Dinner
He was always so coolly confident, with just a tiny smudge of arrogance that she, surprisingly, found attractive. On a desk lay a single stalk of white lily, fresh dew still glistening on the fragile white petals. She read the card again.
I'll see you tonight at 7.
Neji
Tenten admired the elegant curves of the flower as she prepared a slim crystal vase to place it in. Understated taste was what she had come to expect from Neji, as did his aversion towards verbosity. Glancing at the clock and noting that it was already five- thirty in the evening, she hurriedly went for a shower and to pick a dress for the night. A smile unconsciously made its way to her lips as she anticipated his presence in a little more than an hour. Freeing her hair from their customary buns, the twenty- three-year-old headed to her bathroom in the apartment that she had lived in for the past eight years.
Neji inserted the key and turned the knob to her apartment silently. Closing the door gently, he made his way to the bedroom, where a fragrance smelling faintly of freesia wafted out. There she was in front of her wardrobe, brows currently furrowed in a tiny frown as she contemplated what to wear for tonight. Her back was towards him and so, giving in to the part of his mind that had been with her all day, Neji silently closed the distance between them.
Strong arms circled her waist as his long black hair gently swept down and brushed the sides of her face. Giving a little squeak of surprise, Tenten immediately recognized his familiar presence and her hands came to clasp his while tilting her head up for his welcome kiss. He always surprised her with these small actions of affection, and she knew that beneath his stoic appearance was a man whose emotions ran deeper than was usually shown on the surface. Grinning into the kiss, Tenten shifted so that her body was now fully aligned to his in a perfect parallel, hands encircling his toned abdomen, reveling in the essence of him. Ending the kiss with reluctance, she whispered, "Thought you said you were coming at seven".
"Isn't six better?" He tugged her back firmly under his chin, hands playing idly with the ends of her wavy chestnut hair, still damp from her shower.
Tenten giggled, managing to read beneath his short replies as always. "Missed me that much, huh?" Mischief lent a sparkle to her chocolate eyes as she tilted her head back to smile at him, admiring the chiseled jaw, that sharp nose that lent him an aristocratic air, and the way those striking silver eyes always seemed to be able to see into her soul.
"You are a minx. Now go get dressed, if not, I cannot promise that I'll bring you out for dinner." Smirking slightly at the slight pink dusting her cheeks, Neji released her but not before planting another deep kiss on her lips. It amused him that she was still shy around him when they had become lovers a few months ago.
Sticking her tongue out at him, Tenten turned her attention back to the matter of finding an ensemble for the night. Finally deciding on a choice, she shooed Neji out of the bedroom, stating that his presence distracted her from the delicate art of putting makeup, which she only had a basic grasp on anyway. Neji had acquiesced, and was now flipping through an architectural magazine idly in the living room, tie loosened slightly against his pale blue silk workshirt. Hearing the bedroom door click open, Neji placed the magazine back to its original position and turned. His heartbeat quickened imperceptibly and his pearl- gray eyes slid down the length of her slowly and appreciatively before focusing back on that pair of beautiful eyes.
Tenten fought the urge to grin as she noticed how his gaze, though outwardly calm, had swept across her body in that graceful way that he possessed. The new maroon cocktail dress she had bought while on a shopping spree with Sakura, an old friend from high school, hugged her body in all the right places, the mix of chiffon and silk lending a soft accent that gave the wearer a dose of whimsical mixed with effortless elegance. Her mahagony locks, now dry, fell in soft waves past her shoulders. Minimal makeup accentuated her large eyes, long russet lashes providing an alluring curtain for her eyes. Her full lips were dabbed with rose, and her cheeks held her natural blush. "You like it? Sakura is a VIP of the sh—"
"I like it." He had risen from the couch and kissed her again, long elegant fingers entangled in her hair while dragging on the moment in a minute of perfect stillness. Finally breaking for breath, Tenten was irrationally pleased to see him breathing slightly erratically, and told herself to remember to thank Sakura for insisting on buying this beautiful but expensive dress that had, in the end, been worth it. "We'd better leave before I go against my better senses and the dinner reservation at Iggy's go wasted." So saying, he lazily traced a thumb across her cheek then extended his hand for her to hold. "Let's go."
When they reached his parked vehicle, a sleek convertible in tinted gray, Neji unlocked the passenger side and retrieved a bouquet of white lilies wrapped in maroon organza and silver gauze, handing it to her with a hint of warmth in his liquid silver eyes. "Here's the rest of the family." Both of them did not fail to see that the bouquet complemented her dress perfectly. Accepting the flowers with glee, Tenten held it close to her and took a deep breath of the delicate fragrance. "I love them, Neji!" She flashed a brillant smile at him, which brought an answering soft smirk to his face.
"I know." Kissing her forehead before ushering her into the passenger seat, Neji went to the driver's side in a few long strides and settled in, starting the engine before turning to her, the love she saw shining in his eyes stopping her breath for a moment. "I did miss you the whole day." The headlights of the silver sports car sped off into a night filled with promises of laughter, shared gazes, and love.