Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto there would be Byakuugan babies everywhere! So I guess it's not mine.
Hinata- 17/going on 18
Neji- 19
Warnings: Language, Hints of citrus
Sing me to sleep
Sing me to sleep
I'm tired and I
I want to go to bed
-The Smiths, Asleep
Chapter 11: Sleeping Beauty in the Snow
"N-neji-niisan."
Neji frowned, milky eyes glancing up from the book he'd been enjoying up until about three seconds ago. It wasn't like Hinata to interrupt his reading, even when he wasn't in the middle of giving her the silent treatment. Hence, this had best be important.
"I... I j-just- I just wanted to apologize... for w-w-what I said before."
Neji blinked. Okay, so maybe not the important he had in mind, but he would be more than willing to forgive that, seeing as how he had been waiting on this moment for weeks. He set his book aside, letting her know she had his full attention.
"It... it was wr-wrong of me to... t-t-take you for g-granted like that. I just..."
She pressed her fingers together, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he reached out to stop her. "It's all right."
"I know your a-a-angry," she continued almost breathlessly. "I'm r-r-really, truly sorry."
His face darkened a bit, not liking the way she was so worried because of him. She had been anxious around him since he'd started giving her the cold shoulder, nervous in her typical Hinata way, but it had never been like this. She seemed almost frightened. "I said it's all right. I'm not really angry." And he wasn't. He had never really been angry. That wasn't at all the right word to describe how he'd felt.
"I..." She swallowed once, and he saw tears gather in the corner of her eyes.
The responsive tightening of his chest was instantaneous. Please don't cry. A hesitant hand reached towards her. "Hinata-sama..."
He startled a little when she suddenly knelt next to the couch, laying her head in his lap. Well this was... different. Was she having another mood swing?
"I just really don't want you mad at me."
His stomach lurched. Shit. Slender fingers raked through long, indigo locks, petting her in a slow, steady motion. "I'm not-"
"Neji, I think I love you."
His whole body froze. It was like his mind hit a dead-end and all thought ceased except for that one phrase, playing over and over again in his brain. He remembered to breathe and drew in a quick, sharp breath, trying to keep himself calm. Fingers tightened just slightly around the silky strands and he gave the slightest of tugs, not enough to pull or hurt, just enough to emit a steady pressure and force her eyes to meet his. He licked his lips lightly before saying in a blank tone, "Repeat that."
She looked right at him, visibly nervous, but gaze unwavering. "I think I love you, niisan."
Neji could barely hear anything over the blood singing in his ears. His free hand came up to stroke her cheek, noting how soft it was beneath his calloused fingers. Her lavender-tinted eyes fluttered closed, dark lashes contrasting against her pale skin, her breath coming out in fast little puffs. She was so beautiful.
He leaned forward, tilting her head up before pressing his lips gently to hers. Her lips were just as soft as the rest of her, felt soothing against his own chapped ones. He kept the kiss light at first, gaging her reactions, before slowly deepening it, pressing more firmly. His tongue shot out to lick her lips, and after a moment of hesitation, she complied to his silent request. Mouth now open for him to explore, he dove in, relishing her taste, like honey. Her tongue played along with his, rose to his challenge, even though it couldn't possibly win. And he kissed her more hungrily by the second, needing her, wanting to devour her and leave her completely breathless.
They parted for air only briefly before he attacked her once more, sliding off the couch to kneel on the floor beside her. His hand slid down her face, her neck, unzipped her damnable jacket and pushed the fabric apart. The searching appendage found one full, round breast, not wrapped in tight bindings for once, covered only by a spandex t-shirt and bra. He felt her gasp against him as he palmed the heavy breast, teased it through the fabric, pinched lightly at where he knew the nipple was. He left her lips to trail hot kisses down her throat, nipping at the skin, determined to mark her at least once as his.
"Neji," she gasped, hands coming up to fist in his hair. "Neji... Neji, get up or you'll be l-late..."
He paused, giving her a queer look. That was certainly an odd thing to say.
"Come on, niisan, you have m-mission room d-d-d-duty in an hour."
