Day 20

"Hinata..." The voice called out to her gently, and she rolled over to face the door.

"What is it, sweety?" She sat up, rubbed her eyes to force herself to the present, and waited for her little sister to enter the room from her spot in the doorframe.

Hanabi averted her gaze, her hand running up and down her arm subconsciously in her jittery state. She stepped forward slowly, and her words were muttered lowly, but Hinata was able to make them out, "I had a bad dream..."

"Oh." She didn't quite understand why her sister had come to her to tell her that. Hanabi wasn't usually the sort to get bad dreams, and if she ever did, she still remained in bed and fought them off on her own.

"I wanted to know if I could...spend the night here."

"Oh. Okay." Hinata shifted to leave room on the edge of the bed and pulled back the blanket.

Hanabi closed the door and shuffled to the bed, her usual measured steps being unrythmic because of her nerves and her fast-pacing heart. There was nothing worse than bad dreams, and Hinata knew that. There was no such thing as control over bad dreams, and that alone was enough to frighten most people.

As her little sister climbed into her bed, her eyes grew softer and her heart sadder. She would always be there for her, no matter what, but she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. When she was younger and had nightmares, she'd never been brave enough to climb into someone else's bed. She'd thought about it, but there had never been a bed available to her.

She wrapped the blanket tightly around the both of them, her arm around Hanabi as she snuggled into her chest. It was nice to feel wanted, to feel like the eldest for once. The big, brave, older sister. It wasn't a title she had ever aimed for, but one she couldn't help but want. Being a sibling was a responsability, but also a privilege.

"Do you ever have bad dreams?" The gentle voice belonging to her little sister pulled her out of her musings.

"Everyone has bad dreams, even the most courageous of them all."

"Neji didn't. I asked him once, and he told me he didn't. Maybe he lied...I don't know. I miss him. When I get bad dreams he usually lets me sleep with him, but he isn't here so I came to you...I didn't think you'd let me, actually...I never asked because I didn't think you liked me very much, but I had always thought the same about Neji and he let me sleep with him anyways. I don't know...It's confusing."

"Oh." It was a lot of information in a bit of babbling from her still-frightened little sister, and it took her a moment to register it all, "Oh, Hanabi, of course I like you! And so does Neji. We both love you very much, why would you think otherwise?" She held her tighter. It was hard to speak on Neji's behalf, but the way he'd always treated Hanabi made her believe that he did love her.

"The way father treated you...and him. Compared to how he treats me."

"Sweety, father has his own way of showing affection. Neji and I, we understand that. When we were little it was harder...Things are different now. We're older, and we see things differently. But no matter what, we have both always loved you and we always will. We're a family, and it was a broken one once upon a time, but it isn't anymore. That's what matters."

"I suppose..." Hanabi fiddled with a button on Hinata's pyjama top, unbuttoning it, and rebuttoning it.

Hinata took her hand and kissed it lightly, giving her a warm smile, "We're Hyuuga's. Neji is a Hyuuga. He'll be fine, he's too strong to let anything bring him down. Alright?"

Hanabi smiled, and Hinata was glad she'd hit the nail on the head. She too had been getting nightmares about her cousin's whereabouts. "Yeah, I just...It scares me that he isn't home yet. Nobody wants to tell me what's going on either, father he...he gets upset when I ask."

"Father's as worried as we both are, that's why he's a little...tense right now. To be honest, Hanabi, you know as much as the rest of us. Nobody really knows what's happening with him, but Shino, sweet, sweet Shino, is out there right now with Team Gai. They'll bring him home. I have no doubt about that. They're all too stubborn to leave without him, you know that much, right?"

"Yeah. Team Gai...the most stubborn people on earth, seriously. Remember a couple months ago when Neji was sick? Lee snuck in here to bring him some soup...he was all stealth-like, going down the halls. He walked past me and he shushed me and kept going. It was strange how it was...normal. Neji was so annoyed, but happy too."

