Tenten's heart was bursting at the seams. She had to tell him.
She called him out to meet at the new café. She had to do it now or she would lose the courage.
Tenten wasn't the kind of girl to openly express what she was really feeling. Instead, she hid behind the façade of a strong kunoichi so that he wouldn't consider her unworthy. Over the years he had grown to accept her strength and realized that there was more to her, however the façade was already in place and very hard to get rid of. She didn't know how he would react if she shed her persona. Would he still accept her?
More than anything, she was afraid of losing him. He was the only thing that got her out of bed in the morning and the last thing on her mind before she slept. Even in her slumber his alluring white eyes captured her. His gaze would unnerve most people but she could stare into his soul all day. She understood him, yet at the same time he was an enigma. She liked that. She was always up for challenges. This may be the hardest one she would ever face.
As she walked to the café, her mind was focused on the words she had been rehearsing. Her heart was beating erratically, her nervousness becoming more apparent with every step. She memorized her speech but she knew that the moment she entered the café, it would be lost.
The walk was far too short and before she knew it she was standing directly in front of the small building. Through the window she could see him sitting, waiting for her to arrive.
She checked her watch and was ready to apologize for being late but she quickly realized that she was on time; he was early. Typical.
She entered the quiet room and walked to where he was seated. She was walking faster than before, excited that she had this chance to see him again. They see each other everyday but the effect on her heart would never diminish. She almost forgot what this meeting was for because she was so happy to see him.
He smiled as she approached and her soul gave a little dance that shone through her eyes and she didn't even attempt to hide it.
His face had a gentle smile. Always displaying proper manners, he greeted his teammate with a polite nod.
'Good morning.' His voice matched his smile, gentle and friendly. Her heart gave another leap.
'Good morning, Neji.' she replied as she sat across from him. 'Thanks for coming.'
'Anything for you.' he teased.
She couldn't hide the blush that rose to her cheeks but she decided to act like nothing happened. 'So have you ordered yet?' she casually asked, silently hoping for her cheeks to return to normal.
'No, I was waiting for you.' That heart-warming smile returned to his face with just a hint of mischief in his eyes.
'Ever the gentleman, aren't we, Neji?'
'I do try my best.' As he said this, he flashed the most charming smile that she had ever seen grace his lips and started to panic. If she didn't change the subject soon, his teasing might make her melt to the ground. She quickly turned and called for the waitress. When she turned back to Neji, she realized that a smirk had settled on his lips; equally as devastating.
As they waited in silence for the waitress to arrive, she tried to recall her speech, not having much success.
The waitress strutted to their table with a notebook and pen, ready to take their orders. Tenten ordered an iced mocha while Neji ordered a long black. He wasn't a fan of cold coffee drinks even on a warm day such as this. He actually appreciated the pure, dark taste of a long black.
The waitress sent a more-than-obvious wink towards Neji, which Tenten noticed and she was less-than-impressed with this. Who does she think she is?
As she walked away, she swayed her backside a little more than necessary and Tenten felt her anger slowly rising. She didn't realize she was glaring at the waitress until Neji's voice called her back.
'Tenten?' his voice hinted worry but his eyes betrayed him. He was amused. Maybe he knew that she was jealous. Her jealousy gave way for embarrassment. I'm a kunoichi, how can I be so damn obvious? The blush returned to her face.
'Oh. Right, sorry. Just got a bit distracted.' She waved her hand dismissively. Neji's not a genius for nothing. He knew she was hiding something but he let it slide this time.
Their conversation began with the usual things, how their day has been so far, Gai and Lee's inappropriateness, maybe a few techniques that they would try in training later that day and any upcoming missions. This continued until their drinks arrived. The waitress' blatant attempts to flirt with Neji were simply ignored and Tenten found herself smiling at the waitress, albeit smugly.
The waitress gave up eventually and walked away defeated, her gait lacking the confidence it once displayed. Tenten felt victorious until Neji's voice once again pulled her attention back.
'Distracted again? We'll have to do something about that.' That teasing smirk was on his lips again. She had no reply to this except for a faint blush.
No, we'll have to do something about that. I can't think straight if you keep doing that… Oh, right. Neji, I called you here for a reason. I've had feelings for you, for a long time now and I know that you're probably not looking for anything but I just knew that I had to give this a shot…
'Tenten? You've been acting strangely today. Is there something wrong?' Now the worry was evident on his face, not just his voice. His demeanor had changed over the years. Tenten became one of his most treasured friends and although he doesn't show it much, he does care for her deeply. Her unusual behavior was starting to bother him. He did not like to see her upset, which she seemed to be since this morning.
'Huh? No, of course not, nothing's wrong… well, um, just one thing is wrong. Not wrong, just on my mind… in the back of it, or, well no. That's not true. It's always on my mind.'
Neji's face indicated to her that she was stalling and he urged her to get to the point.
And there it was, she lost her courage. She couldn't find the voice to finish what she started. The silence was almost painful and she desperately wanted to just tell him that she loved him. Damn it, Tenten. You are so much better than that. She mentally scolded herself for being a coward and remaining silent.
While she was busy telling herself off, she failed to notice Neji's shift in position from across her to beside her. Her mind froze when she felt his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look at him. Their faces were so close.
'You're getting distracted again.' His voice was barely above a whisper. Their proximity was giving Tenten shivers in her spine. The intimacy of the moment proved to be too much when suddenly Neji found his lips on hers. When they pulled apart, he looked just as shocked as she did.
He muttered breathy apologies explaining that he shouldn't have kissed her or taken advantage of her position. All of these flew above Tenten's head and she found herself wanting to taste his lips again. So she leaned and kissed him again.
Neji immediately stopped talking and enjoyed the kiss, feeling her fingers gently tangling themselves in his hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight. Her other arm pulled him closer. His tongue slid out and asked for permission to enter her mouth. Eagerly, she agreed, savoring the rich taste of his drink.
They pulled away to gather their breath and stared into each other's eyes, searching for the three words each had been waiting to hear for a long time. Neji was the first to break.
'I love you, Tenten.'
Relief and happiness flooded her body. 'I love you, too, Neji.'
Neji felt himself relax at these words. Upon realizing that the woman he loved returned his feelings, he felt he loved her even more just because she felt the same way for him. He even appreciated cold coffee drinks because they tasted divine coming from her.
When he confessed these words to her on their wedding night, she promised to buy him a coffee machine, admitting that whenever she tasted a hint of coffee when they kissed, she would automatically revert to that teenage girl sharing her first kiss with the boy she had always loved.