I, unfortunately, do not own Naruto in any way and any form.
Set before the Akatsuki Attack
It was so freaking hot.
Neji never had been bothered by the blazing heat of the near-afternoon sun before, but today was no ordinary hot day in Kohona; it was sizzling, as if the sun decided to turn up the heat with the flick of a knob to cook it's late breakfast a little faster. Neji's top and hair clung to his skin, and for a moment he wished he didn't have such long hair or wore his clan's thick, traditional robes.
He stopped short of his practiced to stand in some shade and take of his drenched shirt. He took out an almost empty water bottle from his bag next to him and took a swig of the refreshing cool water. He glanced at the area to his left where his team was visible beyond the posts.
Even his teammates and sensei, who were always as eager as he was-often times more so-to practice and work hard to improve their skills, did not want to move too much under that sweltering sky. His regular sparring partner Tenten lazed underneath an old tree fanning herself, her weapon scrolls next to her and her headband off. Lee's and Gai's movements were as sluggish as a turtle; contrary to their usual fast paced exercises and challenges.
After only ten minutes of training, it was clear that everyone wanted to go home. Today was simply not a good day to be out in the hot and humid air.
So he simply replied:
"I'm heading home."
And then he picked up his bag, threw it over his shoulder and headed towards the Hyuuga Compound. He could faintly hear his teammates and sensei agree to his statement as he brisk his way through the dusty trail and awfully still trees, past the wooden gates of Kohona and the atypically sparse town roads. The few people who had braved the heat to finish up their daily errands around the village sped by him in a blur. By the time Neji finally caught sight of the familiar brown roofs of the Compound his right arm was soaked with the sweat he had wiped from his brow. He let out a short and quiet sigh of relief and picked up his speed.
The paper doors opened just enough for him to enter through before closing shut, the glaring light leaking through the thin sheets that effectively protected the interior from the intense heat. Neji had never felt more happier to be home early than the day he first met his team, back when he was an intolerant and stuck up genin.
The hallway was empty and silent, but Neji knew better than to believe he was alone. He could hear the faint sound of an ink pen writing from Hiashi's office from the other side of the house; Hinata-sama was putting away her kunai and bag in her room and changing from her sweat-drenched clothes, apparently having the same idea that Neji had. Hanabi, of course, was still in the Academy.
After quickly addressing his return to his uncle and grabbing a new water bottle from the kitchen, Neji stood at the front of the heiress's door and knocked once.
"Come in, niisan."
Neji entered his cousin's bedroom and sat on the black couch as he waited. It was painted in simple neutral colors, with a large bed of lavender sheets and pillows in one corner, a chest at the foot of the bed, a small desk and chair, drawers and a bookshelf spread out, and a few decorations here and there. Hinata came out of her bathroom in a white thin-strapped top and black boy shorts, drying her long locks of dark blue hair and her face with a fluffy towel. She, too, had gone training with her teammates only to return home after a few minutes, covered in sweat and very dehydrated.
He stood up and bowed.
"Konnichiwa, Hinata-sama."
With the towel no longer obstructing her view, she looked at her cousin up and down and let out a faint blush.
"K-konnichiwa, niisan. Is there something you needed?"
"Not really, but I figured we could do something since we're both home."
"Oh, okay. I don't really know what to do today, niisan, I just want to stay indoors."
"Ah, very well."
"....."
He turned towards the door, but stops when he hears a soft voice from behind.
"A-ano....."
"Hmm?"
"Actually, maybe w-we could...I w-want to...oh it's silly..."
She glanced at him, looked down with a blush, and repeated the action again. He wondered what got her so flustered all of a sudden, but didn't bother to question her actions.
"Tell me, Hinata-sama, whatever you wish."
"Well..."
"Go on."
"W-well, I was thinking......I.....could...draw niisan?"
"......."
"It's a silly thought. Gomen, niisan, for wasting your time..."
"Okay."
"Eh?"
"Very well, Hinata-sama, if that is what you want."
There was a short pause. Hinata looked at Neji in bewilderment, and with an even redder stain on her cheeks.
"R-really?"
"Hai."
Another short, but less awkward, moment of silence occurred as Hinata's brain began to register her cousin's words.
"Okay!"
Hinata happily skipped to the drawers where she kept her large drawing pad, pencils and watercolors.
Neji hadn't expected the strange request his cousin had made; he hadn't even known she liked art, much less knew how to draw. But he accepted anyway; after all, it was far too hot to leave the house, and there wasn't much else to do besides watch a little TV or read a book, neither of which he wanted to do right now. A day out of the norm should remain out of the norm, he philosophized; so a day without training should be a day doing something as unusual and odd as modeling for an artist.
