Note from the moron who brought you Kisses, Markings, and Nibbler:
This isn't my biggest hit or proudest work, I have to admit. But I stick my by projects and at the time I was quite pleased with the outcome of the story for it being written when I was very young. I'm not a bit Hinata shipper but she's adorable and sweet, and Kiba is boyishly awkward but tough so I commend these two and my tender side towards them with this story, however primitively written it is I still love it. :P
Drink and Be Merry
I'm ill, bed ridden. My legs no longer work as they did in my Genin training years. No one helps me from my bed. No one visits me, except when night falls when a mystery person comes to call.
There's someone kissing me goodnight. I don't know who but I know its someone. He, because only a boy would, comes in undetected by anyone, not even Neiji. Some how he sneaks past the hidden guards in the forest and in the rooms and the halls. Past my defenses even while I sleep soundly.
He creeps in and tip toes to my bed and watches. I can strangely see him in my dream, leaning over with piercing eyes. Then he pecks my cheek and slinks back into the shadows. He leaves a warm spot where his lips touch my skin and I touch it every morning when I wake. Never does he say a word until the night I try.
I wait almost asleep but I can still sense he has once again come to me. He stands still and I wait. My heart gives me away. My eyes never open but I know he is gone.
Again I wait but ignore his presence so my heart doesn't flutter about. I feel him watching and think of what to do. It's no use, he knows I'm awake. Still he stays. He sits and watches until I'm on the brink if sleep.
He rises from his seat, I hardly notice I'm so close to gone. He walks to my bedside once again and leans over.
"Forgive me Hinata…" he whispers to the wind. His lips don't touch my cheek. He kisses my feather light on the lips before he runs off to the shadows. I open my eyes and touch where he left his new mark. I promise never to forget the boy. I need to know who he is.
I wait in his corner wrapped in a blanket for his arrival. He arrives in much of the same way as his other visits. When he doesn't see me in my bed he turns to find me in 'his' corner. His feet shuffle and hands start moving but I gently tug on his pant leg.
"Please…" I beg, "Please stay…" I hear his arms drop to his sides. Slowly I stand from my blanket, slightly chilled from leaving its warmth. Taking slow stumbling steps I make my way to him as he takes a step back from my advances, toward the moon light. He takes a sharp intake of breath when I trip on my feet and rushes to catch me.
My fingers grasp his soft haori top to steady myself. He embraces me until I stand, once again, steady on my toes, and then let's go. I however remain attached to his shirt. He fidgets slightly.
"T-thank you f-for coming… every night… y-you've returned my f-faith… Thank you…" I manage to mutter. I tip-e toe and can feel his breath on my cheeks, level with his eyes. I lean forward and place a small kiss on his lips. Then I replace my feet firmly on the floor. He stands rigid.
"D-do you t-think I will e-ever know w-w-who you are?" my eyes look up to meet two glowing brown pools of light.
"Be here tomorrow night, as always." His deep voice rumbles in my ears and in an instant, he's gone.
o
The hours drag on and I sit patiently ready to face my visitor come night fall. Finally he arrives.
I stand from my bedside in greeting, "Good evening." He nods in acknowledgement standing just outside of the moon light filtering in through my window. I find myself wringing my hands, a long taken habit, and shaking uncontrollably. Finally he takes a step forward before stopping again, feet barley in the light.
"You can't be upset…" he takes another step forward. "I don't want you to cry…" he steps forward again, but his face is still shadowed. 'One more step…' I think. "And over all, you can't hate me." He steps fully into the light.
My white eyes go wide and I recoil, at first. Brown wild hair stood on end while brown eyes were filled with fear and anxiousness. His cheeks stained with red were twitching slightly. There stood my mystery boy, Kiba Inuzuka.
I can't help but cry. I stride with three long steps and throw myself at my team mate. "Kiba… Oh Kiba!" Tears spring to my eyes and sobs rack my body and I bury my face in his haori. The moment my face plunges into his chest his arms are around me and comforting. He massages and caresses my back and shoulders, crooning in his own way. He rumbles and purrs while growling soft, strange words in my ear, words I can't begin to understand.
I seem to cry on for hours in his arms and become feather light. I cry my hearts content out and drain away all my bad feelings. At one moment I was sure my feet had left the ground but soon found I had merely been picked up and held by him. Kiba still cradled my sobbing body. On he comforts rubbing my back and shoulders while wiping my tears away with his thumbs.
"I'm sorry Hinata, so sorry… I didn't… I didn't want to b-but something happened… I didn't have control… I shouldn't have and I'm sorry…" he mumbles over again while I relax from my sobs.
"I-its okay Kiba-kun… It's fine… don't worry… I'm okay…" not knowing if it would help I continued telling him it didn't matter; I was okay with it and on.
o
Soon it's Kiba crying, though only subtly. I assume he feels guilty and wants it all out. I am patient with the now puppy acting man as he sets me down and sinks to his knees tears sliding silently down his face as he apologizes over and over. A lower myself and pull him close resting his head to my bosom and stroking his hair soothingly. As he did I rub his back with my other hand and wait to speak. Strange how it turned from my own self pity to his…
He doesn't touch me save where I hold him to me. He sits with his arms to his sides and mouth covered by my collar. "It's okay Kiba." I begin, "Honest to god its okay. Please look at me." He hangs his head for a moment before slowly raising it to meet my gaze. I lower myself more so I, too, sit on my knees and hold his hands in my lap.
