What if you fell in love with the person you least expected to?
The person, you are married to?
Your wife?
Her question sliced through the silence and all he could do was stare at her, puzzled. Her warm delicate hands were on his cheeks and her innocent brown eyes were peering into his soul.
She was waiting for him to answer a question that had been bothering her.
"Are you falling in love with me?"
R . O . U . T . I . N . E
I'm sorry
.Midnight.
He was completely horrified when he pulled apart from her. The moonlit night loomed before their figures tangled in white sheets and bare flesh.
They did not just do that.
He did not just do that.
With her.
"Sakura," He murmured in disbelief, sitting up and staring at her.
She stirred, knowing what was true. The female brunette pulled one of his shirts and covered her front, heading towards the bathroom. "I-I'm sleeping on the couch, tonight."
He turned to her but the door to the bathroom was already shut. 'Tenten,' he thought and ran his hand through his hair.
Their first night as man and wife….
A night with no love…
And running water to cover up her crying.
.Morning.
"Good morning," she greeted him with a smile every dawn as he made his way downstairs. Aroma of delicious food and tea filled the air as his wife helped out the maids in preparing breakfast.
Like always, she kissed his cheek and put her arms around him, "Eat."
He didn't mind. She was always this, kind and loving-always trying to be the perfect wife for him. She was hands-on when it came to cooking for him.
He regarded her and started eating.
She turned around, her back facing him and smiled sadly, repeating her words like a broken record. "I'm sorry. This was only what I could do."
.Afternoon.
"You work too much," he suddenly stiffed at the contact she made. Small soft hands had found its way to massage his shoulders.
He closed his eyes, somehow relaxing at her thoughtfulness. She smiled slightly; at least he was silently appreciating what she was doing for him.
"I also made you some tea." He heard her say before placing a steaming cup of green tea on his desk.
He grunted before turning to her, silently telling her to stop.
He had never said 'thank you.' It was always those grunts and she could only reply. 'I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have...'
"Hn."
.Evening.
He married her but his heart belonged to another.
His heart belonged to the dead because she was dead.
And yet, she continued doing anything for him.
She already regarded herself as an idiot. 'A woman would gradually develop feelings for a loving man, but when a man has another in his heart already, it would be…'
She believed her mother's words, and now, she knew what the latter statement felt like.
She had gotten herself into this. She was at fault for this.
She should have voiced her thoughts in her father and his uncle's agreement.
Retreating back from the scenery of the Hyuuga Mansion's garden, she made her way inside and slipped into the cold sheets they both shared.
Arm's length away, his rigid back was facing her. He was sleeping soundly and not caring about her.
She sighed and rolled onto her side, silently letting tears roll down. "I'm sorry," she murmured to herself, hoping that he would hear her.
And, he did hear her. His eyes shot open. He always heard her, muttering those words for her own comfort.
A small pang of guilt always made its way to his heart.
'Stop apologizing every time, Tenten.'
No matter how many times he took her for granted, she had done everything she could do.
Actually, more than what she could do.
He closed the door of their room, loosening his tie in the process. He kept silent, hoping not to disturb her sleeping form.
But then, she stirred and faced him. "Neji, have you eaten already?"
He tried to answer honestly, but she was already on her feet. "O-Oh…I'll get you something to eat."
He sighed, and grabbed her wrist. "It's fi—" He noticed her skin felt warm. Too warm. "Are you sick?" He turned on the lights, eliminating the darkness that concealed her face.
She looked pale and her eyes were squinting. "N-No, I'm just…" He placed his hand on top of her forehead. No wonder she asked for a day off as his secretary.
"You're sick."
"I-I'm…" She started feeling dizzy, and leaned on to him. "Ahh-mm," She clutched his shirt.
He sighed. She was stubborn too. "Take a rest." He lifted her into his arms and placed her neatly under the covers.
"B-But…"
"I'm fine, I'm not hungry." He said before asking one of their maids to get him a cloth and a bowl of water.
When he returned, he placed the wet cloth on her forehead. He looked at her sleeping form. Her face had a smile on it and she was continuously murmuring his name, along the lines of 'I'm sorry.'
He could only sigh and murmur softly, "Stop saying sorry, Tenten."
Really, the least he could do was appreciate this woman.
He needed to reform himself.
From there, he decided to start looking at her differently.
How it didn't occur to him was definitely unusual.
Fascinating.
Puzzling.
…and both.
How on earth did it take him an order from his uncle to actually spend time with her in the countryside, under the sun and clad only in swimwear to notice that she was such a splendid companion?
Honestly, it was beyond his comprehension.
Because his wife was undoubtedly and absolutely attractive.
Both physically and mentally.
Not only was the earthly glow around her as she waved to him caught his attention, but her also tan-skinned and curvy figure in a bathing suit trickled with droplets of water clearly made him stare at her dumbfounded.
And dumbfounded again as her character sunk in his head.
A gentle laugh escaped her lips on a Sunday afternoon, sending shivers down his spine as he sat next to her. That was quite the first. "I-I'm fine Neji-kun. Really, you don't have to worry. I only slipped."
"You just recovered from a fever."
"Ahh…I was just so excited that's all. I don't feel dizzy or anything." She said as she leaned back on the leather couch in their penthouse.
"Hn." He stared at her, one of his eyebrows rising suspiciously.
"Thank you." And then she stared at him, pausing for a moment to unconsciously cup his cheek and mutter softly, "I'm sorry for making you worry though."
For the nth time, he stared at her again but this time wondering as what she could be thinking thoughtfully on. Her eyes seemed to be looking at him but then, not straight at him. She was in a daze and the smile that he had first caused was forming slightly into a grin.
He had definitely never made her smile before. Somehow, a voice from the back of his mind was pleased and wanted to do it more often.
It felt so genuine. She was genuine.
She wasn't a replacement for his ex-girlfriend who passed away two years ago.
She certainly wasn't. She was his wife.
His woman.
His.
'Mine.'
Suddenly snapping out of her reverie, she stood up. "Anou…what do you want for dinner?"
"Anything," he replied, trusting her cooking expertise.
"Okay." Silently, she rushed to the kitchen to prepare their meal.
He knew the arranged marriage was an escape for the Hyugas for his depressed state. Absolutely—it was far from the benefits their corporation would gain because over the years, family became an important matter to his uncle, who was the head of the clan.
Unfortunately, he had a far more different approach in dealing with familial matters.
He simply didn't mind. He too wanted to resurrect himself from his misery. However, he too often wondered if she was drowning in her misery.
Their honeymoon was a disaster. His past treatment of her was only to be described as ignorance. And, she still wasn't as open to him as their relationship should be.
Then again, was there a relationship in the first place?
There was a 'no' in there.
Marrying her only equalled to having a relationship started from scratch.