Besides, he ought to hang out with his cousin more often if they were to get along.
"I'm ready niisan!"
He looked up. Hinata had set up a drawing stand that supported her oversized sketchpad. Newspapers covered the floor where the stand and the cushion she would sit on were, a cup of water from her bathroom sink and a few pencils lied on top of the makeshift area, the set of watercolors perched on her bed. The area was facing the couch, so he figured that he was supposed to sit there.
He headed back towards the couch; it's quality black leather not making a single sound from the pressure of the body. This was where Neji became stuck: should he take up a certain position or just lay comfortably? What did Hinata-sama want? What do models typically do?
While he was thinking, Hinata had gotten out a small music player and inserted a cd she snagged from her cousin's room. The soft and familiar song shook Neji from his thoughts. Neji looked at his cousin in a questioning manner.
"Ano, I didn't want you to get bored, so I thought some good music would help you relax a little. Just lay c-comfortably, niisan, and close your eyes."
Neji nodded. He leaned back until his side hit the arm of the couch, torso and head facing his cousin, a hand supporting his head and kneeling on the couch arm. One leg raised into an arch while the other laid flat on the leather surface.
Neji closed his eyes to better take in the simple melody of the violin and piano that wafted the room. The cd had been a birthday gift from Shikamaru. It was actually an old cd that was given to the lazy genius, but the boy didn't care for the music nor did he want to take the time to find another present. So Neji, who occasionally listened to classical while meditating, got the cd handed down to him; he wasn't sure how the cloud watcher knew he liked this kind of music, though.
The soft sounds of the strings from the violin and the echo from the piano lulled Neji into a short and wonderful nap.
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Neji wasn't sure how long he had been in dreamland, but it must have been pretty long, since Hinata was just finishing up the painting. The box of watercolors had moved from its place on her bed and a couple of them were poured out over the newspaper. The glass of water was tainted a rather ugly dark brown-green. Hinata had a few watery splotches that marred her white top, and her hair had gotten a little bit messy. Her expression clearly stated that she had been in deep concentration and was coming to a satisfied conclusion.
With a few more strokes here and there, Hinata stopped and put the paintbrush into the dirty water. She leaned a little bit backwards to take in the full sight of the finished work. She then noticed that her cousin had awakened from his slumber, and blushed slightly.
"Oh, niisan. Gomen for taking so long to paint. I-I finished it, so now you can get up."
Neji rose from the couch and gave out a small yawn while he stretched his arms, looking quite different from his stoic self. Hinata giggled at the sight in front of her, face still pink. Neji stopped his stretching long enough to give her a short-lived smile.
"I hope you had enjoyed yourself, Hinata-sama."
"H-hai! Arigato, niisan, for letting me draw you."
"It is no problem, Hinata-sama."
She bowed and blushed even harder.
"I-I guess I s-should start lunch for us. Yo-ou must be very h-hungry right now, and I know o-otousan is. F-feel free to look at the p-painting."
She left in quite a rush, and Neji almost raised a brow over that, but left his curiosity unanswered.
He turned his attention to the large pad in the middle of the room.
When he came close enough to inspect the picture, Neji gave out a full heart-wrenching smile that would have had his fan girls hospitalized from blood loss through their noses. Hinata was no professional, true, but she made up for the clumsy angles of her pencil with perfect shading and light coloring that gave emphasis to the curves and ridges of his body and detail to his hair. Neji stared at the drawing, and wondered if it really was himself. The teen in the painting looked angelic; the face was in perfect proportion, with a peaceful sleepy expression gracing its surface, and a strand that had strayed from the frame of hair cut across his bandaged forehead and grazed through his straight nose. Long but masculine eyelashes traced his closed eyes; his lips kept tight in a faintly curved line. His neck was a bit too short, but it wasn't very noticeable; the muscles in his arms stood out from the starkly contrasting leather of the couch. His pale chiseled chest went on for what seemed like forever until it had reached one of the edges of the paper; the painting had been focused on the upper torso, mainly the face. His shy and quiet cousin was quite predictable; even though he is modestly covered with his white pants, she did not want to go anywhere below his naked abdome....
....she looked at her cousin up and down and let out a faint blush....
....She glanced at him, looked down with a blush, and repeated the action again....
....with an even redder stain on her cheeks....
....She then noticed that her cousin had awakened from his slumber, and blushed slightly....
....Hinata giggled at the sight in front of her, face still pink....
....She bowed and blushed even harder....
It was then that Neji realized he had left his shirt back in the training grounds.
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