There was something about Neji's room that made him want to touch Hinata. Maybe it was the lighting. Maybe it was the way Hinata looked so vulnerable right then. But he knew he couldn't do anything. He had already stirred some problems with Hiashi. Anymore and he could be in deep trouble.

But…her skin, so pale and soft - Neji's mind screamed at him to stop, but he couldn't help it. He touched Hinata's face lightly. A blush crept over her face, and Neji wondered why he hadn't noticed earlier how Hinata was so cute when she was blushing.

Hinata looked at Neji through her eyelashes, her blush darkening as he bent toward her, then pressed his lips onto hers. She remembered the last time he had kissed her like this; she wasn't expecting it at all.

His hands ran through her dark glossy hair, and Hinata whimpered as Neji kissed a little harder. She let her lips be taken, giving light, small kisses back.

Neji finally pulled away from Hinata, panting slightly. "Sorry about that," he murmured.

Hinata felt light-headed. "About what?" she whispered breathlessly.

Neji frowned slightly. "You don't mind?"

"Mind what?"

Neji hesitated. "About..us…" Neji lowered his voice.

Hinata blushed darkly and casted a glance to the side. "I….I don't….mind…"

"Answer me truthfully, Hinata…please."

Hinata looked back at Neji. She got up and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I don't mind."

-----------

The wind toyed with Neji's soft, dark locks before passing on, hair falling back onto his shoulders and sifting down his back. The shorter strands of hair in the front fell over the seal on his forehead; Neji had taken off his hitai-ate, allowing the deep brown tresses to fall gently over his face.

Hinata leaned back gently into his chest, her dark blue-tinted hair brushed against of his face, and whiffs of soft lavender scent wafted toward Neji. They sat together, Neji's hands in Hinata's lap, in Neji's favorite spot in his tree.

His pale eyes turned on what he could see of Hinata's face, the smooth, rounded cheek, and the eyelashes that brushed through the air as she blinked.

Her eyes were also pale; identical to his, yet at the same time, from another world.

Hers were soft, forgiving, and kind.

His were hard, cold, and arrogant.

Hers told stories of timid, shy and innocent experiences, while his showed hurt, and a harsh past.

Yet both pairs of eyes were blessed, or cursed with the same bloodline. They could see everything. Everything the owners wanted to see. Nothing they didn't want to see. Even all-seeing Hyuuga had blind spots.

Hinata was different. She saw what Neji or even Hiashi could not see.

She saw how hard Naruto trained to prove himself. She saw the look in Shikamaru's eyes as he stared up at Temari. She saw the longing in Gaara's eyes.

The burden in Chouji's expression. The admiration in Lee toward his sensei. Sasuke's harsh past. Sakura and Ino competing desperately to win the Uchiha's heart.

Kiba and Shino's brother-like protection toward her.

Neji saw…perhaps half of that.

And he admired Hinata, whom he thought when he was younger as weak.

To him, Hinata was the black sheep of the family. And he loved her for it.

Neji's eyes closed half-way. He was warm and content. His chin rested lightly on Hinata's shoulders, with her head leaned toward his. The longer strands of her glossy hair tickled Neji's cheek, a teasing whisper carried by her breath.

Neji took his hands off Hinata's lap and wrapped them slowly around her.

"Hinata…"

"Neji-niisan?"

Neji let a smile grace his lips. Not a one-sided smirk, but a real, genuine smile, one which told of happiness.

"Mmm….I want to show you something…" Neji murmured against the crook of Hinata's neck.

"…Nandesu ka?" Hinata turned her face so that her nose and lips brushed Neji's cheek. Her eyes gazed at Neji's half-closed ones, dreamily inquisitive.

"First…I need to tell you…it's sort of a story."

"Mmm…"

"Before…these past months…I've noticed that my Byukagan seemed to…miss things."

Hinata seemed concerned and opened her mouth to speak, but Neji pressed a finger to her soft lips. She looked at him, curious.

"The caged bird," Neji paused fingers itching to touch his forehead, "had played a big role in my life. Naturally, birds became a symbolic element to me. And…every time I tried to count them wherever I was, I was one off."

Hinata looked at him with round eyes.

"But…I've done some thinking after that Amemaru girl showed up. She told me that something was missing from my life."

Hinata's eyebrows rose.

"And I've figured out what is missing…or what was missing."

Hinata lowered her eyes, her pearly orbs tracing the strong jaw line of her cousin. "What was it?"

Neji looked at Hinata, quiet for a moment. Hinata's eyes seemed to press the answer out of him. "It was you," he said softly.

