I do believe that I have sunk to a whole new level of fangirlness. And that I have an unhealthy obsession with the navy.

A Man in Uniform.

Neji woke up with a splitting headache. He blinked; the world swam sluggishly in thick, blurred waves of white and immediately he shut his eyes again, tightly, against the morning light that seemed intent on hammering itself into his retina. Thankfully the bed was warm, soft, and there was a faint scent of chrysanthemums that soothed the throbbing of his aching head.

He shifted experimentally, feeling silky sheets sliding over his bare skin.

Hn. So he was completely naked. Alright... ...

Sighing, he tried to remember what exactly had happened last night to land him in such an awkward situation. After all, Hyuuga Neji was a sensible, highly self-disciplined man with a strict code of conduct that he kept to almost religiously. There was no reasonable explanation for his waking up with a major hangover, naked save for what felt like silk handcuffs around his right wrist. Of course not. Unless...

Perhaps he had been drugged and abducted by the enemy. After all, these were dangerous times and a man as highly ranked as Hyuuga Neji in the Imperial Japanese Navy would be an invaluable source of information. Perhaps he was being held prisoner in some seedy motel, about to be tortured by Korean spies. Perhaps –

Then Neji realized that his warship had just docked into Konoha Harbour yesterday morning, back from a few arduous months of fighting at sea in the name of Emperor Uzumaki. He was back in Japan, not some naval base in foreign territory. There was also the problem of why his mouth tasted not of any kind of sedative but the bitter edge of sake.

Her mouth had tasted of sake, too – sake, and the sweetest hint of chrysanthemum tea.

Neji started when the unbidden thought crossed his mind. Her? Who the hell was her? He burrowed deeper into the sheets, desperately trying to find any memory of last night, any trace, any clue of what had taken place... ...

Her skin was smoother than the silk sheets on her bed, tanned and slightly freckled. His breath hitched when she clambered onto his lap without caring that she was creasing her dress, smiling at him in that deceptively sweet way of hers.

"I like a man in uniform," she informed him in a seductive whisper, a wicked gleam in her coffee brown eyes.

"Lucky me," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. She buried her fingers into his low ponytail as he bent down to kiss an exposed collarbone. Kami-sama, she was wonderful...

Neji felt his cheeks heating up. He needed to go earlier than that – much earlier –

"I think he put something into this," she mumbled, sounding more than a little drunk as she took another sip from her glass of iced tea. Neji thought that she looked beautiful with her flushed cheeks and dark brown hair beginning to escape from their buns.

"Probably," he agreed, swaying slightly on his stool, oblivious to the appreciative glances he was getting from her. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, his tie loosened and the first few buttons undone. After all, Kiba had wanted them all to relax and he had figured that making himself comfortable was not against the rules, even if it meant looking a little disheveled and unprofessional for a few hours.

"Oh dear," she sighed. "I was afraid this would happen."

"As did I."

A pause.

"Well, since we're already drunk, let's just forget this and get some sake."

"Lets," he nodded, grinning lopsidedly at her. She really was very good looking... ...

"Cheers!" She was beaming back at him now; Neji felt his breath hitch in his throat before he lifted his own glass to hers.

"Cheers."

Neji groaned. This still wasn't making sense. Earlier, earlier... ...

He drank the punch Kiba had handed him slowly, a dignified frown darkening his features. The first night back in Japan and Kiba had dragged him and the others to one of the new American bars that had opened up near the naval barracks. The Inuzuka really should have known better - after all, they were hardly lowly, uncouth lieutenants anymore. Experienced Admirals of the Japanese Navy really shouldn't be...frolicking...in some dark, smoky bar with dubious patrons. He glared into the shadows, picking out a group of geisha giggling in a corner being harassed by a few American soldiers. The others were mostly natives, here to take advantage of the dance floor and live band. Pfft. All this artless American music. He would much prefer listening to one of the Imperial classics or going to the Kabuki theatre instead of watching this rowdy display.

