A/N: This is a scene part of an AU I'm still writing (a two part AU for the matter) but since I'm not exactly sure if I'll ever publish it or finish it and I'm quite in love with this scene.

Edit: decided on making it multi-chaptered after all, enjoy!

Characters: Hyuuga Hanabi, Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata

Summary: It was his best friend's wedding and he wanted nothing but to stare at her and dwell on his own sorrow, while he babysat her sister, that is. Hyuuga Hanabi, however, has something else in mind. Inuzuka Kiba, on the other hand, is quite set on not letting her distract him.

I own nothing.

Chapter 1: Graduation

"Has it ever occurred to you that you had fallen for the wrong Hyuuga?"

He didn't know how it happened. Wait, no—that was a lie. He knew exactly how and why it had happened. She just happened to be an innocent, shy and harmless girl, once. A girl he warmed up to and thought he could help come out of her shell. He was just supposed to do that, help, but he fell in love instead. And time passed by and the girl became a woman; she transformed. And the small shy and harmless girl was no more, she was replaced by a fierce, determined although still innocent woman. He was happy for her. The flower bud blossomed and it wasn't because of him. He had slowly but surely became only a spectator of beauty and not its gardener as time flew by.

He regretted that. He regretted many things.

His eyes followed her petite figure with melancholy. He had seen her dance so many times in the past, but this particular dance, as she smiled the brightest most beautiful smile he had ever seen on her to her husband, happened to be her most elusive one and yet the most tragic.

"Stop looking at my sister that way, Inuzuka-san, it's gross," a sharp voice derailed him from his train of thought.

Inuzuka Kiba looked to his left and pointed his glass of whisky her way, "Watch that mouth of yours Hanabi-chan."

He had ended up with the not as exciting but sufficiently distracting task of keeping his friend's younger sister from steering trouble. If someone enjoyed looking for trouble it would be no other but Hyuuga Hanabi.

"Gross is a lame word, Kiba-san, I can cuss now, I'm an adult," she rolls her eyes at him dramatically.

"Not under my watch," his response is dry. He had no intention of letting himself be manipulated by a college student.

"I'll be turning 21 in two months," she spat foully, it was often that she was treated as kid, "I can even drink….from your glass," she added with a mischievous smile, her hand suddenly coming unusually close to his glass.

Kiba, accustomed to her antics, motioned the glass of whisky away from her expertly.

"You're not yet 21 and like I've said, not under my watch," he looked at her this time, his eyes blank in an attempt to quiet her down, he was most definately not in the mood for any of Hyuuga Hanabi usual games.

She sighed in defeat beside him, her arms crossed defensively over her chest, "you can't continue seeing me like kid."

"That's cause you're a kid," he stated frankly, "you sound like a kid, you speak like a kid, and most definitely act like a kid."

And an imprudent kid, at that.

Kiba knew he had said the wrong thing instantly. She confronted him head on, head tall and combative expression, ears bright red. He constantly forgot, Hanabi was taller than her sister, more so if she wore heels, with which she was almost as tall as him.

"I'm not a kid," her hand was on his chest, Kiba frowned at her.

What had gotten into her?

"Okay fine, I get it, you are not a kid, geez," he got her hand off him hastily, the contact made him uncomfortable. She looked too much like her sister. Even when she had a rounder face and brown hair, the eyes, the eyes were all Hinata. The lights illuminated her face prettily; if he looked down he would've noticed the long of her legs or the ampleness of her bosom. Definitely a woman.

Hanabi made a revolted face at his touch, "you thought of my oneesan, didn't you Kiba-san?"

He would've given everything not to have notice the accusation in her voice. She caught him off guard, he had not seen that question coming at all.

"Uh, maybe…" the flushing cheeks and the frown, it was all too similar to him, "you are both quite alike in some aspects," he sipped his glass of half-finished whiskey dismissively. His answer was disheartening to her, he knew.

The younger Hyuuga gave a heavy sigh as she slumped into the stool beside him. They were touching shoulders. He drank the rest of the whisky in a go and shook his head. He wasn't exactly good at managing his alcohol, despite his looks.

"You better not get drunk, Kiba-san," her voice is quieter, sullen.

Kiba gave her a quizzical look, who was she to order him around? And why did she have to suddenly sound so caring? Pfft. He didn't understand this woman, if any.

He ordered the bartender another go.

"I'll do what I want," he gave her a wolfish grin, he could sense himself relaxing after the alcohol, "May I recall you this is a free world, Hanabi-chan? Just as you are an adult, so am I," he winked at her and drank a healthy dose of liqueur.

She grunted at this.

"Getting drunk won't get you anywhere, you know? I thought adults like you knew such simple truth," she snarked.

"Aye, Aye!" he raised both his hands in defeat, a glass in one, "fuck, you are too smart for your own good," he shook his head.

"It hasn't really taken me far," she remarked unexcitedly.

"Not yet,"

He was sure Hanabi would make a name for herself one day. If anyone had guts it was her.

