Tenten, Neji thought to himself, had grown up.

He watched her lead the team in warm ups, body curving in a graceful arch as she stretched. She'd always possessed a certain fluidity in her movements, but to see her now was to see her where she was most captivating.

She was standing now, chatting with Sakura as the rest of the players followed her lead. Tenten paused in her conversation, giving directions. The girls started doing lunges down the first base line. Tenten's back was to him, and he allowed himself to appreciate her figure.

Definitely grown up.

After the game, Tenten came to meet him, face flushed.

"Hey!" She beamed up at him. The eye black had smeared down the curves of her cheekbones, and her bangs were slick with sweat, but the look of sheer exaltation in her eyes meant far more to him.

"It was a good game," Neji said quietly, eyes intent.

"It was a great game. We really had to fight 'em for the win. Too bad Hinata wasn't here for this one, she would've been great for that play at third when the runner tried to steal."

He shrugged blandly. Like he would know.

She grinned at him, catching his train of thought. "Right. Let me go wrap up in the dugout, then I'll meet you back out here."

"All right." He watched her jog back towards the team, high-fiving a few of them as she went to get her bag.

"Neji Hyūga, you are infatuated."

Slightly taken aback, he turned towards the voice. Ino Yamanaka stood with her hands on her hips, smirking wickedly as she appraised him.

"Hello, Ino."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah yeah, hi. Anyway. You've been staring at Tenten for the entire game."

He kept his face carefully blank. "I see."

She searched his face for a few seconds, then scowled. "God. You're giving me nothing. Make facial expressions like a normal person."

"This is a normal human expression."

"See, that's what an alien would say as it tries to imitate a human. You can't pull the wool over my eyes, E.T."

Neji smiled a little at that, despite himself.

"Ino!" Sakura collided into her friend, one leg guard still on. "Sai's waiting to drive you home, so maybe if your stupid face would get done here- oh. Hi, Neji." She noticed him standing in front of Ino and flushed with embarrassment. Awkwardly she tugged at the leg guard. "Here for Tenten?"

"Of course he is, Forehead." Ino tossed back her hair imperiously. "They can't be separated for more than a few hours, you know that."

Fortunately, Tenten herself arrived before either Sakura or Neji could respond. "Hey! Great game, guys!"

"You too!" They chorused back, then grinned at each other.

Tenten seemed to read some of the impatience beginning to bleed into Neji's expression. She hoisted her bag more firmly over her shoulder, then called "See you at practice!" over her shoulder to her teammates as she began walking towards the parking lot. Neji caught up in a few strides. "Don't you need to get changed?"

"My uniform needs a wash anyway, and I'm fine with keeping my clothes in my locker for the weekend." She turned to him with a bright smile. "I seem to recall you promising ice cream."

He reached out and knitted his fingers through hers, guiding her towards his car. "I suppose I did."

Their ice cream excursion was a success, Neji decided. Between bites, Tenten had chattered animatedly on about this play and that pitch, the strengths she had seen highlighted in her teammates, her hopes for the rest of the season. He remained reticent, commenting only when he had something significant to add.

For the most part he watched her as she worked off her post-game energy. She was still filled with adrenaline, practically bouncing in her seat as she waved her hands through the air to emphasize a particular point. The only time she paused was to eat, first her ice cream and then the actual meal he had purchased for her.

(Much to her initial protests- but he knew she was hungry, and he liked doing things for her, rarely though she let him.)

Finally they had wrapped up, and headed back to the parking lot. By then Tenten was winding down, and leaned against his side as dug out his keys.

"Is Hanabi home alone?" She asked suddenly.

"No," he replied, opening the passenger door for her. "She's sleeping over at Moegi's house."

Tenten hummed thoughtfully as she entered the car. As he settled in next to her, he felt her eyes on him. He turned to her questioningly. "What is it?"

She gave him a languid smile. "So you have the house to yourself tonight."

Neji stared at her a few moments, discerning what she meant. Finally he tilted his head a few degrees and stared into her eyes. "I do."

As usual, the intensity in his gaze brought a flush to her cheeks and she quickly averted her eyes. "Um." She coughed a little, and he smirked. "So do you want some company?"

"I wouldn't be opposed to it." He kept his eyes trained on her face, knowing she could feel his gaze. Her skin reddened even more.

Eventually she mustered her voice again, and muttered "Okay, so just let me drop off my bag at home and rinse off, and then-"

"You could shower at my house." His quiet invitation startled her into finally looking into his eyes. Whatever she saw there made her bite her lip. It fascinated him.

"You sure?"

"Quite. I have clothes that will fit you." He paused, considering, and added, "If you even need them."

She eeped and buried her face in her hands. "God, Neji!"

He grinned. "You started it."

"Okay, yeah, maybe, but you really didn't need to- to be so blatant-"

He chuckled as he turned the ignition on. "But you like it when I'm blatant-"

"Neji!" She screeched and wound her fingers into her hair. "Stop it!"

"I haven't any idea what you mean, Tenten."

"Ohhhhh nooo, Ino was right, I've turned you into a pervert-"

"I'm sorry, precisely what does Ino know about what goes on between us?"

