Dandelion
Disclaimer: Naruto & Inc. are owned by Masashi Kishimoto.
Author's Notes: Even though it's only a one-shot, this is possibly the longest thing I've written in a while. I'm slightly proud. No spoilers that I can see. Probability of OOC is very high.
Hinata never thought of herself as beautiful.
If you asked her what beauty was, she would point to Ino and her long golden hair. Or Sakura with her spirited personality. Or even Tenten with her athletic prowess.
In fact, Hinata could look at each of the kunoichi in the village and point out the most beautiful part of them, but when it came to herself, she drew a blank. Her hair was too short, her appearance plain. Even her fighting skills were mediocre at best. Certainly not qualities one would admire, which is why Kiba's recent attention bothered her so much.
The lingering glances weren't noticeable at first, occurring only here and there, but to Hinata, who had never had anyone look at her twice, this unexpected attention made her very flustered.
Kiba Inuzuka was a boy who walked with a certain air of danger about him. His manners and fluid animal grace, which many attributed to his close relationship with Akamaru, alternatively disgusted and fascinated his friends. Surprisingly, Hinata was one of the few chunin who didn't feel intimidated by him. Despite his loudness and brashness, she knew he had a good heart underneath his prickly exterior. Years of being on the same team had given her a chance to see that the bluster was just a cover. Well… most of it anyway.
She found that his eyes, which sometimes held a feral look, had a particular magnetic quality that was hard to ignore. Hinata found it difficult to pay attention to Kurenai-sensei during team meetings when she felt Kiba looking at her from the corner of his eye. But whenever she turned to look, his eyes were riveted on Kurenai-sensei, listening intently to her every word. It made Hinata wonder if she was just imagining it or if she was just going crazy. From what she could see, it was probably the latter.
It wasn't until a week later, after a particularly difficult practice session, that Kiba directly came up to her.
"Oi, Hinata," he called out, Akamaru running along side him. He slowed his run to a light job as he reached out to grab Hinata's elbow. "Wait up."
Hinata froze biting back a gasp at the sound of his voice. "K-kiba-kun?" Her eyes flickered to Akamaru's, then to Kiba, looking entirely confused. As the dark haired girl continued to stare at the boy in front of her in bewilderment, the silence became more pronounced. Kiba saw that her eyes were fixed on the elbow he still held, and dropped it quickly, clearing his throat nervously.
"Where are you headed to?"
The question seemed to snap her out of her daze. "Home."
"I'll walk with ya for a bit," Kiba offered. "I'm headed that way anyway."
Hinata nodded, unsure of what to say. The pair walked together in silence, Akamaru following close behind. The only sound was the occasional rustle of leaves blowing in the wind.
"So…got any plans for today?" he asked gruffly, He had his hands shoved in his coat pockets, kicking a loose pebble.
Hinata shook her head, which indicated that she had nothing else to do that day.
"Since we're not doing anything either," Kiba said trying very hard to sound nonchalant. "Me and Akamaru were wondering if you'd like to take a walk with us."
"A walk?" Hinata said faintly. She knew what "walking Akamaru" really meant, and it usually involved lots of trees and flying bodily fluids.
At the other girl's expression, Kiba quickly added, "Not like a training exercise."
When he saw Hinata in relief, he continued, "We were gonna go by that field you like. The one where you go pick flowers. So? Whadda say?"
Hinata hesitated, but at the look of eagerness on Kiba's face, she found that she couldn't say no. "Okay."
Kiba grinned, reaching out to ruffle her hair playfully. "Yeah, you. Just meet us at the clearing in an hour. Ja."
As he jogged off with Akamaru, Hinata could only stare after him in confused bewilderment, her hand reaching up to straighten her mussed hair.
KH.KH.KH.KH.KH.KH
"Here's a good spot," Kiba announced after they had been walking for a for a while in silence. He unzipped his coat, laying it down on the ground in front of Hinata, before sprawling on the grass next to it. "Sit."
Hinata looked from the coat to Kiba hesitantly before the dark haired boy rolled his eyes and said, "Go on. It's not gonna bite."
