Warnings: PG13, NejiHina, drabble, fluff-attack yikes.
Summary: The morning after their wedding night, Hinata finds herself alone. What happens when Neji gets a sudden change of heart?
Disclaimer: Do we really need to these things??? I mean, seriously, would anyone get sued for not putting this stuff up?! :0 cranky

Purple Skies
By Saori-Hime

Her tender footsteps caressed the tatami floor as she walked towards the end of the hall. The sun was halfway up, and the rainy weather created a murky mixture of shadows and light that gave the surroundings a melancholic aroma, like hot cocoa mixed with green mints. The thin paper doors filtered the colors of light and formed a path ahead of her, one she followed in timid self-assurance. She was wearing a long-sleeve, plaid, unbutton shirt that went down her mid-thighs and revealed part of her shy curves every time she took each step forward. Completely exposed, protected only by a flimsy translucent white shirt, that is how she was currently walking.

Her hair clung in hidden embarrassment to her face and her pearly eyes watched the floor below her in contained anxiety. The wind was kind to her, and allowed her to go through without making her shiver, and every time a bright, yellow ray of light managed to penetrate the silent violets and blues through the window, she would stop to observe with a content smile and a calm peacefulness only she could muster under her conditions.

Her hair ruffled slightly, and she cocked her head back towards the path she was supposed to follow, and her hands, which were close together in front of her, tensed slightly as the urge to fidget or hold onto something flooded her warm blood. Her lips opened because they knew what they were supposed to say, but her mind went through all the words and possibilities, the feelings and confessions, and she was assaulted by an awkward silence.

Her eyes trembled in realization, and she looked away immediately. Even though she could come up with a lot of sentences and greetings, she was unable to speak any of them. She was frozen, limited to the horror of her own useless communication, and this time, she did not even stutter in frustration. Her heart rate had gone haywire and her face was the expression of absolute vulnerability.

Finally, her eyelids closed tightly, not hiding tears or sorrow, because that she did not have. They were hiding the truth of her unstable self-esteem and helpless platonic romance.

Romance that was unrequited, cruel in purpose, and stern in form—just like Neji.

Who put his arms around her motionless body and covered her with his coat in a gesture of friendly concern. His chin lowered down and his nose trailed the curves of her soft face in close intimacy. She was not cold—she was warm like the blankets of his bed, and the robes he wore when he took a shower.

"Hinata-sama, go back to your room."

Were the words he whispered to her near her lips, and in her passive, good-natured way, she nodded.

Neji said that, and yet, he didn't retract from his embrace, nor did he allow her to move. It was the way he contradicted himself with that slight reprimanding tone of voice that made Neji's cynicism unnecessary. It made him as hopeless as she was. Too lost within his own turmoil of emotions to notice what he had in front of him, and how valuable it really was.

He became a false promise, an unwanted type of love, that didn't want to be satisfied, but didn't want to be left alone. It was there, dressed up in conventional attire—it was an appropriate social agreement.

It was only his proposal.

It was only her acceptance.

Hinata looked up and stared into Neji's deep, coral eyes in confusion. She wondered if he could hear what she was thinking. She wondered if he'd be able to hear the words she couldn't say out loud, and his breath tickled her senses and made her perception shiver. Close enough to make her want more, far enough to make her resist. Her eyes didn't widen, but she understood the obvious rejection. Why then, was he still holding her, why was he mistreating her and confusing her in contradicting ways that hurt more than she could comprehend?

"You are easy to read, Hinata-sama."

Hinata's face spoke for her as her face colored the shade of embarrassment, but she did not look away. Cruel as Neji was, he usually found a way to make the burden he placed on her back go away momentarily, and like a moth to the flame, she followed the scent of his words without thinking twice, and her face inched closer to his as he lowered his head to kiss her.

Kisses that tasted of hard chocolate, the one that makes your teeth hurt when you take a bite, so delicious and extremely sweet, to the point where you wish it tasted like salty crackers instead. Kisses that were not meant to be enjoyed but still grew deeper and more meaningful until they betrayed their purpose and drove them closer to the truth.

Enticing, the way his tongue played with hers, cute, the way she tried to copy his movements, awkward… because they were related by blood. They were breaking the hidden laws nobody spoke of; charmed by the way he pulled her closer and tempted by the way her bare body pressed up against his.

His movements relaxed and he pulled out of her mouth slowly, watching with aroused eyes the way her eyelashes trembled and her mouth exhaled in fulfillment. He teased her lips with his nose and dragged his teeth gently on her chin.

"Neji-sama…"

Her hidden arms reached up and cupped the sides of his face in bold affection, and this time, it was him who stared at her pearl eyes in confusion. She drew him close to her and hugged his face to her chest protectively, while a distraught Neji tried to understand what had happened just now. His mind told him to stop her, to tell her to let go, and push her away—why then… was he burying his face on the crevice of her neck and shoulder while closing his eyes in approval?

"I…I…" She whispered hoarsely, unsure of what to say, "…thought you left. I thought…"

Neji knew what she would think. Neji knew her very well. He knew what she was going to do when she woke up the next morning. She would look beside her, and her eyelids would lower in disappointment, then her face would express the torn deception of his corrupted intentions.

She knew he would be gone.

He had left.

He couldn't figure out the reason why he came back in the first place—but when he turned the hallway and saw her staring out the window, staring at the falling rain in eternal hopelessness, she became even more beautiful and rare than the purple skies outside.

He realized now.

That he came back because of that.

Neji straightened himself up and Hinata's arms retracted back close to her body. Neji looked down at her, which made Hinata wonder if he was reading her thoughts again. "I wanted to watch the rain fall…" Neji lied blatantly while staring down at her, "But I have found something better to look at."

Hinata was given no chance to speak, not that she would have used it had it been given to her, because the next moment she had been swept off her feet and being carried towards their room. Hinata blushed deep crimson, and hid her face on his chest, at the border of tears and clinging to his shirt with painful insecurity.

Neji smiled to himself silently as he made his way to their quarters.

He hoped that for the rest of his life he'd be able to see purple skies.

Owari.

Comments: NejiHina drabble, took me almost an hour to write this three lil pages…how annoying. And omg! My first HET fic… LOL. realization kicks in awww I thought I was going to write ShikaIno first T.T oh well.

And I have a funny story for the title! I was driving to school the other day, and I was like "It'd be really pretty if the sky was purple instead of blue" (dun ask! lol besides, the sky does get purple sometimes xD) and anyway, I was like "Purple Skies" sounds like a cute title O.o I knew it had to be a NejiHina fic too if I used it for a fic…. lol so today I was procrastinating hw… and tada :o lol

Ja ne! :P

-Saori