Another trigger warning for the start of the chapter.
I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry, she told herself over and over again as the tears stung the backs of her eyelids. She couldn't believe she had exploded like that. Neji had asked a normal question. He hadn't known about her childhood, hadn't been prying into her past. But her past was a horrible, bitter part of her life that she hated reliving, even momentarily, and when he had asked, she reacted the way she always did—she pushed him away.
It was her first instinct, to push away those who tried to get close to her. Tenten had never really had anyone growing up, so had never learned how to be vulnerable with someone. How to let them in. So instead of acting how any sane, rational person would, she said hurtful words to push them away, because that was what was easier for her.
The words she had yelled at Neji, they had been true. The kids at school always seemed to know who she was, that she was the poor little orphan girl. Her clothes were second hand, bag old and falling apart, and she would be mocked relentlessly for it. Because that's what kids did. They didn't realize the impact of their words, didn't know saying hurtful things would shape a person's personality for years to come.
As she'd gotten older, the boys turned from mean to cruel. They would call her 'whore' and 'slut', because in their eyes, she had to be one if she was an orphan. They would try to get her alone, try to force her to her knees as they took out their disgusting floppy dicks to shove in her mouth. Tenten fought dirty, though, and they soon found out she couldn't be forced. Other boys thought they were smarter and would offer to pay her if she sucked their dicks, but she never complied. They already thought she was dirty; Tenten wasn't going to prove their words true.
She stood, her bare ass on display, nose pressed against the corner and continued her mantra. She should never have gotten angry at Neji the way she had. Once again, he was only being kind to her and she had bitten off his head with her bitchy attitude. He hadn't deserved any of that. And her words... God, the look on his face, as though she had slapped him. She bit her lip hard to keep a sob from crawling up her throat.
"Alright, come here, Tenten," Neji called from where he still sat. She had been aware of his presence the whole time, had been listening to the sounds of his movements, in case he got up and left the room, but he never had.
And he hadn't called her baby girl or Poppet since she began yelling at him. For some reason, that stung. Had she really ruined things already?
Tenten walked towards him, her eyes downcast. She didn't want to see the disappointment in his gaze, didn't want to acknowledge that he was already giving up on her.
Not that she would blame him if he did.
She should be fine with it. It had never truly bothered her before whenever she pushed someone away.
So why did the thought of pushing Neji away hurt so damn much?
"Over my knees," he instructed once she stood in front of him. He held out a hand and helped lay her over his lap, and she almost sobbed at the gesture. Was that the last kind touch he would ever give her? "It's a count of thirty this time. Ten for not listening, ten for speaking back, and ten for calling yourself names."
"What about the... other thing." She couldn't even say it out loud. She was disgusted with herself for ever saying those words aloud.
"I have decided not to punish you for that. If that is how you see me, then there is nothing I can do about it," he replied, his voice tight.
Tenten couldn't stop the sob that burst free. "You need to!" she cried. "I need to be punished for that too." It was what she was most sorry for. She knew she shouldn't have spoken back to him, especially in anger, and she should have listened to him and calmed down straight away, and she was sorry for those things. But not like how she was sorry for upsetting Neji. For making him feel the way he was feeling right now. She hated herself for that.
"Please," she said with a sniffle. "Ten for that too."
Neji was quiet and Tenten squashed the urge to turn and face him, to try and see what was running through his mind. But then he said, "Very well. The count is forty. You will count each one out loud. Understand?"
Well, that didn't sound like fun at all. But she replied with an obedient, "Yes, Daddy," all the same.
He didn't wait for her to get comfortable this time. Didn't rub her bottom. Just spanked her hard on her right cheek, causing her to squeal from the shock of it. She remembered to say, "One," before he could chastise her, and then continued to count with every heavy hand that come down on her ass and the tops of her thighs.
She was sobbing before she even counted to ten but was still able to gasp out each number as he went. It hurt. God, did it hurt. But her tears were more to do with her guilt than the pain in her backside.
At twenty, he stilled his hand and rested it on her right buttock. He didn't massage her like he did last time, just held it steady. "How are you?" he asked, voice still tight. "Do you need to use your safeword?"
She hadn't even realized she was allowed to for this spanking, though in hindsight she should have known. He told her he would always honour her safeword, and she believed him. But she didn't want to use it. She felt so guilty, her heart so heavy with it, and she needed to see the punishment through.
"I'm fine," she said through shaky breaths. "Keep going, Daddy."
