World of Dreams 3

World of Dreams
Chapter 3

She wasn't really crying. Her eyes were just overly moist because everything in her body, from her nose to her mouth, seemed to be making more of its usual wet stuff. Not that she would have to be ashamed if she was crying. Who wouldn't, in her position? She was only twenty-years-old, and life as she knew it had ended. Her career as a ninja was over, and there was no way of knowing if she would ever get it back. She was pregnant, from an encounter with a friend who was quickly slipping away. Her life has been shattered just that morning, when the plus sign appeared on that test.

It had been a long time since she'd felt so alone. It was a state that she'd gotten used to over the years, and until now had mostly forgotten. After all, she had spent almost all her life alone. No one knew who her family was, or where she had come from. She had been found wandering the city after the Kyuubi attack, not even remembering her name.

She had been called TenTen, and given a place to live, just like every Konoha orphan. That was why she was perfect for the kunoichi missions or any higher ranked mission really. She had no family to worry about her, and the only people that would even notice if she never returned was her team. Invisible and detached. The perfect ninja. Until now.

Her hands shook slightly as she pulled the threadbare blanket tighter around her shoulders. The apartment buildings heater was broken again, and the land lord said it would be weeks before he could get the parts for it. Plus another rent hike to cover the cost. That would chip into her already depleted savings, and she still needed to buy Guy-sensei a birthday present. She wouldn't be moving out of her tiny, dingy one room apartment any time soon.

Not to mention all the stuff she would eventually need to buy for the baby. Diapers, bottles, clothing, a crib…the list just seemed to be piling up in her head, each item being weighed against her savings. She didn't have any way of replacing the money she would lose, either. Ninja missions were her only source of income, and that was gone now.

Of course, she could always ask Neji for help. The Hyuuga's were known for the wealth as well as their power, and there was no doubt that if she asked he would help. She couldn't do that, though. Neji had only been doing his job, and done what was necessary. She might be stuck with this, but he didn't have to be.

And it was better the further he was from it. Forward thinking as their village tried to be, there were many old timers that felt their traditions were validated by the fact they were still surviving. Among those traditions was the idea that children outside of a marriage was frowned upon. Any kunoichi that got pregnant from a mission simply hadn't been careful, and there was no help for her. TenTen had even heard of cases where the girl had been kicked out of her home, disowned by her family.

This wasn't an issue for her, of course. Konoha paid little attention to her, and she doubted that they would start now. A few might shake their heads, but mostly she would be left alone.

The famous father, however, was another story entirely.

Neji wasn't just a Hyuuga. He was the quintessential Hyuuga. He was the one his clan, the whole village, pointed to as an example of the strength of the Hyuuga. He was the youngest Jounin ever outside of a war, when things went faster, and he'd only ever lost one fight that anyone knew of. A hero of Konoha, with so much expected of him. If the village found out, his reputation could be destroyed, or worse, if his clan decided to make an example of him.

She couldn't ask him for money, and risk them finding out. The fact that he even wanted to come to her appointment the next day was a risk she couldn't understand him taking. He didn't have to be part of this, but there was no way to convince him of that if his moral compass said otherwise.

The knock on the door startled her, and she nearly spilt the mug of ginger tea she had made. It was put on the floor, next to the cushion she usually sat on, and she padded softly to the door. On the other side stood Rock Lee, a container in his hand a sheepish grin on his face. "I come bearing soup."

A small smile tugged at her lips, and she stepped aside to let Lee in. He kicked off his shoes and shivered slightly, frowning around at her shabby little apartment.  She knew Lee had never liked her apartment much, but it wasn't like the one he shared with his mother was much better. Although, it did have constant heat, at least. And hot water. Water at all that wasn't brown, actually.

Okay, so maybe it was a little better.

"Your soup is always welcome here." TenTen grinned at Lee as she kicked her second pillow over to her friend, and carefully sitting down on her own.

