Disclaimer: These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.
WARNING: OOC Characters. And fluff. Lots and lots of fluff that will make your teeth rot and your brain combust.
-OoO-
Chapter 10: Of First Kisses and First Boyfriends
-OoO-
To: Neji
From: Tenten
It's exactly 11:45 in my watch! So you better be eating lunch, mister, or else I'm telling Hiashi-san on you! :D
...
To: Tenten
From: Neji
I'm on it, mother. Let me just finish this one paper work.
...
To: Neji
From: Tenten
That's what you said last time! :I And then you forgot to eat so you had a stomach ache... Dx/
...
To: Tenten
From: Neji
I won't forget. I promise.
...
To: Neji
From: Tenten
You better not! Or I'm marching down at your office and force feed you! xD
...
To: Tenten
From: Neji
On second thought, I might just forget. So do come here. I miss you already. :(
-OoO-
Tenten grinned.
She could not help it. After all, Neji hardly showed this playful side of his to anyone, and she always felt special whenever he did this with her.
Tenten read the message again and again, her smile getting wider. She did not even notice someone tugging at her sleeve and calling out her name over and over again, not until her co-worker pluck the phone out of her hands.
"Honestly, Tenten!" Matsuri exclaimed, pouting slightly at the bun-haired beauty. "Ranmaru's been calling you for the past five minutes! Give him some attention, why don't you?"
Blinking rapidly, Tenten stared at her brunette co-worker, who crossed her arms on her chest and nodded at Tenten's side, making the latter look.
Little five-year-old Ranmaru stared back, deep violet eyes fixed on his caretaker curiously, with a storybook in his hand. He eagerly handed said book to Tenten when he noticed that he finally had her attention, before firmly settling himself on the lady's lap.
Meanwhile, Tenten fought the urge to smack her herself with a well-aimed punch. How the heck did she forget story time?! The kids always liked a good story after their snack time, and they always picked her because (as they claimed) she always made an effort to change her voices to suit each character in the story.
"You give the characters individuality," Matsuri once explained, and the kids nodded along, although most of them don't really understand what "individuality" meant. "That's why the kids love it when you read to them."
Finally in her "work mode" (and firmly pushing those giddy feelings of hers when thinking about Neji), Tenten cleared her throat and opened the book, whereas Matsuri herded the other kids to form a circle as the story started.
"Alrighty guys!" Tenten announced happily once all the kids had settled. "It's story time!" She giggled when a chorus of delighted screams filled the room. "Today's story will be about... Beauty and the Beast!"
The kids cheered once more, but among all the ruckus, one hand shot up. Tenten quickly called the boy's name, thinking that the little tyke wanted to go "weewee" first before the story started.
Instead, she got a cheesy grin that oddly reminded her of her little brother, and this.
"Can we talk 'bout your boyf'iend instead, Tenten-sensei?" The little boy, Inari, asked as he grinned cutely.
"I hear he's so han'some!" One of the girls gushed, and sighed dreamily. "Like a p'ince!"
"Well, I sees him!" Another boasted to his peers. "And he got this really super cool car! And it so shiny!"
The other children "ooh-ed" and "aah-ed" at all the revelations regarding their teacher's boyfriend, and pretty soon, the class were in disarray as the children shared some more facts on Tenten-sensei's mystery guy. Others demanded a name.
"Why he not come early, Tenten-sensei?" Ranmaru innocently ask as he adjusted himself on his sensei's lap so he could turn to look at her. "I wanna sees him! He sound like a really cool person!"
"We-Well... Neji has to work and..."
"Oh, so Neji's his name!" Inari exclaimed triumphantly, before chanting "Neji" like a mantra. His classmates soon followed, and a few sang "Neji and Tenten-sensei, sitting on a tree" loudly.
Tenten morphed into a big cherry, steam popping out of her ears, as the kids continued to swap stories about this Neji person.
"Help me!" Tenten hissed at her giggling partner, but Matsuri only shook her head at the flushing Sarutobi.
"Nuh-uh!" Matsuri replied, sticking her tongue out at Tenten. "This is what you get for daydreaming on the job, Tennie!"
Blushing like a ripe tomato, Tenten immediately proceeded to think of a good diversion and came with one, fool-proof, devious solution. Steeling herself, Tenten took one deep breath and calmly coaxed the kids to settle down.
And once the kids had somewhat settled down, Tenten eyed each little child and coughed, before declaring to the wide-eyed scamps that Matsuri's boyfriend had a really cool tattoo on his forehead!
