"No" Kiba said plainly. Hinata frowned at him.
"Really? Not at all"
"No."
"Not the least?"
"No."
"Not even a little?"
"No."
"So if she liked you yo-?"
"She doesn't."
"You don't know tha-"
"I do."
"You're just asu-"
"No." She sighed audibly.
"You are being hopeless Kiba." His face didn't change.
"No. I am being realistic." She looked at him.
"You never told her. How would you know?" He still didn't move a muscle.
"It's in my gut. And she's never given any sign. I can smell stuff like that." Hinata shook her head, but didn't argue anymore. It seemed futile. But that didn't mean that she would give up. She would just try a different technique.
"Wanna' go grab some miso?" She smiled at him as she changed the subject, and he felt his stomach growl at the mentioning of food.
"Yeah sure. If we have time, I'll take you out for ice-cream afterwards." He smiled back at her. "Should we ask if Shino wants to come along?" She smiled at him.
"Sure. We haven't seen him for a few days. Come on, let's go." Kiba woke the sleeping Akamaru on his knee.
"Let's go Akamaru. Hungry?" The dog barked in response. "Right, I figured that much."
They went and fetched Shino, and after a while they arrived at Raichi's, the small restaurant where they usually went together. It was a bit off and had a lovely terrace with trees around it, which muffled the
sounds of the busy village remarkably. And Kiba appreciated it, having better hearing then the rest, he found it hard to get a peaceful moment anywhere except for in his own sound-proofed home. They were shown to one of the tables by a girl Kiba assumed was new. At least he didn't recognize her. Well at the table, they picked up the menus in front of them. Kiba scanned his lazily.
"I'll have miso and onigiri with umeboshi. And a steak, medium-rare, for Akamaru." He gestured towards the dog by his side. "Oh, and a pot of green tea as well, please." The waitress smiled at him.
"Right, of course sir." She then turned to Hinata, still smiling. "And what can I get you, miss?"
"I'll have miso and onigiri with Benito-soy filling. And a kettle of your cherry-tea, please." She smiled at the waitress who was writing it down.
"Right, thank you." She then turned to Shino. Still writing, she spoke politely to him. "And what would you like, sir?"
And then, the strangest thing happened. The waitress dropped her jaw, making it clear that she had been quite oblivious to that he had been present, staring at him in with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief in her eyes. He looked back at her plainly. Hinata and Kiba looked at them, wondering what on earth was going on. Then Shino smirked, they could tell. But if anybody else was watching, they wouldn't have noticed the least. The waitress face went crimson. Shino just kept his mischievous smirk.
"I want..." Her blush seemed to get worse by the second. He cleared his throat audibly. "I'll have a kettle of ginger-tea, the tempura prawns, the vegetable spring rolls, and..." He looked up at her, smiling with amusement. "The ginger sour-cream." The waitress seemed like she was about to explode, the red so deep on her face now, holding her breath. Kiba and Hinata still didn't get it, but had some very strange suspicions. The waitress turned on her heel, leaving the table quickly. Kiba and Hinata turned to Shino.
"What on earth was that all about?!" They said with one voice. Shino nearly jumped out of his seat, having forgotten about their presence.
"Un, nothing." He finally said, but his teammates would hardly settle with that for an answer.
"Shino, don't lie. Tell us!" Hinata all but screamed out in impatience. Shino had a girl?
"Really, it's nothing..." Kiba growled in anticipation.
"Shino, come on, just spill the beans!" Shino shrugged. Hinata giggled.
"Or in this case, 'the ginger sour-cream.' What was that about anyway?" Shino's smirk came back instantaneously.
"Just a culinary preference. Nothing else." His smirk didn't leave his face.
"Shino, you are lying through your teeth. What happened between you and the girl?" Hinata was impatient as ever.
"Hn. A gentleman would never tell of such a thing. And you cannot make me, so you might as well give up. Though..." His smirk got wider. "She's no lady, so you could always try to ask her if you really-"
"Do not believe him; he is nothing like a gentleman. The tea will be out in a minute. Enjoy." She smiled at them. "Oh, and really Shino, just to warn you, the sour-cream probably won't taste the same." She blushed a little. "Once again, enjoy." They stared at her as she walked away. Then Hinata spoke, voice drizzling with curiosity.
"You guys don't use honorifics?! You better tell us what's going on! Are you two like... dating?" Hinatas voice toned down towards the end of the sentence. Shino stared at her.
"Why so curious?" He asked innocently. Kiba laughed.
"Come on, we know you did something. But really, all this confuses me to, please do enlighten us!" A different girl came out with a tray and put the drinks on the table. Shino frowned.
