A NejiTen Story: Fights, Hidden Cameras, and Traction

A Brief Interlude Part 2

"Here you go!"

With a low thud, Tenten slammed two boxes in front of Neji, who sat in a corner of the restaurant on his own. The dull clunk snapped him out of his daydream. Without another word, he got up. Tenten watched with a simple smile as he walked out to the car. The bell overhead rang out as they passed through to the cool weather outside. Neji stopped short of the driver's side door.

"Would you mind grabbing my keys out of my back pocket?" he asked her. "My hands are a little full here."

A small fire lit up in Tenten's eyes. "Sure thing! Just hold still for a minute."

She crept up just mere inches behind Neji and dove into the right back pocket. He shivered, unable to see what was going on. He felt both of her hands in each pocket. Tenten's recklessness drew the attention of nearby pedestrians. Children had their eyes covered by concerned parents. Drivers who caught sight of this swerved out of each other's way. To Neji, the several seconds it took felt like minutes before Tenten finally took out the keys.

"Got them!" she proclaimed, jingling the keys by the little ring. "Now let's head back before these babies get cold."

Tenten opened the door for Neji, then hopped in from the other side. The pizzas were in her care now. Neji needed the leg room to drive properly. Once the car started, they drove back to their destination. The whole trip consisted of Tenten teasing Neji about the embarrassing moment back at the pizzeria. His silence and perturbed expression only served as extra amusement for the unrelenting passenger.

"Aw come on!" she said, with a mischievous smirk. "It wasn't all that bad."

They arrived back at the apartment, but Neji still wasn't pleased with her actions. He locked the car and followed Tenten up the stairs. His words were brief and the tone was imperative. "It was in public. Everyone could see. They probably assumed that we did something lewd."

"Nah, doesn't matter what they think. Besides," Tenten passed by Neji to get to the door. For a moment, they were parallel to each other. It was then that she gave his rear a gentle tap, then whispered in his ear. "Who wouldn't want the opportunity to grope a little Hyuga booty?"

She winked, entering first.

"Hinata's, more so than mine." He uttered to himself before walking in as well.

The two friends spent hours in each other's company. They ate pizza and sipped soda from wine glasses, pretending to be fancy. Neither of them really paid much attention to the television. Moreover, because Tenten had kept him preoccupied, she enjoyed seeing him laugh and smile for once. There was still the thing she wanted to talk to him about. The only problem was the timing. When would be the best time to bring it up? How might she even phrase it properly, so as to avoid a misunderstanding? These questions would have to wait for now. Before either of them realized it, the sun had gone down quite some time ago. The time on Neji's watch showed 9:30.

"I guess I should head back." he suggested.

"Yeah, looks like it."

Neji got up and brushed the stray crumbs off his body. He stretched out his back and arms as well. Tenten stood up and headed for the door. She appeared to be a little sluggish herself as she motioned toward the entrance. So much so that her foot caught the rise in the carpet. Neji heard the "Whoops!" as she stumbled forward. He caught her by the arm just in time, preventing her from hitting something on her way to the floor.

"You okay?" Neji asked, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah." she answered swiftly, standing up on her own. "Just a bit clumsy. I guess I got to my feet a little too quickly. Silly me."

She giggled to hide her embarrassment, rushing over toward the door seemingly forgetting what just happened. What's more is that she never looked at him at all during that time. Tenten opened the door, waiting for him to leave. Neji did just that, thinking nothing of it other than Tenten being her usual silly self. Nevertheless it was odd even for her.

"Thanks for having me over." He said, taking his first steps down the stairs. "It was fun."

"Yeah. It was." She responded in a defeated tone. Then, as she watched him nearly disappear to the next flight of stairs, she called out to him. "Neji, wait!"

She lunged forward from her door to the top of the steps. Neji stopped just below her. He looked up, wondering what might have set her off. Before he could set his eyes on Tenten, something landed on his face. He flinched, wondering what it could be. It could have been water dripping from another tenant's leaky ceiling. Neji stood back, wiping his face. Once again he glanced up at Tenten. She stood before him, gripping the iron railing before her. Tears fell down her face, onto the same spot Neji once stood.

"Neji...stay with me tonight. Please..."