Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Affairs ❯ Their Feelings ( Chapter 2 )

The Affairs

Chapter 2: Their Feelings

 

Love, hatred, and guilt, were only separated by thin and transparent mirrors

 

Neji was on his training right now. He tried to train the blind spot of his Byakugan, or else he would end up like the end of his battle with Kidomaru again. The vision of his Byakugan was almost equally compared to Hyuuga Hiashi. That was why Hiashi trained him by his own, and let him to trained Hinata everyday in return, except when he or she was in a mission. It has been three months since the first time. Their frequent meetings slowly awaken their old feelings to each other. The secret of their own hearts that didn't need to be spoken.

Anyhow, their meetings made Tenten jealous about their relationship. Even Neji had said that she was now his girlfriend, Tenten couldn't manage her time with Neji. Every time she asked that she would go out with him in some place, Neji always said that he had to give Hinata a practice. His time was filled with mission, training with Hiashi, with the team (without bothering to pay attention at her), and the last was… to teach Hinata by his self. In her garden.

Tenten could not manage her self to be curious with their relationship. It seemed that it was not like `cousin', but Tenten felt more. Yeah, Neji really burned her to the highest degree of jealousy flame.

That was why she dragged Neji after the end of their training time.

“I have to talk to you, Neji,” Tenten demanded.

“What?” Neji frowned.

“About you… and Hinata…” Her words hung in the air, created a silent moment between them.

There, after a brief of tense seconds, Neji dared to speak.

“Are you idiot or what, Ten? Everybody in Konoha knows about us. We're cousin, more over, I'm his protector. Only that,” said Neji nonchalantly.

“Yes, I knew it. Even the most idiot person in Konoha knew about it. But that's not what I mean. I'm wondering about the affection between you and her. My feeling said that… it's not like any ordinary `cousin' relationship. You're different from before, Neji. The way you treated her!” said Tenten, almost yelling at him.

“In somewhat way?” asked Neji.

“”You've been… too nice to her… I don't like it. You've to stop it…” Tenten pressed her words.

Neji exclaimed a small laugh, making Tenten angrier than she was.

“What's so funny about it?” she shouted.

“No, it is just… I remembered that you ever said to me to treat her better than before. Now that I am being nice to her, you told me to stop? You're weird Tenten, honest.” Neji smirked.

“But that was YEARS before!” Tenten yelled.

“So, what's so different about it, Ten? Do you hope to see me to kick her again like the Chuunin exam?” asked Neji sarcastically.

“It's not that! That way's too much! What I mean here is about your present relationship with Hinata! I… I could feel… something weird emerged from both of you…”

Neji startled, unfortunately the sudden shock was quite showed in his face.

“Weird what?” asked Neji abruptly.

Tenten felt the odd feeling. Neji never show the expression of surprise in every non-combat condition. She knew that her feeling is right. Braved her self, she answered Neji's question.

“Weird like… both of you is in love with each other…”

Neji fell silent. In his quietness, some vein popped around his eyes, almost activating his Byakugan. He was angry for what she had said, and Tenten knew about this, but that not made her down. She looked straight to his eyes, as if challenging him.

“What is it, Neji!? Fell silent means `yes' in body language!” Tenten shouted.

“Why if it is `yes'?” demanded Neji calmly, albeit his voice shaking.

“That's weird, Neji! You and she… cousin! And that didn't make a click!” Tenten shouted furiously.

“I've never heard that marriage between cousins is forbidden in Konoha's law,” said Neji nonchalantly.

Tenten felt an invisible punch smacked her stomach. Made her stun for a moment, before the reality struck her back to the real world.

“S- So… you really are in love with her!? What about me!? Where's your promise to be my boyfriend!? ” Tenten screamed.

“Shh… be quiet…” Neji put her index finger on her lips, gesturing her to stop from screaming, yelling, or even shouting.

“What!?” Tenten continued for more shouting, although she blushed when Neji's finger had touched her lips.

“Ten, stupid Tenten… I said `if it is yes'. `If'. If you know what's the meaning of if. Tenten, I only wanted to know how much you loved me, so I made you jealous. No need to worry, Ten. I'm still your boyfriend. I love you as I should be,” said Neji.

