Summary.
Is a chance meeting of two want-to-be lovers and the magic of a festival and fireworks, enough to bring them together? KibaTen Fluff.
I spent my week long Diwali holidays at my grandparents place. As even half formed Indians know, fun is never complete unless we are smothered under mountains of food, family and fireworks. The end result was this KibaTen fun.
She looked exquisite in her yellow Kimono. The kimono, along with the mellow glow of the festival lanterns, brought out the beauty of her dusky complexion in flattering ways. With unbound brown hair flowing freely down her back, he hadn't recognized her until she turned around and looked at him with her soft bronze eyes.
His mind sang her name. Tenten.
With an apologetic smile, she turned away and scanned the crowd; wilting slightly at not finding what she was looking for. Without permission or conscious thought he found himself gravitating towards her- like earth to a miniature sun.
"Kiba-kun, where are your companions for this evening?" She queried, cautiously as though she didn't want to offend him.
"They ran amok like the idiots they are," he replied with fond exasperation. "And you, are you here with your friends too?"
"I believe I may have been stood up." She replied in a bashful undertone.
His hackles were raised and he didn't know what he was more furious about, whether it was the fact that someone was idiotic enough to stand her up or bold enough to ask her out despite the fact that his claim was public and obvious to everyone except Tenten. In some ways, she was far more oblivious than Naruto.
At his expression, she laughed quietly and explained "By my friends, not a date. I was supposed to meet Sakura and Hinata here and then catch up to Ino with the rest."
"Oh!" was his only reply. After a fit of silence he asked, "Shall we go and look around for them?"
"If it isn't too much trouble," she replied awkwardly.
A soft huff of laughter followed her answer as Kiba internally shook his head and walked towards the crowd. She fell into step with him easily. They moved sedately through the crowded streets and past stalls brimming with exotic merchandise, standard games and huge fluffy animal toys. They walked for quite a while, his senses were tingling from her proximity and her scent, before he noticed her sidelong glances at the stalls. He smiled slowly.
"Tenten, shall we stop by the stalls as we look for them?" he asked.
"I don't see any harm in that." Her calm tones belied her eager smile and as she caught his knowing smile, she blushed.
They stopped by the first stall. The stall minder explained the rules to her. They were led to a garden that was built into a maze. At each key point within the maze was a riddle with a clue as to how to proceed. If they solved the series of riddles, they could reach the centre of the maze. They would be declared winners if they did it within the specified 30 minutes. If they won, they could choose their gifts.
Tenten was intrigued and so Kiba complied.
They were led to the entry area. They walked its long corridors. As they came to the fork in the maze path, they chanced upon the first riddle.
Here starts your path tonight,
I'm a follower in the light,
I turn invisible in the night
Choose well, for I decide your plight.
Who am I?
"A Shadow" Kiba correctly concluded. Tenten stared up at him in astonishment. He pretended not to notice though a small smile tugged at his lips.
"But that doesn't tell us where to go. Unless…" Tenten trailed off before brightly saying "Let's go to the right."
"Do explain, why should we go right?"
"There are actually two puzzles in the riddle. One is about the riddle, the other the path. I picked right because it's in keeping with the rhyme scheme."
They kept moving and solving the riddles, which got progressively ambiguous and confusing. Tenten was grinning as widely as a Cheshire cat, a determined glint in her eyes. They worked surprising well together. They managed to reach the centre of the maze just as the buzzer rang, signalling the end of the allotted 30 minutes.
"I think you should join the code breaking department." Tenten joked as she clutched the prize, a giant yellow teddy bear, to her chest.
"I could but I don't think Shiho can resist my charms and I'd hate to disrupt their work" He exaggerated a sigh and grinned roguishly at her.
"How very generous of you," she teased with a half smile on her lips and her eyes twinkling in merriment.
They spent the evening moving from stall to stall, playing, teasing and playfully flirting with each other until Tenten happened to look at the clock.
"It's almost time for fireworks" she exclaimed. He nodded. Every festival in Konoha concluded with a fireworks show.
She suddenly looked a little stricken. Before Kiba could ask her what was wrong. She seemed to have resolved the issue.
"Kiba," she began hesitantly, tentatively "Would you like to have a better view of the fireworks?"
Sensing that this was an important moment, he smiled reassuringly at her and agreed. He was rewarded with a dazzling smile. Before he could savour that expression, he was dragged by Hurricane Tenten to a coffee shop where she bought two choco-coffees and then whisked away from the festivities. She raced him to the forests that lipped the Hokage Mountain. Dancing between the branches of an old, old tree that seemed to go on forever, she climbed to a sturdy branch near the top. It afforded a beautiful view of the mountain and the festivities below.
As he approached the branch, she patted the space beside her. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but Kiba found that he didn't mind, especially since Tenten was contently leaning against his shoulder.
"This is a beautiful spot," he said softly, not wanting to break the spell of serenity their surroundings cast on them.
"It is." Tenten replied in a matching tone. Impulsively, she added "I've never shared this with anyone before"
"The fireworks are for the entire village, Ten" he said mock seriously.
She swatted playfully at him.
"I meant this" she emphasised, waving her hands around.
"Thank you" he replied, his chaotic emotions coating the two words with more emotions than he could convey. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, giving her time to pull away if she wanted to.
She snuggled closer and smiled into his chest. He smiled in response.
And that was how the splashes of brilliant, multi-hued, ephemeral stars that lit the night sky, found them.
Fin.
Aurora.
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