Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

First of all, sorry for not updating in so long! I had exams and projects, and when the holidays started I went a bit crazy with all the anime and manga I didn't have time for before. Also, sorry, but I decided to take the lemon out. I'm sorry, but it was taking too long. I completely forgot about fanfic while I was watching and reading and everything, and then one day I suddenly got a review that was asking me whether I planned to finish this fic or not. Then I came back here and realized I hadn't updated in over two months, hehe, and that my original chapter 10 wasn't even half done, so I quickly typed this up. Anyway, this one has more...fluff? More like 'friendshippy' stuff...whatever it is...

Okay, enough of my excuses, thanks for being so patient. To avoid confusion, this chapter starts from where chapter nine left off. Also, as a result of her denial, Tenten has now developed an inner mind that shall be portrayed in italics during her POV. Right, now onto the chapter, enjoy!

Chapter Ten

Neji took a sip of champagne, nodding as his escort continued talking. Hiashi had told him to bring this girl tonight...he had just met her half an hour ago, and he already hated her. She kept talking about herself and her accomplishments, giving Neji a sidelong glance every now and then to see whether he was impressed.

He certainly was not.

"And of course, I won the competition. Have you ever played piano, Neji?" She asked, pausing.

Neji nodded. "Yes, although I doubt I play as well as you do."

"Oh Neji!" She giggled at his false flattery. Judging from the list of songs she was playing, she was probably on grade three.

Yuiko Hanamura; her father owned a luxurious hotel chain. She was tall, with sleek, straight highlighted brown hair hanging down to her shoulders and pale brown eyes. She bore a slight resemblance to Tenten, Neji thought absently, and subconsciously began to compare the two.

He had thought Tenten's hair colour was dull before, but this girl's hair was an even more boring shade, despite the expensive highlights. Tenten's hair seemed softer somehow, more like caramel. And the eyes...Tenten's eyes were much deeper than hers, more warm...

"Neji." He turned at the sound of his name.

"Ino." He smiled genuinely for the first time that night. "I thought you weren't coming tonight."

"Oh, I wasn't, but then Sasuke needed someone to come with him; he desperately wanted to come tonight, ever since he heard his brother was here as well." Ino rolled her eyes. "Sakura and Temari were snapped up the minute we landed."

"And you?"

"I wasn't even planning to come here; I declined all offers." She smirked.

"Oh, Ino Yamanaka." They both turned to look at Yuiko, surprised. "Remember me? We were at that party last Christmas, at Sakura's place."

"Oh, yes, Yuiko. Hello." Ino turned back to Neji after her brief greeting. "Have you two danced yet?"

"No, we were talking."

"You can't spend the whole night talking! Come Neji, humour me. Lets dance." Ino pulled him onto the dance floor, winking at him.

Neji murmured a quick apology to Yuiko before following Ino. He pulled Ino closer to him and began to lead. There were many couples on the dance floor, but Neji and Ino were by far the most flashy; one gorgeously handsome, the other stunningly beautiful, and the most skilled dancers in the room.

"Thank you." Neji said to her gratefully once Yuiko was out of earshot.

Ino giggled. "You looked like you needed saving."

"Shouldn't you be dancing with Sasuke?" He asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Have you seen Sasuke? He's brooding somewhere in the room, trying to think of how to confront Itachi. Who, by the way, is here with your cousin."

"I know."

"You don't seem very interested."

"Should I be?"

"I suppose not." He spun her around. "We're all going to be exhausted tomorrow."

"I'm exhausted enough. Walking around with Tenten is not easy." Neji told her. "I need to find away to get out of the trip tomorrow."

"Where did you go with Tenten?" Neji noticed that she had slowed down.

"That amusement park."

"Did you have fun?" She asked casually.

Neji watched her intently, wondering what she wanted him to say. "No." He answered finally. "Of course not."

He didn't miss the fact that she picked up their rhythm immediately after his reply. "I'm not surprised."

They continued dancing in silence.

Not for the first time, Neji saw that the line between his friendship with Ino was slowly blurring.

"He has a high fever. I've given him some medicine, but I'm afraid that he won't be able to go out with the class today. He'll have to stay in bed." The elderly doctor says, frowning at the thermometer in his hand.

Ugh, Neji is so friggin' weak. Getting a stupid fever on the last day of the trip...

Neji's sitting up on his bed now, making an effort to look dignified in front of the teacher, but he looks like he's dying to lie down and curl up in the sheets. He's shivering slightly, I notice, and deathly pale.

"Well, someone's going to have to stay behind and look after him while we're out." Kurenai says, frowning.

No way in hell am I going to stay here with this bastard (yes, he's a bastard no matter how sick he is) while everyone else gets to go out.

"I'll do it." Ino volunteers immediately, her eyes filled with concern. I just can't believe she can actually care about another human being. But whatever, as long as I don't have to do it. I don't give a shit about Ino; personally, I hope she catches whatever Neji's got.

"But Tenten's his girlfriend, right?" Sakuno says from the doorway, where the rest of the class is standing, peering in curiously. "Shouldn't she be the one to stay with him?"

Shut up, you stupid, stupid bitch...

Aw fuck. Too late...Sakura, Temari, Ino, Sasuke and Kurenai's eyes are on me now. Neji's friends look like they want me to get the hell out of here (which I wouldn't mind, by the way), but Kurenai looks like she's deliberating.

"Would you mind terribly, Tenten?" She asks me.

Yes, I would mind freaking terribly...

