Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Hinata bought him a yukata.
She liked to buy him things when she felt as if his belongings were beginning to wear. A few articles of clothing here and there, a new set of gear, better oil for his weapons, shorter training posts when he wanted to practice his legwork. He let her do as she pleased, in part because he knew she'd never empty the Hyuga coffers no matter how much she tried, and in another because it delighted her to care for him.
Hinata had always been eager to please, and he couldn't take this small joy away from her. It had been difficult at first, considering his status before they were arranged to be wed, but over the years, he'd grown accustomed to her ways. And it wasn't as if she never mentioned her desire to purchase something beforehand in the hopes of getting his input—she'd even mentioned the yukata. It was about a week or so ago. A passing conversation that Neji hadn't thought too much about.
That was also why he hadn't questioned the plain white rectangle sitting so innocently on their dining room table. There was a note taped on top with the business card of the store's owner that he hadn't bothered reading. It wasn't because he was uninterested, but because the sight of what awaited him when he opened that box had left him, for lack of a better word, speechless.
The yukata was meant to be worn loosely on top of pants. He found that out a second after touching the fabric. It was thin, perhaps thinner than anything else he owned. But that wasn't the problem.
It was… outrageously green.
He felt like he'd look like a Hyuga version of Rock Lee should he be foolish enough to don it. It wasn't just that either—because heaven forbid the yukata only had one problem—there was also delicate, gold filigree running all along its length that made it sparkle. Not the polished glint on most expensive traditional clothing either, but an outright glittery sparkle.
And the collar…
Hokage's ashes, the collar, he thought. It has fur! White, green-tinted fur. Bless whatever animal was used to make this. Neji's gaze drifted down to find even more along the bottom. He flinched at the sight. It looks like something a tacky noblewoman would wear.
Out of curiosity, Neji turned his back on the open window before him, so he could see it in semi-darkness. He was unsurprised to find that the shadows did nothing to hide its cheerful shimmer or its eyesore of a color. Neji didn't know if some special jutsu had been cast upon it or if it had been made for some adventurous woman's forest fantasy, but he quickly decided that this was no yukata. It was an abomination that needed to be destroyed immediately.
What was Hinata thinking when she purchased this? Had she even been?
He let out a deep, emptying sigh.
Unfortunately, Neji had never been particularly skilled at refusing her anything, and throwing this out might earn him more than just an aggravated frown. It at least felt expensive, though he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. He wasn't particularly fond of overly pricy clothing in the first place. Not to mention that this thing didn't exactly look worth whatever she must've paid for it.
Neji held up the robe in front of him, before striding toward the tall mirror they kept in the corner of the room. The width was perfect; the length was even better. It fell mid-calf. Exactly where he liked it. It would fit him as excellently as anything else he owned. But still…
Neji knew he should appreciate whatever was given to him, but he didn't even want to keep this in his closet. Let alone try it on. It was appalling. Anyone with eyes could see that.
It was at that exact moment that Hinata stepped in.
"Neji, have you seen—"
She went completely still.
"Oh," she said, small. "You already found it."
Sweat beaded down his back. How was he supposed to break this to her?
Gently, his genius mind supplied, and he almost tore the fabric in two at the obvious answer. Even his own head was working against him. He could work through half a dozen battle tactics in under a minute, and he couldn't think of a single way to get through this?
"Hinata," he said gravelly.
"Yes?"
Neji put the thing down with as much care as revulsion allowed, before closing the distance between them. He took both of her hands in his and squeezed them tightly.
"I appreciate the thought, but… but it's—" speak, coward, "—it's green."
Not quite what he intended to say. But it would have to do.
"Won't it fit though?" she asked, sparing the cloth a glance. "It's for the upcoming harvest festival."
There was no way he was going to walk around in public wearing that.
"Yes, but perhaps a more subdued tone would be better." The suggestion wasn't formed like a question. It was a statement, and he made sure his tone brooked no barter on the subject. He would die for her, but there were certain minor, day-to-day boundaries that could not be crossed. This was one of them. His pride as a Hyuga was on the line.
"I don't think that would work well."
"Why?"
She looked at him like he'd just sprouted two heads.
"Lee-kun doesn't dress like us, Neji," she said very slowly, and as soon as the words registered, his shoulders slumped down in relief. It was short lived, however. Because what came next had Neji choking on air. "D—Did you want it?"
"No!" he said, sudden and loud enough to startle her.
"I don't understand." Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why were you holding it then? Did you not like yours?"
"Mine?"
She pointed at another box by the foot of the table. He must've kicked it by accident while he was staring at the atrocity because the lid was half on the floor. From the little he could see over the rim, it was white with black swirls. No sparkling to speak of. No fur on the edges. Not even a glimmer under the shade. Exactly the sort of unadventurous he liked in his clothes.
So, Hinata hadn't lost her mind, or more accurately, her eyesight. Thank the spirits.
His arms circled her waist. But when he leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her lips, the pieces finally clicked together in her head. She moved back as far as she could in his arms to shoot him a look that was a mix between amused and affronted.
"Did you really think I bought you that?"
A/N: Please Review.