A/N: It is finally here! Have I gotten better at writing smut? (Remember the days where we called it lemon / citrus?) Definitely not. And there are two scenes in here, if you're not counting some of the imagery and discussion around sex. So, yeah. This is trash masquerading as something serious, particularly since I can't keep the perspective consistent. Enjoy! – 3 April 2020
Syndicate
By Tanya Lilac
Chapter Twenty Six – Promises
21:30 January 17. Outside Kengo's apartment, Aoba-ku, Sendai.
Hitomi paid for the taxi in on her card – since Kengo had paid for dinner – and as they got out of the car, she cast her eyes around for Tenten or Neji. Instinct told her it would probably be Tenten, since Neji tended to stand out. She turned to find Kengo giving her an odd look.
"What?"
"You've grown up," he mused. Six years ago, she wouldn't have threatened to leave halfway through dinner or been the first to suggest they go back to his place.
"Does that bother you?" she asked, spinning a round abruptly to face him. "I was a child."
"Sometimes I want to go back. It was easier then."
"What was?"
"Everything, including you."
"I don't think I've become more difficult," Hitomi said, a soft smile on her lips as she cocked her head to the side. "You just don't like sharing."
"You may have a point," Kengo said, smiling back at her. He ran a hand through her hair and she looked up at him as he cupped her cheek in his hands. They were large and warm, despite the cold. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure in a non-descript beige service uniform and cap and knew it was Tenten – she was broadcasting her thoughts, just as Kengo leaned in for a kiss.
Be the version of you that he wants. You can do this.
It was over in an instant – Tenten walked past, tugging her cap downwards over her face, and slipped the device into Hitomi's pocket. It was small, but she didn't know if she was imagining its weight. When Kengo finally pulled away, Hitomi turned her face away from the street, burying her face in his chest, slightly breathless.
"Hitomi? Are you okay? I'm sorry I got carried away," Kengo said sheepishly. She shook her head and blinked up at him.
"Let's go inside," she said. As they finally turned and walked into the building, Hitomi felt a chill run down her spine, and Kengo rubbed her shoulder as if to warm her up. Of all of Kengo's traits, possessiveness was one of his strongest, relying on his desire for absolute control. She used to think it came from a desire to want to take care of her. She used to find it comforting.
"Are you cold?" he asked gently, looking down at her.
"A bit," she said, slipping her hands into the coat pockets. Discovery of the device brought her back to reality, and her mission. They rode the elevator in silence up to the thirty ninth floor. There was a small foyer – since Kengo lived in a luxury apartment block, there were four rooms per floor.
The spies had told her they would be monitoring her situation from the empty apartment diagonally opposite his, in case she needed backup. They paused as Kengo found his key card and opened the door. Hitomi noted the additional security measures as he keyed in a code and scanned his thumbprint on a panel just inside the door, and the lights in the apartment turned on.
"Do you bring work home with you now?" Hitomi asked, amused.
"I can't be too careful," Kengo confessed. "Espionage is all but sanctioned these days, and there's no saying what hackers can do. At least I get a bit of protection when I'm out of the house. I shut down my computer and any connections that could be hacked."
"Is it because you're Isaka Pharm's rising star?"
"Company policy. But I'll take the compliment," he said with a smirk. They took off their shoes and he slid open the door into the living area of apartment.
"Don't let it get to your head," Hitomi said loftily. "I'm merely repeating what I've heard."
"Shall I take your jacket?"
Hitomi smiled, but her heart was pounding. "It's yours anyway," she said. "I'll put it away."
"Okay," Kengo said easily, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "Everything is where I used to keep it. I'll go get the wine ready."
Hitomi was spared from a response as her phone started ringing. "Do you mind if I …"
"You don't have to answer it," Kengo said quietly. "Not if it's him."
"I have nothing to hide," Hitomi said, meeting his eyes evenly, daring him to challenge her further. The phone continued to ring, and he sighed.
"I'm sorry, I'll leave you to it." He cupped her cheek in his hand, stroking her skin with his thumb, searching her eyes. The phone stopped ringing and they glanced at it.
"I need to call him back," she said gently. "I'll see you in a bit."
Hitomi waited until he retreated to the kitchen, turned and made her way to his bedroom, walked straight through to the ensuite and turned on the tap, as Tenten had told her to do.
"Hello?"