She so desperately needed to hear him call her baby girl, but all he said was, "Say it if you need to," before beginning the second half of her punishment.
And forty. Damn it all to hell that was a lot of spanks. Her ass was throbbing by the time she choked out the last number, her skin tingling and hot in all the places his hands had landed. She hadn't wanted to do anything else wrong, so she'd kept her hands gripped around his ankles despite the overwhelming desire to shield her ass every time he smacked her there.
Tenten lay over his lap after the punishment was over, not immediately being drawn up into his embrace, and her worry festered. He wasn't going to comfort her. He was going to tell her to get her pants back on and leave his house, for even so much as suggesting the horrible things that she had.
But Neji didn't do that. Finally, he grabbed her arms and pulled her up, drawing her close to his chest. Her sobs renewed at the action.
"I'm sorry," she gasped, her breathing erratic. "I'm so sorry!"
He must have understood what she was apologising for, because he replied, "I would never do anything like that." His voice was hoarse, clogged with emotion and it made her cry harder.
She clung to him with every fibre of her being. "I know. I didn't mean it! I'm sorry, Neji. I just get so angry when I think of my past and I say hurtful things. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Did he hate her now? She wouldn't be surprised—this is what she did best. Say hurtful things to push people away. But now that the anger was gone, she realized how badly she'd messed up. She didn't want to push Neji away. Didn't want him to leave her life.
Her sobs worsened to the point that she began hyperventilating, imagining Neji leaving her on the sidewalk, alone. She would deserve it too. Her parents must have known how she would turn out, that's why they had left her. She probably deserved it back then, too.
His hands moved from her back to hold her face, and he pulled her away just enough to look at her. "Baby, you're going to make yourself sick. Breathe. Deep breaths, baby girl." But his words—those two words she thought he would never say again—made her cry harder, and she choked, making him swear. He pressed her head into his shoulder and stood up. They moved through the house until he lay down, and she realized he had taken them to his room. She was on his chest, her arms still clutched around his neck, as he stroked his hands under the shirt of her back, his fingers on her skin.
"Hush baby," he told her gently. "Take deep breaths with me." He grabbed one of her hands and placed it over his heart and then breathed deep. She copied, her breath shaky, then let it out when he did. "Good girl," he praised. "Again."
They stayed that way for what felt like forever as she took deep breaths with him. Finally, she calmed down, her breathing returning to normal and her tears drying up, and still, he held her close. It wasn't until she had wiped her wrist over her nose for the third time, sniffling deeply so her nose wouldn't run, that he sat up, taking her with him so she remained in his lap.
Her ass was still bare, and it stung like a bitch as she sat on him, but she knew that was part of the punishment—and she wouldn't have complained either way. He reached over and grabbed a tissue from the box on his bedside table, using it to wipe the lingering tears on her face and neck. He grabbed another one and brought it to her nose.
"Blow for me, baby," he told her. She tried to grab the tissue and do it herself, but he just shook his head. "Uh-uh,' he admonished. "This is Daddy's job."
"But it's yucky," she replied, her voice small, cheeks heating in embarrassment.
"Daddy needs to take care of his Little girl right now. Which means he is going to do things she would normally do herself."
"Like blow my nose?" She heard her voice turning softer, the Little she never let out peeking through. Tenten was exhausted—mentally and emotionally—and it was hard to keep her in check. Besides, she thought it sounded wonderful to let him take care of her right now. If it helped him after the horrible things she had said, then who was she to say no?
Neji nodded and motioned for her to do just that. She blew her nose into the tissue and he cleaned her up. It was gross and embarrassing, but apparently only to her. After he threw the tissue to the side, he said, "And help you finish dinner, since we did not get to earlier."
That made her eyes drop from his, knowing it was her fault they stopped halfway. He tipped her chin up to meet his gaze again. "Sorry, Poppet, I did not say that to make you feel bad."
"But it was my fault."
"Remember? Once your punishment is over, everything is forgiven. You do not need to feel guilty anymore."
Her hands gripped the front of his shirt absentmindedly. "But I do."
His eyebrows raised at her confession. "What do you feel guilty over, baby? All of it?"
She shook her head. "No. I feel guilty about what I said to you. I know you would never… you wouldn't… and I hurt you. I saw it on your face as soon as I said it and I wanted to take it back. I don't know how to make it right."
"Shh," he calmed, drawing her close to his chest again when her breath came in sharper pants. "I admit that you hurt me with your words, but your apology was sincere and I could tell you regretted what you said. I am not angry or upset with you, baby. There is no need to feel guilty anymore." He swayed her softly before leaning back once more. "Come on, I will heat your dinner up so you can finish eating."
