A/N: A NejiTen project, consisting of a series of unrelated (hopefully brief) vignettes. Because I'm a NeijTen fanatic, not so deep down. I don't know where this one came from. Really.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, plain and simple. (I just happen to envy him.)

Sentimental

Hyuuga Neji did not appear to be one of sentimentality.

Tenten, on the other hand, reserved a considerable amount of thought to these fleeting frivolities. It was exemplified by the almost religious care she took to tending her personal arsenal; each blade and every steel had its own history. Sometimes, it could be expressed in the poignant smile dancing upon her lips, threatening to consume her in a torrent of emotion.

As for Lee? It seemed as if anything triggered a bout of joyous sobbing from the expressive adolescent, or, at the very least, an exclamation of "youth!" Why, with Gai-sensei, he could summon a waterfall (complete with crashing waves, seagulls, and sunset rays) if he wanted to.

Consequently, their differences did not go unnoticed.

Lee once called Neji a rock. (He soon regretted it.)

But, perhaps, this Hyuuga was the most perceptive of all. (Although, Tenten often theorized it was superficiality of the Byukagan to suppose this.)

He noticed, one day, when Tenten's eyes flickered to the side, lingering there on an inexpensive, unornamented trinket just beyond the small shop window.

He stopped, waiting for her to resume their usual cadence. "Tenten," he spoke. It was a question, but in such a tone that left room for doubt to those who were unacquainted with the often stoic, young Hyuuga.

Tenten's amber eyes left the reflective surface of the glass and shifted back to the road ahead, as if that moment had never existed. A flitting caprice, anyhow. "It's nothing," she answered, and continued to mosey down the sunny Konoha street.

Tenten's house key clattered against the wooden table. Her mission pack fell with a sound thud to the smooth panels beneath her feet. She shut the door behind her, then cracked her back gratefully. Home.

Five minutes after getting comfortable, Tenten halted at her bedroom door. She gently pushed herself off the door frame, a can of fizzy orange juice in hand. Contemplatively, she padded to her worn cherrywood desk. Tenten set the beverage down and picked up the neatly-wrapped package atop her desk. With a ponderous quirk of the lips, she peeled the paper off and let it flutter to the ground.

Her lips curved up. It was a simple picture frame, the one she had taken note of a week ago. It wasn't classy, but it fit their team picture just fine. She propped up the gift by her bedside and made a mental note to thank the human ice-cube come morning.

Hyuuga Neji did not appear to be one of sentimentality.

But, well, he was.

fin.

A/N: Any form of feedback is deeply appreciated. Thank you for reading. :)