AN: alright then… here's the big NejiTen climax. I'm overjoyed at the number of you desperate for this to come out, so it's out as soon as possible.

Arigato to anyone who reviewed, and to those who left comments and ratings on my personal site aswell (which now has the first chapter of my second novel online to read, so if you like my romance writing, check it out and let me know what you think).

Also, hugs and kisses for the Kankuro praises. I'm really glad I didn't mess it up for ye.

Right, enjoy the NejiTen goodness and don't get too exited, I don't want any complaints from neighbors. Shlol.

2127 words in this chapter

Unmasked

Chapter 16- Breathtaking

"Do you remember her from way back then?" Neji sighed, looking over at Ino in her shining ring of attention as she talked to Hinata about her wedding. "I know you were there."

Takahiro understood what he meant "Hai. That was when I was introduced to Hinata. Tenten was beautiful on that day"

"I never told her that"

"Nani?"

"I thought she was… not beautiful" he sighed

He raised an eyebrow in response. "Oh?

"Hai, I couldn't put it into words… she was… breathtaking. When we kissed… I thought my world was over. I could have died in bliss. Afterwards though, it scared the shit out of me, because I actually felt attracted to her."

Takahiro was going to reply, but something told him that Neji was going to say more, so he kept quiet. It sounded as though he was talking to himself anyway, he might even panic if he was drawn back to the world outside his thoughts.

Neji continued "I stuck as long as possible after the wedding, but her presence drove me insane. I had to keep her in a separate room, to separate myself from her. It was Tenten, my sparring partner, my team mate. I was in love with her…"

He glanced up to Takahiro with desperation in his eyes. "She hardly changed after the wedding, just going back to who she was before. But even now, even when she is yelling her heart out at me, when I look at her, I see her in that beautiful silk kimono, her hair loose, looking up at me with those glittering brown eyes, and I'm in love with her all over again.

"I can't help feeling that I was hallucinating it in the first place, that my mind was just playing tricks to explain my feelings." He seemed strained to be saying it finally.

"You weren't, I saw it too." He sighed, trying to comfort him "Even at the balls, she hasn't looked like that again since. It must be the hair. She always wears it up."

"Why did she wear it down that day?" he pondered out loud.

"I thought it might be easier for you if you didn't think of it as me too much" a quiet voice answered from behind them.

Takahiro turned his head to notice Tenten standing still, leant against a nearby table for support, head hung guiltily.

"Tenten-san" he greeted her.

"Neji" she called, ignoring him. Takahiro turned again to see that Neji was beginning to walk off. He was frozen in place at her call, and the fact she called him by his first name for the first time in weeks.

"How long have you been there?" Neji sighed, spinning on a heel to face in her direction, not able to look her in the eyes though.

She didn't raise her head either "Long enough"

"Tenten, I…"

"I'll just leave now." Takahiro disappeared to look for his wife on the other side of the room, recognizing that they needed their privacy.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Neji spoke up again. "Just forget about it."

He heard a muffled noise coming from her and looked up. She had a hand held to her face as her shoulders shook with emotion. His heart leapt.

"Tenten, what's the matter?"

She glanced up at him as she wiped a tear from her eye; her face forced into an undistinguishable emotion like that Neji wore everyday of his life. He had to admit, he didn't like the taste of his own medicine. If it wasn't for the tear he would have no idea.

"Gomenesai," she told him quietly, her voice strained.

"What for?"

To his surprise, she didn't get upset, but let out a small snigger, "it's just so funny"

"You were laughing?" he seemed shocked.

"What, did you think I was crying? You just poured your heart out. You made yourself show emotion to someone else for the first time since I've known you. Then you go and say something like "forget about it"? You are impossibly hilarious at times. I said sorry, because I usually wait until you aren't here to laugh."

"Y-you laugh at me?" this time he was less shocked, more upset

"Hey, don't cry." She smirked "If you ever develop a sense of humor, you'll understand."

"I don't think I will. You just said it. I poured my heart out. I've never been more vulnerable. All you can do though is laugh." He was brimming with anger, even if his calm exterior only let out the subtlest hint.

"I think I have some right to be mean. You have no idea what torture you've put me through."

"Enlighten me" he glared at her

"For Kami's sake Neji, if you were attracted to me, why the hell didn't you do anything about it?" she laughed again

He looked away with a blush "I wasn't attracted to you. I was attracted to whoever you were on the day I married you. That was a different you altogether. I haven't seen that woman since."

"You want to see her? That was still me." She stopped laughing and dropped her arms away from the table "What was it about her that made her different? My eyes are the same. Was it the kimono? Because this one isn't too different" She gestured to her outfit. "Was it the hair, like Takahiro said?" she hesitated, finding nothing in his blank eyes to indicate whether it would be worth it, but then quickly let the pins out of her hair, letting the dark curls cascade down her shoulders. "Or was it something I missed?"

She was cut off as he began walking towards her, his eyes glued to her. He walked up and ran his fingers through a small section of her loose hair, one hand rested firmly against either side of her face. She was stunned into silence. Can it really be as simple as a hairstyle?

She almost believed that he was going to kiss her. But then he spoke in the softest voice. "I think I know what it was."

"Nani?"

