Please see first chapter for disclaimer, etc.
Prompt: Regret
Special Thanks: goes out to Ariasujm-chan, DarkAnonymous324, rao hyuga 18, naash, SnowCharms, Kari-Kateora, and noss5 for all your kind reviews! And an additional special thanks goes out to Mama Jo for the idea and the fabulous beta job!
Author's Note: This is the last angsty piece before the end of this story, now only two chapters away. (Sad!) I'm really excited about this one, though, and I think it's in my top five favorite ones that I've written for this collection. I hope you all enjoy it, too, and thanks again for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting my story!
*~Regret~*
"She has no clan nor kekkei genkai, but she has done well in her chosen career as a kunoichi." "Time and again she has proven herself an able ninja, and there are even rumors circulating that ANBU is looking to draw her into their ranks." "I believe Tenten is a suitable wife for young Neji."
The elders' words pounded through his head in time with his racing heart, with his ever-quickening footsteps as he bounded from branch to branch. He soon outpaced even the Green Beasts, something of which few could brag.
"We have gathered here tonight to announce the official engagement of Hyuuga Neji and Tenten..."
Neji ignored the pain in his sides and legs, continuing to push himself. Through a break in the trees, he saw the gates of the village. Triumph flashed through him. Almost there ... just hold on a little longer...
"It is rare that I have seen you truly happy since your father's death, Neji. I am ... glad that this woman gives you such joy. You have done well, nephew, in more than just your life as a shinobi. I know Hizashi would be proud of you."
The startled faces of Kotetsu and Izumo appeared as Neji approached; their shouts followed him as he didn't even break stride coming through the gate. Just before he got out of hearing range, he heard Maito Gai and Rock Lee explaining the situation to the guards, allowing him to continue racing toward the hospital with his precious charge.
"I knew you and T-Tenten would be t-together someday, N-Neji. I have seen no one else who m-makes you smile the way she d-does. And she is the only one who c-can m-make you t-truly laugh."
Everyone in the entryway of the hospital turned in surprise when Neji burst through the entrance. Even without using his Byakugan, one fast survey showed that the two people he sought were not among them. "Lady Tsunade! Sakura!" People flinched backward at his bellow, but no one dared tell him not to shout.
"Of course I'll marry you. Did you honestly think I'd say no? Tch, and they call you a genius!"
A head topped with pink hair popped around the corner. "What in the...!" Haruno Sakura gaped openly when she saw him, her mint-green eyes drifting to the figure Neji clutched tightly, protectively, to his chest. "Is that...?"
"You are my world, Tenten. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."
Neji stared down at his hands, still covered in dried blood. Distantly, he realized they were shaking so hard that even curling them into fists didn't still them. Other patches of dull crimson splashed across the front and sleeves of his shirt, the fabric across his back stiff and heavy, even sticking to his skin in some places. Additional spots of stickiness peppered his hair and face.
Stupid! He honestly didn't know if that venomous thought was directed at himself or the woman on the other side of the emergency surgery room doors. He felt the weight of his teammates' gazes on him, but he refused look up. Shame kept him from meeting their eyes, because he knew if he did he would see the blame that he felt inside him mirrored on their faces.
There was a reason why members of the Hyuuga clan never shared the location of their blind spot with anyone. Neji had broken that rule and shared it with Tenten, and now...
Why, why did you take the blade meant for me? You stubborn woman, you should have let it hit me, like it was meant to do...
On the bench across from his, Lee took a deep breath, as if to speak, but let it out in a long sigh and remained silent. Neji silently thanked him, unsure if he could handle the younger man's attempt at reassurance at the moment.
"N-Neji?"
His head jerked up, surprised to hear his couisn's voice. He'd been so focused on his thoughts and self-recrimination that he hadn't heard Hinata approach. "Lady Hinata."
Her pale eyes shifted from him, to Gai and Lee, to the emergency room doors. "T-T-Tenten...?" she asked hesitantly.
Feeling tired and far older than his years, Neji nodded. "It's all my fault."
"Oh, N-N-Neji..." Hinata reached out to rest her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged her off. She silently accepted his rebuff, instead sitting down next to him with her hands folded in her lap.
For a long time they all sat in tense silence, waiting for the light over the emergency room to go out and Tsunade or Sakura to come out to tell them what was going on. That Tenten was okay ... or at least going to be okay.