"Good job on the brush pass," Tenten said. "Very natural. So you'll want to put the device near his computer. You just need to make sure the computer is turned on and that it's connected to the internet, otherwise you won't be able to copy anything over. Put it as close as you can, because … depending on how much content there is to copy, it might take a while, especially since it's a wireless transfer. But the device will handle the rest automatically, in terms of running discreetly and protecting itself."
"How long will it take?"
"Around four hours was the figure I was given, but I can't say anything until we start getting data."
If only things could be that simple. "Right. Anything else?"
"Our scans of the room indicate there are cameras in the apartment."
"Security is tight, like you said," Hitomi sighed. "I'll keep an eye out."
"Stay safe, Silver."
Hitomi hung up and took the device out of the pocket and turned it over in her hands. It fit comfortably in her hand and was about the size and weight of a power bank – she could leave her phone on top of it to hide it, but it wouldn't really arouse much suspicion. She left the bathroom and went to hang up the jacket Kengo had lent her. It had been a long time since she had been here – perhaps longer than a year – but the scent of this room and the scent of Kengo's clothes in the wardrobe were at once intimate and familiar.
"Everything okay?"
Hitomi took her time, smoothing out the shoulders of the coat over the hanger, zipping it up and straightening the sleeves before hanging up the jacket in the wardrobe. Then, she turned to face him. "Actually, it was work. Do you mind if I borrow your computer to check some emails?"
"Sure," he said, with an amused smile. "I've opened the wine to let it breathe."
"Perfect," Hitomi brushed past him as he held the door open for her. She cast her gaze over the lounge room, which was still as she remembered it, as they entered the study. "I like what you've done with the place," she said dryly as he switched on the computer.
"Hmm?" He looked in the direction she was staring at and realised she had spotted the camera. They were probably arranged to face entry and exit points, but she still hated the feeling of being watched. She had lived through far too much of that as a child.
"Oh, those. Company issue," Kengo said vacantly as he entered his password. "I turn them off when I get home. It's all yours," he said, opening an internet browser and standing up. "I'll be in the lounge."
He left her alone in the study, and she waited for him to close the door. Hitomi sat down and looked at some news sites, at an article that had been published about her – or the pieces she had showcased, rather – at the Sugimura Christmas party. Had it only been three weeks ago? It felt like an age.
It had been an amusing night, until Suzuki had shown up.
She sighed, and as if on cue, she received an email from Neji saying the uplink had been successful and they were receiving the information. Estimated time: four and a half hours. Hitomi turned back to the computer, and checked her own website for a few minutes to make it look like she was doing something work related, took a couple of screen shots of elements she wanted to update and sent it to her assistant to check on Monday. When she had killed enough time, she turned off the screen, leaving the computer and the scanning device to run.
Hitomi left the study and closed the door softly behind her. Kengo was sitting on the leather lounge, eyes closed as he listened to jazz playing softly on the stereo. Hitomi sat down beside him and poured two glasses of wine from the decanter.
"You're not sleeping, are you?" Hitomi asked, handing him a glass. Kengo opened his eyes and smiled at her as he took the wine glass, and raised it to hers.
"For old times' sake," he said quietly. Hitomi tilted her head and took a sip of the deep red wine. It was deep and lush, and easy to drink.
"How's work?" He asked, after silence had taken time to settle, swirling between them like the wine in her glass.
"Work is good. Sketches and drapes for my next collection are coming together."
"What's the theme?" Kengo asked.
"Light," Hitomi said carefully. "And refracted memories. It's the world I see through … Lucia's eyes."
Kengo paused for a moment, and took a few more sips of wine, turning the idea over in his mind. "Mostly greys, then? Interesting choice," he mused, when she nodded.
"I thought it was time," Hitomi said truthfully. "I've been aware of her influence on my work for a while."
"Don't you just drink the tea?"
"Yes. I didn't realise there was another way to take it – smoking never worked for any of us."
"Yeah, you're right," he said, frowning. "Anyway, how is your favourite womaniser, Hyuuga Neji, finding Sendai?"
"Making a name for himself," Hitomi said mildly between sips of wine. "He swiped Sugimura Takeshi's girlfriend from right beneath his nose."
Kengo snorted. "Ahh … Takeshi. Not the sharpest tool in the shed. Always wanted what he couldn't have."
"Sounds like Saito Kazuma."
"Cut from similar cloth."
"Saito is more of a bastard, though," Hitomi sighed.
