Author's Notes: Thank you for all of those who reviewed and read my story.

Chapter 2:

Hold me, Kiss me,

If you must leave me,

than kill me.

Sakura bit her lip. The two cousins were situated in the living room and Sakura found herself pouring tea for the three of them. Even though the twenty-three year old ANBU knew how much Neji had loved Hinata in the past, she couldn't help feeling anger and jealousy at the moment. Her hand was clasped tightly on the holding of the tea pot. Even the scent of freshly brewed herb tea could not stop her sanity from being relaxed.

Even Neji and Hinata must know the growing tension growing within the apartment.

"I-I never expected that a H-hyuuga would be f-free," spoke Hinata softly. She was sitting on a chair, right across from Neji. The twenty-three year old heiress held onto her hands tightly on her lap. She felt his stare on her and Hinata could not bring herself to look up at him in the eyes. Hinata couldn't help but bite her lip frustratingly. She always hated the fact that she was never a good social person.

It was too cute. He never thought his Hinata would have stopped playing with her fingers, but of course, time has changed many things over the course of history. For his Hinata, Neji couldn't help but have a hand over his mouth as his eyes continued to observe her.

Hinata slunk back more in her chair. Oh, he must think of me a shameful person. I can't even spark up a conversation with him. Hinata felt her cheeks burn with embarrassement, and yet still, she could not talk. The way he covered his mouth sent Hinata overboard with shame. She could not meet eye-to-eye with this man. It was just too much.

"Have some tea, everyone," spoke Sakura cheerfully. She placed the tray in the middle, on the table, and moved to sit on the chair next to Neji. "So, Hinata, what brings you here?"

Hinata's eyes lit up and smiled gayly. "Ah, yes, I almost forgot. I bring important news."

Sakura laughed," I see. What's happening?" She passed a tea cup to Hinata and Hinata took it with gratitude.

Hinata smiled," Ah, yes. Thank you, Sakura." Hinata placed the tea cup in her hand before drinking. It was best if she told her reason for coming before submitting herself to enjoy a cup of tea.

"Drink first," spoke Neji commandingly, speaking from behind his hand.

Hinata stopped abruptly. She looked up at Neji, confused at the commanding tone of his voice. It was just odd to Hinata that a sort-of stranger would be directing her so strongly. Hinata felt taken aback, even though he was a Hyuuga member.And more to her inferiority complex, a branch-house member, too.

"Ah...okay," spoke Hinata a bit hesitantly. She lifted up the cup to drink it and took a small sip. Hinata exhaled deeply, compelled to by the strong flavor of the tea. It was absolutely wonderful. The way it was brewed and the quality filled her senses to an amazing degree. And most remarkably was that it was just a sip. Hinata placed the cup on her lap, a look of simple awe on her face. "Wonderful."

Neji knew she would like it.

Sakura turned towards Neji and could see from her view that behind his hand that covered his mouth, he was trying not to laugh. Sakura's eyes bulged wide at such a change in character for Neji. This man...his ways...are so different when he's around Hinatashe thought amazingly. Sakura turned towards Hinata, trying not to seem so surprised. "Ah, Hinata, so what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh, of course," spoke Hinata assuredly and nodded. "I-"

"Do you like the tea?"

Hinata paused and looked at Neji, finding his eyes piercing into her own. Hinata couldn't help it as she felt her cheeks turn red. "A-ano...y-yes, very much." She then turned toward Sakura," A-as I w-was saying-"

"Do you drink tea often?" asked Neji once again. His piercing gaze never leaving Hinata.

Hinata felt herself cut off again in the coversation with Sakura and turned towards Neji again. "A-ano, I do. At the mainhouse, I g-grow a bunch, actually." Hinata tried to smile to make his gaze ease, but it seemed it had no effect. Hinata turned towards Sakura, in hopes that she would not be interrupted again.

"I'm leaving," spoke Neji and stood up. He bowed to Hinata and turned towards Sakura. What happened, shocked Hinata.

