5D: Unfortunately, I do not own Naruto.
N: Here it is. The most romantic (in the sense of physical romance) of all my previous NejiTen attempts. I must say that I am quite pleased with how this turned out, and might even write a small second chapter as an added bonus if I'm feeling up to it (and if the reviews are encouraging enough). I think Tenten may be a bit OOC, she's slightly too feminine in this one, I find. Basically, I needed an excuse to write them making out with each other, so there you go.
serendipity: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
When Neji wakes up he feels rejuvenated. Perhaps there's something to say for overpriced hotels, after all. He isn't sure what time it is, nor does he particularly care to check. Instead, he glances down at the woman lying next to him, just now stirring into wakefulness. He cannot help scowling somewhat at the tangled mess that has become Tenten's hair, and his hand immediately goes to check his own.
Tenten yawns, groping sleepily at his person. "I want breakfast," she mumbles.
"Get dressed then," he answers, not even sure if breakfast is still being served.
"No, ring room service," she says into the pillows, extracting a hand from her burrito of blankets to gesture dismissively at the phone.
Neji sighs. Of course, he picks up the phone anyway, because he needs breakfast himself and if they're staying in a fancy hotel they might as well reap the benefits. As he orders, Tenten interrupts him with her various demands, face still buried in the pillows and eyes closed, but apparently set on strawberries with scones. She has a remarkable talent for being (seemingly) asleep while simultaneously making sure she gets what she wants. Neji rolls his eyes, requesting extra strawberries with the receptionist lady, but drawing the line at ice cream.
Someone's gotta be the sensible one here.
As they wait for room service to arrive, both doze off again. The bed's soft and sunlight filters through the wooden shutters. It might be a beautiful day, but surprisingly Neji doesn't care much. Well, he'll spend all afternoon training outside, thus making up for current laziness. After a while, there's a knock at the door and a masculine voice announces room service. Naturally, Tenten doesn't stir - she also has a remarkable talent for feigning sleep in order to evade less pleasant tasks - so with a grumble, he throws his legs over the bedside and walks blearily towards the door. He probably looks like a reawakened zombie, but hey, vanity never helped a person (much).
He still rubs his face before opening the door.
The breakfast cart is laden with food (toast, jam, croissants, fruit, scones...) but it's the smell of coffee that nearly makes him salivate. He craves coffee. The rest can wait. As he returns to the bed, Tenten props herself up on one elbow and looks at the cart expectantly, her caramel coloured eyes lighting up as she spies the scones and strawberries.
"Satisfied?" Neji asks, indulging in the image of Tenten in the morning.
"Mmm," she agrees noncommittally, chewing on a strand of her chocolate brown hair. The kunoichi's eyes then turn towards him and her smile widens "And are you also part of breakfast?"
The corner of his mouth twitches slightly. "We'll see," he replies as he slips back under the covers. While Tenten feasts on her scones and strawberries ("not as good with no ice cream, but it'll do"), Neji relishes his coffee. Yes, he is aware that starting the day with black coffee might not be the healthiest thing in the world, but it's also the fastest way to clear his head, so there you go. Tenten chatters away, cheerily informing him of everything from Ino's latest boyfriend to the possibility of creating a new scroll and how Sakura is now making Sasuke carry around condoms in his weapon pouch, which he'd rather not know about, thank you very much.
"You talk too much," he mutters.
Tenten graces him with an annoyed huff. "Here, have some toast. You've only had black coffee so far, no wonder you're so chagrined."
Neji decides against telling her this is pretty much his default mood (she should know this by now) and instead accepts the buttered toast from her.
"How many scones have you had?" he asks with an eye cast upon the fast-emptying bowl.
"Oh, I don't know." Tenten shrugs, licking a jam-coated finger. "Why, do you want some?"
"No thank you. I'm not fond of them."
"Good," she grins, "because I didn't plan on sharing anyway!"
It's his turn to roll his eyes.
The bed has become somewhat messy, especially when the croissants appear, and Neji winces minutely (and is subsequently reminded why he never eats anything in bed). He doesn't comment on it though, as he already knows what Tenten's answer will be. Either, "you're too stuck up, live a little" or, "I know a way to make the bed even messier".
To which he'd merely roll his eyes (again).
He wonders if they're really that predictable, but decides it's probably a side-effect of the whole, love-and-let-live thing.
Hmm.
Tenten lets out a content sigh when she announces that she's had enough, finally emerging from her blanket cocoon as she does so. At this, Neji takes the opportunity to clean up the bed - meaning, shoving off any crumbles and not worrying about it.
"See, these are the assets of quality hotels," Tenten remarks delightedly. "Nice breakfast, good beds... I don't even feel my feet anymore."
"Well, that's nothing to worry about," he deadpans, which earns him a jab to the thigh from said feet.