Kengo chuckled. "The kid's still rough around the edges, is all. Always eager to please and prove himself." How this man could wax lyrically about her and be so dismissive of others always amazed her.
"Are we still talking about the same person?" Hitomi laughed.
"So, who is she?"
"Who?" Hitomi asked, knowing full well who he was asking about.
"The girl who everyone wants."
"Inoue Miyako, a once-librarian and bank worker from Kanazawa – or Yamaguchi, I forget. She came to your parents' Christmas party."
"Ahh … the girl in the blue dress?"
"You sound surprised."
"It was obvious she didn't fit in with your group. And, well … she's average. Every girl on the street looks like her. I've seen her type too often; instantly forgettable but once she gets her teeth in someone …" He trailed off, letting her imagination fill in the gap, and she tried hard not to grit her teeth. "Anyway, she's no supermodel … but, there's always a catch."
"What's your catch?"
"You tell me," Kengo said, refilling his glass. They really were drinking a bit too quickly. Hitomi mulled it over for some time.
"Work. It was hard to deal with being second best when I didn't have anything else in my life," she said finally. "What's mine?"
"Where do I even start?" he asked, and she nudged him playfully.
"I resent that!"
"I thought you might."
"Give me a serious answer," Hitomi demanded.
"Seriously?" he asked, leaning into her.
"Seriously, serious."
"You don't have one."
"Stop joking around, Kengo," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I mean it, Hitomi. There is absolutely no downside to being in your company."
"What about … my talents?" Hitomi asked.
"Isn't that how we met? I wouldn't change it for the world. You were the most beautiful woman in the room – and you saw right through me. The things you've showed me since then …"
"Some people would be terrified." Hitomi said, tracing her finger along the edge of her wineglass.
Kengo met her eyes. "I never was."
22:43 January 17. Outside Kengo's apartment, Sendai.
As the mission progressed, it became very obvious Hitomi and Kengo were getting slightly tipsy and very physical, as evidenced by long periods of silence – and Hitomi's increased heart rate. Neji tried hard not to sigh and glanced over at Tenten. Watching how quickly the information was being downloaded wasn't exactly riveting.
Despite the normalcy of this morning, Neji hadn't been able to stop thinking about what had happened yesterday. She hadn't pushed him away at first. For five frenetic heartbeats, he had believed that she would say something, anything, to reassure him that she still …
Tenten was still watching Hitomi's vitals on the monitor.
"We should get a bit closer and set up a signal booster," Tenten said, turning abruptly. The mission came first. "Do you want to head up to 39A or should I?" She didn't seem to think that she had caught him staring at her.
"We work in pairs," Neji said. "We'll both go."
Tenten had no reason to object. They packed up all they would need, leaving the computer secured in the van, but keeping their laptops remotely connected so they could monitor the progress of the upload. Neji rewired the security camera feed to replay the same twenty seconds on their level, to mask their presence from electronic eyes. They snuck in through the service door, using a master key card Neji had programmed earlier in the day, and made their way up to the thirty-ninth floor in silence without passing another soul. The same card granted them access into 39A and Tenten quickly unrolled the mat she was carrying so they could lay out their equipment on the floor without leaving marks.
Neji activated a bug sweeping device and checked every room in the apartment to make sure it was as empty as they had assumed in the morning. Tenten worked on sealing up the doors and windows and activating sound proofers – all useful things they had picked up at the cache that morning.
"No traces of living things," he murmured, returning to the living room. The occupants of the apartment were out of the country, spending their winter in warmer lands. "How's the upload looking?"
"Still at twenty three percent, but the upload speed has increased," Tenten said dully, stretching out on the floor. "Did you want to use this time to review plans for tomorrow?"
"The blueprints are too outdated –"
"But there haven't been any structural changes lodged with the local government in the past three years," Tenten reminded him. "The micro-bots will take time to update the schematics but having an overview of the warehouse before we get there will be useful."
Neji conceded and Tenten pulled a small projector out of her bag and set it in the middle of the room on the coffee table. She switched it on and a three dimensional projection of the warehouse appeared, suspended in mid air.
"As far as appearances goes, it looks pretty standard. We're heading in from above. I'll disarm the alarm and firewall and set up the security footage loops."
"And I'll take care of security. Guard shift changes at …"
"Eleven thirty – but there will only be three, and they'll be sitting in the guard's compartment," Tenten confirmed. "Sleeping gas is probably the way to go if they're all in the one space."
