Exhilaration and the Vigil

Summary: HinaNeji. It was a little-known fact that Hinata love to ride horses. It was a much less known fact that her cousin was the reason and the single observer.

Edit: January 15, 2010


I just felt so detached from reality, pressed low to the horse's neck, the animal's muscles surging forward and pulling me along, faster than I could ever go on my own. The night wind keened in my freezing ears and the coarse, roan strands of the mane slashed at my face, but I didn't mind.

The ride always left her breathless and sweaty, panting for air, her numb fingers still snarled in the horse's hair. Her cheeks would be pink with exertion, excitement and, he knew from experience, warmth. Her pale eyes were always wide and deep with the sheer, unadulterated joy of the experience and the sparking adrenaline still dancing through her. Her dark violet hair stuck to her face, as though it was cradling her cheeks. She was always perfect, far beyond stunning right after a good run, far better than when she was primped and fussed over.

It was the extreme confinement, I reasoned, that made this so much more exhilarating. After all, a caged bird will be ecstatic at the chance to fly, a chance the free bird takes for granted.

She always looked so free and uninhibited. He wished she could stay that way, that she never had to return to the masked faces and intrinsic deception that was her duty. He wished he could protect her from that. Then she could always be in her shining, glorious bubble of joy that let all the care lines be swept off her face.

The ride, the ride! Practically flying, my senses on overdrive, picking up every shift of weight, of movement, and I was one with the speechless, powerful creature I flew with. It was an irreplaceable gift I had been given, these beautiful, blurred memories all through the docile-looking, grass-munching horse. The one important detail was also blurred, though. Who had given her this opening, this horse? If only I could try to capture my thankfulness in words, in mere actions! But it was a feeling, a swelling, pounding feeling like horses' hooves. And that could never be expressed. Whoever it was, I would thank them as much as I could when I found out. Until then…

Maybe, one day after riding, she would notice him, standing just out of sight, watching, guarding. Maybe one day he would be allowed the honor of seeing her so alive, up close. Maybe one day he would tell her who gave her the horse… but until then…

Hinata would ride and soar and nearly scream her joy to the pre-dawn skies as she rode horses, and Neji would watch and admire and guard.


A/N: For those who are confused-

Normal type, first person is Hinata, italics and third person is Neji. Hinata's part is mainly describing riding horses, and Neji's is about watching her. Hinata doesn't know that Neji watches or originally gave her the horse. Thanks to ImCutePoison for pointing out the confusion.

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