Strength of Will

[endless_scrolls]

Title: Strength of Will
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: AU!Crossover
Character(s): Tenten, Uzumaki Naruto, Alfred F. Jones; brief mentions of Samuel 'Cannonball' Guthrie, Christopher 'King Bedlam' Aaronson, Charles 'Professor X' Xavier
Pairing(s): Naruto/Alfred, hints of Naruto/Tenten if you squint
Warning(s): Implications of Yaoi couplings
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: Written as a request from usedgust. Based on the events of xi_rpg
Dedicated to: ...usedgust, obviously. ♥

Despite all of the damage they had suffered and all the dangers that were involved with the last mission, she was still rather amazed that, of all things, the glasses managed to survive as well. Although, truth be told, they were in far better condition than all of them combined. How that was possible, Tenten wasn't exactly sure, but she assumed it had something to do with combating against his own powers. After all, given his superhuman strength, it was a safe bet to say that he would go through a dozen pairs in a day if they weren't reinforced against high pressure; expensive pairs that no one could really afford to replace day in and day out, let alone college students. And Alfred was blind as a bat without them. He'd be no good to the team that way.

Not that he was good to anyone in this state either, the young woman was quick to point out, glancing at the still body of a man in the hospital bed beside her. But that was hardly his fault.

They were only supposed to scout and secure the area, making sure that everything was clear for the Gamma team to move in and storm the building. But Samuel had miscalculated the strength and strategy of the Hellions' forces. And Naruto had been too eager to wait for the signal before he jumped headlong into the fray to help them.

"Stupid Al." And now he was blaming himself. "Who the fuck asked him to save me, anyways?"

With a soft sigh, she placed the glasses back onto the table and turned to her companion, brows furrowed slightly at the sight. This was not the blond knuckle-head she had grown up with, far from it. But then again, she couldn't really expect Naruto to be his normal, cocky-self when his... partner-in-crime was struggling to keep his sanity. "Did you really expect him to just stand by and let you get mind-fucked by King Bedlam?"

"Hey! I had everything under control." Which left Naruto irritable and in a state to lash out at most everyone he came into contact with, a fact made apparent as his voice boomed against the white walls of the hospital room.

But that's why she was sent there to brave the onslaught. Because not many others could or would.

"Yeah, sure you did." She couldn't really remember the exact day that they met in Los Angeles some odd years ago, only that it began with a picture; a poorly drawn picture. And with it came a lifetime of friendship. Tenten had only been thirteen at the time, and Naruto had been passing through the city in search of someone when he crossed her path in the park that day. Hours later, he was helping her run away from the orphanage where she had spent the last two years of her life in misery. And Tenten has never looked back since. "That's why he's in this mess now, right?"

At that, the blond turned a sharp eye in her direction, pupils flashing red for an instant before they returned to the cool blue she knew all too well. And in the next breath, he was up on his feet, stalking towards the young woman with determination and stalked rage.

"No one asked you, Tenny," he practically spat in her face.

"And no one's blaming you," she snapped in return, using up every ounce of her will not to back down from his anger, "So stop thinking that they are."

For a moment, it looked as if his anger and frustration would only continue to rise, pushing against his limits and restraint until the beast within was unleashed. But at just the last moment, it all seemed to dissipate, instantly flowing out of him with a heavy sigh while the blond's face crinkled and contorted with despair. Where there was fury and hatred before, there was only worry and defeat. And for an instant, he was the sad and lonely child Naruto had always talked about when he would describe his past. "But... he did it to save me."

Reaching out her hands towards him, Tenten pulled him in and held him close, bringing comfort where she could give it to him in the circle of her arms. His back was rigid and stiff at the touch, but she only had to wait another few seconds before feeling him return the embrace, his arms wrapping around her lightly at first like she was a fragile thing made of paper and glass. Then his hands were reaching around her frame, almost crushing her to him with a physical need to have her there against him.

