He felt so many emotions when she was near, that he often began to wonder if maybe he was emotionally handicapped or something. There were so many of them at the same time; it was overwhelming.

Breathless. Her smile left him practically gasping for air. It was the way she smiled at him. Her cinnamon brown eyes sparkled and shone with a purity and happiness that he found so unbelievably beautiful.

Hot. The way her body glistened with sweat during training sent this electrifying heat through his body. There were times where the only thing he wanted to do was kiss her senseless or push her down on a bed and make her scream his name in complete ecstasy.

Protective. He always kept a wary eye on any man who stood close to her or whose eyes lingered on her luscious figure a bit too long for his liking. Lee did it too but in more of a brotherly fashion. Neji's reason was completely different.

Entranced. Her hips had this swing to them that he was sure no other girl could pull off with such grace and ease. His eyes were simply drawn to her, and he found it oddly difficult to pull them away from her.

Strong. He was filled with an immediate source of strength when she smiled encouragingly at him and when he saw her standing there beside him, like he was invincible and could conquer the world. And he would….for her.

Scared. A cold fear filled him when she had to go on a mission that didn't involve him. He wanted to be there to protect her, to watch over her and keep her out of harm's way. It was a constant emotion for him, seeing that the two were ninjas.

All these emotions built up into one big one: vulnerable. He was vulnerable to all the pain and worry that came along with being in love.

It was an alien feeling to him, to feel so dependent on someone. He fought to maintain a calm, collected exterior, but she always managed to bring out the softer side of him. The only problem was she didn't know the affect she had on him.

He often told himself that he would remain silent and live with it, but he craved her touch and ached for her presence every moment of the day. He hated to feel so vulnerable.

He'd heard from countless others that Tenten had felt the same as he, but she didn't seem to fall prey to the vulnerability as he had. She was completely collected, never once faltering in his presence like he had done in hers. Among his list of emotions was a new one: doubt.

The pain that ricocheted through his chest was intense and sharp, and he ground his teeth together.

"Hang in there, Neji," a soft feminine voice stated, and he peered up through hazy eyes.

He could make out the bright pink hair anywhere, and he felt gentle hands press onto his chest. The pain got worse in that split second, coming in excruciating waves. As his eyesight began to fade to black, his thoughts turned to the kunoichi he had been thinking of earlier. Tenten…..

Tenten sprinted down the hall of the hospital as fast as she could. She'd heard that the mission Neji, Naruto, Lee, and Shikamaru had been on had gone wrong and immediately raced over.

Her throat had closed up with fear, and she found it hard to breathe. The knot of panic in her stomach grew tighter, and she ran even faster when she saw Lee, Hinata, and Sakura.

Lee's arm was bandaged and he had several cuts and bruises, but other than that he looked perfectly fine. Hinata was listening intently to whatever Sakura was saying, but Tenten's arrival interrupted the conversation.

"Neji," she gasped. "How is he?"

Sakura smiled softly. "He's fine."

A wave of relief washed over Tenten, and Lee caught her when her legs gave out. He helped her to the leather seat that Hinata sat upon, and she dropped down on it heavily. Then, she let out a large, shaky breath.

Hinata rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, and let out a soft laugh. "You should have seen me. I practically strangled Naruto when I saw him."

Tears were swimming in the woman's lavender eyes, and Tenten realized that she had been just as terrified for the life of her boyfriend as she had for Neji. Now, all the energy she had felt when she ran over here seemed to evaporate, leaving her exhausted.

"They're all okay," Sakura continued with gentle eyes. "Lee here was practically carrying all of them in. Neji got a stab wound to the chest. It was pretty large, but we managed to save him in time."

What if they hadn't saved him in time? The question sent a chill down her spine, and she pushed the horrible thought from her mind.

"You can go see him now," Sakura said after a few minutes, and Tenten immediately rose.

She began to walk forward slowly, anticipation growing in the pit of her stomach, but stopped when she saw that Lee and Hinata were not following her.