"No, of course not." I smile at her cheerfully, tilting my head to one side. Oh wait, should I look concerned? My 'boyfriend' looks like he's dying, after all..."But if one of them wants to do it..." I gesture at the four standing around Neji. "I know they're really worried about Neji...as I am, of course."

Temari turns her head to glance at me, and I see that her brow in creased in slight confusion. She was probably expecting me to throw myself at Neji or something.

Ino's about to volunteer herself again, but Sasuke speaks before she does.

"No, Tenten, you stay." Why is he talking to me? "I'm sure Neji wants you here most. And besides, you're probably more worried about him than we are."

Why is he looking at me like that...

"Yes, you stay with him, Tenten." Sakura seconds, smirking. "You are...really precious to him. Neji wants you here more than us, isn't that right, Neji?"

I hate her. I really do.

Neji just nods wearily at her question; he probably hasn't listened to a single word of this conversation.

Ino looks at me scornfully (bitch), and opens her mouth to speak, but Sakura quickly leans over and whispers something in her ear. She pauses for a moment, nods, gives me a dirty look, and sighs. "Yes. It's best for Tenten to stay with him."

Fuck them. I hope they burn in hell.

Kurenai nods. "Then it's decided. Tenten, make sure he rests and takes his medicine in six hours, alright? And if there's any trouble at all, call me."

"Alright..." I reply, trying not to sound too gloomy. "Have fun."

Everyone waves goodbye to Neji with the customary 'get well soon' wish, and troops out. Sasuke and Ino are last to leave. Sasuke whispers something to Neji, who seems to be more alert now. Ino takes Neji's hands in hers, and promises to bring something back for him. As she passes me on her way out, she gives me a dangerous glare.

"If he is not better by the time we get back, I will make sure you pay. Is that understood?" She hisses to me venomously.

What, she's expecting his fever to subside in ten hours? It's going to take three fucking days, you moron. "My only concern right now is Neji's health." I tell her quietly. "You don't need to worry."

She rolls her eyes and leaves the room, slamming the door behind her as she exits the suite.

"For God's sake Neji, lie down before you faint." I wrench the blanket off the bed and shove him down on it, before throwing the blanket on top of him.

He groans loudly, burying his face into the pillow. "And those people call themselves my friends, leaving me with someone like you while I'm sick..."

"I'm flattered." I say sarcastically, pulling a bottle of water out from the mini-refrigerator. "Keep talking like that and I'll leave you here to die."

"I believe there's a larger chance of that while you are here." He rolls over, pulling the blanket his head. "Let me sleep, Tenten."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I place the water on the bedside table. "Water's here, I'm there, medicine in six hours."

"Mmmmm..."

Stupid Neji. Why does he need someone to watch over him? He's just gonna sleep the whole freaking day...ugh, I'm already bored.

I sit on the couch by the window and stare out at the cars zooming by. Maybe I could slip out and do some shopping, the shops are only across the road...I can already see Louis Vuitton, Prada and Dior from where I'm sitting. It's eleven...I only need to be back by five to give him the medicine...

I turn to look back at Neji, sighing.

Oh. I guess he can look kind of cute sometimes. He's lying on his side, eyes closed, some of his hair hanging off the side of the bed, looking like an innocent child. Without the contempt and smugness in his eyes, he...looks beautiful.

I suddenly find myself kneeling beside his bed, a strand of his long brown hair twined around my finger. Without thinking, I lift my other hand to touch his cheek, flushed from the fever. It's warm...his skin feels so smooth and soft against my hand...his features seem delicate in his sleep, without the self-confident aura he always emits. I press my forehead to his, and close my eyes.

I remember...someone used to do this to me...

'Do you have a fever, Tenten?'

'Don't worry, Mommy's here...'

'I'll always be right here for you, so don't be scared, alright? You'll feel better soon, I promise...'

'Mommy, your skin's so cold...'

'That's because you have a fever, Tenten.'

I open my eyes...

To look into large pools of soft lavender.

Neither of us move for a few moments.

"It's not recommended to stay so close to a sick person, Tenten." Neji says quietly.

"You should be asleep."

He chuckles sleepily. "Not very easy to do with you right there."

I pull away, smiling slightly. "Go back to sleep, you moron. Ino threatened me; apparently you have to be healthy by the time she gets back. Can you do that?"

"If you want me to sleep, let me sleep."

"Hey, it's not like I wanted you to wake up. I enjoy life a lot more when I don't have to hear your voice." I stand up and walk to the window, drawing them together.

"So you like my face, but not my voice, is that it?" Bastard sounds amused.

"I don't like any part of you, don't flatter yourself." I reply, rolling my eyes.

"Then would you please explain to me why you were so close to me when I was asleep?"

I turn around. Neji's propped himself up on his elbow now, his head tilted to one side, gazing at me with a mixture of curiousity and amusement on his face.

I don't need to explain myself to him. Anyway, he should be asleep.

"Take a drink and go to sleep." I tell him, unscrewing the cap on the bottle of water and handing it to him.

"So, I'm visually appealing to you, you just hate my voice?" He presses cheerfully.

I don't hate your voice, I hate the things you say.

"Drink."

He sighs and takes the bottle from my hand, taking an obedient slurp before putting it back on the table. "I can see there's no point in talking to you."

"Oh, you just noticed?" I roll my eyes and stalk out of the bedroom, slamming the door after me.

Neji

Talking to Tenten is so frustrating...

