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"How is this supposed to be relaxing again?"
Tenten hears him exhale. "It's only relaxing if you do it properly."
"Then how do you do it properly?" Her legs are starting to cramp.
When she opens her eyes, Neji is levelling an unimpressed look at her. "We went over this for half an hour, Tenten."
She snorts. "Guess you're a shitty teacher then," she declares before laying on the grass and stretching, effectively giving up. It's a nice, quiet day and the cool air combined with the shade of the tree she's under make for perfect napping conditions. Training hadn't seemed appealing to her then and it most certainly doesn't now.
Neji rolls his eyes before closing them once more, apparently deciding she's a lost cause. It'd be rude if he wasn't completely right in that assumption. She'd only asked out of curiosity anyway.
How do you meditate? Why do you like to do it so much? What's the point of it?
Tenten hadn't actually expected him to show her.
She learns that it's not for her. She's too antsy, restless. Sitting still was never her forte, much less when she could be doing something else. And absolute focus only came to her when the subjects were weapons and targets. She's not built for these sort of activities.
The same can't be said for Neji though. Tenten cranes her head up slightly to take in the sight of him.
Neji meditating is the most relaxed she's ever seen him. His breathing is calm, controlled and his posture is drained of any rigidness. He doesn't smile, but doesn't frown either. Just... the blank expression of someone at peace. Everything about him just radiates an aura of serenity and honestly? It's nice to see him so unguarded every once in a while, considering that Neji is the type of person who is tense even when he's sleeping. Ready to wake with a weapon in hand and strike. Meditation is a good look on Neji, is what she's trying to say. Tenten only wishes she could be privy to the sight more often.
"You're staring," he says out of the blue, eyes still closed.
She lets out an amused breath. She's never surprised when he notices. Tenten goes back to laying flat on the ground. "It's a nice view," she shoots back effortlessly.
She smirks when she hears him snort. It's always fun to tease him. "You've ruined my focus."
"Hey, if I don't get to relax, you don't either."
She's pleasantly surprised to see his stance fade before he ultimately joins her, back flat on the grass and eyes towards the heavens.
"You look quite relaxed," he remarks passively.
She shrugs. Or, well, tries to considering she's on the ground. It's only mildly uncomfortable. "No thanks to you," she counters.
Tenten thinks he rolls his eyes again because there is a pause before he answers, sarcastic. "Apologies our methods of decompressing differ."
"Apology accepted, not everyone can appreciate the intricacies of laying down on dirt."
She smiles this time, when she gets a chuckle out of him and turns to meet his eyes. Scratch what she had said earlier, this is the most relaxed she's ever seen him.
Beautiful, lilac eyes stare at her, soft and vulnerable. A half-smile takes up his face, equal parts fond and exasperated. He holds his hands together on his stomach, grip loose. (She could probably reach out and take hold of one, if she were braver.) He's so pretty, she thinks, feeling her face turn pink. It's an image she wouldn't mind engraving in her memories forever.
"I should have known. Only you could ever understand the complexities behind it."
At his response, she lets out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. "Damn right," is the only thing she manages to come up with in her flustered state. It's short, but witty, still very Tenten.
There is silence then, natural and companionable, the kind one bathes in, revels in even. It's the silence that comes easiest to them, one neither ever feels the need to break.
This is a good day, she thinks before shutting her eyes and falling asleep to the sound of Neji breathing.