A/N: Wooh, I'm on a frickin' roll. Second update in a couple days.

Wrote this for a fic challenge presented on the livejournal community FanficnoJutsu. Took me about six hours to write( FMA is very distracting!). It was a pretty loose challenge - Neji/Hinata pairing, PG-13 to NC-17, plotline was a free-for-all, as long as something caught on fire (literally or metaphorically), there was a mention of them being related, there was a mention of them being "caged birds" and someone smelling like cinnamon. There was an optional "Hiashi with milk and cookies", so I smooshed that in at the end.

Hm. My first ever smut fiction. God, they've brought me to the dark side.

And there really are cookies there.

Breakfast in Bed

Traditionally, it had always been his mother that had done such a simple task for him, a tiny comfort presented to him on a day that should have been important to him. In all actuality, the gift she gave to him was the only reason that he even acknowledged the day as different from any other.

Yet as of late, she couldn't even pull herself from her own bedroom, let alone summon the energy needed to move about the kitchen. Which was why she had summoned her shy niece, knowing that the girl would be eager to please, especially when it came to her cousin.

"Hinata-san," her voice had been very weak, rising in a breathless murmur from the pale expanse of her drawn face. The illness that plagued her had formed dark circles under her eyes, lines around her nose, eyes and mouth; a ghostly wisp of the smiling woman she had once been. "Hinata-san, please, do this ailing woman a favor." The dark head had bobbed furiously, hands folded neatly in her lap. With halting breath, she had explained her request, the young girl smiling a little when she finished.

"Anything for you, Akiko-san. I will do this." The woman had smiled then, as wide as her failing flesh would allow, heart reaching out for her niece.

And so, the next morning found Hinata, sleeves of her light summer yukata tied back, grasping a pair of long cooking chopsticks, gently prodding the contents of the pan sitting before her on the stove. Steam rose around her, and she bustled about, raising the lid of the rice cooker, and then moving to add ingredients to the miso soup.

The fish needed turning, so that it would be evenly cooked, and she eyed the clock, calculating when to begin cooking the eggs and sausage. It was early still, yet she could hear the shuffling of feet outside the kitchen doorway. Whispers filtered through the door less opening.

"What's a main house member doing here? In our kitchen no less!"

"What on earth is she doing?"

Hinata colored slightly, hands attempting to waver, but she swallowed and set her jaw. Akiko-san had asked her to do this. Her. She would not let her aunt down. It had happened too many times to too many people. Things had met their limit.

Eventually the whispers faded away. Hinata reasoned that the maids had probably gone to do their work, and then pushed it from her mind, opening the small refrigerator and looking around for the vegetables and nori she needed. She became entranced in her work, body moving delicately about, humming softly to herself.

A rustling at the door alerted her that she was not alone. The pleasant humming cut off abruptly, her pale eyes moving over to stare into a pair of the same colorless orbs. She kept eye contact for a moment, quickly casting her own down, chopsticks in her hands clicking softly as she shifted.

"A-ah, good morning Neji-nii-san," she spoke softly, the boldness and ease she had felt while cooking alone dropping down into the negative levels.

"Hinata-sama, what are you doing here?" she chanced to look back up, eyes sliding up his chest to his face. He was dressed in loose garments, either just having woken up, or having finished with training of some sort. As she locked on to his face, she was startled to see his hair unbound, the coffee colored locks spilling over his shoulders, framing his pale face. She looked a little higher and was forced to keep her face still as she saw the mark upon his forehead. She could count on one hand the number of times she had seen him with his forehead uncovered.

"Well, Akiko-san asked me to…to do her a favor, and…" She turned the burner in front of her off, picking the fish out of the pan and arranging it on the plate she had prepared for it. Spooning rice into a bowl with a wooden utensil, she placed it on the tray with the fish and other food. She looked up, pleased, her face brightening, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Even her nervous nature and obvious unease could not vanquish it.

Lightly picking up the tray, she smiled a little wider. "Happy 17th birthday, Neji-nii-san."

She wasn't as good with reading people as he was, but for once, even an oblivious person could have read what he was feeling. His white eyes widened slightly, then shrunk to normal size. His dark brows drew in a fraction, dictating his confusion and surprise. Hinata's confidence lessened the longer he stayed silent.

"P-please, sit down," she finally spoke, eyes moving to the low table visible through the open shoji doors leading to the dining room. He didn't move, and for a few seconds, she feared he never would. Eventually, he did, albeit hesitantly, feet padding silently as he crossed the tile floor of the kitchen to the spring tatami mats of the dining room.

