Gravity
Part Four
Neji hadn't slept well that night, for reasons he didn't care to examine as closely as he might have. There was something unsettling about the entire proceedings of the previous day that wouldn't allow him to rest, and so he had passed much of the time staring up at the ceiling in his room tucked away in a corner of the Branch house, watching a spider weave an intricate web slowly, painstakingly. He had chosen not to muse on what kept him awake, and had instead begun the task that he had been assigned early by mentally reviewing every man he could recall from their family.
All of the men he thought of were not suitable to be Hinata's husband. The reasons were many and varied, but it still remained that he did not deem them worthy, and therefore he moved on. The task he had been entrusted with was a very important one, and he would not rest until he found the best possible candidate to wed Hinata and arranged the marriage.
The entire ordeal was giving him a headache, however, and he had barely begun considering it.
Annoyance flitted across his features as he went through his morning exercises. Why were there no suitable men in the Hyuuga household? Certainly he had a month to find one, but his initial search had proved fruitless, and he doubted that any one of them prospects he had dismissed would do something particularly amazing within the allotted time. He would see.
Perhaps his standards were too high. It might have been a bit much to demand that the man be honest, hardworking, gracious, attractive, and even-tempered. He couldn't be idle, either, and needed to spend his time improving both body and mind. Nice teeth were essential as well, as Hinata had a slight overbite and her smile was a tiny bit crooked. It was nothing terribly noticeable, but those sorts of genes could surface worse in children if both parents possessed them.
Excellent teeth were a must. He would have to observe each man carefully, because naturally, she would have children. Aside from providing a more unified image for the Hyuuga family by being married, she would of course have to supply offspring to succeed her as head of family. He imagined she would want several; perhaps a few boys and a girl. She was a nurturing type, and wouldn't want to have a child simply for the sake of having an heir. Her husband would need to be of a similar type as her, so that they might have their children and raise them properly. An uncaring sort of man wouldn't do at all.
His gaze fell on the main house as he passed by his open sliding doors, and he wondered if she was awake and about yet. She might have considered it too early for him to be approaching her about this, but they honestly did not have a moment to waste. If they were to find a proper husband for her they needed to carefully inspect every avenue, and though Hinata had the full month to do that, Neji did not.
An ANBU's schedule was unpredictable at best, and though he didn't have a mission at the moment, it was anyone's best guess as to when he would be ordered off. More, the length of his missions was something else that could not be determined, and if he were to be sent out tomorrow, it might be a month before he returned.
It was necessary to find a husband for her, immediately if possible.
Reaching upward, he gently tugged on the string binding his hair and shook it out. He was finished with his morning exercises, and shut the sliding doors as he turned. He wasn't getting much accomplished anyhow, with the way his mind was otherwise occupied.
Padding softly across the tatami floor, he reached up to flip his hair over his shoulder as he examined the clothing he had laid out the night before. It was an extremely formal kimono, one that was reserved for his meetings with the head of family and her council. Thankfully they were few and far between, as he did not exactly enjoy taking the kimono apart and restitching it every time it needed to be washed. Today he would need to wear it again, as he would be meeting with Hinata.
When he finished dressing, he presented an intimidating picture. The black and white of his kimono was severe, especially as paired with his dark hair and intense, colorless eyes. There was no doubt in the minds of anyone who saw him as he walked by where he was headed, and they all avoided his eyes as best they could. Memories of his youth were especially burned into the minds of the elder people, and he knew that they would never fully trust him when it came to his dealings with the Main house.
Word traveled quickly through the houses, and Neji assumed that as of this morning, everyone knew precisely what had happened in regards to the council, Hinata, and himself yesterday. As it was, they likely already assumed he would choose a husband for Hinata best suited to further his own ends. He had grown used to this lack of trust, however, and did not let it bother him.
At least, he told himself that it didn't bother him. There was bliss in denial, wasn't there?
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There was no possible way that Hinata could have gotten even a wink of sleep, not even if she had truly wanted to. Too much had been whirling around in her mind, so that even though the crying and stress had physically exhausted her, she'd been helpless to do anything but sit and think until the sun rose on a new day. She had come to several important conclusions in the night, and now that it was a reasonable hour for her to be awake, there was nothing stopping her from getting out of bed and facing the day.
Her maids helped her dress in a pale pink tsukesage kimono, though her mind was elsewhere as they pinned her hair back and carefully wrapped the fabric around her body to its best advantage. For the first time in a long time, Hinata had stood up to someone else without offering up a weak excuse, and no one had been angry with her for it. At least, no one that she knew of yet. Her father might be angry with her, but she found that if she concentrated on Neji, and that he didn't hate her, she could bear her father's judgment.
Being strong was so much easier when you had someone to look up to.
