"Hinata? Are you alright?" Kiba asked. They were sitting in a forest clearing, tired after hours of training. Hinata wasn't paying attention to anything; she was looking into the distance, her silver eyes glazed over and unfocused. "Hin-ata..." Kiba waved his hand in front of her face. Hinata didn't even blink. Kiba finally shook her shoulder. "HINATA! Are you awake?"
Hinata started, and she turned to face Kiba, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Kiba-kun. I was just thinking about something..."
"About what?" Kiba asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Akamaru, sitting on the top of Kiba's head, barked, and leapt off into Hinata's waiting arms. Hinata smiled, and giggled as Akamaru began cleaning her face, hugging Akamaru closer to her body. Kiba watched silently; sometimes he wished that he could trade places with Akamaru for just one day...and he knew he wouldn't get an answer out of Hinata now.
But Hinata was so cute, when she was smiling like that and laughing, with the sun bouncing off her dark hair and her eyes shining...
"Kiba-kun? Why are you all red? Is the heat getting to you?" Kiba's eyes widened. Hinata had leaned forward, her silver eyes worried. Her face was close to Kiba's, so close...Kiba let out a yelp and jumped back, clamping his hand over his mouth. "Kiba-kun? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing,"Kiba got out. God dammit, he was blushing... "Kiba, Hinata."
"Shino-kun!" Hinata turned to smile at their team mate. Akamaru barked in greeting, while all Kiba could manage was a feeble wave. Shino frowned at him, then turned to Hinata. "Your father is looking for you."
Hinata's eyes widened, and she quickly set Akamaru down on the ground, before turning to run off. "Thank you for telling me, Shino-kun!" She called over her shoulder. Kiba watched her run off, before scooping up Akamaru from the ground and placing him back on his head, sighing as he did so.
"You like her, don't you."
Kiba's eyes widened, and he felt his heart begin to pound. He looked up at Shino, unable to speak in his surprise. Shino smirked at him before continuing, sunlight glinting off his glasses. "Is that why you fight with Naruto so much, because you're jealous that Hinata likes him and not you?"
"Shut up, Shino," Kiba snapped, finally finding his voice.
"I know I'm right."
"You're not. I do not like Hinata."
"Tch. You liar. It's so obvious." Kiba blushed and turned away. "Shino, just shut up and go away please."
"Just admit it, Kiba. You've know her for years. Why don't you just tell her?"
Kiba froze. Tell her...tell her that he had liked her since the day he had met her? Kiba winced, and clutched at his heart, which was throbbing painfully. Hinata like Naruto, and always had. She wouldn't know what to do if Kiba told her...
"Just shut up, Shino," he muttered one last time, before leaving the clearing with Shino watching him and the soft sounds of bug's wings filling the air.
"Kiba-kun, are you really sure you're alright?" Hinata asked. "Let me feel your head." Without waiting for an answer, she pushed aside Kiba's hair and rested her palm on his head. Kiba looked down, trying hard not to blush. "You feel slightly warm..."
"I'm sure I'm fine," Kiba interrupted, backing away several feet, still looking at the ground. "Hinata, please. Don't worry about me." In truth, Kiba's head was aching, and had been ever since yesterday. He was dizzy, and it was all he could do to keep from falling over.
Hinata shot him a worried look. Akamaru was sleeping on the ground nearby, and she sat down and began petting the small animal, glancing at Kiba every now and then. Kiba leaned against a tree, and closed his eyes, listening to the birdsong and quiet breathing of Hinata and his dog, the sunlight filtering through the trees warming him.
All of a sudden, his head gave a especially painful throb, and he gave a small cry of pain and fell to his knees, clutching at his head. The world was fading at the edges... "Kiba-kun?!" Hinata was by him in a minute, Akamaru on his other side. She gently placed her hand on Kiba's shoulder. "Kiba, what's wrong?!"
"My head..." Kiba croaked out, before his legs gave out and he fell sideways to the ground, his body hitting with a loud thump. Hinata picked him up and cradled him gently in her arms. Kiba was blacking out...his body and head hurt so much... "Kiba-kun! Hang on! Akamaru, go get help!"
Akamaru let out a small bark before dashing away. "Kiba-kun, why did you say you were fine?" Hinata asked, looking down at the boy in her arms, her eyes wide with worry. Kiba could barely keep his eyes open..."I'm sorry, Hinata..." he whispered, before his eyes closed and he lapsed into unconsciousness.
"Kiba-kun? Kiba?! KIBA!"
A week had passed since Kiba had collapsed, and the boy didn't show any signs of waking up soon. He had a high temperature and was in a coma. Hinata was wracked with worry. Why hadn't Kiba said anything? Why had he waited until he had collapsed?