Kiba and Kankurou had managed to flirt their way into a group of young local girls the minute they arrived at the bar, sweeping them off their feet and onto the dance floor. Thankfully, there was one girl who had enough sense and dignity not to join in the revelry. He had seen her being dragged in by her friends, looking reluctant and beautifully out of place with her Chinese style dress and coiffured hair. Having declined politely to dance with the other sailors, she had sat down by his side at the bar with a rueful smile and a demure greeting.

"No alcohol," she told the Inuzuka firmly when he came over to try his hand at charming the uncharmable girl.

"Aw, miss. Come on, let me buy you a drink," Kiba had pleaded. "What about a few shots?"

"You may buy me some tea."

"Let's make a deal," Kiba had suggested, grabbing a dart left on the bar. "If you aim better than I do, I'll buy you as much tea as you want. But if you lose... ..." He winked suggestively. "You'll have to down as much sake as I want."

"Fine." To the surprise of both men she picked up a dart nonchalantly, flashing Kiba a sweet smile.

"Ladies first." Kiba bowed.

She shrugged and flicked her wrist deftly without so much as a glance at the target. The feathered dart left her fingers with a faint hiss.

Bullseye.

"Make it chrysanthemum, please," she grinned cheerfully at the stunned Inuzuka. Neji was staring at her now with undisguised respect. Beautiful, intelligent and mature with natural perfect aim... ...he had never dreamt that he would find the perfect woman in such a place as this.

Wait. He did not just think that.

"Aw, miss..." Kiba began to sulk and Neji bit back a smirk, knowing that the Inuzuka had never been much of a sharpshooter and would no doubt lose to the woman.

Then, to the surprise of all present (including himself), he picked up the remaining dart on the table and flung it at the target. It hit the spot right next to hers, causing the other dart to quiver and fall to the ground. Neji inwardly thanked Gai for the hours of target practice his senior had imposed upon him.

Silence.

"So, what do I get from the lady?" He leaned against the bar, smirking at the stunned woman.

She stared at him for a moment before breaking into a genuine, unaffected smile. "My name."

"Good enough." He nodded gravely. "You may leave now, Kiba."

Kiba left with a huff. She smiled wider, turning to face him properly.

"I'm Tenten," she told him, stretching out a hand for him to shake. He took it and pressed it to his lips, gentlemanly as always.

"Very pleased to meet you, Miss Tenten."

Neji opened his eyes and blinked at the ceiling. The hammering in his head had eased a little now, his eyes beginning to adjust to the light.

The perfect woman, huh. He sighed. Goddamn Inuzuka. How he had managed to spike both their drinks, he did not know, but he was sure he no longer stood a chance with Miss Tenten now. She must find him morally depraved to have taken advantage of her in her drunken state, would avoid him like the plague whenever they met again in Konoha.

He sighed again, arching his back off the bed as he stretched. Inwardly he mourned the early loss of such a woman, knowing that he would most likely never meet a lady like Miss Tenten again in his lifetime.

Then he felt his hand connecting with something solid, soft and delightfully warm.

"Hey." An indignant feminine voice issued from a tangle of sheets by his side. Neji turned his head to find himself face to face with a sleepy looking Tenten. "Good morning, stranger," she muttered.

A beat of surprised silence. "I apologize most profusely for last night," Neji began, sounding uncharacteristically nervous, lifting himself up on an elbow and brushing black strands of stray hair from his face. "I did not mean to take advantage of you in any way – I just – the sake, Kiba – he – and the way you looked, you're beautiful and –"

"Mmmm. You really do look lovely shirtless," she murmured, gazing raptly at his chest, the sheets having slipped off when he began his desperate plea for forgiveness.

Another pause.

"... ...You're not angry?" he asked, blinking warily at her.

"No."

"Oh." He stared at her for a moment before falling back heavily onto the bed. "Not at all?"

"Not at all," she reassured him, sounding amused. Neji felt a sudden surge of happiness rush though him.

"You...do not mind being with me."

"Of course not."

They lay on the bed in silence for a few minutes, listening to each other breathing. Neji carefully slid a hand under the sheets to cover hers.

Another moment passed quietly by. Then: "So tell me, Neji. When exactly are you going to ask me out properly?"