"Not yet," she repeated too slowly.

There was a pause.

"Kiba-san?"

"Hmmhmm?" he urged her to continue. The party was picking up and soon they would not be able to hear each other over the noise.

"I think we should look at this as a graduation of sorts," her head rested over her intertwined hands over the bar's counter, her face tilted to the side facing him.

He cocked an eyebrow her way baffled, "I thought we were at a wedding," he stated matter-of-factly. The Hyuuga rolled her eyes at him.

"Are you always so annoying, Kiba-san?" her voice expressed mirth, unlike her eyes.

"I'm afraid so, must be part of my charm," he joked. His spirits were picking up after all, if only barely.

"Won't deny that," she gave him a shy smile and he smiled back if not a little confused at such comment. The dark haired girl looked away shortly after.

He sneaked a glance at the dance floor then and bit into the rim of the glass, not strong enough to fear breaking it, but with enough hold to feel the tension on his teeth.

There were some seconds of silence, perhaps a minute.

"You do realize you've lost, haven't you?" her question was arid and straightforward. Kiba couldn't deny the fact that such comment was like lemon and salt poured over his fresh wound.

So that's what it was all about, huh?

"I don't really need your fucking pity, eh, Hanabi-chan?" he hadn't intend to curse but he did, "All the shit you're probably going to tell me I already know, geez, can't a dog just lick his wounds in peace?" he retorted sourly before drinking what was left of his drink in one motion. He could feel the hot liquid travel through his esophagus and a light pang.

Yes, he needed this feeling.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to listen to such cussing," the Hyuuga spat back, anger present in her voice.

"You're an adult now, you can handle, eh?"

He knew he wasn't being fair. He was being deliberately spiteful to someone undeserving, but she just kept gashing at his wounds and he was like a wild dog, he needed to howl and lash out at the pain.

"Am I really?" she asked softly.

The statement grabbed Kiba's attention. He turned to look at her, he needed to focus for longer than necessary, the drinks were starting to get to him.

"Am I really a woman to you, Kiba-san?" she pushed herself against him and he didn't know how to react. He felt her breasts press against his chest, he was slightly losing his mind to alcohol, and she smelled like a woman and felt like a woman.

He pushed her away.

"What are you doing, Hanabi? You are like a kid sister to me, what the hell has gotten into you, woman? Don't do that kind of thing to a drunken man!" he sounded desperate. He was losing it, he felt hot in parts he shouldn't and her flushed face with anger was making his brain go wild.

"Has it ever occurred to you that you had fallen for the wrong Hyuuga?" her hot words carried a feeling he couldn't quite place. At the same time, he wasn't exactly sure he had heard her correctly.

"Hanabi-chan, the hell?! What's the meaning of this? You're joking, right?" he was incredulous.

It all sounded so absurd he had to laugh. He laughed loudly and hollowly as he scratched the back of his head. Hanabi bit unto her lips with force at his reaction as she closed her hands into fists.

Her face was the reddest he had seen as she shouted at him, "You're an asshole, Kiba-san!" and without more ado, she ran towards the front door, rubicund and eyes to the brim with tears.

"Huh? Hey wait, Hanabi! What's going on?" he fumbled with his words weakly. He hadn't expected such response.

What was that supposed to mean? Why the hell was she crying, for god's sake?!

He feared she hadn't listened to him over the noise, so he went after her clumsily.

"Hanabi!" he shouted behind her.

By the time she reached the door, he could see a foul signal sent on his general direction composed by her delicate middle finger and a swift Shino exiting behind her, quick on her heels.

"The fuck?!" he hollered to no one in particular and he made his way back to the bar.

Today definitely wasn't his night. He was sick of them. All Hyuugas. Maybe Hanabi was right. It was a graduation night. Graduation from them and all the negative emotions that bristled inside of him whenever they were involved. He got himself another glass of whisky. He could still see her dancing with her husband, laughing happily into his arms.

Her sweet and gentle smile was not his.

He couldn't do it. Not today. He drank from his glass and slouched into his stool. He could sense the tears coming.

A/N:

I had never written Kiba and Hanabi together before, but back when I first wrote this it just fit so naturally that the idea picked up from there. I also have never read any Kiba/Hanabi fanfiction or Kiba/Hinata before; this is my own portrayal, so I'm not sure if it's anywhere accurate to fanon's usual portrayal of them.

Does this mean I'm back at writing? Perhaps. I have improved somewhat as you can read, so I hope you have a more enjoyable time. It has been a while since I've been on this side of fandom tho.

As for the original piece of AU…well, I hope I get around continuing it soon… (?) I need all the encouragement possible. Just a XXI century Tokyo AU circling around our favorite characters. And real life being real life.

Wish me luck.

Would it be too much to ask you guys to drop a review? Be it constructive criticism or positive feedback, anything really. Don't hesitate!

P.S. Sorry for the spelling mistakes. If there are any, please notify me!

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