one_long_mission | [Open] Valentine's Day~

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[Open] Valentine's Day~

Ino had taken extreme care to tailor her gifts and had spent the last couple weeks getting everything she needed for today sorted out. Now it was just getting everything to everyone.

She'd already sent the poor flustered Godaime Itachi home with his bag of sweets and the basket with sours and tomatoes for Sasuke. There was also a pack of carefully stashed sharpened hairpins stashed for Tenten in the pile that she was sure the boys probably wouldn't notice right off.

She'd hunted down the two stray younger Neji's and left baskets of teas in their apartments, so they were taken care of. Sakura had gotten a nice batch of her favorite dessert tucked into her freezer while she was in her clinic too. Kakashi had a copy of one of Jiraiya's books left just inside his windowsill. It wasn't new, but it's what she had available and it wasn't the one he'd been carrying around.

There was a detour to drop off chocolates and a couple scrolls where she knew the rather put out Sannin and his newest housemate would find it near his cave. She just hoped the chocolate was well received by the teen.

And then there was Mikoto's house. Putting on her resolve face, she sealed pretty much everything into an assortment of ribbons and headed over. The youngest Sasuke had gotten half his Valentine's present already but that was fine, she still had his sour candies to give over, and she knew they'd likely be taken well.

The elder Itachi was getting a bag with at least two dozen sweets of non-repeated types. The littlest one was getting more. He was adorable. The middle boy Sasuke was getting the same as the youngest. The girl Sasukes were getting bittersweet chocolates.

Banking on the fact that most people seemed to like the same things as their male counterparts, Sakumo was getting some of the same fancy dessert as Sakura got. Lee got flowers. She'd actually found the guy lotuses so that's what he was getting. Neji elder was getting a tea mix she'd put together just for him. Hinata was getting cinnamon rolls.

All the Narutos were getting red bean candies. She hadn't missed how fond of the flavor the guy was when they were in academy together. Mikoto was harder, so she defaulted to straight chocolates and sours for the woman in case she didn't actually like sweets.

The little Tenten was getting chocolates herself, and Kabuto was getting some tiny vials of poison she was experimenting with.

All of this she checked over carefully to make complete sure she wasn't forgetting anything. Which reminded her of Fugaku having moved in... More sours into the ribbon seals for him, yes, and chocolates for Karin... Just to be on the safe side, more chocolate was stashed to cover any new people she hadn't spotted yet, and that was that.

Once that was settled, she headed out to make sure everyone got their Valentine's gifts.

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She removed the tea snacks she'd gotten for him from the basket. "I also have a gift for you as well," she said.

She didn't want to over stay her welcome or to pressure him into speaking about what was wrong with him because she could guess. Besides his pain was nearly palpable. At least it was to her.

"I will just place this here by the door and leave you alone." She turned to do just that.

"That was also unnecessary, but... thank you, Hinata-sama." He stayed there in the center of the room for a long moment before before sighing quietly through his nose and turning to face her.

"I would be honored... to share it with you, Hinata-sama, if you would permit," he murmured, unwilling to hurt her the way he had already hurt Ino just a handful of minutes before. "Though I must apologize if I am... less than ideal company, right now."

The smile she gave him was gentle and understanding. "That is fine, Neji-nii-san."

She remembered a time when he hadn't wanted anything to do with her, and it had hurt because she didn't understand his sudden hatred of all things related to the main family.

"Would you care for tea here or somewhere else?"

A moment as he looked around her room, as if to memorize everything where it was, before he shook his head, giving the smallest of rueful, humorless smiles. "Elsewhere, please, Hinata-sama. I... would prefer not to have anything done to this room... for as long as possible."

A vulnerability to reveal it, but to Hinata-sama...? He could trust her to allow his wishes.

She place a hand on his arm for a few seconds to offer her silent comfort before heading for the door. She thought about the rooms that the house had to offer, but dismissed them all as being too public. Instead, she headed for her own room.

She was pleased to see him behind her when she looked.

