"Neji-niisan, Neji-niisan!"
Neji's chest felt tight. He felt his eyes open, but everything remained black.
"H-Hinata?" Neji asked uncertainly, his voice hoarse.
He heard a gasp, then felt something brush against his face. "Neji-niisan?" He blinked a couple more times, hoping for the black to go away and for him to see.
The tightness in his chest disappeared and he felt a pair of hands on his face.
"Hinata?" Neji asked again, his voice raspy. His head was resting on something warm and soft.
"Yes," Hinata said, with a slight edge of panic in her voice.
"Where are you?" Neji tried to lift his heavy arms off the ground.
"Don't move, Neji-niisan!" Hinata said anxiously. "J-just relax, it-it'll be fine."
Neji's brows furrowed in uncertainty. "Hinata, I can't see you," he said, blinking a few times.
Hinata bit her lip. "I-I know, Neji-niisan. It probably has something to do with the girl's attacks." she said, her voice shaky.
Neji could tell that Hinata was trying hard not to cry. "Hinata…give me your hand," he said. He heard the rustle of clothing and felt Hinata's shaky hand on his. "Thank you," he murmured.
"H-Hokage-sama's coming," Hinata said breathlessly.
Neji's stomach felt queasy. "Is…is it that bad?" he asked softly.
"No!" Hinata clutched tightly at his hand.
"I see," Neji murmured. Hinata's answer had come too quick - it was bad. At lease he felt the pain; it meant none of his nerves were completely destroyed.
Both Hinata and Neji were silent for a while. Finally, Neji spoke. "Where's…the girl?"
Hinata grimaced. "She's dead," she said quietly.
"Are-are you sure?"
"Yes…I m-made sure there wasn't any illusionary n-ninjutsu at work, and I even checked h-her heart for f-five minutes….she's dead."
Neji concentrated on hearing. The birds were quiet - it was probably late.
"What time is it?" Neji asked.
"It's almost dusk…" Hinata said. Her thumb stroked Neji's hand subconsciously. Neji heard Hinata's sharp intake of breath. Her thumb stopped stroking his hand.
"Don't stop," Neji murmured.
Hinata glanced at Neji. His eyes were closing. "Neji, don't f-fall asleep just yet. The Fifth is here."
Neji was slightly annoyed. He was so tired - he wanted to go to sleep. But he knew he had to stay awake. "…Alright…"
Hinata shifted her position. "H-Hokage-sama!" she called shakily.
Neji was just so tired.
Hinata's lap was so warm - he could just…fall…asleep….
-beep…beep…beep-
Neji tried to open his eyes. They wouldn't. Something was wrapped around his head, covering his eyes.
He was lying on something soft, and he could tell the lighting was dim without using his eyes. His hand was warm. Another hand held it tightly.
"Hinata-sama?" he murmured.
Neji felt the bed give a slight jolt. "Neji-niisan!"
Neji shifted. "Am I in the Konoha hospital?" he asked quietly.
"Yes…Hokage-sama t-treated y-your injuries, you'll be fine." Hinata said softly.
"Ahhh….anou, what about my eyes?"
"They'll be f-fine…you'll be able t-to take off the b-bandages in a w-while, Neji-niisan…"
"…What happened?" Neji's body felt stiff. Many bandages twisted their way up his body, wrapped around numerous gashes and injuries.
"Y-your fight with Amemaru…she used a special jutsu on you; it meddled with your chakra a little bit…b-but not much damage was inflicted because she died….but you'll heal quickly, you're strong, Neji-niisan!" Hinata added hopefully.
Neji frowned slightly as his door clicked open.
"He's awake, Hinata-chan?"
Hinata must have nodded, because the person walked toward Neji. "How are we doing, Neji-san?"
It was Tsunade. "I-I'm fine," he murmured. He noticed that Hinata was slowly stroking his hand with her thumb, as she did before.
"Good. No…nausea? Stabbing pain?"
Neji frowned slightly. "Iie."
"Alright. I'll have your food brought to you soon," Tsunade said briskly. She turned, and the clicking of heels diminished as she left the room.
Hinata sat quietly beside Neji, her breathing even and smooth. Neji squeezed her hand lightly. "Hinata?"
"H-hai?"
"….Nevermind."
Hinata gazed at Neji's face. His eyes were covered, and she could tell that he wasn't used to the bandages being there. The corners of his mouth were turned down in thought. The same mouth that put her down during the preliminaries….The same mouth that had kissed her in the forest….Hinata had to know.
