“Nice night.”
Kami, could he be any more awkward? Tenten stared at her “date”, idly wondering if she should’ve opted out of this. Sakura Haruno came to her, pleading that she joined the pinkette in a double date with the infamous Uchiha.
For crying out loud, did Sakura need her to help that bad to where she and Neji Hyuga had to pretend to be a couple? The kunoichi sighed, nervously glancing over at her friend as he rearranged his white tux for the hundredth time, readjusting the white headband that covered his accursed mark so that it looked right. Neither of them was prone to dressing up for anything special and both were out of their element. Sakura wore a strapless bodice dress, batting her eyelids at Sasuke one too many times.
Sasuke Uchiha looked all but indifferent to it, but still, he locked his arm around hers, eyes occasionally wandering enough to where Tenten knew he wasn’t as uninterested as he tried to play it off. As for Tenten and her partner, they didn’t even touch, acting as “bodyguards” for the two as civilians throw murderous glances at Sasuke.
That was fine. Let them. Tenten could feel the strap around her thigh and the weights of the scrolls wrapped around her wrists, bound in weights just in case something went wrong. Another glance at her partner in crime told her he was ready too; occasionally Neji stretched out his arms just to check how flexible his suit was.
Tenten wore a black dress with a red slit that exposed a little of her left thigh. A little tacky and tasteless, but Ino guaranteed that she could fight in it if she had to. This settled Tenten’s nervousness as they made it to and left the restaurant of Sasuke and Sakura’s choice.
Despite the exasperation of doing little more with her night than following around a hopeless lovesick couple, Tenten had to admire her teammate and how he carried himself. He walked like a shinobi with purpose, silky white eyes running back and forth as he scanned the areas before they reached them.
It was admittedly nice watching him work like this. Not attractive, but...nice. Totally. Yeah. Tenten’s cheeks were somewhat flushed from seeing her comrade all dressed up. Even if they weren’t technically dating, her stomach was acting up from the situation all the same.
When Neji’s gaze landed on her, Tenten felt her cheeks warm up as she glanced elsewhere. ‘It’s fine, just keep calm, calm down, just keep walking.’ Her mind was attempting to calm her down but failed entirely when Neji briefly touched her arm.
“Tenten.”
“Huh?”
Her breath caught in her throat as if her thoughts were exposed on the floor where the world could see them, but it was just Neji attempting to get her attention. “Sakura asked us to wait here,” he replied, gesturing to Sakura leading the Uchiha into a liquor store.
Tenten exhaled and shook her head. “Alcohol? Really?”
“Tasteless,” Neji agreed, quirking an eyebrow as he loosened his stance somewhat. “If it were me, I would’ve bought wine prior and set up a date at home.”
“Could you imagine us stuck in a house with them?” Tenten giggled, waving the idea away. “Who needs that much help?”
“Sakura, evidently,” Neji mused, glancing at her with a slight smile. “Are you as bored as I am?” She might’ve said yes immediately, but faltered as she thought about it for a moment too long. Neji caught onto this and glanced at her curiously. “Are you bored, Tenten?”
“Uh, haha, of course, I am!” Nice save. Tenten put her hands on her hips and shrugged. “I mean, who wants to dress up all night just for a meal?”
“Hm.” Neji looked up at the sky above them, face relaxed as he folded his hands behind his back. “It isn’t a bad concept, but it does matter who you’re going out with. For instance, if I were to take you out-” Kami, he had to have said that “-We would have dinner under the night sky.”
“Oh?” Her giggles were becoming nervous now. “That’s very romantic of you.”
Neji glanced back at his teammate, that slight smile on his face once again. “I would want the best for anyone I am courting.”
Courting?! Tenten cleared her throat, rubbing her arm awkwardly and wishing that Sakura would hurry up out of that store! “O-Oh. You seem to know what you want.”
“I do.”
That implied he knew who he wanted to court if he’s given dating ideas that much thought. Tenten gulped, not liking that there was a lump in her throat. No, no, she was happy for him, if he had someone in his life. They were just teammates, friends.
“That’s good then.”