Oddly passive, he only could follow, box of tea still clutched uselessly in his hand. As much as he didn't want to be around others, nor did he wish for so much time to himself.

If Hinata-sama wished for his presence, then he would give it to her. Once in her room, he only bowed. "Pardon me for the intrusion," he murmured out of a half-remembered reflex, glancing to her to see where she wished him to sit, if at all.

She returned the bow. "It is no trouble," she responded, waving a hand at the small table by the window that she had set up. "Please, sit where you will."

She dug through a few of the things she'd found in the house that Mikoto had been willing to let her take up to her room and came up with a tea set that luckily matched and a small platter for the snacks. "I have a box of tea that I purchased from Ino-san, if you are interested."

She'd have to boil the water downstairs however.

Careful eyes flitted over the table and seating areas, trying to determine from little things like crumbs, additional wear, and other things to determine which side she sat on most often, then took the opposite one, setting the teabox down on the corner of the table and folding his hands within his sleeves.

"Do not trouble yourself, Hinata-sama," he murmured quietly, his gaze turning out the window as he spoke. "Whatever you wish is, of course, more than adequate for me." He nodded once toward the box he'd left on the table. "Ino had gifted me this kind of tea, if you would like to have some."

"Ah, yes, that would be...nice, Neji-nii-san," she replied as she watched him from the corner of her eyes. "I need to boil the water first, as I forgot to bring it up with me, but I shall only be gone a few minutes." She flushed. "Please, make yourself comfortable until I return."

"Of course," he answered, inclining his head and gesturing to the box near his elbow. "Please feel free to use this."

With that, his attention returned out the window, the veins for his Byakugan starting to pulse and fill out as he started to scan the village again, and as far as he could see outside it -- though the outer limits of his vision were beyond his reach right now, the strain nibbling at the edges of his sight.

She could tell from the way the veins around his eyes pulsed and reluctantly came to life under his skin that he'd been relying on the Byakugan too much. She understood only too well. Hadn't he been the one to warn her against straining herself when Naruto-kun had left the village with Jiraiya-sama?

Biting back the words she wanted to use to remind him to not hurt himself, she left to go to the kitchen and boil the water for tea, the pot in her hand. She filled it with water and placed it on the stove, lost in thought.

Naruto had finally confessed his feelings to her. He'd said he loved her. The remembrance of his touch and the feel of his lips against her own made her blush to the roots of her hair.

The sound of the water boiling over brought her out of her reverie. Quickly, she filled the teapot and headed back up to her room. As she got to the second floor, she realised that she would have to tell Neji-nii-san about the development in her relationship with Naruto-kun before he found out on his own.

Steeling herself, she reentered her room. Neji hadn't moved and was still looking out of the window. Without a sound, she sat across from him and began preparing the tea the way she knew her cousin preferred.

When everything was ready, she closed her eyes and spoke. "Before we begin, there is something I must tell you, Neji-nii-san."

He didn't acknowledge her return, though he knew propriety dictated that he should, and that he, as the lower member of their family, should be the one preparing the tea for her in this case. Neji couldn't bring himself to shift his hands or move his body, other than to slowly turn his head and blink away his Byakugan as she spoke.

He had to lean in slightly, struggling to focus on her face as his vision blurred, unfocused, and finally regained some semblance of normalcy. His attention turned to the tea then, rather than try to meet her eyes. "If it is about Naruto..." he murmured quietly, voice carefully controlled, "Allow me to express my congratulations, Hinata-sama. I am... happy for you. Truly."

She slid his cup over across the table. She was relieved and pained as she watched him carefully. "Thank you. I apologise for the timing," she gave him a small smile, "but Kushina-san was very...forceful with him, I believe."

She arranged the snacks on the platter between them. "Please, drink. Do not stand on ceremony right now. I don't want that."

"There is no need to apologize for something that makes you happy, Hinata-sama." His voice firmed on that point as he met her eyes again, fuzzy and hard to focus on as she was. "Whatever time you have with him is something you should make the most of."