"Okay, no, you don't to be scandalized now, Hyūga, considering what you were saying not even a minute ago."

"I think I'm allowed to be discrete about relations with my romantic partner if I so wish, Tenten."

She laughed. "You sound so stuffy."

"That's hardly-"

"And Ino doesn't know anything concrete about us, you worrywart. She's just constantly ribbing me about how you stare at me during softball."

He was silent. Tenten turned to him with an expectant look. "Well? Anything to add to that?"

Finally, Neji gave a miniscule shrug in defeat. "Softball pants look good on you."

"NEJI!"

"You wanted me to say something, so I did. You have no reason to be upset now."

Tenten was obviously refreshed by her shower, and true to his word, Neji had provided her with a set of sleepwear. He truly did not plan on her wearing it for long, but a deal was a deal.

They were sprawled together on the couch now, Tenten's head in the crook of his neck as he absently ran his hands through her damp hair. They were watching a sci-fi thriller, but neither was paying too close attention. Neji's mind was on the warm heap of girl pressed to his skin. Based on the shortness of her breath and the curl of her hand against his ribcage, she was of a similar mentality.

Eventually, she raised her chin to press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. He turned his gaze to her, and she took the opportunity to mold her mouth to his. He slid his hands down from her shoulder blades to rest just above her knees. She shivered slightly at the movement, and Neji smirked against her mouth.

"We should go to my room," he murmured. Tenten nodded, scraping her nails against his chest briefly as she sat up. He shifted his hands to her waist and followed her ascent, pressing his lips against the hollow of her throat.

Tenten stilled at the sensation, then tilted her head back slightly. He grazed his teeth up her throat, then pulled away and nudged her to her feet.

She paused, one hand tracing his collarbone as she glanced around at the array of blankets and cushions strewn around the still-lit television. Catching her train of thought, he grinned to himself. God forbid that they leave this mess as it was.

Sure enough, she slid back from him and scooped up a blanket. "Go put the pillows back," she ordered, tucking it under her chin to fold it. Obediently, he began placing the cushions back on the couch. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she struggled with the blanket. Finally, she huffed in irritation and tossed one end to him.

They folded the rest of the blankets together, then Tenten snapped. "Great." She wrapped her hand around his wrist and tugged him after her. "Let's get going then."

Neji smirked and repositioned his hand so it was twined with hers. "If you insist."

"Don't get smug about this, Hyūga. As if you aren't just as impatient."

"The evidence suggests otherwise."

Tenten whirled around and pinned him to the wall by the staircase, one resting on the wall by his hip and the other fisting his shirt. Her eyes bored into his, and he swallowed at the intent in them. The tables had been turned quite abruptly, and he found he rather liked it.

"The evidence suggests that if you don't get your cock in me soon, then I'm going to take things into my own hands."

He stared at her, lips parted and face flushing. She smirked up at him, then casually leaned forward to mouth at the skin underneath his jaw. Neji inhaled sharply and unconsciously tilted his head back, reaching out to clench her hips in his hands.

Tenten slipped her hands underneath his shirt, running her nails over his stomach muscles. Despite himself, he moaned at the sensation, and she positively radiated triumph. Her hand lifted from his shirt to tangle in the hair at the nape of his neck, and she drew his head down to slide his bottom lip between hers.

In the next seconds, he pushed her away and hoisted her off her feet as he began walking her backwards toward the stairs. Tenten let out a shriek of semi-startled laughter and swatted at his shoulders. "Neji!"

He turned her around so she could walk up the steps. "Let's continue, Ms. Huáng. We have a few hours to fill."

"A few hours? Really?" She turned around and grinned at him. "Well, I hope you deliver on that."

Neji huffed indignantly as he met her on her step, one hand moving to rest on the small of her back. "Good to see you have such faith in me, Tennie." He nudged her forwards again and she finally complied, sauntering her way up the steps and to his room. "Let's table all further discussion, shall we?"

"What, not feeling talkative?"

He reached down and squeezed the backside that he had so admired earlier. Tenten's breath caught a bit in her throat, he noticed interestedly, and she stared up at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. Neji was careful to keep his face inscrutable.

He straightened up and walked into his room, leaving the door open in clear invitation. He heard Tenten whisper "Fuck," and she burst through the door frame a few moments later, shirt already half-off and stumbling a little bit. The sight made him stifle a laugh.

She heard him. "Shut up, Neji!" She finally succeeded in yanking the shirt over her head and whipped it in his general direction. He caught it and deposited it on his dresser. When he turned back to her, Tenten was walking towards him with steely intent in her eye wearing nothing but a pair of boyshorts.

Neji watched her approach, face blank as she shoved him onto the bed and swung her legs across his hips. She caught his expression and tilted her head. "Don't pretend to be calm now, babe. I can feel that." She rocked her hips down and smirked when he sucked in a breath through his teeth, his hands flying up to grip tightly at her hips.

"So now that we're on the same page," Tenten drawled, still moving her hips on top of his, "Let's actually get things started, hm?"

"I am started," Neji promised her solemnly. "Very much so."

"You're such a dork." She began unbuttoning his shirt, smoothing over his exposed skin with her fingertips as she did. Neji willed himself not to shiver.

