Disclaimer: Don't own. Neji's 21, Hinata's 16.

Inclinations and Rapports

By: Apherion

Chapter 10

The scream was deafening. She had never once had a fracture, and now…she was weakened. Sokka's face lit up with glee, watching her squirm, trying to nurse the broken wrist. But before he could do anything else, he was wrenched from Hinata and tackled to the ground. Hinata, suspended against the tree by Sokka, crumpled in a heap on the grassy floor.

Hinata's blue hair curtained her face as she sat up shakily on her good arm, but settled away from her cheeks as her overflowing eyes looked around to see who pinned Sokka to the ground. She wanted to cry out, but bit her tongue so not to distract him.

Neji had Sokka on the ground, forearm against Sokka's throat, his other hand holding a death grip on Sokka's wrist. Both were panting and both had clear enmity radiating from their auras. Sokka tried to speak, tried to move, but Neji would further still jam his arm against Sokka's neck, threatening to break Sokka's windpipe.

"Don't…you…dare…touch…Hinata…again." Neji's voice was strained from the exertion he was undergoing, but as he spoke, he made a point to press his arm into the perpetrator's neck even more. Sokka was beginning to gasp for air. Sakura's voice spoke to her through the panic of the night, 'The brain cannot live without oxygen for more than seven minutes, after which, you die.'

Neji had his knee dug into Sokka's stomach, forcing more breath out of him. Sokka's eyes started to roll before they shut and all struggling ceased from the body underneath Neji. Neji removed himself from Sokka, and Sokka did not move.

"Neji," Hinata spoke hesitantly as he turned towards her. He embraced her tightly.

"He's not dead Hinata, just unconscious." Neji kissed her neck gently. Hinata held him against her with her good arm, her wrist still throbbing like mad.

"We need to get back," she spoke hurriedly now that she knew Neji was all right. "I…I don't want him…to…" she trailed away, bursting into tears like she had done earlier that day.

"No worries, Hinata-chan," and kissed her lips. She kept her eyes closed for a moment savoring his lips on hers. Neji helped her to her feet, but Hinata could barely support her own weight. The events from the night left her shaky and unstable.

"Neji…I don't know if I can walk." Her voice trembled, though she knew he wouldn't harm her, she was still afraid to say anything to upset him. The glare Neji had on his face was not for her.

"Maybe I should kill him," Neji breathed angrily, turning away from Hinata and staring at Sokka's unconscious form lying on the ground. Hinata grabbed his arm with her good hand.

"No," she choked out, "don't. Papa will want to know why he is dead and so will Satori-san." Neji's growl frightened her and she flinched when the sound ripped from his throat.

"We'll tell them he tried to rape you! I don't want him to come anywhere close to you," his voice was soft when he said it, as though it was an internal fear he hoped he'd never have to endure. He turned back to her and caressed her cheek.

"I love you, Hinata." Tears fell from her eyes, and his lips brushed them away. When Neji tried to touch her right hand Hinata whimpered loudly. Neji pulled back from kissing her to look at her hand. Blood trickled from her wrist where a bone had penetrated the skin.

"Neji…he…" she trailed away, knowing he'd figure out who had broken it.

"I will kill him." Neji's menacing voice was raw and hard. He moved to go after Sokka's unconscious form.

"Don't, Neji please, don't!" Hinata cried, grabbing his arm with her left hand. "I don't want them to take you away from me, so please…don't kill him." Neji looked as though he was exercising all of his patience for Hinata. He inhaled deeply before sighing and taking Hinata into his arms.

"Hinata, if he…touches you again…" Neji's voice trailed off, strained.

"Neji, he will touch me again. He's who I'm to marry—you know that!" Hinata's eyes were watering. I don't want to marry him, she thought, looking at Neji. "I want to marry you…" she whispered to him, and his lips molded against hers softly.

"Father!" Hinata yelled, rushing over to her father's side. When the Hyuuga clan leader went to embrace his daughter though, Hinata stopped him.

"What's wrong, Hinata?" Hiashi looked at his daughter fretful. She looked up at him, and then Neji came through the door with Sokka on his back.

"My god, my son, what have you done to my son?" Satori Senior stormed, looking from Neji's face to his unconscious son's.

"Your son…" Neji started, breathing deeply, "Broke…Hinata's…wrist. The bone's…cutting through…the skin. See…for…yourself," he groaned, sliding Sokka off his frame. Hiashi, alarmed, looked down at Hinata and looked at her left wrist.

"It's not broken, you twit!"

"Wrong hand," Neji said condescendingly. "It's her right wrist." Sure enough, the bone had indeed penetrated the skin, blood dripping onto the hardwood.

"How do we know that you didn't break it, Neji?" Hiashi's suspicious voice questioned his nephew.

"Because I had to pull Sokka off her to keep him from raping her," Neji's voice was dark, controlled.

"Rape…?" Both Hiashi and Satori Lee looked at one another.

"How dare you call my son a rapist," Lee said, shaking with suppressed fury. Neji's menacing glare flickered to the elder Satori.

"I dare because I saw him reaching up her dress, because I heard Hinata's screams." The malice in Neji's voice was not disguised whatsoever and Lee had to look away from Neji in order to compose himself.

"You saw this Neji?" Hinata's mother beat Hiashi to say this.

"Yes," monotone and sinister. Hinata's mother covered her mouth with her hands and rushed to her daughter's side, gripping Hinata's shoulders.

"Is it true Hinata, darling?" Her mother was almost in tears, fearing for her daughter. Hinata could only nod weakly. Hinata's mother almost fainted at the confirmation of her daughter's word. Hiashi was livid.

"Satori, your son…well, there are no words to explain my vehemence," despite what his words said, Hiashi's tone never trembled one octave from the calm voice he had used only an hour before in the parlor. Only on his face could his anger been seen seeping through his eyes. Lee did not speak, still astonished about the news.

"Leave now, and the marriage can be proclaimed 'unsuited for Hinata's needs'. No need to embarrass your family further by informing them the true reason for canceling it." Satori only nodded and picked his son up from the floor. "And be sure to keep him from Konoha. I would hate for you and your wife to have no heir to carry on the family name." Understanding fully, Satori Lee left the Hyuuga complex with Sokka on his back with the speed of someone half his age.

"Hinata, sweetheart, I'm sorry for the ordeal I have put you through on your birthday," Hiashi apologized to his daughter. "We need to get a medic to look after your wrist." Hinata, who had biting the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out from the pain, nodded slowly.

"If you'd want it, uncle, I will take her to Sakura." Neji's offer was accepted.

"Be safe," was all Neji had to be told before he took Hinata from the mansion.

TBC...