"Do we have any areas of interest?"
"Not yet. Lucia is stable at room temperature so it wouldn't need to be refrigerated," Tenten sighed, and pulled the hair band out of her ponytail, shaking it loose and combing her hand through her hair. "The team has analysed the compounds in the drug and sent them back in a report, and the bots will be able to scan some of the stock. But first, we'll look at the inventory records, which Shadow or Dango's team can take care of once I secure the firewall – we're looking for it under its trade name, 'Anima'."
"How original," Neji said dryly.
Tenten shrugged. "Given the nature of the actual interested parties of the true 'Anima', we wouldn't expect to find the actual memory drug. Most of the warehouse staff don't seem to know much about the stock other than their names and locations."
"When did you find time to fit in the extra recon?"
"I had a very productive evening the night I saw Suzune," Tenten smiled, running a hand through her hair again. Neji tried to not be distracted by the movement and the memories it stirred. "I dropped by their local bar down at the docks – I wasn't about to spend the whole night twiddling my thumbs and talking to your cousin."
Neji nodded, and swallowed before responding. "Impressive work." He glanced at the laptop, currently split between showing the link status and Hitomi's heartrate monitor.
"I try," Tenten said, rubbing her neck. She stood abruptly, turning away from him as she raised her arms above her head.
"Stiff shoulders?" He asked.
He could see the colour in her cheeks, even in the dim light. She switched off the projector. "It's nothing. I just need some water." She left him alone in the living room, but not before muttering under her breath, "… or a cold shower."
Neji was stunned. How had he missed the signs? He could feel it now, too. He wet his lips nervously, as he became acutely aware of the emotions Hitomi was emitting. Desire coiled in his stomach as he tried not to think about Tenten, in the shower, or drinking a cool glass of water, a drop of water rolling down her neck as she, too, bathed in the waves of lust.
He was silent as a shadow as he followed her to the kitchen but Tenten knew he was there. She paused, taking another gulp of water, then a deep breath. The heat emanating from her body carried across the cold kitchen – how could he feel this warm in the middle of winter?
Her breath vibrated through the air, and her lips trembled as she whispered three short, dangerous words.
"You should leave."
He was behind her now, sweeping her hair over her shoulder to expose her neck. She tensed at his touch, but relaxed as his hands found her shoulders, tracing down to her forearms. She put the glass down, almost leaning back into him. She was breathing shallowly, as if too deep a breath would cause them to touch.
"I should leave," he echoed, his words a sharp rasp. She turned slowly, and they were eye to eye, his hands behind her back, and her hands on his chest. Not pushing him away, but anchoring him. No, pulling him towards her.
"This … changes nothing," she breathed. Her eyes were fixated on his lips, parted slightly. His hands were splayed on her hips. "Stakeout fever. Happens all the time," she continued. "We still need to fix things – you, me, Sas-"
Neji captured her lips before she could finish, pulling her close so their bodies were flush. It was heaven. It was everything he had wanted since he first saw her, and not nearly enough. She was mewling as he caught her bottom lip between his teeth, and the sound was enough to send a spark down his spine, tangling with the desire pooling in his stomach, pulling and winding him taut with every breath.
Neji's lips found her collarbone as she hopped up on the table, back against the cold marble. He pushed up her shirt, kissing the planes of her stomach as he inched up to her chest – when suddenly Tenten was pushing him away. They were both breathing heavily, and Tenten met his eyes with a gaze that still smouldered. "No, not here," she said, and her voice sent a thrill over his skin, her leg still rubbing against him.
"You're making it difficult not to," he choked out, gripping the counter as he leaned towards her, desperate to stay in her orbit, in her warmth.
"I know," she smirked, leaning back. In the dark, the crystal apple winked up at him, rising and falling with her breaths. He kissed her again, forcing the image from his mind. "We should move this somewhere else," Tenten continued after breaking away.
"Like … the lounge?"
Tenten laughed, giving him a playful push. Further, this time, as she pulled herself together, making it look easy. Neji, on the other hand, was a second from fracturing. "No, like … home," she said quietly. "Besides, we've been here too long already. And I do not want the evidence crew asking what we were doing in the kitchen."
"They won't ask, they'll know," Neji grumbled.
Tenten grinned, hopping down from the table. Neji's hands were still on her hips, and his heart was still pounding as he kissed her again, before breaking away reluctantly, his forehead against hers.
