NaruHina: Postscripts

Twenty-two

Warning: This one's a little angsty

One-Shot/Drabble Request: Do you think you could write a NaruHina Post-War (but pre-"The Last") One-Shot/Drabble of Hinata visiting Neji's grave for the very first time since his funeral, and Naruto walking in on her doing so (because he was going to visit Neji's grave as well) and eavesdropping on her talking to Neji's grave, then getting caught by her, and then joining her and the two bonding while they're in front of Neji's grave?

Another birthday.

Another year.

She was going to be seventeen tonight.

Hanabi had planned the party at their house. Everyone had wanted to attend and the Hyuugas were expecting all of Hinata's friends to be there. Everything was already set up but they just needed the rest of the food delivered and the guests to arrive.

In the midst of the preparations, however, Hinata found herself wanting to do an errand that she couldn't possibly forget to do. Especially not on this night.

"Hanabi, I just need to see him."

Her sister had smiled with understanding. "Onee-sama, wait here," she suddenly said.

She came back later with a bag and handed it to Hinata.

Hinata nodded. "Thank you. I'll be back in twenty minutes."

"Don't worry, Onee-sama. We'll wait. Take as long as you need."

***

"Hey Neji," she whispered once she stood before his grave. The evening was cool and she looked up to see the clouds over the moon. It might snow tonight, but she wished it wouldn't.

She took a deep breath, and she felt again that ache in her lungs whenever she found herself here.

This was probably what, the hundredth time she'd stood at this place since the war ended?

Still, it felt a little bit better to talk to him here than to talk to herself, to hide in her thoughts, in her room in the Hyuuga compound. That would be worse and would make her seem a little bit crazier than what she was already feeling.

Some days were easier. Some days were tough.

And today was not one of the better ones.

She felt a tear trickle down her cheek and she hastily wiped it.

"Today's my birthday, Neji," she said aloud. "I think it feels worse when there are things to be celebrated. I really didn't want this party, but Hanabi was so happy to do it, I just didn't have the heart to say no to her."

She looked up from his grave and gazed far into the distance, the feelings suddenly overwhelming her as she tried to give voice to what had been bothering her today. "Part of me feels that I shouldn't be celebrating, when you're obviously not here. I have to remind myself that it's okay to laugh and smile and feel happy, you know?"

But the tears came in earnest now that she'd said her thoughts out loud.

"I can't help but wish you were here in my place, celebrating your birthday. I'd want us to be together, of course, but sometimes I think it would be easier if it was just you, that I would be just as happy if our roles were reversed. That I would be there and you would be standing here. Alive."

She felt the tears slide down her neck because she didn't feel like wiping them away now. They were dampening the collar of her shirt but she just didn't care.