Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ INANE AFFECTIONS ❯ Chapter 5: Cousins and One-armed hugs ( Chapter 5 )

Author's Notes:

Yes, I know I have not updated this fic for quite a while. I never even knew I would be able to do so in fact.

Anyways, I am down on my knees, begging you, please give me a review.

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own Naruto.

Inane Affections

By boyarina

Chapter 5: Cousins and One-armed hugs

He is being far too territorial than he should have been in the first place. He could forgive those times that he lets the natural instinct of brotherly protectiveness (over-protectiveness?) but this…sense of ownership is inexcusable.

He does not own Hinata-sama. He would have to come in terms with the fact that especially now that they are older, he is not the only man he could brush skin to skin with her in their day to day encounters with other people.

He just couldn't even seem to take away from his mind that every time Hinata-sama comes within a foot of the opposite sex, sexual innuendos are flying all over the place. Either that or he has an over-active imagination, or that the shy, timid, and meek Hinata-sama that he knew of now already is learning the act of flirting.

Oh, Gods. Let that NOT be true. How in hell's name would he be able to escape the scene lest she decides to turn it on him?

One thing that calmed Neji down is that he knows that he would not be reduced to a blubbering fool if in any case Hinata-sama innocently plied that trade on him. He always has his infamous stoic expression that he could always hide behind on.

Hopefully, that would be enough to save him.

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Hinata would have reveled more in her new found sense of defiance had it not been for the grim (and truth to be told, getting grimmer) expression on his face. So, instead of crossing her arms in front of him (which is really what she feel like doing as of the moment), she thought it'd be best to link her hands on the back and pout forlornly.

“Daijabou. I wasn't going to meet him anyways. I just happened to be at the same place that he was in earlier. Pure coincidence.” Hinata mumbled. This had always had worked in Neji-niisan before but tonight seems like nothing would sway that formidable frown on his face. Tonight, it would seem that that `I will protect Hinata-sama with my life' attitude-of-his (cavalier though it maybe) is on overdrive.

“Are you still going to insist on going alone together with Gaara-sama on the trip for market surveillance tomorrow?” he asked in his no-nonsense voice.

Hinata flinched. She had made that request a few days earlier, during the time she felt the need to know more about the Kazekage in a personal level. Diplomatic to a fault though she might be, she always considered friendship as the main thing that cements an alliance between two differing villages—especially Konoha and Suna since they had been in a war before.

“Why are you so uncomfortable with the idea of me being alone with Gaara-sama?” she asked, pausing to realize that she actually sounded STEELY. Quite unnerved by this, she consciously tucked a hair behind her one, shifting her gaze away from her cousin as she did so.

“I am a big girl now, Neji.” She said softly this time, but with as much conviction as before. Indeed, being a twenty-year old, you would think that at least Neji would give her a chance—though it might just be a one time chance—to stand on her own.

Neji-niisan, instead of backing down, gave a long-suffering sigh.

“Are you harboring… feelings for the Kazekage, Hinata-sama?” he asked in this patronizing tone; the scowl on his face would have satan screaming for his mommy had it been directed to him.

Hinata, however, is not fazed by it. Considering that Neji-niisan had made it his habit to use it every time there is a male around her (for some reason it seems like there's never a shortage in the supply of this), she already had gotten quite used to that frightening-than-Kyuubi-itself frown.

Plus, this is his usual dialogue whenever he wears that expression on his face. Remembering this tonight of all time and on this place where—all things considered—she should only be indulging ambassador business, Hinata is hard-pressed not to chuckle. So, she tried her best to stifle it.

It came out anyway (though she already had pressed a hand over her mouth), making Neji-niisan growl in irritation.

“Neji…” she began, eyes softening despite the fact they are still crinkled in mirth, “I… thank you.”

“Hmph. You haven't answered yet my question, Hinata.” He said, tapping his foot impatiently against the floor.

Another giggle escaped her. She didn't know if it's because Neji-niisan finally dropped the salutation or if it is because the eventual hug that would follow right after it.

One thing is for sure. She is feeling MIGHTY giddy.

“Well?” Neji-niisan growled again.

Knowing that she is already treading on dangerous grounds, having been asked for the second time, Hinata shook her head with fervor.

“I don't Neji,” she answered promptly, dropping her own salutation to him as a courtesy and as a… cue.

Pacified now (or so it seems) Neji-niisan held out a hand to her. Hinata let instincts took over her and stepped into her cousin's one-armed embrace, wrapping her arms around his torso as he awkwardly patted her back.