She sighed as she sat down on the cold hospital chair next to Kiba's bed, placing a daisy in the vase on the small table next to the bed. She had come here every day, and left only when visiting hours were over, and returned the next day when she was allowed back in again. Kiba...Hinata reached out with one hand and brushed the hair off of Kiba's face, her eyes softening as she did so. She hoped he would wake up soon....
"You're here again, Hinata?" The Hyuga started, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Oh! Shino-kun! I...I didn't know you were here..."
"Kiba's my team mate too. I do check up on him from time to time."
"Oh...I....I...." Hinata didn't finish her sentence and looked back at Kiba once again.
"Why do you come here every day, Hinata?" Shino asked, sitting down on the chair next to the girl.
"Um...I....I...just...I...I don't know..." Hinata stammered. She really didn't know why she felt the need to come and sit by her team mate every day....except for the fact that she wanted to be there when Kiba finally woke up.
"Hinata."
"...Yes?"
"Do you like Kiba, as in not just not a friendship way?"
Hinata's eyes widened, and she looked up at Shino, her mouth open slightly in surprise.
"...Why...why do...why do you ask, Shino-kun?" she stammered, feeling her face redden as she spoke. "Y..you know...that I like...N...Naruto-kun..."
"Yes...but you still spend a week at a hospital, waiting for Kiba to wake up. And you seem more confidant around him. You don't stammer as much."
"I...I ...Shino-kun...I just....I mean that I...."
"You do. And I have to leave." Shino stood up and pushed his chair back, and Hinata wincing at the spark groaning noise the metal made against the floor. He walked to the door, opened it and paused. "You do like him, Hinata. You should tell him when he wakes up." he said quietly, nodding his head towards Kiba. Then he turned and left the room, the door clicking shut behind him.
Hinata stared at the door, then back at Kiba, her face still red. Shino-kun...as much as Hinata hated to admit it, she knew he was right. But she would never be able to tell Kiba. If he ever even woke up.
Hinata sighed and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. Kiba...
"Mmmhn...."
Hinata opened her eyes, and looked at Kiba again. He was stirring slightly, eyes still shut tightly.
"Kiba-kun?" She asked, leaning in. "Kiba, are you waking up?" He made no reply, and Hinata leaned back again, feeling her eyes burn. She wiped them with the back of her hand.
"Please, Kiba-kun, wake up soon," she whispered. "Please..."
Tears sprang to her eyes again, and she began to silently cry, burying her face in her hands. She was scared; what if whatever that had happened to Kiba was so bad that he never woke up?
"Hinata..."
Hinata's eyes widened, and she looked up, tears still streaming down her face. Kiba was awake, dark eyes watching her, his body propped up on one arm.
"K...Kiba..." Hinata couldn't speak. Instead, she leapt at the boy, wrapping her arms around him in a hug and knocking him back to the bed. "OW! Hinata, I just woke up...Why are you crying?" Kiba asked, noticing the tears streaming down the girl's cheeks.
"I was so scared..." Hinata whispered, not looking at Kiba, but squeezing him harder. "I was so scared that you wouldn't wake up...Kiba...please, next time, say something...before it's too late..."
"Hinata..." Kiba slowly raised himself back up to a sitting position again, and wrapping his arms around the crying girl. "I just didn't want to worry you..."
"Please...just say something next time...I've been so worried..." Hinata started crying harder, her body shaking.
Kiba sighed, then tilted Hinata's face up. "Hinata, I'm sorry."
Hinata looked at him in silence for a moment, then lunged up, crashing her lips against Kiba's, her eyes closed and her cheeks red. Kiba's eyes widened and he felt his heart begin to pound. They stayed their like that for a few moments; although it felt like an eternity to Kiba. Finally they broke apart. Hinata buried her face in Kiba's chest and began crying again.
Kiba sat there, frozen, then came to. He wrapped his arms around Hinata again and buried his face in her hair, closing his eyes, finally telling her the truth.
"Hinata, I love you."
Hinata looked up again, smiling through her tears. "I love you too, Kiba-kun."
Then she leaned up again, and kissed Kiba again.
Shino looked up at his returning bug expectantly. "What happened?" he asked, reaching up his hand and allowing the insect to rest there. As the bug told him, a smile crossed his face. "It worked out," he said quietly.
"Thank god for that."
Author's Comments: DON'T KILL ME PLEASE!!!!
I only wrote this because this idea would not leave me alone and I couldn't focus on Forgotten. I had to write this or I wouldn't be able to get Forgotten down, and I only posted it because I sorta like the way it turned out.
And KibaxHina is one of the few girl-boy pairings I like. And to the people who hate this pairing and who read my stuff:
I'M SO SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!
Please tell me what you think.
I think this came out kinda weird. I'm sorry.
Shino was playing a bit of the role of a matchmaker in this.
I deserve to be shot for writing this.