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Waking up staring at the tiled ceiling of a hospital isn't a new sensation for any ninja. Everyone has their share of close scraps. A few have even had life-flashing-before-their-eyes scenarios.
So it is only mildly surprising that that is where Neji finds himself. He had, it turns out, actually died, so his estimations of his wounds during the battle weren't too far off, but medicnin had resuscitated him. After waking, its a hero's welcome home, which is a something of a surprise.He's glad everyone's glad his name hasn't yet been added to the Fallen Nin Memorial, but you'd think recovering from a war would take precedence over one ninja living or dying. But then, truthfully, even after someone had explained what all had taken place between when he'd collapsed on the field and now two weeks later when he's waking up- well, how the battles ended is still a bit of a mystery. Mostly, he's still processing that he woke up in a hospital this morning, and less than six hours later he's not only been poked and prodded by an army of medics, not only seen half of Konoha, but is sitting in a seat of honor next to the clan head at a party being held for him. Surreal. But everyone seems in good cheer and ready to hail him as back from the dead. So things must be going well, as unlikely as that seemed.
It isn't until Hiashi's speech, thanking him for taking a hit for his daughter, that he realizes it isn't the speeches or hero's welcome that has him so thrown off. He hasn't seen Hinata. Not once since he'd woken up. She certianly isn't present in the room now either.
Hers had been the life he laid his own down to save. Hers had been the last eyes he'd looked at before-quite literally- he'd died, and he'd said- he'd said-
Oh Kami. he'd said- not much, really, but enough. Enough for her to understand. Dying, Neji'd compelled Naruto to live out the life he himself had hoped to have. Only now he's come back to life, and-
Hinata knows. Its her he wanted-wants- to live that life with.
Well. Spectacular. That's the sort of revelation that calls for ditching the stuffy clan halls and taking Lee out to drink. He might regret it when the bills for property damage showed up at his door (and they always do. No knowing how these people even get his address), but now? It sounds fan-freaking-tastic. It takes twenty more minutes of enduring speeches, but when Neji finally makes a break for it, everyone is buzzed enough they don't even notice as he goes.
Tenten, it turns out, knows where all the best bars are. Or that's what she says when opening Lee's door. Well, almost what she says. Okay, so, actually what she says is, "What are you doing here? Isn't this your fancy clan day?" (Tenten has always been a little sensitive about what she termed "Konoha's Clan Member Biases," and, okay, she may have a point about all that, based on his welcome home.) But she hadn't pushed when he'd said he needed Lee to go out drinking with him. She just insists on coming along with them, and that the place be her choice.
It might only be the "best" bar, because Tenten can score free drinks by "accidentally" dropping a weapon out her purse every time she goes to pay, but, hey, Neji's never claimed to be a picky drunk. Plus, his team might actually be able come back to the bar again, something they rarely can do. That is also Tenten's doing. She'd apperently "discovered" during the two weeks Neji'd laid in a coma that the best way to keep Lee from demolishing the bar after a drink was to spend the entire night lip-locked with him. That... would take a little getting used to, to be honest, but Neji figures at least someone is getting a happy ending. It'd be sweet, if it wasn't also a little weird. But, hey- even Gai's bright green bodysuit doesn't phase him anymore, so he's gotten used to weirder.
"You want anymore?" he asks, voice raised a little to be heard over the loud group coming in from the street.They're singing something, and a dog starts to bark at the off-key tune. There's no response from either teammate. He stifles a sigh, and turns to head to the bar when someone stumbles into him. He automatically catches them both, re-stablizing their footing. That's when he properly looks over at the party this person is with.
"Shit, Neji-san! Hinata-chan didn't tell us you were outta the hospital!" Kiba yells over at him, voice about two times as loud as it needs to be. Akamaru barks some more. In his arms, Hinata is giggling. She's giggling right up until she looks up at him. Her face goes up in flames.
Blushing, that's- new. Not for Hinata; she blushes all the time. Every time she's near Naruto, in fact, but never around him, and she only blushes around Naruto because she- oh.
Oh.
"H-hi, Neji."
The blush gets even deeper, if possible, and the lack of an honorific definitely doesn't go unnoticed. Not. At. All.
Two weeks ago, he instructed someone to carry out dreams he would no longer be alive to accomplish. In that moment what he wanted- for himself, for his clan, his friends, for her- had been crystal clear. Only- now he's not dead. And that doesn't change what those dreams are, but it certainly changes who's achieving them.
Blushing.
Right.
He smiles. He can work with blushing.