For some reason, though he is the one who initiated this ritual, Neji had always been awkward about it. The first time that they have hugged to seal an unspoken truce between the two of them was when he caught Shino's hands up her jacket. Her teammate was trying a new bug that was said to specialize on finding the perfect female mate for an Aburame male who is looking for one. The second Shino had shown it to her, the bug suddenly flew to the sleeve of her jacket and went inside of her clothes.

Shino, of course, was aghast. It was pretty obvious, actually. She could see by the tell-tale sign of his frown and by the way he immediately launched himself at her, muttering (either for his benefit or hers) “It comes only once every five years!”

“Can you not just call her back, Shino-kun?” she asked, both of her arms raised resignedly as his hand rummaged through her jacket and fishnet upper garment.

“Hinata…you have to understand. No one is allowed to control the female species of jeitemono.” He said, pausing in his search to give her his explanation. Then, barely a second after her nod of acknowledgement, he resumed in his task, poking this time through the straps of the metal plate covering her chest area. “You have to coax them, play with them, gain their trust. Ah, there you are!”

It would have ended there considering that Shino-kun finally found what he had been looking for. Unfortunately, it was during the last two sentences that Shino had uttered when Neji-niisan made his arrival. Again, unfortunately for the two of them, because of their absolute preoccupation, they didn't notice Neji-niisan's presence until he made it known to them.

“I swear,” Neji-niisan begun, boring dagger holes into Shino-kun's head, “If you don't take a step back away from her now, I will pop your arms out of their sockets.”

Shino-kun, though seemingly unperturbed, drew a good five feet distance away from her.

“I was simply retrieving the jeitemono,” Shino-kun said calmly, holding the evidence on his forefinger. Despite this, Neji-niisan's glare intensified. Fearing for her teammate's safety, Hinata decided to step in.

Even before she got a single syllable out of her mouth, Neji-niisan suddenly appeared before her. Without so much as a warning, he pulled her to him, causing her face to get crushed against the crook of his neck.

“Why did you not stop him, Hinata-sama?” He asked sternly, but the awkward way he was patting her back belied his words otherwise. “Did he try anything inappropriate?”

Her initial shock quickly dissolved when Neji-niisan's words registered in her brain. Using both her palms, she pushed away from him by an inch or two so she could raise her face up to him.

“Shino-kun really was just looking for the jeitemono, Niisan,” she said softly, feeling the familiar warmth creeping up her neck to her cheeks. The rumble that his growl emanated vibrated through his chest into her hands, telling her that her Niisan is yet to pass the stage where castrating Shino-kun is the best solution warranted for the scene he had witnessed.

“He had his hand up your jacket! That is no excuse!” he grumbled, patting her still and acting as though this act of consolation would calm him down.

“Neji-niisan…” Hinata was unable to stop the exasperation that crept up her tone.

“Why are you defending that Aburame, Hinata?”

Pat. Pat.

Hinata sighed.

“Are you harboring feelings for him?” Pat. Pat.

“Eh?” Hinata looked at her cousin blankly at first, then, shot a brief backward glance at Shino-kun. She flashed him an apologetic smile, before turning back to her cousin and yanking on his ear.

“Neji!” she hissed. Her cousin did not even flinch though she is pretty sure that his earlobe had been smarting right then. The complexion of his ear which had actually turned pink (getting redder by the second) told her as much.

“Well?” he asked, raising his eyebrow at her.

Hinata gave him a slight frown but didn't grace him with an answer. Turning back to Shino-kun, she plastered another apologetic smile on her face.

“Excuse my cousin, Shino-kun.”

Her teammate mutely nodded at her. In fact, all throughout the exchange with her cousin, he had been silent—just simple watching... observing…

The gears on Hinata's head clicked noisily, bringing to her awareness just how Shino-kun is interpreting Neji's one-armed embrace.

“Hinata…” Neji-niisan's started again, his warning tone snapping her back from her unsettling realization.

“I-i don't Niisan!” she exclaimed, putting much fervor in her words. After few more pats on the back, Neji-niisan `hnned' and at long last, released her.

For a second there, Hinata was thrown in the rift of indecision as she debated whether to feel at a loss or relieved now that she got her own personal space back.

After experiencing a couple more of these one-armed hugs, Hinata found out that even with the presence of somebody else, once Neji-niisan steps out of their embrace, it is NOT relief that overwhelms her.

Overly protective though he might be (yes, even to the point of ridiculousness), Hinata couldn't help letting her anger at him seep away and acknowledging the cold sense of loss once his arm drops away from her shoulders…

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Comments:

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