"Its okay, Kiba." I repeat "I really d-do appreciate it. When I first couldn't move my legs I began to despair. I sank deeper when no one came, and more when I had learned my father had forbid anyone from coming. I was ready to kill myself until you came. Because you did I pushed myself through every day to have you kiss me goodnight when I slept. Soon I found myself blushing at every thought of you, my mystery boy, and came to find I'd fallen in love all over again. I love you, Kiba, because you returned my hope and found a way when no one else tried. So please, don't cry." I smiled fondly as his eyes seemed to shine again. I pulled him into another embrace where he allowed himself to touch me, wrapping an arm around my petite back compared to his own.
"Thank you Hinata… I thought you were going to hate me for it." He chuckled lightly to himself and soon I, too, was letting out a small giggle, accepting the tension breaker between us. "S-so you really don't hate me for it, right?" I shook my head and answered "No, I'm glad you did. I never would have known who my mystery boy was then." Playfully I tweaked his nose which he crumpled in a sign of playing disgust.
"I want to do something in return. And I want to know if that was okay?" our embrace was lessened and he held my hands as he asked.
"You can do what ever you want." I replied. I swear I saw his ears perk as a smile graced his lips. "Then I'll meet you hear again before sunset. Don't fall asleep on me now." He let one hand go ready to leave.
"Kiba! One more thing before you go." I begged. He nodded. Again I walked to him and gave him smooth, small innocent kisses he hungrily drank up before leaving. Smiling I gathered my blanket and lay down again in bed as the sun came over the sill of my window.
o
I napped the whole day away until the sun had passed my window and would surly be setting in a short time. With the heat of the day still lingering in my room I lay on my blankets lightly dozing until Kiba arrives.
His entrance is the same and before my eyes open he scoops me up in one swoop and cradles me like a baby. "I thought I told you not to be asleep, silly girl." He teases and I smile warmly before giving him a peck on the cheek. "I have a surprise for you, little lady, but you have to keep your eyes closes, and that goes for the byakugan, too." His huge smile is again plastered on his face as I have remembered so well.
I nod and close my eyes tight. He jumps and I can feel cool air whoosh past tangling my hair in small knots. His feet patter over surfaces before he stops and tells me to open my eyes.
I gasp as I realize he's standing on a tree branch a ways from the ground, the distance fuzzed by my surprise. He sets me down to sit and slides against the bark to perch next to me, his back braced against the tree trunk. I put a hand to his thigh and scoot so I sit as close to his lap a possible and smile when he pulls me farther into his warmth, keeping his arms around my waist.
I sigh and close my eyes nudging my head into Kiba's chest. "Look." I open my eyes. The sky's usual blue or cloudy grey was replaced with yellows, oranges and purples washing into the forest on the horizon. I watch in wonder and peace as the colors melt into a lining over the treetops and disappear under a cloak of midnight black. And then I see it, the first star of the night. I glance up at Kiba who smiles and gazes back to the sky. I guess he hasn't seen it so I do what any one would, I wish.
'I wish… I wish my legs would heal…' Again I sigh and relax into Kiba's arms shifting so he holds me just right. "You can't be tired already?" He chuckles. I shake my head in response. "Well then, you're awfully quiet." I blush slightly in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry. It was just so wonderful…" I trail off and blush a bit more.
Silently we sit enjoying the time we have together as the stars peek from their hiding places. Only when the whole sky is filled with sparkling dots does Kiba gather me up again and stand ready to bound back to the Hyuga household. With in a few moments the familiar ness of my room strikes me. He sets me on my feet and waits for me to steady myself.
A creepy silence enters as we both know it's time for him to go but don't know how to announce it. "Well…" Kiba breaks in, "I hope it wasn't too little, but seeing as you have been cooped up in this room for so long I figured you'd need some fresh air." He smiles again and I nod. "T-thank you K-kiba-kun. It was beautiful! Thank you so much!" I smile back my approval.
He turns to leave again but I call to him, "U-umm… C-could you d-d-do one more thing for m-m-me…?" I stutter nervously. He looks over his shoulder and moves his body to match his gaze. "C-could… could you maybe… stay…?" He cocks his head in question but nods anyway. I smile shyly and climb into bed, happy to give my weak legs a rest.
I watch Kiba stride to his usual corner and sits slouching slightly. His eyes close and a cute puppy face replaces his new, older features. I giggle girlishly and decide his lap was a deal more comfortable, blushing again at the thought. I slide out of my blankets, dragging one with across the floor, where I collapse onto my knees and pull myself into his inviting warmth. He cracks an eye and gazes at me before, again, pulling me more into his lap. I cuddle up to his chest, blushing madly, and begin to lightly doze soon replaced with a deep dreamless sleep wrapped securely in the arms of my mystery boy, Kiba Inuzuka.
"Aishiteru."