Named after Amy Winehouse's song.
Disclaimer: Naruto Belongs to Masashi Kishimoto
The first time they kissed was on an impulse.
There were heaps of corpses lying around them, drowning in blood; raw and painful, just like their emotions. Silver eyes met golden brown, and they stared at one another from across the dead bodies; shock as well as relief displayed on their faces. The sky was blood red, like the stains on their clothes. He had grabbed her, rough and fierce, and pinned her against a scarred tree. She had felt her head explode into a million emotions as he breathed in her air, touched her in urgent ways, and pushed her back painfully into the rugged bark.
They had thought they would never see each other again.
Then, they heard Lee's voice, and they immediately broke away from one another. Neither acknowledged what had happened for the rest of the journey home.
The second time they kissed was the day after. Tenten had just awoken from a long and dreamless sleep, exhausted from the hectic mission she had returned from.
She had been in the kitchen when she heard a knock coming from the window. Turning, she beamed when she saw it was him, and opened the window to let him through.
"You caught me making cookies." She had laughed sheepishly, back towards him as she continued to work on her batter. Tenten had not made these kinds of thing in a long time. Ever since becoming a kunoichi, she had learned not to obsess over extravagance and pleasure. Efficiency was the key to becoming a successful ninja. However, she decided she could satisfy her vanity, just for today.
She had not noticed him creep up to her; and suddenly, she gasped and dropped the spoon in her hand as she felt him against her back. Quietly, He slipped an arm around her waist, fitting her body into his. He breathed into her neck, making her shiver in delight.
"N…Neji" She had almost said it with a moan when he reached for her ear and bit it playfully.
"Hm…?"
With his free hand, he took hers and one by one, he cleaned her fingers, tasting the sweet flavor of sugar and her skin. A tingle came from her hand and ran down her arm, spreading to her whole body every time his lips touched her.
The cookies were forgotten.
The last time he kissed her, was in his room. There were no artificial lights, just the soft glow of the serene moon. He had kissed her, slowly, passionately, and something else; she couldn't name it.
"I'm sorry, Tenten." He had breathed into her ear. She choked from the near suffocation of his intense embrace, and also from the tears rolling down her cheeks.
And now, she watched. She had always imagined what it would be like when it was their turn. It would be a simple ceremony, with only close friends and family; where he would stand at the end of the aisle, watching as she walked slowly towards him, with a huge smile on her face. The Hokage would announce them as husband and wife, and they would kiss, just like all of the kisses they had given one another before.
He was standing at the end of the aisle, watching. Around her, were his close friends and family; she only knew a few of them; and the woman walking towards him; the one with the huge smile on her face, was not herself even though she knew it was supposed to be.
Her eyes were silver like the rest of their families', but hers were nothing like Neji's. Hers were dull and milky while Neji's shone with life. If Tenten had not known better, she would've thought she was blind.
They kissed, and Tenten closed her eyes. She could not bear the sight.
That night, he came to her again. He kissed her; it was the kiss after the last, a kiss which was not supposed to exist.
She sobbed, trying to push herself away from him, but he refused to let go.
"I don't care." He growled. "I love you, not her." And she finally succumbed to him.
Later that night, they lay sprawled and naked on her bed. She listened to the sound of his heartbeat, and drew patterns on his bare torso. She remembered feeling him plant a kiss on her head before she fell asleep. When she woke up the next morning, he was gone.
They continued like that for the next few years. He would come to her, late in the night when everyone in the Hyuga courts was asleep. She would wait for him patiently, never knowing which night or what time he would show up at her window. It was the same every morning. She would wake up and find that his side of the bed was empty, sometimes still warm. It was as if she would always fail to catch him.
One day, a knock came from her door. It was late in the afternoon. She opened it, and felt her heart skip a beat when her eyes met the silver white of a woman's. She knew this day would arrive.
She bit her lip and closed her eyes, preparing for a slap, a punch, a kick; anything… but it never came. Instead, the woman fell to her knees and sobbed, grabbing the hem of her trousers.
"Please."
She had begged.
"He never touches me."
She felt her own eyes well up. She knew it wasn't fair, but that was life. Tenten was a woman too, and she knew exactly what it felt like.
That night, he came to her again. Instead of racing into his arms, she kept away from him, eyes as cold as the steel weapons she used.
"We can't go on like this." She told him.
He was shocked, and it almost killed her to watch as his eyes flooded with pain as he fell into slow realization.
"Tenten…" he whispered as he reached out for her. She flinched.
"I…I'm not your prostitute!" She had screamed at him. They were silent. Finally, he clenched his fists until they shook.
"I understand…" he murmured.
Of course he didn't understand. She was lying to him and herself.
A year later, she learned that his wife was pregnant. Nine months after that, she found out she had died giving birth to twins.
Then, after twelve long years, Tenten met her students who had just freshly graduated from the Academy for the first time.
"I'm Hyuuga Sora." One of them told her when she asked them to introduce themselves. His silver eyes glinted in the cool, autumn sunlight.
His eyes, as she recalled, were just like his fathers.
It seems I have gone back to writing something a little heavier. Like I said, this story is named after (but not based on, although they do have their similarities) the song by Amy Winehouse. It's a good song, I think, so have a listen if you have the chance. Oh, and don't forget to review!
