Breathless, KibaIno.

Standard Disclaimer applies.

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I took the stars from my eyes and made 'em mine.

And if you lacked some heart,

I could find my way back.

And then I heard your heart beating,

You were in the darkness too.

So I stayed in the darkness with you.

.

-Cosmic Love; Florence and the Machine

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He grinned at Akamaru, they were planning to unleash the full force of their latest attack on the unsuspecting Ino. She had no idea what they were really capable of. They hadn't really hung out much lately and he was beginning to maybe, kind of, miss her. Tamping down on his excitement Kiba looked at Ino from between the branches of a tree. Her eyes flickered all around the training ground, teeth worrying the corner of her lower lip and a light crease marring her forehead.

She looked at the tree that he was squatting on and smiled, a feral curl of her lips. She charged towards him. In two steps she reached him and he jumped from the branch onto the clearing below. She used the branch to push off, arching backwards and landing before him with a slight smile. He grinned back before he poofed! back into Akamaru. She gaped slightly as shock paralysed her for half a second. A hand burst from the ground and a millisecond later Ino's head was glaring at him from the ground while Kiba squatted before her grinning widely. Ino disappeared in a puff of smoke and in the next instant a kunai kissed his bare surface of his neck.

"Do you give?" a voice whispered close to his earlobe making him shiver involuntarily. With an utter lack of concern he relaxed and stretched out on the ground. Ino gave him the fish eye before stretching out closeby. Sensing that they were done Akamaru headed towards a shady patch by the treeline and made himself comfortable.

She turned to her side, closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. When she opened them, Kiba had his face half turned towards her with a lazy grin as he watched her breath ripple through the grass beside her. She smiled back before turning on her back and looking at the sky.

"I really should train more in Taijutsu. I really can't get this out of breath after training" she muttered.

"Yes you should," He said grinning playfully at the glare she sent his way "is what I would like to say but I was afraid receiving the infamous Yamanaka Death Glare™, a bit like the one you're giving me now."

She snorted before asking "A bit?"

"Yamanaka Sr is the inventor and holds the patent" he explained sagely.

She choked back giggles as she solemnly proclaimed "My family loyalty mandates that I take tremendous offense at that disrespectful title and demand an immediate duel to the death."

"Such a pathetic attempt at defending family honor," he tutted sympathetically, "they should disown you for that."

A raised eyebrow was her only response as she rose to sit up. As he tried to do the same, she waved him back down. She plucked the silver comb from the nape of her neck causing her hair to cascade down her back like home spun strands of sunlight. He felt his throat go dry.

Oblivious to her enraptured audience, she combed her fingers through her hair trying to work out tangles.

He swallowed and attempted to keep his tone level as he asked, "Why do you keep your hair long?"

Her fingers stilled a moment before she resumed her combing and nonchalantly said, "No reason of consequence."

She turned towards him, twisting her hair into a top knot, as she added "Why don't you grow your hair out? I'm sure it'd suit you pretty well."

"It'd be too much work" he said easily as he fingered his hair thoughtfully.

"I think I just found Shikamaru's soul mate" she deadpanned.

"You wish" he informed her as he stood, offering her a hand to help her up. She wrapped her palm around his, relishing its warmth, as she stood.

"I really don't." She returned playfully as she made her way homewards.

"How come I don't believe you?" He asked as he kept pace with her, wrapping his pinkie around hers.

"Because you aren't cut out for T & I" she replied as she curled hers to accommodate his.

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Aurora's Note-Breathless. It's going to be a drabble collection. Just random bits of silliness that I am inspired or challenged to write.

Also, Breathless is a song by the Celtic band named Corrs and is an evergreen favorite of mine.

Please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and views, they will be greatly appreciated.