Was she attracted to me before? Sasuke said she was...I really didn't notice. With so many more distinguished admirers, I never noticed Tenten. I never noticed her before Ino assigned her to me...she was just one of the smarter girls in my classes. I knew she was one of Hinata's few friends, but I never acknowledged her...

But now, I can't help wishing that I had. Perhaps some additional information about her would help me when I'm talking to her. Tenten doesn't 'talk'. She swears at me, she lies, she agrees sarcastically, but she doesn't 'talk'. Well, I suppose she does preach, like that day in the cable car. I cannot forget that incident. Tenten, she...she knows me better than my friends, who I've known for years...we've been 'dating' for only a few months, yet...

My friends...

Ino...she said...Ino threatened her? Strange...Ino would...never do that to a target...at least...I don't remember...

The fever is making my thoughts jumble together, I can't think properly...I should get some rest before I start losing coherency.

Neji's suite is friggin huge. Ugh, I can't believe I got stuck in a crappy room with Lee and Naruto while he gets this...being a stupid scholarship student sucks sometimes.

I'm in the living room now. There's a huge window on one side, a sofa, two chairs and a TV. I'm about to just throw myself on the sofa and flick through pointless channels, when my mobile phone rings.

Who the hell is calling me...

I dig my phone out of my pocket and glance at the screen.

Hinata

"Hi, Hinata."

"T-Tenten?" I wonder where she is...it's really crowded, judging from all the background noise.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Um...is Neji...alright?" She asks tentatively.

...She really does have to care about every single person in the world..."He fell asleep for three seconds and woke up. He's gone back to sleep now. Hey, where are you guys?"

"Hi Tenten!" Naruto's voice blares into my ear. Idiot.

"Hi Naruto..."

"We're in Macau! It's so cool! You should've come, you know!"

I didn't choose to get stuck babysitting my stupid, weak 'boyfriend'. "Glad to know you're having fun and everything...well, say hi to Lee and Gaara for me, okay?"

"Sure! We'll get you some egg rolls!"

I hate egg rolls. "Uh...thanks...I'll see you when you get back then."

"'Kay, bye!"

"Bye."

I snap my phone shut and shove it back in my pocket before collapsing onto the sofa. It's going to be a long day...

Two hours later

Aw shit, I must have fallen asleep. The TV's still on...

I pick up the remote control from the floor and switch it off. There wasn't anything interesting on anyway...I don't watch a lot of TV, being in some retarded boarding school, and my grandma believing that it's bad for children or something...my grandparents don't own a TV. Which, is really, really sad, if you think about it. I have to read the freaking newspaper to know what's going on.

Who's screaming? Why is someone screaming? Ah yes, now I remember, the screaming woke me up...but who the hell is screaming?!

Yeah, sounds like Neji.

I fling the door out of my way and rush to his bed, where he's flailing around in the bed sheets, screaming for some inexplicable reason. Is he having a nightmare? He's kicked all the blankets off and his arms are waving around in front of his face, as if he's trying to protect himself from something.

Damn, I need to shut him up before someone reports murder to the police.

"Neji, wake up." I approach him and move my hand to touch his shoulder, but as soon as I touch him, another scream emits from his throat and he jerks away from me.

Jesus that was scary.

SHUT THE FUCK UP!!

Okay, I need to...calm down and think rationally. Which is not very easy with a screaming teenager flailing around on his bed.

This is just perfect...what kind of teenager screams in his sleep because of a nightmare?!

"Neji, uh...the um...scary...things...are in your head, they don't exist, okay? So just...wake up and be happy!"

This is so lame. I'm trying to talk to him standing five feet away from him.

Damn, what can I do what can I do...

Before I know what I'm doing, I throw myself on him and start wrestling him down onto the bed. His arms and legs struggle to push me off, but I slam my whole weight down on him, forcing him down. The screaming only increases in volume as I entwine the fingers of each of my hands with his and push them down into the bed.

Ow, fuck. Stop kicking me you bastard.

Neji's still screaming. He's still kicking. And I'm still panicking. Fuck fuck fuck...what the hell am I supposed to do now? Shit, the whole bed's rocking, I won't be able to keep his arms down for much longer, I can't believe he's still asleep...okay, lets go with stopping the screaming...

I'm sure you can guess the first and only idea that came to my mind.

I crush my lips against his, swallowing his terrified screams. I shove my tongue into his mouth and force it down his throat, trying to prevent any sound from escaping. My eyes search his face frantically for any sign of...anything.

Okay, all I have to say when this is over is: I better not get his damn fever, or I will seriously kill somebody. Him, most likely.

Suddenly (and to my immense relief), his eyes fly open, and the struggling immediately ceases.

I suppose this is a good time to get my tongue out of his throat...

"T-Tenten?" He breathes, once I've drawn back.

"No, I'm your worse nightmare. Then again, I suppose you've already been through that." I say sarcastically, getting to my feet. "Do you always do that when you sleep? Or is it just me? Do I induce nightmares in you, or something? Because if that's the case, then I'd better-"

"No. That...that wasn't your fault, Tenten." Neji says with a considerable amount of effort, sitting up against the headboard. He reaches for the water and takes several large gulps. "It was...the fever."

The fever...right, I knew that. Damn, what am I doing, turning into some paranoid idiot...

"Whatever." I mutter, moving to get off him. "I'm going to-"

"No, Tenten, don't leave!" I stop, taken aback by the panic in his voice. He sounds so scared...and his eyes...wide, pleading and petrified. His hand is gripping my arm so tightly that it hurts.