His arms tightened slightly around Hinata. "Both fortunately and unfortunately, the girl was right. You are the one missing. The person who made my life whole…"

Hinata blushed. Her eyes, unusually, stayed gazing into Neji's own identical ones.

His face was set serious, as always. His eyes were slightly apprehensive, and his eyebrows furrowed a fraction of an unit.

Hinata giggled, bringing a hand up to her lips.

Neji blinked. "What's so funny?" he asked, voice just a bit to the annoyed side.

Hinata's hand left her mouth and went up to Neji's cheek. She brushed her fingers along his jaw, smiling. "Nothing…you're just always so serious."

Neji 's eyelids met for a second, then he gave a hesitated, one-sided smile.

"How's that?" he said.

Hinata giggled again. "No, that's more like a smirk. You just smiled a few minutes ago! You can do it again."

Neji looked into Hinata's eyes, and smiled a both-sided smile.

Hinata returned the gesture.

"Anyway…" Neji continued after a while, "what I wanted to show you was this."

He took out a bag of birdseed from his pocket, untied it, and sprinkled a pile onto the forest floor a few feet away from their tree from his spot with Hinata. He emptied the bag, and slid it back into his pocket.

Neji's arms wrapped around Hinata again, and he brushed his nose against the smooth skin of her neck. He tilted his face upwards, so he could smell her lavender-scented hair.

"Nine birds," he murmured into Hinata's ear.

Hinata touched her forehead to Neji's cheek and stayed there until the first of the birds arrived. The first came in a couple, looking around warily before hopping forward and beginning to eat.

Then, six more flew in one by one, joining the first two. Hinata and Neji observed quietly as they ruffled their feathers occasionally between pecking at the seeds stowed on the ground.

"You're missing one," Hinata murmured teasingly.

"It's coming," Neji assured softly, touching his lips to Hinata's.

Hinata kissed back, then broke away as chirping was heard above them. Both looked up at the small mammal.

"There it is," Neji breathed in Hinata's hair.

Hinata smiled. The bird cocked its head and flew down, as Hinata outstretched her arm and extended her pointer. Tiny feet gripped steadily on her finger, and the bird studied Hinata and Neji curiously.

Hinata brought the bird closer to her, gently, so that it would not become startled and fly away. Neji breathed shallowly. The bird represented him…to many people. It was like him. The small, bright eyes were wary, constantly looking around to keep from getting hurt. It distanced itself from the others just like him, only to seek comfort with things obviously higher in status.

Neji did that too. He set his potentials the highest he could, often forgetting that he too, was human, just like everybody else. Just like Naruto, Hinata, Lee, Ten Ten… the most important people to him.

Naruto, the one that saved him from darkness and handed him over to Hinata.

Hinata, who led him along and showed him the way as his sensitive eyes grew accustomed to life.

Lee and Ten Ten, his comrades and friends, always behind him and supporting him.

Someday, maybe he too, would have many, many friends. The Konoha shinobi and kunoichi were united. But they were more than that; they were friends. Ever since the first Chuunin exams, they all met for the first time, all together. Then, on the mission to bring Sasuke back, the boys learned to trust one another and become a team. They sacrificed their lives just to bring one of themselves back.

Neji watched as the bird on Hinata's finger cocked its head, the spread its wings and soared down to the other eight. They made room for him, and they all shared the feed.

Neji and Hinata watched, Hinata with a smile on her face, and Neji with one starting to form.

"Nine birds," Hinata murmured. "You got them all."

"Mmm," Neji said.

Hinata toyed with a lock of Neji's dark hair, combing her fingers gently through the soft tresses. "Those birds are free," she said quietly.

"Hmm?" Neji said, looking at Hinata.

"They're free, but you're…not." Hinata's eyebrows furrowed. "When I… If I become the head of Hyuuga, I promise that I will do my hardest to stop the branding of the seal on the next generations of the Branch houses."

Neji stared at Hinata's fingers as she spoke.

"And then I'll hand my title over to you, Neji-niisan." Hinata sighed. "And maybe Tsunade-sama will find away to remove the seal."

Neji's hands closed over Hinata's stopping them. His were big compared to Hinata's small, pale ones.

"I'm fine the way things are, Hinata." Neji said softly. "Remember what I said? Things happen for a reason in this world. That way there's balance. If we were all using our strength to our maximum, the thing that happened to the Uchiha might have happened to us Hyuuga as well."

Hinata frowned. "I know, but…you're not…free yet. You're still…caged."

Neji smiled, to Hinata's surprise. "I've learned to open the door, Hinata."

Hinata gazed at him questioningly. "How?" she breathed.

Neji brought his face close to Hinata's letting his lips hover over Hinata's for a second. "Making you happy sets me free…"

The End.