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... how did I end up Temari's maid of honor?
[Private]
He asked me to do it for him, that's how.
I was minding my own business, hanging lanterns and trying not to ignore the fact that I gained at least five pounds in the last two days. I suppose all that ice cream wasn't good for me. (Note to self: Laps later.) To complicate matters, I'd met Temari on the way to the market yesterday (Note to self again: If you stop buying the ice cream, you won't eat it). She was acting very strangely. And I mean very. She spent most of the time trying to convince me that I wasn't really happy for her and Neji.
That's ridiculous, though. I couldn't be happier. "I care about Neji -- and all of my other friends -- very much," I said, hoping that the ice cream wouldn't melt. "His happiness means a lot to me. If he's happy, I'm happy."
She gave me a look. I know that look. It's the one I give myself in the mirror every day. It was the you're full of it look, and I wanted to smack it right off her face. I don't think Neji would have appreciated that, though, so I made pleasantries and bid her goodbye.
And the ice cream was melted.
Damn.
Anyway, back to today. I was hanging up lanterns when I felt something strange. I turned my head to the the left and there they were, walking toward me. I nearly fell off the ladder. She called him darling. He smiled.
Something that felt a lot like a block of concrete dropped in my stomach.
I'm happy, I said to myself. I'm happy.
"Hello, Tenten," he said.
I smiled. Brightly. Blindingly. Gai-sensei would have been proud. "Neji," I said. "Temari."
The three of us talked for a moment -- I don't even remember what was said, to be honest -- and then Temari walked off to buy whatever is it engaged people shop for. I watched her leave, hoping that maybe Neji would follow her. No such luck, though.
"Are you happy... with this situation?" he asked, suddenly. He gestured vaguely.
It took me a moment before I realized that he wasn't talking about hanging lanterns. "Why wouldn't I be?" I asked, smiling. My mouth was starting to hurt from all of the smiling.
He looked at me with a queer expression. I couldn't quite place it. "You are usually not this cheery."
"There really isn't anything to be unhappy about, is there? If you're happy, then I'm happy for you." The question hung in the air between us. Don't do it, Tenten. Don't do it. "Are you happy?"
Note to self, three: YOU ARE AN IDIOT.
It's an opening, I told Neji telepathically. Take it. Please take it.
There was a pause. "Yes. I am."
"Then that's all that matters," I said, reaching for another lantern. It was taking a large effort to still be smiling. It was taking a rather large effort to still be breathing.
Everything after that was a blur. I know that Temari asked me to be her maid of honor and I couldn't say no, only because Neji asked me to do it for him.
Do it for him.
I laid the kimono out on the bed when I was finally able to escape Neji and Temari. It was really quite beautiful. Do it for him.
As if that wasn't what I've been doing all along.
[Private]
[Private]
He asked me to do it for him, that's how.
I was minding my own business, hanging lanterns and trying not to ignore the fact that I gained at least five pounds in the last two days. I suppose all that ice cream wasn't good for me. (Note to self: Laps later.) To complicate matters, I'd met Temari on the way to the market yesterday (Note to self again: If you stop buying the ice cream, you won't eat it). She was acting very strangely. And I mean very. She spent most of the time trying to convince me that I wasn't really happy for her and Neji.
That's ridiculous, though. I couldn't be happier. "I care about Neji -- and all of my other friends -- very much," I said, hoping that the ice cream wouldn't melt. "His happiness means a lot to me. If he's happy, I'm happy."
She gave me a look. I know that look. It's the one I give myself in the mirror every day. It was the you're full of it look, and I wanted to smack it right off her face. I don't think Neji would have appreciated that, though, so I made pleasantries and bid her goodbye.
And the ice cream was melted.
Damn.
Anyway, back to today. I was hanging up lanterns when I felt something strange. I turned my head to the the left and there they were, walking toward me. I nearly fell off the ladder. She called him darling. He smiled.
Something that felt a lot like a block of concrete dropped in my stomach.
I'm happy, I said to myself. I'm happy.
"Hello, Tenten," he said.
I smiled. Brightly. Blindingly. Gai-sensei would have been proud. "Neji," I said. "Temari."
The three of us talked for a moment -- I don't even remember what was said, to be honest -- and then Temari walked off to buy whatever is it engaged people shop for. I watched her leave, hoping that maybe Neji would follow her. No such luck, though.
"Are you happy... with this situation?" he asked, suddenly. He gestured vaguely.
It took me a moment before I realized that he wasn't talking about hanging lanterns. "Why wouldn't I be?" I asked, smiling. My mouth was starting to hurt from all of the smiling.
He looked at me with a queer expression. I couldn't quite place it. "You are usually not this cheery."
"There really isn't anything to be unhappy about, is there? If you're happy, then I'm happy for you." The question hung in the air between us. Don't do it, Tenten. Don't do it. "Are you happy?"
Note to self, three: YOU ARE AN IDIOT.
It's an opening, I told Neji telepathically. Take it. Please take it.
There was a pause. "Yes. I am."
"Then that's all that matters," I said, reaching for another lantern. It was taking a large effort to still be smiling. It was taking a rather large effort to still be breathing.
Everything after that was a blur. I know that Temari asked me to be her maid of honor and I couldn't say no, only because Neji asked me to do it for him.
Do it for him.
I laid the kimono out on the bed when I was finally able to escape Neji and Temari. It was really quite beautiful. Do it for him.
As if that wasn't what I've been doing all along.
[Private]