Neji tilted Sakura's chin up and kissed her on the lips. He then walked away, brushing past Hinata's lavender kimono. Hinata felt ashamed once again and her eyes quickly diverted to the ground. Neji couldn't help but smile a bit as he walked away, knowing how modest Hinata had always been.

Sakura seemed dazed after his kiss. It was short, but his lips were so soft on her own that she felt her body was going to melt. Sensing the kiss as his still-growing devotion to her, Sakura felt much more relieved than earlier. She sipped her tea more calmly now and went towards the answer she wanted to hear from Hinata. "So now that Neji is not here,"

"Oh, i-is that his name?" asked Hinata. She couldn't help but interrupt. Sakura nodded and smiled. "It's funny how w-we didn't introduce ourselves to each other."

"Oh, don't worry, Neji's not really a talkative person," answered Sakura. "So, you were saying?"

"Oh, yes," spoke Hinata. She sighed deeply and looked at Sakura with a smile," I-I'm pregnant."

Sakura's eyes widened. "What?! You are?"

Hinata nodded, her eyes looking down at her tea cup, the way the mist was piling up into the air and touching her cheeks. "E-ever since I w-woke up from my coma, I've b-been so disturbed about my past. N-now, I see a bright future with this child. E-even if I the c-child's father is gone from my memory, I-I'm glad that I have a part of him with me." Hinata couldn't help but smile more gayly than ever as she continued to look down. It was so embarrassing to let someone know. "I-I wanted to tell you first, since y-you were such a good friend to me a-after I woke up." She looked up at Sakura, tears brimming from her eyes and a weary smile on her face.

Sakura's joyous expression for her friend suddenly stopped. "W-wait. Y-you mean to t-tell me that the father is..."

Hinata nodded," T-the man in m-my past." Hinata gave a small laugh as she brought up a hand to wipe her eyes. Her tears were stained onto the lavender kimono. "Ever since a month ago after waking up, I-I never thought our love was so great that a child could come into this world. N-now I know, his love for me. E-even if he must never show himself, I-I'm glad that he loved me so much to put himself in so much loss as to leave me." Tears were now flowing from her eyes as she tried to wipe them away.

Sakura just watched. Her memories with Neji were so beautiful, but knowing now that the two Hyuugas had gone so far as to give their bodies to one another even when they knew of the consequences. It was too much for Sakura to believe at the moment. Her eyes stared at the lower stomach of Hinata. How had she not noticed? It was staring to take shape, little by little. And by the ninth month, Hinata would have a full-fledged belly. Sakura covered her mouth, tears coming down her eyes.

And Neji already knew all of this.

He slammed the cup on the table. There was music was in the bar and shinobis and civilians that came today were either talking, dancing, or getting drunk. Neji was one of those who were drunk. He sat alone on a booth with already three Saki bottles emptied. He was now on his fourth and had just popped it open. Neji poured his cup to the top lazily, and got ready to drink it.

To our child.

Neji smiled sluggishly and poured the drink in his mouth. His Hinata was pregnant. She was ACTUALLY pregnant with their child. Neji was not the type of person to stalk people, but ever since the one month he was without Hinata, he had found himself following her on slight occassions. How could he not stop thinking about Hinata and stop seeing her when all his thougths were about Hinata? So, when he saw her walk into the hospital and heard her talking with Tsunade-sama, it was confirmed.

Hinata was going to be a mother.

Neji finished his glass and slammed the cup on the table again. It was agony for him. Just seeing her today filled him with so much joy. He wanted to laugh out loud when he saw her sitting across from him. She changed into a mature woman and yet still kept aspects of herself that Neji loved so much about her.

I can't celebrate with her.

Neji chuckled as he poured more alcohol content into his cup. His heart was breaking more and more into pieces just watching Hinata be so happy. He wanted to be a part of her happiness more than anything in the world. Now, it was too late.

For Hinata to forget the past and the terrible event, Neji was not allowed to be close to Hinata anymore. Any relationship as close to what they had shared would ignite past events in Hinata's past that would trigger the unwanted memory of their past.

