Wow, so many reviews (bows low to reviewers.) thank you so much, everyone! (If your name is in bold, that means your review was anonymous).
Kichou- I'm glad you liked it- lol it was fun to write. Thank you!
Kakashisgurl- hehe sorry about the wait. Thanks for your opinion! Their relationship is going to take a bit more time to develop, so I hope this chapter isn't disappointing!
Juliagulia1017- (snickers) ok lol I'll make sure Sasuke sees ur review ;-p. yup its gonna be a bit awkward between them in this and the next (but mostly the next) chapter! I hope you like it!
CommandoDude- (grins) I'm glad you thought it was funny! The secret life of uchiha sasuke is veeery mysterious! Hehehehe. Thank you for your opinion!
Mellyd- thank you so much! lol yea that's true – hyuugas can be pretty dense sometime XD (but we love that about them!) hehe poor neji!
Saskie- e-eh? Really? Thank you so much for pointing that out- I'll definitely try to keep the author's notes shorter in the future! Hehe I'm sorry about any OOCness in Neji, I try to keep him in character, but in some situations it's hard. Sorry! Thank you so much for telling me!
Danyu- thank you so much! I'm so glad that you like it! Thanks for your opinion!
Nobody- thank you so much! Why would I hit you? Thank you for telling me I need more detail- I'll watch out for that! Thank you again!
Picup –hmmm, bringing in Itachi, there's an idea…(evil laugh). thank you so much!
AnimeSiren- thank you, I'm glad you like it!
EbonyS2 – Lol, thank you so much for your opinion! I'm so glad you like it!
Putredinis- LOL, I'm really sorry for the wait on the update! Thank you so much for your suggestion- it helped a lot!
Thanks to everyone who answered my question last chapter- I really appreciate it! Now, on to the story!
A Caged Bird's Love: Chapter 6
Hinata sat still, staring out into the darkness where Neji had disappeared. She brushed a finger over her lips. My first kiss……
She drew her knees to her chest, circling them with her arms. What had just happened? Why had Neji…..done that? She blushed lightly, still remembering the feel, however light, of his lips on hers. Her blush deepened. What did it mean? Did he….have feelings for her? She buried her face in her hands at the thought.
Hinata had long gotten over her childhood infatuation with Naruto. It wasn't anything he had said or done. She had one day discovered that she was comfortable around him, and no longer felt that way about him. A relationship would have been hopeless anyway. He had never thought of her that way.
But recently, Hinata's blushes and stutters were being saved for one person. A person, that, if you had asked her about two years ago, she would've laughed and denied having feelings for him. And that person was Neji.
Hinata had never imagined herself falling in love with her cousin. But she began to find herself wanting to spend more time with him, talking when they met on the compound, or silently spying on him as he trained. She would make him lunch, or bring him tea afterwards, and sometimes he would reward her with a rare smile that she came to treasure. He never smiled like that for anyone else.
Hinata gasped. That was right – she had never seen him smile except for her. And that look in his eye that he got when he stared at her, when he thought that she wasn't watching……Did he feel the same way about her as she felt about him? She gazed at the chakra fire, opaque eyes reflecting the misty blue glow.
Knowing Neji, he'll never come out and say anything. But I don't want to say anything either! Hinata sighed. Maybe it was just a mistake……
She leaned her head back on the rock wall behind her. Rain continued to pour down outside as her eyelids began to droop, sleep claiming her for itself.
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Neji came back to the cave after wandering around for nearly two hours. He was thoroughly soaked and cold. He was surprised to find Hinata curled in a ball, sleeping on the bare ground.
He sighed. If she stayed like that, she would catch a cold. Neji walked over and knelt to pull her sleeping roll out of her small pack. He spread it near the fire, so she wouldn't get cold. Now came the hard part. Getting Hinata in it. (A/N In the following, the italics and '…..' represent the different sides of Neji's mind.)
You know, you could just wake her up.
'NO! That would disturb her!'
Yeah, for about a minute. Then she would go right back to sleep.
"No, she wouldn't. She would probably stay up until I go to sleep. Anyway, I don't want to know.'
Know what?
'If she hates me. If she's disgusted by me.'
You're going to have to face her tomorrow anyway.
'Yes, but that's tomorrow. I'll worry about that when I have to.'
Procrastinator.
'You wish.'
Neji sighed and shook his head to clear the thoughts. Yeah……tomorrow……He inwardly groaned.
He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have let his goddamn hormones take over. She would probably be too embarrassed to even look at him now. And just when I thought we had gotten over the whole me-falling-on-her-by-accident issue. Damn.
Well, on a brighter note, she didn't push you away, when you kissed her.
Neji mused over that. True, but that could have nothing to do with it. Maybe she was in shock. He sighed again. He never knew that tomorrow could look so scary. I'm not afraid to face five S-rank missing-nin, but I'm petrified over what one girl thinks of me. My priorities are so messed up.
He knelt and put his arms under Hinata's legs and behind her back. Thankfully, she didn't stir as he lifted her up, bridal-style. Neji was amazed. He thought his pounding heart would be loud enough to waken any shinobi in a fifty-mile radius.
Hinata shifted a little in his arms as he began to walk to her sleeping roll. She turned her face towards him, burying into his chest. One of her hands moved to grab his shirt. Neji blushed lightly but couldn't resist a small smile. She's so pretty when she's sleeping…
He lowered her to the ground, taking care not to jolt her. As he went to get up, her hand on his shirt tightened and he found himself unable to move. Neji swallowed nervously. Oh god……
Hinata sighed in her sleep and didn't relinquish her hold on his shirt. Neji got to his knees. How the hell am I supposed to get out of this one?