Tenten slipped past him, making sure he felt every inch of her brush against him. "Feel free to take your time cooling down," she smirked.
0:17 January 18. Kengo's apartment, Sendai.
The wine was long forgotten, clothes were scattered on the floor, and for once Hitomi found herself not caring. More troubling was the sense of … emptiness. She could hear Kengo's heartbeat, but not his thoughts, and between her fingers, she inspected the tag he was wearing – a tablet of black tourmaline, reinforced with silver. Kengo looked down at her.
"What?"
"This," she said, holding up the pendant. She had underestimated him. "Weren't you saying that … there was no downside to being in my company?"
He looked sheepish. "It's true. I just wanted … to give you a night off."
"I don't like it," she sighed, lying back down, her ear against his chest. Now that she was no longer wearing her necklace, she could feel the other inhabitants of the building – Neji and Inoue were close by, Inoue still feeling the effects of her powers and Neji most likely imagining her naked. "Do you think … Sex and love are different things?"
"Of course," Kengo said, stroking her hair. "Do you mean you can't sleep with Okuchi?"
"Not like that … I just feel like if … when I do, I … become in danger of losing myself completely."
"Because you love him?"
"I feel like I just want to exist in my purest possible state," Hitomi closed her eyes. "Just … emotions and instincts, no thoughts. No words."
"Ah," Kengo sighed. "And there is the problem, Tomi. This is going to sound like a cliché … but you're a force of nature."
Hitomi opened her eyes.
"Another way to answer your question – there is no such thing as love. There are only chemicals in your brain. Urges. Instincts that come from … primal places."
"Then what is sex for?"
"When you're hungry, you eat."
She snorted. "Sex isn't vital to my survival."
"What is it to you?" Kengo asked finally. Hitomi lifted her head and met his eyes.
"A connection. The closest anyone can get to having my abilities. You lose that sense … of barriers between minds and thoughts and emotions and you think only of the same thing." She paused. "That is, if you weren't wearing this." She tapped the disk, and he propped himself up on his elbows as she sat up.
"Does it bother you that much?"
Hitomi smiled. "More than you'd think," she said, kissing him softly.
2:35 January 18. Outside Hitomi's apartment, Sendai.
Tenten was still wide awake when Hitomi finally bid Kengo goodnight. The transfer had finished about an hour ago but she and Neji had both decided to remain vigilant in case Kengo tried to prevent Hitomi from leaving. He was still, after all, a suspect. Tenten watched as the taxi pulled up to the kerb and the silver haired Hyuuga got into the car and drove away. She sighed with relief, and turned to nod at Neji. He had been watching the apartment foyer to make sure there was no movement, and they exited the building the way they came.
When they finally arrived back at the van's drop off point just behind Hitomi's apartment, Neji turned off the engine and silence fell. No more mission or empty radio chatter and jingles, just the two of them. Tenten pulled her knees up to her chest, and tried not to keep staring at him through her peripheral vision. He was lenient.
"Do you want me to drop you back at the hotel tonight?"
Tenten, without looking at him, shook her head. She wondered if he had felt her gaze on him the way she felt his – like a physical touch, a hand on the small of her back, brushing against the back of her hand, a calm hand resting on her knee.
She took a steady breath. "I think I'm ready to talk, Neji. But I'm not sure you're ready to hear this."
He knew what she was saying – she was unsure what lay on the other side of this conversation. They both were, but they had to be prepared to accept the consequences or face being stuck in the same barbed wire of a stalemate they'd been locked in for the past month – the more they struggled to leave, without facing themselves, their history and their circumstances honestly, the deeper the wire cut.
"I'm here, Tenten." She looked up to see him holding out a hand. "And you're right – you've always been right. You had nothing to apologise for. I know I don't deserve to ask what I'm asking now, and I know I have a long way to go. I'm sorry for shutting you out and for being angry at you, when I know I was angry at myself. I know I said the same thing yesterday – and I should have said sorry then."
The car was rapidly cooling, their breaths fogging up the windows slowly but steadily. He kept his hand out – still an offer, still waiting for her. Tenten flexed her fingers.
"I hate empty promises. You didn't make any the first time around, but I'm not the same girl I was. I used to be able to forgive you for everything, no matter what you did. Now I know I will always … care about you, Neji. As much as I tried to run from those feelings, they're always there. I want to see you happy, and whole. But I can't be her again.