He felt a pressure, shaking his shoulder, insistently, and in that moment he knew what was going on. No. No, it can't be. Please...
But when his eyes opened, Hinata was standing over him, shaking him awake. And there was no denying it.
A dream.
Neji was torn. Part of him wanted to rage, scream and throw things like a child who'd had his favorite toy taken away. Part of him wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, duty be damned, in hopes that the dream would return and pick up where it had left off. And part of him wanted to curl up in a ball and just cry. Because he had finally had what he wanted most, only to have it all be some kind of sick, twisted joke Kami was playing on him. Hinata had been in his arms. Kissing him. Letting him touch her. Dammit, he wanted it back.
"Niisan?"
He realized that his personal angst had been showing plainly on his face, and he quickly schooled it back to his usual blank expression. It wouldn't do to have someone see his dilemma, whether they knew what it was about or not. He had to act normal as always. "Is breakfast ready?"
"I-in about fifteen m-m-minutes. You should go s-s-start your exercises."
A small nod, and he sat up, stifling a yawn, irritably pushing strands of chocolate hair from his face. He tried not to show it, but he really wasn't much of a morning person. And for some reason he was particularly uncomfortable...
Shit!
Horrified, he glanced down to his lap, breathing a small sigh of relief when he saw it still covered by the blanket he slept under. He carefully avoided any and all eye contact with his cousin who was giving him a strange look. "Actually, Hinata-sama, I think I'll take a quick shower."
Her lavender eyes narrowed dubiously. "A shower?"
He didn't blame her for her suspicions. He had a strict morning routine he adhered to, broken only by missions or the occasion when Gai insisted on some 'Robust early morning training to help Invigorate their bodies in the Springtime of their Youth'. He would wake up, do his usual morning katas, meditate, come in and eat breakfast, dress, and go about his day. Seeing as how the katas were never enough to make him sweat, this routine never involved a shower or bath. He always did that at the end of his day, either at night or when he returned from training. It was better for his hair.
"Hai." Yet he made no move to rise and do as he planned. He couldn't, not with her still standing there. How to get rid of her? Well, that wouldn't be too difficult, he knew how intimidated she was by him.
Expression turned icy, eyes hard like diamond, mouth set in a tight frown. "Did you need something, Hinata-sama?" Just go quickly.
She took a half-step back when faced with his hurtful tone. "N-no. I just wanted to m-m-make sure you're all r-right."
He nearly snorted. Funny, why should she be allowed to check if he was all right? Whenever he had tried to do the same for her, he'd been told it was none of his business. It hardly seemed fair, but it wouldn't do to actually voice this aloud. So he settled for just staring.
With a small noise, something similar to a squeak, Hinata ducked her head and scurried back into the kitchen. Neji watched her go, treacherous eyes straying briefly to her ass, before standing, letting the blanket fall around his feet. Even in winter he slept only in a t-shirt and shorts, not liking the constricting feel of too much clothing. Which was why Hinata needed to leave. He was pretty sure she would have just fainted anyway if she hadn't.
Stepping lightly into the bathroom, immediately stripping himself of his clothes, he glanced down at his not-so-little problem with a prominent scowl. He hated waking up with an erection, though as a male, he was used to it. Every guy suffered from his fair share of 'morning wood'. This, however, was different. The usual morning arousal could generally be willed away, or at least Neji's could. But this... well, he was hard as fucking stone. His cock was being quite adamant with its needs, which basically translated to his erection wasn't going anywhere on its own. Drastic measures must be taken.
A small cry escaped his lips the moment the icy spray hit his bare chest. He fucking hated cold showers! But he didn't have a choice. The only other option was to turn the temperature up and take care of things himself... and that wasn't really an option. Hyuuga Neji was an ANBU of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, not some hormonal teenage boy. There was no force on earth that would make him get off to an erotic dream about his pregnant younger cousin he was currently mad at for keeping secrets. He wasn't fourteen anymore.
With a despairing groan, he attempted to speed things up a bit by imagining Lee naked. When that wasn't enough, he imagined Gai naked. And when that still didn't do it, he imagined both Lee and Gai naked. Together... On a turtle. Yes, that did it, all right. It was his trump card when stuck in such situations, and it hadn't failed him yet.
