Chapter 1: Longing
"Sakura," he whispers into the quiet of their bedroom—his favorite part of their new house—as he gathers what he needs for the night. "Please wake up, love."
The past three weeks already feel like an eternity for Neji. Sleeping alone is now unfamiliar, missing her warmth at night and her gentle touches in the morning.
Another night at the hospital awaits, watching over his beloved wife. Hyuuga Neji never complains about sleepless nights or uncomfortable chairs if it means being by her side. He wants to be the first person she sees when she opens her eyes.
Walking past the nursery, he notices the absence of anyone in the room. Shiro must still be awake, probably giving Hanabi a hard time. "That little rascal," an involuntary smile appears on Neji's face, but it also instantaneously disappears and is replaced by a deep frown as his heart aches, thinking about how Shiro must miss his mother as much as he does. Shiro only falls asleep to Sakura's bedtime stories about the brave fox and his loyal friends. He must see Shiro before leaving again, feeling guilty for not spending as much time with his son. Splitting his time between his clan duties during the day and caring for his wife at night, Neji is starting to feel the weariness in his bones. His time with his little boy inadvertently suffers. Now, deep regret is also gnawing at his chest along with guilt.
A commotion in the kitchen catches his attention. "Shiro-kun, no. Your mama wouldn't like it if she knew you were tricking your poor Auntie Hanabi into giving you cookies to go to bed."
"But Auntie Hanabi, I am going to bed. Just one more cookie," Shiro's mischievous voice drifts into the hallway.
Neji sighs, "Causing trouble for Auntie Hanabi again, Shiro-kun?"
"Papa! You're back!" Shiro notices the bag on his father's shoulder. "Oh, you're going to see Mama. Take me with you, please, Papa!"
"I'll take you to see her tomorrow. The hospital isn't for children."
"But I miss her so much. I can't sleep without Mama!" Tears well up in Shiro's green, green eyes—just like her mother's. Neji wipes them away, holding him close.
"We all miss her, son. I promise to take care of her so she can come home soon," he promises for the umpteenth time.
"Now, be a good boy for Auntie Hanabi, okay?" He smiles, ruffling the tot's hair. "No more cookies for you tonight," he adds playfully, earning a pout from Shiro.
Oh, no, that familiar pout won't get you any more treat, mister.
"Alright, Papa. I promise," Shiro says softly, looking down at his feet. Then, with a mischievous glint, he looks up, "But only if you really take me to see Mama tomorrow!"
Only four years old and already very good at negotiations. Just like his Mama.
"Tomorrow. Yes, I'll take you to her myself," Neji relents.
"And bring Ryuu-chan?" Shiro asks hopefully.
"Son," Neji begins with an exasperated sigh. "Ryuu is a koi fish who is not exactly tiny. I'm sure Tsunade-sama will not be pleased. Not to mention, Ryuu will most likely distract some people. We don't want to cause any trouble."
"What if I promise no one will know he's even there? I'm sure Mama would be happy to hear that Ryuu-chan has grown this big since she's here," the little boy extends his arms to his sides to drive his point.
Hanabi can't help but chuckle at the ridiculous turn of the conversation between father and son.
Neji tucks Shiro into bed, reading him a story until sleep finally claims the reluctant child.
"Thank you, Hanabi. And sorry for the trouble," he says to his cousin, who watches from the bedroom's threshold with crossed arms.
"Don't mention it, nii-san. We're all worried about you both," Hanabi replies, observing Neji's tenderness with Shiro. She can't help but smile at his affection, though sadness flickers as she remembers Neji wearing the same tender expression around Sakura.
"How is she? The compound isn't the same without her," Hanabi asks, recalling her father's somber demeanor at dinner and his overall glum temperament since Sakura returned from her last mission.
When Sakura married into the Hyuuga clan, she melted not only one human ice cube but a whole glacier of them. Hiashi gained another daughter in her and Hanabi, another older sister she adores and looks up to. The entire clan respects and cares about Sakura as much as she cares for them. Now, with the most vibrant Hyuuga away, even the birds at the compound seem to have stopped singing.
"Her injuries have completely healed," Neji answers. "Tsunade-sama assured me this morning that her body is continuously making progress in restoring her chakra reserves. Her vitals are normal. The poison did not likely cause any long-term damage. It's just a matter of time now before she regains consciousness. But what's taking her so long, we don't know yet," he adds, his tone darkening.
"She's strong, nii-san. She'll pull through for you and Shiro-kun," Hanabi assures him, offering a smile. "Besides—"
"I hope so," Neji interrupts softly. "Well, I should get going. I leave Shiro in your care again, cousin. I truly appreciate your help." He kisses his son's head one last time before facing Hanabi. He bows to his cousin before finally leaving his son's room.
Alone in the hallway, Hanabi watches her nephew through the open door, sleeping peacefully. "At least one of them is getting some rest."
A/N: The characters are not mine and definitely belong to Kishimoto
Hello! This is a re-write and continuation of an old story with the same title. I decided to finish this after all the time it sat in this site's black hole. I don't know how frequently I can update, but I'm doing my best—well, better than some ten years ago lol. This is likely a 15-part story. I already have a draft of the other chapters. But this site will take some getting used to again. I'm not even sure if I'm publishing this correctly.
So please write a short review if you're reading this. Thank you!