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Neji turned to Tenten in surprise when she let out a soft, annoyed click of her tongue. She stood leaning against a tree, sharp eyes focused on the magazine she had opened on her lap, a kunai twirling idly on her finger. He let out a quiet inquiring hum, slowly letting his eyes slip shut again.
“Apparently, Pisces shouldn’t allow the their lover’s tiffs to linger. Her finger traced down the page, a scowl decorating her features. “Well, at least business propositions will go well for me today.”
Neji blinked his eyes open, staring at his usual pragmatic teammate. “You believe that garbage?” he asked, frowning slightly. He paused, reassessing what she had said. “You have a lover with whom to have a tiff?” he asked, a little offended that he had never met/heard of this individual. The two of them spent the majority of their time training, Tenten working toward her jounin exam and he attempting to help. He couldn’t imagine what time she found to get a lover much less enter a tiff with them.
“I’m sorry, Mr. I-almost-killed-my-cousin-because-I-believed-in-a-shitty-fate,” Tenten snapped, raising her eyebrows, entirely unimpressed at her teammate. “Is that hypocrisy I hear?” She waved her hand vaguely at the second point, eyes dropping back to the magazine, “No, my love luck in general is bad. When do you think I’ll find time to get a lover, Neji? I went home after dark and fell asleep in the tub yesterday,” she added, eyes flicking up then back down, a wry smile pulling her lips.
Neji blushed slightly at the admonishment and Tenten’s frankness, eyes skittering off his teammate and into the trees. “Yes well,” he said uncomfortably, shoulders hunching to his ears and his usually impeccable posture curling. “I don’t know,” he finally mumbled, deciding to let both topics drop.
Tenten clicked her tongue again, annoyance clear on her features. “When’s your birthday again?” she added, her thousand-yard stare fixing on him.
Hesitating, Neji warily searched her expression for some sort of trap. “July,” he said finally, “third.”
“Cancer,” Tenten mused, finger gliding down the page again and attention turned away. She suddenly snickered, forcing Neji’s attention, once again, from his meditation. “The crab,” she continued, still shaking her head, clear amusement on her face.
“What.” Neji resisted the urge to scowl, knowing that would most likely only encourage her teasing. He certainly didn’t know what the hell it meant that he was a cancer and that they were crabs. It wasn’t like
he
spent his time looking up this nonsense.
“The practical one, the shelled one. They tend to retreat when overwhelmed which also means that they can sometimes be quite moody. These folk are also tenacious, strong-willed, and like to get their way.” Tenten smiled, eyes lifting from the magazine to smile smugly at her teammate. “Remind you of anyone, oh moody one?” Rolling his eyes, Neji turned away, ignoring her teasing for now. “Tenacious and strong-willed.” Tenten hummed, a pensive note in her expression. “Well, considering that not being those things might have resulted in you dying by now, I’ll take the exchange,” she said cheerfully, shutting the magazine rather decisively.
Neji cracked his eye open again, glancing at his mercurial teammate cautiously. They rarely liked to discuss their actual close calls, the many that had occurred in their careers. He remembered she had been furious after the first Sasuke mission, angry that someone had exploited his blindspot and she had not been there to protect it. Angry that he had left without her. Angry that she was hurt by his action and he was hurt, period.
(In the same way, he remembered the first mission that went south for her, her first solo mission. She had limped back clutching a bloodstained scroll and her insides, barely making it to the hospital before collapsing unconscious in a steadily bleeding pile. He had been furious, at her, at the mission, even at the Hokage. Neither one of them, by silent but mutual agreement, had ever taken a solo mission again.)
Her expression was rather self-satisfied, clearly moving past the teasing but still glad to have
something
to hold over his head next time they fought. He relaxed, glad she wasn’t lingering on the more... unpleasant aspects of his tenaciousness. “What about you?” he finally asked, giving up on his meditation for the day.
“Easygoing and affectionate, a Pisces is a comfort to be around. Strong and vibrant, they are often in the company of many different personalities. Often dreamy and romantic, they can tend to be a little gullible and out of touch with reality. They often carry a lot of creative energies.” Tenten’s teeth flashed as she smiled, “Apt enough, don’t you think?”
“You’re about as gullible as a cynic,” Neji said with a roll of his eyes. “And the only reality I’ve ever seen you out of touch with is whether or not it’s feasible to carry around an illegal amount of weapons. For a hidden village,” he added, because her weapon capacity had long since exceeded any civilian capacity back even in their genin years.
Tenten smirked, extending a leg to nudge his knee, “you don’t think I’m romantic or creative?” she demanded, mock-anger in her voice. “I’ll have you know I’ve created tons of fun seals and jutsu.”
“I don’t doubt it,” he agreed amiably, remembering the research binges she would get lost in, emerging flushed with victory and dizzy from lack of food. “Your seal was so well balanced it made the research team cry that one time.” Now
that
was certainly a memory. He had never seen a group of elders just burst out sobbing while clutching a piece of paper like it held all the answers to the universe. Tenten and he had been rather....bemused.
“Besides,” she continued, her smile wicked, “you know Cancers and Pisces are
very
compatible since they’re both water signs.”
Neji almost choked on his own spit. “Tenten,” he finally sputtered, slapping her ankle and aiming rather vindictively at a tenketsu.
Yelping as her foot went numb, Tenten laughed and flopped at him ineffectively. “Relax! I’m only half teasing. We’re plenty compatible in the field and with sparring and all sorts of things. Don’t have to give it more meaning than you mean to.”
“Compared to Lee and Gai, I’d even be compatible with a literal rock,” Neji sniped back, but the hand he paused over her ankle gently pushed feeling back to the extremity. She wasn’t wrong either. Their styles complemented each other well. They could come up with plans in a single moment and communicate them a single glance. There was no one he would rather have his back in a fight than her.
Tenten grinned back, her expression wide and open with joy. Even without him saying she would understand. She always did.