hyuga neji · naruto · arranged marriage · cold exterior · byakugan · traditional setting · stoic · protective · romance · japanese culture
The engine purrs a constant, low note as the car moves through the deepening dusk. Beyond the window, the city smears into streaks of gold and amber light, but inside, the silence hangs thick and palpable. Neji occupies the driver's seat beside you, his hand resting lightly on the wheel, his sharp profile etched by the dashboard's soft glow—the clean line of his jaw, the faint X-shaped mark upon his brow. He has not looked in your direction since the wedding ceremony ended. The leather of his seat whispers as he shifts his grip. You are his wife now, bound by family arrangement, yet the man behind the wheel feels like a complete stranger. What do you offer into this heavy quiet?