Neji dropped lightly to the floor, legs crossing like his arms normally did. He surveyed Hinata silently, trying to hide his own unease. He hadn't been expecting what he had come to see as his birthday tradition, knowing full well that his mother wasn't able to do much more than sit up these days.

It didn't help that he had been having dreams lately, dreams about the pale-eyed girl who carefully placed a tray laden with traditional breakfast foods in front of him at the table. She left and returned again to his side to place a pair of chopsticks next to the tray, then a steaming mug of hot black coffee – how had she known that he liked his coffee black?

His hands moved on auto-pilot, bringing food to his mouth, which registered as cooking that was actually better than his mother's, but he was too preoccupied for shock, absorbed with his cousin, who was moving about the other room, washing out pots and pans, arms deep in soap suds.

He chewed a bit of egg thoughtfully, the blurred recollection of his recurring dreams running through his mind. For some reason he knew the dreams were all nightmares – waking up in a cold sweat each morning was proof of that – but he could never remember more than that. That, and the fact that they were all about Hinata. Something horrific always happened to her each night, but for the life of him he could not recall what. Was it the same thing, or did she meet a different fate every time?

Sunlight spilled around her through the large windows of the kitchen, highlighting her dark hair and illuminating her eyes. Absentmindedly, he placed a vegetable in his mouth, and winced. Leek. Gods, he hated those.

Hinata plucked a clean rag from the stack by the sink, intent on wiping down the counters and stove. She glanced at Neji, saw him eating, then noticed his intense stare. Which was directed right at her. Gulping softly, she colored again, broke her glance and stepped closer to the stove. She scrubbed hard at one burner, then another. Her mind went out to her task, and she once more forgot her surroundings. An almost inaudible humming began again.

Neji's eyes, which had briefly left Hinata's form to locate his coffee cup, snapped back up when he heard her begin to hum. It was a lulling and lilting tune, one he recognized as a favorite of his mother's. She had hummed it to him many times when he was a child, for any occasion, be it for a scraped knee, his mastery of a skill, when she was cleaning or cooking, or just when there was a silence that needed filling.

Unconsciously, his hand stopped halfway to his mouth, then dropped back to the table. His eyes were riveted on Hinata's profile, the bad dreams leaving him for a moment, all his focus on her and the light that engulfed her. His eyes were wide and he swallowed, feeling himself shiver lightly, though the air was warm.

The seemingly momentous moment was broken as Hinata let loose a cry of alarm, springing back from the stove. All the nights he had spent living through her pain snapped to place in his head, and he bolted forward, vaulting over the counter that blocked him from her side.

He almost blew out a sigh of relief when he saw what the dilemma was. The back burner had been on so slightly that Hinata hadn't noticed when she went to clean it. The instant it touched the gas flame, the whole cloth lit on fire. He quickly snatched a corner of the rag and tossed it into a water-filled bowl in the sink, where it went out, but continued to smolder slightly.

Hinata's shaky breath sounded close, and he turned, expression unschooled and wide open once more. "Are you all right, Hinata? Did you burn yourself!" He carefully pulled her hand into his two larger ones, cradling it there for his inspection.

Hinata, too shocked to notice the slip-up in his speech – his lack of honorific for her name – shook her head swiftly. "N-no. Just the tips, I think." Her breath caught as he held up the hand to eye level, turning her hand palm up and tracing her fingers lightly. It didn't even hurt when he touched the slightly burnt ends.

Her change in breathing didn't go unnoticed, and as their eyes locked on to one another, he decided. Throwing reason out the window, he pulled her close, one hand holding the back of her head, pressing his to his chest. "Please don't scare me like that," he murmured into her hair. He silently prayed that her tensed muscles would relax, and they were answered when, a moment later, her arms hesitantly snaked around him.

They may have stayed like that for hours, or minutes, neither could tell. The smell of burnt material finally got to them, though, so they separated. Neji's hand ran down her forearm, and held her injured hand. Tugging it lightly, he moved towards the doorway. "Come on. I have some ointment we can put on that." His voice was low and quiet. Hinata followed him obediently, glad that they met no one from either the branch or main house in the hallways. She didn't want to have to explain why they were both looking so ruffled and moving down the hallways together.

But mostly she didn't want him to let go of her hand.

She tried not to fidget when he led her deeper into the house and finally to a room which was immediately recognizable as a bedroom. She gulped. His bedroom, unless she guessed wrong. He left her after telling her to take a seat, moving into the adjoining bathroom, where she could hear him rummaging about.

