A/N: My passion for Naruto has again recently ignited, oops! That also translates into the urge to write for my OTP, these two lovely cousins with the most lovely of potential romance. Hope you enjoy.

Apology

Neji would not trade in his time during the chuunin exams for anything. It was a tumultuous time for him, there was no doubt in that, and his pride still ached a bit when thinking of his defeat – but it was an important time for him, regardless. It was what shook his ideology, his intolerance, and his loss at the hands of Naruto and the truth about his father that Hiashi had relayed to him changed his life for the better. Life was a lot less bleak when he wasn't forcing fetters onto his entire destiny.

But despite all the good that the exam did for his outlook and, well, his personality, there was a bit of an internal struggle that also stemmed from it. That being, he hated not knowing everything.

Not that he ever deluded himself that far. Even as a pessimistic fatalist, he knew he didn't know everything, but he was just so sure he knew how everything worked. There was a difference, or so he told himself. Now – now he regarded the world differently, nakedly, forcing off the shackles of his old ways. And in doing so, he felt like an infant seeing the world anew, but old enough to feel shame in his ignorance.

The old him regarded everyone in the main house with a sense of resentment and bitterness. The new him – or at least, what he was working toward, as the chunin exam was still fresh in his mind – the new him was now unsure. Did he still feel some resentment at the way the clan was handled? Yes, it was there. Was he still bitter? A bit. Were both feelings dulling a bit, or at least not the center of his musings all the time? Definitely.

This also left Hinata. That was a minefield of awkwardness. It was easy before to write her off as a failure in the main house and give her nary a passing glance – but now, thinking back onto that behavior, he felt the needled pangs of shame.

The girl he told his father he'd protect, he'd thought dryly. That only made him feel worse.

He wasn't completely blind to her and he wasn't completely ignorant. Of course she forgave him. She was a bleeding heart that was insufferably kind and far too generous. And even if he'd been uncertain, the tea she would often bring out to him during training on the Hyuga grounds would confirm it – the gestures that screamed it loud and clear; no, she didn't hate him. Not even a little.

That made it harder to apologize, somehow. It wasn't apologizing to someone that hated him just to maintain dignity, or to remain civil, or just to keep up appearances. It wasn't a political apology. This was someone who he didn't really have to apologize to, because she already forgave him, undoubtedly. That alone made him determined to apologize, and he didn't know why, and when he tried to question his reasons it just plunged him into more confusion and – though he'd never admit to it – the occasional blushing.

So maybe he admired her a bit, considering she'd been working on changing herself far before Neji even considered it a possibility. And maybe he had the aggravating, overcompensating urge to protect her after the guilt continued to eat away at him for harming her. And maybe her little finger pokes and glances to the side could be a little...endearing. Sometimes. If they weren't simply annoying.

More than anything, she was no longer the symbol of the weak granted entitlement by birth. She was no longer a lesser person than him in his eyes, and for that, he no longer hated her. Or rather, he no longer hated what he'd saw her as.

"N-Neji?"

He did not jolt in surprise because he did not space out during his training. He would also deny anyone who claimed he flushed a bit before maintaining his composure and turning to his younger cousin. "Yes, Hinata-sama?"

Her shoulders were hunched and her eyes went between resting just above Neji's eyes or just below them. She held out a cup of tea for him, a small and uncertain smile on her lips. "F-For you."

"Thanks." She was less intimidated by him each day, something he'd noticed. She'd smile around him now, stay a bit longer than necessary, strike up small talk, even though she was a bit terrible at it.

Neji though, he was more ambiguous, and it was not because he didn't accept her reaching out to him, but because he was uncertain about how to accept it. It was more a matter of finding the right words to apologize to her before he felt confident enough to engage her. As it stood, there was only a slight difference in the way he treated her now compared to how he treated her prior to the chuunin exam, and that worried him. How long would she reach out to him before his aloof attitude would force her back? Before she was convinced that he still hated her all the same? There was no guarantee that she would keep coming to him. He needed to act.

So Neji Hyuga uncharacteristically put a hand on Hinata's shoulder, and announced that he wanted to talk to her about something. Unplanned and to-the-point. He didn't fancy himself as fatalist anymore, but he knew that fate would hand him at least the most awkward discussion in history.

Hinata, meanwhile, just regarded him with an inquisitive and confused expression.

"About...the exams..." Neji began, gritting his teeth and annoyed at himself at how hard this already was. "It was wrong. What I did to you."

Hinata blinked, surprised for a moment, then broke into a sweet smile. "Oh, that's what's been bothering you, Neji?"

Neji blanched, mouth slightly agape. Hinata gave a small chuckle, bringing her hands together. "I-I mean, I'm sure it's not the only thing. Just...you seemed tense around me lately...I-I was wondering if you still hated me."

"I don't." Neji sighed, hating the vulnerable feeling of being seen through. Better to be read by Hinata than someone else. "I don't think I ever hated you."

That caught Hinata off-guard. She blushed brightly. "R-Really?"

Her blushing was maddeningly contagious to Neji. "I just wanted to formally apologize."

She looked absolutely touched. Neji grumbled a bit under his breath, turning away from her and going to sit by a tree in the shade. She didn't have to look so surprised or so moved.

Hinata hesitated a moment before going to join him. The two sat together for a few moments, silently watching the clouds, a barrier that was still between them finally broken down.

Hinata was the first to break the silence. "Y-You didn't have to apologize, but...thank you, Neji..."

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to." He regarded her lazily, watching her looking up at the clouds, before looking back up at the sky. "It may be a laughable sentiment now, but I'd like to protect you."

Hinata turned to her cousin, eyes wide. "Y-You don't have to feel obligated to do that – !"

"I don't," Neji assured her. "It's something I want to do. It's my own choice. I'd like to see you go on and become the head of the Hyuga household. Personally, I..." Neji hesitated, trying to gather his words. "I think you would be good for the clan. I believe you would be a great leader."

Hinata's face was practically luminescent and her eyes looked a stone's throw away from tearing up. Neji sighed; he was determined to say it without sounding cheesy, but it seems he'd failed. He wasn't all that broken up over it.

"You don't know how much that means to me," Hinata said in a small voice. Neji allowed himself a small smile as the two continued to watch the clouds. At some point, their fingers threaded together. It was comfortable and warm, and the two were content for the rest of the afternoon just in each others' company.

A/N: Pretty sure I'll keep this as a one-shot, but I'm not sure. Feedback is always appreciated.