Disclaimer: See previous.
Author's Notes: First off, I am sorry I didn't post Monday as I should have. I went on vacation and had absolutely no inclination to do so, not to mention limited access to a computer and a raging head cold. Secondly, THERE IS A TIME SKIP IN THIS CHAPTER. That Early April you see down there does in fact mean that almost two months have elapsed since the last chapter. Just letting you know.
Third, enjoy!
oOo
Early April.
Hinata adjusted Naruto's tie nervously while he just stood grinning at her.
"Stop worrying so much," he cajoled. "They'll love me!"
Hinata nodded, chewing on her lip. "Of course they will. They'll love you. Of course they will."
Naruto shook his head, taking her half-frozen hands between two of his. "Stop worrying so much."
"Are you sure you should be here?" Hinata asked. "Sasuke…"
"Can handle the office stuff for one day," he said. He turned her around, rubbing her shoulders through her dress. "Now, come on, we can do this!"
Hinata sighed, staring at the double doors that would lead her into the Hyuuga Family Reunion. She knew what it would look like inside, she had decorated. Swathes of pale white, blue, and purple silk would be draped around the room, lights shimmering behind them like fairies. All the tables would have floral arrangements, courtesy of Ino, in delicate glass vases centered on the bleached tablecloths. Men in tuxedos would go around the room offering champagne in thin flutes, and hors d'oeuvres on gleaming silver trays.
There would be a string quartet in the corner, playing soft music. She could hear it from here, the strains of Moonlight Sonata, played perfectly by experts. There would be no children under the age of eighteen.
No, the children were in a party where there were balloons, pop music, and fish sticks. Hinata wished she were at that party.
"Hinataaaa?" Naruto said. "Not that it isn't really fun out here in the hall, but I was just wondering... What's it like where you are?"
"What?" Hinata said. "Oh, sorry. I'm just—there's going to be this corner in there, this group, of ladies dressed in whatever color is in this year and they're—you remember meeting my Aunt Hitomi?"
Naruto winced at the memory, not a week ago. "Not an experience I'm likely to forget. She's… she's—"
"Nothing compared to the circle of hounds in there," Hinata said, twitching her black dress straight. Last time she had worn a pink dress and been too young, this time she was sure she would look to old, next time too conservative, the next too bold. Maybe they would encourage her to take more risks, or say that she was taking too many. She glanced at her shoes. Peep toes were all right, weren't they? She groaned. "They're going to eat us."
"I don't suppose if I gave them to you as an offering…"
"Naruto!"
"I was mostly kidding!" Naruto laughed. He kissed the top of her head. "Come on, let's go in."
"Alright," Hinata agreed, taking his arm. "But if it comes down to it…"
"I go down with the ship, got it," Naruto agreed. "Did I mention that I like that dress?"
"Yes," Hinata said with a smile. It was pretty, she had to agree. Trailing the floor, a moderate slit just past her knee, and a contoured neckline—a few sparkles made it catch the light. "Have I mentioned that you look good too?"
A classic black tux and shiny shoes, with his hair actually combed, could really do wonders for the man. He grinned blindingly at her. "I still think I should have worn the orange bowtie."
Hinata made an uncommitted sound in the back of her throat.
The room looked exactly as it should, and the colors had all come together nicely. Perhaps a nice rose next time, Hinata reflected absently, eyeing the floor. I think it would set off the undertones in the marble and make the room glow a little…
"Wow," Naruto said, blinking rapidly. "This is… dazzling. Nice job."
"Thank you." Hoover Dam! There was The Pack of bustling busybodies, their sharp eyes scanning the room for the weak and pitiful. They could pick out a split end from the other side of a football field.
One of them, with whom Hinata wasn't on a first name basis and clad in a canary yellow frock, trained those eyes on her and turned to whisper to her pursed-lipped counterpart. Then two eyes set of eyes were trained on her, and she was starting to breathe just a little faster…
"Sissy!" Hanabi cried, wrapping a tight hug around Hinata's waist and steering her away from the attention of the wrinkly raptors. "How are you?"
"Hanabi!" Hinata squealed, hugging her back tightly. "You look beautiful! How are you?"
"Neglected," Hanabi accused, pouting at her. "You haven't been calling me!"
"I'm sorry. I-"
"Oh, it doesn't matter," Hanabi said, waving it away, her limited attention already grasped. "Naruto! Don't you look dapper!"
"If that word means what I think, then yes," Naruto agreed, hugging Hanabi. Hanabi blinked, raising an eyebrow at Hinata. Casual touch was rather foreign among the Hyuuga unless they had been placed together since birth.
"It means you look handsome," Hanabi said, extricating herself before any wild accusations could go flying.
"Oh, then no." He winked, charming, and Hinata shook her head affectionately. Charmer.
"Well look who's here," Kiba crowed, throwing an arm around the girl's shoulders and kissing their cheeks. "Hanabi! How long has it been?"