She perched hesitantly on the very edge of his bed, fingers fiddling with the fabric in her lap. Neji reentered the room, a small jar in his hand. He stopped by her side, hesitated, then sank down next to her. "Give me you hand," he commanded softly. She gave it willingly, getting a thrill when the calluses on his larger hands rubbed against her smoother skin. Neji dipped her fingers into the jar, then gently rubbed the cream into her skin, gentle hands giving away nothing of his deadly skill. Men had died by those hands, yet they handled her so gently.

Long after he was finished, he held her hand, head bowed, thumb stroking gently across the back of her hand. Hinata certainly didn't mind, but she was worried. He wasn't acting normal. "Um…Neji…" She immediately wanted to smack herself for forgetting to add "nil-san". He looked up, intense eyes locking onto hers, and she found it extraordinarily easy to smile at him. "Well, um, thank you very much –" She didn't have time to finish, because he caught her up in his arms again. She went willingly.

Neji couldn't believe what he was doing. He was holding her – again! Yet, he couldn't help himself. The nightmares had shaken him more than he was willing to admit, and he was relieved to know that she was alive and well, foregoing her burnt fingers.

And…and…it felt good to hold her, having her hold him back, not pulling away. Somehow he knew that she enjoyed it as much as he did, that she was holding onto him because she wanted to, not because she was timid and too shy to tell him to release her.

Over the past few years, he had grown, physically and mentally. And emotionally. He wasn't nearly as cold as every thought he was, and he certainly felt no more hatred for those around him than he did towards his own mother. The feeling of contempt he had felt for so long had evaporated as he had aged. He was ashamed when he recalled how he had treated some people. Like the girl in his arms.

There had been a time when he had intentionally tried to do her irreparable harm; tried to kill her. He had been ashamed of her weakness, using it to cover for his own. He had failed to see her true inner strength, ignoring it in favor of her outward appearance. His recent visions only brought those painful memories to the surface and it had shaken him hard.

He breathed deeply, her scent carrying to him, and he smiled, thinking, what the hell, eh? Reason was thrashed and thrown out the window again. "You smell like cinnamon…" He pushed his nose into her hair, inhaling deeply again. She gasped, and breathed a little faster, but didn't tense or turn away. He took that as a good sign, and nuzzled her neck.

Hinata fought not to tremble. There was a strange, heavy feeling in her belly, warmer than butterflies, and it grew like a fire when Neji nuzzled her and smelled her hair. Belatedly, she thought Naruto had never made her feel this before, not in her wildest dreams.

She pulled back from her cousin, searching his face, her own not smiling, but not frowning either. She radiated a comfortable curiousness, and Neji found it irresistible. He began leaning forward; giving her plenty of time to pull back or stop him, but – wait! She moved in a tiny bit, eyes uncertain, but body language silently calling for what he was willing to offer.

Their lips met, softly, clumsily, both still pretty inexperienced in such an area. It was wet, and strange, but not unpleasant. They pulled back only a little, and she was surprised to see him faintly colored as well. She smiled, and pressed forward again, lips going against his a little surer than the first time. They kissed again, and again, and on the fourth of fifth time, his tongue swept against the crevice of her lips, and she opened them slowly.

Neji was lightheaded, flushed, going purely on what he had heard from boys his age and read in books. His tongue ran along her teeth, then slid along her own. It was odd, and felt unlike anything he'd ever felt, but as he continued, and she began to wind her tongue with his, it got better. They parted for breath, and Hinata pressed her forehead against his, and she could feel the different texture of his skin where the seal was. They were both breathing heavily, and smiling so wide that it almost hurt. It was…different to see Neji smile like that, but welcome all the same. In fact, it made Hinata smile wider, and made he bold enough to capture his mouth again.

Their hands were not idle, either. His ran up and down her back, through her hair, across her shoulders. Hers explored the toned muscle of his upper body, running along the expanse of his shoulders, finally threading her fingers into his dark hair. He trailed a finger down the slim column of her throat, and she gasped, rolling her head back in a silent plea for more. Her replaced the finger with her mouth, trailing kisses along her throat, her neck, her jaw, coming up to nip at her earlobe. Her response was a low whimper.