"Excuse me, where did Mitomoka-chan go?" The girl smiled curiously at him.
"Her shift ended just now, so I will be taking care of your orders for the rest of the evening." She gave a small bow and turned to return to the kitchen. Shino frowned again in annoyance.
"Excuse me again, but did she leave yet?" The girl turned around.
"No, she is getting changed. Would you like for me to pass a message?" She blinked meaningly. Shino sighed and thought for a second.
"Yes please, if it is not too much trouble that is?" The girl shook her head. "Then would you tell her these three words: Buttercups, wisteria, forget-me-nots." The girl nodded, then turned back again. Hinata stared at him. Kiba had an amused look on his face.
"You better explain this bug-man." Shino sighed, realizing they'd never get off his back if he didn't.
"Fine. Buttercups and wisteria hardly ever grow in the same place, but I found a glen in which they did. See, they both require so different types of earth... Anyways. The sky was blue as forget-me-nots. That brilliant blue colour it gets in the evening, you know?" They nodded. Shino started to eat. Hinata kept staring.
"AND? What on earth is that supposed to mean?!" Hinata asked, and Kiba just sighed. Again.
"It's probably where they first met." Shino shook his head in denial.
"Completely and utterly incorrect." Kiba shrugged.
"Why don't you tell us then? You are acting hopeless. Worse than Hinata and Naruto used to be even." Shino froze. Hinata giggled.
"Really Kiba. If anyone is hopeless it's you. How long have you been in love with Ino? I don't see you asking her out." Kiba frowned.
"Don't change subject. Who is she?" Shino just shrugged again.
"Her name is Mitomoka. I met her at the book–shop. She recognized me from the chuunin-exams all those years ago, and told me she had a great interest in bugs. So we went out for coffee, then took a walk and came to the glen I was describing." Hinata and Kiba stared at him. Shino went to book-shops? Shino met random girls and went for coffee with them? Shino went for walks with girls in the forest? Shino did anything besides... Well, come to think of it, they didn't really have any idea of what Shino might do when they weren't hanging out. And he never talked about it.
"Seriously? And you talked to her?" Kiba asked in a voice that clearly showed that he didn't trust his own ears to work, for once.
"And, um, what about the sour-cream?" Hinata asked carefully. This made Shino's face blush for the first time that Kiba and Hinata ever remembered.
"Un, we had dinner..." Kiba smirked, an all-knowing look now on his face. Hinata blushed a little.
"You know, I really don't need the details..." Hinata blushed a little more. Shino started to eat again, and the others followed his example. Then the girl came back.
"Mitomoka said to tell you amber, ivory and rêve. She has left now though." The girl returned to the kitchen. Hinata stared at Shino.
"I have a feeling I don't want to know, so I won't ask." Shino let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you."
After dinner was finished, and he had walked both of his friends home, forgetting all about ice-cream, Kiba sat down by the quiet stream with Akamaru on their way home. It was late, and the sun was setting low, casting a golden light over the city. The water of the river, however, stayed as everblue as the sky. He ran his fingers through the soft grass beneath him, letting his mind wander over to Ino again. It was hopeless, and he knew it. Akamaru felt the change of his mood and gave out a low worried whimper.
"Nah Akamaru, its fine. Just thinking." But Akamaru would not be fooled. "Right, it's a girl. She doesn't even know I exist. But unfortunately, I'm far too aware of the fact that she does." Akamaru gave a sympathizing whine. "Thanks Akamaru. I know, it'll be fine." He scratched his friend behind the ear. "I just wish it would be okay a bit sooner..." He lay back against the ground and Akamaru put his head on top of his stomach, and Kiba felt himself drifting out into a well-deserved nap, but was quickly interrupted out of it.
"Oi, dog-boy!" He opened his eyes lazily, sitting up and scanning the area around him to see Naruto stand on the other side of the river. Behind him he had Sasuke, Neji and Hinata, the last one being the
only one to smile at him. Naruto smiled to, of course. "Wanna' come with us for a night out?" Kiba sighed and looked at Akamaru who looked annoyed by being disturbed from his nap.
"Akamaru, could you take this home with you?" He made a gesture at his bag-pack, and the dog nodded. "Thanks friend. I'll be home before you know it. It just seems so rude to say no, as I have a feeling I told Hinata I'd go with them before. It just slipped my mind." The dog barked in understanding and was gone in a flash. Kiba stretched his back, and then jumped over the river to join the others.
