Title: Can It
Summary: There have been various times, over the years, that Kiba has told Ino to quit her pitiful sobbing.
Pairing: Kiba/Ino
Type: On-going (one-shots in chronological order)
Rating: T (M in future chapters)
Warning: Angst, language, adult themes
a-note1: I've been meaning to this for a long time, and I finally decided to work on it after chapter 616 'cause I know I'm not the only one who squealed at the sight of a small scene between Kiba and Ino. Even though it wasn't generally supposed to mean anything and dismissed as totally insignificant by most, I don't care. I've loved KibaIno for such a long time; I'll forever savor the moment.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
o1. one bitter departure
They were kids when Inuzuka Kiba first saw Yamanaka Ino cry.
It was well into the evening, and he was feeling rather smug and thoroughly satisfied, like a kid who had just been given a wonderful amount of candy—which, figuratively speaking aside, was actually entirely literal, as he did receive just that. He beat the rest of the boys in a race by 47 seconds, a brand new feat. Honestly, they should stop while they're at it, especially Naruto. He could hear the blond idiot from a mile away, when an abrupt cry of frustration filled the sky, sending startled birds to abandon their acquired homes in the high tops of trees in search for another—quieter—area to settle peacefully.
What a loser. He should shut up.
In all his self-satisfied glory, he dug inside his bag, fingers caressing crunchy, plastic material until they circled a familiar oval-shaped candy. Snickering, he retrieved the green tea hard candy, his favorite. Whereas other kids enjoyed chocolates and sickly overly sweet candies, Kiba enjoyed the bitterness and subtle sweetness that enveloped this particular delicacy. It was so not for pansies, as his friends liked to put it. It tasted pretty darn good, and damn anyone who thought otherwise.
However, before he could savor the wondrous piece of creation ever brought forth to mankind, a whimper reached his ear. It couldn't have been Naruto, as it was far too close within his hearing range and sounded way too girlish. (He also would've had a fit if the idiot surprised him in announcing he beat his time.) He also picked up a scent that oddly reminded him of flowers.
A bark from his canine companion grabbed his attention, and he halfheartedly protested before following Akamaru—heck, he had a better sense of smell than him.
Akamaru led him to a flower field, which explained why the aroma filled his nostrils from a distance. A girl with short white-blond hair sat in the very center of the field, thighs to her chest as her face rested in the crook of her knees. Tall grass intertwined with a variety of flowers enclosed the girl, swaying furiously around her small figure as the wind picked up.
Kiba recognized her. She was that Yamanaka girl from her class. She was quite popular in the Academy, always being followed around by a group of girls like she was the goddamn Queen and they her humble servants.
So what does that make of him? The Jester? Well, that title could belong to Naruto, but Kiba could somewhat be categorized as so. He teased the girl a lot, often calling her "blondie" or "pig"—as her name oh-so unfortunately bears the very meaning of—to which she retorted with "stupid dog boy", contempt always evident in her voice.
His mother taught him better than to poke fun at a crying girl, but he couldn't help it—Ino is a total b-i-t-c-h!
Brows furrowed in annoyance at the long whimper that escaped her lips, he shoved the green tea candy in his pants pocket and sauntered toward her.
"Oi, Yamanaka," he said once in front of the crying girl. She didn't lift her head to the curt greeting, only further burrowing it in her lap while her whimpers became louder.
How dare she not acknowledge his presence!
"Hey!" he bellowed, jabbing the top of her head with his finger. "Quit crying, yeah!? You're freakin' loud!"
Her head rose then, and he was met with puffy, red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Fortunately, her whimpers stopped, and she tilted her head questioningly. "Dog boy," she said flatly, all sadness completely devoid from her face, as if the mere company of Inuzuka Kiba reminded her that she is Queen and he a lowly being that should not bear witness to such an emotional display.
Please, she's Yamanaka Ino.
Kiba smirked. "Heh. Quit the act, blondie. Ya look like someone just kicked your puppy." A small bark and nip at his sandal from Akamaru made the boy apologize softly.
Ino giggled and Kiba shot her a look. "What's so funny, huh?"
The blonde girl didn't reply, her attention suddenly on the horizon behind Kiba.
Puzzled, Kiba stepped aside, squinting in the same direction, trying to catch a glimpse of what exactly she was looking at.
"What are ya staring at?" he sighed frustratingly, returning his eyes to her.
At that moment, Kiba was the one to tilt his head in confusion. She looked so dazed, those cerulean eyes no longer mischievous, challenging, and haughty as a Queen's should be.
"Hey, s'matter with—"
"I'm not needed anymore," she said softly, her face impassive.
This wasn't Yamanaka Ino.
"Eh? Heck are ya going on about?" he demanded.
Her face unexpectedly rose up to meet his inquiring eyes, and she smiled dejectedly, throwing him off guard. "Actually, you're right, dog boy. I picked up a stray puppy a while ago. I decided to come to its rescue after seeing how badly others mistreated her, kicking her down for no reason."
"Where is she now?" Kiba asked, his interest now piqued as to where she was going with the story.
"Gone. Abandoned her owner."
The young boy snorted. "That's impossible. No dog leaves its owner. They're a man's best friend, right, Akamaru?" The dog beside him barked in agreement. Kiba grinned. "See? You must have done something for her to up and leave ya like that."
Ino sighed. "Probably did. She believed I took an interest in another dog. Guess she didn't like that. I just let her run off."
"Wow! You're a horrible owner, blondie!" Kiba exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest.
She shrugged, and the boy mimicked her action. "Ah well." His hand reached into his pocket and he pulled out his candy, removing the plastic and eying it appreciatively.
"Green tea?"
Kiba gave her a pointed glare. "Yeah, so what?"
Ino grinned. "Those are for pansies."
His face immediately grew hot and he snarled. "No, they're not, what the heck!"
She laughed as she waved off his comment with her hand before holding it upside and speaking in a haughty manner, like a Queen. "Shut up and hand one over."
This was Yamanaka Ino.
He grudgingly sat beside her and threw her the bag of newly obtained candies.
"Get one yourself, pig!"
"Shut up, dog boy!"
a-note2: This is multi-chaptered, and every subsequent chapter is meant to be taken in order: when they were kids, teenagers, adults. Some may be longer, whereas others short.