A/N And like magic, it's done!!!! I finally got off my lazy ass and typed this damn thing!

This is your turkey and cannibalism day treat (thanksgiving) so enjoy another scrumptious chapter of Ice.

oh, and by the way, thankyou to salote and HyugaHinatafan820417 for being my first reveiws -gives bacon-

Disclaimer: I don't own naruto... but now that you've read this story, I do now own your souls!


Chapter Two

Striking Matches


Dinner that night was hell.

Hiashi stared at every person at the table pondering what was the matter. Hanabi was too noisy, Hinata was too quiet, and Neji...

Well Neji was being Neji, which meant he was most likely pissed, again.

Hiashi moaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

How the hell had he gotten himself into this?

"I think Neji needs a girlfriend. He's way to cranky. Plus, it would give him less time to throw things at helpless little girls such as myself..." Hanabi said, finishing off her plate. She then whispered, so soft that only Neji could hear, "...And a little more time to Bow-chicka-- OW!!!"

Neji had pinched her under the table before she could finish.

"What the heck was that for!!" the girl said, taking extreme cation to not swear around her father.

Hiashi pinched the bridge of his nose again. " I do believe that everyone is finished eating, so how about you two-" he pointed to Neji and Hanabi"- clear the plates and do the dishes."

Hanabi shook her head. "But tou-san," she wined. "You promised me you would help me practice tonight!! And if we clear the table and do the dishes there won't be enough time left!"

"Jeeze, okay fine. Neji, you and Hinata will be on table and dish duty tonight."

A panicked look crossed Hinata's features. Oh no...

Neji looked at him in disbelief. They had never been forced to clear the table, much less with someone he abhorred. "Don't we have people for that? I mean, that's really not our job."

Hiashi had stood up and was walking towards the door. "I didn't ask them to clear the table, I told you to. You will do as I say."

And on that note Hiashi exited the room.

Hanabi leaned against the wall. "Yeah, you wouldn't want to go against tou-san. But look on the bright side, this is time that can be used to build a strong bond between you two, nii-san."

Neji shot her a cold glare and Hanabi ran off cackling.

I should've known that little bitch was the main cause of this.

Neji pulled himself up and glared at Hinata, who refused to make eye contact, then started gathering dishes.

Getting the point, Hinata rose to her feet as well and strolled into the kitchen to begin her dishes.

She turned on the hot water and held her head right over the sink, letting the curls of steam rise into her face and hair. She held her hand under the water, finding it to beburning hot. She did not withdraw her hand, but instead put the other in the water, joining the first.

She relished the feeling of the almost-scalding water against her skin. The physical burn much more pleasurable than the emotional burns she received daily.

Everyday, something new. Everywhere she turned the walls of flames had always risen, keeping her trapped in a toxic, smoke-filled incinerator.

Everyday, she was set aflame, by her cousin, her sister, and even her own father.

Everyday they'd each take turns stoking the fire, until it was built so high that it finally burned out.

Then they'd gather their wood and their gasoline and prepare for the next day.

All they'd leave is a soot covered girl, broken inside.

A butterfly with charred wings, unable to fight or take flight, just sit there helplessly as her torturers would strike match after match

Neji came into the kitchen to see his cousin focusing with great intensity on her hands, now pink with heat. He slammed a couple of plates on the counter, effectively startling her and getting her attention. He smirked and went back to get more plates.

Hinata pulled her hands from under the water, but the minute she did she wished she hadn't. The lack of heat made her skin ache, as if it shriveled to get as close to her muscles as possible

It was freezing.

She began washing the few dishes, regaining mild pleasure whenever it was time for her to rinse with the hot water she loved so much.

Eventually Neji joined her in the kitchen. While she washed and rinsed the dishes, he dried and put up. Neji thought that the ridiculous chore was taking way longer than necessary, and he was right.

He looked over to see what was taking Hinata so long when he noticed that she was once again staring at her red hands underneath the burning water.

She was completely transfixed at the searing pain and the soaring pleasure running through her digits. A small smile played on her lips, almost masochistic.

