Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply ;).

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Chapter Five: Snow

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Tenten felt desperate.

No, scratch that - she was desperate. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know how to react, and she definitely wasn't sure if this all husky-acting man in front of her was really her teammate, the Hyuuga prodigy, the top rookie of his respective year and Neji all in one or not. Come on, just look at the details!

First off, her teammate wouldn't invite her to his house without giving a top reasonable, acceptable reason. Her teammate just wasn't like that. Heck, if she didn't know that he was a Hyuuga and that the Hyuugas all lived in one place, she was sure that she wouldn't know where he lived. After all, he was her mysterious, silent teammate.

Secondly, he was the Hyuuga prodigy. Since he was THE prodigy, he wouldn't be hitting (or flirting, whichever you like) on her, intended or not. Simply because, usual prodigies or geniuses were much too dense (mostly, though) and wouldn't realize it if she was a girl, physically and emotionally. Gah, she might look tomboy, but she was a normal girl who likes boys! Nothing could change that.

Next, he was the top rookie of his year. Of their year. By that only, he should have known that there was a snowstorm coming, and if he really was that kind to her, he would take her home to her place, not his place. He was supposed to be the genius, damn it!

And lastly, he was Neji. Nothing, and she meant really nothing, could change the fact that despite all that titles whatsoever, he was Neji as well. And Neji definitely didn't act oh-so-flirty to her. Neji didn't like anyone! That was practically impossible! He was a stoic, cold-hearted, cool, calm, composed, with utterly dead hormones guy! He was Neji, goddamnit, and Neji just didn't act like whoever was in front of her right now!

Tenten forcibly glanced at the man, who was looking at her triumphantly, still holding her hand in his. A little drop of sweat formed near her brow, despite the cold, cold weather and the fact that the snow was falling out there. God, maybe this wasn't Neji at all. For all that she knew, when Neji felt like he was winning, he would simply smirk in arrogance.

Oh, great - as if he could read her thoughts, the man in front of her smirked arrogantly - just in the way only Hyuuga Neji could do.

The weapon mistress frowned. Then he really was Neji? Great, now she really was confused. As she neutralized her face, he released her hand to take another sip of tea. Subconsciously, Tenten watched as his hand moved from her hand to the porcelain cup.

There goes my source of warmth, she thought dazedly as she watched.

Don't you just love it when he touches you? A small, inner voice cackled evilly from her insides, forcing her to mentally gag. She nearly choked on her tea when the voice continued, and don't you just love the way he looks at you? He looks like he wants to glomp you!

"No!" She practically yelled out loud, "He doesn't glomp people!"

Neji raised an eyebrow at this, "Who doesn't glomp people?" He asked, bringing her the impression that he would just tease her again. His piercing, cloudy eyes were staring at her again - with the look he knew she just couldn't bring herself to resist.

Damn him.

Yeah right, damn him. That inner, evil voice started again. Somehow, Tenten could picture a chibi form of herself with bat wings, grinning wickedly and saying all that as it rolled its eyes. This form of hers was holding a javelin and was cackling evilly, with the background of fire and... yeah, fire. Aww, lookie right there, my dear! He gives you that irresistible look again! He does want to glomp you! Aww, he's so sweet!

Don't say that! Tenten wanted to scream, you made Neji sounds perverted!

Buy he is a guy after all, the Chibi Devil protested strongly, and guys have hormones. You just gotta deal with 'em, love.

"Tenten?" Neji's voice was deep and baritone. It was one of the aspects of why his fan girls loved him. His voice sent them swooning, flying to the seventh heaven, dreaming, drooling, falling, flying - the list continued on and on. "Who doesn't glomp people?"

"Oh... It's..." The weapon mistress panicked for a while. If she didn't come up with an intelligent answer of some sort within seconds, there was an eighty percent chance of her getting embarrassed once more. And with the number of times she had been humiliated today, she wasn't sure whether she wanted that or not. Think of a name! Think of a name! "It's Sasuke!"

LOL, the Chibi Devil cackled again.

"Sasuke?" Neji asked, his eyebrows knitted together. Tenten could almost see what he was thinking: Where does Sasuke come in all of this?

"... Yes, Sasuke." She nodded quietly, looking straight into his eyes. He had lost that 'look', it was pretty much safe looking at him straight like this. Great, now she needed to think about Sasuke. Great, just great.

"Why Sasuke?" The Hyuuga asked, clearly not liking the sudden topic change. He didn't like Sasuke, he didn't like him at all.

The Uchiha was more like a rival then of a friend to him, though sometimes when it was a 'Boys Night's Out', he could and would and should stand him. The same went for Sasuke: he also didn't like Neji for the same reasons, but on special occasions, he could and would and should stand him.

