Winter's Warmth Chapter 1: It was the first snowfall of the year, a naruto fanfic

A/N This is just a series of fluffy little one shots based off of a series of prompts to get me back into writing again. They'll be about various characters in Naruto, and have various pairinings, but I have a feeling there'll be quite a few Kiba/Hinata, because they're my favourite.

This first one revolves around Hinata and Kiba, and is the story the title of this series is based off of. The prompt was "It was the first snowfall of the year."

Enjoy!

As the air grew colder, and the sky darkened with clouds, the Hyuga clan was busy with their regular activities. Hinata was no different. Despite the cold weather, and the apparent possibility of snow, today she would meet Kiba and Shino in their regular place to resume training, and await orders from the Hokage on their next mission. Hinata prepared the tea for her father, and left it for him on the porch before she headed out of the clan house.

Hinata was worried. On the first day of winter in the village of the leaves last year, Kiba had made her a promise, though to this day she didn't know what it meant. She reminisced as she made her way to their training grounds, her mind weighted down by her thoughts.

'…the first snowfall of next year,' he said, as he stared up at the sky, ' I promise that it'll be a day you'll never forget.'

At the time, she didn't know what he meant, and when she asked, he only grinned at her like usual, as if he had never said anything strange at all. But she had always remembered his words, and ever since had wondered exactly he was talking about. Her feelings were mixed. Her curiosity drove her to wish that she would see the soft fall of a few shimmering flakes, but her anxiety about his statement made her hope that the day never came.

She waved to Kiba and Shino as she saw them standing and waiting, and she put on a soft smile that didn't betray a hint of her concerns. Kiba grinned cheerfully as he saw her coming towards him. "Hey, Hinata!" called Kiba and Akamaru, who was seated beside Kiba's feet, woofed in greeting. Hinata blushed, and silently wondered if he remembered the promise at all.

Shino announced to them that they would have a break from their missions so they could focus on their training for the day. Hinata was somewhat relieved to hear this. If she could focus her energy on her training, she could take her mind off of Kiba and the sky. She opted for honing her taijutsu, and told Kiba and Shino that she would work by herself for a while. As she attacked the wooden dummy, the boys training their own skills somewhere nearby, she was able to clear her mind and focus, like she thought she would be able to, for a time. Even Akamaru's excited barking and the enthusiastic encouragement from Kiba at whatever exercise they were doing seemed to go in one ear and out the other. After all, it was her ninja way to put all of her effort into becoming a better shinobi.

But it could only last so long. In the heat of her training, she didn't notice that small flakes of ice that drifted from the sky, until one landed on her face. She stopped, and wiped the snowflake from her cheek, her gaze drifting up to the sky with wonder. 'Oh it's…snowing…' she couldn't help but smile a little at the beauty of the first snow.

'Snow, huh.'

She spun as she heard the voice behind her. Kiba stood, hands casually in his pockets and Akamaru standing dutifully beside him.

'Oh. Y-yes. Where's Shino?' she asked, avoiding the subject, but also genuinely curious of his whereabouts.

'It's getting late, he went home for today,' he replied. Hinata had noticed that his eyes had drifted upwards distractedly. Hinata assured herself that it wasn't unlike Kiba to get distracted, there was nothing to worry about. She only wished that her heart would calm itself, as it had been thumping more wildly when Kiba had showed up.

'Well, we should go home too, maybe,' she suggested, turning away.

'Do you…remember?'

Hinata paused. He had said it so quietly that it was almost a whisper. 'K-kiba…?" She turned and looked at him quizzically, but his gaze laid elsewhere. Hinata rarely saw the gentler, contemplative side of Kiba before, even after all the time she had known him. It did nothing to help the nervous flutter in her stomach, or the increasing thump in her chest.

Akamaru woofed, and Kiba was snapped back to reality. His usual confidence returned.

'C'mon!' he said suddenly, and grabbed her hand, dragging her back into town. 'It's too early to turn in now!'

Hinata was amazed. Kiba had dragged her across the village to a number of her favourite spots. First, they had gone to a restaurant that she loved, and he had treated her to her favourite meal. Then, he had taken her off to a bunch of different places: some familiar to her that she loved and others she had never experienced before, but she still loved anyways. After the eventfulness of the night, Hinata was feeling tired out, but very much at ease. She had forgotten all about her previous worries, though, during their adventure through the village However, Kiba now lead her outside of the village to an area of the surrounding forest that she had never ventured to before, and the flutter of nervousness returned to her.

