Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto franchise, nor any of it's characters.
Rating: T
Enjoy
Pet Hospital
Several days later
"Easy now" Tamaki soothed, but her 'patient' didn't want to stay. "Hey, hold still; I know you hate this, but it's gotta be done."
Thankfully the puppy seemed calmer from her tone, but she had to keep her distracted, while the one actually doing the injections came up from behind. The puppy nearly whimpered upon administration, but Tamaki gently soothed/rubbed at her fur, showing she's here.
"You have a knack for this, even with puppies."
"Thank you."
The administration itself was soon finished, with that being her last task today - Tamaki checked the time, seeing that it's still not too late, as she could find Kiba or Shino, and perhaps meet up with either/both of them. Still, she knew she's lucky with this internship, being able to fit it into her schedule. Then again, the internship only allowed her to 'work' for two-three hours per day, for several days spread across the week, so she's not only able to fit it in but still left her plenty of time for other things. For now, she'll make sure to help the animals, but overtime she hopes to upgrade to a permanent vet job, which means she'll have to say goodbye the animal shelter at some point.
But until then, she'll make sure to enjoy taking care of them.
Checking herself out at the front entrance, she folded up her vet uniform with a little smile, then walked out the door-
-and immediately noticed someone leaning against the building's side.
"Kiba?" Tamaki wondered, glancing him over- how long had he been there? And why was he just standing there, because if he'd been there for any length of time, the least he'd have done by now is call for her, walk into the building and make 'a scene', or even just be impatiently waiting in the reception area... not like this. And now that she noticed, aside from the arms crossed angle, he looked a little too still, too restrained- plus he didn't seem to have noticed her. This seemed unlikely, as he/his clan tended to train their noses and/or ears to be as good as canine's... if he hasn't noticed her yet, he might be self-focused on something.
Slowly, she moved forward a little. "Kiba?"
Only after a second did he open his eyes, not directly looking at her. "Hey."
Mmh... he's not even 'distracted' by her, however briefly. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"You could say that" he breathed, glancing up. "I had that talk with Akamaru."
That statement, combined with Akamaru's absence, and Tamaki instantly understood; the talk about 'them'. Several emotions came to mind, not the least of which was worry, for both Kiba and Akamaru - the latter wasn't at his side, and now that she looked closer, Kiba had several half-healed scratches on the right side of his face.
Kiba looked back then, noticed her glance, eyes glancing 'down' at his own cheeks. "Those aren't what you think" he said offhandedly, looking away. "They were an accident, well before the actual talk."
A little relief; okay, so they weren't scratch marks made in anger - slowly, Tamaki reached out and touched his shoulder, trying to be comforting. He moved slightly upon the touch, with little reaction otherwise, but she slowly leaned against the building beside Kiba, keeping her hand there.
Seconds passed in silence.
He gave off a long sigh. "The long and short of it," Kiba started, glancing at her. "well, you're right: Akamaru's mixed about you, or least your 'threat' of slowing me down. He likes you as a person though, Tamaki, don't mistake that... and he certainly likes the treats."
She gave a little smile. "Well, that's good to know" she whispered, glancing up at the sky. "I always thought Akamaru was fine with my personality, how nice I am, but the 'threat' of me distracting from your goals was unacceptable. He's a loyal companion doing his best to protect you from that; I saw it from the beginning."
"Mmh. That's one of the things I 'fought' with Akamaru too, among many, many other things- that's one of the longest arguments we've ever had" Kiba continued, before rubbing at his throat. "You have no idea how hoarse I was after Akamaru ran off, or how dry my mouth was either."
Tamaki rubbed his shoulder a bit, worried. "Why'd he run off?" she asked, faint. "Was he that mad?"
"No, it- it wasn't that he was mad, just- you ever feel a time when you're so full of emotions that you can't stay still?" Kiba asked, looking straight at her... and in that moment, showed he's struggling a little inside. "That you just have to physically run or tear something apart? Stuff like that?"
She glanced down, slowly nodding. "I personally haven't, but I've seen it before" she breathed, mouth twisting a bit. "I hope Akamaru's working things out."
Kiba slowly looked up at the sky himself, gaze far-off. "He will" he said, eyes closing. "Akamaru will work things out eventually."
Another few seconds passed- Tamaki wanted to lean closer to him, comfort him more, but knew it wouldn't be appropriate. "Yeah" she agreed, if still faint. "You've told me all about him, Kiba, that he's been with you since he was a puppy. He'll come back to you, and you'll work things out; he'll still be your partner."