"I'm not hungry," she mumbled. She had lost her appetite during her outburst, and her stomach was still tied up in too many knots to eat.
Neji let out a sigh, and Tenten wondered if he was frustrated. She was doing a horrible job at being his Little. Then, he pulled her against his chest and stood from the bed, walking back down the hallway until he came to the bathroom.
"If you are not hungry, then it is time for a bath," he said. "Although, I do not think you have eaten enough today."
"I won't be able to eat. My tummy feels yucky."
"Still feeling guilty, baby girl?" he asked, his voice soft.
She took a deep breath before admitting, "I feel like I ruined my chance with you. I tend to push people away when they start getting close to me. I say mean words to make them stop trying. And I did that to you, but I realized too late that I don't want to push you away."
"Hey. You have not pushed me away, baby girl. Whether you like it or not, you are stuck with me." He smiled when she glanced his way, and she finally felt that horrible feeling inside her start to break apart and dissipate.
"Thank you."
.
Neji gripped the back of her neck and drew her close, pressing his lips to her forehead. Then, he turned to the bath and started running it, making sure the temperature was satisfactory before facing her again. "Right, baby girl. Bath time."
She gave him a funny look, shuffling from one foot to the other. "Okay. Do you want to go first?"
But Neji chuckled at her confused look. "No, Poppet. It is your bath time."
He could tell she still didn't understand. She glanced quickly at the filling tub before turning back to him. "Okay then. I won't be long."
"Do you not remember what I said before, Tenten?" Neji asked, amusement lighting his eyes. "Daddy is looking after you tonight. Which means, I will be giving you a bath."
Cheeks immediately reddening, she shook her head. "I don't think that's necessary."
Neji chuckled softly. "Afraid it is, baby girl. Daddy needs to take care of his little one tonight." When he watched her bite her lip apprehensively, he added, "Unless you use your safeword. You know it's available for every situation."
For a moment it seemed she was contemplating using it. Was she embarrassed at him seeing her naked? She shouldn't be. Tenten was gorgeous and he had long been imagining the body underneath her clothes. He wondered if she even realized she was still naked from the waist down—it seemed she had forgotten about it. He could easily get a glimpse of her pussy if he flicked his gaze down, but he was trying to be respectful.
He watched her expectantly and she bit her lip, giving him a nod in answer. He grinned at her, thoroughly pleased and humbled by her submission, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead again. "Thank you, baby," he breathed into her hair. Without giving her time to think too much, he said, "Alright sweetheart, arms up for me."
She did as he asked, holding her arms above her head as he stripped her of her shirt first, then her sports bra. He forced himself not to stare at her. This was all so new to Tenten, and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by ogling her body, as tempting as it may be.
.
Tenten was standing in the middle of Neji's bathroom, stark naked. She thought he might look at her, give her a once-over at least, but he didn't, and she wasn't sure if she should feel grateful that he was being so respectful or hurt that he didn't find her attractive enough to look at even while she was nude. With his eyes still on hers, he held out his hand and helped her step into the tub with a rumbling, "Careful," when her foot caught on the lip for a second. She sat down in the deliciously warm bath, letting out a calming breath. This wasn't so bad.
"I will have to buy some bubble bath for you," Neji commented as he rolled up his sleeves and leant by the tub.
"I love bubble baths!" Tenten exclaimed excitedly, already imagining it.
Neji chuckled at her enthusiasm. "I thought you might." He picked up a washcloth and poured some gel onto it before rubbing at her shoulders. "We can go shopping tomorrow and buy a few things. I want your Little to have toys she enjoys, so we will go to a toy store and you can look around, see what you like. That sound good?"
"Okay, Daddy." She relaxed against the back of the bath, eyes closed in bliss as Neji ran the washer down her arms and stomach. He brushed them against her breasts and she sucked in a breath, but he didn't linger. His actions were methodical, and that eased her. It should feel weird, having him bathe her, but it didn't. Instead, it made her feel cared for. Precious.
After a few moments, she opened her eyes and looked at him. "I, uh, do remember one thing I enjoyed playing with as a kid," she told him hesitantly.
Neji seemed happy by the news. "What was that, baby?" He continued his ministrations, running the washer down each of her legs before scrubbing at her feet. She giggled and he smiled at her. "Ticklish?" he asked.