Now fully wilted, he quickly stepped out, reaching immediately for a towel to wrap around his lightly shivering body, skin bright red in angry protest. And dammit, his hair had gotten damp despite his efforts to prevent it. After all, if it got too wet without being properly washed, it would be stringy all day. Couldn't have that.
He emerged from the bathroom, fixing the last articles of his clothing as he watched Hinata glide gracefully from the stove to the kitchen table, setting down a plate full of food. "Here you are, n-niisan. Tea will be d-d-done in a moment."
He gave her a small nod of both understanding and thanks as she moved back to the stove to retrieve the water, pulling an assortment of teas down from a cabinet shelf. As she set both of these things down on the table in front of him, one thing became rather clear to him that particular morning. She looked horrible.
Not that he was exactly a picture of perfection in the morning himself, but he didn't mean her appearance really. She had only just crawled out of bed to make him breakfast, still wearing her pajamas and a robe, with her hair tied back in a messy bun at the nape of her neck. To him she was still gorgeous. But what worried him was that the bags beneath her eyes had taken on a whole new shade of dark, and her skin had taken on a new shade of white. She was getting worse. Just great.
"Won't you join me, Hinata-sama?"
She seemed surprised by the invitation, and he couldn't really blame her. After all, he had been avoiding her lately in his righteous anger. But right then... well, she just looked so fragile. Like if he wasn't kind for at least a bit she might break.
She gave him a small, hesitant smile though and grabbed herself a cup before taking a seat next to him and pouring them both tea. She sipped hers slowly as he ate, sitting in what, for the first time in quite a while, was neither awkward nor tense silence. It was peaceful, and both Hyuugas appreciated the moment for what it was.
As Neji shoveled another bite of rice into his mouth, he looked her over yet again. "You're not eating?"
Pale eyes flitted to his for a brief moment before looking down, an indigo head shaking softly. "I'm n-not hungry."
A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth as worry gnawed at his stomach. Was she starting to lose her appetite now as well? Or was she just simply not in the mood for food right now? He would have to monitor her closely. She needed a healthy diet, without the baby could really suffer.
He finished his meal, drained his tea, and stood to go, not particularly looking forward to a six hour shift in the mission room. Hinata handed him his coat silently, and as he took it, he studied her one last time. "Today's your day off, correct?"
A nod.
"You should try taking it easy. Maybe just go on back to bed." After a moment's debate, his hand tucked a lock of silk behind her ear. "You look tired."
She pressed her fingers together, hard, and with one final pat on the head, he left for work.
~To protect what's precious~
Hinata watched the door shut behind her cousin's back before making her way to the kitchen, wearily sinking down into a chair. She should really clean up, do the dishes... she was just so damn tired.
Go back to bed, indeed. She snorted. Maybe if the thought didn't utterly terrify her she would have considered it. As it was... She sighed, forcing herself up. Dishes.
She yawned a total of nineteen times while she cleaned up the kitchen from breakfast; she counted. It had started to become a small game she played, count how many times she would yawn during certain activities. It went hand-in-hand with 'count how many hours you actually manage to sleep during the night'. Her average was about three for that one.
Just as she was finishing up, she yawned once more. Twenty. Lavender eyes strayed towards the bedroom, whole body begging for permission to lay down against soft sheets, cuddle up in warm blankets. But her mind was screaming a firm 'no' that was hard to ignore. It was difficult trying to decide which to listen to.
Sitting back down at the table, she buried her head into her hands, feeling like she might start to cry once more. She didn't, of course. That would be weak, but at least this time she had a good reason. She was so tired. No matter what she tried, she couldn't sleep well, was always woken up in the most horrible way. She was afraid to go to bed because she knew what waited for her there. She knew what she would see... She didn't want to see it anymore...
When this had first started, months ago, she had ignored it. It wasn't uncommon, all shinobi had nightmares after... difficult missions. Once or twice since living there, she had heard Neji toss in his sleep, heard him having one after some of the things he'd seen in ANBU. It was an inevitable part of their life; Iruka-sensei had taught them that way back at the academy. Nightmares, night terrors as some were classified, would come and go. You just had to weather the storm.