-
They went to pick up Tenten and Sakura, and then the two most up-tight guys finally started to seem to loosen up a little. Sasuke relaxed remarkably, and Neji even smiled once in a while. Kiba felt a bit depressed as he saw the others, and was eternally grateful when Lee joined them. He had calmed down a little through the years, and though both he and Gai still wore the exact same clothes, they had finally had the decency to change outfits. They instead wore jade-green t-shirts and army-green jackets with matching pants. And after a lot of persuasion by Kurenai, Tenten and Anko, they had let their hair grow long and flowing. Though their characteristical eyebrows, no power on this earth seemed to be able to touch.
"So, how are things going?" Kiba asked Lee, realizing that they had not spoken for quite some time.
"Oh, as the springtime of youth should, wonderfully! I have found the most beautiful flower that ever sprung from this earth. I am very happy, Kiba-kun." Kiba smiled. Lee was obviously getting all of that excess-energy let out somewhere; he had never seen him this calm before. Though his choice of words were as always filled with youth.
"I am very happy to hear that Lee-kun." The now long-haired ninja smiled.
"Yes, as am I. How are things for you?" Kiba shrugged.
"As usual I guess. Handled some missions that went better than expected." Hinata turned to them.
"You know Lee-kun, Kiba-kun has an eye of a flower of his own..." She giggled slightly. Lee's eyes lit up. Kiba tried to quickly change the subject.
"So, Hinata-chan, is Shino coming tonight as well?" Hinata shook her head.
"No, he's busy cooking... Believe that if you can. I bet it's that girl again. He's acting really strange you know? But don't think you can just change the subject like that!" The Inuzuka shrugged innocently, a picture of Shino in a laced apron appearing before his mind before he answered her calmly.
"I'd never dream of it..." He looked over at Lee, who seemed about to explode.
"So is it true Kiba-kun?! Who is this wonderful flower of youth?!" Sasuke and Sakura turned their heads to observe them. Kiba stayed quiet, staring up at the sky.
"Kiba-kun, you're in love? With who?" Sakura asked curiously. Sasuke smirked.
"Yeah, I thought you stuck to dogs. " Nobody laughed. Sasuke shrugged off his bad joke. "So, who is it then?" Kiba kept on staring at the sky.
"Nobody. " Kiba said in a voice that sounded like it was fibbing like no tomorrow. He stared up at the denim sky. Hinata giggled at him.
"You always were a terrible liar Kiba."
"Well I just don't want to say."
"So you are in love then?" Tenten asked, joining the conversation. Kiba sighed in defeat.
"I guess. So what, she doesn't feel the same, so it's completely useless." Neji turned his head to look at him.
"You are wrong, it is not. Love is never useless." Everybody stared at him. Neji spoke. Just that was strange. But to say that? Tenten smiled a soft smile, kissing him gently, and Neji blushed slightly. Tenten squeezed his hand, in a 'good boy' kind of way. Kiba didn't avert his eyes that were still fixed on the rather quickly darkening sky.
"It's so easy for you all to say that. But you all have someone already, and have forgotten what it's like not to." Sakura got a strange look on her face.
"I just don't like to remember. None of us do. Loneliness is not a nice feeling, so I do sympathize with you..." And though nobody had noticed, Sasuke had joined Kiba in an intense heaven-gazing session. "...But it doesn't last forever." She finished quietly.
"Really Sakura, it's not the end of the world. I'll get over it." Kiba gave a half-hearted laugh in an attempt to joke it away. Then they arrived at the pub, and the conversation was luckily forgotten.
-
Team Ino-Shika-Choji was already waiting for them in one of the corners of the pub, saving a booth and the table next to it, and had fixed extra chairs. The current topic of the conversation was whether or not Choji was going to go up and make a move on the cute girl in the bar, which had been checking him out for the last hour or so. He wasn't nervous; it was simply not his thing. Then, Choji had never been one for quick relations, and neither of his team-mates blamed him as they understood exactly what he meant. Then they saw the rest of the gang arrive, and Choji decided to talk to the girl just to see the other people's faces. Ino and Shikamaru smiled at this. It could be quite the bit of fun.
They all greeted each other and sat down, then Ino made a strange face and pointed towards the bar.
"What on earth is he doing?! He was going to get me a drink, not pick some girl up! Shika-kun, he is hopeless!" Shikamaru was impressed by her acting-skills.
"Mondokusei, yes he is." Shikamaru sighed. Then even Ino and Shikamaru were surprised to see Choji and the mystery girl give each other a long, deep kiss. Inos mind was buzzing like mad. What on earth?!
"Shika, did he really...?" Shikamaru stared in disbelief.