A nod as he took the tea in both hands, lifting it to his lips and closing his tired eyes to take a sip. It was relaxing, to drink tea like this, let the steam brush over the strained, tensed areas near his eyes.

His nobility pained her. She wished that he would at least say that he was upset that the woman he loved had disappeared. She would understand, and she had thought that he realised that about her. "Yes, thank you," she said quietly.

She took a sip of her own tea, enjoying the slightly bitter taste it had and the way that it contrasted with the cinnamon bun she had in front of her. If she hadn't been raised so strictly, she was sure that she would be picking at it until it was in tatters all over the table.

How she wished there was something more she could do for Neji except this. But, the only thing she could offer was her silent support, and that she would willingly give to him.

Something like this... was enough. He knew she understood without words, without any kind of meaningless sympathies or pity. Naruto, his Naruto in more ways than one, was gone, and she would likely never be a part of his life again. The only consolation was, as Ino had said, that she was not dead. She would be free to live her life, to start anew with the Neji she knew from home. Perhaps... that was his fate, however. Far be it for him to take away the woman who had been so precious to him by a fluke of... whatever this place was.

His eyes stayed closed as he continued to sip at the tea. Ino knew him well -- the tea was almost perfect. And that only made him hurt all the more, knowing that she cared for him, and yet he had chosen to pursue a woman who would leave him through no fault of her own.

The tea was almost cold by the time he ventured quietly without opening his eyes, "Hinata-sama... have you ever cared for any person... but Naruto...?"

She opened her eyes to look at his face for a moment while she thought. "I...suppose that would depend on what you mean by cared for, Neji-nii-san. I care for my friends and comrades, of course. I care for you, Hanabi-chan and the clan very deeply. Naruto-kun...ah..." She blushed a bit, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I have always cared for him more than Otou-sama thought wise."

"You know what I meant by that, Hinata-sama." His voice stayed low as he opened his eyes to look to her, shoulders falling slightly as he studied her face, limited though his vision was. "Though I am... pleased that he returns your affections. Pay the question no mind, it was only an idle musing."

"No," she said firmly. "I have not. I thought carefully about you said when we talked the one time about how my feelings for him might not be returned, but I found it impossible to think of someone other than him, Neji-nii-san." She looked down at her empty tea cup momentarily. "I know that I am extremely lucky that he had the time to examine his own feelings, however long it might have taken, and I am...grateful that he got that time."

"Then that is good," he murmured more quietly, his attention returning to the empty teacup as his hands came to rest palms-down on the table, surrounding the cup. "And I know you will make the most of it, Hinata-sama. May I... offer one further piece of advice?"

She looked up at him. She would have thought by now he knew that if he had any advice to offer her, she would gladly accept and listen to it. "Yes, Neji-nii-san, please go ahead."

He pushed the cup aside and looked to her, meeting her eyes. "The propriety of our clan is only a hindrance when we do not know what time we have. Do not make the same mistake I have of thinking that there will always be a next time. Sooner or later, we run out of tomorrows."

He closed his eyes for another long moment before pushing himself to his feet. "Thank you for the tea, Hinata-sama."

She stood with him, trying very hard not to cry as she quickly moved to wrap her arms around his neck. "I will take what you have said into consideration. I thank you for the advice." She was proud of herself when her voice didn't crack.

With one last squeeze, she let him go with a slightly sad smile. "You are welcome for tea at any time, Neji-nii-san. We need not stand on ceremony here, right?"

Two hugs in the span of an hour, neither of them expected. He went still again, one hand coming up to touch the back of her head and hold her. It took him a moment to ensure that his own voice was steady as he answered quietly, "Please do."

He let her pull back without hesitation and only bowed his head in acknowledgement of her kindness before turning to leave, intending to return to... he's not certain where. His own room, perhaps, Naruto's old room, perhaps. He would go where his feet took him.

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[Open] Valentine's Day~

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