"Well, I don't know..." The weapon mistress said, sipping her tea to calm herself down, "Maybe because he really doesn't glomp people?"

"He did that to Sakura just some days ago..."

"Oh..." She replied, before then realizing what he had really just said, "Oh... Oh!"

She definitely didn't need to know that - but how could Sakura? She didn't tell her one bit about it! And they were supposed to be friends! She brought the cup to her lips again and shushed away the bad thoughts.

It was best for her not to think about it right now - she needed to think for herself as well. How, and she meant how, was she going to get out of this situation right now? She couldn't sleep with Neji, of course she couldn't and wouldn't - heck, he was a boy, and she was a girl. That was just wrong. So wrong - especially when the boy was Neji and the girl was her.

But before she could do whatever she wanted to do, she needed to ask him some questions first.

"So..." She coughed a little, "If you're not going for anyone right now, then tell me: what type of girls would you go for?" Ah, there. A little change in the words and the question was different already. Touché.

Neji arched his eyebrows, "Why do you ask?"

"Just because." Tenten rolled her eyes, "Just because." She repeated, and sent him a smile, "Well, I'm just asking. So, what's your answer? Make it quick and make it straightforward, please."

She shouldn't have said that. Of all people she knew, Neji was the most straightforward one of all.

He gave her a smirk. "Oh, I'd go for anybody - as long as I feel comfortable with them." He said, "And as long as they're not strangers."

Tenten could only smile dryly to his answer. "Okay, then." She said pleasantly, examining him. There was a slight hint of pink on his cheeks, causing her to mentally smile.

Though he did give her a remarkable, reasonable answer, it was no doubt that Hyuuga Neji wasn't used to talking like this with anybody. His shinobi skills might be excellent, but his social skills were to be questioned.

Poor, poor boy.

"... Anyway..." He stood up, coughing in embarrassment as she looked up to him. "I'll take you to Hinata-sama's room."

"Eh?" She looked surprised, "But I thought you were told to stay wherever you are by... by one of your elders. Fuyuki said so. You... You can't just disobey orders like that!"

A smirk - a teasing one, a mocking one: she didn't really know which, but it was a smirk alright - appeared on his lips before it subsided as quickly as it came, "Who says I can't?" He asked her back, his hand reaching for her as he brought her up as well. "It's only a rule."

Tenten couldn't help but stared at him. She was puzzled - was this really Hyuuga Neji? Was this really the way he acted? Or was it her who never really paid any attention? "Neji..." She whispered at him, "I don't know whether this is all right or not..."

"Hmm?" The Hyuuga arched his eyebrows again, but then he thought of something and he smirked again. He pulled her close until their faces were only inches apart and stared into her eyes, "Oh, don't tell me you want to stay here - in my room - for the night?"

The weapon mistress immediately stepped back, releasing herself from his reach as she blushed sweetly, "No, of course not, you pervert!" She practically yelled in embarrassment at him as he sent her another alluring smirk. "I was just thinking about you, you dumb ass! I don't want you to get punished or whatsoever, okay?"

He paused a while, but then pressed his lips together, forming a very, very thin appreciative smile. "Thank you." He said huskily, though she wasn't sure whether he intended it or not. With that, he held up his hand to her like a gentleman, smirking. "Shall we, then?" His snow-colored eyes were gazing intensely into hers, forcing her to drown if any.

"Sure." She cooed gently, placing her hand on top of his.

--

And unfortunately, Hinata just happened not to be there. Her room was empty and lifeless - her futon rolled up nicely, her blankets untouched - she was just not there.

Tenten could almost hear herself groaning. She wanted to scream - why, why must now, of all times? Why now? Why should Hinata be away when she needed her most? Where was everybody when she needed them?

"... Okay." She said to Neji, trying to be cheerful. Geez. "So Hinata is not here." She arched her eyebrows when she realized that he wasn't really listening to her. His eyebrows were knitted together in a frowning manner, and right there, she knew he was worried about the little Hyuuga heiress. Funny how years of understanding could change his opinion about her.

"Neji?" She waved her hand in front of his face, "Neji, don't worry too much. She's safe and sound, I'm sure... Last time I've heard from her, she is going on a date with Naruto today..."

"Hush." The Hyuuga said, glancing at the empty room, his eyebrows still knitted - just as if he was thinking about something else, "I wasn't thinking about Hinata-sama."

"Oh?" Tenten looked surprised, "But if you do, she really is on a date with Naruto, I think - so if they are caught up in a snowstorm or something, they must be at the Ichiraku... or at some ramen restaurant Naruto wants to try..."

"No, really." He shook his head, before gazing back at the empty room and then sighed, "Okay, Tenten. You can sleep in Hanabi-sama's room. I believe she won't be angry. Let me show you there."