'Kiba, it's late, maybe we should go back,' she suggested.

'Naw, Hinata, it's just a little farther, trust me!' he said, looking at her with his confident grin. She did trust him, after all, he had been to many places in his training with Akamaru, so she didn't doubt his familiarity with the area.

Without looking back, he took her hand, and darted ahead dragging her along. She looked down at their conjoined fingers and blushed fiercely. She convinced herself he was just ushering her along, making sure she didn't get lost, but still she couldn't make the redness in her face fade, nor distract her mind from the warmth of his hand around hers.

'We're here!' Kiba finally announced, and the flustered Hinata looked up at their surroundings. Hinata's jaw dropped and she looked around in awe. They had reached a clearing in the forest, just before the drop off of a cliff. Above them, the moon lit up the clear sky. Both stars and snow glinted in the light, making the air glint with a soft shimmer. A waterfall far across the drop still flowed despite the cold, into a vast sea that glinted with the beauty of the sky reflecting into it. It was as if she were facing a never ending sky.

'Oh, Kiba…it's beautiful,' she commented, still wondering at the marvelous place.

'Yeah, not many people know about this place,' he said, looking back and grinning. Akamaru woofed, and ran carefree in the clearing. Kiba took a few steps forward and gazed off into the distance, facing away from her. 'You know, my mom was always so rash that when my dad was around…well, he didn't get to do anything very romantic. When he asked…or I guess, was forced into asking my mom to marry him, this was one of the few romantic things he did for her.'

'S-so, your mom told you about this place?' Hinata asked, curious about where he was going with the story. 'Of course,' she thought, 'this would be the perfect place to propose to someone.' Her offhanded thought suddenly startled her.

'Yeah. She told me that this place is special,' he looked as if he was reminiscing, but she couldn't tell with his back towards her. 'Special things happen here.'

Hinata's heart thumped.

'Well,' he laughed, and turned and stepped back towards her, 'Don't worry, I'm not gonna propose to you or anything.'

Hinata almost breathed a giant sigh of relief, but still remained nervous.

'But,' Kiba grinned, but it suddenly seemed different from usual. He reached up, making Hinata flinch slightly, and lightly brushed a few snowflakes from her cheek. 'I will say that I love you.'

And on the day of the first snowfall in the Hidden Leaf Village that year, Hinata never forgot…

'Kiba, it's late, maybe we should go back,' she suggested.

'We're here!' Kiba finally announced, and the flustered Hinata looked up at their surroundings. Hinata's jaw dropped and she looked around in awe. They had reached a clearing in the forest, just before the drop off of a cliff. Above them, the moon lit up the clear sky. Both stars and snow glinted in the light, making the air shimmer with a soft light. A waterfall far across the drop still flowed despite the cold, into a vast sea that glinted with a the beauty of the sky reflecting into it. It was as if she were facing a never ending sky.

'Oh, Kiba…it's beautiful,' she commented, still wondering at the marvelous place.

'Yeah, not many people know about this place,' he said, looking back and grinning. Akamaru woofed, and ran about carefree in the clearing. Kiba took a few steps forward and gazed off into the distance, facing away from her. 'You know, my mom was always so rash that when my dad was around…well, he didn't get to do anything very romantic. When he asked…or I guess, was forced into asking my mom to marry him, this was one of the few romantic things he did for her.'

'Yeah. She told me that this place is special,' he looked as if he was reminiscing, but she couldn't tell with his back towards her. 'Special things happen here.'

Hinata's heart thumped.

'Well,' he laughed, and turned and stepped back towards her, 'Don't worry, I'm not gonna propose to you or anything.' He chuckled.

Hinata almost breathed a giant sigh of relief, but still remained nervous.

'But,' Kiba grinned, but it suddenly seemed different from usual. He reached up, making Hinata flinch slightly, and lightly brushed a few snowflakes from her cheek. 'I will say that I love you.'

And on the day of the first snowfall in the Hidden Leaf Village that year, Hinata never forgot…