A/N: Okay, so this lovelly little ficlette here is dedicated to Sir Greatness because his reviews for my other fic Ijutsu: the Healing Arts (go read it, you know you want to~~) always manage to cheer me up some.
It's a KibaxTenten so if you don't like it, click the little back arrow or something and don't read. If someone reviews complaining about the pairing they will be either a) deleted without mercy if anonymous or b) sent a blistering reply back if they were signed in. If they were anon but left an email or something then they'll be both deleted and sent a blistering reply. Okay? Good. Now don't say I didn't warn you *smiles sweetly*
I do not own Naruto or anything like that because if I didn't I wouldn't be worrying about paying for uni in a couple of years time.
Hope you enjoy and I hope it meets your expectations Sir
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When Everything Falls Apart
Summary: Weddings are supposed to be happy occasions right? So then why were their worlds falling apart? KibaxTenten
Kiba downed another flute of Champaign, wishing for the thousandth time that they served stronger stuff at weddings.
He wouldn't even be here if they weren't both his teammates. That's right, Hinata and Shino had just been wedded before then entire village and Kiba felt like jumping off the Monument.
He didn't blame either of them, this whole thing was unexpected. They all knew that Hinata would be engaged in an arranged marriage in one of her father's political ploys, and true, the Aburame's would make brilliant political allies, but no one had expected Hyuuga Hiashi to approach Aburame Shibi for an omai.
Of course she would accept. Shino was a better prospect for a husband then a stranger she would have all of a month to get to know if she were lucky.
Kiba threw back another flute of Champaign, wishing for the thousand and first time that they served stronger stuff at weddings.
--
"Neji, can I have a word? It won't take long" Tenten refused to look down, refused to fidget, she was going to talk to Neji and nothing was going to stop her.
Something of this must have shown in her eyes because he quickly and politely excused himself from the gentlemen (or not as case may be) and followed Tenten outside where they could talk in relative privacy.
Now that she was actually here, she didn't know how to begin, what to say first.
Neji sighed, "Whatever it is will you please just tell me already?" he said, "I need to get back inside before my uncle notices I've gone"
This, of course, was all it took for Tenten to snap, "Isn't that always the way?" she asked bitterly, "you never have any time to just talk Neji, not to me, not to Lee, not to Gai sensei hell not even to Hinata even though she's your cousin! You never have. It's always been "my uncle this" and "my uncle that' well I'm sick of it!" she was yelling by now, her eyes wild and her breathing heavy. But she didn't care, how could she? She needed to tell Neji this, even if he refused to listen, "why is it that all you ever have time for is an uncle who hates your very existence? All you do is remind him of his brother, of the brother he lost, and yet nothing you do is enough, ever. Just give it up Neji, give it all up" her trembling fingers reached up to pull off his forehead protector and trace his caged bird seal, "I promise I won't let them hurt you any more" she finished in a whisper.
"Is that all?" Neji asked, Tenten froze before nodding slowly. Briskly, Neji took his forehead protector from her limp fingers and tied it around his head again, "in future, please choose the time to confess your love to me more wisely" he said, turning away from her to head back inside, "better yet, save your confessions who has the time and heart to listen to them" with that he disappeared back inside, hoping to gain a few business favours from the various notables attending his cousin's wedding to the Aburame boy leaving Tenten to slowly crumple to the ground, tears pouring down her face.
--
Looking anxiously around the room Hinata finally spied her other teammate, "he's over there" she whispered to her husband, pulling discreetly on his sleeve. Shino gave an all but invisible nod and they slowly made their way over to their teammate.
"Kiba" Hinata said softly as they drew near. He looked up at them and they saw how upset he was over this whole thing, "oh Kiba" Hinata said, stepping forward to embrace him "I'm so sorry" she whispered, drawing back so as not to draw stares.
The Inuzuka shook his head, "It's not your fault Hinata," he said, "nor yours Shino" he stepped forward to clap the bug user on the back, "just don't be in a hurry to get her pregnant or she'll be taken off the active duty roster and then what'll we do huh?" he laughed humourlessly.
"Kiba…" Hinata began but he stopped her.
