Involuntary Parents

Involuntary Parents [31]

Neji wandered through the halls in the house searching for his missing cousin. He got worried when everyone started asking about her whereabouts. A muffled sob caught his attention, curious, he set out to locate the source of the sound.

"Hinata?" He asked when he saw a girl sitting on the floor with her knees to her chest and her hands wrapped tightly around them. He was instantly by her side, getting on his knees to communicate with her. "Hinata, what happened?" She buried her face in her knees and cried even more. "Talk to me. Did Naruto do-"

She shook her head as soon as she heard his name. "H-he didn't do anything," she croaked between sobs.

"Then why are you crying?" He asked touching her arm.

"He hates me Neji-nii, Naruto-kun h-hates me," she said lifting her head to look at him.

Neji frowned when he saw her puffy, tear stained cheeks and red eyes. "What did you do?"

"I...Toneri, h-he..." She looked away as more tears started to fall.

Neji grimaced at the sound of his name. He really hated that guy, "what did he do?" He urged her to continue.

"H-he k-issed me a-and Naruto-kun saw," she said.

The brown haired Hyūga's eyes twitched. He kissed her in front of Naruto? Knowing that baka he probably thought Hinata was in love with the pale jerk. Neji sighed and stood up. "Come on," he said bending to help her up.

As soon as she was on her feet he wiped her tears. "You need to go find the baka and explain everything."

"B-but he-"

"No buts," he said grabbing her shoulders. "I know you love him, for reasons I will never understand. I mean he's a complete moron and-"

Hinata laughed, "okay, I get it."

The pale eyed boy smiled, "the point is you both love each other. No there's no point in avoiding each other."

She nodded and Neji released her, "but where are you going?"

Neji cracked his knuckles, he always wanted an excuse to beat the crap out of Toneri and now he had one. "Just going to take care of some business. Now go."

Hinata nodded once more and they both went their separate ways.

*

Naruto marched through the crowd of dancing people. Suddenly he didn't feel the urge to be around anyone. He just wanted to be away from all the madness. His heartbeat slowed as he placed one foot before the other. The image of Toneri and Hinata was forever etched into his mind's eye.

An ache resurfaced in his chest, his eyes burned but he refused to cry. Why was it always like this for him? Why'd he always choose girls that were in love with someone else. He bumped into a guy that was having the time of his life with the girl he was dancing with.

"Hey watch it," he said glaring at Naruto.

"Gomen," he muttered walking away. Everything he'd ever felt for Hinata landed in the pit of his stomach, like an injured animal. It just laid there, writhing in pain and despair. Much like how he felt at the moment.

He was sure, so sure that Hinata wouldn't choose Toneri. Maybe he was too sure, after all nothing ever went his way. He wasn't Teme, he wasn't aloof nor detached. But maybe...maybe that's how he should have been. Then maybe it wouldn't hurt as bad.

"Naruto?" Asked a soft voice. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked around. Where was he? He looked down and saw water far beneath the wood on which he stood. A bridge. He was standing on the bridge that stretched across the widest part of the pond.