Hinata had always admired Naruto for his strength and perseverance, but lately, she hadn't seen much of him. He was in training to be the next Hokage, and if the murmurings around the Main house were true, Tsunade-sama was going to retire within the year. It was obvious who her successor would be, and Hinata was very happy for Naruto. He had been dreaming of this since he was a child, and there was nothing more wonderful than achieving a lifelong dream, she imagined.
Someday, she hoped to be able to achieve hers, too.
Her spirits lighter than they had been in some time, Hinata smiled and thanked her maids before making her way to her garden. She would spend a bit of time there before Neji came to... well, before he just came. She didn't really want to think about what they would be discussing, because it caused her stomach to clutch painfully.
She wouldn't be weak about this, however. Hinata had made a very important decision in the council meeting and she did not intend to go back on her word. That was one of the things she had decided when sleep would not come; no matter what, if Neji found a husband for her, she would accept him. She knew in her heart, despite what everyone else said, that Neji was a good man. Over the years he had changed, even though he had thought it impossible, and she knew he would never intentionally harm another person unless it was absolutely necessary.
That was why she trusted him.
She was surprised to find him leaning against a pillar, his arms crossed over his chest and face tilted up into the sunshine when she entered her garden. How early had he woken up to meet her? She felt a quick stab of guilt, and her smile faltered. Of course he would assume the head of family would greet the day as soon as possible to begin the necessary duties. The sad thing was, this was earlier than Hinata usually woke.
Would she ever do anything right?
She could feel uneasiness creeping up on her, and her expression was nervous as Neji shifted, a faint smile curving the visible half of his mouth when a bird chirped and swooped down, disappearing in the branches of a tree.
Just like that, she felt better.
She opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated a moment. It felt strange to adress him as just Neji, without any sort of suffix at all. He had asked her to, of course, but there wasn't another person in her acquaintance that she didn't at least add a '-kun' to. That was Neji's way, she supposed; he had always referred to his teammates as simply Lee and Tenten, and if it weren't for the fact that they were from two different houses, there wasn't any doubt in Hinata's mind that he wouldn't bother with a suffix for her, either.
She wondered what it would be like if someone besides Naruto called her 'Hinata'. Just her name. It made her feel normal, like she was just another person that didn't need a ridiculous amount of respect or politeness addressed to her. It was... nice.
Before she could greet him, however, Neji noticed her. Immediately his expression slipped into one of marble blankness, and for a moment, Hinata's heart hurt. Why did Neji feel that he needed to hide so much from others? Was it because he was afraid of how he would be received if he were to show his true emotions?
Hinata could understand that very well...
She forced her smile to brighten for the lack of his. "Neji. I hope you haven't waited long."
He bowed at the waist and then straightened. When he spoke, his tone was level. "No. I apologize for not waiting for proper admittance."
Hinata blinked and then brought up her hands, holding them before her as she smiled shyly. "N-no, it's all right. I don't mind. My garden... I would rather meet you here than in the house. I don't like it inside."
Heat rose to her cheeks at this admission, and she wondered what he thought. He still looked carefully considering, and those eyes never left her face. What exactly was going through his mind, Hinata didn't think she would ever know. Neji was a very difficult person to read at times. She could believe all she wanted about him, but when it came down to his thoughts, she was just as clueless as the next person.
He surprised her by replying, "Neither do I."
Hinata looked up at him and blinked a few times. Then, a slow smile spread across her face, and her hands stopped their nervous wringing.
He looked away abruptly and was silent for a moment. Hinata tilted her head curiously, and was about to ask him what was wrong, when he began to speak.
"I have been considering what sort of man you would need as a husband."
Her smile fell, and she felt the warmth in her stomach slowly seep away, leaving nothing but unpleasant coldness. She had known they would need to discuss this sort of thing, but he was really excited about it, it seemed.
She had hoped that perhaps... she would be able to remain unmarried... for at least a little while longer.
"O-oh?" She couldn't keep the faint tremble from her voice. "And have you found anyone?"
He finally turned back to her, arms still crossed in front of his chest. "No."
Hinata had been rolling the sleeve of her kimono between two fingers, a nervous habit, but when he replied, she stopped, blinking. "N-no?"
For a brief moment, she thought she saw something akin to embarrassment flit across his face. It was gone so quickly, however, that she was certain she imagined it. "None of the men I have considered meet my approval. They are... unsatisfactory candidates."
"O-oh." Hinata was at a loss for words.
He unfolded his arms, gesturing with one hand toward the bench. "Please sit, and we can discuss what sort of husband you are looking for. That will help me better judge for the necessary qualities."
She nodded, following the path of his hand and sitting down on the bench. He did the same, keeping a respectable distance.
"What would you like in a husband, Hinata-sama?"
That was a very good question...
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I'm having a lot of fun writing this, and as always, thank you so much for your comments! I'm still feeling my way along this pairing, and your encouragements help me with my confidence. :D Check back for another chapter soon.