"Aren't you guys coming?" she asked, and the pair shook their heads.

"No," Hinata replied softly. "You go ahead."

Tenten nodded and continued. As she neared his room, she felt her fear take over. How badly was he hurt? She feared the results. Sakura had gone on to say the cut had been quite long and deep, and they'd nearly lost him for a moment.

After a couple deep breaths to calm herself, she pushed open the door with a quivering hand. He wasn't awake, eyelids closed and concealing his pale lavender eyes. His dark hair was splayed out across the white pillow, and his face had numerous cuts and scrapes.

The first thing she noticed was the white bandage wrapped from his left shoulder and across his chest to just a few inches above his right hip. It had been bad.

She simply stared at the white bandage for a few moments with wide eyes and then let out a breath. Her hand trailed along his brow, down his perfect cheekbones, and across his strong jaw.

The Hyuuga, unbeknownst to the young woman, was actually feigning sleep and held his breath as her lithe fingers traveled along his face. Her touch left a burning trail, and he suppressed a shudder. His mouth felt dry, and he cracked open an eye.

Her gaze was on his chest, her hand resting on it so lightly he couldn't feel it. The look on her face was one he would never forget. Soft, sad, and pained. It looked so eerily beautiful.

He shut his eyes once more, enjoying the way her hand warmed the area over his heart. Then, it was suddenly gone, and he opened his eyes to watch her retreating form.

The room felt suddenly cold without her, and he inhaled deeply. He needed her so bad right now.

Tenten walked home in a daze that night. After she'd left Neji's room four hours ago, she wandered all over Konoha. Seeing Neji like that scared the shit out of her. Her mind had been full of so many what ifs. What if Lee had arrived a second later? What if Sakura had gotten sidetracked in the hall? What if the kunai had pierced his heart?

She slipped off her shoes and made her way to her bedroom. There was someone else here. She whipped out a kunai and squinted into the darkness.

Neji stepped out of the shadows, the moonlight illuminating him in a silvery glow. She let the kunai fall and inhaled sharply. Why was she so scared to see him all of a sudden?

Then, to her humiliation, she broke down into a fit of tears. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. Never before had he seen her cry. The way her hands covered her face and her shoulders shook made her look so small, so vulnerable.

In two long strides, he was at her side and gathering her small frame into his strong arms. His chin rested on the top of her head, and she buried her face into his chest. Tears tumbled down her cheeks, steady and unyielding. His own heart felt as if someone had reached into his chest and squeezed it with a strong hand.

Every part of her molded perfectly into his body, and he tightened his hold on her. He never wanted to let her go, never wanted to see her cry again.

"You stupid asshole," she said angrily, pulling back after a while. "You could have died. What were you thinking? Were you even paying attention to the fight?"

"No," he remarked easily. "Because I was too busy thinking about you."

She blinked. "Great now you're trying to make me feel guilty." Though she said the words angrily, they were spoken more softly, and her eyes brightened.

No longer able to restrain himself, he leaned down and captured her lips with his. She responded immediately, parting her lips and allowing his tongue to venture into her mouth.

She tasted sweet, like sugar, and he immediately became addicted. His hand slid beneath the back of her shirt and traced her spine. A shudder wracked her body, and the room suddenly became hot, unbearably hot.

She reached for the hem of his loose fitting shirt with shaking hands, and he rested his large ones over them.

"If you're not ready, we can stop right here," he said softly, resting his forehead against hers.

She was overcome with emotion at his compassionate tone and struggled to regain her voice. "I've been ready for a long time, Neji," she whispered.

His eyes held hers for a long moment before allowing her to raise his shirt over his head. Kami, he was built like a god. The definition of his abs was so unbelievably amazing, and his shoulders and chest looked so strong.

After the garment was tossed aside, the two were suddenly stuck together like glue, lips hot and lustful. Sometime during the frenzied kissing, Tenten's shirt had been thrown off, and Neji's lips assaulted her bare shoulders.

