Blood Tainted Roses

• Bonus chapter #2 •

1.5k reads! Thank you all for staying with this story. Enjoy this one shot in place of a full chapter.

***

Neji’s eyes opened to muted rays of sunshine fighting their way into the room through the blinds. Something tickled his nose and a heavy weight lay on his chest. It was not uncomfortable by any means; in fact, the realization just elicited a cheesy grin from him. Here, sprawled on his chest and tangled in his sheets, laid Tenten. His wife. It was surreal.

Her cinnamon tresses formed a halo around her head which lay on his chest as she held him in her sleep. Neji loved the warmth that emanated from her body, mixing with his to make a very cozy and comfortable atmosphere. He checked the clock on their bed stand and found that it was well into the afternoon.

It didn’t surprise Neji as they both only fell asleep a few hours shy of dawn after their…activities. Somehow, he had married a horse. But he found Tenten’s somewhat scary stamina enticing and erotic. Neji gently and carefully got out of the bed in order not to wake the sleeping beauty up, having to replace himself with a pillow as Tenten was unwilling to let go even in her sleep.

He slipped on a pair of boxers and wrapped his hair up in a bun before heading downstairs to prepare something they could eat. The past few years had both been the warmest and most dreadful years of his life. Even his years at Amegakure were not as painful as the past when Tenten looked at him with much betrayal and scorn every time, no matter how few, she saw him.

He never imagined that she would come to accept him fully even though he never got out of her hair until she could tolerate his presence at least. The incident with Naruto had ignited something in her and while he was sad what happened to the blond, he was grateful for it because it made Tenten see him for himself. He had been afraid that she hated him even though she said yes to his proposal but last night had been an assurance.

She accepted him. Accepted that the hurt he put her through. Accepted that there was nothing that could be done to change the past. A small smile lifted Neji’s lips as he poured in an almost unhealthy amount of cocoa powder into the pancake batter just how Tenten’s sweet tooth loved it. She accepted him and that was all mattered.

In his inner musings, he didn’t register Tenten’s presence until she wrapped her arms around his torso, pressing a kiss to his back, and placed her head against it. “Morning.” She mumbled groggily.

“It’s past noon already, Coconut. Did you sleep well?”

Tenten scoffed against his back. “Even now you still call me that name?” She asked incredulously and Neji gave a soft laugh. He was not used to terms of endearment like love, sweetheart, baby, darling or honey, in fact they felt overused by the rest of the world to him. Coconut was a term only he called Tenten, no other person had that name and no other person was allowed to call her by that name. It meant a lot to him as it reminded him of their first meeting.

“Brunch would be ready soon. Do you mind stepping back a bit to allow me move freely?” Tenten reluctantly released his torso and he continued cooking. Tenten proceeded to talk about some of the silly things Temari and the other girls had said during her bachelorette party, how they frightened her with their jests and how they requested for full details after their special night.

He could feel Tenten’s displeased scowl despite not seeing it as she mentioned that last part to him. “I don’t think I want to give them full details about our consummation.” She spoke and Neji agreed with her. Why did they want to know anyway?

He finished serving the pancakes into their separate plates and turned to carry them into the dining area only for his breath to catch in his throat. Neji almost dropped the pancakes at the sight that was presented to him.

Tenten was in one of his button-up shirts and while she didn’t exactly drown in it like the boyfriend shirt stereotype, the shirt stopped just a little ways from her pelvis. She only did three buttons in the middle so her tattoo and the numerous love bites from yesterday were on full display. Her hair was in a haphazard bun that showed off the love marks on her neck and jaw. Overwhelming. She was just overwhelming.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?” Tenten raised a hand to feel up her face, bringing their golden wedding ring to sight. It sparkled under the lights beautifully against her dainty fingers and that was it for Neji. In three big strides, he was at the table already and dropped their brunch on the table. “N-Neji–!”

Her words were cut short with his lips on hers. Their position was uncomfortable because Neji had to bend to reach her seated level and Tenten had to crane her neck but neither of that mattered when they were all they could feel. Their lips danced against each other in perfect harmony but it wasn’t enough. Neji nibbled on Tenten’s lower lip in request for entrance to her sweetness and she gave it. Their tongues clashed in a fight for dominance which Tenten liked to struggle for even though she always ended up conceding to Neji in the end.

Her hand came to wrap around his neck as he pulled her up by her waist to shift them into a more comfortable position. He picked her and set her on the table while he got between her legs, all the while continuing the kiss. All their feelings were reestablished in this kiss. All the love they felt for each other, the fights they had, their fall outs, their reunions, their beginnings, their present, all them were poured into the kiss. They could never have enough.

“Hyuga Tenten…” Neji breathed after they parted. He loved how her new name sounded on his tongue like a soothing bell chime. “I love you. I love you so much.”

Tenten turned red, still not used to cheesy affectionate confessions like that but her eyes didn’t leave Neji’s. “And I love you just as much, Xinyang Neji.”

***

I decided to drop this because I couldn’t help myself. This bonus chapter foreshadows the events in this book but I should mention that I am not just foreshadowing for nothing. I am only showing you guys what to expect before things go awry. Call it the calm before the storm.

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter. Remember that we have a very long way to go before we get to this point but don’t worry, I would try not to make you wait too long. Please comment your thoughts on the bonus, and maybe even predict the doom that would happen after, and vote. Thanks for reading.

-Star.