She inwardly cackled triumphantly when all the kids gathered around their other teacher instead, all thoughts of Neji forgotten as they bombarded Matsuri-sensei with questions such as, "What his name, sensei?", "What do he looks like, sensei?", and, "A tat'oo? Is he a yankee, sensei?"
-OoO-
True to his word, Neji did stop for lunch the moment he finished his papers.
Rising from his seat, he stretched and groaned in satisfaction as he felt the kinks on his back from hunching slowly coming undone. Then, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the latest message from Tenten, which simply read, "Happy eating :D".
He smiled slightly, wondering if perhaps his girlfriend was a magical girl or something. Because really, he could not find any explanation as to how Tenten's messages always make his day and give him this burst of energy he severely needed to work under his uncle, especially now that he was promoted as Hiashi's secretary.
And speaking of Hyuuga Hiashi, Neji vaguely heard the door of his uncle's office open, and soon, the older Hyuuga walked out of the room, gaze immediately set on the phone in his nephew's hand.
He raised a brow.
"I take it Tenten reminded you to eat lunch?" He asked, and when Neji answered in affirmative, he nodded pleasantly. "Very good. That means you and I are dining together, nephew."
Hiashi led the way, and as soon as Neji pocketed his phone, he trailed along his uncle, hoping that the man would not start any conversation, because when he and Tenten started dating, his uncle had been relentless in asking Neji when the wedding will be and how soon will he be able to hold his first grandchild. Simply put, it was starting to grate Neji's nerves.
The walk along the hallway going to the elevator was silent, and Neji prayed to every god listening that the quietness would remain until the whole lunch was over.
Unfortunately for the young Hyuuga, once they were inside the elevator going down, his uncle soon cleared his throat – a signal that he was in a mood for talking.
"How long have you and Tenten started going out, nephew?" The man asked casually, checking his wrist watch for the time.
"About four months now, sir." Neji answered truthfully, gaze set on the elevator doors. "Actually, it will be five months next week."
His uncle nodded in understanding. The elevator door opened with a shrill "ding", revealing a generic-looking employee. However, when said employee noticed that he would be sharing the ride with (two!) Hyuugas, he immediately stuttered an excuse and bolted away from the elevator doors.
Hiashi stared and said nothing – the man merely pressed the button going down once more, unmindful of the obviously scared out of his wits employee.
"And yet, she still calls me Hiashi-san," the older Hyuuga muttered as soon as the doors closed once more. "I want her to call me uncle as well, nephew."
Neji narrowed his eyes and answered as diplomatically as he could. "I'll discuss it with her sir."
"I'd like that, Neji," answered Hiashi, clearly pleased at his nephew's answer. "Honestly. You've been dating for four, almost five months, so it's only natural that she starts treating us as family, yes?"
Neji grunted in reply, signalling Hiashi to continue on.
"I'm glad you agree, nephew. I was dreading that you would dispute my suggestion." Hiashi spoke, clearly not seeing (or pretty much, ignoring) the glare that Neji directed straight ahead. "How is our relationship with the young lady, Neji?"
Neji sighed softly, pinching the bridge of his nose for the upcoming headache. He knew where this conversation was going, and a quick glance at the elevator's screen warned him that they were still on the eighth floor, meaning he will have to endure his uncle's probing for a good two minutes.
"Wonderful," was Neji's curt reply.
"I can tell," Hiashi replied smoothly, "Although it baffles me that neither of you use pet names for each other." The elevator "dinged" before it opened, and the two men stepped out. "Pet names are essential to a healthy relationship, correct?"
"Not exactly, sir." Neji replied calmly. "And neither Tenten nor I use such forms of endearment because we both think it's silly." That, and they were both awful at making cutesy names for each other, but his uncle need not know that, of course.
"I see," Hiashi murmured, before his gaze turned distant and reminiscent. "I remember, I used to call my Hina 'wifey'. She'd always blush whenever I do so. It was rather appealing."
Neji wisely chose to no longer speak, although he was quite shocked that his uncle was now talking about his deceased wife. Hyuuga Hina, as far as Neji could remember, was such a frail woman with the softest voice and the kindest heart.
Unfortunately, the poor woman had met an accident on her way home one day. The driver had been too drunk to notice that he was slowly losing control of his vehicle, and Hina had been too slow to react immediately.
Hinata was six and Hanabi was one when the accident that stole their mother's life happened. Hiashi was too shaken by the news, and ever since, never felt whole again. Until now, the man still found it difficult to speak about his beloved wife, so Neji had to wonder what his uncle ate that made him speak openly about his wife, when the man sighed softly.
