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Tenten paused long enough to drag in a single, burning breath. Sweat froze on her skin as she took in the surroundings. Lazy, white flakes drifted between the trees, blanketing them in pale coats, and golden tendrils of light sparkled through the semi-darkness. Dawn couldn't be more than a few minutes away.
"Come on, Tenten," Lee encouraged, jogging in place to keep his heart rate steady. "Let us finish strong!"
"How many miles are we running?" Tenten groused, pushing her exhausted muscles back into a jog. "I didn't sign up for a marathon."
If Lee heard the words, he chose to ignore them. Frosted grass crunched beneath their feet as they ran, undisturbed until their predawn passage. Tenten almost called out for a reprieve when she noticed Lee slowing down. The trail they'd been following became steep enough to climb, and he scrambled up like a goat. Tenten clambered up less gracefully.
"Look, we are just in time." Lee enthused, eyes on the horizon.
"In time for wh-" The sun peeked over the mountains, bathing the valley in a million shades of gold. Tenten momentarily forgot the soreness twisting through her body. "Wow," she breathed.
Lee didn't speak as the rich hue faded toward blue, pink, and purple. Tenten cut her eyes toward her teammate, wondering why he'd brought her here. Then, he sighed. "You have not been keeping up with your training regimen."
"I- what?" Tenten cast an incredulous stare at her teammate. "We just got back from war. I think we deserve a little break."
The mention of the war brought with it a flood of memories that Tenten shoved away. Wasn't it enough that they'd nearly lost Gai-sensei? They'd come home with Neji's body. Whatever they had been before leaving Konoha had died on the battlefield. She gulped a lungful of icy air to numb the surge of panic rising in her chest.
"I've spoken to Sakura," Lee said, continuing to look over the village. "She said that grief is different for each person." Shock prevented Tenten from responding so Lee continued. "You haven't been by the hospital to see Gai-senei. You haven't been training. You haven't-"
"We almost died," Tenten interrupted. "And we lost Neji, in case you'd forgotten."
Tenten turned away. She'd managed five steps when Lee spoke again. "Do you think this is what Neji would have wanted? You, refusing to live because he's gone?"
Voices from the waking village drifted upward, and Tenten focused on that. She couldn't find the words to argue with Lee. So much had changed in such a short time. If she could have gone back to the weeks leading up to the war and made certain-
"If you loved Neji, you should honor his memory by becoming the best shinobi you can be," Lee said, filling Tenten's silence. When she swiveled toward him in shock, the boy shrugged. "You two obviously cared for one another as more than friends."
The observation drove the air from Tenten's lungs. She and Neji had been so careful to hide their relationship because they feared that it would damage their team dynamic. Then, Neji died, and no one knew what Tenten lost. Lee's words lessened the crushing weight enough for Tenten to draw a breath. Her next words came out as a sob. "I miss him."
Saying the words aloud should have made Tenten feel better. They didn't. Nothing would change the fact that Neji wasn't coming back. She still looked for him, half expecting him to climb over the hill, complaining about Lee's pace. Or sidle up behind her, arms tight like nothing in the world could ever hurt her.
Lee caught Tenten when her knees gave way, pulling her into a bone crushing hug that kept her on her feet. He didn't speak or try to comfort her, he simply held her there until the sudden sobs spent themselves. Then, she pushed away with a frown. "Did you really know, or were you just guessing?"
"I knew," Lee admitted with a sad smile. "I promised him that I would look after you, in the event-"
"Thanks," Tenten said before Lee could finish. She didn't want to know the rest of it, not yet. "For caring, and for making me run with you today."
Lee's face brightened at the words. "Does that mean I can count you in for tomorrow as well?"
"Don't push your luck," Tenten laughed, wiping at her cheeks. Darkness lay ahead, but maybe there was just enough light to keep going.