Title: Key To Freedom
Rating: T
Pairing: NejiTen
Summary: She is the key and she is his freedom.
AN: I've been having major feels for this two recently and I just HAD to write something with them. This is a drabble but I feel it has a fair amount of substance to it. Please enjoy and leave your thoughts in reviews, if you can.
Tenten's gentle fingers swept the soft brown strands from the crinkled forehead of her teammate. Her target was revealed as she thumbed at the glaring green brand, so stark against his pale skin as if it wanted to be noticed.
"It's cruel." She sighed.
"It's tradition." He fired back immediately.
"Well, tradition is cruel." Tenten glared hatefully at the mark, wishing she could just rub it away and erase the hold that it had on Neji. "And stupid." she added childishly.
Neji chuckled but batted her hand away, allowing his sleek locks to fall back into place and hide that which marked him as less than his fellow clan members.
Tenten pouted but fell back onto her heels and took on a crouched position in front of Neji's relaxed sprawl against a tree. Their training session had been called to a close over an hour ago but Neji and Tenten had opted to remain a bit longer and spar together, as they often did. But today, rather than continue with their usual schedule, the two decided resting quietly was a far more enjoyable way to spend their time.
Missions were few and far in between recently, a dip in action during times of peace, and so Team Gai had grown lazy, even Lee and Gai had appeared more idle, even with the addition of warm weather. Usually a lack of missions left Lee buzzing with anticipation and shouting about wasting his youth, but times were peaceful with the ending of the war the team was taking it easy.
And no one enjoyed peaceful quiet more that Neji and Tenten, considering who their teammates were.
"You know," Tenten drawled, "Sometimes I wish I could do more. I wish I was stronger."
Neji gazed at Tenten intensely before speaking with conviction. "You are the strongest woman I know, Tenten."
Tenten gave a lopsided smile as she crawled to Neji's side and settled next to him, slowly lowering her head until it rested upon his shoulder. Neji watched her and Tenten waited for him to shrug her off as he usually did whenever she got too handsy but he didn't. Instead, Neji adjusted himself to make Tenten more comfortable before laying his chin on her head and sighing with what could only be content as a soft breeze ruffled his hair.
"I can't do anything for you." Tenten admitted softly, almost whispering, as if she were deeply ashamed. "I have no influence, not with the Hyuga at least. I can't free you from them."
Neji was quiet as he pondered over what Tenten had just revealed before turning his head ever so slightly and pressing a kind kiss into her soft, sweet smelling hair.
Tenten smiled and leaned into the physical affection, wildly sucking it all in. She loved this, being alone with Neji and watching as he slowly removed his mask and revealed himself to her. This was what she lived for now.
"You free me by simply allowing me to be myself." Neji spoke, his voice practically humming with tender affection, "You free me by accepting me as I am. You act as they key to my cage, you hold all the power in the world. You are my freedom."
Tenten was never one to succumb to sugar dipped words written in romance novels or the cheesy moments portrayed on the movie screens but right then, she felt her heart explode and her eyes watered embarrassingly quick. Fumbling, Tenten hurriedly tried to wipe away the moisture before it could spill over her lids.
"Y-you're such a sap, Neji! Who knew!" She choked out a laugh through her tears, failing to conceal them.
Neji grinned and leaned down to give her another sweet kiss, but this time it landed on the blushing kunoichi's lips. Neji enjoyed this part, seeing Tenten unravel before him and become the adorable person she was then. It was a slow process but one that he eagerly took on without complaint. The end results were always worth the patience he would put in.
"I speak the truth." He responded with a sly smile.
Tenten scoffed, "You just like to get a rise out of me!" She was smiling broadly, those she tried to hide it between her knees as she pulled her legs up to her chest.
Neji saw right through it. "It is rather amusing to see you like this." He admitted.
Tenten giggled and leaned even further into Neji's side, so close now the two resembled a conjoined pair of some sort. But he was so warm and Tenten loved feeling his breath on her neck.
Dipping down, Neji stole one more kiss, this time choosing to target her cheek. It was so soft and supple, Neji savored the kiss most of all and Tenten's reactions were always so adorable when he would kiss her there. Scrunching up like a tiny bug that had been poked, she would giggle and try to squirm away. But he always caught her, though she never really tried to escape, and would bring her back, replanting his lips on her sun kissed skin.
"Are you feeling free now?" Tenten asked as Neji cupped her chin and raised it so she would meet his eyes. "Have I freed you?"
Neji smiled and claimed her lips once more as she shivered from the passion of it all.
"Yes," He panted in between breaths and kisses, "You have freed me."