"I mean...just...in case the fever worsens. You should...probably stay as close as you can, or Kurenai will put you in detention once we get back."

I look down into his panicked face. This has nothing to do with Kurenai.

He's scared.

He doesn't want to be alone.

"...alright." I crawl under the covers and lie next to him, as near the edge as possible, my arms awkwardly by my side. Not much you can do with a single bed...Neji's lying on his side, facing away from me, but the bed's too small for us to completely avoid contact.

I can't believe he's so scared he even needs me here right now...what the hell was he dreaming about? "Must've been one hell of a nightmare, Neji."

"..." He responds by pulling the blanket over his head.

I shouldn't bug him. Because then he'd get pissed and yell at me.

Except...

I really want to talk, because lying here practically pressed up against Neji's back and staying silent is pretty awkward, as you may imagine. Anyway, I don't think he wants to go to sleep...after every thirty seconds of lying still or so, he shifts his position as if to remind himself not to fall asleep.

What to talk about...

"I...really love the sea, you know?" What the hell am I saying? "Only the really clear blue seas, though. I hate green ones, because you just get the impression that it's filled with human waste and everything, you know? It's disgusting. And it doesn't look anywhere as good as blue ones."

Neji hasn't moved nor made a sound. I think he's actually listening.

"...I um...also hate watermelon. I hate any kind of melon. They really, really suck. I don't know why people like them. Like ice cream. I hate ice cream. It's so sweet and cold and everything...I hate it.

"And um...I like...shrimp. Because shrimp...is cool." This is stupid. "And uh...chocolate. With the caramel and everything. But I hate toffee. It's just...sticky and messy and blah.

"And I like rain. I don't like being in rain, but I like looking at rain from indoors, especially when it's heavy because you know the sound of the rain, right? It makes this really...satisfying sound, you know? But I hate it when everything's wet and disgusting afterwards...I hate walking in the rain. My pants get wet at the bottom and my hair looks like crap."

I'm expecting him to make some stupid joke, like am I implying that my hair doesn't look crap all the time, but he doesn't. He stays silent.

...he must be feeling really bad.

"...And I really hate being sick. Especially fevers, because you get so hot and sweaty, and there's that really annoying feeling at the back of your throat. When I had fevers when I was a kid, I never went to sleep, so my-" I pause for a second. "Sorry, I meant, someone used to sing me a song to go to sleep." I hesitate. "I think...it went like this."

I start singing that old lullaby that I so rarely got to listen to, but I never forgot.

Neji

I never would have believed that Tenten could sing like this. I can't tell what language she's singing in, but the melody is so slow, simple and soothing that it doesn't matter.

The voice of an angel...this is what it would sound like.

Ha...I should say that to Tenten someday...her reaction would be interesting...

He's fallen asleep. It actually worked.

...what is he, six?! What kind of teenager falls asleep from a stupid lullaby...

I better get out of his bed now, before he wakes up and demands what the hell I'm doing in his bed.

Sighing, I move to slip out...

But he turns over onto his back and holds my wrist in a tight grip, his brow furrowing.

...is he awake? My eyes dart up to his face suspiciously. I'm certain he's asleep.

I get back into the bed and, without even thinking, lie on my side and wrap my arms around his waist.

It won't matter...

When he wakes up, we'll both want to pretend this never happened.

...

"What exactly do you two think you're doing?" A sharp voice pierces my consciousness, making me wince. Who the hell is that...

...where am I again?

I blink open my eyes blearily, only to see a mass of long brown tresses in front of me.

Ah yes, now I remember.

Shit.

"Tenten! Get off that bed this instant!" That must be Kurenai. She sounds pissed. I'm fucking screwed. Found lying in bed with my sick boyfriend with my arms wrapped around him, no less, and asleep.

I scramble to get myself as far away from the damn bed as fast as possible, cursing under my breath. Neji's woken up by now, but the idiot gets to act like some poor sick person who's been taken advantage of. Curse him.

I stand next to the bed as innocently as I can look. Thank God she's alone, if Ino had seen me...

"Explain yourself." She seethes, glancing at Neji, who's trying to sit up.

"...Neji was shivering and saying that he was cold." What the hell am I saying? He had a fever..."I was trying to keep him warm."

Her eyes narrow at me.

"Let us make this clear. First, you climb into bed with your sick boyfriend, doing God knows what, and then you have the audacity to lie to me about it, thinking that I am stupid enough to believe that he was cold, while he was having a fever?"

...yeah, I'm really, really screwed. "...sometimes shivering accompanies fever because the brain thinks this will increase the body temperature and therefore create enough heat to...kill the infection."

She's a fucking math teacher right? How the hell would she know? As long as I say it convincingly, any kind of bullshit should work.

Kurenai regards me silently for a few moments. She's afraid of saying I'm wrong and then looking like an idiot when I'm right, or saying I'm right and looking like an idiot when I'm wrong.

Whatever. Even without her speaking I know she's an idiot.

"And did he take his medicine at five?" She asks, starting to look even more pissed.

Damn. "...I'm sorry. We were both asleep at the time."

"Your behaviour is inexcusable. I trusted you, Tenten." Oh yeah, that makes me feel so guilty. "I'll find a suitable punishment for you when we arrive in Japan."

I can't believe I ever pitied that idiot Neji.

"Of course, Ms. Yuhi." I mutter, glaring at the floor.