He nibbled and sucked gently on the exposed flesh, marking his territory with numerous love bites. She leaned her head back to allow him more access, and he hit the sweet spot behind her ear. She moaned and felt her knees go weak, and he let his hands travel down her back and grip her bottom tightly. Swiftly and easily, he lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist.

The knot in her stomach tightened and she released a groan when she felt Neji's erection against her core. He dumped her in the bed, and the two resumed their feverish kissing. Tenten's heart beat quickened even more when he began to pull her pants down.

Her body was breathtaking, curving in all the right places, and her stomach was so wonderfully flat. Damn, he should have gotten hurt sooner.

He planted an open mouthed kiss on the firm, soft skin just above her underwear, and a hot tingle shot through her. She arched her back up as he dragged his tongue up her stomach to the valley of her breasts.

In one swift motion, he unhooked her bra, and she blushed crimson and covered her chest with one arm. He caught her arm and pulled it away and kissed her palm.

"You're beautiful," he said gently, and she relaxed slightly.

She had no time to wallow in her embarrassment, though, because Neji captured one of her pert nipples in his mouth and began to kneed the other gently.

The moan that escaped her lips was deep and throaty, and he found himself getting even more aroused at the sound. Her back arched so far, she was surprised she could even bend that much, but the sensations were so incredibly wonderful.

After she gained some confidence, she wrapped her legs around his and switched their positions so she was on top. She slid his pants off at a snail's pace, and he smirked to show that he was in complete control of his feelings. Two could play that game.

She threw his pants across the room and straddled his waist, grinding into him. He hissed and fisted the bed sheets tightly. She leaned forward to plant featherlight kisses along his chest, and he took this opportunity to undo her twin buns. Luxurious brown waves fell like a curtain around him, tickling his chest as she fondled his nipples with her tongue.

He groaned and let his head sink back into the pillow, feeling himself grow harder. His head snapped up, however, when she began to rub her core against his stiff member. She was grinning evilly, the lustful and wild glint in her eye driving him over the edge. Soon, the both of them were panting and moaning loudly.

Her eyes were closed and her pink lips parted as she panted. She was so close, teetering on the edge and steadily getting closer to her first orgasm….Neji suddenly flipped her over, and she groaned in protest. Her clit was throbbing almost painfully now.

"Neji," she panted out. "I need you now."

He responded by slipping off his boxers and pulling down her red underwear. The sight of her most sacred jewel made him realize just how much she trusted him and how strong his feelings were. He positioned himself at her entrance and glanced up at her once more. She nodded, and he entered her slowly.

His body froze when he heard her whimper, and he struggled not to just pound into her. She was just so tight.

Her face was scrunched up in pain, and he immediately began to have second thoughts.

"Ten, I can stop if you want me to," he said into her ear, and she shook her head.

"No," she said with teary eyes. "I'll adjust."

He still looked a bit uncertain but continued on. Her whimpers were replaced by moans and cries of pleasure, and he responded immediately to her requests of faster and deeper. The pleasure rolled off them in waves, and they were panting in a short amount of time. Her hips rocked with his, and they began their hot and heavy kissing again.

The pleasure was mind blowing, and Neji went in as deep as possible with each thrust. Finally, her walls tightened around his member, and she sang out his name in the ultimate cry of passion. He followed soon after.

He collapsed beside her, winding his arms around her waist and burying his face in the crook of her neck. Their breaths combined as one, and their chests rose and fell in unison.

"Whoa," Tenten breathed out, and Neji could only nod.

She felt so perfect nestled in the cage of his arms, and she let her body sag against his. All this had been more perfect than she could have ever imagined it. Neji lifted his head from her neck and gazed at the brunette beauty. Their eyes locked, and she swooped down to steal another kiss from her.

This time, when he felt all those emotions overtake him, vulnerable wasn't one of them.

A/N: Yay! I'm done with my first lemon! Tell me what you think.