Thanks for the reviews! Reviews are everything to me. This chapter isn't much, but it is necessary. I hope you still like it!
-Anne
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Neji was at his house, sitting in pitch darkness. He couldn't care about anything anymore. His joy of life had disappeared in mere seconds when that happened. He hadn't tended to his wounds, not that he cared. He felt nimb all over.
I don't care anymore.
Word spreaded and in mere hours almost everyone knew, including the whole Hyuuga Mansion.
Neji absorbed in thoughts, still heard someone knocking on the door.
"Neji-san, are you home?"
He decided to just ignore her voice. Whatever she had to urgently tell him, it wouldn't interest him in any way.
"Neji-san, I KNOW you're in there."
Careless as he was, he had left the door unlocked. A great opportunity for her it was. He heard her sandals on his floor and mentally hit himself. Like he wanted to hear the babbling of...
Hanabi-sama.
The light was turned on by her again, making Neji's eyes, who were used to the dark, hurt. Hanabi ran to Neji as she saw the state he was in.
"N..Neji-san, what's wrong? You look terrible..."
Oh god, she didn't know yet.
"You should go ask someone else..I can't inform you."
He made her even more worried, but then she did something she had never done before. She hugged him, tried to soothe him.
"It'll be all right, whatever it is." She tried to say calmly. She wasn't to sure about her own words though. What she just said angered him.
How could she say such a thing?
"No..it can't be undone anymore. She's gone..gone.." he said somewhat hysterically. She let go of him now, very suprised to hear him talk in such a way.
"Neji-san...who's gone?"
"Your sister, dammit!" He simply ignored his pride and let those tears flow again. "It happened this evening."
I've never felt like this...
"Are you serious?"
"Have you ever seen me cry before?"
He saw her trembling, saw her seating herself.
"I...."
She couldn't come to terms with her sister's death.
Then Neji did something very uncharacterisly for him – he rubbed her back. Tried to soothe her this time.
"It's okay...It's okay."
It's OK.
I...I just can't believe it." She said with tears in her eyes. "I DON'T want to believe it."
"I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you."
"I..It's not your fault."
It IS my fault.
She stood up again.
"I need to use the bathroom, if you would please excuse me."
He nodded. Now he needed to deal with his and Hanabi's sorrow. Great.
He could still see Hinata's blood spattered face when he closed his eyes.
I've fought my fate for once. I protected you...Neji-nii-san.
He saw a picture frame on his desk. He had never shown it to her or told her about it, but...it had always been there.
She had always been there.
The photo was one of him and Hinata when they were younger. She looked beautiful on it like she always did. He didn't look that happy. He chuckled. Like he ever looked happy. The only one that could melt his frozen face was Hinata.
They never changed that much, did they?
He picked it up, touched the cold glass with the tip of his index finger, traced Hinata's contour.
I really loved you. I still..
He was interrupted by the slamming sound of the door.
"Ah, Hanabi-sama."
He noticed the black stripes on her cheek, she had been crying. A lot.
"Hm."
She rubbed her cheeks on more time.
"Would you like to take a walk, Hanabi-sama?"
"That would be...nice. Thanks, I owe you." She smiled.
Hanabi acted very different today.
Of course this was logical..but still...this wasn't the Hanabi he was used to. She actually reminded him of...
Hinata.
Neji picked up the umbrella that was standing next to the front door, left his house with Hanabi. He supposed it would be still raining.
Every day would be a rainy day without Hinata.