Is This... Do I Like You? III Nejiten Fanfic

Chapter Eight: "Glad to know you think I'm so amazing."

Neji's POV:

A rather long string of curses exploded from my mouth as soon as I heard Tenten's deep breaths, meaning she was asleep. Taking long, shaky breaths, I tried my best to calm the rapid beating of my heart.

Tenten. She was the cause of me being on the edge of loosing my sanity. I was loosing my mind over her. My hand was burning from where she had held it.

I shook my head in attempts to straighten out my thoughts. It seemed to work, since my heart beat and breathing rate returned to normal. My gaze fell upon Tenten's sleeping figure.

Soup.

Yeah, I should make her some chicken noodle soup. That's what Hinata-sama does for me when I'm sick. And a cold washcloth for her forehead. Right.

I quickly stood up from my chair, determination clear on my face as I did so. I took quick steps towards the door, but paused once my hand landed on the doorknob. Taking one last glance at the brown haired teen, I left and made my way to the kitchen.

As I entered the kitchen all activity stopped. Maids stopped cleaning. Cooks stopped their preparations. And it fell silent. It's not like this kind of reaction wasn't expected. I rarely stepped foot in the rather large kitchen in the Hyūga mansion.

My gaze traveled over the kitchen. Various ovens lined the walls while stove top-like stations were placed in the middle of the room. A large walk in pantry door also lined the wall. A large sink filled with dishes sat beside it.

After about a minute I looked over the kitchen staff and took in their sighs. Holding back my sigh, I raised a brow at them. "Is there something on my face?" I asked loudly. Immediately, each gaze on me retreated and action in kitchen returned.

I was about to walk up to one of the chefs when a maid approached me. Areni. Her short black hair swayed as she bowed to me before returning to her usual pose. Her hands were politely folded over her maid gown. It was quite traditional. White and black. Nothing special. Long sleeves and a long skirt.

She looked up with bashful looking bright blue eyes. A small tint of pink on her cheeks as she did so. I inwardly sighed in annoyance. Most of the maids in the Hyūga mansion had a "crush" on me. No, none of them asked me out. I only knew because most would be rather shy around me, or rather flirty. I ignored both behaviors.

"I need to make chicken soup." I told her, authority ringing in my voice. Once again, all movement in the kitchen froze. I was relieved when no gaze fell upon me, except for Areni's. "Areni." I said.

She snapped put of her daze and bowed her head to me. "Gomen." She said, looking back up at me as movement resumed around us. "I'll have some made from scratch and sent to your room right away, Neji-sama."

"Neji-sama!"

"I would never stop fighting for you. Even when I become your queen."

I hushed the echoing voice of Tenten from my dream and forced myself to pay attention to the present moment. "I mean, I need to make it." I deadpanned. This time I was surprised to find the movement and noice from the kitchen staff didn't pause. It seemed only to slow.

"N-n-nani?" She stuttered. Her blue eyes boggling out of her head.

I raised a brow at her. "Is there a problem with that?"

"N-no! Not at all!" She said, moving her hands out of their polite folded position to gesture around her wildly. She let her hands drop back. "I just wasn't expecting that kind of request."

"I see." I said after a few moments. We stood there for a moment, me looking down at her expectantly. Her not meeting my gaze. Finally she looked up and read the look on my face.

She gasped, her soft voice sounding rather polite as she did so. "Oh! Yes, of course. I shall..." She paused looking for the right word. "...help. You...?" She asked, shrinking a little and blushing in embarrassment. I nodded and we made our way over to the closest open stove.

Making chicken noodle soup from scratch is not a simple task. I don't know how Hinata ever managed without the help of the maids. I made many, many errors. I spilled broth, dropped noodles. I even managed to set a small piece of cut chicken on fire. Dont ask.

By the time I made it back up to Tenten's room with the soup and tea I ended up making. She was sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes. I froze in her doorway and my heartbeat slowed as she looked at me. Her buns were falling out. She didn't seem to notice.

She looked up to me and blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. I waited for her response as she took in the tray with steaming hot soup and tea. Two cups. Two bowls of soup.

Her expression went from tired to a smug kind of confusion. "Looking at something, Hyūga?" The brief fight against the heat rushing to my face was completely in vain. I blushed and hoped that it wasn't visible in the dim lighting of the room.

Instead I scoffed. "You wish." She released a faint chuckle as I walked to the nightstand beside her bed. "Don't get cocky, Hyūga." I rolled my eyes at her and handed her the steaming soup.

Tenten fake gasped, "For me? I thought both of them were for you!" She pointed them spoon at me with a playful glint in her eyes and used it to gesture at my figure. "Because your figure is so-"

"I'm warning you, Kunai." I growled at her in the same playful, yet upset tone. She laughed it off and dunked the spoon into the piping hot soup. She blew on it, and blew on it again, before putting it in her mouth.

I slowly brought my own spoonful of soup up to my mouth as I watched her swallow down the soup. Tenten sighed and closed her eyes. Opening them again, she brought her stunning brown eyes my way.

"This," she paused for dramatic affect, "Is heavenly." My pale eyes widened at her statement, and I had to keep my jaw from dropping. She gave me a small smile, "Tell your cooks that they are simply amazing."

I covered up my shock with a look I hoped came off as smug and confident. "Glad to know you think I'm so amazing." As my words sunk in I watched her face mold into a look of utter shock.

Her eyes boggled out of her head and she pointed her spoon at my sitting figure once more. "YOU??" I chuckled as she rambled on about how she didn't think I had made the soup and that she didn't think I was amazing.

Tenten saw my laughing and simply sighed. I stopped chuckling and handed her one of the cups of hot tea. "Here, drink this. It will help." I told her. She gave me a suspicious look and took it from me with one hand after dropping the spoon in her bowl of soup. Drinking it, she handed it back to me.

We ate the rest of our soup in silence.

As I was walking out with our empty dishes on the tray I had originally used, she called for me before I walked out. Turning my head in her direction, she took it as a sign to start talking.

"Hey Neji. Thanks."

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Hey guys!

Omg it took forever to come out with this chapter! I'm so sorry! Ehhhhhh...

But, here it is!

I know it's short and pretty boring, but things will get much more interesting soon! Promise!

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Chow!

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