Author's Note: Ok, so for a while now, I've wanted to write a piece where Neji and Hinata have grown up still very much like their pre-shippuden selves- if that makes sense. The only inspiration I was able to get was for song fics but then a few concepts occured to me and this is the result. I'm not overly happy with it but I hope you enjoy =)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters. I only own the plot of this one shot.

He was bound to her by the green manji marring his forehead, an unwilling servant to an unwilling master. He hated her for it, she hated herself for it but it could not be undone.

Hinata felt like she had had a puppet thrust on her, a puppet whose strings she was expected to pull- but she did not want to. She was not strong enough to cut the strings so she thought it was for the best if she left them loose, allowing him freedom. She did not anticipate that the strings would become tangled, that he would become tangled in a web of emotions that he could barely comprehend, leaving him rotten on the inside.

It was known that Hiashi liked Neji and preferred him as the heir over both of his daughters. So it made perfect sense to marry him to the heiress. It made perfect sense to Hiashi, perfect sense to the clan, even perfect sense to Neji. But it did not make any sense to Hinata.

When she failed to return from her training one evening, Hiashi sent Neji out to find her and he did so with ease. She had remained in the training ground, pounding the training post with her Gentle Fist. He watched as her palms had very little effect on the piece of wood and his eyes narrowed. "Still so weak," he thought bitterly.

He crept behind her silently, and she remained oblivious to his presence until he whispered in her ear, "You broke me." With a startled shriek, she tried to turn only to have her back slammed against the training post. He held both of her wrists above her head with one hand, his body holding her down and his other hand tight around her slim neck. She couldn't get the air she needed to speak but her eyes said it all. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry means nothing," he spat in her face, looking feral. "You don't know how I've suffered!"

"I've suffered too," she thought desperately, her eyes pleading with him.

"You know nothing of suffering," he told her, then with a vindictive smile added, "Yet." Her eyes widened in fear as he continued, "Your Father has given you to me. You are mine now!" And with that, he forced his lips on hers.

She squirmed beneath him but to no avail and so tried to bite him. When she did this, a low animalistic growl resounded in his throat and she abruptly stopped, and was left with no choice but to let him continue.

He walked her back to the compound, acknowledging the guards with a stiff nod as she ghosted forward, unaware of her surroundings. He walked with her until they reached her room. "Good night, Hinata-sama," he murmured, that same vindictive smile from before playing his features. She gave no reply and on sliding her door shut, sobbed for the monster she had created.