"Look again... I simply can't believe it." The girl and Choji paid, stood up and walked out. Ino stared dumbfounded. They all did, beside Kiba, who started to laugh. They all stared at him.
"What on earth is so funny Kiba?!" Ino asked with shock still in her voice. Kiba calmed himself down.
"That was Hana. They've been going out since last Thursday. None of you knew?! Didn't you recognize her?!" They all stared at him.
"How do you know this Hana then?" Sasuke asked curiously. Hinata giggled.
"It's his sister!" Shikamaru stared at Ino.
"I cannot believe that he didn't tell us, that, that, oh, Mondokusei!" The Shadow-controller glared out into nowhere as his thoughts hit him. Weren't friends supposed to tell each-other about stuff like that? Though Choji probably had a good reason. He wasn't compulsive at heart, and that Shikamaru knew for a fact. Ino giggled.
"It's quite cute though, isn't it?" She looked at Kiba, who nodded slightly.
"It sure is." He didn't just mean Choji and Hana though. Actually, his mind was completely elsewhere.
They ordered drinks from a waiter and started to catch up on gossip and their lives, and after a while it was just as it always was. Shikamaru and Neji spoke of old missions and the girls gossiped away like mad, leaving the rest of the guys to themselves.
"So, tell me..." Lee said after a few too many drinks. "Who is this flower? I do not believe that you answered!" Shikamaru and Neji looked up.
"Kiba's in love?" Shikamaru asked in a nearly astonished voice. "I thought you weren't in to the real relationship kind of thing?" The girls quieted down. Hinata smirked.
"Yeah, tell them who Kiba!" He shook his head.
"Never. There is no relationship." Kiba stated as stoically as he could. Sakura made a sad face and puppy eyes.
"Oh, come on Kiba, tell us, we won't tell her, we promise!"
"I'm not telling." Shikamaru looked at him with surprised eyes.
"It's one-sided. Kiba is unhappily in love." He stated it as calmly as if he had said that it had just started to rain. Kiba shrugged.
"Well, it's the way it is. You can't make somebody love you." Hinata frowned.
"But you can tell her. Otherwise you'll never know. I don't get you. It's not like you to just give up." They stared at her, then at Shikamaru for his former comment, and then at Kiba for a reaction on it all.
"You didn't tell her?" Neji asked him simply. Kiba shrugged.
"No. But I'm quite sure."
"How?" Inos voice pierced through his slightly dim mind like moonlight on a clear night, but he shook it off. Though the next time he spoke, his voice was changed. It sounded to the brim filled with melancholy.
"Because she is too good for me..." He stared into his drink, slowly turning the glass of whiskey in his hand. "Because she probably loves someone else..." He had a sip of the burning liquid. "Because she doesn't see me. Ever. It's kind of like a stupid love-story, really." He chuckled joylessly to himself and had another go at his drink.
"You know, that sounds really hopeless." Ino said softly. "But then, you shouldn't give up all hope. There's always a chance she might walk up to you one day and say she likes you too. Never give up." Kiba just sighed again. This situation was so typical. Strange, but typical. It was like life loved to mess with him. The girl he was in love with was telling him not to give up. Funny. Well, not really.
"I am quite sure that it will never happen Ino. That only happens in stories and movies. Happy endings were never something life gave out for free, and I don't see when it would start now. If I thought I had even the slightest chance of ever showing her my love, I'd take it. If I thought it would make her happy, if I thought she wanted it. But at the moment, there is no way I will even consider making a move, because if I did, she'd probably just laugh at me."
"I always thought you to be more of an optimist, Kiba. If I found this stupid girl I'd tell her myself. And why won't you tell us who it is?" Naruto asked, running low on patience as always. Kiba looked back into his drink, blushing a little. "It better not be Hinata!" Kiba chuckled at this.
"It would never be Hinata. She's like my sister." Naruto relaxed again, arm around Hinata. "And I don't know really, I guess it's not that bad, it's just..." Shikamaru smirked strangely.
"I know who it is! Oh, I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. Troublesome man. Well, at least you picked a nice woman." Kiba frowned a little. That man as too smart for his own good. And his mouth seemed to grow when he got a few drinks into his system.
"I did not pick anyone. You hardly pick who to love." Shikamaru kept his smirk.
"Though I think you should tell her. I know you wouldn't be disappointed." All eyes were on him. Kiba just sighed tiredly. How he wished the genius was right, though he knew he was very wrong about this.
"We are obviously not speaking of the same person. Either that or you are not as smart as they think that you are." Sakura gave out an annoyed sigh.
