Note: I wrote this out of order and got super lazy with it, so I'm just going to post it because I never finish anything I begin. The mix between past and present tenses was done on purpose.
-;
His cheeks and nose are tinted red because they spent the whole day the beach yesterday, and he simply refused to listen to her demands to put on sunblock.
He is a man, rugged and wild, and takes nature as it is presented before him. Ino knows this, and watches him play with Akamaru as she stays under the shade large oak tree, a red and white picnic blanket beneath her. A thoroughly emptied basket sits beside her as she stretches out leisurely and pretends to read the tabloids.
Kiba waves at her incessantly, from across the park, and she smirks from behind the magazine. The blonde blows him a raspberry and continues to read.
-;
"Rub my back," she demanded, handing him a bottle of tanning oil.
Kiba raised an eyebrow and took the bottle from her hands, looking at her with heated eyes as she lay down on her stomach on the beach towel and undid the tie from her bikini top. Resting her head on her crossed arms, the blonde added, "And don't get any ideas."
Squirting out a generous amount of oil on his hands, he spread his palms flat against the smooth expanse of her back and began massaging the oil into her skin. "Too late," he whispered under his breath, using his calloused fingers to gently traces the contours along her spine.
But she heard his quiet disclosure, and allowed herself a small grin. When she heard him snap the bottle closed, she leaned up on her elbows and looked at him over her shoulders with a heated gaze. "Thanks, Kiba," she said huskily, winking at him for good measure. Kiba gulped and nodded, straightening up and walking towards the ocean.
"I'm, uh, gonna play in the water for a bit."
-;
She cannot remember the last time she felt so jealous.
Ino sips daintily at her mojito, and watches with slight disdain as the blonde in the hot pink cocktail dress starts flirting with Kiba, who is standing across the room, away from the bar.
They had gotten into a slight argument earlier that night, because Ino insisted that were not dating "exclusively", and that it was none of Kiba's business about whom she dated or flirted with, and that he had no right to get upset with her for attending a charity event with one of her ex-boyfriends.
Well, tonight, she was getting bitten in the ass. "It sucks to be the possessive one, doesn't it," says a gruff voice behind her. She swivels in her seat to face Uchiha Sasuke, one of her oldest childhood friends. He was currently engaged to the heiress of Hyuuga, who also happened to be one of her best friends. Ino took complete credit for hooking the two of them up and forcing them on their first blind date.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she bites out, setting her drained glass on the counter. "Don't you have a fiancée to worry about? Or something?"
"C'mon, Ino. Drop the ice queen act. It's just me," he says with a roll of his eyes. After ordering a whiskey on the rocks, he continues, "Be honest with yourself for once. The Ino I know doesn't run away from what she wants."
She is silent, and looks up at his with weary eyes. "It's scary, you brat," she replies. "It's weird, wanting someone like this. It was all fun and games in the beginning, but now I really want to be around him all the time. Not just for a good fuck or whatever. But really just wanting to wake up next to them in the morning, go on lazy dates and eat Chinese takeout together—"
"Just being in his presence. I get that," he intones softly, swirling the glass of amber in his hands. "Like just wanting to be with him for the sake of him, not anything else. Wow, Ino. Looks like you're in deep." He chuckles, and she smacks him on the shoulder. "But don't run away, Ino," says Sasuke warningly. "You'll regret it. Trust me."
"I know," she admits with a sigh, averting her eyes to look for Kiba. He was flirting with a blonde again, a different one. At least his tastes stayed constant.
"Don't half-ass your feelings for him, got it? If you really like him, then show him who's boss," he murmurs into her ear, before hopping off the barstool.
-;
"Okay, Kiba. You win. I admit it. I was wrong," she spat out angrily, collapsing on the couch, an entirely displeased look on her face. "But I'm still fucking pissed that you didn't even come home last night. Do you know how late I stayed up, worrying about you? You were so piss drunk at the event last night—I didn't even know if you were safe, if you were able to crash at someone's place..."
Kiba ran a frustrated hand through his hair and exclaimed, "I wouldn't have gotten fucking wasted last night if you had just been honest with me and quit making excuses about you going on secret dates with Shikamaru behind my back all the time—"
Ino jumped out of her seat on the couch and jabbed a finger into his chest. "It was one fundraiser, Kiba. It wasn't even a date. I went to accompany him because Temari had to bail on him last minute—"
"That's not what I'm talking about Ino, and you damn well know that," he cut her off sharply, his eyes narrowed. "Last night, you said that it was none of my business who you dated. On top of that, you never even told me about this! If you had called me up beforehand and said, 'Oh, hey Kiba, I have to go with Shikamaru to this charity event, because Temari couldn't go,' I wouldn't have flipped a bitch! The fact of the matter is, you lied to me and said that you were at your parents' place that night. I found out about this through Shino—fucking Shino knew about this before I did. Do you know how much of a fool I looked like?"
