A/N: Happy Neji Week everyone! Over in the NejiTen discord (link on my profile!) we're celebrating Neji's birthday with 7 prompts! I know these are short, but I hope you enjoy them!
Day One
Tradition
Neji knocked on the door and waited. Of course, Hinata would assign him this task.
Neji had been prepared to help in every way with preparations for Hinata's wedding. This tradition, he'd hoped, would have been assigned to Hiashi-sama, but she'd tugged at his arm, and asked him sweetly, adding how it would mean the world to her. As usual, Neji had been unable to refuse.
Hinata had thanked him with a hug and a peck on the cheek, promising to make up for the long night ahead of him. Neji crossed his arms, considering what he could get from her in exchange for what waited.
"Yo, Neji!" The door swung open with a rush of light and nervous energy. Naruto was on the other side. "What are you doing here?"
Neji pushed his way into the room and closed the door.
"Hinata-sama has tasked me with a particularly important tradition for the night before your wedding."
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes." Neji felt his jaw tighten. "I'm supposed to stay here… tonight… with you."
"Hey," started Naruto, his nervous energy flaring to life under Neji's eyes. "No offense or anything. I know you guys are into some weird stuff, but Hinata's a much better-"
"A much better, what? Bedmate?"
"Yes- I mean no! I mean… what?"
Neji sighed and pulled the desk chair out before dropping into it.
"The Hyuga has a long history of arraigned marriage, as I'm sure you know. It is a tradition that a male relative of the bride keeps an eye on the groom the night before."
Naruto laughed.
"What to make sure I don't have some crazy party with strippers? The bachelor party wa-"
"To make sure you don't try and run off when you get cold feet."
Naruto's nerves were cut away with a flash of anger.
"You think I'm going to get cold feet?"
Neji shrugged.
"I don't know. I just know it's my job to keep you here in case you do."
"If anything were going to give me cold feet, it would be you." Naruto pointed at him. "How do I know you won't sit here all night and to talk me out of this?"
"Better me than my uncle, which is why I presume Hinata-sama twisted my arm."
Naruto paled.
"It could have been her father?"
Neji smirked.
"Who's the better bedmate now?"
"Hey!"
Neji got up and walked over to the closet to retrieve an extra futon.
"The sooner we get to sleep, the sooner we can get this stupid tradition over with."
"Or…" started Naruto, "we could get some of the guys over for a game of cards."
Neji sighed.
"Fine." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened up a new group text. "But it's not my fault if the only one who shows up is Lee."
Naruto laughed.
"Deal. Oh, and Neji," Naruto grinned his wicked, mischievous grin. "I'm going to make sure that Hinata knows how much fun we had tonight."
Neji looked up at him, mid text. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"That everything went so well that you've insisted that I get to babysit you on your wedding night."
Neji scoffed.
"Jumping the gun a little, aren't we?"
"Depends. How long before you finally make a move on your teammate? I mean, she practically threw herself at you in the hospital."
"You're one to talk. I nearly died for you and Hinata-sama, and it still took you a year to get your shit together."
"At least I did get it… And then some."
Neji looked up from his phone, glaring.
"This can be an easy night, or it can be a long night. Which would you prefer?"
He held up his phone and waved it at Naruto, the text message typed, just waiting for Neji to press 'send.'
Naruto grumbled.
"Tell Inuzuka to bring a case of beer."
Neji modified the text before sending it and wondered, briefly, how many other Hyuga men, who should have been too scared to run off, ended up drinking the night away with their future in-law.
His phone buzzed twice with enthusiastic responses.
Perhaps this wasn't such a terrible tradition, after all.
A/N: Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this please leave a review. They give me life.