Neji just watched as she adjusted her arms so the hot water ran directly on her wrists and trickled down through her fingers, tinged in a light crimson color.

You must always protect Lady Hinata...

Neji slapped her hands away from the water. She cringed as the cold caught her skin in its horrid embrace.

Her eyes flashed. "What are you doing!" she said before she recognized who she was talking to.

As realization and fear sunk in, her features instantly changed from irritated to defensive

If she could bring herself to look Neji in the eyes she would've saw all the things that usually resided there; hate, anger, confidence, pride. But if she were to look behind those things, she'd find the tiniest shred of sadness and worry.

But that was only if she looked into his eyes. Right now, she couldn't look at any part of him, much less his face.

Neji narrowed his eyes at the girl in front of him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

"I-I-I'm sorry!! I'm so sorry!!!" Hinata stammered, backing away from her cousin.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

The second Neji decided to make any move towards her, she was already turned around and out the door. He was about to run after her when a thought crossed his mind,

Why do you even care?

HesighedWhy does he care? He hated her, end of story. There should be no "caring" between the two of them.

So instead of chasing after his cousin, he returned to the dishes.

He rolled up his sleeves and plunged his hands into the dishwater and felt around for any remainders.

Okay, not so bad. There's only one, two, three, four, five, six, seven...

Neji paused. These dishes were awfully small. And there were a lot more than he thought. He picked up one of the "dishes" and examined it. It wasn't a dish at all.

It was a shard of glass from a broken plate.

The Hyuga genius cleared away some of the bubbles on top of the water that was obstructing his view of the under layer. The minute he did, he soon regretted it.

Oh, there was glass. Broken glass that he saw clearly. But the real problem wasn't the glass.

It was the water.

The water was Crimson.

Neji yanked his hands out of the water as fast as he could, effectively causing droplets to land on the white shirt he was wearing at the time. The drops of water left tiny pinkish splatter marks on his shirt.

Looking at his hands in disgust, Neji thrust them underneath the running water, which was still burning hot. He yelped and jerked his hands backward at the intense heat.

The boy turned off the faucet and emptied the sink ( A/N Yes, he put his hands back in the bloody water) of all of its contents; including the water.

After he finished with that chore, he pocketed a small piece of glass and he went upstairs to go to his room, passing Hinata's on the way. He passed it then backtracked and went in without knocking.

Hinata was kind of in the middle of changing into her sleep clothes when Neji walked in.(A/N Bwahaha! Punishment for not knocking Neji!!)

He was completely caught off guard by this, as was Hinata. The girl blushed furiously and rushed to cover herself up, diving under the blankets on her bed.

Neji was blushing himself. It was a sickly sight to see his cousin almost completely naked. It also didn't help that her clothes were strewn all over the floor; her lavender and white jacket, purple pants...bra.

Disgusting

Hinata avoided his gaze as she spoke in a barely audible voice, "Did you want something nii-"

she paused and took a deep breath. After that mornings events, she suspected that he didn't exactly enjoy being called "older brother."

"Neji?"

Neji wasn't exactly looking at her either. Instead, he focused on a spot on the wall above her head.

Unlike Neji's room, Hinata's was painted in a color other than white. The walls were the lightest shade of purple imaginable, which contrasted from her bed which was the darkest shade of purple. She had a few pictures hung up on her wall; two of butterflies, one in spring perched on a petal of blossoming orchids, and one in winter perched on an icicle as Snowflakes drifted bye idly.

Of course a butterfly in the middle of winter couldn't be possible because the butterfly would obviously shrivel and die.

Neji cleared his throat.

"Yeah, im curious to know what the hell is this?" He pulled out the shard of glass from his pocket.

Hinata opened her mouth but no sound came out. Taking a deep breath, she tried again.

"I d-don't know what that-"

"Don't give me that bullshit! Well , since you can't explain this-" he threw the glass on the bed directly in front of her. "- maybe you can explain to me how blood got in the sink, hmm? Or maybe why you were running scalding hot water over your hands."

