A/N: Hyuga Neji doesn't pine dammit, he broods. Aside from that, enjoy. And feedback. It's like water for chocolate . . . err, or something like that.
This is my take on this relationship.
i. Hyuga Neji disliked being useless.
The thought went through his mind just by looking at his teammate. That she never asked for his help bothered him. The internal politics of his family didn't aggravate him as much as the weapons expert's indifference.
She didn't need him.
He was left to wait for another reason to see her.
ii. Hyuga Neji disliked being sentimental.
Tenten was the only one who could put him in a good and bad mood at the same time. He wanted to see those eyes on him when he wasn't hurt or gesturing silently during a mission.
At the same time, she distracted him from the resentment that weighed on him when he entered the four walls that belonged to his family. The Hyuga eyes were not the only thing he had inherited, but also that internal hatred of all the unfairness he had unknowingly been born to have.
iii. Hyuga Neji disliked nostalgia.
He remembered the first time he had seen her at the academy and how he stared at her. Once knowing they were to be assigned to the same team, he saw that she was destined to follow the path of total dedication to be a kuniochi and with that, obtained his respect.
Thinking it over, those were the days of the last traces of innocence that little by little had begun to waste away in the wake of his father's death. The bitter taste that been left as a reminder was strange at first, no matter what he did. With time, he had grown used to such resentment. Only while being with her training or on a mission did his urges for vengeance calm.
Those were the last days of his childhood and he smiles a bit knowing he had shared them with her, even if she didn't realize it.
iv. Hyuga Neji disliked surprises.
Perhaps because he was a shinobi is that he hated not knowing what he had in close range to know how to deal with it. The day that they were assigned to escort a merchant, he never thought it would spell the end of his hopes.
She was attracted immediately to the young man who knew nothing about their world of illusions, lies and deception. It was the first time he'd seen her smile so openly.
She didn't hide it.
He didn't stop grinding his teeth.
v. Hyuga Neji disliked resignation.
Seeing how Tenten happily progressed her relationship with the merchant, he was slowly being left with less and less legitimate reasons to see her.
They still trained as always, but the words wouldn't come out of him to tell her that he needed her, that she was the most obvious choice for him, the only constant in his life; she made him feel the security he always craved.
She filled him with something he couldn't define but couldn't help but feel despite his pride that couldn't defend him against her.
More that ever did the possibility invade his mind that he would be abandoned while she had fun with that stranger who did not understand the reality of their lives.
vi. Hyuga Neji disliked regrets.
Life had taught him that he couldn't change a lot of things. He had not asked to be born to a restrictive family where every action was under the intense scrutiny of the elders. He could not save his father, defeat his enemies, and now he was meant to lose Tenten.
While contemplating such thoughts, he didn't know how much more fate would laugh at him. For the first time, he felt defeated both body and soul.
vii. Hyuga Neji disliked being forgotten.
Time passed by quietly and he saw her every now and then. His heart longed for her when she was near, beating strangely while he fought to keep his insides calm.
They had been assigned to an easy mission without much danger. She had tripped over a cherry tree's root accidentally. While he treated the scrape on her ankle, he did not need to use the ability of his inherited eyesight to know that her dark eyes were looking at him curious and attentive, as if it were the first time she truly saw him. Neither said a word, but it was understood that she appreciated him as a partner.
viii. Hyuga Neji disliked secrets.
Sometimes that girl with dark eyes appeared in his dreams. At last he understood that he could not fix things between them and accepted being left behind. He conformed to the idea although he did not wake up content.
As he returned to Konoha one afternoon with a dislocated arm and bleeding from several deep wounds, he saw the horrified expression on her face once he entered the city's gate.
Upon waking, he saw sterilized walls and fluorescent light. He did not expect her to shed tears while seeking comfort in their other teammate's arms, who in turn gave him a relieved smile that he did not comprehend.
ix. Hyuga Neji disliked being last to understand.
When she finally let go of Rock Lee, Tenten turned to see him alert to the world.
Immediately, she threw her arms around him, not caring about his injuries and did not let go for a long time. His heart beat loudly in his ears. She had never hugged him, much less shown affection in front of an audience.
Wisely, Lee stayed silent.
The only other thing he could hear was her desperate plea that filled him with all the hope he had not allowed himself to have.
"Don't ever leave me."