"Especially now?" There was no question in Lee's round eyes, and TenTen found herself unable to meet his gaze.

"You heard all that?"

"Guy-sensei and I have been training our hearing."

"You two are the only ones insane enough for that to actually work for."

If anyone else had said that, Lee probably would have conked them. As it was, he still glared at her with mild annoyance. He really hated it when anyone called Guy-sensei insane. "Are you going to tell me how this happened? I do not think you confessed your feelings…"

"I do not have feelings for Neji!" If she didn't want her ginger tea so much, she probably would have thrown it at him. Lee had gotten it into his head just after their first chuunin exam that TenTen had romantic feelings for Neji, and he had made it his mission to ensure they would 'be expressed with the full passion of their youth'. All reason was lost on him. "We've been friends since the Academy, that's all, I've told you."

"And you can see how much I still believe you."

TenTen scowled at him, trying to stretch her foot across the distance to kick him. Lee dodged easily, and forced the cup of soup into her hand at the same time. "You will need all your strength."

"I'm not going to tell you how it happened." She wasn't sulking, just almost, as she removed the lid. Miso and tofu. Not her favorite, but bland enough she could probably keep it down. "Anyway, there isn't much to tell. Things got tricky on a mission, stuff happened, I was stupid about it. End of story."

"What do you intend to do now?" Lee leaned forward, hands around his ankles. "I will help you anyway I can, and I am sure that Guy-sensei and Neji will also."

"That's a nice offer, but I'm fine."

Lee didn't look convinced, and TenTen didn't blame him. She may have been friends with Neji for longer, but Lee had a way of reading her better. Maybe it was because he understood her. They had both struggled in school, and were expected to fail, and had similar temperaments. She never had to explain anything to her overly enthusiastic teammate, and couldn't lie to him either.

"Where are you going to put it?"

"I don't know."

"How will you feed it?"

"The usual way."

"What will you eat, then?"

"Whatever I can find, like I usually do."

"That won't be good enough."

"It'll have to be."

The dirty look Lee gave her made it clear that he didn't appreciate her attitude, and her reflexive smile didn't help. "Why are you unable to accept a little help? Neji, at least, should be partly responsible."

"He's not going to do anything. And you are not going to make him." She took a sip of the soup, letting the warmth slide down her throat. "Besides, I don't even know if I'll keep it. Maybe I'll give it up for adoption."

"Because there's a lot of that going on in this village."

"That was surprisingly bitter of you." TenTen couldn't help smiling again as she reached across the space between them, and gave Lee's hand a squeeze.

"I do not like to see you suffering." Lee shook his head, and refused to release her hand. "Especially when you will not allow me to help you."

"Not really all that much you can do."

"You are frightened of children."

It was stated so matter –of-factly, that TenTen couldn't help laughing out loud. It wasn't that she was afraid of children so much as she didn't know what to do with them. Neither did the rest of Team Guy, when it came right down to it. Their one and only babysitting mission had resulted in the collapsing of a few buildings at the Inuzuka house, and her nearly in tears as a few of the brats tied her up. She had begged Sandaime never to send them babysitting again, and the note had been passed on to Tsunade. At least, that was the theory. "I'll manage."

Getting up on his knees, Lee leaned forward and kissed forehead gently. "You will not be alone. I swear to that."

It was useless to protest anymore; he obviously wasn't going to listen. "I appreciate that, Lee. We will work this out."

Finally satisfied, he nodded and sat back down. "Would you like me to accompany you to your next visit to the doctor?"

"Actually," she shook her head, pushing back the hair that came loose from her usual buns, "Neji is coming. He's curious, I guess."

Lee didn't look surprised, and for some reason that annoyed her, so she kicked him again. All this did was make him grin at her as she rubbed her toes where they had hit his weights. "The next nine months should be exciting."

"Technically, it's only about six months left."

"We need to get started then! What do you think of a youthful green for the baby's things?"

"How about no."