So then why, why in the name of all that was holy, were Hinata's not going? Why was she still having them nightly months after the initial incident? Why were they getting worse instead of better? Why weren't they just flat-out memories anymore? They had begun morphing into something more... creative. More terrifying. Taking what had happened, shifting events around, putting other people there. Putting Neji there. She shuddered. Those were the worst.
Feeling her eyes begin to get heavy, she immediately bolted from her seat. She just needed to find something to do, something to keep her busy. She couldn't fall asleep, not right now. She just couldn't take it.
~To protect what's precious~
Hinata was neither inexperienced nor stupid. She knew better than to make a move into a completely unfamiliar situation without her teammates there for backup. Especially since physical combat wasn't her specialty, and she could be in serious trouble should a confrontation arise.
But this... She bit her lip. This wasn't exactly a normal situation.
~To protect what's precious~
Neji frowned at the darkening sky, trying to figure out what time it was. Something that was easy to do in the summer, but nearly impossible in winter when the sun stayed firmly hidden. And it got dark so damn early, it couldn't have been past six, maybe seven... probably...
He sighed. Damn mission room duty. He was supposed to be on for six hours, from seven in the morning until one. But no, they had been understaffed, and Iruka-sensei had practically begged him to stay and help a little longer. A little being hours longer. And he couldn't say no, because Iruka was one of the few people who wasn't treating him any differently than normal. He would feel bad if he turned him down.
Exchanging polite nods with Raidou as they passed each other, Neji decided to take the short-cut home by the lake, wondering whether or not Hinata had managed to get some much-needed rest that day. He certainly hoped she had, but he wasn't about to hold his breath. She was still claiming there was nothing wrong, after all. Maybe he should-
"There you are, Hyuuga Neji! I challenge you to a youthful duel for the honor of my sweet robin!"
Ugh, Lee. He really wasn't in the mood... wait a minute.
"Lee."
"Yes, Neji?"
Silver eyes blinked. Was this real? "Lee."
"Yes, Neji?"
Neji almost smiled. It was real. Lee... was talking to him. Lee was challenging him to a match again. Though he normally didn't word it that way... "You... want to spar... with me?"
Lee shifted, chest puffing up proudly, eyes burning with 'inner youth'. "Not spar, Neji, no. I challenge you to a duel in my robin's honor!"
A duel. And Lee had apparently taken to calling someone 'robin', like the bird, Neji imagined. Much like he had challenged Sasuke over his 'sweet cherry blossom' Sakura all those years ago. Which could only mean... "Tenten." (1)
It was Lee's turn to blink now. "What?"
"You want to fight me, in order to salvage Tenten's honor," Neji said slowly, brain trying to process the new information.
"That is correct! Now, do you accept my youthful challenge or-"
"You like Tenten. You like like Tenten."
Lee gave him a strange look, though Neji couldn't really blame him. He wasn't exactly acting like his usual sharp, smartass self, but this had truly thrown him for a loop. He'd known Lee would have to approach him about something eventually, but this was nowhere near the scenario he'd had in mind.
"Of course I like Tenten. We are in a youthful relationship together!" He gave the Hyuuga a hard look. "One I intend to cherish like the beautiful gift it is."
Neji stared. "You're... dating Tenten."
"That is right!"
Neji's lips twitched. He couldn't help it, he just started laughing. Not in a mean, condescending, sneering way. Not in a sarcastic way. Just genuine, relieved laughter, the kind that rarely left Hyuuga Neji's mouth, particularly in such a public place where anyone could walk by. He never let his impersonal persona slip out in the open like this; but right then he didn't care. He just felt so happy.
Lee, though taking notice to the obviously uncharacteristic behavior from his teammate, didn't think to treat things any differently than he always had. So when Neji didn't give him a scathing remark, he assumed that meant his challenge was accepted. And since they were in an empty, open area, the challenge should commence immediately. And that is why he proceeded to smash a roundhouse kick directly into the Hyuuga's smiling face.