"A little." She settled again when he began his way back up her legs. "One foster home I went to for a little while, the lady was really nice. Usually they were indifferent or mean, but this one seemed to really like having us around. She was the person who gave me Dodgers. She also bought me some Lego once, and I remember really enjoying building it." She bit her lip and sent him a worried glance. "Is that okay? Lego is usually for boys, isn't it? Should I not have enjoyed playing with it?"
"There is nothing wrong with little girls playing with Lego. If that's what you enjoy doing, then I will buy you some tomorrow."
Relieved, she grinned at him. "Will you help me build it, Daddy?"
"Of course, Poppet."
"Yay!" Before she realized she was doing it, she'd thrown herself at him, her arms flinging around his neck in a wet hug. "Can we get one with dragons?"
"Whatever you want, baby girl," he replied with a chuckle, patting her naked back.
It was then that she realized what she'd done, and she retreated, face flushing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you all wet," she apologised.
But Neji didn't seem bothered. With a grin, he teased, "Maybe I will wear my bathers next time."
Tenten laughed, her heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time.
"Or maybe you could get in the bath as well." Her words were meant to be teasing, but as soon as they came out of her mouth, she blushed scarlet.
Neji's eyes instantly heated and her clit throbbed in response. But instead of continuing with the train of conversation, Neji moved back to grab the washer again, picking up where he had left off along her knees. "Do you your hair washed tonight as well?" he asked her, the washer creeping closer and closer to her thighs.
"No, not tonight," she murmured breathlessly.
God, he was just cleaning her, and she was turned on. Would he notice? Please, don't let him notice.
"Legs apart, baby," he told her, tapping lightly against her thigh.
She hesitated a moment before complying, her eyes squeezed shut as she parted her legs. Would he look? Would he see the desire coating her lips? Was it attractive? Wait, did men find pussies attractive? What if he didn't like it. What if it didn't look right. She had only ever seen her own before—how was she to know if it was normal? And it wasn't like she'd stopped to ask her two previous sexual partners what they thought.
All those questions swirled in her mind the moment she opened her legs, but Neji didn't pause. He swiped the cloth through her folds, causing her to squeak and jump slightly, before saying, "Bottom up for me."
Eyes still squeezed shut, she lifted her bottom and Neji passed the cloth over her cheeks before holding one side open and running it down her crack. He swiped it against her puckered hole, and she groaned, both in mortification and—to her shocked horror—arousal.
"Good girl," he murmured, letting her drop her bottom back down. "You were so brave for me, baby. I am very proud of you."
At his words, her eyes peeked open, and she saw him watching her face with a smile. "Really?" she asked. Surely that didn't warrant him being proud. All she did was lay in the bath while he cleaned her.
But he nodded, his face serious. "I know that must have been difficult for you. Thank you for trusting me, Tenten." Their gazes held for a moment longer, then he turned to grab a towel. "You ready to hop out yet?"
"Yeah." She stepped out of the tub with his help and watched in awe as he rubbed her body dry before tucking the towel around her.
"Alright, baby girl, dressed and then bed."
"But it's so early!"
"And you have been naughty. Which means bedtime for you." He held out his arms and she went to him immediately, needing his strength, his warmth. She was amazed at how quickly she was coming to trust him so completely.
Neji picked her up and walked out of the bathroom, surprising her when he walked past her room to his own. "Where are we going?" she asked around a yawn.
"To bed."
"But my room is back there."
"I want my baby girl to sleep with me from now on. Nothing has to happen until you are ready, but I want to hold you while you sleep."
"Really?" Her head lolled on his shoulder, and she gazed up at him.
He sent her a warm smile. "Really, baby."
"Okay then, Daddy." She certainly wasn't going to complain if he wanted to hold her while they slept.
He left her on his bed and went to get her pyjamas and Dodgers. Then he helped her into them and tucked her into bed.
"Are you sleeping now too, Daddy?" she asked with a yawn. All that crying had left her exhausted.
Neji pressed a kiss to her temple. "Not yet, Poppet. I have some work to finish up first. But I will stay with you until you fall asleep."
Tenten tried to stay awake for as long as she could just to keep him with her longer, but it wasn't long before she fell into a peaceful sleep.
I don't know how many people are following this story - honestly it's the least amount of comments I've ever received on a NejiTen story, but that's okay. Like I've said, I know this dynamic isn't for everyone. But I just like the caring, nurturing side of Daddy Doms, and I can totally see Neji being one in one of the millions of fake universes out there. XD