"I know," she finally whispered, breaking the silence that stood between them, "And he would do it again, just like you would jump in and help the others when they were in trouble."

Pulling back, the young woman cupped the curve of his face in her palm and looked deeply into his bright, blue eyes. And with a look of assurance, she tried to will away all of his doubt and concern, if only for a minute, so that he could find some peace long enough for the Professor to get back from his trip to Muir Island. Given his tendencies when it came to those he cared about, Naruto would need distractions.

With a light brush of her thumb across his cheek, she offered him a small smile of comfort. "How long has it been since you've gone back to the mansion?"

At that, the young man jerked away, a look of fear and determination in his eyes. "I'm not leaving him."

"There's nothing more you can do, here, and you're no good to him like this."

Still defiant against the idea, he turned and marched towards the window, firmly planting himself in the spot as if he intended to stay there for the rest of eternity. Finding the act endearing if not frustrating, Tenten fought the urge to laugh. As past experiences had proven, teasing Naruto would only result in increasing his stubbornness. And that was the last thing she needed if there was any hope of getting the young man to return to the mansion for some much needed rest. Instead, Tenten stepped forward and lessened the distance between them, gently placing her hand between his shoulder-blades to show that she was there to support not discourage. "Once the Professor gets back, everything will be fine, I know it. Until then, Al needs you to stay healthy and eat something. Come on, this has gotta be the longest you've gone without scarfing down a cup of ramen."

That earned her a chuckle, something she was glad to hear again if only for a few seconds. And Tenten was warmed to see it followed by the briefest of smiles as it flashed across his lips, because it meant that Naruto was still in there somewhere; that he would be alright until Al finally decided to wake up. But it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared, and the young man's lips curved down with worry and thought. "I... I don't want him to wake up alone."

He had a point there, she admitted. It was a scary experience, waking up in a strange place. Disoriented. Alone. She remembered it well when the same had happened to her. "Fine... Then how about I stay with him until you get back?"

Naruto's head snapped up at that. "But Tenny... "

"Go, eat. Sleep." she urged him, waving the blond towards the door with her hand, "I promise I'll call you if anything happens."

And he was already halfway towards the door by the time she made the trek across the room to Alfred's side, pulling up a chair to sit in while she prepared to wait in silence for him to wake up or for his condition to change. But then came the light sound footsteps coming up behind her before long and strong arms came into view, wrapping around the young woman in a big, grateful hug. "Thanks Tenny."

Lips quirking up into a smile, she returned the sentiment as best as she could, letting herself quietly enjoy the moment, before waving him off again with a wordless gesture of her hand. Only until she heard the closing click of the hospital room door did Tenten finally take her seat beside the bed, pulling it in closer with a light screech across the linoleum tiling. A minute passed. And then another. And another still, in the stillness of the beeping machines and whirling of the air conditioner while she became lost in thought for a moment. And before she realized what she was doing, the young woman was wrapping her fingers around Alfred's scratched fingers.

"You're a lucky guy," she murmured softly with a sigh, "I hope you know that."

Perhaps it had been nothing more than her imagination, or a simple trick of her senses. But in that instance, it felt like his hand had twitched around hers. Whether it was real or imagined, though, there was no stopping the smile that slowly spread across her face.

Comments

[usedgust.livejournal.com]

That guy is really only ever good when in bed. Have I mentioned that I adore you? Because the love is so strong you don't even know.

[tao-empress.livejournal.com]

I'll take your word for it... Eh, you could stand to mention it a little more. ^^

Lol, I take it you liked? Good. Because I thought the writing got weird towards the end. Needs a bit of tweaking, but feel free to share with the class if you wish~

[wewillwellroam.livejournal.com]

As you should. You know I rely very little on words. I'm an [actions] sort of lover.

It totally didn't? At least not from what I saw.

[tao-empress.livejournal.com]

Well, who else am I gonna ask, huh~? Oh, indeed you are~

I'm a writer and the author of this piece. Of course I'm gonna think it started getting weird towards the end. ♥