Akamaru barked his agreement before rushing off to settle down beside Kiba. He yawned once and curled into a ball, seemingly fast asleep. Hinata had little choice but to do as she was told, or remain standing beside them. Lowering herself carefully, she wondered idly what the grass-stains would do to Kiba's coat.
"Don't worry," he said, as if reading her mind. "I'll wash it later."
Hinata smiled softly, nodding. "Thank you."
Once settled, she reached over to pluck a flower growing beside her.
"What's that?" Kiba asked, sniffing experimentally. The fragrance was cloyingly sweet, and vaguely familiar.
"A yellow amaryllis," Hinata smiled and brought it to her nose.
"Why do you like flowers so much, Hinata?" Kiba asked. It wasn't meant to tease, but as a genuine question.
"Because they're pretty," she said softly, twirling the amaryllis in her hands. "I collect them and preserve them at home in my books."
"How many flowers have you got so far?"
"Hundreds," she breathed, feeling slightly embarrassed. Hinata had never revealed to her friends the extent of her hobby. She thought they would think it was weird, but Kiba seemed genuinely interested. "I've been collecting them for a long time."
The other boy whistled appreciatively. "You sound like Shino with his bug collection. He's got a ton of 'em, but they probably don't smell as good as yours."
Hinata giggled. "No, I guess not."
"I guess that's why," Kiba said lazily looking up at the sky.
"I'm sorry?"
"It's why you smell so good all the time," Kiba said softly. "Light and delicate--kinda like a flower."
"Oh." Hinata turned pink. "T-thank you."
"Yeah," he sounded embarrassed at such an intimate revelation. "Sure."
There was a long, awkward pause as Kiba looked up at the sky, unable to meet Hinata's eyes. He coughed nervously. "Which one's your favorite?"
"Dandelions," she replied softly, without hesitation.
Kiba looked surprised. "Why's that?"
"People might think that they're small, pesky weeds, but they're so bright and cheerful that I could never see them as useless. They're very beautiful in their own way," Hinata explained shyly. "Someone once told me that dandelions hold wishes."
"Huh," the dark haired boy grunted. He rolled over and picked two puffy dandelions beside him, holding one out to Hinata. "Let's make a wish then."
Smiling she took the proffered flower from Kiba's hand. Closing her eyes, Hinata made a silent wish--the same wish she had made since she was a genin--and blew.
Beside her, Kiba did the same.
The seeds fluttered gently in the wind, swirling together, drifting farther and farther until they finally settled down some distance off.
Hinata turned to Kiba and was surprised to see him with a thoughtful expression on his face. "So what did you wish for?"
Hinata became very quiet at that question and Kiba wondered if he had offended her somehow. He opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could, Hinata pinned him with an uncharacteristically piercing look. Her white eyes seemed to look past him, to the depths of his very soul, as if she was measuring him. Kiba met her gaze unflinchingly.
"Warmth," she finally whispered. "Not like the sun or a blanket." She placed a hand over her heart. "But a feeling deep within."
Kiba looked solemn at her answer. He knew that he had passed some sort of unspoken test and that Hinata trusted him enough to reveal her deepest secret.
The least he could do was return the favor.
Without a word, he sat up, and pulled a shocked Hinata close to him, burying his face in her hair. The smell of flowers flooded his nostrils.
"This okay?"
His question reverberated throughout Hinata's body. Anxiety, fear, and hope all intertwined into one utterance--one question that demanded an answer. To her surprise, her heart was more than willing to respond. The feelings he felt were identical to the ones she harbored deep within her own soul. Hinata could feel Kiba's heart thumping erratically, unsure if what he had done was right or if she would regain her senses and shove him away in disgust. Unconsciously, Hinata's hands crept up and clutched a fistful of Kiba's shirt, using it as an anchor. That was enough for the dark haired boy, who let out a large sigh, his arms tightening around Hinata.
"You were right about the dandelions," Kiba said, his words somewhat muffled. "They really do hold wishes."