Merry Christmas and happy Holidays to all! This is for@clem-chan ! hope you’re having an awesome holiday season :) It was a tough decision, but I decided to go with the NejiTen Family!AU *with some twists*. Hope you enjoy!
“Tenji, settle down! Kanatari, get down here! Don’t make me have to get you!” A pounding headache was coming on despite her efforts to remain calm.
On the battlefield, only flames of adrenaline and excitement sparked within her. Which is why it was a wonder that in situations like these she grew weary in a heartbeat. It was only five past 8:30.
“But Mommy, I wanna train a little longer, train with me a little longer, pleeease!” The little girl with dark brown pigtails chanted, dangling high upon a branch belonging to a tree planted in their backyard.
“Yeah mom, why do I have to go to bed so early?” the boy named Tenji complained. He was spinning in circles at the speed of sound. After what must have been his 100th spin Tenji lost his balance and crashed onto the grass with a yelp. The long black ponytail situated at the top of his head smacked him in the face. “I’m 6 years old now! I get it for Kanatari, ‘cause she’s still a baby but not me...”
“Hey, I am not a baby you meanie!” Kanatari yelled.
Tenten clenched her jaw, holding her arms out underneath her dangling little girl who continued swinging to and fro on the branch nearly 20 feet from the ground. “I've got you, sweetie, let go before you hurt yourself!”
“But see, Mommy, I’m super strong! Watch how long I can hold on! I’m gonna be strong enough to use any ninja tool in the world like you in no time,” she giggled. “See, I’m already stronger than Tenji.”
“You take that back you baby!”
“Climb up here and make me!”
“That’s enough, both of you. Tenji, get up, and Kanatari, get down. You both know that it is past your bedtime,” a stern voice sounded through the chaos.
A wave of relief flooded Tenten before a kindling annoyance followed like an aftertaste. He could have come sooner. As punctual as he was in everything else, when it came to getting ready for bed, he always took his time. So, often it was her helping the kids with their bedtime routine. “Neji…”
Neji stood a ways from them on the wooden verandah in his silk pajama attire. Hands on his hips. “As I already told you two, I have an important mission tomorrow. Now if you tire out your mother, I’ll have no choice but to place you in the care of Uncle Lee for the day tomorrow because your mother will need to rest.”
“NO!” both children shouted.
Tenji popped up from the ground and bolted toward his scowling father and Tenten jumped when a weight suddenly plopped into her arms and two warm limbs wrapped around her neck.
“Don’t make us go to Uncle Lee’s!”
“Yeah, he’ll make us run 30 laps around the village again! And if we can’t do that, we have to do 60 sit-ups, a-and much more!”
“‘Cause he says it’s in the name of… of youth!” Kanatari nestled her head into the crook of Tenten’s neck.
“Father! I’m exhausted!” Tenji faked a yawn, latching himself around Neji’s waist.
“I’ll bet,” The Hyuga said looking down at his son, “You’ll have to channel that energy you use running around to improve the Revolving Heaven technique. We’ll work more on that later.”
Tenji looked up at Neji with wide, sparkling eyes. “All right!”
In silence, Tenten approached the walkway catching Neji’s gaze. She didn’t know if she wanted to scowl or smirk as she passed him, shaking her head. “That’s what I thought,” she sighed.
“So, Lee’s vigor has come back to repay us after all this time. Who would have thought?”
“Making jokes now I see,” Tenten said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. While waiting for Neji as he’d put the kids to bed, Tenten had changed into her own pajamas.
Neji made his way around the couch with two cups in hand. He handed her the cup that emitted no steam and sat down next to her, putting the one that did radiate steam to his lips. “Joking? No, it's merely an observation.”
Tenten eyed the liquid in her cup, her hands becoming pleasantly chilled from its temperature. She breathed in the tea’s peppermint and chestnut aroma. Even cold, it put a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest.
Subtly, she looked over at the one she promised to spend the rest of her days with. As usual, he appeared so calm, drinking his tea as he stared at the warm fireplace. So tranquil and yet… there was a more open, almost vulnerable vibe about him that was so different from his signature guarded self during missions, training sessions and in the heat of battle. Though it was a subtle difference, it didn’t go unnoticed by Tenten. Although she never voiced it, she cherished this side of him that showed itself when they were alone.
The kunoichi took a sip of the tea. “...Mmm. Just the way I like it.” She could no longer resist smiling. This kind was her favorite. He knew her too well.
Neji looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “If I wasn’t aware of your favorite drink, I’d feel like a fraud when I say that I love you," he murmured looking almost smug.
Right. And who would have thought that underneath the cold exterior…he’s actually pretty romantic? The word love never sounded so beautiful coming from anyone else.
The warmth of Neji’s palm suddenly slid over her hand. Why did his sweet side always come upon her like an elite shinobi’s best infiltration? Even to this day, years after being together, the kunoichi felt a little heat rush to her face.