Hinata focused on a tiny fiber on her bed trying to get out of the loop of the other threads.

"Look at me, Dammit!!" Neji almost yelled, angrily.

"One of the few times I talk to you and you can't even keep eye contact! What is your problem?!"

Neji went over to the bed and put one knee down on the mattress, trapping Hinata between himself and the wall behind her.

"Let me see your arms." Neji said, his voice shaking a little.

Hinata gasped and looked strait into his eyes.

"No."

The older Hyuga narrowed his eyes.

"I don't think that was a question, it was an order. Now let me see your goddamned arms!"

"Get out of my room, Neji."

Hinata didn't feel comfortable at all. If Neji did decide to do something, all she had to protect herself was the blanket that covered her, because in a fight of physical strength he would always win.

Neji reached a hand out.

"N-Neji, I'm serious, leave me alone!"

His hand came closer still, brushing the part of the blanket that was on her shoulder. After feeling the slight touch, Hinata kicked the knee that Neji was balancing on away, making him almost fall to regain his balance.

The boy stood up and got away from the bed.

"I hate you," he hissed. " I swear it on my life that I hate you. As a matter of fact, if we weren't cousins, I'd probably kill you."

She then lowered her gaze.

"No..."

She gripped the blanket tighter around her.

" I wish you'd just drop dead right now, that'd make my life so much easier!"

Hinata shrunk back against the wall.

"I am so damn sick and so damn tired of you burdening me all the time. Because that's what you are , Hinata, a burden, and a damn heavy one at that. That's all you are, a waste of existence."

Neji turned around and walked out of the room, being sure to slam the door.

Hinata tightened the blanket around her again.

It was cold, but it just got colder.


"Just one day. Just for one day I wish she would see how it feels to hate someone so much you want to gouge out their eyes. Or rip out their guts." Neji said pacing the floor in his room.

He plopped on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

I hate her so much. All I wanted to do is look at her freaking arms! But no! She had go and do that. She started this and she brought it upon herself. I hate her. I hate her. I hate her...

It was then that Neji plummeted into his silent dreams.


He opened his eyes. What the hell was he wearing? Lavender and white? Why the hell did he have on Hinata's clothes?

Ahead of them he saw two kids sitting in front of each other. The girl sat there quietly as the boy explained something, holding something in his hand.

This felt familiar.

Then the girl had started to cry. The boy stood over her smirking.

What just happened?

The small boy suddenly morphed into a teenaged boy.

Still smirking, he un-cupped his hands, revealing a bright blue butterfly.

He plucked off one of the wings and watched it flutter to the ground, laughing sadistically.

The girl started to cry harder.

Neji gasped. It felt like someone had trailed a sword down his back. He looked back to the guy to see his next move.

The boy tore off another wing.

Neji grunted as the feeling hit him again.

The small girl was now at the older boy's feet, begging him to stop. Two vertical lines of blood ran down each side of her back.

He kicked her away then crouched down in front of the girl. He held out his hand, as if offering the broken insect as a consolation prize. The girl reached for the poor tortured creature but right before she could take it,

he crushed the bug in his hand.

Neji doubled over in pain.

The girl screamed from the horrid feeling as she suddenly became soaked in blood.

"Why do you always have to do this to me, nii-san..."


Neji shot up in his bed and wiped sweat from his forehead. Looking out of his window, despite the curtains that hung over it, he cold see that it was morning already.

What kind of dream was that? Or maybe it was supposed to be a nightmare.

He thought as he got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash his face.

Neji splashed his face with the cool crisp water. He then dried his face and proceeded to look into the mirror.

"Wait a damn minute...something's wrong here."

Neji suddenly gasped.

The curse seal was gone!

A/N - okay...sooo...how'd you like it? It was good, un? okay, fair warning: im seriously gonna screw up the plot next chapter, so get your knives ready!FUNFACT ABOUT ME: I used to play in scalding hot water when i was little... if anyone cares...

Anyway, REVIEW, DAMMIT!!!