"Whenever I see you and Tenten together, I am reminded of my own younger days," Hiashi explained, eyes till far and distant. Neji could only nod solemnly in response.
The two men entered the company's pantry in companiable silence. They grabbed their own trays and fell in line, each trapped in their own minds as they waited for their own turn.
"I take it you two have kissed already?"
Neji turned his head toward his uncle so fast, he could have sworn his neck cracked (and the person behind him, the same generic-looking employee at the elevator, was hit by Neji's hair. The man wisely chose to stay quiet, even when his face stung). His neck was definitely aching, so Neji had to reach and massage the sore area before he replied his uncle.
"Pardon me?"
"Kiss. On the lips." Hiashi casually answered, pointing at his choice of food for lunch. "I'm sure you've done it?"
When Neji was deadly silent, Hiashi heaved a breath.
"Neji?"
"I... haven't, sir. She might not be comfortable about it."
"Nephew, allow me to tell you something," Hiashi grabbed his tray, thanking the cafeteria personnel, and left the line. "Women are attracted to gentlemen, and they appreciate it when a man keeps his hands to himself on the first few dates."
Luckily, they found a table despite the pantry being busy, and Hiashi immediately staked claim on said table by placing his tray on it.
"However, you and Tenten have been dating for months. It's only proper that you two have become more intimate with each other."
Neji, as well, placed his tray on the table, his mind processing on what his uncle had shared to him. Truthfully, the man had a point – it was perhaps time to have an upgrade on their relationship, and he was sure Tenten would not overreact if he asked.
Sighing, Neji ran his fingers against his scalp.
"I'll see what I can do about it, sir."
-OoO-
The remaining five hours in the office was spent in trepidation.
As Neji drove toward the day care center where Tenten worked, he could not help but feel just a little bit jittery. Being able to kiss her lips sounded so tempting during the conversation he had with his uncle, but now that he was so near to seeing and asking Tenten, Neji suddenly felt sick and nervous.
He wondered what Tenten's reaction would be. Would she say yes? Or would she reason out that she was not ready yet? Or maybe she would laugh at him and think he was just joking? Or she would even slap him and call him a pervert? Would she break up with him?!
The many thoughts that pervaded his mind became distractions, especially that last one, that Neji did not even know how he managed to reach the day care center in one piece. When his girlfriend clambered on the passenger's seat, filling his car with that sweet strawberry scent of hers, Neji's mind somewhat calmed down.
She placed a chaste kiss on Neji's cheek and giggled when a blush appeared on the Hyuuga's pale skin.
"How was your day?" Tenten asked happily as she buckled her seatbelt. Outside, Matsuri waved her goodbye to both Neji and Tenten, before wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's waist.
"Same old, same old." Neji replied neutrally as he drove the car. "Uncle's getting relentless, by the way. He's really keen in having me learn everything as much as possible."
"He sees your potential, Neji. You're a really smart guy, and Hiashi-san knows you can handle everything he dishes out on you." Tenten said as she opened a box of pocky and handed one to Neji, who took a bite.
"I'm honoured," Neji replied, "but that's not what I'm worried about actually."
He stopped at a red light and watched as a mother and her daughter cross the street. Beside him, Tenten fidgeted in her seat as she reached for her phone, pocky sticking out of her mouth.
"Are we talking about how Hiashi-san wants me to call him uncle from now on?"
Despite his renowned control over his emotions, Neji could not stop himself from turning to his girlfriend, his face a mixture of shock, horror, humiliation, and a tiny bit of anger.
"What." Neji could only say, his attention all focused on Tenten.
"Eyes on the road, please." Tenten advised smilingly. "Well, he sent me a text message about that. And I told him I don't mind calling him 'Uncle Hiashi' from now on."
There was another red light, so Neji chanced a glance at the text message on Tenten's phone. True enough, there was one from his uncle that asked Tenten if she could "call me Uncle Hiashi from now on? :D", to which Tenten replied with, "Sure, Uncle Hiashi. ^.^"
Neji could only groan exasperatedly. It was one thing for his uncle to send a message to Tenten, but to put a smiley on it? Oh yeah, talk about desperate.
"You don't... like me calling him uncle, Neji?"
The Hyuuga shook his head.
"It's not that," he replied sourly, inwardly thankful that they had finally arrived at her home. "I guess you could say I'm a little embarrassed. My uncle can be quite..." humiliating, eccentric, peculiar, odd... and the list goes on.