"Get back to your own room, now." She snaps, striding past me to attend to Neji. "And take these." She throws me some random pills. "Judging from how I found you two when I walked in, you've probably caught his infection...doing whatever you two were doing."

Oh haha, very funny.

I close the door behind me as I walk out, shoving the stupid pills in my pocket. Stupid Kurenai...

I turn the corner, and see Hinata walking up the corridor. Oh, what a coincidence.

"T-Tenten!" She cries in surprise once she sees me.

"Hi, Hinata. Did you guys just get back?"

"U-um, yes...I was s-supposed to um...find you and take you to G-Gaara's room."

"Oh, right...c'mon then, lets go."

She nods, and turns to walk to the elevator.

"S-so um...how was Neji today?"

"Ugh, he's a retard...he started having a fucking nightmare in the middle of the afternoon. He was screaming and everything and then in the end I stopped him but no, he wouldn't let me leave afterwards, so I had to lie there with him, and then in the end, I fell asleep with him and next thing I know Kurenai's yelling at me!" I make a strange frustrated noise at the end of my rant.

"A n-nightmare?" Hinata frowns, gazing thoughtfully down at the carpet.

"Yeah." I roll my eyes. "I mean, I get nightmares too, but I don't scream and kick and punch whenever I get them!"

I turn my head at Hinata's lack of response. "Hinata?"

She jumps, startled. "Oh, um...sorry."

"What is it?"

"...n-nothing."

"...right."

We're outside Gaara's suite now. I push the button near the door and hear a buzz on the other side. Suddenly, the door is flung open and Lee greets us with a blinding grin. "Tenten! Oh, we are so sorry to have left you behind!" He wails, clinging onto my neck. "You must have felt so abandoned!"

"Yeah yeah, get the hell off me!" I choke, trying to pry him off. Stupid, stupid...

"Tenten!" Naruto exclaims as I stumble into the apartment, Lee still attached to me. "Have fun with your boyfriend today?!" He laughs.

Bastard. Then again, he doesn't know, so I suppose he's not being mean.

Still. Bastard.

"Oh, our youthful flower is such a kind soul, giving up her own time to look after her lover!" Lee cries dramatically. Thank God he got off me. "She is to be admired! You have my respect, dear Tenten!"

"Yeah right." Naruto snorts. "I bet she got forced into it."

That's insulting. Does he think I'm that cold? Of course I would help a sick person!

Then again, it's kind of stupid too, because I could get infected as well...

Lee gasps again. "Is this true, my youthful flower!"

"Uh...of course not! I would so volunteer for my darling Neji! Hahaha!" Shit. Maybe the 'my darling' part was a bit too much.

"...that is such an obvious lie." Gaara says, coming out of the kitchen with a bottle of water in hand.

"Ugh, shut up."

Sasuke let himself in with the key Neji had given him, and strode into his friend's bedroom.

"You look better." Sasuke commented blandly, seeing Neji sitting on a couch and staring out the window.

Neji turned. "I only needed some rest. Where are Ino and the others?"

"Ino's angry at you." Sasuke announced calmly, though there was a certain amount of exasperation in his voice. "She hates me too, actually, for suggesting that Tenten stay with you. And you only needed to put in one sentence and Kurenai would have let Ino stay instead of Tenten."

"Ah." Neji turned back to the window as Sasuke sat down beside him. "And Temari and Sakura?"

"They're trying to make her see reason, or something like that." Sasuke put his legs up on the coffee table and folded his arms. "The only one she'll talk to right now is Temari." He sighed again. "I can never understand girls.

Neji agreed silently.

"Hey, Neji."

He turned to face Sasuke. "What is it?"

"Ino was really worried about you." It seemed to take Sasuke great effort to say something like this. "You should talk to her."

"I will."

Sasuke looked as if he wanted to add something, but stopped himself. Neji didn't press him. "Do you want me to stay?" He said finally, looking away deliberately, arms still folded.

He smiled slightly at Sasuke's awkward kindness. "Please."

Of course, the first thing Kurenai does when we get back to school is inform me gleefully (okay fine, maybe I'm imagining the 'gleefully' part, but I need to make her seem evil) of my punishment.

"You shall spend all of Tuesday afternoon sorting out the books in the library while the librarian is out."

What?! How the hell do I do that?!

"You are familiar with the Dewey decimal system?" Kurenai asks, looking up at me from her desk.

"...yes, of course." Maybe I should check...

"If you are unsure, you had better go to the library and check before tomorrow. The librarian is meeting her sister in the morning, and will be out for the rest of the day. As I'm sure you're aware, the library has undergone some renovation to install more computers and more space for the new books the Haruno family have so generously offered us."

Damn. This is all Sakura's fault. I should just go kill her now...

"Yes, Ms. Yuhi." I reply sullenly.

"Very well then. Go to the library immediately after school tomorrow. I shall be checking on you every hour, so don't even think of playing truant. Dismissed." She waves me away and goes back to her marking.

Bitch...

The library is the best facility in the whole school, and takes up most of the top floor; it has a large glass dome at the top and long windows going down the sides so it's flooded with sunlight during the day. Shelves are built into the walls, but many shelves stand next to them, forming long corridors of books. In the middle of the library are many tables and chairs for students, and the random couch or chair scattered randomly between the shelves. An elegant staircase stands on the left side, curving up to the second floor.

