Virtue (Temari, Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Tenten) SLOW UPDATES

Heaven - Heaven 8

PART ONE: TENTEN

HEAVEN - HEAVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

Neji dreamt a dream. In it he was the happiest man in the world for the woman he loved gave yield to his courting and accepted his hand in marriage. Alas, it was but a dream. Despite having smiled in his sleep and made merry he awoke to realize that everything was naught.

After her discovery Tenten refused to give him audience, much less see him. She had stopped coming to the farm after that day too. His mind was wrought with worry for her and for how he was going to gain her forgiveness. Surely she must have felt betrayed by his decision to keep his identity secret and felt like he was only toying with her for the time being.

Neji was not toying with her, neither was he playing around. The hardworking widow on his farm had long captured his heart, even for doing things women ought not to do alone.

The man could not find it in himself to enjoy his feast. None of the dancers appeased him and the music was but noise in his ears. He could not keep up with conversations with his guests either. Wine was the only thing that went pleasantly well with him so he drank till he was giddy. The dancer on the stage left after the music ended with a bow. The feast hall erupted in applauses save for his. He was far too compelled by the next dancer that stumbled in to clap for the former.

She was wearing a veil that covered her face from her nose downwards but everything else about her resembled the features of his beloved; her deep maroon eyes and chestnut hair. The others were talking about her inferior attire, Neji cared not for when this woman started dancing, he swore the heavens opened behind him. Goodness, he had gone and gotten himself drunk to the extent that he was hallucinating Tenten.

Neji's eyes could not leave the woman on stage as she moved with the grace of a gazelle. Though it was apparent that she was an amateur, her beauty and confident aura made up for her lack of skill. Her last sultry gaze at him had him sold. Alcohol influence or not, he had to talk to her. So he invited her to his table and made her sit by him.

The night went by like a dream and morning came with the sun casting its warm glow upon the land. Neji sat up on his bed groggily. His head pulsed from the after effects of the wine he drank and the flood of memories rushing into it. When a certain woman came to him he groaned. He had dreamt, in alcoholic bliss, that Tenten came to the feast and lay beside him.

A scream almost left his lips when, upon looking around, he saw a stranger on his bed. If his memories served him right, he had mistaken a dancer to be Tenten. A disgusted gasp tore from his throat when he looked down at himself and found that he was in his undergarments. Goodness. Had he...?! Had he gone in into her thinking it was his beloved?!

"Be quiet Neji, it is still very early in the morning." The woman's muffled murmur almost had Neji jumping if not for his ability to remain calm despite the situation.

"Rise up this instant. Who are you and what are you doing in my bed?" He questioned the woman. There was no way he could have made such a grave mistake otherwise his years of celibacy would have been for nothing.

The figure on his bed did not do as he said however. Instead the irritated click of a tongue rang clear in the enclosed space, much to Neji's astonishment. "I have the opportunity to rest for the first time in years only be queried first thing in the morning." The woman mumbled as she sat up from her laying position, revealing her face to him.

Neji vaguely knew that he must resemble a frog with how seriously he gaped but he couldn't help it. Not when the one that occupied his dreams was right in front of him. "T-Tenten." He gasped softly.

"You look like you're seeing a ghost." The woman deadpanned. It was definitely his Tenten. But how?

"How? Are you real? Am I still dreaming?" Neji yelped in surprise when she suddenly pulled his cheeks apart.

"You are not dreaming, you silly man. I am just as real as you are-"

Tenten didn't get to say all she wanted for she was cut short by a warm, tight hug. It caught her by surprise at first but she soon wrapped her arms around Neji, burying her head in his chest. "Oh Tenten how I missed you!" The man exclaimed softly.

"I missed you too Neji. Now let me go, you reek of strong wine."

Neji released her with an embarrassed sorry and Tenten laughed. He missed her smile a lot, he thought. "So you were the dancer all along!" Neji gasped upon realization. Tenten instantly blushed red.

"What dancer?" The woman denied but her darting eyes betrayed her oblivious act. Neji didn't press further though, because there were important things to talk about. Now that Tenten was here in front of him he did not want to miss the chance he had to have her forever by his side. Neji held Tenten's calloused hands in his and lifted her gaze to face him.

"Tenten I deeply regret all I have done to you up till now. Please know that I did not intend to hide myself from you, it was just that for the first time a woman treated me normally and not as a wealthy nobleman. Aside from that you did not hesitate to talk sense into me when you felt I was slacking off despite my superiority over you as a man. Your confidence was what I first fell in love with about you.

You believed not that women ought to be mere housekeepers and acted upon it, taking upon the responsibilities of your late husband when other women would have given up. Not only are you confident, you also have a good sense of humour and great knowledge. You're smart, hardworking and brave—!" Neji was interrupted by a blushing Tenten.

"Oi oi, why are you not saying that I'm beautiful huh? You're saying I'm not, is that what you're saying?" She joked and Neji threw his head back and laughed.

"Not in the slightest! You are very beautiful, my darling, an angel sent to me from the heavens. I swear I never intended to play with your emotions. I sincerely want to court you and, if you allow it, have you as my first and only wife, my supporter and assistant. I would certainly be the happiest man in the Fire Nation if you would honour my request."

Tenten looked into Neji's lilac eyes which were glistening with a plethora of emotions. In them there were all the unsaid feelings he had for her and Tenten felt like she could succumb to them. She knew she would be safe, trusted and treasured from them and she decided to trust what she saw, the man before her.

Tenten squeezed Neji's hands softly and gave him a blissful, heartwarming smile. "Yes Neji, I would."

Ah yes, Neji really was the happiest man in the Fire Nation.

***

And we're finally done with Heaven - Heaven! Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you enjoyed it! See you in the next part.

-Star.