Tenten blushed furiously as she heard this.

“Y-you promise, Neji?” Tenten extended her small finger, asking him to make the yubikiri seal.

“Yeah,” Neji took her finger in his right small finger, while the fingers on his left hand hidden on his robe, making the `cross' sign.

***

The sun almost set, but the sound on Hinata's garden was way too far to stop. Neji and Hinata were on their training again, and it has taken two hours. But Hinata didn't even try to tell him that she was tired. She pushed herself to much that it made Neji really worried about her condition.

`Is she okay? She shouldn't push her self... I know well about her true abilities…' the thoughts raced on Neji's head.

“Hyah!” Hinata sent a Jyuuken blow right to Neji's chest, which to both of their surprises, sending Neji to the ground.

Hinata let a small scream in fear when she saw him lying on the ground with an unbelieving stare on his eyes.

“G- Gomen, Niisan! I- I didn't mean to!” Hinata hurried herself, and kneeled beside Neji's body.

“It's… it's okay, Hinata-sama… I'm just a bit careless,” Neji sat up from his lying position.

`I'm always careless when I'm with you....' Neji whispered deep down on his heart.

“I'm really sorry… are you sure you're okay?” asked Hinata anxiously.

“Nah, it's alright… I think I only caught a light cold,” Neji lied. This was the second for today.

Hinata put her right palm on his forehead, checking the heat of his body.

“You seem quite alright, Niisan… but I have the right medicine to help you get over the cold. Wait for a moment, I'll mix it with a tea, so you won't taste the bitter flavour of the medicine,” she said, still keeping the anxious tone on her voice.

“I don't need it Hinata-” he stopped in the mid-word; because Hinata had already ran off to the small cottage in her garden. Their favourite spot when they were little. There, they would play as Hime and the loyal Shinobi who protected her. The story was always the same: Neji was on a mission to guide her safely to her castle (reality: her room), and prevent her from monsters (the servants). Sometimes, they had to be stopped by the Last Boss (one of their fathers), and Hinata or Neji would be kidnapped by the Last Boss. The next day, they would continue to play again from the beginning, and when he succeeded to take her to her room, he would bow to her and smiled. After that was his favourite scene: she planted a soft kiss on his cheek and with the usual blush whispered: `arigatou, Neji-niisan'….

Neji touched the spot where little Hinata usually kissed him. The old, sweet memories made him grin, and… disappointed. He felt stupid to hate the Souke after his father's death, because he didn't receive the soft kiss anymore in 13 years. And he has missed it so much… but maybe not on his cheek.

“Here's the tea, Neji-niisan,” Hinata put the glass near his right hand. Her soft voice surprised him so much that he almost jumped out from his skin.

“H- Hai! Arigatou, Hinata-sama!” he replied abruptly and drunk all the liquid in one gulp.

“Neji-niisan! It's still hot!” Hinata screamed.

Neji opened his mouth to exhale some air; he felt his throat was burned with lava. Oh, how stupid of him to be this damn careless and clumsy around her!

“Calm down, Niisan! Let me help you!” Hinata activated her Byakugan to check the Tenketsus on his neck. Gathering some chakra on her right hand, she then caressed Neji's neck softly.

After a brief moment, Neji could breathe well again. Surely, Hinata was a great Medical Nin. She acted so quick to handle his burning throat. But Neji secretly hated the quickness of her action. He wanted to feel more of her soft and delicate hand caressing his neck.

“I'm sorry, Hinata-sama… I didn't mean to mess up with you. Gomen nasai yo, Hinata-sama,” Neji apologized; his usually pale cheeks were blushing a bit. He felt quite embarrassed for what he had done.

“Daijyoubu!” she smiled at him. The cute smile that made his heart beat faster than he wanted to. Without he expected, he stared at her face, consuming the smile with his eyes.

“I- Is there something on my face, Niisan?” asked Hinata when she caught Neji stared on her face.

“N- no… I'm sorry Hinata-sama…” Neji shook his head quickly. He then sighed.

“You… seem in a trouble… Neji-niisan…” Hinata asked anxiously, she moved closer to him.

“It's nothing, really,” Neji pressed, though he was not quite sure for his own condition.