"Neji-niisan?" Hinata started hesitantly.
"Hai…" Neji replied quietly.
"Why…d-did you…in the f-forest…"
Neji was silent for a while. Hinata blushed and quickly looked down at her left hand in her lap. "Anou…nevermi-"
"I…I…I wanted to, I guess…" Neji mumbled.
Hinata looked up, her eyes wide and a blush creeping deeply across her face. She was positive Neji could hear her heart pounding in her chest.
"Hinata…." Neji said.
"H-hai?"
Neji sat up and touched the bandages covering his eyes gingerly. "Where are you?"
Hinata felt that his question was ridiculous. Couldn't he feel the heat coming from her in waves?
"Koko," she could barely speak. She lifted a shaky had and gently touched Neji's cheek. His head turned in her direction.
"Come…closer," Neji requested quietly.
Hinata knew what he was going to do. Yet slowly she leaned towards him, her insides squirming.
Neji's hand had found Hinata's face, and he pulled her closer. Their lips met, and a pleasing tingle went up Hinata's spine.
Neji's hands had self-consciously cupped her face, and he gently sucked on Hinata's bottom lip. She was submissive at first, but then returned the kiss with a mild push forward.
They slowly pulled away, Hinata's eyes wide with surprise at what she had done, and Neji's breathing harsh.
"…You didn't flinch," Neji murmured.
Hinata blinked, then smiled shyly, her blush darkening. She didn't think she could turn any redder.
Neji blinked under the bandages as the door of the room he was staying in opened.
"Neji-niisan, I have good news," Hinata said happily.
"What is it?" he said, his head turning to where she was. For the past few days, he had learned to sharpen his other senses, allowing for him to rest his Byukagan eyes.
"You can take off your bandages today," Hinata chirped. She had become considerably happier, though she was still as shy as before.
"Mmm," Neji replied. He was glad. For many days, all he saw was darkness. He wanted to see Hinata's face. "You could take it off for me," Neji suggested.
Hinata blushed as she placed a roll of bandages on his bedside table. "Al-alright," she said, her voice higher than usual.
Neji raised an eyebrow, unseen by Hinata. He desperately wanted to get out of the Hospital. It was dull when Hinata wasn't with him.
Neji smelled lavender as Hinata's arms brushed past the sides of his face, then untie the bandages. With each layer off, his world became brighter and brighter. Neji kept his eyes closed when the last layer of bandages fell from his eyes.
Hinata gently tossed the bandages into the waste basket.
"Anou…Neji-niisan, you can open your eyes now," Hinata said timidly.
"They say that the longer you wait for something, the sweeter it is when you receive it," Neji replied, trying hard to hold in a smirk.
"What?" Hinata said, confused. Her face flushed when she realized what he meant.
Neji opened his eyes with a smirk forming on his lips. Hinata took a small step back.
"Neji-niisan?" Hinata squeaked.
"Haaiii…"
"Anou…y-your training c-clothes are on the e-end of y-your b-b-bed," Hinata stuttered. She turned and hurried out of the room.
Neji's eyes followed her out of the room, both his eyebrows raised in question.
Neji slid open the shoji door quietly and stepped inside.
"You called, Hiashi-sama?" he said, his face stolid and his voice emotionless.
The head of the Hyuuga placed a scroll on his desk and looked up. He entwined his fingers and balanced his face gently on his hands, his elbows resting on the desk.
"Yes."
"What is it that you want, Hiashi-sama?" Neji prompted respectfully.
"It's about my daughter and….somebody," Hiashi said. "Sit." He motioned a zabuton placed in the front of his desk.
Neji knelt in front of Hiashi. "Hanabi?"
"Iie. Hinata."
Neji was slightly taken aback. Hiashi had never talked to him about Hinata.
Hiashi continued when Neji made no further comments. "Neji, you and Hinata seem…closer than most people perceive."
Neji was silent. His hand clenched slightly in his lap.
"I want to know what is going on between you two," Hiashi finished.
Neji's eyes darted from the Head's face to his hands. "Nothing, Hiashi-sama."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"Neji, I see more than you think. I only want for you to admit what you did."
Neji's head jerked up. "Nothing, Hiashi-sama," he said coldly. He didn't know why he didn't admit even to himself what had happened. Was he afraid?