"When you'll have a team, you'll find that it's one of the best things that'll ever happen to you. At first, it's unusual and awkward to be with people you don't know all that well, but then they become your closest friends. And you wonder how you ever managed without them..."

"I hope I'll have a team as good as your's, or Neji's."

"I have no doubt that you will."

There was a moment of silence, where Hinata thought that maybe Hanabi had fallen asleep, having confided in her everything that had been weighing on her mind, but then she spoke.

"You know, when you had bad dreams, Neji would have let you sleep with him. I asked him once if you ever have, and he told me you'd never come to him. I think he likes it when people come to him when they're afraid. It must be a man thing. You know, the whole 'being manly' thing that they seem to cherish."

She laughed lightly, "Oh, Hanabi, I think everyone enjoys being the protector from time to time."

"Why didn't you ever go to him when you were scared?" She pressed again, and Hinata knew she wouldn't let it drop.

"Maybe now he would, but when we were little we didn't really get along."

"Right...He still would have let you though."

She said nothing. Hanabi had been really young, for a few years not even born yet. The rift that had been between her and Neji had been there since they were little up until they were old enough to see the errors of it all. Neji took the blame unto himself completely, but by nature, Hinata would have none of it. She hadn't exactly begged for his forgiveness either.

Who's fault it was didn't matter to her. It was over. They were reconciled and they were friends. That's what was important to her, not the past, but their future. He was their sibling now, wether he truly accepted it or not didn't change that fact.

"He was never really happy that I'd go to him when I was scared, but he would still let me sleep with him. He would have done the same to you. I know he would have."

"Maybe, sweety, maybe."

She held onto her little sister while she fell into a dreamless slumber, and she joined her soon enough. The past was the past, it meant little to her. She worked hard for her future, for the future that would be between herself, her family, and her friends. That's what was important. Past anger and hatred were non-existent in her mind.

She was a girl of the present and the future. Because that's what mattered.

OoOoO

"I haven't seen you in quite some time."

"Did you miss me?"

He could hear the smirk, the arrogance, but he didn't turn to look at him. Didn't glare, didn't give a sarcastic reply.

"I was hoping you weren't going to come back." Well, he'd tried not to be mean, but it came out before he could stop it.

"You won't be saying the same thing at the end of the night."

"I'm hearing a lot of bark. Where's that bite you're so proud of?"

His hand trailed over the books littering the table in the room, his back to Takeo, who, from his last look at him, was standing in front of the door. The words were hard to get out, but they were said with the amount of challenge he wanted them to have. They had the desired effect too, for which he was secretly proud.

His back hit the edge of the table painfully, and he knew there would be a bruise in the morning to add to the ones he already had. Plastering his surprisingly known smirk (the one that usually meant 'I'm better than you' and this time meant 'prove it'), on his lips, his eyes locked onto Takeo's, watching. Waiting.

Those thin lips that he'd grown to recognize and detest were upon his own, and unlike the previous times, he didn't struggle. Big hands grasped his hips and pulled him forward, and he allowed it. He held onto the bigger man tightly as he was picked up effortlessly and brought to the bed. Silently hoping he was being seductive or flirty, or anything remotely appealing, he allowed the man to do what he pleased to him.

If Takeo wanted him to scream, he would scream, if he wanted a moan, he would get it. To lose is to gain.

AN: Hello! I know it's been a while, but the holidays were rough this year. Wasn't able to get on the computer at all. Like, at all at all. This was mostly written before the holidays actually, just had a bit left to do before posting it up. I hope you liked this chapter!

To Angelheart17, ask and you shall receive! To all my readers, if there's a character you want to see more of, let me know! Although, it'll probably end up incredibly sappy...Sorry if it gets sappy at times. I just love sap and fluffyness. Melts mah heart!

Now, back to the thank you corner, for all my beloved reviewers! Thanks to Angelheart17, darkstardragon432, Just Me, Sarai, la tar de michael jackson, EatEmUp, and AUehara for reviewing! Ya'll are in one word. Awesome.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year peoples! (Late much?)

Thank you for reading,
-MewMew