"Neji…."
He looked up, startled. Hinata had shifted closer, and was mumbling softly.
"Neji…….don't leave me……" Her arm moved, jerking his head down towards hers. Her warm breath ghosted over his cheek and Neji's eyes widened, his heart pumping faster than ever. Oh god, what am I supposed to do?
He cautiously tried to tug her hand away, but Tsunade had trained the Hyuuga heiress well. Her super-strength was making it impossible for Neji to separate hand from cloth.
Damn…He inwardly groaned, racking his brain for possible escape plans. Nothing stood out. He was either going to have to wake her up or spend the night next to her. While he was much more willing to do the latter, it seemed dishonorable, almost. Infringing someone's private space was not Neji's favorite thing to do. But compared to seeing her sickened, frightened face, he was willing to take the chance.
It's not like she's going to notice anyway, since you are going to wake up before her…Neji tried to reassure himself. Might as well make the best of this. He smiled bitterly. This was probably the last time she was going to allow him to touch her, even unconsciously, not after what he did that night.
He moved to lie down, parallel to Hinata, wrapping his arms around her waist. She unconsciously snuggled closer, once again burying her face in his chest. Neji put his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes. Their bodies fit perfectly together, and Neji found sleep coming faster than he thought………
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Warmth……Hinata burrowed nearer to the source of heat. It smells nice……She inhaled deeply. The scent of the forest reached her nose, of rain and fertile soil and nature.
I must be outside…with Kiba and Shino, we must be on a mission, and they haven't gotten up yet. She smiled, her face pressed into the cloth of her sleeping roll.
Arms tightened around her waist and Hinata creaked open an eye. An arm…wait, sleeping rolls don't have arms! Both eyes sprung open, blinking sleep away. Hinata found herself face to face with Neji's chest.
Her cheeks immediately colored. W-what is Neji doing in my bed? She glanced up into his face, and was surprised to find her cousin still asleep. That's odd; usually he's up before me.
She was lying flush against him, with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Their legs were tangled together, and her arms were caught between the two of them. Hinata gulped. W-what a c-co-compromising situation……
Her blush deepened. As embarrassing as it was, she had to admit it was quite comfortable, lying clutched tight to his chest. She had never been held like that before….
Neji's deep, even breathing tickled her nose and she looked up. That's right, I've never really seen Neji sleeping before…She nearly gasped as her eyes registered the young man's face.
Neji's face, using lined with worry or anger, was smooth, jaw muscles relaxed and eyes closed, rimmed by long eyelashes. He looked so much younger, so much more at peace. Hinata had never seen his like this. The Hyuuga prodigy looked almost…..vulnerable. He had never looked more handsome.
Hinata shyly pried an arm from between the two of them and reached up slowly, gently caressing his cheek with her fingers. He unconsciously turned into her touch, nuzzling her palm. Hinata smiled softly.
She quickly withdrew her hand as Neji began to stir, eyes cracking open, bleary with sleep. He blinked, still not entirely aware of his surroundings.
Mnnn……is it morning already? He shifted slightly, opaque pupils dilating as sunlight streamed in. Rain must've stopped. How long have I slept?
He yawned widely and a stifled giggle came from somewhere close-by. Extremely close by. Oh god……He glanced down.
And locked eyes once again with identical pale irises. His mind temporarily went blank as his heart started to pound. Oh……my……god……
Hinata smiled uncertainly. "A-ano….O-ohayo, Ne-neji-nii-san." She couldn't help the small giggle that had erupted from her lips at the sight of Neji yawning. It was not every day a person got to see that.
Neji felt himself blushing at their position. God, they were locked body to body! He tried to fight down the color that was threatening to overwhelm his pale features. Just how deeply was I sleeping?
He willed his hands to unclasp around Hinata's waist, and to his great surprise, they complied. Hinata untangled her legs from his and sat up. "A-ano…." She whispered, looking up into his eyes. But Neji had already turned away.
"I'm very sorry, Hinata-sama. I forgot myself. It won't happen again." He strode to the cave's entrance. I'm such a coward, I'm running away…A shinobi is supposed to be able to take anything, even emotional beatings, yet I'm running away…
I'm weak.
Author's Note:
I'm really really really sorry for the wait on the update, guys. I have nothing to blame it on except my own laziness. Please forgive me. I also apologize for this A) short chapter and B) this probably extremely boring chapter. And lastly, I'm sorry if any of the characters (mainly Neji) seem OOC. I do try to keep them in character, but sometimes it's hard. Gomen nasai.
Kakashi: You like apologizing, don't you?
Me: HOLY FRICK WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!
Kakashi: Um, I've been here for, like, five minutes.
Me: (hyperventilating) you…surprised…..me…..baka.
Kakashi: Hey, hey, don't blame me that you can't sense what's going on around you.
Me: hmph. Why are you here?
Kakashi: (sighs melodramatically) Well, you see, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke have gone and left! For California! Without me!
Me: That sucks. I was wondering why Sasuke just up and left last week. But why are you here?
Kakashi: Because I'm bored. And I have no where else to go. And since I lent all my Icha Icha to Sasuke, I have nothing to amuse me.
Me: (Chucks stack of CDs storing anime at him) If you're looking for that kind of amusement, you disgusting deprived pervert, go away. NOW.
Kakashi: Haha, very funny. But no, right now I'm just plain bored. And I don't feel like going home to listen to Gai ramble on about how he will defeat me.
Me: Yea, I see your point. Anyway, everyone, please review, and tell me what you think! Thank you!