Despite their watchful, hopeful gazes, many hours passed before Sakura finally exited. She looked exhausted, and though it was obvious she'd scrubbed her hands and arms, a little dried blood still clung to her skin. Her gaze skipped from person to person before finally settling on Neji. "She's alive," she announced in a flat, worn-down voice. Neji felt a little of the anxiety and guilt inside him ease as he let out the breath he'd been holding. "However, there are some ... complications."
Worry streaked through him, hot and painful. Unconsciously, he rose to his feet, taking a step toward the doors. Sakura's hand shot out to press against his chest, urging him to stay back. He glared down at her, but she met his gaze squarely. "She's unconscious right now. We need to get her settled into a room before you can see her."
"S-Sakura ... what are the complications of which you spoke?" Lee asked hesitantly.
The tiredness returned to the medic's face, replacing the stern expression with which she'd faced down Neji. "I'm afraid that I'm not at liberty to discuss that right now," she said softly. "I need to speak with Tenten first, and it will be a while before she regains consciousness."
Neji caught the glance she offered him out of the corner of her eye, and realized that she was telling him that he needed to be present, too, since he was really the only family she had. He nodded ever-so-slightly to indicate that he understood.
Clearing her throat, Sakura turned back toward the emergency room. "While Lady Tsunade and I get Tenten settled in her room, you, Neji, Lee, and Gai-sensei, need to go have your own wounds taken care of. I'll let you know when you can see her."
Hinata rested her hand on Neji's arm as Sakura vanished back into surgery. "I will s-stay here, then a-accompany them t-to her room," she said softly. "You will do T-Tenten no good injured."
Reluctantly, Neji agreed. Fortunately, the hospital wasn't too busy, which meant it didn't take long for nurses to get to him. The shallow cuts on his arms from one of the enemy's wind jutsu catching him off guard were cleansed and wrapped, after an initial examination for broken bones, internal injuries, and concussion. He knew it to be the standard procedure every shinobi went through after a mission, so he tried not to seem too impatient throughout the process.
When he made it back to the reception area of the hospital, he found Lee waiting for him. "Hinata sent me to wait for you," he said. "Come. I will lead you to Tenten's room."
Neji followed silently, taking note of the route and room number so he could easily find his way back later. By the time he and Lee arrived, Sakura had exited the room and was speaking to Hinata and Gai in a low tone of voice.
When she noticed the other two members of Team Gai, she nodded. "Good, you're here. As I was telling Hinata and Gai-sensei, I can only allow one of you in at a time, and only for a few minutes. Tenten's been through a lot, and she needs rest."
Everyone looked right at Neji. Though he longed to see Tenten, to reassure himself that she was still alive (and relatively all right), he took a step back. "I will go last," he said quietly but decisively.
Three pairs of sympathetic eyes stared back at him. They all understood that he wanted to wait so he could spend the most time with her. As Lee slid past him into the room first, Sakura tilted her head in a silent request for Neji to follow her down the hall a bit so they could speak privately.
"Neji, you're the closest thing Tenten has to family, especially now you're getting married. While that still doesn't allow me to divulge the extent of her condition to you, at least until I receive her permission, I can tell you that..." She trailed off, lifting a visibly shaking hand to pinch the bridge of her nose tiredly. "When she wakes up, she's going to need you, Neji. She's going to need you more than she ever has before." Dropping her hand, she looked up at him again. "I can only speak for myself, about how I would react in her situation, but ... she might try to push you away. Don't let her. Be there for her the way I know she'd be there for you."
Part of him wanted to take offense at her words, but the look in her eyes made him fight back the impulse. "I will always be there for her," Neji replied, his words heavy with promise.
A wan smile tugged at Sakura's pale lips. Her next words confirmed his suspicion that she had indeed noticed his reaction, however quickly stifled. "Thank you, Neji. I just needed to hear it from you before ... well, before." She glanced toward Tenten's hospital room as Lee exited and Gai slipped inside.
Neji's hands flexed at his sides. "Once I go into that hospital room, you'll have the fight of your life trying to get me out." Sakura had been as honest as she could with him, so he felt it only fair to be equally honest with her.