~To protect what's precious~
Shikamaru would never admit it, but he truly enjoyed the increasingly frequent occasions when Temari would come visit. He especially enjoyed it during the winter, simply because the girl had a raving obsession with snow. Despite the fact that she wasn't used to the cold weather, she always wanted to be outside when everything was covered in white powder. The stuff made her practically glow.
It was beyond the genius just why she thought like that. It was just a bunch of condensed, frozen water. It was cold, got everything wet, and covered the roofs, so running across them went from being a simple means of transportation to a life and death situation. In short, the stuff was troublesome.
Still, it made his Suna kunoichi happy, so he figured it couldn't be all bad. That's why when she showed up unexpectedly at his door (troublesome woman could never let him know ahead of time when she was coming) right after a fresh snowfall, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Spending his time cloud watching and trying to avoid anything that involved physical work so often, he knew all the best secluded spots in the village. And he knew the most beautiful one was the by the lake situated between Nara and Hyuuga clan lands.
Lacing his fingers with the blond's, he smiled as she looked around her in awe, both of them leisurely taking in the scenery. Temari mumbled something that sounded like 'beautiful' and he felt his pride skyrocket. Yeah he was lazy, but he could be romantic sometimes. When the effort wasn't too much trouble. "I thought you might like it here."
"It's gorgeous," she breathed, taking in the world of white that surrounded them.
Shika was captured by her shining eyes. "Not as gorgeous as you."
She snorted, giving him a droll look. "That was lame."
"Yeah... but it's true."
Shikamaru was one of the few people privileged with the knowledge that Temari had one hell of a blush when something really got to her, but she always made him work for it. So when he saw her face light up like a Christmas tree, a second swarm of pride washed over him. This was going so perfectly...
A calloused hand reached over to cup her face, drawing her willingly closer to him-
CRASH!
It was only their shinobi instincts that allowed the pair to leap out of the way, narrowly avoiding a painful collision with the flying body that impacted hard with a tree instead. Shika stood, offering a hand to his girlfriend which was, of course, ignored (damn feminine pride), wiping snow from his clothes. "What the hell?"
He approached the body cautiously where it lay, afraid the person might be badly injured after a blow like that, until he heard... laughing?
"Neji!" Lee came flying out of nowhere, a blur of green spandex and shiny black, eyes wide in terror. "I am so sorry, Neji-kun, I was expecting you to block my attack! I have never been able to hit you so easily before!" He dropped down next to the chuckling body, turning the person on their side; giving Shikamaru and Temari a clear view of a hysterically laughing Hyuuga choking on his own blood, sputtering out something about how amazing Lee was and how happy he was for him, a friendly hand gripping a green-clad shoulder.
Temari smirked, eyebrow raised as she watched the unusual exchange. Was the stuck-up Byakuugan user drunk? "See, this is why I love coming here. I never get to see this craziness back home."
Shikamaru sighed, searching his vest for a cigarette, the romantic mood now completely broken after all his hard work. Neji and Lee totally owed him for this. "Troublesome."
~To protect what's precious~
Neji, still smiling like a twit, let himself into his quiet house, stripping off his coat and shoes. "Hinata-sama! Tadaima!"
There was no response. Stepping pointedly over the cat that had lain at his feet, he walked to the kitchen where a light was on, eyes softening at what he saw. Hinata had fallen asleep at the table, head cradled in her arms, shoulders hunched. So adorable... She looked like a child.
As glad as he was she was getting some much-needed rest, he didn't think it was good for her to be sleeping in that position. Particularly not while pregnant. He placed a hand softly on her shoulder, tilting her back into the chair so he could properly lift her and carry her to bed. He didn't want to wake her if he didn't have to...
The next thing he knew, there was a kunai pressed sharply against his jugular, opalescent eyes flashing dangerously at him. Since when had chakraless, pregnant women been able to move so fast?
Hinata was appraising him warily, almost like she didn't recognize him, usually soft, kind eyes hard as steel, every muscle in her body taut. "Niisan?"
