The Girl With Two Buns. A NejiTen Fanfic

14

"Neji-sama." Tenten called. She waited for the 'come in' that Neji usually gave but it never came. "Neji-sama?" Tenten's brows creased with worry. He had been sleeping since noon yesterday and missed lunch and dinner altogether. What is wrong? "Neji?"

Tenten opened the paper door to Neji's room to the sight of Neji sleeping. "Ne-ji?" Tenten whispered as she crawled next to him, food forgotten at the doorway, and kneeled beside him. His breathing was heavy and his expression was pained, not the usual peaceful expression on people's faces when they sleep.

Tenten's hands trembled as she took his hand in hers. It can't be. Neji did not even stir. He was usually sensitive even in his sleep but here she was holding his hand freely. Two fingers pressed on his wrist to feel the pulse... And that was when Tenten realized.

Neji was ill.

Her breaths came in short huffs as everything began to click. All her observations that she dismissed began to make much sense to her. When she bathed him she observed that he could not lift the washcloth for too long before it slipped from his hand. She noticed that he was pale too but she dismissed it because the Hyugas were pale in general.

When she warmed up his shoes, clothes and bed she realized that she did the same for Anko but didn't put much thought to it. At the festival at Uzushio Neji became tired easily and his appetite in general was small. How could she not see all the red flags waving at her?

Tenten hiccupped as her tears choked her. It couldn't be, right? She was wrong, right? It was a passing illness just like the flu, right?

"Ten-ten?" Neji's lavender eyes opened. Once he saw the woman he had come to love so dearly sobbing, he knew that the gourd had broken: she found out faster than he gave her credit for.

"Why?" Tenten sobbed. "Why? Why? Why? Why?! Why me?" She looked at him with bleary chocolate eyes. "Tell me I am delusional and that you are not ill." She begged. "Please tell me."

"Tenten." Neji wanted to lie so much to her but she needed to know the truth. If she wanted to leave him afterward, he would be sad but she could find happiness in another man...another healthy man. "It is true. I am ill and I have only a few years to my age." Tenten broke into sobs and ran away from him.

It shattered Neji's heart that she was in tears, more so because he was the cause of it and could not stop it or comfort her.

Tenten was choking on tears. She almost ran into the food she dropped outside the door and some maidservants but she finally got to her room. She curled herself into a ball and wailed, ignoring Moegi's concerned calls and some other servants' beckoning. She knew she could never have Neji but she wished to grow old with him, marry him and have children with him.

She knew that royalty like Neji could never mix with low life like her. Even if he did marry her, it would be as a concubine and she didn't want that. She wanted to be his queen. However, karma was paying her back for being greedy and wishing for what she could not have. Why it decided to take Neji away forever was what she was angry for. She would switch places with him in a heartbeat if she could.

After hours of sobbing and wailing, Tenten came to a decision and stood up. She washed her face, adjusted her hair buns and straightened her kimono before stepping out of the room. She apologized to Moegi and the other servants that showed concern, then she went to the kitchen to request that another meal should be prepared for Neji before she went to his cambers.

"Neji-sama."

"Come in."

Tenten noticed that the tray of food she left outside his door was inside already but the food remained untouched. Neji sat up on his bed, looking at her with unsure eyes. Did she want to stop courting him? Does she want to quit her job altogether?