a/n: Sorry, updating has been a bit odd hasn't it? Anyways, here's chapter 8…
Disclaimer on my profile…Warnings: Um…the usual. If you don't like boy x boy and fluff, I honestly have no idea why you're here. Also, slight family switcheroo.
Chapter 8
Neji followed his aunts down the hall, carefully noting where they were going so that he would be able to go back to Itachi's apartment if he ever felt like it.
"Neji…Neji!" Ten-Ten waved a hand in front of his face. He realized that while he'd been thinking about Itachi, they'd arrive at someone else's apartment…he looked at the nameplate and raised an eyebrow when he saw his own name printed on the plaque.
"Y-Yes, this is w-where you'll be staying for now," Hinata commented, and pushed open the door. "Come on…your f-father is w-waiting for you."
Neji swallowed hard, and after a moment of hesitation, followed the fairies in to the hallway. He took of his shoes, and was startled to see that his apartment was already decorated in his favorite colors (green and blue) and that everything was already in place for him to begin his new life at the palace.
"You'll have to go grocery shopping," Ten-Ten said over her shoulder, "but we did our best to make this place feel like home to you."
Neji smiled slightly; so that's why it had felt so familiar…the fairies had decorated his apartment so that it was almost exactly like the cottage that he'd lived in for the last fifteen years of his life.
He stepped in to the main room, and looked curiously at the man sitting in a comfortable chair in front of a flickering fire. So this man was his father? He supposed that he looked quite a bit like his father, but some things were different too…for example, the shade of their eyes wasn't quite the same (Neji's had a darker purple tint to them than King Hizashi's), and Neji most certainly didn't have his father's hawk-like nose.
Father and son stared at each other in silence for a full five minutes before Hizashi finally stood up and moved toward his son with open arms.
"Welcome home my son," he said with a soft smile.
Neji blinked, and then suddenly threw himself in to his father's arms. "I'm back, father!" he sobbed. "I'm home!"
The three fairies smiled gently at the reunion of the father and son from the kitchen doorway. Finally, things seemed like they just might turn out alright.
XXX
Neji was glowing with happiness; after he'd hugged his father for what seemed like forever, he'd been delighted to meet his cousin (also called Hinata; apparently she'd been named after the sweet, stuttering fairy) and his uncle. He'd also met his sister Hanabi who had been a bit much to take in with her somewhat abrasive temperament, but he'd gotten used to it after the first few minutes.
He bowed to his sister mischievously. "My princess," he teased her.
She laughed at him. "Oh my darling brother." She stopped laughing for a moment and eyed him seriously. "I know that we just met and everything, but I think I'm going to enjoy having a brother around."
Neji blinked. "Um…"
Hanabi turned around. "Well, this has been a happy family reunion, but it's also two in the morning and, if I recall, we all have to be at nii-chan's formal presentation at eight o'clock, so I'm going to bed." She headed for the door with her cousin in tow. "Good night!"
Hizashi sighed regretfully. "I suppose Hanabi is right. Good night, son."
"Good night, Father." Neji watched his family exit the room.
Finally, the three fairies came out of their hiding spot in the kitchen. "So what do you think of your new family?" Ten-Ten ventured.
"It's a bit odd, but it's a good kind of odd," Neji responded. "Are you staying in here for tonight?"
"Just m-me," Aunt Hinata stuttered. "The other two are going to get your things ready for you tomorrow. I'll show you the rest of your apartment…" Neji said goodnight to his other two aunts before following Hinata as she lead him to the other rooms.
Ten-Ten's face darkened. "Something happened at the cottage just after we left."
Sakura looked grim. "I know; I felt it too. They very nearly found us."
"They'll know he's not there anymore by now," Ten-Ten said, pacing around the living room. "They'll know that he's here by tomorrow night at the latest as well."
"Unless we get rid of his eyes and ears in the court," Sakura said. "But that's next to impossible due to relations with Suna right now-"
"Exactly. There's not much we can do put keep our guard up until Neji's birthday…I just thought I'd let you know what we're up against," Ten-Ten said, stopping in front of the fireplace. "I know Hinata had her doubts, and I told her not to be silly, but still…"
Sakura walked over and gave Ten-Ten a hug. "We all have our doubts," Sakura said softly. "I certainly have doubts about the plan…but I do not have any doubts about your effectiveness in protecting the royal family."
Ten-Ten smiled. "Thanks, Sakura." She gently pulled away. "Well…we'd best start getting ready for tomorrow; we haven't been here for sixteen years, I'm sure our place has gone pieces while we were gone."
"Oh, you know Hiazashi-kun; he's probably kept the place exactly the same since we left it…" Sakura continued to bicker with Ten-Ten as they flew out the door.
The next morning…
Neji shifted self-consciously in his formal robes before carefully smoothing down the smooth green silk. The clothes were very pretty, but they were awfully stifling, even with the stiff breeze running through the court room.
Neji covered his mouth with his hand and stifled a yawn; he'd barely gotten three hours of sleep. Aunt Hinata had been so nervous for his presentation that she'd proceeded to wake him up at five o'clock in order to start getting him ready. He really did love his aunt, and he appreciated her explaining to him how exactly to put his robe on, but honestly…fairies didn't really need sleep, but when you've been raising a human boy for the past fifteen years, you'd think they'd have learned by now.
Then, of course, after he'd managed to struggle his way in to the kimono, Aunt Hinata had proceeded to flit about him and adjust various things while muttering herself while he tried not to fall asleep on his feet. (The last time that had happened, he'd been twelve and had narrowly avoided having Sakura put lipstick on his mouth). She'd gone at it for an hour until he'd pointed out that the ceremony started in half an hour, weren't they supposed to be down in the courtroom ten minutes ago? And then she'd had an explosion of hysteria and he'd had to calm her down with copious amounts of instant coffee.