When he was stripped down to his briefs, she finally leaned down to kiss him again. The slide of her open mouth, hot and sensual against his, made him groan and tug her close to his skin. He skimmed his hands up to rest on her shoulder blades, softly entangling the tips of his fingers in her hair where it spilled like dark honey onto her back.

Tenten's form shifted on top of him, twining one leg with his as she moved to lay her entire torso on him. She drew her lips away. "Can you still breathe like this?"

"Yes," Neji muttered absently, craning his neck to catch her mouth with his again.

"Are you sure? What if I do this?" She wiggled a little, settling in. "Now can you breathe?" He caught the playful glint in her eye and mentally sighed.

He rolled her onto her back, kissing her on the nose as she grinned up at him, snickering at her own joke. "You're dumb."

"Rude."

Neji ignored her, using his new position to admire her form. Absently he ran his fingers down the side of her ribs.

"You're not staring at my farmer's tan, are you?" Tenten grinned up at him, moving her feet to rest beside his calves as she did so. Long hours in the sun during softball practice and cross-country had left her with shimmering bronzed skin on her neck, upper back, collarbone, and arms. The rest of her (he was very pleased to realize that he could in fact confirm that it was the rest of her) was a few tints paler, with a clear divide between the tones.

"I think your farmer's tan is very sexy, Tenten." He leaned down to kiss the spot on her chest where her tan ended, then continued to trail his lips along the curve of her breast. She inhaled sharply, hands flying up to dig into his shoulder.

He continued to mouth at her skin, his hands shifting to rest on her ribcage. He followed her sternum down until his mouth was just above her belly button. Neji paused a moment, considering, before he nipped at the skin.

Tenten startled a little, but gave him a breathless "I'm fine" when he looked at her questioningly.

Neji had reached the stretch of skin just above her boy shorts now. Feeling daring, he ran his tongue along the edge.

Above him, Tenten threw back her head and let out a soft moan, hands clenching at his bedsheets. He paused at the reaction, contemplating, before licking his lips.

"Tenten."

"Hm? Neji?" Her voice, raw and breathy, was the sexiest damn thing he'd ever heard. He took a moment to recollect himself before voicing his thoughts.

"Would you be comfortable with me going down on you?"

Tenten jerked up, wide-eyed and flustered. "What? Wait, what?"

"I'd like to try it," he confessed. Admittedly, he had become distracted again when she sat up as he watched her… figure… move.

She saw his line of sight and snorted a little. "Thought you were an ass man."

"I'm a Tenten man."

"I'm already having sex with you, you don't have to sweet-talk me."

Neji raised his eyes to meet hers. "So are you comfortable with it?"

She bit her lip in thought. "I mean, yes, I guess I'm just- not prepared? Give me a sec." She disentangled herself and trotted towards his bathroom. He stared after her for a few seconds, entranced, before mentally shaking himself and shifting to rest his back against his bed.

Tenten came out of the bathroom a few minutes later. "Alright, I think I'm good-" Neji stopped listening the second he looked at her. She had removed the boy shorts, evidently figuring they would become redundant anyway, and was walking briskly past him to set them next to where he'd placed her shirt.

Neji immediately stood up to follow her path. When she turned back around, he was a step behind her, staring her down intensely and reaching for her waist. "What the hell, Neji, what are you-"

He drew her close and kissed her hard, tilting her entire body back as he did so. When he pulled away a few seconds later, she was breathing hard and her lips were crimson. Neji pressed his forehead to hers and stared into her eyes. "Go lie back on the bed with your knees over the edge."

She stared back at him, looking a little dazed, but turned around and complied. He sank down to his knees in front of her, cupping her calves in his hand and sliding them over his shoulders.

Tenten let out a sharp breath. "Okay, so now. This is happening right now."

"Ideally, yes," he murmured, pressing slow kisses up her right thigh. Her heels dug sharply into his mid-back, and out of the corner of his eye her saw her hands fist the bedspread.

Neji looked her in the eye seriously, flexing his hands on her legs in a way that hopefully came across as sensual but in actuality was sheer nerves. "You're sure you're comfortable with this, Tenten?"

She propped herself up on her elbows to see him better and gave him a sweet smile. "I'm sure."

"Good."

Neji dropped Tenten back off at her home on his way to get Hanabi the next morning. She hopped out of his car and walked to the trunk to grab her bag. Neji watched her in the rearview mirror, smirking a little at the way she was walking.

She paused by his open window, pressing a kiss to his mouth. "Thanks for the ride."

They grinned at each other at the double entendre, before Tenten kissed him again and straightened back up. "See you Monday."

"Goodbye."

"Bye. Love you!"

They both stopped short for a moment, before Tenten muttered "Son of a bitch!" and booked it towards her house. He stared, agape, at her retreating figure, before snapping to attention and calling after her, "Tenten! Wait!"

"Nope! Bye!"

"Tenten! I love you too!"

She turned around and beamed at him. "That's great but I'm still feeling flustered so I'm going inside now!" The door slammed shut behind her.

Neji rested his forehead against the steering wheel and fought back a grin.