A/N: I started writting again and I may not be great but I'll do anything to contribute to this ship. So I want to start writting the prompts from previous #NejiHinaWeek starting with Family from 2015. Hope you enjoy.
Dissclaimer: Naruto and its characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto.
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Family
Family is all one's got. Her first family hasn´t been all well with her, she was abused, humiliated, disregarded. Her father didn´t held feelings for her in any shape or form and even though she tried to get closer to her little sister, everything had been in vain the weight of the family name had broken the little bond they could've have form. She had better herself through the years trying to gain the respect of her family but it still wasn´t enough the family had favor Hanabi in the succession of the leadership. Soon after she had been branded, and relegated as a branch family member. Designated as the Head's maid she had to wake early, prepare breakfast, bath and clothes for Hanabi, at the beginning she felt awkward, a stranger in her own home, relegated to be a servant in her own family.
Later she discovered that that was not the end of her life, she could choose a different path, she requested to be trained by the Hokage herself and as long as she continue doing her task as Hanabi's maid, she could follow her new training. She woke up pretty early every morning and went to bed very late. She started wearing permanent dark circles under her eyes. One morning before her day began a breakfast tray had been brought to her quarters, nothing elaborate but good enough to start her day.
After she had prepared everything and had attended to Hanabi, she continue with her routine, just like every day. She went to her medical training and twice a week she reunited with her teammates to train. They were like her second family; they had been training and growing together for as long as she could remember, they took care of her and she took care of them, Kiba made her feel happiness in her grayest days and Shino made her feel confident when other doubted her. His silent reassurance was there and she appreciated it.
Months had gone by and her days hadn´t changed that much, she still had an overload of work to do, scrolls to study and tasks to do for Hanabi. One late night she came back tired and sweaty with her remaining strength she walked to the onsens destined for the branch family to find that someone had already prepared one, she waited to see who was going to used it, but no one showed up so maybe she could use the one that was already prepared. The warmth of the water surrounded her and helped her muscles relax.
These events continue to be repeated and she realized that she didn´t had to think hard about who was preparing her occasional breakfast and late night baths, the timing of these events coincided greatly with one person mission's schedules and come backs, and even though she had a good relationship with a fair amount of branch family members, no one was close enough to give her some of their time in these little displays of attention. It was only proper that she returned the favor; she started leaving prepared bentos in front of his door and when he came back from missions she made the effort to arrive earlier to the compound and prepare his bath in return. They were practically playing hide and seek since their schedules didn´t match most of the time and outside the family dinner that the branch members had together and occasional trainings they shared when both had the opportunity, they were almost never seen in the company of the other.
After sometime she started to feel that the relegated part of the family had finally accepted her. But being accepted was not the same as considering them her family, at least not as she felt that Shino and Kiba were her family. They were the closest she had ever felt about other people, besides her dear cousin, of course. She got into her room to find a lily on her bed and a note next to it: I'll be waiting in the garden, it said.
She walked to the place requested and there he was, his hair down and untied flowed with the breeze of the night. He never stopped looking at her and the nervousness came back to her. She didn´t know he had already come back from his latest mission; he had been out of town for one month at least. He extended his hand and she met him halfway, she never diverted her eyes from his and he pulled her close to him, her body fitting his. She put her right hand in his chest and trailed it up to his neck and to the back of his head while he hug her from the waist at the same time he caressed her hair, tucking it behind her ear. She smiled at him before getting closer to him, erasing the distance between them, letting his wooden musk fill her lungs, allowing his warmth to surround her.
He always made her feel safe and at home, with him she felt secured and without anyone else noticing they had become family, not because they shared their last name, not because they shared blood, but because they were ready to support each other and construct a life together. They were family; because they could give each other one of the things they needed the most but could hardly get within the walls that surrounded them, love.