Neji Hyuga one shot - We All Deserve Happiness

Just thought Neji needed some love.
Read, Comment and Enjoy!
.x.Hidden.x.Winter.x.

                Sunlight streamed through the covered windows and landed on the eyelids of a sleeping shinobi. Seconds passed and the eyelids fluttered open, clear lavender eyes looking around a bedroom that wasn’t his own. He lurched up in panic, only to fall back down when he felt the vicious pounding in his head. God this was awful, he could barely remember the night before. Naruto had thrown a party for something. Originally Neji wasn’t going to go, but then he had heard that Hinata was going. For some reason, she was sneaking out to go to this party against their clan’s ideals.

As he crept from the Hyuga compound, Neji had told himself that he was only going to watch over her, to make sure she stayed out of trouble. Deep down, he told himself that he wasn’t defending his pride, that Hinata having the guts to sneak out didn’t take a stab at his value of himself.

                Then he admitted it, if Hinata could disobey Hiashi, then so could he.

                As he lay in the bed with his pounding headache, vibrant flashes of the previous night crossed his mind. The lights, the drinking, the dancing. He had found himself watching a girl dance. He had only seen her around a few times before. She was a year younger than himself, and had grown up with Naruto and his classmates. Upon her graduation, she was placed on a specialty team that worked mainly outside the village. She wasn’t back in Konoha very often and it was obvious that she intended to enjoy her brief time here.

                “Hey Shinobi!” She had yelled as she crossed the floor to get to him, “be a bit more lively will you? You’re ruining my night!” She had grinned playfully, but he wasn’t interested. “Come on!” She had insisted, “I know you’re a Hyuga but that’s no excuse, your cousin’s having the time of her life!”

                Hinata had been dancing with Sakura and Ino.

                The girl had forced a drink into one of his hands and had laced her fingers through the other. She slowly walked backwards, that playful grin still etched onto her face. He didn’t remember much after that. Flashes of her pressed against walls, her hair wrapped around his fingers, his lips hot against hers.

                The memory of her made Neji’s blood run cold. He tilted his head and saw her dark blonde hair peeking out from the covers. What had he done? He had to get out, now.  

                Slowly he pulled back the blankets, cursing himself when he realised just how far he had gone with this girl. He gathered up his clothes and had begun to dress himself when he heard a yawn. He turned around quickly and watched as she leaned up, the blanket dropping dangerously low on her chest.

                “Leaving so soon?” She asked, her sleepy voice still playful.

                “This never happened.” He said harshly. “And it will never happen again.”

                “Lighten up, you Hyuga’s are so uptight.”

                He didn’t say anything.

                “What’s that mark on your forehead?” She asked, and realised it was the wrong thing to say as she saw his shoulders tense.

                Without another word he stormed out of her house, vowing himself to never go back.

***

                She left with her team a few days later. He saw them leave and then realised that he didn’t even know her name. He felt shameful, what he had done was irresponsible, foolish, completely out of character. That morning he had found a bottle of sake on his dresser with a note tied around the neck.

                “Dear Hyuga, please use this at your discretion to help pull that stick out of your ass. Have some fun! When I get back I hope to see you acting more like you were the other night.”

                The note was written on her squad’s paper, her insignia was in the top corner, one faded blue line that curved vaguely in the shape of a fish.

                He had grumbled under his breath and quickly stashed the bottle in a cupboard as Hinata knocked on his door.

***

                “Neji, calm down! You need to take a break!” Tenten was worried about her teammate, he had been working harder than ever. She had seen him at that party the other week, he had disappeared to god knows where, and now he barely spoke. He was back to being the old Neji who didn’t question rules, and thought only about the honour of his Hyuga lineage. She had no idea what was going on in his mind, for if she did, well, she wouldn’t have known what to think.

                Neji’s mind was full of a girls teasing, playful face. Twinkling blue eyes and swirling blond hair. A hot body flush against his, naked skin pressed against his own.

                He was pushing himself in his training, forcing his body past its limits. Every time he thought of her disobedience, he fought harder. Every thought of her laugh, every memory of her relaxed poise and the freedom with which she held herself, he kept working. He would uphold the Hyuga name, he would not shame his family.

***

                She came back weeks later, tired and bloodied from her mission, but that foolish smile was still on her face.

                Her eyes met his as they passed, and she couldn’t help the playful glance she gave him.

                Later, he felt her behind him as he trained.

                “I asked my teammate about you. About your family.” 

                He didn’t respond.

                “They told me what your curse mark means.”

                Again, he stayed silent.

                “It’s barbaric. The way they control you like that. I can’t believe they treat you like this, and that you all go along with it.”

                She could see that she was walking a dangerous line, he wouldn’t tolerate her talking about his family like this, but she knew that no one had ever dared before. All of his friends tip-toed around the situation, but she would not. He was being strangled by that curse mark, and that controlling, overbearing family.

                “Let go of it all Neji, make your own choices.”

