Summary: Neji remembers a time when everything was so much simpler
The tiny sounds- snip, snip, snip- echo throughout the huge, empty room (gleaming hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, a huge expanse of nothing in between the paper doors, and Neji sits in the middle on a rickety chair).
He remembers when they used to run through the gardens and they'd laugh and there'd be no repercussions for tripping over a tree root, rolling downhill with grass and flowers squished beneath and the blue sky white clouds laughing singing beautiful days clear free happy.
"Tilt a little to the right, niisan," Hinata says suddenly (quietly) from behind, and Neji says, "Yes," and his voice is rough and quiet too, and he leans to the right.
"Niisan, let's plant in the gardens today," Hinata says once, and her voice is full of sun and breezy days and a singing lilt (so unlike the month season she was born in) and Neji says, "Yes!" (And his voice is like flying and swimming and running faster than that breeze) and races her to the tiny picket fence and lets Hinata win.
The scissors start snipping again, rhythmic and more echoes and soft and loud at the same time (So annoying and Neji wants to grab them and throw them, anything that will break this silence). He stays absolutely still.
He remembers running free and wild and rolling in the dirt and messing up his yukata, gathering messy bouquets of weeds for Hinata's flower collection and standing in the wind, hair flying and the sun beating down on his face.
"Done," a whispery winter wind, so soft Neji almost doesn't catch it, and he stands slowly (gracefully, controlled) and inclines his head (restrained, held back).
"Thanks, Hina-chan," he says when the sun is setting and he walks back towards his part of the compound, basket of fresh herbs and fruits and flowers. And she smiles and waves and says, "It was no problem, I'll meet you here tomorrow," and waits until he's out if sight before heading in (and he knows because after rounding the corner he'll use byakugan and make sure she's safe before continuing on).
"Thank you, Hinata-sama," he says outside, head lowered and bundle of cut hair to throw away. And she smiles and he thinks he might hear a hint of spring when Hinata says, "It was no problem. Please ask whenever your hair gets too long again."
And Neji turns and activates his byakugan and watches her watching him and he rounds the corner and the sun touches the edge of the horizon.