I used to spend a lot of time here, before the stupid thing with Neji started. I love this place. Well, loved. I hate it now. You know why? Because it houses thousands of books. Book that I have to sort into shelves today.

Argh.

Kurenai leads me into some obscure corner that I've never been to before and gestures at the pile of books on the floor, standing before the empty shelves. "Start now. I'll come back every hour until dinner. Here's the list." She hands me a long list of books and their numbers.

Great.

"Thank you." I mutter, taking the sheets.

Ah. Now I know why I've never been here.

It's the art section. Books about dead artists that nobody gives a crap about. Except the art students, I suppose.

And why the hell do I need to know the Dewey decimal system if I'm just going to follow a damn list anyway?!

I start digging through the piles for the first book. I can't believe I have to do this for four hours...

I'm roughly at the middle of the first page when I hear someone call my name.

"Tenten."

Who the hell is that...

"Oh. Neji. Do you need something?" I ask as I push the ladder. God it's heavy, even on wheels. My arms are going to be sore tomorrow.

"I thought you'd need some help." He says, eyeing my slow progress with the ladder.

I look up in surprise. "What?" Is he serious?

He arches an eyebrow. "Does my offer to help seem so strange to you?"

"No, it's just..."

What was I going to say?

"Whatever. Here's the list." I throw it at him, before climbing up the ladder to shove a book into the first shelf. "I'm up to Art: Expressions of Emotion."

"...that's an interesting title." He frowns at the list. "Then the next one is Art: Flowers."

"Oh, aren't you a genius. Find it."

"What, in there?" He asks incredulously, backing away from the books. "That's impossible."

"How do you think I got all these." I gesture at the sad collection of books I have accumulated. I climb back down the ladder to help Neji look for the book.

"You know, Kurenai's gonna come check on me in an half an hour." I tell him as we search. "I don't think she's going to appreciate you helping me, sweet as the gesture is."

"You don't have to worry about something like that." Neji says condescendingly. "Unlike you, I'm quite popular among the teachers as well as the students. Ah, here we are." He pulls out the book we're looking for. "I just put it up there, then?"

"...where else..."

I turn back to the list as he heads for the ladder. Pompous ass...

Art: Love and Hate.

What the hell is up with all the Art: Crap books?!

"What does art have to do with love and hate!" I grit out in frustration. I'm going to waste four hours of my life doing this. I have a right to be frustrated.

"You can relate anything to love and hate." Neji says, getting off the ladder.

"Blah blah blah. Just find the damn book."

"You disappoint me, Tenten. We were supposed to go into a deep philosophical discussion about love and hate and art."

"Well, sorry for disappointing you." I mutter sarcastically, getting down on my knees to search through the piles of books. I'm sure I saw that one somewhere around here...

"Oh of course, Tenten doesn't believe in love."

I roll my eyes. "I believe in love. I believe in hate. I hate art. End of philosophical discussion."

"You are so frustrating at times."

"So are you."

"But you love it."

I glare at him. "No I do not."

"Admit it."

"Neji, shut up."

Being with him is getting easier...even if we fight and insult each other more than anything else, it's still...more comfortable than it was at the beginning.

Is that a good thing?

No.

"Neji, I hate you." I blurt out randomly without thinking.

He doesn't even turn to look at me. "What inspired that little outburst, I wonder?"

Why the hell did I say that...I must be going crazy, I can't even think straight. "Blargh. I love broccoli."

"Now you're just being ridiculous."

"But I do."

"I found it." He holds up the book.

...that makes no sense. I'm sure I saw it here.

"There are two copies of that book." I declare, turning back to my pile.

"That's not what the list says."

"Well then, screw the list."

"Tenten, what's gotten into you? You're being utterly ridiculous." He approaches me, frowning. I want to back away but...

I'm frozen to the spot.

I want him to be close to me.

Fuck, I'm seriously going retarded.

"You're flushed. Are you hot?" He puts his hand on my forehead.

I can hear my racing heartbeat in my own ears as his hand touches my skin.

"No!"I shake my head and force myself backwards, stumbling as I do so.

Unfortunately the ladder is standing right behind me, and I collide into it as I fall onto my back.

It all happens so quickly. I'm on my back on the floor, below the tipping ladder. It's going to fall, I know, but I can't move, I'm paralysed by fear. I hear a shout of "Tenten watch out!" and close my eyes as my arms reflexively move to the front of my face to protect myself.

In the next second, I feel two thuds on top of me.

The first, I automatically assumed was the ladder, as my eyes were still closed. It didn't hurt as much as I expected; in fact, it didn't hurt at all. Warm and soft-this wasn't the ladder.

The second thud was much heavier, I felt the pressure and knew it was the ladder, but it hadn't fallen on me. I hear a sharp gasp and a groan.

I open my eyes slowly, and see what I knew I would.

Neji's face. Except it was contorted in such obvious pain that I give an involuntary shudder.

Fuck. He actually threw himself in the path of the ladder when it was falling...

He did it for me.

"Tenten..." He gasps, cracking open an eye. "A-Are you...alright..." His voice trembles in pain.

"You idiot." I breathe, horrified. "The ladder fell on you and you're asking me...oh God, right, sorry, I'll get it off you, just wait..." I scramble to get out from underneath him, to get the ladder off him somehow, but crawling out from beneath Neji and the ladder is so difficult...

I finally get out, and heave the ladder to the side with as much force as I can to get it off Neji's back. He groans as it clatters on the marble floor, wincing as he tries to sit up.

"Neji! Don't move! Are you okay?!"

