Sorry it took so long for me to upload this. But here it is! Chapter two. Enjoy.

Chapter Two

I am unable to move as she stares at me with widened lavender eyes. She looks scared, yet calm, surprised and beautiful at the same time. As I soak in her features I realize I am still holding her hand to my lips. Without a second thought, I drop her hand and jump off of her bed. Hinata is staring at me with shock, looking near tears. I stumble backwards, hitting the door with my back.

"Hi-Hinata-sama, you're awake. I–I'll just g-go get Hanabi-s-sama and tell her you're fine." I stammer, sounding as bad as she usually does around Naruto. I grab the doorknob, try to open it, realize I'm turning it the wrong way, turn it the right way, open the door, and run down the wall.

I bang on the door hurriedly and yell frantically, "Hinata's awake you can go see her if you'd like!" My words are slurred, and I hope Hanabi cannot tell what I just said and thinks I'm crazy, so that Hinata does not tell her what she just witnessed.

I run to my own room, slamming the door. I didn't notice before, but my eyes are stinging. I rub them, but more tears just start coming. Why am I crying? I feel like such a child, yet I don't know what to do. I slide down the door of my tiny room and allow the tears to flow. It's just not worth it anymore.

Hinata's POV

Truly, I have no idea what just happened. I awoke from a throbbing pain in my side and Neji is holding my hand. Maybe he thought I was more injured than I am and was just worried I wouldn't wake up? But then why did he run away so quickly — he stuttered as badly as I do around Naruto-kun. I hear a door slam and begin to worry about my cousin. I want to know what's wrong with him.

I don't have time to ponder this as Hanabi walks in. She has a hair-brush in one hand, and a tube of medical creme in the other. I arch an eyebrow in her direction, wondering what she means to do. Without a word, my younger sister sits herself next to me and begins running the brush through my long hair, pulling it away from my body to put the creme on my wounds.

I try not to wince, and fail. It really doesn't hurt, it just stings, but I still have never liked the way Hanabi treats me. She loves pulling the brush through my hair, no matter how knotty it is, to get it combed. My wounds are in no pain as she brushes my hair with one hand and dabs medical creme on the cuts and scrapes I have.

"Hanabi-chan, did Neji say anything to you?" I murmur quietly, wondering if they had somehow had a secret talk and Hanabi was upset about something.

"No. He just told me you were awake and ran to his room." Hanabi shrugs. She sounds casual enough as she yanks the brush through my hair again. I try to keep my back straight, but it's difficult. At least I know she's not mad. When Hanabi's made, she's a good fighter, and often Hiashi will have us fight. I think I've only won 3 times.

"Why, was there something he should've told me?" she asked, sounding curious, yet like she still didn't care. Hanabi is the only person I know who can pull off being curious and being able to not really give a damn at the same time. I can feel her fingers running through my hair and smile to myself. This is one of those rare 'sisterly moments' we have every now and then, where we talk about our feelings and what's wrong. I don't talk to many people about these kinds of things. My

uncle doesn't know of my feelings for Naruto — Hanabi and Neji do. And everyone else I know — besides Naruto and the rest of my family.

"I—I'm not sure." I stammer a bit, trying to sound calm and failing horribly. Sometimes Hanabi is dense — she doesn't notice at all. I hold in a sigh so that she doesn't get too suspicious and allow her to play with my hair for a bit.

My younger sister easily gets tired and stands, walking out of the room without even saying good-bye. I watch her sadly — I love these times when we get to talk, for some reason, I know I'm getting to know her better. Then I hear her hollering downstairs and sigh. She's calling for my father.

"FATHER! HINATA'S AWAKE IF YOU WANNA TALK TO HER!" she calls down and I hear my father snap angrily and his feet pounding on the stairs. My heart skips a beat and I remember that I had passed out — I look down at myself and realize I'm bruised and bloody. I try not to blush, feeling stupid, knowing my father is about to interrogate me to no end. I breathe in, and out, trying to keep calm. This won't be too difficult, I try and tell myself. It'll be okay.

"NEJI!" hollers my father and I blink. I sit up more straight, legs hanging off of my bed, holding my head high, preparing for my father, cousin, and sister to come back into my room. I'm glad my hair is no longer a mess. Father often makes a big deal on appearance.

I can't make out exactly what they're saying, but I think I hear Neji and my father arguing. My father says something threateningly, and I worry, but I can tell Neji gave up — there's no more arguing going down the hallway. In a few seconds, my three family members enter the room.

"Hinata, Neji tells me that you were training with him when you got all these bruises. Is this the truth?" my father asks. I don't dare glance at Neji, knowing it'll make us look suspicious. I nod curtly, doing my best to be a professional, trying to look through his motives.

"Why did you decide to train with him?" my father asks. I frown — this is a complicated question. I could chose the real answer - He said Naruto would notice me - but I have the feeling that might mess up Neji's plan. I trust Neji, and hope he didn't tell my father of my infatuation with the loud Naruto.

"Because he offered, and I feel that I need to become stronger." I recite slowly, yet not so slowly so I sounded stupid, or like I was reading it off of a paper. I try to sound perfect, reassuring so my father would not hurt Neji-kun. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he got hurt because of me.

He believes me. How lucky. It's not perfectly true, of course. He kind of forced me to do it, and there is a bigger reason behind his offer, I'm sure. And I have a reason besides wanting to become stronger to train. I want Naruto to notice me. Deep down, he's all I'm ever thinking about when I train with Neji. Then I realize tears and stinging my eyes and my father has started speaking again.

"...when...Hinata? Why are you crying? What's wrong?" My father says this, sounding angry and worried at the same time. I look up at him and blink the tears away, before mumbling a pathetic excuse about there being some in my eye. I can tell that he knows I am not being truthful, but he doesn't continue to badger me about it.

"Fine. Well, whatever this training is really for—" My father's voice isn't threatening, but I can tell he's serious, and he knows that Neji and I are not telling the full truth, "Keep it up. I want to see Hinata get stronger, Neji, and you're perfect for training her."

The last part shocks me, and I can tell it shocks Neji when his lavender eyes widen and he begins stammering. "Th—Thank you. Of course, I'll take good care of Hinata-sama." I frown. He sounds as if my father just allowed him to marry me. Hearing that, I blush to myself. Why I'm blushing, I don't know.

Chapter Two - End
Hope you enjoyed. This is a long chapter. I like it. It's pretty. xD Pretty.