Without waiting for her answer, he took her hand in his and half-dragged her across the corridor. It was almost like he wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible... She shrugged the thought out of her head.

It was a bit painful, and she was pretty sure if she was hurt it'd show on her face. Neji was a good reader - he'd know and he'd ask why, and she didn't know why, but she didn't need anymore questions tonight.

At least, not from him.

Hanabi was almost asleep when Neji knocked on her door that night, and she wasn't happy or was she mad.

"Geez, Neji-niisan." The younger Hyuuga said, rubbing her sleepy eyes, "First it's that girl Fuyuki, now it's you. Why am I so popular on a day like this? Now what is i-?" She stopped right dead on her track when she looked up and met eyes with the weapon mistress instead of the pale eyes of her cousin. She gasped and stepped back one step. "Hell!" She yelled unconsciously, a product of being shocked.

Tenten glanced at Neji and smiled, seeing what he was thinking right there: language, Hanabi-sama, but was restraining himself from saying that. That would be called as disrespect.

"Hanabi-sama." Instead, the Hyuuga prodigy gave a polite nod, "I want to ask of you a favor, if I may."

"Sure..." The female Hyuuga looked like she almost fell asleep once more. She was holding the doorsill to keep herself standing - she looked so sleepy that Tenten couldn't help but wonder whether she had a goodnight sleep yesterday or not. "What is it, Neji-niisan? You want her to stay with me tonight?" She asked, right to the point. Hanabi was a clever girl.

"Yes." Neji looked completely relieved that he didn't have to spit out the favor himself - good gracious that his cousin was clever enough to know that already. Or was it just luck? Heck, whatever it was, he felt relieved. "If she may."

Hanabi blinked her eyes and glanced at Tenten, then yawned, "Okay." After that, she threw herself to the bed and slept, ignoring both Neji and Tenten.

The weapon mistress looked at the futon lied on the floor, "Well, I guess I can sleep there, then..." She said to him, giving him a very small smile. "And before you go, Neji..."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you." Tenten smiled forcibly. She couldn't really understand why - Neji was just helping her to get out of his room, to sleep somewhere else so that they wouldn't sleep together in the same room, so that nothing will happen at all - he was just trying to be a gentleman, but here she was, feeling all lost, confused, and a bit regretful. Did she really want to sleep in the same room with him? No, of course not. It was forbidden, it was wrong. But still... "And sorry. I know I'm a bother to your late nights' routin-"

"You're not." He interjected. Being a genius, he suddenly knew what was happening, and why she was apologizing. It was not like her to apologize for something she never really did, but maybe on special occasions, she was just a normal girl after all. "It's just that..." He stopped mid sentence.

"Just what?" She asked attentively. "Don't worry. If you want to be honest, it's okay. You know it's not the first time I've been bothering you."

She didn't know that she was wrong. "Tenten." He took a deep breath and sent her a very, very thin smile before he pressed his covered forehead to hers. "You're not a bother, so don't think about it."

The weapon mistress gaped for a while, surprised of their closeness, but then she smiled. "Thank you."

"Hn." Neji hummed. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, too." She managed as she watched him walk away to his own room. Her next two words only lingered on her tongue.

Sweet dreams, Neji. Sleep tight.

With that, she turned back to Hanabi's room and closed the door behind her silently, not wanting to wake up the girl. Just to her surprise, as she turned her back to the door, she realized that the young Hyuuga was sitting on the bed, looking not at all sleepy.

"E-eh..." Tenten gulped inwardly, "Thank you..."

Hanabi grinned, "Don't be so awkward." She said, "I am not angry or mad or whatever. I think it's cute."

"Huh?" What's cute? "What?"

The younger girl smiled knowingly and tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear before she put her chin on her palm and gazed at Tenten knowingly again. "It's pretty obvious, but Neji-niisan is pretty dense, isn't he?" She asked, sighing as she slumped her back to the bed. "Guys are unbelievably dense. I haven't met one who isn't."

This time, Tenten really didn't know what she was talking about. Sure, Neji was dense, but hey... What did it have to do with her? Completely, utterly nothing. She wasn't even 'emotionally attached' to that Hyuuga prodigy. They were only teammates. Very, very close teammates. "Hanabi-san, I'm not sure I get what you are talking about..."

Hanabi blew her bangs and grinned, "I figure you don't." She said, feeling a little triumphant. It was not often when she got the chance to match make somebody. She did have her chance with her sister's lifelong crush, but the whiskery guy didn't come to the mansion that often. So maybe Neji-niisan and this teammate of his was her next victim? Nice. "I was saying," She began, another smirk appearing on her lips, "That Neji-niisan is dense. He's completely oblivious that you have feelings for him, now isn't he?"