"I'm not asking for forever. If we start something now that can't be protected from whatever else the world demands of us, there's no point in lying to ourselves. We're going back to Tokyo where you have your family and your job with the conglomerate, and one day, sooner or later, they're going to want you back. And we already know that's a foregone conclusion. You can't say no to them, not for my sake, not even for your own. I need you – us – to be better, and focus on being in the present. I need you to be upfront with me. No running away from problems, no more being the last to know, no more trying to figure things out by yourself. Can you do that?"
Neji was silent for a few moments, digesting everything she'd said. "What about him?"
"Why does it have to be conditional? Do you trust me?" She asked, finally meeting his eyes.
"Yes. Always," he breathed.
"So trust me on this," Tenten said softly, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. "Sasuke is my partner. I want to keep working with him. But I want to try this again. So if you ever speak to me like that again –"
The hand that had lingered in the space between them was suddenly on the side of her face as he leaned forward and kissed her. Tenten sighed and opened up to him, feeling like it had been an age since she had traced his lips with her own – even though he had kissed her hours ago, while they had been dazed by lust. The fire was still there, but it was tightly controlled, simmering, ready to be stoked.
"Trust me," he murmured between kisses. "I know exactly what you are capable of."
They finally left the van, taking their laptops and the backup drive containing the files from Kengo's computer, and locked the car. As they started walking back to the apartment, they fell into steps that were slow, measured, synchronised. His hand swung next to hers, and she took his hand, intertwining their fingers. He looked down at her, amused and surprised all the same, and she smiled sweetly up at him.
"Let's get inside," he said softly, his breath a white puff in the space between them. They walked through the empty foyer, heading up in silence to the apartment – it was still and cold, and Hitomi was not waiting for them like Tenten had expected.
"She texted me earlier. She's gone to meet up with Isaka and Yori," Neji said, noticing Tenten look around for traces of the other Hyuuga.
Tenten took off her boots and stepped up into the apartment, unwinding the scarf from her neck. Neji gave her a hand as she shrugged out of the thick coat she was wearing. Tenten turned, leaving the jacket in his hands. "I'm going to start the shower," she said, the invitation unspoken. "Can you run the initial data check and give me five minutes?" Tenten retreated to his room, and Neji hung their coats in the closet and turned on the heating. He could hear the shower running in the ensuite bathroom.
Neji turned on the computer they had moved into his room yesterday and connected the laptop containing the data they had copied from Kengo's computer, and began to transfer the files across.
Taking his time with each button and zip, Neji took off his clothes, and stowed them in the laundry basket by the wardrobe. He wasn't sure how much time had passed when slid the bathroom door open, bracing himself for the overly-white bathroom. It was dim inside. Tenten had lit a few unscented candles he had kept in his room for meditation purposes, and was already in the shower, and he could see her hair falling in ringlets down her back through the glass. Neji savoured the sight as he brushed his hair.
"Like what you see?" Tenten's voice rung throughout the bathroom like a song.
Neji swallowed, forming an intelligent response.
"Hn."
He put the brush down and stepped into the shower. Steam was beginning to fill the rest of the room, and Neji sighed as the water embraced him, warming his blood. She was always doing this – always making space for him, waiting for him.
Tenten was holding the bottle of conditioner and he raised a hand. She handed him the bottle and turned her back to him, sliding her hair over her shoulder. Neji guided her back under the water with him and began by combing the ends of her hair, conditioner in hand, working his way up her tresses, massaging her gently as the fragrance of the conditioner evaporated in the steam. Tenten sighed, finally breaking away from his touch to clip her hair up, thanking him with a coy smile over her shoulder. Neji washed his own hair as Tenten washed her face – and it wasn't until he reached for the body wash did he realise exactly why Tenten had been waiting for him.
"Turn around," she smiled, bottle in one hand. Tenten knew his back was sensitive, so she took her time, massaging his shoulders, tracing lines down his shoulder blades to the small of his back. He turned to face her, washing the suds away under the shower head as he pulled her back under the spray. Tenten gave him a wicked grin as she squeezed more of the gel into her hands. She started with his shoulders, then ran her hands, firm, but smooth, down his arms to his hands – right and then left. She inched closer, both hands exploring his chest down to his navel, passing over every scar and mark.