“Hey… It’ll be your turn to deal with those two after tomorrow night. Don’t think I’ll forget,” she smiled. They had a system, and silk pajamas he needed to put on every night or not, she was going to fight to make sure they stuck to that system.
Neji continued staring at the fire, with one hand still placed over hers. “Looking forward to it.”
After a while, the Hyuga finished his tea before placing the cup on the floor. He leaned back into the couch and draped his arm over the back. Subconsciously, muscle memory kicked in and Tenten leaned into him, warming up to his side. Silence ensued.
The kunoichi’s eyes suddenly weighed several pounds as a wave of exhaustion came upon her. The warmth of the fireplace and his presence set in. It was so cold outside this time in December, but as much as she disliked this time of the year, this moment was perfect.
She tilted her head up and found herself going forward to close the gap between their lips but opened her eyes she hadn’t even realized she’d closed when she felt finger pads brush her cheek.
Neji signed suddenly, breaking the long and peaceful silence. "You don't get it, do you, Tenten."
Tenten rose an eyebrow. She focused on his brow, so delicately furrowed. She realized his body had gone slightly rigid.
The Hyuuga had an almost conflicted look. “I wanted to tell you here, right now because… I never got the chance to. I apologize."
The brunette sat up to get a better view of him, trying to understand what he was talking about, exactly. After a few moments however, she realized what Neji was referring to.
"What are you talking about? ...You’ve told me before." Neji wasn't the type she could say told her all of the time, but the first time he'd uttered the words to her, the words seared themselves into her soul. He expressed his love for her through everything he did in every moment they existed together.
I love you. She could count how many times he'd told her so on one hand. And yet she saw that he did in everything. She saw it when they’d go on missions together. She saw it in moments like these on the couch. She saw it in the way he played with Kanatari and practiced Hyuga techniques with Tenji. She knew his heart was saying it as many times as there were drops of water in the ocean.
She weaved a lock of his hair through her fingers, shaking her head. “You’re silly, Neji.” She remembered the last time he'd said it to her. She remembered it like it was...
"You're mistaken," Neji said.
When was it? He’d last told her the exact words yesterday she thought. Yeah, when she was putting the laundry away. She thought. Wait, no, Kanatari had said those words to her.
When had he last told her? It was…
"You can’t recall, can you?” There was a hint of pain in his usually fluid tone. “It was only for the best. I know I didn’t get the chance to explain to you. I didn't get the chance to speak with you… about anything. But I figured you would understand.”
After realizing her gaze had wandered to the crackling fire of the fireplace as she tried to make sense of his nonsensical words, Tenten snapped her eyes back to him. The fingers on her face were still there but she realized that the feather-like touch was no longer felt on her skin.
When her shaky hand rose to touch his graceful fingers, a bitter feeling gripped her when her hand passed through. A gasp was stuck in her throat and suddenly it was as if everything was in slow motion as she backed away, towards the other end of the couch. Her eyes were wide as she looked into his. Pale, lifeless, a ghost’s. He opened his mouth.
“...If only things had been different.”
Her head was spinning. She couldn’t speak.
Tenten could no longer breathe as her head snapped to her right to see Tenji standing just a couple feet from her. He was squinting due to the dim light of the fire. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, peering at her.
“Tenji? W-what are you doing awake?” She hadn’t heard him approach whatsoever.
Tenji appeared baffled, his wide byakugan regarding her. “Huh? I came to wake you up.”
Tenten stared at him. “I am awake.”
She realized something was missing out of the corner of her eye. The silk pajamas were lying in a heap on the couch cushion. Neji was gone.
Small hands gripped her shoulders and she was shaking back and forth.
Tenten shrieked, gasping for air as she flung herself into a sitting position in her bed. Sweat clung to her like a second skin and she was hyperventilating. Seconds passed and she managed to calm herself down in the silence of the night. As her heart slowed, reality set in.
He was gone. Those three words had never been spoken. They never would be.
Well, that was just fine.
It was fine because she never loved him. Actually, she hated him. She absolutely hated him with all of her being. Who could ever think of loving an unthoughtful , cold and unfeeling, impulsive, genius idiot? They wouldn’t have ended up together if he was a breathing soul today, she told herself.
The tears that began to blur her vision said otherwise.
She hated how selfish she sounded in her own mind. She hated that he gave his life away for something so heroic; for she could never be righteously angry at him without feeling guilty. She hated how tiring, but beautiful their children had been in her dream. She hated that the color of the moon’s light that shone through her window reminded her of his eyes.
Neji… In that single moment of sacrifice... you chose to give away what I never mentioned… but what could have been.
As if in response, words from the dream suddenly sounded in her mind, a gentle whisper.
‘I wanted to tell you here, right now…’
Slowly. Slowly her mouth opened in the darkness, forming words that refused to make a sound. Words that would never be truly spoken. Just like his never would be. “I love you too.”
