Who was he to unkindly shatter this storybook moment? The trees framed the bench where the two whispered, and the half-full moon let their happy little faces glow. The last beams of the setting sun stretched across a lilac, velvet sky and faded the colors of the sky. The curved bench overlooked picturesque, grass-flowing hills that rimmed a coldly shining lake. This was an ideal scene for the boy of the courageous sun and the girl of the gleaming moon to meet. He had always hated those convenient pairings, so symmetrical and sickeningly perfect. The children's books had never shown the girl's older cousin lurking in the corner of the drawing. Only the blissful couple. Maybe that was how it was meant to be.

The surrounding twilight created a soft, warm atmosphere, but also a feeling of everything being poised, waiting for night, but still clutching on to the last rays of the day, reluctant to retire to the cold. A half-way point, a pause in the endless chase of moon and sun, and the two of us were the only ones who could move about. Somehow, something in this perfect symmetry was off, wrong somehow. I smiled the idea away and lost myself in the moment.

He didn't belong here, in this ideal little scene, and he was undeserving of the small bit of spotlight he did steal from the main characters. Only he didn't believe that they should be the main characters. He would not leave.

His eyes reflected the moonlight, and a thought of my clan flashed across my vision. The light gilded his eyes to be pale, almost colorless. Neji always corrected me at this point, telling me white contained all colors. But the wide, genuine grin on Naruto's face displaced this momentary illusion.

The two stared into each other's shimmering eyes and a throbbing –anger? frustration? why didn't he know?! He was supposed to be sure! - twined around in his chest, like the thrashing tail of a lizard. But this could only ever be a decoy, and should be ignored in the pursuit of a greater prize, a higher purpose.

Promises, unfamiliar to my clan-bred ears, poured, erupted, gushed in a river from him, and he wanted to prove everything to me, to show me he was strong, worthy, that I could trust him. He wanted to make a blood oath, with his own blood.

He saw a flash of steel and then his patience and readiness fueled him. The Uzumaki boy was pinned to the still sun-warmed grass before he could threaten any more. Neji was not the hero, he am not the main character, but he wasthe protector and he will protect. This was and is where he belongs.

Naruto managed to shoot an almost knowing look at me before his face was reintroduced with the blades of grass. He had chuckled and assured me contentedly about my cousin, and now I truly believed it. Neji, however aloof, clan-molded, and proud, was first and foremost loyal to me. I could see it on every vein that pumped chakra in my defense, in the slight, subtle glance to assuage the edge of fear that maybe he was too late maybe he failed.

Maybe the storybook couple were meant to be, but one of those two, ironically inspired me to challenge destiny and all those meant to be's.


A/N: In response to a request for a sequel.

Second chapter: 1st person this time, normal type is STILL Hinata, 3rd person italics is STILL Neji. Neji is watching Hinata on a date with Naruto. Naruto wants to PROVE he won't hurt Hinata by making a blood vow. (because this is NARUTO, come on, you KNOW he would.) So he takes out a kunai, to cut himself with. Neji sees, and goes on instant protect-Hinata-sama-destroy-threat mode. Naruto knew, or suspected that Neji was there, and is actually trying to get Neji and Hinata together. Again, thank ImCutePoison for pointing out confusion.

(Contrary to apparent popular belief, authors do NOT rabidly attack anyone who reviews. Well, most authors don't. Well, I don't.)

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