“C- can I help you, Niisan…? ... If… if I could be any help for you,” she quickly finished her words when Neji beamed at her.

Anyhow he ignored her offer, busied his self with his own thoughts. Hinata didn't want to mess up with him. She knew that Neji wanted to be alone right now, so she decided to leave him. She stood up from her seat, and headed to the main house.

“Wait… Hinata-sama,” Neji called her when she has already walked for some steps.

“H- Hai…?” she turned back at him.

“Maybe, you could help me…”

“Y-yes… absolutely…” she hurried her self to her past seat.

Neji waited for her to sit beside him, watched her tender eyes before asked for her advice about his complicated problem.

“Hinata-sama… what will you do if someone loves you, and he wants you to love him back the way he is, while you don't love him, but only like him? And you made yourself as his girlfriend only to make him happy, even… only for some moments?” Neji asked, watching the great azure sky instead of looking back at her.

“I… uh- well… actually I've never had that kind of problem before… but…” her forehead wrinkled in concentration, she thought really hard to give him the best answer, “I… I would tell him the truth… that I only like him as friend, best friend ever… even the truth is hurt… in the end it would be better than lie…”

“How will you tell it to him?” Neji asked.

“Maybe… I'd take him for some kind of date… that moment, I would make him as happy as possible… then I'd confess my true feeling as carefully and soft as I could… of course, it would hurt both of us… but time will heal, I'm sure… because if he really loves me that much, he would understand…” she smiled at Neji, comforted him.

“Sou desu ka…? But Hinata-sama… how if you had someone else that you love, and it would be really hard for both of you to be couple, because you feel guilty for the boy who loved you before?” Neji continued.

“I will still tell him the truth… I only think of him as friend… because if I always feel guilty of it… that means I can't be with the one I love forever… I know it's selfish but sometimes… we have to be selfish to be happy…” Hinata pressed her words.

Neji was quite surprised by her statement. `This girl… where did she hide the strength beneath this little body…?' Neji wondered.

“Neji-niisan? Are those which you asked to me… is your problems..?” Hinata carefully asked him, so he wouldn't be angry with it.

“Yea…” answered Neji slightly.

“May I know… with whom?”

Neji stunned.

“I... and Tenten,” came a reply from Neji after some silent minutes.

“Y- You mean you are in love with Tenten-san!?” asked Hinata abruptly, her voice rose without she expected. The fact somehow had hurt her heart so much that she felt something choked her on throat. She didn't know why, but she almost cried to hear this, if at the time she couldn't regain control of her self.

“No, it's not that! She was the one who loves me and asked me to be her boyfriend!” Neji explained it so quick that he almost bit his own tongue. He didn't want her to mistake the real fact.

“Ooh… yokat- I mean, wakatta de…” Hinata secretly relieved for knowing the true fact, “umm… may I know who the one you're in love with… is? Ah… y- you don't have to answer it Niisan! S- Sumanai! I've been too much…” Hinata shook her head. She didn't want him to get angry with her silly question.

But Neji, ignoring her guilt, encouraged himself to take her right hand with his. This sudden movement made Hinata stun. Confused by what he did.

“It's you… Hinata-sama… I'm in love with you…” he kissed her hand gently.

Hinata quickly retreated her hand away from his in surprise. Her face got redder than ever, eyes widened in shock, and her heart beat furiously that she thought it would burst out from her chest.

`Niisan…? Love me…!?' She covered her mouth with both of her hand, disbelief.

“I…” without finishing her words, she bolted from the garden, ran as fast as she could to the main house.

***

`SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!' Neji punched the shuriken target on Sabaibaru field. Both of his fists were bleeding. He still could not forget for what he had said to Hinata yesterday. Hinata might be hated him so much that she didn't want to look at him when he passed her on their way to leave the compound for their training with each team this morning.

Moreover, he didn't know how to face her today in their private training, and actually it has reached the time. If he left his task, Hiashi would ask him for his reason. And it would be really impossible for him to tell Hiashi that he had kissed his daughter's right hand and confessed his feeling to her.

`BAKA DA!!! ORE WA BAKA DA!!!' Neji had stopped himself for punching the shuriken target again, or it would take a week for his fists to recover. But instead of being completely stop, he was now bent down on the ground, grabbed his hair in frustration.