"Can't you just tell us? I want to know too... Ino! You always know gossip, who does Kiba like?!" Sakura had also had one too many drinks that night. Ino shrugged.
"I... I have absolutely no idea... But I know who likes Kiba..." They all stared at her, except Kiba, who was not surprised. After all, he was quite popular. All the genin-girls wanted him to be their trainer next year. His first team. What a thought. Team Kiba. It sounded strange.
"Ino! Tell me!" Sakura sounded about to burst. Ino shook her head.
"I'm afraid I promised her not to tell you... But Kiba-kun, I could tell you if you want to know." He stared at her. That scent. There was no way... Shikamaru smirked.
"Perhaps you should tell him by the bar, where we can't hear you. We all know that if Sakura get's to know, the entire town will know by noon tomorrow." He had another go at his drink. Kiba stared down into his empty glass.
"Well, I need a new drink anyway, care to join me?" He looked at the girl of his dreams, but kept his animalistic eyes dull so that she wouldn't suspect anything.
"Sure!" She answered in her best mischief-voice. "Come on!" And so, they walked over to the bar. Sakura frowned in dislike of the situation. She wanted to know.
-
They took a stool each by the bar and sat down, both waiting for the other to speak first. They ordered their drinks, Kiba his single malt-whiskey and Ino her glass of dark, sweet rum. Kiba sighed.
"So, who is it then?" He really didn't care, he just wanted to drink in peace and drown his sorrows. Ino sighed.
"Some crazy girl, you probably don't know her... She's got this terrible laugh and she's not very bright. All she seems to care about is clothes and makeup and hair and boys and parties... "She had a go at her nearly black drink.
"Then again, she's probably misunderstood. Maybe, beneath all those layers and facades, she's different... Maybe there's more to her than just a pretty face... Well, I guess it doesn't matter who she is, you already have that girl of your dreams..." She sighed, then looked up and found him staring at her.
"You know..." He said carefully. "The girl I' in love with... Well, she is a little crazy, but in a good way I guess. It makes her so different from the other girls." He stared into his drink. "And she has a strange laugh, but I love the sound of it. And though she seems shallow and most people just think that she's just a pretty face, they are so wrong. She's strong and independent and smart..."
He smiled sadly, eyes looking away. "And she'd never notice me. Even if I told her all those things, even if I told her how I loved her with every piece of my broken heart." He sighed and had a sip of his drink, though he'd never gotten this corny if he hadn't already had a bit more alcohol than he could handle.
His mind trailed off. "Because I do want to tell her. More than I ever wanted anything I want to be able to tell you how I feel. Why is loving you supposed to be so hard?" At his last words, Ino froze.
"K-Kiba...?" She stammered; face blushing sweetly as she raised one of her hands to her mouth.
"Ino, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I never meant to tell you... wait, I mean, it's hopeless I-"But instead of running away or getting angry or start to laugh at him, as Kiba thought that she would have, she smiled shyly at him. "Ino?" Kiba had a hard time breathing.
"Kiba... I... I love you to... so very, very much... Kiba..." They stared at each other; the table of their friends had turned all their attention towards them and fallen completely silent, staring at them in amazement. "Who did you think I was describing?" She added, voice barely a whisper.
"I... I guess I knew all along, I just-"
"Kiss each other already! Troublesome people..." Shikamarus voice broke the silence. Kiba and Ino jumped, glaring at him when they had risen from the shock. Hinata giggled.
"Shut up Shika! Go home to Temari!" They stared at Hinata.
"Did you just curse?" Narutos voice sounded shocked. Hinata just giggled louder.
"What? I guess I did! Oh yeah Shika-Kun, I just met Temari outside. She just got back from her mission. She should be getting home any time now really..." Shikamaru pulled out his wallet, put money on the table and was then gone in a green flash. Nobody was surprised.
Kiba and Ino watched the spectacle, then met each other's eyes simultaneously.
"Ino..." Kiba got up from his stool, paid his tab and Ino followed his example. "Let's get out of here." She nodded, and they left for the warm summer-night outside. He held Inos hand as they slowly walked down the street together, heading for no place special. And it was the best feeling Kiba had ever felt. And Ino felt just the same. The people still inside the bar were oblivious to the fact that they had left until it was too late.
Me: Naaw this was cute...
Ino: It was...
Kiba: Wicked woman.
Me: Don't call me that! Anyway, I know you like what happened. And perhapps I'll continue this story...
Ino: Do. DO!
Kiba: Calm down honey. Let's go home...
Ino: -blushes- Alright Kiba-kun...
Me: Hopeless. But plz review anyways.
xxx/Me