Chapter 51 - Day 45

Once the tears had passed, Neji had allowed the exhaustion to take over and he slipped into a calm sleep, taking him well through the night and into the early morning.

Gai, Lee, and Tenten had left the hospital room red-eyed, blotchy-faced, and overjoyed. They quickly spread the news of their teammate's awakening, earning cheers, smiles, and hugs from their friends.

In the morning they returned to a still-sleeping teammate, but they were just so overwhelmed form having heard his voice, albeit croaky and hoarse and whispered, and having seen his eyes open, that they couldn't worry. He would wake up, they knew it this time with full certainty.

And he did and they could hardly sit still for a minute.

He opened his eyes, fear and uncertain if it had all been a dream, but he turned his gaze onto his smiling teacher and knew it hadn't been. The bed was tilted into a forty-five degree angle, so that he was seated and his sensei offered him a glass of water.

He stared at it, then at his teacher, "You're still here." His voice came out hoarse, still dry and unused.

"Wouldn't be anywhere else."

He believed it.

Because they had come for him. They had, against everything he had been forced to believe, they had come for him. They hadn't abandoned him. It was almost enough for him to smile. But yet, he was still anchored down by his thoughts and memories, too dark for him to really pull himself out of the shallow water just yet.

He took the water and drank it slowly, hoping it would settle well in his empty stomach.

"Do you think you can eat anything?"

He thought on the words, and nodded slowly. His teacher placed a small tray on his lap, a couple slices of bread and some raisins on it.

"They're not sure how well you'll stomach things so they're starting you off slow."

He nodded in understanding, and picked up some bread to munch on. After a few slow minutes of silence, where he felt eyes on him and a hesitance to speak, he turned to his teacher. "What happened?"

"I think they're better off explaining." He said, gesturing to Lee and Tenten, who were more than glad to be of assistance.

Together they went through the details of the past forty-some days, starting off from the moment they'd realized that their teammate was missing up to that instant where they were talking. They left out no details of their days of travel, their days at home worried and anxious and wasting time, their outings, their nights in, and the entire rescue operation.

It took a long time for the story to be told, and Neji hung onto every word, wanting to know everything, using their words as reassurances against what he'd been told. Because they cared. It was so obvious when they spoke that there was no way he could doubt it. And it was a wonderful feeling to know how loved he was.

He slowly finished his food, put the tray to the side, and leant back and listened. He glanced briefly at his teacher, who was listening just as intently as he was, because that's just how he was. All stories were good stories, even those that he'd lived through. His teammates were clearly enjoying their retelling, even though their faces darkened in memory of long days waiting for news, and of grief when none came.

Normally he didn't stare, but he couldn't help it.

They hadn't changed. They looked... A little more mature somehow, but he could still see glimmers of their usual joy and fire. But he knew, just by the way they spoke and looked at him, that they didn't know.

Not everything. And he wasn't sure what to think of that.

OoOoO

"We're going to grab something to eat, I know Hinata wanted to come in and see you. Only a few visitors at a time and all. We'll be back soon."

He nodded his acquiescence and they got up to leave, but he stopped his sensei, "Sensei, can I talk to you for a second?"

Gai told Lee and Tenten he'd meet them at the cafeteria and closed the door behind them. He came back to stand next to the bed and waited patiently for his student to speak.

Neji toyed with the blanket at his waist, "They don't know."

"Don't know what?"

"You didn't tell anyone."

It clicked suddenly what his student was talking about, and he took his seat next to the bed to be on eye level with him while he answered, voice gentle but honest, "Of course not. Everything that happened in there is your business. If you choose to share it it's your decision."

"Thank you."

And that was that then.

OoOoO

Gai sent in Hinata, with Hanabi -fidgety and eager- by her side, into the room. He'd asked her to show up around noon, and she, of course, arrived just on time to go in and see her cousin (awake) for the first time in weeks.

She stepped into the room, her smile widening upon seeing her cousin looking back at her, "Neji! It's nice to see you!" She gently stepped closer to the bed, subconsciously behaving as though she were approaching a startled animal.

He could tell, and knew that she couldn't, and he just sighed. Pity and waryness were to be expected, he supposed.