“N- Neji-niisan!?” Hinata was almost screaming when she saw Neji's current condition.

“Niisan! Yamete! Onegai!!” she ran and grabbed both of Neji's hands with her own.

“H- Hinata-sama?” Neji startled when he found that the certain girl that he was thinking about now was holding his hands.

“Stop it, Niisan! What are you doing!? Don't hurt yourself again!” Hinata cried in fear. Her tears rolled down on her pink cheeks.

Neji was stupefied to see the tears.

“I'm… sorry Hinata-sama…” he watched her face which filled with anxiousness and deep sorrow.

“Y- you scared me… Niisan… don't do that again, please… don't ever…” she sobbed, her tears flowed swiftly.

“Sumanai… sumanai… Hinata-sama…” he embraced her tightly, buried her head on his chest, while he planted a soft kiss on her forehead to calm her down.

After a brief moment, Hinata withdrew her self from the embrace. Her head was bowed to the ground, she was not daring herself to face Neji.

Neji nudged her chin up with his fingers, sending her cloud eyes to meet his.

“Where did you know that I'm here…?” Neji asked softly.

“I… I asked Lee-kun where you are going.. because you were late for the training… I- I've been waiting for you.. Why didn't you come, Niisan?” she confirmed the reason why she was there to meet him.

“I was embarrassed for what I said yesterday… I'm sorry Hinata-sama, but at that time I totally lost control! I didn't mean to scare you like that! I knew that you had hated me for what I did!” Neji explained, looking straight to her eyes.

“I… I did scared by your confession that time… I was totally shocked for it… I never thought that you would have that feeling on me… You really scared me, Niisan…” said Hinata.

“I'm sorry” only those words that went out from Neji's mouth. He didn't know what else to said. His head bowed to the ground, absolutely disappointed. He secretly hoped that her reason to catch up with him was to say something different. Something that totally reversed with the `you-really-scared-me-Niisan' reason.

“But… I didn't hate you for what you had done, Niisan… I'm absolutely happy that you loved me back…” Hinata continued.

Neji looked up at her so fast that he made a crick on his neck.

“W- what..!?” asked Neji abruptly. He was awfully surprised to hear her last words.

“I don't understand this feeling, Niisan… these fast heartbeats when I'm with you… looking at you… or even just catching your glimpse from afar… I- I couldn't describe it well.. But… for one thing I'm sure… I think I'm in love-” Her words stopped, Neji has put his right index finger softly on her lips, shut her mouth. Hinata could feel the taste of his blood. It's sour, but burning…

Neji kissed her tenderly on her lips. She was slow to react for the kiss, but after some seconds she could manage her self to kiss him back. Their faces tilted, every movements of it found some strange but pleasant feeling. Their breaths were slowly changed to pants. Neji pushed his tongue slowly on her lips, asking permission to enter. When she opened her lips, he lavished every crevice on her mouth, drew some air from her, helping him to get more. Each of their own breath was shared to other.

“-with you…” Hinata continued her words when Neji had released her from the beautiful kiss that neither both of them had has before. Both of them were still panting, gulped some air from the free atmosphere.

“Aishiteru, Hinata-sama…” Neji whispered on her ear, brought her to a soft embrace once more.

“Please… Neji-niisan, h- how many times I should tell you that you shouldn't call me as Hinata-sama anymore when we are together… I… actually I missed it so much… the way you called me when we were kids…” Hinata blushed, not daring herself to look at Neji when she said that.

“Hinata… chan…?” whispered Neji hesitantly.

“Y- Yes… that's way better, Niisan…” she wrapped her hands around his waist, buried her head more deeply on his warm chest.

From afar, without any of their consciousness, Tenten glared at them. Jealousy has kicked her ass so much.

`Hyuuga Hinata!' she shouted furiously deep down on her heart.

***

AN: I think I don't need to tell you about giving reviews for next chapter…. Need your comments please… really-really please…. I need support for the next chapter… up until now I only got one… thanks for the reviewer-san who was really kiond for me… *hugs* Nyaaahhh, don't be mad at me, I'm really sorry…. T~T