She nuzzled into his neck, placing a kiss there, and he tipped his head back to give her the same access that she had given him. She repeated what he had done; placing fluttering kisses wherever her lips landed. As she rose up to kiss his lips again, she felt a surge of heat through her body when his hands moved down her sides to hold her waist. Surprisingly, she wasn't scared in the least, not of what they were doing, or what she was feeling. Because it seemed so right. This was something she didn't want to put a stop to.

Emboldened, she slung a leg over both of his, straddling his legs, squirming in his lap until her hips were pressed flush to his. The heat in her belly both flared and abated as she felt something hard against her lower half. She pressed harder against it, moaning softly, gasping aloud when his hands slid down to cup her bottom, grinding her harder against him. The folds of her yukata shifted, and one long, slender and pale thigh was exposed. One of Neji's hands moved down to grasp it, then stroked lightly over the sensitive skin there.

As the yukata shifted, the top parted slightly as well, revealing one pale shoulder, a little more skin above her breasts. Neji latched onto her neck, sucking lightly at the pulse point, feeling her pulse race against his tongue. Her hair, which had been left to grow out a few years ago, fell loose of its tie and covered the skin of her shoulder when she tossed her head.

He sank his nose into the dark hair, recognizing the scent from before, knowing it was her hair that smelled pleasantly of cinnamon. His pushed the hair away so that it hung down her back, stopping below her shoulder blades. His teeth lightly bit her shoulder, his tongue then laving the bite to soothe it. Her eyelids fluttered, and she moved in such a way that the other shoulder was exposed. With nothing to hold it up, the top half of her yukata fell down to her elbows, leaving her entire chest open to his inspection.

Feeling cooler air on her chest, Hinata looked down, and blushed, stretching one arm across her breasts. She looked up at Neji, and was touched to see that he wasn't looking down, but up in such a way that she locked eyes with him when she brought her head up. His hand cupped her face, thumb rubbing her cheek.

"You're perfect…" he murmured, capturing her kiss-bruised lips once again, taking the arm across her chest by the wrist and winding it about his neck. "And no bra, I see?" he mumbled against her lips, unable to hide his smile. His thumbs grazed lightly along her ribcage, just below her breasts, making them peak and tighten without even touching them directly.

"Oh," she cried softly, as his hands finally cupped her breasts, rubbing the aching tips and rolling them in his grip. She inhaled deeply and pressed harder against him. He nearly bucked as her hips pressed more fully against his own.

Experimentally, he passed the next few minutes tasting her skin, taking each tight nipple into his mouth in turns, swirling his tongue around them and rasping his teeth against them. She moaned softly throughout the whole experience, finally pulling his face up by way of both hands on his jaw and kissing him, hard. She put all that she was feeling into the kiss, arching against him in demand of something she didn't quite understand, but didn't really need to.

Suddenly very coy, she leaned back, feeling his hard arms around her back, stroking the bare skin along her spine. Her eyes were half-lidded, he was panting. "You're too clothed, Neji," she quipped, all the warning he got before she was turning the hem of his shirt up, yanking it off him swiftly. Her mouth made its way down his neck, then tasted the skin of his chest. Her hands trailed down his back, to his waist, then around his front, starting at the tip and working her way down. Her fingers traced the edges of his muscle and scars, nails rasping against him in such a way that made him cry aloud.

His fingers dug into her bottom, jerking her hips against his. She hissed through her teeth, eyes crashing closed. He took the opportunity to fall back on the bed and roll them over, her under him, spread thighs cradling his hips, which moved against hers in a slow rhythm. She groaned and ran her hands down his back, one stopping at the base of his spine, palm flat against him. The other hand kept going, fanning out when it hit his buttocks, using it as leverage to pull him more forcefully against her.

Neji was on cloud nine, the feel and smell and sight and taste of her all filling his senses, overwhelming him in all the right ways. His hand ran along her side, gripping her leg at the knee and trailing slowly upwards, stopping at the graceful curve of her hip. He rose slightly, so that he could get his hand between their bodies.

He hesitated for a second, then ran his fingers through the part in her yukata, and along the heat that burned through her panties. She bucked wildly against him, moaning and wrapping her hands around his neck, pressing her face into his neck. His seeking fingers slipped around the cloth barrier, encountering her wetness and warmth. Carefully, one slipped into her folds while his thumb ribbed the hardened nub of flesh he found, causing her to cry out louder than she had so far.

His fingers coaxed her to heat even more, and he pulled them out as he felt her begin to tighten, licking the digits clean. Hinata panted, and watched wide-eyed, as he took every remnant of her taste from his fingers, smoke in his eyes and promise in his fiery smile. She shuddered agreeably.