"Gomenesai Tenten." He sighed lightly "I haven't seen it, because I haven't let it happen. When we married, you were mine; your eyes on me completely. More importantly though, I think what made that moment special, what made you seem different, was that for the first time in my life, my eyes were on one thing completely also. All my life I have strived for other's titles and positions higher than myself. You were the first solid thing that I wanted that I could have. I saw nothing but you, then when we kissed… I felt nothing but you. I don't think it matters what you are wearing, or how your hair is. Although it does look far better like that. What matters is that you can make me forget the world."

"Neji, I…"

She didn't know what to say to him, but thankfully she didn't get much of a chance anyway before he pulled her closer, the hands at her face, moving one to hold the loose hair at the back of her head and the other to rest at her jaw-line, moving her face up to him.

His lips pressed lightly against hers, holding for a few seconds before withdrawing, just like he had with their first kiss. The hands fell away to drop by his side without purpose and he seemed put out by Tenten's irresponsiveness. "Gomen… I shouldn't have…"

"No. You should have done that… years ago." She looked him straight in the eyes. "By now, it should have been much more."

He seemed confused "There's more? Like what?"

"I don't know. How about this…?" she smirked and grabbed hold of one of his hands, pulling him forward so that he was pinning her to the table. His hands both reached out to catch the table the instant she let go. She then linked her arms around his neck, pulling him to her lips tenderly with all the emotions from the frustrations that had built up in her since the wedding, combined with the overwhelming relief at his final reassurances.

He immediately relaxed into it, enjoying the assault on his senses as she affectionately stimulated his mouth with her own.

He was astounded at just how gentle she was compared to her usually violent attitude, but somehow, even though their techniques were not too different, when she kissed him it did seem to be more. The moment seemed so much more intimate and moving his hands to hold her at the waist and back of the head, he shifted his body so that he was leaning in between her parted legs, so that he could get closer and feel more support.

He couldn't help but to push himself more passionately into the kiss and was once again speechless at how, even with him biting at her lips and rolling his hips against hers as she locked a leg around his for stability, it seemed so much sweeter than anything he had ever felt before. She was like a drug to him as he continued to wondrously investigate if there would be any point at all where it would lose that innocent quality that Tenten was exuding by the bucket-load.

If it wasn't for the public staging of this display of affection, he would have happily taken it much further, but the well-mannered side of him took some restraint, promising internally to himself that he would continue it later. So less than a minute later, they broke apart, recognizing that they were going to run out of breath. They gave each other a quick peck on the lips before Tenten let out another giggle and collapsed her head against his chest.

Neji couldn't help the smile that came to his face, and was forced to hide it in her hair, before anyone saw. "I love you."

"I don't love you Teme." She whispered. The smile dropped from his face in confusion. She continued in a soft voice. "But I would like the chance to try."

Takahiro approached the crowd of people with a sly grin. "Well that was interesting…"

"You're back" Hinata smiled as she turned and gave him a hug. "How did it go, did he listen?"

"No actually, he mostly talked. It was very out of character"

"Susumu-san," Ino called as she noticed his presence, "What happened with Neji?"

He did a double take and blinked hard, "You remembered my name?"

"Hai, she's got the invitation list memorized" Shikamaru smirked proudly from next to her.

"Don't distract from the subject Shika-kun, please tell us Takahiro"

"Well, I don't think there's much to say really, although I would suggest sending someone over there in a minute or two if you want to maintain the dignity of this celebration." He smirked knowingly

Hinata looked up at him with a worried expression "What, why?"

He teasingly waved them off "It's nothing to worry about I don't think, but Neji just admitted some things…"

"What things?" Ino glowed with anticipation

"Hold on, let me try to remember what it was he said… There was some thing about calling her beautiful, no wait; it wasn't beautiful it was… breathtaking." He rolled his eyes as if he was bored with the idea already "Then he was rambling on about dying in bliss, glittering eyes, falling in love… all sorts really. He practically asked her to marry him all over again. It was like talking to some hyperactive poet or something."

Hinata was sniggering beside him while everyone else stood agape, waiting for what he said next. His wife knew fine well that he was messing about with them. He had always been a natural speaker, that's why he was sent to deal with Neji.

He continued with a sudden stoic expression "Then Tenten joined the conversation and it got interesting"

"I thought she was just going to cool down outside." Hinata frowned "That's where it seemed she was going"

Ino was tearing up with joy. "She heard him profess his love for her? Kawaii desu ne?"

"How did she take it?" Shikamaru asked calmly.

"I'm not entirely sure, I'm guessing kill or cure right now." He grinned "It was really hard to tell. I swear it was like they had switched places, he was all flushed pink and nervous, and she was cold as ice."

"Um, guys…" Naruto spurted as he pointed the other side of the room with wide eyes, "I'll bet on cure"

They all turned and gasped at the sight of Neji seemingly pinning Tenten to the table in a very sensual manner and forcibly taking her breath away.

AN: Breathe Izzi-chan. Were any of you expecting that to happen? There have been hints.

Ok, so I've just updated 'Belizma-chan's notebook' with the little teasers for chapter 17, so go check them out.

I won't say anymore, because that's what I made the website for.

Stay shiny and show the luff

Xx Belizma-chan xX