He parked the car just in front of the gate and immediately left the vehicle. He shut his eyes in mortification and heard the other door of the car open and then close.
Moments later, he felt soft arms wound around his neck, and when he opened his eyes, lavender met sepia.
"Your uncle's just showing his support of our relationship," Tenten kindly said and gave Neji a charming smile. "I'm quite touched, to tell you honestly."
Heart beating fast, an occurrence whenever he was in close proximity with Tenten, Neji could only nod as he savoured the moment of having his girlfriend so near him. And mustering enough courage, he raised a trembling hand to cup her cheek and leaned in a little bit closer.
"There's something else I want to do," he whispered huskily, fully aware that they were so close that they shared one breath.
He swiftly closed the gap without further ado and revelled in the emotions that burst in his heart. Her lips were so soft, just as he imagined they would be, and the thought that he was finally kissing Tenten made his stomach jump and roll in its place.
Before the multitude of sensations overwhelmed him, Neji let go and rested his forehead against his girlfriend's. He smiled boyishly as he shared eye contact with Tenten, who now sported the cutes blush on her pretty face.
Then, it was Tenten who stood up on her tiptoes as she kissed him. Her hold on his neck tightened as she deepened the kiss, whereas Neji was all too eager to reciprocate by snaking his arms around her waist.
Finally, after a few seconds, the need to breathe won, and both Neji and Tenten separated, eyes still locked in on their partner.
"Wow," Tenten breathed out, panting just a little bit.
Neji nodded, not trusting himself to speak yet since his vocal cords refused to cooperate with him. Gently, he pushed Tenten toward the gate, and at the girl's questioning glance, Neji smiled slightly.
"I'll be too tempted to kiss you again and again if you're near me," he explained lightly, chuckling just a bit when Tenten's cheeks grew even redder. "And besides, your brother is watching."
Indeed, when Tenten turned around, she spotted Konohamaru spying in on them at his bedroom's window. Tenten laughed a bit when the boy sported a peculiar look – like he just watched the grossest movie he had even seen in his entire life.
"Yeah, I kind of promised him I'd help with his homework," Tenten said sheepishly. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked Neji, who nodded.
"Of course," he replied before he reached out to open the gate. "Now go inside and stop bewitching me with your beauty, you enchantress."
Tenten stuck her tongue out at him, swiftly pecked him on the lips (much to Neji's surprise and delight), and then scurried a good distance away from her boyfriend.
"Bye, Neji!" Tenten said before she hurriedly close the gate, leaving Neji to just stand there for a moment, eyes still wide in his shock. When he recovered, he shook his head slightly, before returning to his car, the memory of their kiss still fresh in his mind.
-OoO-
He drew his jacket closer, as another strong gust of wind blew. He sneezed once again and then cursed out loud at the weather. But then again, he should have known better! It was nearing winter, after all. He grumbled once more, before silently promising himself to find a better apartment. One that had a heater or something.
He sighed for the nth time and muttered to himself why he was doing this. Then, as if struck by inspiration, he reminded himself that he needed to see her, needed to speak to her. Maybe even ask for her forgiveness because he had been an asshole to her – to them.
Another strong wind howled, making his tiny apartment room to rattle, but this time, he refused to give up. Tomorrow, he promised himself, he'd definitely find a better place. There was no way nature was stopping him because...
He was a man on a mission now, and he was determined to make things better with Sarutobi Tenten. If she still wanted him, he would never let go, ever again. If she refused him... well, he'd have to turn on his 'bad boy' charm and win her heart all over again.
At the thought of seeing her again, Hozuki Suigetsu had to grin.
-OoO-
NOTES:
Hm, not much to say, so I'll just thank my anon reviewers.
DeaththeKid20: What can I say? I love putting my boys to those awkward situations. Why else did I make Chihiro slap Haku? XD
PewPew: Oh hai, a new person whom I really, really don't know! Thank you so much, new person! And uhhh... when I can see the next chapters for your "Kill the Messenger" and "Rookie Roulette"? Because I wanna see them! But I will have to hunt you down first because I don't know who you are. ;)
Also, a super short preview!
"I'd ask my secretary, but Shizune's on leave," Tsunade replied before she took Suigetsu's resumé and scrutinized it. "So you really don't mind if I hire him?"
Hiruzen shook his head. "Not at all."
Anyway, don't forget to show Fruity some love. Reviews/Faves/Alerts are highly treasured and Constructive Criticisms are very much appreciated. Flames shall be used to power my steam-powered oven to make cake.
Fruity, out!