Neji was no fool. He had been a ninja long enough to know he'd just woken his cousin from a nightmare, and she was now having trouble separating her dream from reality. The same thing had happened before with various teammates, and he had been the one awoken on several occasions. He slowly wrapped his hand around her wrist, easing the sharp metal blade away from his skin, mind whirring. If she tried to fight him she would be easy to subdue, but he had to be careful of her condition. He didn't want to hurt the baby. "It's just me, Hinata-sama. There's no need to worry."
Hinata blinked, eyes darting about for a quick moment before fixing back on him. He could see the sleep and confusion clearing from them, understanding slowly sinking in for the girl. He pried the kunai gently from her fingers, entwining them with his own, letting the tool fall harmlessly. His free hand came up to pet her hair as she came fully awake, cheeks slowly turning red as she realized what she'd done.
"I-I'm so s-s-s-sorry, niisan, I-"
A finger was immediately placed against her lips. "How many times must I tell you? Don't apologize for things that are not your fault." He rubbed her upper arms comfortingly, trying to make her relax. "I know better than to wake a shinobi without expecting possible consequences."
The girl let out a soft sigh, slumping against him briefly, and he had to fight away the urge to just wrap her up in his arms. She fit against him so nicely...
When she took a step back, expression soft once more, her eyes widened at the sight of him, mouth agape. "N-niisan! Wha-what happened?"
Neji touched his darkened, swollen jaw, a smile tugging relentlessly at his lips. "Lee kicked me."
"Lee... what? Y-you two f-f-fought?"
"No. He just kicked me." He paused, before adding thoughtfully, "I think he wanted to fight. Challenged me to a duel."
"A duel."
"Yes." His smile broadened at the memory. "He and Tenten are dating now. He wanted to fight me for her honor."
"Oh." Hinata's brow furrowed a bit. "B-but you didn't fight?"
"No, I just let him kick me."
Hinata opened her mouth, a dozen questions begging to be asked, but decided for the sake of her sanity to settle on the most important one and leave it at that. "Have you been drinking?"
Neji frowned. "No. Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
The younger Hyuuga decided to take that as a rhetorical question.
"Anyway, I'm famished."
Famished. Hungry. Dinner! Hinata's eyes shot to the window, taking in how dark it was outside. Shit! "Ano, niisan... Gomenasai, I h-haven't made anything yet. I c-can throw something tog-g-gether quickly if-"
He held up a hand to stop her, looking amused. "I can see you haven't made anything, Hinata-sama, though that's actually rather fortunate. We're meeting Shikamaru and Temari for dinner in" -he glanced at the clock on the wall- "forty-five minutes."
"We are?"
"We are." Though if he hadn't woken her, he would have skipped out on the couple in favor of letting her sleep. She needn't know that. "Let's get ready, shall we?"
Hinata eyed him speculatively before nodding, still not entirely convinced he was really sober. Then again, she should just take this blessing for what it was and go with it until Neji's mood shifted once more. This morning he was being polite again and now he was being downright friendly?
She smiled, not daring to hope that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't mad at her anymore.
1. I couldn't for the life of me come up with a pet-name for Lee to call Tenten, so I decided to use an inside joke I share with a few friends... However, the more I think about it, the more I find it fitting. Not really sure why exactly, I just think Tenten could be a 'robin'.
I know last chapter kinda sucked, and I'm sorry. I feel like my writing's been going downhill lately. Not the plot of the story itself, just how I'm portraying it. If this chapter sucked as hard as the last one, please let me know so I can go hit my head off a wall.
As far as Kurenai goes, I'm aware the scene with her and Hinata was lacking. It ended up looking like an interlude when I was trying to make it them catching up after not seeing each other for a substantial amount of time and almost getting used to each other again. Sort of like the conversation you have with that nice aunt you see once a year at Christmas. I always have trouble writing relationships between an older woman and a younger girl, probably since most of the adult women in my life have hated me *laughs maniacally then goes to sit in emo corner*. That might be looking into it a bit too deeply, but that's seriously where I fail in writing. I'm hoping I'll be able to redeem myself a little later... That's enough from me.
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Let me know how good/bad/downright awful this chapter was, please!