"I'm...fine." He pants, attempting smile. "Don't worry, I'll probably only have a few bruises..."

"You could've fractured your shoulder or something, we need to get you to the nurse!" I ramble hysterically. "C'mon, get up, lets go!"

He laughs brokenly. "Worried about me, Tenten?"

"Yeah, surprise surprise, I'm a human being. Get up!" I pull him up by the arm, and practically drag him out of the library and to the nurse's office.

"That was the stupidest thing you've ever done, what if it landed on your head?! You could have had brain damage, or worse!" I rant as we walk down the stairs to the nurse. "What were you thinking?!"

He keeps silent as we make our way down, listening blankly to my terrified ranting.

I push him into the nurse's office, telling her what happened, asking whether he would be okay.

"Let me see him first." She says, alarmed. "Those ladders are extremely heavy, he could have suffered extensive damage."

"I think I'm alright, Nurse." He says with a charming smile on his face. "It doesn't feel as bad as it did before."

"Let me take a look anyway." She instructs him to lie on his stomach and rolls up his shirt, her fingers pressing down expertly. "There seems to be no damage to the bone, as far as I can tell...maybe we should send you to the hospital for an X-ray, just to make sure." She says at last.

"That would be unnecessary, I'm sure I haven't fractured anything. The pain isn't that bad; I feel fine." Neji insists, rolling his shirt back down.

"Are you sure you don't feel anything?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Well, you're going to have some nasty bruises tomorrow, but it doesn't seem like you've damaged anything else." She frowns. "I still think you should go down to the hospital..."

"No, please don't bother." He says politely, standing up. "I'll just leave now."

"...if you say so. If you experience any more pain, come straight to me you understand? Good, now you better take this for the bruises you'll have tomorrow."

"Thank you." He says gratefully, before stalking out. I follow him, bewildered.

Is it just me or does he seem...

Angry?

"Neji?" I say tentatively as we step out of the school building.

"What." He snaps, whirling around. I stop in my tracks in front of the fountain, surprised by his hostility.

"Why are you mad?" I ask, starting to feel irritated. What the hell did I do?

He casts his eyes up to the sky and makes some kind of hand gesture, a frustrated noise coming from the back of his throat.

"Forget it." He says finally, turning on his heel.

He is not walking away.

It's started raining heavily, but I don't care. I chase after him, determined to find out what the hell is wrong. He picks up his pace as he hears my footsteps quickening, and eventually we're both running flat out in the pouring rain.

I manage to steer him away from the dorms and direct him to the grounds instead, where the grass will make it easier to run without fear of slipping. Normally Neji would outrun me easily, but today he's injured and I'm determined.

I spring and tackle him to the ground. We're both dripping wet and furious at each other, but I pin him forcefully to the ground, ignoring his wince as I push his sore back into the grass.

"What is your problem!" I shout above the sound of the rain. Our noses our nearly touching, and I can see his face clearly. The drops of rain from my hair sliding down his pale, smooth skin, trickling down past his face and to the long, slender column of his neck. His eyes are filled with a mixture of emotions that take me a while discern...pain, anger, frustration...and something else.

Hurt?

It suddenly hits me, and I immediately feel the blush creeping up to my cheeks.

"Oh God Neji, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot..." I rest my forehead against his, closing my eyes, letting out an embarrassed laugh. I raise my head and look into his eyes. "...thank you, for saving me. Without you, the ladder would probably have...crushed me or something. You...did something so dangerous for me, and I...just call you stupid. God, I'm the worst...I'm sorry, okay? And...thank you. Really. You really...thank you." I finish lamely.

But when I see his lips curving into that smile, I know I've said the right thing.

"You're welcome." He chuckles, his hand moving up behind my head and running a few strands of my loose hair through his fingers. "An awkward sort of thank you, but it works."

"Shut up."

"That's not how you should talk to someone who just saved your life. Or at least, your face. Maybe a bone or two."

"God, you really are annoying."

"But you love it."

We both laugh, two idiots lying on the ground in the pouring rain, soaked to the skin.

But somehow...

I feel warm.

"C'mon lets get in before we catch colds." I sigh, rolling off him. Damn. I just had to wear a white shirt in the rain.

Neji gets up and starts looking at the back of his shirt. "Oh this is perfect. You got grass and soil on my new shirt."

I roll my eyes. "Such a tragedy."

"Isn't it."

A flash of lightning streaks through the sky, and a deep rumble of thunder follows soon after.

"Unless you want to get him by lightning, I suggest we start heading back up to the dorms." I tell him as haughtily as I can with my hair soaked.

"No, letting you get hit by lightning would completely ruin the point of me saving you in the library from that big scary ladder." Neji agrees.

Bastard.

I stalk off by myself, fully intending to just leave him there, but he catches up to me and takes my hand.

"This way, if I get hit by lightning, I can have the comfort of knowing that someone is suffering with me." He says cheerfully, gripping my hand tighter.

And for some reason, I just can't bring myself to order him to let go.

Ino watched over the stair banister as Neji and Tenten came stumbling into the building hand-in-hand, laughing as if they weren't drenched in rainwater. Her brow furrowed, and long fingers gripped the banister tightly.

Perhaps...this little experiment with Tenten was getting out of hand.

"I'm going to change, then I'm going to get something hot to drink." Tenten said at the foot of the stairs. Ino automatically retreated to the top.

"Am I allowed to join you?" Neji asked, following her as she climbed up.