This time Sakura managed a weak chuckle. "I kind of figured," she said. "I had the nurses bring in a cot for you. I suggest getting some sleep before Tenten wakes up." She held his gaze for a moment, then looked away. "She's out of danger, so I'm going to go home for a few hours. I'll be back first thing in the morning. Then we can ... discuss what needs to be said."
After their look-ins Gai, Lee, and Hinata gave him encouraging looks as they excused themselves. His cousin murmured that she would tell her father what was going on before she left, and Neji smiled gratefully after her. He didn't have the strength or energy left to try to explain things to Hiashi.
Once Neji was inside Tenten's hospital room, the door closed behind him, he found his resolve wavering. He couldn't seem to drag his eyes from the floor to the bed, afraid of what he'd find. Clenching his hands into fists for yet another innumerable time that day, he gritted his teeth and finally looked.
Tenten didn't look as bad as he expected. The agonized expression on her face from earlier had eased. Her hair fanned out, a dark chocolate river against her white hospital-issue pajamas, sheets, and pillowcase. Other than the lump of bandages under the sheets, marking her wound's location, and the fact that her ordeal had left her several shades paler than normal, she looked like she was merely asleep.
Neji ignored the cot and sank down into the chair next to Tenten's bed. It was going to be a long night.
A soft moan of pain woke Neji from a sleep he hadn't realized he'd fallen into. "Tenten!"
She gazed at him through slitted eyelids, her brown eyes slightly glazed. "Wha-?" Her tongue darted out to lick her chapped lips. "What happened?" she asked, voice hoarse.
Neji reached out to smooth a few strands of hair away from her face, at the same time taking her other hand in his. "You're in the hospital," he said softly. "Lady Tsunade and Sakura healed you."
Tenten's free hand slid to her bandages, face contorting in a wince of pain at even that little pressure. "Ouch," she whispered. Her fingers tightened around his as her gaze lazily drifted back to his face. "You carried me back home," she whispered. "You saved my life..." Her voice started to fade as her eyelids drooped.
Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead. "Go back to sleep," he whispered. "I'll still be here when you wake up again."
"Hmm..." She smiled at him even as she drifted back into unconsciousness.
Letting out his breath, Neji leaned back in his chair again, though he didn't let go of Tenten's hand. Now she'd woken, if only for a minute, he felt better. Now he could be confident that she was going to be all right.
And yet... The look on Sakura's face, and her words, lingered at the back of his mind. The pink-haired medic's sadness and worry were enough to make Neji feel unsettled and apprehensive. A glance at the window showed it was still dark outside, though a hint of light showed along the horizon. Dawn was not too far away. Sakura would come, and then he would finally find out their cause. And once he knew, he had no doubt at all he would be able to take care of - whatever they were.
Sakura arrived a little after sunrise, seeming a lot more at ease as she checked on Tenten. "It shouldn't be much longer before she wakes again," she told him reassuringly. "It's a good sign that she woke up during the night."
Despite Sakura's words, it wasn't until almost noon that Tenten's eyes opened again. Though pain still pinched her features slightly, her eyes were clearer than they'd been the last time. She smiled at him, hand tightening around his. "You're all right," she breathed.
Neji fought the urge to scowl. "You shouldn't have done that," he admonished lightly. "But after all ... that, I'm just glad you're all right." Unable to look her in the face, he rested his forehead against their joined hands.
The door opening interrupted whatever Tenten was about to say in response. Sakura hesitated when she saw them, but seemed to determine that the purpose of her visit was more important than letting them have some time alone. "I'm glad to see you're awake," she said to Tenten. "Are you in pain now?"
The brunette kunoichi rolled her head on her pillow slightly to see her friend better. "I hurt a little," she admitted, fingers brushing her bandages again. "But it's not bad enough to take anything for. When can I get out of here?"
Sakura hesitated, glancing at Neji before turning back to Tenten. "Do you feel like talking for a minute, alone?" she asked hesitantly.
Tenten's hand tightened around Neji's again. "He can stay," she said.
Expression tightening slightly, Sakura shook her head. "I'm sorry, Tenten. But ... I need to tell this to you, and you only, first."
Neji locked his jaw against the urge to argue. He knew Sakura well enough to trust that she'd meant what she'd told him earlier. He also knew she wouldn't budge the slightest bit from the ethical code of a mednin even if he did argue. "I'll be right outside," he said reassuringly to Tenten. He kissed her hand, then reluctantly left the room, closing the door behind him.
