Only Training

Desire and guilt wound around his heart like a serpent, squeezing him until he felt he would burst. He truly did love this woman. Every second ticking by made his need and sorrow worse. It pained him all the more to see her ‘oblivious’ smiles, but he counted himself lucky that she still smiled at him. Every so often, a corner of her mouth would upturn into a grimace, revealing how much he was hurting her. Neji wished he could make it stop, just for a little while, but the mission required more distance between them. Each night was long, a painful internal struggle to avoid ravishing her in her sleep or waking her up to clear the air. There was just one left, the last inn before their destination, and from there he couldn’t turn back. However their relationship was by the time they arrived, that was how it would stay until the mission’s end. He had to do something, even if it was too small to really change things.

Neji reverted to stormy silence as they checked into the inn. To Tenten, it was adorable and worrisome at once. He was pouting like his 13-year-old self, but the regression meant that he was suffering over their situation. Presently, he stalked up the hallway ahead of her, absorbed in his own thoughts. In complete honestly, her need for his presence had only grown stronger since that night. It was too painful sometimes, but at least she knew that he wanted it as well. The encounter had also awaked more of her physical attraction to him; she noticed the subtle ripple of his arms with simple gestures, the hard planes of his chest beneath his clan robes, and the milky ridge of his collarbone that became exposed when the neckline of his robe slipped away. There were a million little things that she couldn’t forget.

Tenten pulled at the neckline of her yukata, though it did nothing to truly adjust the fabric. Her partner held the door for her after unlocking it.
It was nothing special, simple, dark rose colored walls and a bed to match. There was a door to an adjoining bathroom and twin nightstands on either side of the bed. Neji cast a glance out the window to gauge the time. The sky had become an inky violet hue.

“It’s been a long day,” Tenten suggested softly, daring to grip a bit of his sleeve. The Hyuuga nodded in affirmation. His lack of verbal response, however, elicited a sigh from the weapons mistress. She retreated to the bathroom to wash her face, leaving the door open so that she might look through the mirror into the main room. It was too warm for her liking. With a frown, she discarded the long outer layer of her yukata, leaving the shorter white under layer intact. It was sleeveless and came to her mid-thigh, but it allowed the circulation of cooler air across her inexplicably hot skin. Combined with the cool splash of water on her face as she bent over the sink, it felt wonderful. Although, in a way, it did make her more aware of how hot she was compared to room temperature.

She rubbed the water from her eyes, one hand fumbling blindly for a towel. With a last blind grasp, she found the hand towel beside her and snatched it up, daubing moisture from her face. Upon opening her eyes, she found Neji just behind her with his hand outstretched.
“Oh, thanks,” she said softly, realizing that he had held it out for her. Tenten scolded herself for not noticing his approach.

He was so close, close enough that his body heat coated her back. His scent filled her lungs, and his eyes were contemplative through the mirror. And then Tenten realized that she was still bent over the sink.

“There wasn’t a longer yukata you could have worn under it?” he asked gently, and she felt the hem lift away as though he was worrying the fabric between his fingertips. Cool air rushed along her backside, bringing heat to her face. She took a millisecond too long to find a response.

“Do you know how envious I am of the man that gets to have you every time he wants for the next few days?” he muttered darkly, his breath on her ear. Tenten watched his eyes in the mirror, the shapes of his lips on her skin. The lust read easily on her face.

“He gets to touch this skin,” Neji whispered, palming the expanse of her thigh and running his hand across it. She shook her head numbly, dissolving into need. His large hand slid up to squeeze the rounded flesh of her rear as his breath grew harsh.

“Do you trust me?”

Memories flew past her eyes, enveloping her mind for endless seconds. Memories of him. Memories of them. She knew she trusted him. She trusted him more than anyone. And only days ago Tenten realized that she never wanted anyone but him.

Neji read the answer in her eyes, and coaxed her by the shoulder to turn around. She felt so small, with her back against the sink as Neji shadowed over her. His height was comforting and yet dominating. There was softness in his eyes, a tenderness that weighed in her chest. His hands wandered up mindlessly, fingers flitting to close her eyelids and over her cheeks and down along her neck. She felt her yukata slip away, her body exposed to him and yet hidden by his form. He had claimed her, in a way no other had or could. His scent consumed her; Tenten felt herself rock against the sink as her balance failed. His hands continued gently, over her shoulders and to the small of her back, until he lifted one hand under her chin. It was a powerful yet gentle embrace, one that she could not escape nor desired to. A sense of anticipation thrummed under her skin as his breath ghosted over her lips. Tenten tried to capture his kiss, but found nothing as her head came forward.

“Tsk,” he whispered kindly, his voice in her ear. It was accompanied by a light nip, at which she hummed. Her body had wound itself up in a haze of arousal at all of his teases; her head spun.

“I can’t take this!” she whined as his breathed coated her lips again. Her eyes opened at last, catching his with startling power. Neji took them in, how her desires glassed over the rich brown iris, which was stretched thin by the dilation of her dark pupils.

He wasn’t prepared when she place her small palms on his chest and shoved. He wasn’t prepared to stumble backwards through the doorway and onto the bed, his knees catching on the edge. He wasn’t prepared when Tenten, with all the grace of slender housecat, climbed over him and efficiently removed his shirt. He was even less prepared when her fingers unfastened his pants and drew out his length. The entire sequence of events was so unexpected that a legitimate moan escaped him as he watched her run her tongue along the quickly hardening flesh.

The satisfaction was immediate in her eyes, which gleamed up at him through her loose bangs. The sheer heat and wetness of her mouth astonished him, made his hips rise up as she took only the head into her mouth. Then the soft yet firm pressure of her tongue traced lines and crosses on him, sometimes swirling and sometimes laying flat laves on his flesh. He hadn’t realized the purpose of this until she used the residual saliva to take him in, inch by inch. Her lips lowered, smoothing over his hardness as he felt the silken heat of her mouth compress him. At a distance close to the base, her eyes squeezed shut and she withdrew, gasping. A thin slick thread stretched a broke between her lip and his flesh.

“Are you all right?” he asked, starting to sit up. She pushed him back down, responding by enveloping him again.
His protest died, replaced by a moan. This time, her eyes shut but she did not back away. Neji balked as her nose bumped his abdomen and her throat squeezed him. His hips lifted of their own accord, wanting as much friction as possible from her sweet mouth. Tenten held the base of his length, squeezing and offering more stimulation.

“Tenten,” he strained. “I’m, I’m about to…”
She took him in fully, working her tongue and throat around him until she felt the rush of his release. Neji tangled the fingers of one hand in her hair, a silent thanks. Tenten nuzzled up against it before leaving him.
Neji closed his eyes, marveling at her bold outburst. He shouldn’t have tried to keep them apart. They wanted each other too much.
Sweet kisses caressed both cheeks and his mouth, tasting of mint. He sighed sleepily, welcoming Tenten’s warmth onto his body.

“I love you,” she whispered, drawing the covers over them. Neji murmured his reply, confused by this turn of events yet satisfied that everything would turn out for the better.