Slowly they divested themselves of remaining clothing, eventually completely bare before each other, hiding nothing. Hands pressed and caressed, getting to know the feel of one another, mapping curves and lines and muscle. Hinata's fingers encountered scars about his torso, two prominent ones on his shoulder and abdomen. She knew they were from the Sasuke chase of many years ago. Her fingertips stroked them gently. He discovered that she had a smattering of scars as well. He kissed each one, as if to erase any phantom of pain she might have felt from them.

His fingers found her center as his eyes found hers. He ran a single digit along her folds, testing her body; its readiness. Her eyes stared straight back into his, unwavering, passion clouding them. She suddenly felt something hot at her core, hard yet soft, pulsing with a life of its own. She reached down to caress it, and he moaned loudly, dropping his head into the pillow under her head, so they were cheek to cheek. Her hands ran along his length, and she knew that it would be in her soon. Still she felt no fear.

His eyes met hers again, his voice was husky. The hotness was against her again, this time pushing gently, preparing. The tip slid in when she raised her hips. It wasn't as bad as she had heard it would be, and any pain she felt as he continued pushing in was lost when she heard his voice in her ear, whispering a gentle mantra of "I-love-you-I-love-you-I-love-you."

Then he was fully seated inside her, hips together, her legs moving to wrap around his waist. "Neji, I love you!" she whispered fiercely in his ear, jerking her hips up against his, eager to begin.

And she knew it was true. She had loved Naruto once, yes, but he was too interested in another to even glance in her direction in the way she wanted him to. He had been her first adolescent crush, a boy to blush about and try to impress. What she felt for Neji…was…everything. She wanted to be beside him. Why this hadn't occurred to her until this very day wasn't clear, but she was so very happy that it had. With Neji there was a future. There was someone to love her.

The thought that their love wasn't going to pass well with their families crossed her mind briefly, but, in a very un-Hinata-like way, thought, Screw it. I don't care. With him beside me, I could fly. We're two caged birds who will go free. We can handle the family. Together.

All coherent thought was lost when he pulled out to the tip and thrust back in, sliding easily inside her. "Oh!" Her arms tightened around his neck, fisting in his long unbound hair. His mouth slanted over her own, each swallowing the other's cries, rocking in a steadily increasing rhythm.

As Neji pushed in again, deeper this time, he hit something inside her that had her reeling. She nearly screamed, and thrust hard against him, body quivering. He grunted, upped the tempo, and used one hand to keep some of his weight off her, giving himself the stability to plunge deep again.

Over and over he hit that one spot inside her, causing her to writhe and squirm against his body, to contract around his thrusting member. Bolts of pleasure snaked through both of them, and tingling anticipation spread from their bellies to their entire bodies.

The coil in Hinata's belly winded tighter and tighter, and her muscled tensed. Their rhythm disintegrated, morphing into erratic bucking and jerking, each seeking the completion that was near at hand.

They felt it coming, and sped up again, mouths sealed together, sweat standing out on their bodies. The room smelled of sex, was filled with the scent and sounds of their lovemaking. After one deliciously deep thrust, Hinata's coil broke, snapping so hard she saw stars. Her hard convulsions brought Neji up short, and after pushing as deep as he could go, found his release even as hers continued. Their climaxes fed off one another, gently slowing until they were a trembling, panting tangle on the bed.

The fight to catch their breath was a long one, but eventually they calmed enough to think clearly again. In the afterglow, they shared many more kisses, and when he pulled his waning member from her warm body, she whimpered longingly. His eyes sought hers, and they held a promise of more, much more, to come later on.

They were engaging in another kiss when there was a sharp knock on the door. Hinata nearly squealed, but instead opted to yank the mussed sheets up over her head. "Neji?" Her eyes dropped open . Oh, gods! She squeaked lightly.

Her father was outside the door.

"Neji, are you decent?"

When he received no reply, Hiashi cracked the door and peeked in, seeing a lump under the covers, and Neji's upper body poking out of it. He appeared to be sleeping. Silently, the older man ducked back out. Scratching his head, he looked thoughtfully at the package in his hands. "Well, what am I going to do with you? My wife said to give you to Neji. Buuut…he's not responding…"

Five minutes later found Hiashi in the kitchen of the main house, a tall glass of milk sitting beside the newly opened package of home-baked cookies.

Back in Neji's room, Hinata's shock turned to amusement. How close was that, she mouthed at Neji playfully.

His mouth swallowed her laughter.