Her voice came out sadder than she meant it to, giving Neji pause before he said anything else. He then turned to her, those dark brown strands of his dipping off of his shoulder. “Is it? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Tenten lied, realizing that she absolutely was not fine. What the heck? She should be totally okay with him finding someone that suited him. Was she acting jealous? Overprotective? Disappointed? Ugh, suddenly Tenten wished she was tipsy.
Neji exhaled, not catching her fib. “That’s good then.” He then looked up at the sky again, stars glittering those milky handsome eyes of his. Tenten gulped again, realizing that seeing Neji Hyuga in a suit was a bad idea, a very bad idea indeed.
Suddenly childhood crushes and heavy doses of admiration were haunting her as they stood side by side in the dark. Tenten could not steady her wildly beating heart and hoped that the night sky might help to calm down the confusing feelings she was having.
She wasn’t in love with Neji, but he wasn’t doing her any favors by dressing up and talking about breathtaking dates that she’d never get to experience. Tenten was too lonely for this bullshit. Still, the stars in the sky made for a lovely distraction, taking some of her breath away as they shined brighter than any lamppost ever could.
“Beautiful,” she muttered.
“Yes,” he agreed. “Beautiful.”
The way his words came out breathless made her tense up and suddenly she was terrified of tearing her eyes from the sky. She felt his eyes on her and was terrified of meeting them. Were they already drunk, or was the night doing something to them?
Did Neji just call her beautiful?!
Shit, crap, damn it! No, this was fine! Tenten would just keep staring up at the sky and-
“Tenten?”
The kunoichi felt a bead of sweat drip down her face but she didn’t dare look down. Not yet...she just, she just wanted to stare at the stars a little bit longer. Tenten wanted to hold this memory, keep it close to her. Something told her that if she looked down; if she tore her gaze away from the sky, everything she knew would be over.
Something was going to happen, something incredible and terrifying and exciting and new. She wasn’t ready. Not yet. Maybe it was her mind racing or the night doing something to both of them, but the kunoichi had a strong intuition.
“Tenten.”
She knew, she just knew that when she lowered her head, she wouldn’t be facing the same friend she’d known for years. The same one who pulled her hair when they were younger, the same one who got on her ass whenever she was late for training or classes, the same friend who held her at night when she wept over a crush who broke her heart.
“Tenten, please look at me.”
She closed her eyes and tilted her head down, taking a moment longer before opening her eyes. “Y-Yes?”
Neji watched her with an amused smile, as soft as it was. “Are you well?”
No, no she was not well. Kami help her. The way he was looking at her was doing things she didn’t understand, making her feel in ways she didn’t want to recognize. He took a step forward and she almost took one back.
Shit, shit, shit! “Neji?”
He faltered, hand half raised. “Did I say something wrong?”
Tenten shook her head, buns wiggling on the top of her head as her braid swished. “No, it’s just- it’s just I don’t, um, I don’t know how to…” She wasn’t good with this. Neji smiled softly and her brain went nuts. “Shit,” she muttered, turning away from him and biting her first finger. She sucked at crap like this!
“Tenten?”
He was closer now, but she didn’t try to run, afraid that if she did, he wouldn’t follow her. Stars, it was the stars. They fucking did something to her, something to them. She felt his cool fingers on her shoulder and exhaled shakily, feeling as if she were on a rollercoaster with no way to get off.
“Sorry,” she muttered, gulping again as he turned her to face him. He was concerned more than anything, but there was something else unrecognizable crossing his features.
“Did I say something wrong?” He asked, hand squeezing her shoulder gently. “If I’m too close, I can-”
“This is fine,” Tenten assured him quietly, finally locking eyes with him. “If we could, could we just...stay like this for a while longer?”
Neji nodded faintly, backing away and folding his arms behind his back. Tenten smiled her thanks, looking to the liquor store’s door as they came out with a bag, smiling at each other openly. Sasuke muttered something that made Sakura laugh quietly, eyes sparkling as she watched him.
For a moment, Tenten wondered if she’d ever feel like that with someone. Her eyes then flickered over to Neji, and he hers. Something about the way he glanced at her, the way he smiled, implied that perhaps she might.
If only she could get rid of the anxiety of everything changing, then maybe she would take that step forward. But for now, she was fine with being friends with him, fine with watching him from a distance...for now.
Maybe next time, the starry skies would blind her judgment. Maybe next time, she could get lost in them, as Neji did with his bright, starry eyes.