Title: Things that could have happened had Hizashi been the older son
Author: Runespoor
Rating: T
Summary: series of unrelated drabbles/ficlets. See title.

3.

One moment she was dashing at him again and the next she was sprawled out on the ground – Neji's hand had shot instinctively, striking a harsh blow on her heart in automatic defense.

"Hinata," he called again, regaining his breath.

(He hadn't planned or thought he'd have to make any effort before the actual third test even began, and he hadn't, but Hinata had taken him by surprise; he hadn't expected her to be that violent, and trying to disable her without hurting her too much had been taxing, an exercise in control and precision harder than any he'd completed in training, mostly because Hinata didn't seem to give any thought to her well-being, just charging with everything she had. She'd landed a blow early in their fight – Neji had still been focusing on trying to reason her – and now Neji's right arm was limply dangling at his side.)

She didn't move.

"Hinata," he repeated, only now becoming aware of the utter silence in the arena. The exhausted-looking judge moved to kneel by Hinata's side, and took her wrist in his hand. "Hinata!"

Hinata's wrist limply fell. The examiner – Hayate – looked pained, and sighed. "I hereby declare Hyuuga Neji the winner. Please," he added, "take her away."

People rushed to Hinata's side, Neji saw her attractive jounin-sensei appearing in the arena, Hinata's teammate jumping down the balcony, concealed by his glasses, Naruto grabbing her shoulders and shaking and shouting and crying, and the pink-haired girl gently stopped him and she was crying too, and Yamanaka Ino and Nara Shikamaru and their teammate kneeling next to her and there were so many people surrounding her and Neji couldn't move, couldn't, couldn't, couldn't.

Suddenly Gai-sensei was by his side. Neji blindly looked up towards him, and opened his mouth to speak, but no word came out. He had to try several times before his voice worked again.

"I – I didn't mean to," were the first words he said.

S-she was coming and coming at me again and again and again and I didn't want to hurt her and I told her to stop and she never stopped and I didn't think and I thought she was just being unreasonable and I didn't forfeit because I wanted to win and I thought I deserved to win and it was like she was mad and I never thought about her at all and now it's too late and I didn't mean to.

Neji had never been inadequate in his whole life, but now he clung to the words as if they could convey everything he didn't know how to put.