And from that fateful day,

When you told me what you wanted to say,

I replied that I was yours alone,

And your eyes simply shone.


Everywhere they went, eyes followed.

Everywhere they go, she sees them.

Eyes with disgust.

Eyes with distaste.

Eyes with envy, even eyes with amusement.

Everywhere they go, everywhere she looks, she sees how they look at her.

How they look at him.

How they look at them.

Sometimes, Hinata wonders if this was the correct choice. She's happy, he's happy, they're happy...but no one else is happy. No one else understands, no one else cares enough to understand, even in glorious times such as the festival today. As they walk, Hinata's face burns from the words she hears.

"That's gross, they're cousins-"

"Isn't that incest-"

"How disgusting-"

She doesn't bother looking up and seeing their eyes with the cruel emotions, she doesn't bother paying attention, but she does bother because in the end, it all ties with Neji.

Neji.

Neji, who had despised her along with the Main family. Neji, who had tried to kill her in the Chuunin Exams. Neji, who had always put her down with his words. But, he was Neji, who she understood. It was Neji, who had allowed her to open her eyes to society, and he had understood her as she understood him. Through harsh times, and days where the clan was on its' toes, she had fallen in love with him.

But, Hinata just didn't know what to do when people rejected them. To her, it was unfair. She just didn't understand...

As if sensing her distress, Neji's hand suddenly reaches for hers-and in that moment, she could care less for the eyes of the pedestrians. Hinata reaches for Neji's hand, and simply grips it tight.

Neji is no fool, of course. He sees the eyes too. He sees how Hinata buckles under the unneeded attention, sees how guilty she feels for bringing it on them.

Neji could care less what others thought. He knows that deep down, he is to blame. He knows that deep down, no matter what people say, they're all just withering in disbelief of the sight of true happiness before them.

Hinata is afraid, and Neji knows. She's buckling under the pressure again. And because Neji was never a man of many words, he simply reaches for her hand.

Her eyes flicker to the crowds as their fingers tangle, but Neji blocks her field of vision. With eyes full of love and a small upward tug of his lips, Neji pulls her close and places a kiss upon her forehead.

"Don't look for their eyes," he says. "Only look at mine."