Neji poured his drink down his mouth. He had never gotten this drunk until after he lost Hinata. Now, he was going to go crazy more then ever. Soon, her belly would grow, and it would be more painful for Neji to see Hinata's face or form.

Neji laughed out loud now. My sweet, innocent Hinata has a child. He slammed the cup on the table once again and his face too. He wanted to perish. His right hand moved up and clasped the shirt of his left upper chest tightly. It was in so much pain that he wanted to rip it out and stomp on it until it bled and died.

"Hinata..."

Hinata slept soundly in her room. It was located within the mainhouse so that no intruders could enter. Once in Hinata's life did she remember her life almost kidnapped had her father not saved her. However, it was something of the past very vague in her memory. Hinata turned her body the other way, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She then felt comfortable once again and felt herself fall into deep slumber. Hinata rested calmly with a window opened to let in the small breeze of the night into her room. She could feel its breeze touch her cheeks and neck cooly.

As she slept tranquilly, her blanket was slowly eased down by a hand. Hinata was dressed in a beige yukata and a small part of her her shoulder was showing, being that the yukata had fallen loose at her left shoulder. The hand reached to touch her bare shoulder softly, brushing a thumb against it. It was smooth to his touch. He then went to feel her face, the coolness of it left by the breeze. He reached lower to her pale pink lips and ran his thumb over them. She slept with such calmness that it amazed him.

His body was on top of hers, each of his knees on the side of her body, holding him up. He lowered himself, her scent of flowers drawing him in. He lowered his face down at the her face and slowly lowered his lips onto her cheeks. He kissed her softly on her right cheek, then moved to her left cheek, down to her chin, than to her forehead. His hands were on each side of her head, not touching in strands of her hair that were sprawled to the sides.

"I love you," he whispered in her ears. He then lowered down towards her lower abdomen, moving the blanket over her away. He kissed her lower abdoment, his lips making contact with the fabric of the yukata. "I love you," he continued to whisper. He then covered Hinata with the blanket and left her alone.

Hinata still sleeping soundly, perhaps even more at ease.

Sakura lay awake as the sound of rain pattered on the window of her apartment building. It was morning, but the clouds were a somber grey and the rain should be pouring heavily all over Konoha now. Her white covers covered her bare body. Sakura's arms were by her side, on top of her covers. Next to her was Uzumaki Naruto, sleeping soundly with his back facing her. Sakura turned her face so that her emerald eyes could look at his muscled arms and strong, bandaged back. Sakura couldn't help but smile sadly.

Yesterday, the very same day Hinata told her she was pregnant, Naruto had also come home from a mission. The first person he had visited was Sakura.

"I still care for you," he whispered in her ears, with his arms around her. He had snuck up behind her while she was in the kitchen preparing dinner for the two of them. Their bodies were indeed close to each other. "Are you still going to choose Neji over me? You know his history with Hinata; we all do. Do you really think he'll choose you in the end?"

Sakura couldn't help the tears that suddenly came from her eyes. How come it wasn't Neji who came, but instead Naruto? What Naruto said was such a revelation of facts to her tormented mind. Sakura could not take it anymore. Immediately she turned around and clutched Naruto's green vest tightly. Naruto carried her up wtih his strong arms, and Sakura's legs wrapped around Naruto's hips as he led them both to her bedroom, kissing each other the whole time.

"If I can't have you," whispered Sakura bitterly.

She moved her body closer towards Naruto's back and eveloped her arms around his waist and pulled her close to him for comfort. She closed her eyes, the remaining tears falling down her cheeks. Suddenly she felt Naruto turn around, his snoring reaching her ears. Sakura imitated a giggle and poked him on his cheek. "Silly."

Naruto peeked open an eye, revealing cerulean orbs, and smiled at Sakura tiredly. "You're up." Sakura nodded, her pink hair sliding to her shoulders. She moved her head up and kissed him lightly, then slowly with more passion on the lips. Naruto responded with a groan and the two slowly felt a deep urging desire within them growing. His body swept over Sakura's and she pulled the white covers over the both of them.

I might as well hurt you, Neji.