark, but Neji could hear soft movement downstairs. He descended the steps and found Tenten in the kitchen, putting away the dishes they'd used for dinner. She still had his sweatshirt on, the sleeves pushed up to her elbows.

She saw him come down the stairs and turned to face him with a small smile. "She go down okay?"

"Yes." He crossed to where she stood in front of the sink and wrapped his arms around her, softly nipping at the skin on her neck. She let out a little squawk.

"Neji! What're you trying to do?"

He pulled away and smirked down at her, eyes glinting. "Do try to remember, Tenten. We need to get in some practice."

She rolled her eyes. "You're corny."

"You're beautiful."

"You're hot."

"I-" His face burned. "Thank you, I suppose."

"You've got an ass that just doesn't quit."

"Tenten-"

"Dreamy eyes."

"Alright, I get it-"

"Incredible facial structure, the prettiest hair in all the land-" Neji cut her off with a swift peck to her lips.

"I get it, let's go have sex."

"Way to seduce me, babe. Now I'm just itching to get in your pants."

Neji sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Tenten."

"Neji." She leaned up and kissed him softly, then ordered, "Okay, now carry me upstairs."

"Why would I do that?"

"You did it for Hui Na-"

"Yes, Hui Na the toddler, who was practically falling asleep."

"It'll be romantic! I thought you were into that kind of shit, remember our six-month anniversary when we first started dating, and you filled my office at the museum with flowers-"

Neji smiled in recollection. "You did seem to like that a lot, when you were able to look me in the eye."

"What?" Tenten blinked, confused. "When I could…?"

"The reason I don't do more large romantic gestures, Tenten, is because every time I do," he slid his hand under her shirt to feel the warm skin on her back, "you get very shy. You blush constantly, you always duck your chin-"

"I do not-"

"Tennie, just this morning I kissed your palm and you went bright red."

She gaped at him, jaw working, before shaking herself off and declaring, "Just because I blush sometimes-"

Before she had a chance to think, Neji stooped down and quite literally swept her off her feet, hooking her legs over one arm and supporting her back with the other. Startled, she flung her arms around his neck and clung to him until she was settled, then twisted her head to stare at him.

He met her gaze steadily, softening his look into something that was unmistakably tender. Slowly, a blush rose over her cheeks and she whipped her head away again, detangling her arms from around his neck so she could cover her face with her hands.

"Fine, fine, you're right- shut up!"

Neji chuckled and started towards the steps, still carrying his wife. "Well, as you demanded, I'll carry you upstairs."

"Great," she muttered against her palms. He paused in front of the switches to the kitchen lights. "Will you-" she smacked out her hand and turned off the lights. "Thank you."

He headed up the stairs, feeling remarkably unstrained by her weight, and deposited her softly on the bed without bothering to turn on the lights. He reached down to lift her chin and kissed her softly, fitting their lips together and slowly twining his fingers through her hair. She shivered, and he stroked the skin behind her ears and gently let them both fall onto the mattress.

They laid side by side on the bed, arms wrapped around one another. Between kisses, Tenten muttered, "This seems a little high school."

"Well, we never did anything like this with each other in high school."

"Hm, I guess not. Kind of weird I never made a move, really. I was super into you even then."

He hummed in response, distracted by warm hands sliding under his shirt to play with the waistband of his pants- gray joggers, a spontaneous gift from Tenten that was apparently as much for her as it had been for him.

She slid her hand around to cup his ass over the cloth, and he felt a flush rise on his cheeks. "Tenten." He felt her smirk, and she kept her grip in place, mouthing at his jaw and murmuring, "I told you, my love. An ass that doesn't quit."

He rolled on top of her and kissed her again, one arm propping him over her and the other reaching to hook her thigh around his waist.

As she tugged his shirt off, he replied, "And I told you. Beautiful."

"Cheesy," she whispered.

"Honest," he breathed back.

"Sweet-talker."

"For you? Certainly."

She squeaked and covered her face again. "Ugh, Neji-"

He laughed quietly and pulled her hands away to kiss them. "You make me very romantic, Tenten. You'll just have to suffer through it."