"No."

"That's cold."

"Oh haha, nice joke."

"I just saved y-"

"Okay okay fine! But after today, you can't use that anymore, got it?"

"It's a deal."

"Ugh."

Ino walked as quickly as she could down the corridor, closing the door after her as she walked into her dorm. She had had difficulty understanding their conversation-Neji had saved Tenten? From what?

Outside, she heard a cry of "Oh shit! Kurenai! Damn, I'm screwed!"

The sound of Neji's laughter followed. "She'll come looking for you later, you can explain then. Or at dinner."

"No, I better do it now...get some hot chocolate or something, I'll be right back. Unless she makes me go back to the library..."

"She won't, not while you're soaking wet. Get her sympathy, she'll let you off. Sound regretful."

"Oh aren't you the master at this."

"Just be grateful when she lets you off. Now go."

The sound of Tenten running down back down the stairs. Neji walking along the corridor and stopping just opposite her door. His door opening and closing as he let himself in.

Ino closed her eyes and tilted her head back. She had to stay calm...she had to think of a way to fix this...

The answer was obvious, but drastic. But no matter...everyone would rejoice when Neji announced that he was single again. Not that he would be for long.

After a few minutes, she could hear Neji's door opening again, and his footsteps going down the stairs. Presumably to the kitchen to get those drinks.

She waited for exactly 120 seconds before taking a deep breath and making her way down there herself. She slipped into the kitchen quietly, where Neji had already gotten out two mugs and was spooning powder into them.

"Hi Neji." She greeted cheerfully, an easy smile coming to her lips. He turned around in surprise.

"Ino. I didn't hear you come in. Where did you come from?"

"The lab." She lied swiftly. "I needed to take care of something. Did you just come out of the rain?" She asked innocently, approaching him slowly. "Your hair's wet."

"Yes, I was coming from the upper building."

"Right. What are you doing now?" She stood next to him, her palms on the counter.

"Hot chocolate."

"How nice." Ino paused. "I can't help but notice...there are two cups."

"One's for Tenten. She came back with me. She's just gone out to find Kurenai."

"She came back with you? What were you doing with her?" Ino cursed herself inwardly; she sounded like a paranoid housewife.

"Nothing in particular." Neji answered vaguely.

Her eyes narrowed at his careful tone. So he wasn't going to tell her about the 'saving' or whatever it was?

"I think you'd better leave before she comes back. You intimidate her." He seemed amused now. "Especially after that threat in the hotel room."

"What do you care if she feels intimidated? The more intimidated targets feel, the better."

She had deliberately used the word 'target' to remind Neji why exactly he was with Tenten. But then, why would he forget? Every moment he spent with her was exhausting, or so he had said. He would not lie to her.

It took Neji a few moments to reply. "I suppose so. But she's easier to handle when she's comfortable. And I won't have to listen to her insulting rant about you afterwards."

"You seem to know her very well."

"So would you, if you spent that much time around her."

"I pity you. It must be so exhausting." She said sympathetically, putting her hand on his arm.

"Well, she's not always that bad." He admitted. Ino didn't like that smile on his face. "Surprisingly, she can sometimes be quite insightful. And funny." He let out a quiet laugh, setting the mugs down on the counter. "Most of the time she really frustrates me, but I can't help enjoying myself at the same time...it's strange, I've never felt that way be-mmmph!"

Neji's eyes widened as Ino crushed her lips against his forcefully. Her eyes were closed, and she had twisted him around so she could push him into the counter.

It wasn't one of the most romantic kisses for Neji. His eyes were wide open in shock and his hands were by his sides. But it seemed that Ino was enjoying herself. She forced his lips open and swept her tongue in his mouth, while her hands roamed all over his sore back and fisted his hair.

After a few moments she stepped back; the fire in her eyes was something Neji had never seen before. It was frightening.

"Break up with Tenten. I'm giving you one month so that you can make it seem natural. And after Tenten is gone..." She placed her palms on his chest, smirking. "You are mine."

With that, she sashayed out of the room, fully confident that she had regained control.

Neji stared after her in shock. He couldn't quite believe what had just happened.

"Hey Neji, I'm back. You done with those drinks yet?" Tenten's voice called from the foyer, bringing Neji back to his senses.

"Almost." Neji replied, turning back to the mugs and picking one up clumsily. "How did it go with Kurenai?"

"Oh, she was just worried about you. But I don't have to do another stupid detention, so it's fine. She told me to get out of her office and change before I caught a cold." She came into the kitchen, dripping wet.

"You better go up and change then." Neji told her.

There was a pause. "Hey Neji, are you...okay?" She sounded worried.

Neji's heart pounded. What could possibly have given him away? "Of course I'm fine. What makes you ask?"

"It's just...you sound weird, and you're really pale...you're sure you didn't fracture a bone or something, right?" She asked as she walked towards him, frowning.

"Oh aren't you protective." Neji said as jokingly as he could, knowing it would annoy Tenten.

It worked. She froze, and turned on her heel, marching out of the kitchen scornfully. "As if."

Neji breathed a sigh of relief as he heard her footsteps echoing up the stairs.

He had no idea what to do next.

Oh dear, what bad timing...just when he and Tenten were getting close...how sad.

Sorry if this chapter seems really awkward and everything. I haven't written anything for over a month, it was difficult to make it seem natural...

Anyway, lol, thanks for reading (the longest chapter I've ever written...), hopefully the next chapter won't take so long. Please review!