Kind reminders:

English is not my native language so forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.

AND

Please don't forget to tell me what you think! Falem comigo!

Hinata was deep in thought walking to the dining room when she was pulled by the elbow abruptly to the inside of a small parlor.

"Neji-nii-san! You scared me!", she had one hand on her chest trying to ease her heartbeat.

His face was dead serious: "Did he hurt you?"

"W-What? W-Who?", she said averting her gaze to the side, already knowing what her cousin was talking about but unsure of how he could already know about it.

Neji just stood there and remained silent, waiting for her answer, also ready to read every detail of her face. Hinata looked at his knowing expression and sighed, looking down: "...How do you know?", her voice was almost inaudible.

"It doesn't matter. Did he hurt you?", he asked again while placing his hands over her shoulders reassuringly.

She took his hands on hers, giving them a gentle squeeze and meeting his eyes: "No."

He searched for any signs on her expression that would tell him she was hiding something just to find none: "But then what happened? Why did you let him?"

She knew she had to be careful with her words: "I... It was...an accident... W-We fell..."

"What?... So you are saying that he fell on your mouth?, he sounded a bit harsher than he intended.

She looked at him astonished and blushing furiously: "W-Well... Um...Kind of...", she said twiddling her index fingers.

He sighed: "I've heard things about him and I know his type. He's spoiled, self-centered and reckless. He's not good for you, Hinata-sama."

She didn't say anything and Neji continued: "I already talked to him. He won't get near you again."

She gasped looking straight at his eyes wondering if he did something else other than just talking: "Nii-san!"

"I just warned him.", he said already regretting going soft on the Uchiha.

She sighed in relief.

"But I'm not okay with this. I don't know what he's up to and you will tell me if he approaches you again in any way."

Hinata simply nodded, knowing it had no use of arguing with him over this.

"Come. Or we'll be late for dinner.", he said stepping outside the quiet room with Hinata following closely behind with her head down.

She couldn't help but wonder how that 'conversation' went with her cousin and the Uchiha. What did Sasuke say about it? Was he thinking that she was the one who told Neji? She knew that her cousin's 'warning' might have been a rather harsh one. Was Sasuke mad at her for it? How was she supposed to face him after all that happened? Their kiss was already too much for her to handle and Neji's intervention just made it harder. She didn't know how she would manage to act normally, she just wanted to disappear.

* * *

After ordering dinner and eating alone in his room, Sasuke decided that he was going to talk to Hinata. He would apologize and assure her that he wasn't going near her again, as her cousin 'kindly suggested'. He sighed and head out to the inside zen garden to cool off his mind.

The night was chilling already but he didn't mind. He sited in a bench in the middle of the small path facing one of the side corridors of the castle. His mind drift off and he didn't notice when started snowing.

* * *

Dinner went on quieter than it usually was despite Hanabi's initial yammering about her horse ride. The girl clearly demanded one of the Uchiha's stallion breed, which led to a small argument with the Hyuuga clan leader over her being inconvenient. Before Hanabi could let out all of her complaints, Itachi quickly settled the issue promising her one of the Uchiha's breed foals without problem.

Hinata was glad that she was able to eat calmly and without any awkwardness since the discussion didn't go any further and Sasuke didn't attend to dinner.

They could feel the temperature falling drastically along their meal. By the end of it, when they were leaving the dining room, Hanabi was already clinging to one of Hinata's arms, asking to sleep in her bed that night. Of course she would never be able to deny that request. Hanabi was growing fast now but she would always be her baby sister.

They headed to Hinata's bedroom, taking the way by the side hallway of the castle in hopes to see the snow in the inside garden.

Hinata stopped in her tracks when she saw Sasuke sited on a close-by bench, looking straight at her. Hanabi's voice made her finally blink: "Isn't he freezing out there?"

He stood up and closed the distance between them, stepping in the wooden floor, with the roof finally shielding him from the light snow that kept falling slowly. His eyes never left hers: "Can I talk to you?"

She didn't know if she was shivering with cold or anxiety. He had a few snowflakes on his hair which made him loose a little of that stoic aura, melting the fear out of heart. He was serious but not angry, apparently.

Hanabi simply tightened her grip on Hinata's arms as a reminder of the warm bed that was waiting for them.

Hinata finally broke their eye contact and looked down: "I... Hm...", she gulped trying to control her nerves: "I-I'm sorry Sasuke-san, it's late. C-Can we talk tomorrow?"

He nodded.

The Hyuuga sisters wished him good night and continued their way to Hinata's bedroom in silence.

Once inside the room, Hanabi ushered to change to a sleeping yukata and curl under the covers of Hinata's bed. She turned to face her older sister and asked with a sleepy voice after a long yawn: "What does he want to talk to you about."

After changing to her winter nightgown, Hinata pulled the covers and laid down, hugging Hanabi closer: "I'm not sure...", she answered dismissively, hoping her sister wouldn't insist on it. She only heard Hanabi's slow breathing and sighed in relief.

Within seconds her sister was fast asleep while her own mind was racing uncontrollably. There was a lot of possibilities for that talk and she couldn't help but feel anxious about. She would prefer them to just pretend nothing happened rather than talk about it, but now she got no choice.

He wasn't mad at her, right? At least, he didn't look angry... Maybe he was holding himself because of Hanabi. But she really didn't mean to Neji go on complicating things!

That night was going to be a long one...

Hi everyone! Thank you for reading!

Do you think Hanabi is going to find out what's happening with our lovely couple? Will Sasuke confess his feelings? Should Neji mind his own business? What is love? LOL

I don't know... What do you say?

Byee!