And still, she did not kiss him, nor let him move closer. Neji tried to lean down, but with the slightest flex of her fingers, she pushed him back, and he could only watch the water run in rivulets down her neck to her breasts. She was enjoying this – they both were – prolonging the inevitable, letting the anticipation and tension build. She made a small sound of surprise when his hand once again cradled her head as he rinsed her hair. The palm of her hand against his cheek, fingers trailing down to his chin as she left the shower, made his breath catch and he knew his eyes were darkened with desire – because she could see it mirrored in her gaze.
Tenten left him behind the obscured glass, slipping on a heavy robe after towelling herself dry and giving her hair a quick blow dry. She luxuriated in the feeling of crisp, clean sheets against her skin, and Tenten felt herself falling into a light doze, until Neji slid onto the bed beside her, drawing her into his arms. And then she remembered that there was nothing like the feel of his skin on hers, the way his hands traced and mapped the planes of her stomach.
Their eyes met, and Neji searched for those signs of hesitation and the confusion that had clouded them on so many occasions, but she was present and completely focused on him as she leaned forward caught his lips. And after waiting for so long to kiss him, she felt as if every fibre in her being, far from being satisfied, were singing and calling for his touch.
In the next breath, his tongue was against hers, and she was dizzy, drunk on his taste and smell, when he finally broke away, planting kisses on her neck, trailing down to her breasts, every scar lovingly worshipped. Her eyes snapped open as his mouth closed on her nipple, his tongue hot as he traced circles against her skin. His fingers were no longer twined in hers as he opened the robe, his touch firm as he trailed down her stomach to her thighs caressing her soft, supple skin. It was his turn to tease her, ignoring her heat completely as he caressed her inner thigh, and she sighed when his mouth moved to her other breast.
Tenten gently pushed him onto his back, straddling him as she took his lips once more, and he followed her even as she pulled away, hands on her hips. Tenten shifted further down, lifting his arms above his head as she left a trail of kisses down to his chest. Tenten's hands slipped down past his navel to caress him, but Neji growled and she inadvertently squealed as he pushed her onto her back and kissed her deeply. Her lips were swollen when he broke away, and she gasped when his teeth grazed her bottom lip.
Mesmerised by the rise and fall of her breasts, Neji couldn't help but suck on them again as his fingers slid back down towards her slick heat. Tenten's breathing grew ragged as his mouth caught up, tasting and savouring all of her. Tenten was shaking and couldn't bite back a whimper as he withdrew, feeling only emptiness as she caught her breath. She looked up at him and felt like her entire soul was laid bare before him, as he skimmed his hands over her calves up to her hips, knees on either side of his waist. He leaned over her and caught her lips as she took him in, her ankles crossed over his back. It was like coming home.
Her heartbeats were drowning out the sound of her ragged breaths, his name slipping past her lips like a plea until he kissed her again. Their hearts beat against one another. Neji never lost sight of her, their eyes locked, his hand entwined in her hair as she came, her name a deep growl from within his chest as he followed soon after.
Silence fell, and as their heartbeats slowed Tenten realised Neji was still watching her. She closed her eyes as he kissed her tenderly, cupping her cheek in his hand. They didn't need words to break the silence, not yet. Neji settled on his side and shifted over so they could share his pillow, something they hadn't done in years. Neji continued to stare at her, but the expression on his face was so strange, that Tenten couldn't help but laugh.
"What?"
"I'm sorry, you just look so … content." Tenten trailed off.
The last year of their relationship had been particularly turbulent, driven in part by the pressures he had been facing from his family to leave behind life in Konoha. She instantly regretted her words and the memories they stirred, but Neji appeared completely unfazed, as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and traced his fingers down her jaw line to her lips with almost childlike wonder.
"I should have told you more often … how beautiful you are," he said simply, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "I should have told you a lot of things back then."
"Like what?" Tenten asked, her chest bubbling with something that felt a lot like hope.
"Like … when I realised I loved you," Neji said. "I had loved you for a long time, but it just took me just as long to realise it. You told me once that people change, and move on from their first love – but I don't think I ever really did. The biggest mistake of my life was walking away from you without giving you any say in the matter – I told myself I had no other choice. That it was what my father would have wanted. That it was the best thing I could do, because I would never be able to give you everything I had. Because blood ran thicker than what we had – but I know now. That this," he said, swallowing, watching her intertwine their hands once more. "Is worth protecting."
Tenten felt a tear slip down her cheek as she took in a shaky breath, and she saw all her uncertainties reflected in his eyes. But the truth of everything was written there, too.
"Welcome home."