However, he lingered close enough to hear the soft murmur of Sakura's voice inside the room, even though he couldn't distinguish her words. All around him, nurses went about their business, most of them barely sparing him a glance. For a moment he felt disoriented, unsure whether life going on normally around him when his world had been so shaken recently was a good sign, or somehow profoundly wrong.
"No!"
The anguished cry Neji instantly recognized as Tenten's shattered his already shaky resolve to stay outside. Practically ripping the door off its tracks, he burst back inside, not sure what to expect.
Sakura looked around at him, her eyes sad as she carefully hugged her heavily sobbing friend. She didn't look angry that he had barged in - instead, she seemed relieved. Motioning for him to stay put, she gently rubbed Tenten's shoulder. Tilting her head, she whispered something to Tenten, who shook her head violently. Another few whispered words brought forth a hesitant nod. Then Sakura gently eased the brunette down onto her pillows before pulling out a syringe, testing it, and injecting its contents into Neji's fiancee's arm. "Sleep," the medic murmured.
Tenten's eyes began to droop immediately. As soon as it was obvious she slept, Sakura came across the room, took Neji's arm, and led him outside. "She can't tell you herself, but she gave me permission to do so." Her voice seemed heavy and full of defeat.
It took great effort for Neji to tear his gaze away from the door. "What?" he asked hoarsely.
A long sigh shivered out of Sakura. "When Tenten was stabbed, it ... caused significant damage inside her," she began slowly. "Lady Tsunade and I were able to repair most of the injuries, but..." She drew in a deep breath, seeming to have to force herself to meet his eyes as she finished. "Unfortunately, we couldn't save her - her uterus. We - had to remove it completely."
Neji's breathing hitched, his heart stuttering in his chest. No! If he hadn't felt so robbed of breath, he would have screamed the word, just as his Tenten had.
Sakura's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Neji. She ... she'll never be able to have children."
His legs failed him. He slumped to his knees right there in the middle of the hallway - shocked, numb, unable to comprehend the truth of Sakura's words.
This couldn't be happening. Just a few days ago, Tenten had told him how excited she was to start a family with him. It would still be a little while, they'd agreed, since they wanted to enjoy some time with just each other before they brought a child into the world. Neji could still remember the way her face and eyes shone with happiness, how her hand unconsciously drifted toward her stomach, rubbing soothing circles as if she already feeling a life growing inside her.
And now all of that was gone, just like that.
No.
Sakura stared at him with unfathomably sorrowful eyes, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She started to reach out toward him. He shook his head, pushing her hand away, and shakily got to his feet. She didn't protest as he re-entered Tenten's room, closing the door behind him, shutting her out of the deathly silent space he'd wrapped around himself.
No.
Neji's limbs felt heavy and awkward as he walked woodenly across the floor. He sank down into the chair again, bending his upper body until his face was buried in the blankets next to Tenten's hip. Sorrow he hadn't felt since his father's death welled up, and the first shattering sob ripped through him.
Just as much as Tenten had looked forward to being a mother, Neji had eagerly anticipated being a father. How easily he'd been able to imagine children with his eyes and their mother's smile, their small, radiant faces shining with joy, as brightly as the sun, the center of his world, joining Tenten as the most precious things to him.
Despite the fact that he and Tenten had not yet had a chance even to try to create a new life together, Neji still felt as though their child had died without having a chance to draw a single breath in the world. The wound in his heart from his father's death, which had at last healed and scarred over years ago, tore open once more, bringing forth even more anguish.
For a long time Neji cried into the blankets, clutching Tenten's still hand tightly in both of his. He knew he would have to get his mourning over before she woke, because she would need him to be the strong one. If nothing else, the dried tear tracks on her face attested to the fact that she was at her frailest right now, and he had to possess enough strength to get both of them through this.
After it was clear that Tenten suffered no physical complications from her injuries or the following surgery, she was allowed to go home. Though Hinata had brought fresh clothes for Neji to the hospital, he hadn't been back to the Hyuuga estate since the start of the mission, almost two weeks before.
Tenten still seemed fragile, but she insisted he go home, at least for a shower and a good night's sleep in his own bed. Although hesitant to leave her, Neji felt a little more at ease when Ino came to spend the night with Tenten.