"It's good to see you as well, Lady Hinata. Lady Hanabi." He greeted them.

Hanabi, never one for self-restraint when anywhere out of sight of their strict clan members, launched herself into his chest, hugging him tightly and babbling on about something he could hardly keep up with.

He flinched at the sudden onslaught of physical pressure on his body, Hanabi didn't notice, but Hinata did. Their eyes met briefly, but she looked away, pretending she hadn't seen.

It was overwhelming how grateful he was by the simple gesture of kindness.

He hated it. Hated feeling like he was deprived of affection and kindness and love, and how he thirsted for it, if only subconsciously. His team, his friends, his cousins, they loved him and he hated having to remind himself of that.

They showered it unto him, so he knew it was true. But the doubts were there and they shouldn't be and he hated it, hated himself for having become this way. It had taken him so long to be able to accept their love when he was a young teen, and now he had to do it all over again?

He wasn't sure how ready he was to face the daunting task of fixing himself up again. This time from an even darker, bleaker, and deeper hole.

He shook his head to bring himself to the present. He was with his two lovely cousins whom he hadn't seen in weeks, and they loved him and he loved them just as much, and they were happy and he should be too.

"I'm so glad you're home, Neji. When will you be allowed out of the hospital? Soon right? And we'll start training again, and you'll take me out to ramen? Won't you?" Hanabi said, clutching onto him tightly and looking at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

He couldn't help the fond look that slid onto his face, "Of course."

"So what happened, Neji? No one wants to tell me anything." She pouted, but he knew behind the pout was very real sadness at being left out, and he couldn't blame her. He'd most certainly feel the same, but on the other hand, he also knew why they'd kept it from her.

"That's a story for another day, Hanabi." He told her.

She frowned, "What? For when I'm twenty." She snarled sarcastically, pulling away from him, hurt and angry.

He wrapped an arm around her to keep her close, "No, for another day. Soon. Just not today."

They looked at each other for a moment, and she understood, because she was a bright child, and she smiled warmly in recompense for her earlier attitude. "Cool." And she snuggled into his embrace, refusing to part. It was nice to have her big brother and hero back home. "I'll hold you to that."

Neji looked over at his other cousin, who had yet to move closer. He frowned, thinking for a moment before understanding hit him. He held out his hand in her direction, waiting for her to focus on him and not the floor, and she hesitantly took it. Once he had her hand, he pulled on it to bring her closer to the side of the bed, and he brought the hand to his lips and kissed her knucles gently.

He ignored the part of him that was finally in comfort, hating that he was only comfortable not only because he loved his cousins and loved being with them, but by the fact that it was female company. His mind shouldn't be choosing its comfort levels by genders, it shouldn't. (It was -but he'll ignore it.)

"I know you looked for me, I know you and your team are one of the reasons I'm here right now."

"I-" She was so heartbroken, he could sense it. She was disappointed in herself and her abilities, she was putting herself down and he wouldn't have it. Her instincts were telling her that he was broken (he wasn't, he told himself, but he was), and she thought if she'd been better that they could have gotten to him sooner.

She was one of the people who had saved him and he wouldn't let her think herself useless. Not on this one, not when it just wasn't true. There was nothing more they could have done, they had all done their best and they had gotten him home. There wasn't a single part of him that didn't fully respect them and feel wholy and completely indebted to them.

"Thank you." He said, his tone final.

Her smile was bright, as if those two simple words had erased her doubts, and he wondered how on earth he'd earned such respect in the eyes of such wonderful women (girls, they were just girls, he reminded himself).

"So what have you ladies been up to?" He said, digging his fingers into Hanabi's side, with a completely selfish desire to hear her squeal with laughter.

It was music to his ears.


AN: Hello there lovelies! Homestretch guys, homestretch! Two-three more to go I think. I hope you're happy with the fast update! And with this chappie in general! All touchy-feely makes me happy! (Hope it does that for you too!)

I'm ecstatic to thank EatEmUp, Black Roses shine at night, darkstardragon432, itanejiluver, Angelheart17, and a lovely guest for you super nice reviews on the last chappie! Way to boost the confidence you wonderful, awesome human beings! And a humungous thanks to all my lovely readers!

Thank you for reading!
-MewMew