"Don't, hime" he said, "just don't, I'm going to go get some fresh air, you two go dance or something"
Hinata looked helplessly at Shino as their teammate walked off. He put his arms around her, "I know hime" he whispered, "but there's nothing we can do, we've all agreed to this to save you from possibly leaving the village, even Kiba. I just hope he can somehow find a way through this"
Hinata nodded, burying her face in his neck, "I know, so do I"
Shino sighed noiselessly and sent a prayer to Kami that Kiba would find someone who could help him get through everything before planting as much of a smile as he could get away with on his face and stepping back out with Hinata to face all of their well-wishers.
--
Kiba stepped out of the stuffy hall and took a deep breath of clean, fresh air, wishing that Akamaru had been allowed. Hiashi, however, would not allow animals to his daughter's wedding ceremony or reception and so none of the Inuzuka's dogs had come and neither had Hana or Tsume.
The two Inuzuka women had congratulated both Shino and Hinata but told them frankly that where they went, their dogs went too. Hinata had smiled a little sadly and said she would never dream of asking them to part from their partners, no matter how short a period of time it were for.
'And yet I was forced to come' he grumbled inwardly.
A harsh, tearing sound cut through his thoughts and he looked around him for the source. Upon seeing no one but Tenten he hesitantly started towards her, not at all sure he could handle any problems the girl might have at the moment but knowing he couldn't just leave her there. "Uhh, Tenten?" he said cautiously, frowning when no pointy weapon came flying at him, "are you okay?"
Tenten turned around and he saw that she was crying. "Kiba?" she asked harshly, "what the hell are you..? No, never mind" she tried to clean her face of tears to no avail.
Kiba stared at the girl before him helplessly for a second before remembering that Hinata made sure that he had a handkerchief wherever he went, pulling it out of his pocket he thrust it under the girls nose.
--
Tenten was cracking, she could feel it. Neji had rejected her in such a cold unfeeling way that was so him she wondered how she could have ever thought he was different.
She scrubbed furiously at her cheeks, cursing herself for crying in front of anyone, let alone Kiba. Never mind that he seemed different than usual, he would still laugh at her later.
Suddenly a dark hand thrust a surprisingly white cotton kerchief under her nose.
Sniffing she looked up to see Kiba's dark eyes focussed on hers, "take it" he said gruffly"
Smiling as best she could, she took the kerchief and blew her nose, wiping her eyes, "thanks" she whispered.
He grinned lopsidedly at her and sat down on a step, patting the ground beside him. She sat down beside him and drew her knees up to her chest, burying her face in them.
Kiba said nothing, but put his arm around her anyway, drawing her closer and rested his head against hers.
They sat there in silence until the doors opened and people began to leave, remained sitting there as the crowds left and the lights went out.
They didn't move at all until the sun began to peek over the horizon when Kiba shook Tenten awake so they could watch the sunrise together, his arm still around her.
"It's a new beginning" he said, his voice cracked after a night of drinking with no sleep, "I don't know what you went through last night but it doesn't matter anymore, it's a new day, a new start and I'm not going to fuck this one up too"
Tenten looked up at him, noticing for the first time how worn he looked. "Lets fight on together" she whispered, "we've both been to hell and back and lived to tell the tale, so lets live"
Kiba smiled crookedly down at her, "you're probably going to have to keep reminding me of that" he said
She smiled softly up at him, "I think I can do that" she said, "just so long as you remind me too"
"You've got yourself a deal" he said, awkwardly shaking her hand.
She laughed, sending birds in the trees nearby into flight.
"Now then, what do you say we go find someplace that's open at this godforsaken hour of the morning and get some breakfast?" he proposed, standing up and drawing her up with him.
Her smile widened and turned into half a grin, "wanna see who can down the most pancakes?" she asked, "I know a place not too far from our usual training grounds that just stays open, they have the best pancakes"
"You're on" Kiba said with a wide grin, "what do I get when I win?"
"Oh I dunno, how 'bout a kiss?" she said jokingly.
"Careful what you say" he mock-warned her, tapping her nose with his forefinger, "cos I might just take you up on it"
Tenten laughed again, the clear sound rising through the air and filling them both with hope.
--
-end-
A/N: Okay so that was When Worlds Fall Apart. I hope you all enjoyed reading it because I enjoyed writing it more than I'd anticipated.
Sir, I hope this meets your expectations and if not I'll be happy to write another for you because I've missed writing stuff purely for my own pleasure and that of my readers.
Oh, for those of you who don't know what a pancake is, I believe they're call "hotcakes" in America or something. If not, wiki them or something because I'm too tired to explain things properly.
Reviews = love and I love you all show please show some back to me~
Suzette