Only Neji, Tenten, Sakura, and Lady Tsunade knew the extent of Tenten's condition. They'd not even shared it with Hinata, who knew something was wrong but did not pry. However, Neji knew this would have to change soon, since there was an upcoming council meeting at which he was to be present, since further details about his and Tenten's wedding were scheduled to be discussed.
Neji had quietly asked if Tenten could be present as well, and Hinata promised to talk to Hiashi. Though the ultimate answer came back as a negative, she was granted permission to come to the estate where, once the meeting ended, Neji would fill her in on what things pertaining to their marriage had been discussed. Frustrating as that was, he knew that was the best they'd get.
The council meeting convened the morning after Neji's return to the estate. They had postponed it because of his absence, and he made sure to thank them for their thoughtfulness at the beginning. After that, Hiashi, Hinata, and the Elders went on to discuss things that were of little interest to him, meaning he was free to allow the majority of his attention to dwell on Tenten. He'd left her sitting outside the shouji doors into the meeting room, talking to his cousin Hanabi, who thought Tenten the greatest person on the face of the earth. Really, there were few in Neji's family who didn't like Tenten.
Hiashi announcing the last subject on their agenda drew his attention back to the meeting. "Neji. We are aware Tenten was injured on your last mission, and we are thankful to hear she has been released. Is she ... all right?" The question was voiced hesitantly, and Neji couldn't honestly determine if his uncle asked out of genuine concern, or mere curiosity.
Briefly, Neji glanced down to where his hands rested, fisted, in his lap. He drew in a deep breath and looked up again, pain washing anew through him. Choosing his words and tone carefully, he said, "In the attack on her, the sword pierced her abdomen in such a way that ... it robbed her of her ability to bear children." It was the most delicate way he could think of to phrase something so private and awful.
Besides Hinata's soft, horrified gasp, there was no sound in the chamber following his grim announcement. Neji sat rigid under the startled stares of his relatives, waiting for someone, anyone, to break the silence.
"I ... see." Hiashi's response, when he finally made it, was spoken quietly. "Otherwise, is she well?" He didn't look at his nephew.
"She is understandably grieved." As am I.
Across the table, one of the elders nodded slightly. "Very well, then. I believe some changes are in order in light of this new information."
A cold knot settled itself in Neji's stomach. Before he could ask the question that immediately sprang to mind, Hinata voiced it. "Wh-what changes?"
Hisao did not hesitate to elaborate. "Part of the reason we so readily agreed to Neji's marriage was that the union would provide children to inherit their father's incredible abilities and powerful Byakugan, providing our clan with a generation of prodigal Hyuuga." His gaze drifted from face to face as he continued. "Since young Tenten can no longer produce those children, I move the engagement be dissolved immediately, the wedding canceled, and a more suitable mate found. Perhaps one within the clan, so the chances of a strong Byakugan being produced is even more likely."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the other council members as several of them nodded.
Neji could hardly believe what he was hearing. "What?" The single word exploded from him as he just barely kept himself from slamming his hands down on the table. "Not three weeks ago, every single one of you were voicing your admiration of Tenten. Some of you even said that a better match could not be found! And now, just like that-"
"Watch yourself, Neji," Hisao warned. His hands moved closer together pointedly, ready to lift at a moment's notice to perform the hand signs that would active the curse seal on Neji's forehead.
His fury prevented him heeding the elder's words of caution. "Worse than that, you expect me to abandon Tenten, the woman I love, when she needs me more than ever? You expect me to cast her aside like a broken toy, to crush her spirit and break her heart just because you perceive her to be of no further use to this clan?" Neji's hands clenched so tightly his fingernails threatened to draw blood from his palms. "She's not- We're not just stock for your breeding program! What sort of cold-hearted monsters are y-" His accusation ended in an anguished cry as fiery pain encased his skull. Hands clenched to his head, he slumped against the table, shaking, unable to think or speak or even breathe past the agony.
Behind him, Neji heard the shouji door bang open. Footsteps advanced across the floor in a pounding run, and a moment later familiar arms wrapped around him as Tenten curled her body against his back protectively. He could barely feel her past his debilitating pain, but her presence both relieved and frightened him. He'd never, never, wanted her to see him like this.
"Stop it!" she shouted. He hadn't heard her speak so strongly since before Sakura had told her about her sudden inability to have children. "Why are you doing this to him?"