"Two minutes," Hanabi said crisply, stepping on his foot. Ignoring his howling, she told Hinata, "He's my date. It just didn't feel right not to have him here after he's become such a source of entertainment for us all."
"Great," Hinata said, trying not to notice that Naruto had wrapped an arm around her and was scowling at Kiba. Both men were still rather sore about their last meeting.
"So," Naruto said, unable to keep himself out of any conversation for long. "Where's this Neji I've heard so much about?"
"Been warned about more like," Hanabi said, grinning. "Come with me, I'll introduce you. He's been dying to meet you. So has Daddy!"
"Hanabi—" Hinata tried, but her whirlwind sister was already gone, Naruto barely keeping up with her quick strides. Hanabi was—she was—Hinata blew out a frustrated breath. "Be careful!" She called after them.
"If you want to kill her," Kiba said. "I will very happily hold her down."
"Eww," Hinata said, giggling. "Kiba, she's my sister!"
"And I was kidding," Kiba said, his tattooed cheeks not quite hiding the little dimple in his cheek as he grinned. He grabbed some champagne off a passing tray and handed her one. "Come on, I'll make the rounds with you."
Hinata took one last glance in the direction Naruto had disappeared, and shrugged. There was little she could do to help him now.
oOo
Neji was not enjoying the party.
His family was composed of imbecilic opportunists and their clinging limpets they claimed as husband or wife—Neji assumed, kindly, that they had all been dropped on their heads as infants and so couldn't be held responsible for their inability to understand what the words "intelligent conversation" meant. The small portion of his family that he tolerated, a nearly extinct species, consisted of the only mildly inept portion of the room. Those were the more closely related portion of the family, and most of them could at least pretend to be able to discuss stocks and Thoreau in the same conversation.
"Neji!"
He smiled. Then there was the infinitesimal portion of his infinitely puerile clan that he actually liked.
"Neji," Hanabi repeated, smiling brilliantly as she dragged a blond man with a vacant expression through the mass of decorated fat. He scanned her dress quickly and nodded. Modest, and tastefully attractive—he wouldn't have to incapacitate anyone until they had too many bubblies and started imagining what lay below her pearled neckline. "I'm so glad to see someone normal! Have you seen Cousin Dawn? She's wearing peacock feathers and pink fringe! Not on her dress either."
Neji shied away from the horrifying image with a shudder. "No, and thank you for the warning, I think I'll avoid pink for the rest of my natural life. Come here."
Obligingly, she hugged him, and then pulled the blond man closer. He was watching Neji, his blue eyes sharp and electric. Calculating.
A one-eighty from his earlier look, Neji noted, narrowing his eyes. A man who knows how to bury his intentions and thoughts… I'll have to keep an eye out.
"Hi!" the man blurted out, as though he couldn't contain himself any longer. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm here with Hinata, except she went somewhere else, and I'm really excited to meet you! I've been warned about your wicked right jab like six times and I've heard you can make the toughest guys stop in their tracks with a glare! You're a lawyer, right? I like lawyers. Well, I like them more tax collectors anyway. Do lawyers do that too? I don't know. Anyway, it's nice to meet you."
Neji was experiencing the very aberrant sensation of being knocked on the head several times in succession. This man—this Naruto Uzumaki—had achieved something few ever had: He had put Neji off balance, changing his opinion of him so quickly that his calculations were being wildly skewed as soon as he could form them.
This was utterly unacceptable.
"You are a very dangerous individual," Neji noted. "Interesting. Go awa—You are dating Hinata?"
"Yep," Naruto said, beaming. "Hey, Hanabi, would you pretty, pretty, pretty please get me one of those crab things that just went by?"
Hanabi frowned, muttered something, but stomped off in search.
Neji calmed himself, preparing for a confrontation, determined not to be surprised by this man a third time.
"Look," Naruto said, and his eyes seemed to almost glow. "We can be friends, or not, but don't go around telling people I'm dangerous. I don't know who you're working for, but speaking out in public is unacceptable. Ever."
Neji felt a sudden weight on his mind, a force that whispered endearingly for him to obey.
Obey.
Neji's head spun sickeningly, and he glared venomously at a suddenly impassive Naruto- the face of one who was used to being obeyed.
What are you? Neji thought. Gang? White-collar crime? Or are you a part of the new chain of operations that recently came to town? Either way, no one crosses me and gets away with it.
Neji's spine was so straight he thought it would snap, but it helped him gain that precious inch that allowed him to look down on Naruto. "Who are you? I won't allow some piece of gang scum to touch my cousin—"
The weight disappeared.
"Oh," Naruto said. "Oh. Oh, crap. Um… sorry."
"What are you—"
And then the world was black.
oOo
Author's Notes: Personally, I think Neji deserved that, but let me know what you think!