"May I need to remind you, Neji, that Hinata is from the head family, and you are from the branch?" Hiashi asked, his voice deadly quiet.
Neji glared at his fists. "What's the difference?" he whispered. He lifted his head and looked Hiashi directly in his eyes. "What is the difference between the head family and the branch? The only things are these cursed seals that are forced upon us branch family members." he said, his voice coldly calm.
"I seem to also need to remind you, that I do not agree with these rules! These are traditions passed on for hundreds of years! We cannot break them, it will cause turmoil within the Hyuuga clan."
"You, Hiashi-sama, are from the head family! Change it!" Neji hissed. He got up, turned, and walked out of Hiashi's study.
Neji almost lost his balance as he bumped into Hinata. She started to fall backwards, but Neji grabbed her arm and pulled her so that they both steadied.
"G-gomen nasai, Neji-niisan!" Hinata whimpered. She had instinctively brought her bent arms in front of her chest.
Neji glanced at the closed door of Hiashi's study. "No worries, Hinata." Neji strained his ears for any sound of Hiashi getting up. "Come with me," he murmured to Hinata. He took her by the arm and led her to his room.
--
Neji made sure the door of his room was closed securely before turning to a confused Hinata. "You heard everything, Hinata?"
Hinata lowered her eyes and nodded.
Neji didn't know what to say. Should he assure her that everything was alright? He himself didn't even know if everything was alright. Maybe he shouldn't have been so disrespectful towards Hinata's father.
"Daijoubu, Neji-niisan?" came Hinata's small voice.
Neji glanced at her and nodded curtly. Then he paused in his thinking and looked at her again. "Hinata…what do you think of our traditions as Hyuuga?"
Hinata looked to the bottom-left side. "I…I don't think it's fair," she murmured. "It's caused…strife within the family. Neji-niisan, I'm afraid that this will lead to what happened….to the…Uchiha."
Neji glanced at her again. "Hinata…there's the seal…"
Hinata flinched. "I wish…I wish that the seals would just go away," she whispered.
Neji remained silent. He wanted for the cursed seal to go away, too…but as Hinata mentioned, if the seals were to be taken off, something drastic would probably happen. After all, Itachi Uchiha had killed everybody in his clan. Neji didn't want a similar thing to happen to the Hyuuga.
"It…It'll be fine, Hinata." Neji said. "Things will just work themselves out after a while."
Hinata's brows were furrowed. "I hope so," she said.
"When you become head of the Hyuuga, you can change everything," Neji murmured. "And I'll be behind you all the way."
Hinata looked desperately at Neji. "But I don't want to be the heiress. I'm not fit for that, I'm too weak! Neji-niisan, you should be the one, you should be in the Head family, not I."
Neji sat Hinata down on his bed. "Hinata…I believe that things are as they are because…well, they're just meant to be that way. Fate has something to do with the families we were born in. Maybe it was your destiny to be the heiress of us Hyuuga. Maybe there's a reason I was born in the branch family….just let it go, Hinata-sama. Things will work out."
Hinata nodded slowly. "You're probably right…but everything is so…messed up right now. It's so confusing."
"It is," Neji agreed quietly, "but…that's just the way they are."
There was something about Neji's room that made him want to touch Hinata. Maybe it was the lighting. Maybe it was the way Hinata looked so vulnerable right then. But he knew he couldn't do anything. He had already stirred some problems with Hiashi. Anymore and he could be in deep trouble.
But…her skin, so pale and soft - Neji's mind screamed at him to stop, but he couldn't help it. He touched Hinata's face lightly. A blush crept over her face, and Neji wondered why he hadn't noticed earlier how Hinata was so cute when she was blushing.
Hinata looked at Neji through her eyelashes, her blush darkening as he bent toward her, then pressed his lips onto hers. She remembered the last time he had kissed her like this; she wasn't expecting it at all.
His hands ran through her dark glossy hair, and Hinata whimpered as Neji kissed a little harder. She let her lips be taken, giving light, small kisses back.
Neji finally pulled away from Hinata, panting slightly. "Sorry about that," he murmured.
Hinata felt light-headed. "About what?" she whispered breathlessly.
Neji frowned slightly. "You don't mind?"
"Mind what?"
Neji hesitated. "About..us…" Neji lowered his voice.
Hinata blushed darkly and casted a glance to the side. "I….I don't….mind…"
"Answer me truthfully, Hinata…please."
Hinata looked back at Neji. She got up and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I don't mind."