Show and Tell2: Neji's Return

It was a beautiful evening for a waterfront dinner. Neji and Ten Ten had changed clothes and were now completely dried off. Neji held her hand tightly as he led her to the place where Hinata and Naruto had instructed them to eat. It was a perfect location. Naturally, reservations had to be made in advance which Neji had done in the week before. Hinata had even told him where to request a seating preference. Once they had arrived, the hostess took them to a spacious outdoor patio in front of the rolling river that ran parallel to the hot springs. It was more like a rapid rather than a river; water thrashed over rocks and it was actually cool where they were sitting. Ten Ten looked around her not completely certain what to make of everything. It was all so high class and it was something Ten Ten wasn’t used to…however Neji seemed to blend right in. The hostess handed Ten Ten and Neji their menus and left them to look it over.

Ten Ten’s eyes widened. “Neji, do you see these prices?” she whispered.

“Yeah.” Neji said glancing up form the menu only for a moment.

“Aaaaaand you don’t have a problem with them?” Ten Ten asked.

“No.” Neji said lightly, rolling his around the menu. Ten Ten was still nervous.

“But, Neji…” Neji stopped her.

“Ten Ten, baby, don’t worry about it. I love you and I have money. Get anything you want, I don’t care. Ten Ten smiled a nervous smile.

“Alright, Neji.” She engulfed herself in the menu again. She wondered how Naruto managed to bring Hinata here with the fact that he didn’t have money…at all. The truth of the matter was that Hinata probably took care of the tab when they had visited. Soon, a waitress came and took their orders. Spite what Neji had said…Ten Ten ordered one of the cheapest items on the menu. She didn’t care; she didn’t want to be high maintenance. But, she knew Neji loved her and that he wouldn’t have cared if she would have ordered one of everything. The waitress poured them both some water and left to fill the orders.

“I’m glad we came here today.” Ten Ten said her brown eyes sparkling.

“I am too.” Neji looked at her. Ten Ten looked like she had been born with a silver spoon in her hand when in fact she hadn’t…but to look at her now, she appeared to be wealthy and adored…just like the Master Hyuuga’s wife.

“Let me see your hands.” Neji said. Ten Ten thought it was the most bizarre request and she wondered why Neji would ask her such a thing but nonetheless she put her hands out before him. He stroked them. He ran his fingers over all of her fingers one at a time, he touched her palms and the backs of her hands and he felt her wrists on each hand.

“You have pretty hands. Why don’t you wear any jewelry?” Neji asked her. Ten Ten laughed because she thought the question was ridiculous.

“Neji! Don’t be silly! I’m a ninja! Ninja’s don’t do that!” Ten Ten continued laughing. Neji smiled at her.

“No, don’t you be silly; I’m serious…why don’t you?” He kept her hands clasped in his.

“Well, it would get in the way, and I would get it dirty or maybe I would lose it and that would make me upset.” Ten Ten said. Neji let go of her hands.

“Okay, I suppose that’s fair, but if you wore jewelry what would you wear?”

“Hmmm…probably jade. I like jade.” Ten Ten answered. Neji smiled all over.

“You would indeed be pretty in jade, Ten Ten.” Neji answered. He seemed to be in a slightly dreamy state. The waitress brought them their meals rather quickly. It looked fabulous. The waitress scurried away and left them alone. There was no breaking of the chopsticks in this restaurant…there were ebony chopsticks on matching chopstick rests. Ten Ten hesitantly picked them up, afraid she may break them. She watched as Neji delicately held him. There were times when she could stare at him the whole day, never take her eyes off him, just take in his being…this was one of those times because she had never seen him this stoic, this handsome, this pristine.

“Ten Ten, you have got to try this!” Neji declared pushing his plate in front of Ten Ten. Neji had ordered spicy dumplings with a peanut sauce and Ahi tuna sashimi. Ten Ten began to take a teeny tiny bite but Neji stopped her.

“Oh come on, I know you can eat! Take a bite I can be proud of!” Neji smiled at her and she laughed. Ten Ten did exactly as she was instructed.
“Wow! That’s…that’s so good. That’s like better than sex with you.” Ten Ten said. She loved teasing him. She wanted to see what his reaction would be. Neji looked at her with wide pale white eyes.

“Hey, now. Hey now young lady. I don’t have to give it to you, you know.” Neji winked at her.

“I know you don’t have to, but there’s no way in hell you would actually hold out on me…even if I seriously thought that your spicy dumplings were better than sex.” Ten Ten giggled and pushed her sizzling rice soup (Ten Ten loved Chinese food) before Neji. She wanted him to taste hers as well. He indeed liked it.

“If I order us an order of sake, will you drink it with me?” Neji asked her.

“I will but don’t order a bottle, because I’ll drink it and then be really drunk and then I’ll be all loose and then I would be really easy to take advantage of.” Ten Ten said with a smile across her face.

“Oh okay, I forgot that I have to coax it out of you any other time.” Before Ten Ten knew it, she was sipping plum sake with Neji along the banks of the rolling river. She didn’t care if time stood still at that moment. She was with the man she loved at a place that they had wanted to visit ever since they were on their training mission in the mountains.

Ten Ten and Neji stayed at their porch table for a while after they had eaten; however, it was time for Neji to get Ten Ten home to her mother. They left the hot springs and headed down the road that led back into town.

“Thank you for coming with me today Ten Ten.” Neji said to her.

“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world, Neji.” She answered.

“You know we haven’t’ see Lee lately. What do you think he’s been doing?” Neji asked. Ten Ten laughed.

“Come on Neji, what do you think? He’s hanging out with Gai Sensei and doing Gai Sensei stuff.” Ten Ten answered. Neji smiled.

“Yeah, you’re right. We’re going to have to meet up with him one of these days. He requires regular check ups.” The road back into Konoha turned into the road in front of Ten Ten’s door. She wrapped Neji up in her arms.

“Bye Neji.” She said softly to him. “I love you.” She said even softer, burying her face in his hair. He held her; he didn’t want to let her go. The last thing Neji wanted on this perfect summer night was to let Ten Ten go. He just wished he could take her home with him, take her to his bed and fall asleep with the smell of her white cherry blossom scent filling his senses.

“Goodnight, Ten Ten. I love you, too.” Neji kissed her goodnight. But Ten Ten didn’t go into her house immediately, she watched him walk away from her until he was completely out of view. Then she opened her own door. His smell loomed all over her. It was calming. Ten Ten slipped upstairs careful not to wake her mother.