A/N: I'm back! This isn't written as well as I would like it to be, but I have been stuck on this chapter for so long and I really want to get to finally writing the rest of this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Wedding Day
The sky is overcast on the day of their marriage. It is mid-morning when the escort departs to bring Tenten and her parents to the Hyuuga compound for the wedding. Neji can feel the tremor of a dozen hooves as he kneels to place an offering at his father's grave. The wedding is a stiff, formal affair as all Hyuga events inevitably are. Neji catches the smug impressions adorning the faces of his uncle and the Hyuga elders as they congregate before the altar and feels his irritation prick. This entire arrangement is a result of them overstepping their bounds, and despite his interest in his bride, nothing will quell the resentment he feels towards them. To prevent any drama, Hinata does her best to keep Hanabi from teasing him too much, and Lee even greets him with a flirtatious whistle in an effort to brighten his quickly souring mood. "I might have applied to be your betrothed if I had known," he jokes, wiggling his brows at Neji's formal attire. Neji quietly snorts before swatting Lee towards his seat.
It is nearly noon when Tenten arrives. She is dressed in a resplendent white silk kimono, her hair carefully pinned with fresh fragrant gardenias. Neji watches from near the altar as she and her parents greet his family, waiting for a moment to catch her eye. When she finally meets his gaze, he cannot help but offer her his one and only genuine smile of the day.
From there the day takes on a dreamlike quality. Neji feels as if he is a distant observer, watching the wedding unfold as if it were not his own. His body moves mechanically. It is almost as if his mind is attempting one last effort to deny this new reality. He and Tenten speak little to one another throughout the ceremony. They communicate only through brief brushes of the back of his hand against hers, and the meeting of their eyes as she takes a sip of sake from their shared ritual cup.
It is only when he and Tenten are standing at the door of the villa they will share as a couple, does reality click into clear, crisp focus. He feels a nervous tension as he watches Tenten tentatively take in their new home. The lamps the servants have lit prior to their arrival cast shadows on her features as she gingerly slides open each door in the single hallway that stretches across from the entryway, and briefly peers into every room. He explains how he specifically requested that their residence be located near the forest that borders the Hyuga compound. "I value privacy and peace. My family can be meddling when it comes to the affairs of newlyweds." It is nothing to be worried about, he assures her when a look of apprehension crosses her features. It is all just gossip.
Finally, she rejoins him at the door.
"So?" she asks. Neji deduces from the unfocused look on her face that she too is still digesting everything that has transpired today.
"So," he quotes, and they both lapse into a momentary silence.
"What now?" Tenten turns to face him.
He tells her he is not sure. It is the most honest answer he can formulate. He pointedly trains his eyes on the spot above her shoulder. He has imagined their first night together so many times, attempting to ascertain each outcome as if it were a battle strategy his survival hinged upon. Still, he feels wholly unprepared.
The moment is interrupted by a knock at the door. A servant bows deeply as she explains she has come to help Tenten remove her ceremonial garb. Unsure on what to do, and in an effort to give both himself and Tenten some privacy after a day on display, Neji elects to take a walk in the garden. The sweet, heavy perfume of the magnolia blossoms in the garden reminds Neji of his mother, and he wonders what she would have thought of his wedding. More importantly, what would she have thought of Tenten? He was too young when she passed to really remember her preferences.
When he returns, Tenten is already curled underneath the blankets of their futon, dozing peacefully. He has forgotten to tell her that he prefers the right side of the bed, but he cannot bring himself to disturb her. Despite his efforts to move quietly, Tenten stirs of her own accord just as he is slipping on his nightwear. She quickly turns away, the reddening tips of her ears betraying her embarrassment. She picks at a gardenia petal that had fallen from her hair as she undressed, and as she slowly turns the petal over between her fingers, he finally vocalizes the thought that has been slowly churning in the back of his mind since he last visited her in the smithy. He tells her he likes her in the only way he can think to, the words tumbling easily from his mouth. "I'm glad it's you." Despite the injustice of this whole predicament, in the end, he is glad that she is here.
Tenten is silent, but a small soft smile quickly blooms on her lips and she drops the petal onto the floor as she turns to meet his gaze. "Me too," she breathes, her face still a brilliant scarlet red.
After putting out the lamps, he settles next to her, busying himself with arranging the blankets in an attempt to appear nonplussed. Truthfully he finds it strange to share a bed with someone (not just someone, he corrects himself, his wife). They lie stiffly, shoulder-to-shoulder, careful to not touch one another. Tenten, however, dozes off easily once again, too tired by the day to be too bothered by the newness of the situation. When Neji is sure she is sound asleep, he turns to look at her. The exhaustion and tension have melted from her face, and he finds that he is pleased that she feels so comfortable in his presence. And despite his own discomfort, Tenten's warmth is soothing and inviting, and eventually, the slow tempo of her breath steadily lulls him into a dreamless, blissful sleep.
A/N: Happy New Year! Thank you for reading and please review!
~M.I.