"I already said sorry about that!" she cried, tears falling freely and completely ruining her makeup. "I already said I was wrong. I'm wrong Kiba, I'm wrong. What more do you want from me?"
Silence hung in the air, and Ino shut her eyes, just waiting for him to walk out of her life forever.
"I want all of you, Ino," he said quietly, his voice cracking. Strong arms encircled her waist, and she fell into his chest, leaving tearstains on his shirt. "I'm sorry for making you worry last night, babe. I was just so upset, and I wasn't thinking…"
She buried her face into his shoulder and nodded. "Please don't tell me you spent the night with one of those blonde bimbos," she whispered, a slight smile on her face.
"No, God, no," he said dramatically, releasing a nervous laugh. "I crashed at Naruto's. I did lose my phone though, which is why I never got any of your calls. Ino, I'm really sorry."
"I'm sorry, too," replied the blonde, cradling his face gently in her hands. "No more games, Kiba. I promise. It's just you and me now. Okay?"
"Okay," he whispered, before snatching her lips in a wonderful, searing kiss.
-;
They are sitting together at the local country club, wearing floral sundresses and wide-brimmed hats, as was customary on a sunny Saturday morning.
"I really like him," says Ino softly, watching Kiba hack at the little white ball on the green. Sasuke has given up counting how many swings the brunette has taken.
Beside her, Hinata calmly sips her tea and is silent for a moment. "That's what you said last time, Ino." She frowns as she sets the teacup back on its saucer. "Kiba is like a brother to me. I don't … I don't want to see him get hurt."
Once more, Sasuke lines up in his signature stance, and tries to show Kiba the proper way to swing. They've done this at least fifty times already; Ino is certain. She glances at her friend with carefully masked surprise. "You disapprove?"
"It's not a matter of approval or disapproval," mutters the heiress, staring into Ino's piercing blue eyes. "He is a very loyal, trusting individual. He is enamored with you, and will follow you long after you've lost interest. I know you. I don't want you to break him."
Ino sighs and looks out into the distance again. "You're spending way too much time with Sasuke. You're starting to sound exactly like him."
"Ino, I'm serious," presses Hinata, turning in her seat to study Ino's profile.
Blue eyes lock with white. "So am I." Ino runs a hand through her hair and looks down briefly. "I never thought you of all people would discourage me from being with Kiba."
Hinata blushes slightly, out of embarrassment. "I just—oh, Ino. You know I want you to be happy. And I just want Kiba to be happy too—and if you and Kiba can be happy together then that would be—"
Laughing, Ino nearly snorts as she sets down her cup of tea and smiles at Hinata. "I know what you mean, Hina. I'm not saying this is going to be an easy relationship. But I think I'm going to put more effort into this one—more than usual, anyways." She watches Kiba affectionately out of the corner of her eye, and Hinata notices. "I really, really like him."
"Alright then," concedes the Hyuuga heiress. "Are the boys done yet? I'm tired of sipping tea and munching on crumpets. Let's get lunch."
"Hinata, we literally just had brunch."
"Oh, did I tell you yet? I'm pregnant. Sakura says I'm supposed to started eating twice as much as usual—"
"You're what?"
-;
"Ino, I love you," he whispered, dropping a kiss on her forehead. Kiba was lying on his side, eying her with deliciously chocolate brown eyes. Closing her eyes, she knew she could reciprocate those words, but they sat at the tip of her tongue, refusing to come out.
"You don't have to say it," he soothed, gently stroking her hair. "I don't want you to force anything. I just wanted you to know how I felt." Ino pulled closer to him and rested her forehead against his bare chest. She wound her arms around his waist and sighed gently, her breath fanning across his torso.
Hot tears pricked at the back of her eyes, as she listened to the sound of his steady heartbeat. The silence stretched between them, and at this point, Ino didn't even want to say anything. It would have been weird to change the subject; it would be equally weird if she said she loved him too.
But that was what it was about, right? That he would love her regardless if there was an awkward silence, that he would still adore her, even if she had not the courage to say the things we wanted to say, that he would stay beside her, till the end. She was still so insecure about her relationship with Kiba, insecure because of all the other relationships she'd had in the past. It was so hard for her to open up to him, but gradually, those walls around her heart came tumbling down, and she knew there wouldn't be anyone else in the world for her, but him.
Reaching up, she smothered him with rushed kisses, grasping at his unruly locks of hair. Pulling away, Ino rested her arms on his broad shoulders, as he gently wrapped his arms around her waist. And as he smiled the handsomest smile she had ever seen in her life, Ino's heart nearly burst with irregular palpitations. It was at that moment she knew, without a trace of doubt, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man.
"Kiba," she murmured, "I love you, too."