"I mean, I don't feel my feet hurting anymore," she explains in an I-should-be-eyerolling-here tone. "Which is also good for you because it means you don't have to massage them."
"Oh, lucky me indeed," he agrees wholeheartedly, thinking that being a good significant other should not include giving foot massages. Tenten has closed her eyes again, smiling now in a satisfied way that only happens when you're warm, comfortable, stress-free, and just had the pleasure of a good meal. He's feeling rather relaxed himself, too. After another unfruitful attempt to rid the bed of crumbs, he scoots over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She opens her eyes and turns to him. He likes how she looks in the mornings - there's something vulnerable and honest about her when she's not throwing something pointy at his face.
"You've got some jam left there," the Hyuuga remarks - chides, rather - not surprised in the least. She's a rather messy eater, especially when it comes to the things she loves. He extends a slender finger, intent on removing the bright red jelly, but pauses, not quite fancying sticky appendages. Instead, he leans in and kisses the corner of her mouth.
Tenten lets out a giggle and looks at him with a gleam in her eyes as he leans back to examine her.
"Now you taste like strawberry too," she says, still laughing.
"Your master-plan, I bet," he sighs, only half-joking (if anyone from the regal Hyuuga clan joked).
"Maybe," she agrees, slinging an arm around his waist. "C'mere so I can taste."
He sighs but sees no objections to that, and thus leans in once again, kissing her properly this time. Of course, there's the taste of strawberry, but he's used to that. It's become equivalent of Tenten, anyway. Like mint has become equivalent to him (Tenten liked to complain that mint didn't mix with strawberry, but if she wasn't going to quit her addiction, he certainly wasn't going to change his either). There is no mint taste now, though. Just strawberry and softness. Morning kisses are strange like that: it seems their bodies are more pliable, sharp edges removed, mouth, hands, faces soft.
Surely it is psychological. Still.
Her arms are around his waist and he presses closer, liking the way she feel against him: skin and curves and long legs, one ankle hooked around his own. She moves her foot and trails it leisurely along his calf, up and down. Her idea of a foot massage, likely. It's slow and it's nice, and now and then Tenten will make little sounds - soft sighs - undetectable if it weren't for the total silence in the room. Time has slowed down it seems.
Again: an illusion. Still.
After quite some time, he pulls back a little, catching his breath. He pushes away the chestnut hair that covers her shoulder, making it bare except for the thin black strap of her nightgown. It's the one she never wears unless neither of them have anything better to do, satiny and too short to be functional. He hooks one finger around it and her eyes follow as he lowers it. Now there's just skin: light, inviting. There are no blemishes from her neck down to her shoulder.
He lowers himself and kisses the spot beneath her jaw. She gasps a little and he repeats, leaving a moist trail down her neck. His hand goes from her shoulder down to her side: chest, narrow waist, hip, thigh. Her body is warm against his.
"God, Neji," she breathes as he reaches her collarbones, "you're so good at this."
He stops mid-kiss and raises an eyebrow at her.
"Oh please," she smirks in response, "you love it when I compliment you."
He doesn't deign to give an answer, seeing as it's obviously not true.
Before he can finish what he's started, though, he suddenly gets flipped unto his back and Tenten's on top of him. Her lips are very red, he notices - all natural this time. With her fingers she flicks some hair away from his forehead. "Shall I demonstrate how good I am at this?"
"Be my guest," he replies with another raised brow, although he is quickly silenced when she leans in to kiss him.
It isn't a passionate embrace. It isn't a demure one, either. It's one of those slow, tantalizing, drawn-out kisses that would leave lesser people immobile. He's not one of them, of course, though it cannot be denied that the longer the kiss goes on, the less easy it is for him to gather his thoughts.
Honestly, though it's a bit hard to recall in this instant all the actual reasons she annoys him (apart from currently robbing him of his sanity), because the things he likes about her are all the clearer. Sort of jumbled together, not a very organized list - but there's her hair, tickling his face and smelling faintly of the rose shampoo she uses; and her hands, very soft, one tangled in his own hair, the other holding his face just so; her full breasts, pressed against his chest; the slight scent of her perfume, which is still detectable after a night's sleep; her legs, arms, sighs, mouth.
Her left hand travels down his arm, prickling his skin, then sneaking under his grey t-shirt. The light touches leave goosebumps on his skin. He doesn't get how such a simple action can create such profound reactions, but has long given up on trying to understand. Her hand wanders further up his chest, hidden from sight by soft cotton, but very real in touch. He squirms a little and she smiles against his mouth.
He relocates his hand to the small of her back. The fabric of her nightgown is so flimsy it might as well be taken off.
As he is contemplating doing just that, Tenten pulls away a little.
"Do you know that morning kisses are my favourite?" she murmurs.
Neji does know, but is fine with reminding her all over again.