Neji missed Hisao's response, but not his uncle's following command. "Stop." It was only one word, but spoken in a tone of voice that implied bad things would happen if Hiashi was not immediately obeyed.
The pain spiked one final time before it vanished. Neji slumped in relief, his muscles twitching convulsively as he tried to relax them. His vision swam, his ears rang, and his head throbbed, but he could handle those things easily compared to the crushing agony from the curse mark.
Tenten still clutched him to her. He reached back to reassuringly squeeze her knee. She eased her grip on him slightly, but didn't withdraw. "What happened?" she asked him in a barely audible whisper
Neji lifted his head. The elders, save for Hisao, looked away uncomfortably, avoiding each other's gazes, as well as his and Tenten's. Silent tears streamed down Hinata's cheeks, past the hand still clapped over her mouth. Hiashi and Hisao glared at each other in a furious if silent battle for dominance over the meeting.
Neji's fiancee (he refused to think of her as anything less) shifted to sit next to him, her hand curling reassuringly around his fist. "What happened?" she repeated her question as quietly as she'd spoken before.
Unfortunately, this time Hisao heard her question. Tearing his gaze from Hiashi's, he faced the kunoichi and responded immediately. "Neji informed us of your - unfortunate condition. Your engagement will be dissolved and a more suitable wife will be found for Neji."
It was one thing for those words to be said to Neji, but something else entirely for them to be spoken, so coldly and uncaringly, to Tenten. He opened his mouth to object hotly, but Tenten replied before he could.
"I see." Her fingers briefly tightened around his hand, then slid away as she returned her hand to her lap. "I-I understand." Brown eyes downcast, Tenten sat still, saying or doing nothing to defend herself.
Ignoring everyone else, Neji spun to Tenten and gripped her shoulders. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "Tenten, you..." How can you not fight them with me on this?
A bitter, humorless smile twisted her lips as she met his eyes with her tear-filled ones. "I knew this was coming," she whispered. Her hands lifted, pushing his away as she made to stand. "I understand I am useless, now, but you still have a duty to your clan, Neji."
"Wait!"
Shocked, Neji turned to Hinata, who suddenly spoke: not only without her stutter, but in a voice louder and stronger than any he'd ever heard her use. She stood and gave him and Tenten a long look, eyes blazing with determination, before she moved to take up a position behind them.
"You have something to add, Hinata?" Hiashi prompted gently. Thankfully, he was the first to shake off his surprise and regain his voice.
Hinata looked toward the elders. "Your only objection to Tenten is her inability to bear children, correct?"
As each nodded slowly, Neji gripped Tenten's hand tightly in his own. There was no way he was letting her go, now or ever. And certainly not without a fight. But what did Hinata possibly think she could do to help the two of them?
Feather-light, Hinata settled a hand onto one of his shoulders, the other onto his betrothed's. "If you both are willing, I might have a solution. The medical core at Konoha hospital has been doing research and t-testing the past few yearson on a procedure called in-vitro fertilization. It allows couples unable to have children on their own to have them through a-a surrogate mother. If Neji and T-Tenten agree ... I will b-be the surrogate mother f-for their children."
For a few tense, awkward moments, everyone stared at Hinata. She blushed fiercely, but didn't back down. Feeling equally dazed and humbled, Neji looked away from his cousin and over at Tenten, who had an expression of genuine hope on her face, the first he'd seen in far too long. "Tenten?" he asked quietly.
She met his gaze. He could tell that she was thinking the same thing he was: even as she mourned the fact she couldn't carry their child herself, she would gratefully accept Hinata's proposal. They could still build a life together.
He stood, Tenten on her feet a scant half-second later and echoing the profound bow he made to Hinata. "Little Sister," he choked out past the emotions tightening his throat and chest, "I thank you for-" -this enormous gift, he wanted to say, but his voice failed him.
Nevertheless, as Hiashi firmly directed that the wedding would proceed as scheduled and dismissed the council, and Neji straightened to look into his cousin's gentle lavender eyes, he had the feeling she could read every emotion flowing from his overwhelmed heart.
*~Three Years Later~*
Neji wanted to rip his hair out from the roots, big handfuls at a time. What good, anyway, was a kekkei genkai like the Byakugan if he couldn't use it in a situation like this? Across the hall, Hanabi gave him a superior stare, one eyebrow arched at his uncharacteristic behavior. "They'll be fine, you know," she told him.