Now, he was sitting on the throne (that had been empty save for the glittering, golden circlet that had occupied it for the past fifteen years. Said circlet was now resting on his head) in a glittering, silken green kimono with a crane pattern on it, and his hair had been twisted in to some odd configuration that defied the laws of both physics and gravity. (The only way Hinata could have squeezed his crown over his head without upsetting his hair was with magic, Neji had decided when he'd seen himself in the mirror.) In less than a minute, all the noble families would file in to the court room and he would be formally presented to his people. Neji resisted the urge to start biting his nails; he really hoped that Itachi wasn't going to be here. He didn't want Itachi to see him with his hair like this.
Neji was drawn out of his thoughts by his father shoving the doors open and striding up towards his throne.
Neji shot a look at Hanabi who shrugged. Sighing, he stood up to greet his father, who clapped on him on the back in turn. Neji sighed as his father stared at his hair wonderingly.
"Have you ever cut it once in the last fifteen years? Hinata tells me you have so much hair that you didn't even need the headdress that should've formed the shape that your hair is in right now."
Neji blinked. "…Just once. Seven years ago."
Hizashi's lips twitched, but he let it go. "Just stand and nod at each family after they're introduced. Hanabi will signal you whenever you need to do something (he winked at his daughter). Also, Hanabi will take you to another room to change after you've been presented while I give a speech."
"Okay." Neji opened his mouth to ask another question, but Hanabi abruptly shoved her father towards the throne and shoved Neji in to his seat.
Is that what he meant by 'Hanabi will signal you'? Neji wondered. He barely had any time to shoot her a look of gratitude, amusement, and annoyance before a crowd of people flooded through the doors.
Neji felt nauseated as he stared at the quickly forming ranks of family members, but when Hanabi discreetly stepped on his foot he stood up (with what he hoped was a regal sort of grace) and the crowd went silent.
Hizashi stepped down the throne dais and began to address the crowd.
"We are all here today," he began, "for the formal presentation of my eldest son to the court."
The murmurs began again, but Hizashi continued on. "We are also here to welcome him home from the fifteen-year-long journey that has kept him from home." He surveyed the crowd solemnly, and then turned and waved an arm at Neji, who had been standing quietly surveying the crowd.
"My people, I present to you brother to the heir of the throne, Princess Hanabi, and my own son, Hyuga Neji."
Neji resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably when the entire attention of the room shifted over to him. Instead, he smiled quietly before not-quite suppressing a violent blush that slid over his face when everyone bowed.
Hizashi nodded discreetly to Hanabi, who, with a soft rustle of her own crimson kimono, stood up and glided towards Neji.
He cleared his throat, and all eyes slid to him once again. "Aburame, Akamichi, Haruno, Nara…" Hizashi started reciting a list of names. Neji's heart nearly stopped, and his eyes slid towards the back of the room.
Itachi was there with a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He winked at Neji before returning his attention to King Hizashi who was still droning on about the history of the kingdom and the noble families.
Neji was still staring at Itachi when Hanabi nudged him in the ribs. He bowed in unison with her, before allowing her to lead him out of the court room and in to a side chamber where he was relieved to see a pair of comfy jeans, a black button-up shirt, and a folding screen. He kicked off his sandals and socks before darting behind the folding screen to change in to his clothes.
Hanabi giggled. "Don't worry, you won't have to wear that robe often."
"I'm relieved," Neji said, his voice slightly muffled by the screen. "It's so stuffy in those robes."
Hanabi smiled slightly. "You were rather impressive in there."
"Was I? I honestly don't remember that much of it." Neji came out from behind the screen with his kimono, obi, and various layers of robes draped over his arms. "I just sort of stood there and smiled."
"You looked very serene," Hanabi promised him. "You also looked quite dazzling; your fiancé (her eyes twinkled mischievously; she really did enjoy fomenting court romances) looked quite taken with you. He didn't take his eyes off you for the first five minutes."
"I can't imagine anyone being charmed by my looks with my hair like this," Neji mourned as he started to tease his hair out of its unnatural form. "It looks like there's a tree growing on top of my head. In fact, it took me twenty minutes to convince aunt Hinata not to give me the girl's ceremonial hair style. They enjoy dressing me up in girl's clothes far too much."
Hanabi surveyed him for a moment. "Well, you would look good in them."
"Yes, well," Neji admitted, "I'm not a girl and I don't want to come off as extremely odd at first glance." Neji made a triumphant sound as his hair fell out of its styling and down his shoulders in soft, dark curls.
Hanabi observed him, mildly envious. "You should keep it like that. All the girls will love you."
"That Uzumaki boy looked rather mischievous," Neji said absently. "I'm not going to leave it down for him to pull on all the time."
Hanabi chuckled. "One glare from Itachi-kun would fix that."
Neji smiled slightly. "…Maybe I'll leave it down then."
Hanabi smirked. There was definitely something already going on between the two of them.i
tbc…
i: Hanabi doesn't know that Neji and Itachi's relationship has progressed to the public snogging stage (aka. Kissing on the train lol)
a/n: The chapters keep getting longer and longer…this one seems to be quite a bit longer than any of the old ones isn't it? Anyways, we're almost to the day of Neji's sixteenth birthday where the story will actually kind of have a plot…R/R please! I eat reviews for snacks And the reason there are two Hinatas is because there really aren't enough female characters in Naruto, nor in my story *sigh*. They're differentiated from cousin and Aunt because from now on, I'll refer to the fairy as "Aunt Hinata".