                “My place is with my family.” He hissed at her. “I have a duty to my family!”

                “You have a duty to yourself!” She yelled at him. “You’re a shinobi! Have some guts and do something!”

                He gave her a stony glare, and then turned and walked away.     

                “That’s right Neji.” She yelled after him, “be the main branch’s BITCH, but I tell you what, the only people who live on their knees as much as you, are prostitutes.”

                He turned in a snarl, but she was already gone.

***

                He threw himself into his training, Gai was thrilled for a moment, before he began to worry about his student. Any attempts to talk to Neji were cast aside, he was ruthless to his opponents. It was as if his every nerve had been flayed and was open, raw to the world.

                She would walk by, and behind her playful eyes he saw a hint of sorrow. Sorrow for him. He hated the pity, and he worked even harder.

                But even through his anger, he couldn’t help the attraction. She was a whole world of opportunities, she did what she wanted, said what she thought. She answered to no one. She was happiness, she was freedom. She was everything his life was missing.

***

                He was exhausted, training had taken its toll on him. He walked home planning to take a shower and then rest up for tomorrow. He hadn’t seen the girl in weeks, she had been off on some diplomacy mission in water country, and until that morning, no one had heard from them. She was a water jutsu specialist which is why her team was assigned the mission in the first place, but Neji could tell that everyone had been relieved when they turned up at the village gates.

                He had watched her as she was escorted to the hospital where she would be patched up as she conferred with Lady Tsunade about the state of affairs of the neighbouring villages.

                It was probably the thoughts of her that distracted him from the signs he should have seen, and then it was too late for him to leave. Hiashi was stood in Neji’s room, and a familiar bottle of sake was in his hands.

                “What is this?” He asked, his voice low and murderous.

                Neji cursed internally, he had meant to get rid of it, he hadn’t even taken the note off it. Hiashi cast his eyes to the piece of paper, and slowly read it aloud.

                “Dear Hyuga, please use this at your discretion to help pull that stick out of your --” His voice faded as his eyes scanned over the rest of it. He waited for Neji to give an answer, but Neji had no idea what to say.

                “This mark,” Hiashi continued, his thumb brushing over the blue fish in the corner of the paper, “this is the mark of that girl who left her family to join her squad. This is the mark of the girl who chose her own ambition over her family. Am I right, Neji?”

                “Yes sir.” Neji said.

                “You are infatuated with her?” Hiashi breathed, his tone evident that he already knew the answer. “You are a disgrace to this household.” He said, his voice growing louder with every furious word, “You have brought shame and dishonour to your family. You will never see this girl again.” Hiashi was angrier than Neji had ever seen him, and when Hiashi saw the defiant glint in Neji’s eyes, he used the one method of control he had left.

                Neji crumpled to the ground, fingers grasping and clawing at his forehead as a volcanic fiery pain ripped through his mind. His body writhed, joints cracking and bones stiffening until it all stopped. His breathing was heavy and ragged, and his eyes were blazing as he looked up at his uncle. Memories flashed through his mind, memories of his father falling victim to Hiashi’s power over the curse seals. Slowly, Neji forced himself to his knees and kept his gaze at the ground. Hiashi left with thundering footsteps.

                The only people who live on their knees as much as you, are prostitutes. Her voice echoed in his mind and Neji stood, racing away from the compound.

                Hours later, he found himself sat in a tree at the deserted training grounds, his anger and his resolve both leaving him. That’s when she showed up. She didn’t seem to have noticed him yet as she slowly began going through water jutsu forms. Her shoulder was wrapped, and he could see bandages peeking out from under her shirt. There were several shallow cuts on her face, but other than that she seemed to be ok. He let himself fall to the ground, and that’s when she saw him.

                She straightened up out of her form, and gazed at him sadly. She knew what it was to have your family plan a path for you, a path that you didn’t want. She wasn’t bound like Neji was, but it was always hard to realise that you deserved better than what life had given you. She took calm, slow steps towards Neji, whose clear lavender eyes were flickering, unsure of what he was doing. What was he supposed to say?

                She stood before him, and the silence that settled around them was comforting. Nothing needed to be said. She knew what he was feeling. His hands moved to his forehead protector and untied it with careful fingers, and then pressed the cool metal in her hands. Only then did he let his eyes meet hers. He was giving himself to her in a way that was so much more important than the way they had met. He was bearing his curse seal to her, giving her the one thing that tied him down.

                She could not take away the chains that bound him, but she had given him his freedom anyway.

                Her hands still clutched his forehead protector, and chills ran to her fingertips as she felt Neji’s calloused palms skim her jaw. He barely touched her, but it was enough. Her face tilted up to meet his, and their lips pressed softly in a tender, gentle, kiss.

                “Thank you.” He whispered against her, his lips brushing hers with his words. Her response was to lean up and kiss him again. He didn’t pull away as he once would have done, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

She had once been his regret, she had been his mistake.

But now she was his happiness.   

And he wasn’t letting her go.