He continued his restless pacing. "Why aren't you worried?" he muttered.
Hanabi opened her mouth to respond, but another scream, muffled though it was by closed doors and distance, rent the air and made them both wince. Next to Hanabi, Hiashi sat patiently, arms folded in his sleeves as he watched his nephew pace. "Hanabi is right. Hinata and the child will both be fine. So will Tenten."
Tenten had been the only one allowed into the delivery room, besides Sakura and the midwife, when Hinata went into labor. Neji, Hiashi, and Hanabi were all forced to stay outside, anxiously waiting for news on what was happening inside. (Though, if the screams were any indication, Hinata was beyond labor pains and actually into the birthing process.)
Not for the first time since Hinata had volunteered her stunning solution to Neji and Tenten's dilemma, he wondered if they'd made the right decision. Tensions between him and his cousin had long ago eased, and they were quite close friends now. But had it really been fair to expect her to carry and give birth to a child that wasn't hers, no matter how willing she was? She would still be a great part of the child's life, literally like a second mother, but still... Neji couldn't imagine taking care of a life for nine months, then having to give it up.
Attenuated though it was, another cry pierced the air - this one shriller, somehow smaller. Neji froze, head snapping around to stare at the shouji door to the entrance of the maternity ward, willing it to open. He hadn't felt this anxious since...
Sakura appeared, her face bright with joy. "You have a boy-"
Hanabi let out a shout and jumped up. "I knew it!" Neji remained motionless, though, his eyes still fixed on the mednin.
"-and a girl!"
Neji's tightly held breath whooshed from his lungs and he briefly bent over, hands on knees. At his reaction, his younger cousin stopped her celebration, blinking in shock. "Wait, what?" As Neji straightened, he saw Hanabi round on her father, who sported a wide, complacent smile. "A boy? And a girl? Wait - just - a - minute! Twins? And you knew?" She turned and flew at Neji. "You knew we were having twins?" He could only grin hugely as, in a exuberance of relief, he caught her and swung her in a wide circle.
The pink-haired medic grinned. "Congratulations, Neji. Everyone came through with no problems at all, though it seems your son takes after you: strong and silent." With a soft laugh, she closed the door after saying they would be allowed to see Hinata and the babies after everyone had been made presentable.
At last, exhaustion caught up to Neji. He sat down hard next to his uncle. Hiashi grasped his nephew's shoulder. "Congratulations."
"Thank you, uncle." Neji closed his eyes. And thank you, Hinata, so much.
Fifteen long minutes later, Neji preceded his uncle and cousin into a sunny corner room. Hinata lay back against a nest of pillows, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, face pale but content. She held a tiny bundle wrapped in blue, index finger in the grip of the tiny child. Tenten sat on the edge of the bed next to her, holding a baby wrapped in pink; tears streamed unashamedly down her cheeks, as she met her husband's eyes mingled joy, awe, and a little bit of grief in her expression.
Looking up, Hinata caught his eye and her lips immediately curled into her characteristically sweet smile. "C-Come m-meet your and T-Tenten's son and daughter," she whispered.
When Neji sank to his knees next to the bed, his cousin held out the child she'd been cradling. He hesitated, unsure of what to do since he'd never held a baby before. Hinata smiled reassuringly, waiting until he'd copied his wife's pose before lowering the boy into his protective embrace.
He stared down into his son's incredibly tiny face, feeling so many undefinable emotions swirl through his chest. He and Tenten held their children side-by-side, admiring their babies' beauty together, as Hiashi and Hanabi came to bend over them.
"Hizashi," Neji whispered.
"And Hinata," Tenten finished.
Surrounded by her family, the little girl's namesake smiled contentedly and gratefully before closing her eyes to finally get the good night's sleep she'd been longing for the past nine months.
*~The End~*
Author's Ending Notes: I enjoyed writing this piece so much. In my writing, I like to explore the future - a time when relations within the Hyuuga have been repaired. When Hinata and Neji are more like brother and sister, Hanabi is more of a fun-loving person, and Hiashi and Neji relate to each other better. This storyline gave me such a great opportunity to explore all of those things, and I enjoyed writing it so much. I hope it was a pleasure to read, as well! Thank you!