Under the light of the crescent moon, Naruto eyes his lover, two parts hurt and one part understanding. "Can't see each other?"
"Please understand that this isn't something I have control over, no matter how much I want to." Lavender eyes study him. "I... I have never been so happy as I am when you're holding me."
"But they're in the process of selecting your wife." Naruto sits up, casting his gaze out over the small pond a few feet in front of them. It's nights like these, nights with the man he loves, that he's glad he was such a loner as a child. He knows so many places around the village secluded from sight and untouched by humanity. Places that have always been safe, for as long as he can remember.
"I'm sorry," Neji whispers, and he sits up, too.
"I wish I knew what it was like," he says. He allows the hand that slips into his own, but he doesn't initiate any further contact. "I don't understand, not completely. I don't know what it's like. Nobody ever had any expectations of me."
His companion hums, but says nothing more.
/
Naruto stands uncharacteristically still outside of the gates of the Hyuuga compound, wondering if the cloudy sky is an omen or not.
It's Hinata that follows the gate guard over to him. "H-hello, Naruto."
He smiles, but it's not his typical, knucklehead grin. "Hi, Hinata. Is your father busy? May I speak to him?"
Her cheeks turn pink, but the two of them have already discussed her lingering crush on him and Hinata is aware that Naruto doesn't return her feelings. "He's in a meeting right now, but he shouldn't be much longer, if you'd like to wait in the sitting room."
"Thank you."
Inside, a member of the branch family brings him tea and Naruto thanks her with a smile, though he's devoting an unusual amount of attention to his thoughts than his surroundings. When Hinata returns, she smiles at him. "I'm sorry, Naruto, I think Neji is on a mission. Otherwise, I would have let him know you were here."
"That's okay, Hinata, I'm here because Neji is on a mission." He sets his empty mug back down on the tray. "This is a bit of a formal meeting."
She blinks, surprised. "I just assumed you'd left the Hokage's office and he sent you on an errand for him."
He chuckles. "Yeah, that sounds like Kakashi."
Not much later, Naruto is shown into Hiashi's office and offers the man a slight bow. "Thank you for seeing me, Hiashi-sama."
The man doesn't show it, but Naruto thinks he's surprised. "What can I do for you, Naruto?"
Naruto takes a deep breath. "Hiashi-sama, have you chosen Neji's wife, yet?"
The Hyuuga blinks. "No, I haven't. Has he asked you to speak to me about this?"
"No, Neji doesn't know I planned on speaking to you at all." Hiashi gestures to the chair opposite himself, waiting until Naruto sits to ask him what this visit is about. "I would like... to ask your permission for Neji's hand in marriage."
/
Naruto is really surprised that he's, once again, standing so still. It's been two weeks since his meeting with Hiashi, and Neji got back from his mission three days ago, but they had decided to let him rest before giving him the news.
He's just really glad Hiashi was pleased with the arrangement.
One of the youngest Hyuugas leads Neji into the room where Naruto and Hiashi are waiting, and Neji's eyes widen just a fraction-Naruto supposes that Hiashi notices, but the clan head says nothing.
"Hi, Neji," Naruto says softly, offering a small smile. Neji gives a quiet hello.
"Do you know why I've summoned you?" Hiashi asks, rising from the seat behind his desk.
"I had assumed that it was in regard to my marriage." Neji keeps his eyes on Hiashi, like he doesn't want to see the hurt on Naruto's face. Little does he know.
"Yes, that's correct. While I'm strongly suggesting that you accept this deal, I will not force you into a marriage if you are truly against it." Hiashi lifts the scroll off of his desk, the marriage contract he'd drawn up during Naruto's previous visit to the compound, and holds it out for Neji to take.
Naruto refuses to hold his breath.
"Wh-" Neji looks up moments later, lavender eyes focused on Naruto and Naruto alone. "You... You really...?"
Naruto nods.
"Yes." Neji turns to his uncle, face carefully blank to make up for his lapse in control. "The arrangement is perfectly acceptable."
/
"You asked my uncle for my hand in marriage."
Naruto rolls over in his bed, half asleep, to see his fiance standing in the doorway of his bedroom. They'd parted ways hours ago, but he's not all that surprised to see Neji in his apartment. He had refused when his (not)boyfriend tried to return the spare key. "Mmm, Neji, you know it's…, ehh, three o'clock in the morning?" He blinks at his alarm clock before turning back to his betrothed.
"Why did you do it?"
The village is quiet. There are nights in Konoha where the whole place is still buzzing with activity, no matter what time it is. But not this night. The entire village is as silent as the night is dark. Naruto hums. "I asked Hiashi if I could marry you because I love you, Neji. And I thought that if you couldn't get out of an arranged marriage, I might as well speak to Hiashi, even if the odds weren't in my favor. He was pretty amenable to the proposal."
Naruto blinks in confusion, staring up at Neji who is suddenly three inches from his face.
"You love me?"
A moment passes. Naruto nods. "I do. I love you, I thought that was kind of obvious."
Neji lets out a soft breath, closing the space between them to press a chaste kiss to Naruto's mouth, mumbling I love you, thank you, perfect, you're perfect.
All in all, Naruto's really glad he'd plucked up the courage to kiss Neji all those months ago.