Tenten knitted her eyebrows together, "Hanabi-san, you must have got the wrong girl." She said, sitting down on the futon, "I don't have any feelings for Neji. He's just a teammate."

"Well, whatever." The younger Hyuuga heiress rolled her eyes, "I don't really care whether he's your teammate, he's your boyfriend, or he's just some strangers, but I am going to assure you that if you don't have some feelings for him, you'll regret it."

"Why?" The weapon mistress couldn't stop herself from asking as she rolled herself in the blankets on the futon. It was the only natural thing to do at that time.

"Because," Hanabi replied, rolling to her stomach as she enveloped herself in her blanket. "He has feelings for you. And if you don't return it, I'm not really sure that you'll come out alive or not. I can't really imagine Neji-niisan in love, but when he does, I do think that he's pretty scary."

"He doesn't." Her room companion shook her head, "He thinks I am a bother even if he denies it."

"Oh, he doesn't think that way." Hanabi grinned mischievously. Gee, the relationship between her cousin and his teammate was pretty slow - they needed some push to get it started, and Hanabi was sure that she knew how to 'push' the girl. Not the boy, since he was a little too dense from the start. "Just because he doesn't want you in his room, it doesn't mean that you are a negative hindrance to him. It's quite the contrary."

Gee. Tenten smiled to herself, feeling like an idiot. What was she doing here? Was she really being lectured by someone years younger than her about love? Okay, so she knew she wasn't exactly fast on that department, and it might be so that she needed help, but she never imagine herself being helped by someone years younger than her. Especially just not Neji's cousin. The idea was so ridiculous that she might have been dead if she wasn't really right here, really being lectured by Hanabi, really being helped.

"Oh." So there she responded. "Okay."

Hanabi chuckled. This pair really needed her help - the two were too oblivious to be true. She slumped herself on the bed, cuddling her blankets to keep herself warm, "It's pretty obvious." She repeated pleasantly, though her white eyes shone dangerously, mischievously. She was obviously up to something.

"What's pretty obvious?" Tenten decided to ask, just to fill in for the silence. She shivered a bit, as she glanced closely at the Hyuuga, feeling more than just an idiot.

"He doesn't want to sleep with you..." Hanabi took a deep breath and smirked triumphantly, "... because he can't control himself."

The weapon mistress couldn't help but laugh at this. "Yeah, sure." She rolled her eyes sarcastically, "I am sorry, Hanabi-san, but for that I know, your cousin has a lot of self-control. Even more than mine times three. He's so damn controlled, I can guarantee you that. And we've been together in a team for like... seven years already, and until now I haven't seen him losing himself once. If I do, it'll be a blast."

"I'm sure." The smaller sister said, smiling, "However, Tenten-san... Is that your name?"

"Yes."

"If he does lose control one day later, promise me you'll tell me all about it." Hanabi laughed whole-heartedly, an evil look forming in her white, formerly innocent eyes, "My cousin's humiliation is my bliss, my pleasure. There will be nothing more entertaining than that."

At this, Tenten couldn't help but smirked. "I agree." She grinned mischievously, "Though I'm not really sure whether he really will lose control of not. After all, he's Neji."

"But apart from all that, he's still a normal guy, Tenten-san." Hanabi said, in her eyes a mysterious gleam Tenten didn't recognize partially because Neji and Hinata (the only Hyuugas she knew apart from Hanabi) didn't share the same gleam, partially also because Hanabi's eyes were whiter than Neji's or Hinata's that they almost looked blank. Almost being the keyword. "He has hormones."

"Dead ones." The weapon mistress couldn't help but interjected, though softly.

"Nope." Hanabi shook her head prettily, "Ones that work sooo well. Seriously, believe me."

"Ah." Tenten responded, not really knowing how else to reply to that. Hanabi was such a weird kid. She was so different than Hinata - when her sister was shy, she was outspoken; when her sister was easily embarrassed, she easily humiliated other people. They were practically two sides of the same coin.

Ironic.

With that, she slumped herself to bed and closed her eyes.

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End Notes

And that was very, very slow paced. Slow boiled. Too many emotions? I don't really know, but one thing for sure I know I babbled when I wrote chapter five (giggles). So anyway, review and keep the author happy! Smiles.

Thank you! I'm not giving up on this baby!! xD. And pretty much, I'm really sorry for the late updates. I'm just... busy. And lazy, you know xD. Anyways, thank you. Do you have any requests for the next chapter? You know, to inspire me. I'm not giving any guarantee that your request will be fulfilled, but anyways, thank you again.

Next Chapter: Chapter Six - Wind