"I'm not worried about that. It's just... it's just been a long time, since we've been apart this long."
Yet again, she rubbed at his shoulder, trying to soothe his struggle- he did nothing to stop it.
"He'll be back, Kiba" Tamaki assured, more gentle. "I know that's a certainty, but still."
Eyes closed, Kiba nonetheless managed a little smile, nodding.
"And speaking of 'still's', I've never seen you this restrained before" she continued, same tone. "Is there anything that would cheer you up?"
His eyes opened then, and he looked straight at her. "Look, Tamaki, I appreciate your trying to make me feel better, but you don't need to avoid asking what I've decided" he said, to her little surprise. "Yes, I'm a little down, but I'm not depressed or anything... plus, Akamaru running off doesn't mean anything's unresolved."
Tamaki tilted her head, curiously confused.
He slowly went 'Heh', shaking his head, seeming to grin (if only a little). "During that talk, through all the ups and downs, we went back-and-forth on the whole list of questions" Kiba stated, sounding more like his normal self. "Akamaru's run off because he's trying to figure out what works/doesn't work for him. What works for me though, isn't his decision; we were agreed on that."
After a moment, the implications made her heart beat faster, though she noticed he's still not planning on moving (for right now). "Oh" she breathed, a little wondering.
Kiba kept up the look a little, before looking up at the sky again. "You said we both want stuff to happen, or heavily implied it" he stated, slowly smirking, showing more of his canine-like teeth. "Are you really prepared for what that entails, Tamaki? 'Dog boys' like me can be quite wild."
Tamaki looked at him, then slowly gave off her own playful smile. "Is that an offer, Kiba?" she asked, interested. "And if you're agreed, what would Akamaru have to say if he found us 'involved', hmm? Hopefully nothing bad."
He waved a hand briefly. "The gist of it is the more we do at once, 'potentially', the less impressed he'll be" Kiba stated, quite knowingly. "And quite a few barks about if you 'dare' to come near me anyway, you'll have to prove yourself."
Proving herself to a ninja-trained canine- depending on what Akamaru thought and how he felt overall, that could go several ways. At the same time, she was a little off about Kiba ignoring her tone - maybe that payback he'd claimed? - but otherwise kept the smile: "Well, I can handle quite a few barks" Tamaki assured. "If he tries to bite me though, then I'll know he means business."
"And growling wouldn't mean business?" Kiba asked, eyebrow raised, but with a small grin.
She giggled. "That'd do it too" she said easily, head tilted. "As would the warning signs of a curled lip that shows teeth, a very stiff posture, and any aggressive barking. It's all about behavioral cues with these types of partners."
At that, he leaned away from the building wall, arms crossed, but more in an 'interested' type of posture. "You know your stuff" he said easily, chuckling. "But how much credit can I give you? For a vet, all that must be basic school level, even if you are a cat girl."
"I didn't learn from school; that's from experience. Cats weren't the only partners I interacted with" Tamaki teased. "As for credit, I don't need any from you, dog boy."
"Hey, this is supposed to be me getting back at you, not the other way around!"
...
For awhile, they continued to talk - sometimes 'arguing' (sorta), and sometimes just normal stuff. For his part, Kiba thought she's truly patient; he'd 'implied' he's about to give an answer to what's next for them, and while curious, she's playing along with his 'deny her an answer' get-back behavior right now. This included when at some point, he just started walking away from the vet center, seeing as they couldn't stand there all day- he wasn't sure where he's going, but even still. Tamaki kept up with him, not attempting to suggest anywhere and simply keeping up their banter, despite all his attempts to make sure he's dominating in that area (as part of the get-back).
Great... don't tell him she's not gonna make it easy...
"So tell me something" Kiba finally said, still walking - well, whether it's hard or not, best get straight to things since this tease is becoming drawn-out. He didn't know it yet since he's focused, but they'd walked into the same park, that they always came to after work.
"Hmm?"
Then he suddenly turned, right in front of her (she quickly stopped), just grinning at her like his usual self; her surprised expression helped. "So I imply that I'm gonna answer 'what's next for us', and then don't do so as a tease; you play along, Tamaki" he said, waving a hand. "I get what you're doing, but how long are you gonna do it? Eventually a cat girl like you will want an answer, right?"
Tamaki considered this, seeming interested, but just smiled like normal. "Eventually, Kiba" she admitted, hands behind her back.
"You're still doing it" he pointed out, getting a little irritated. "You want me to give my answer, and yet still you're doing it. Why?"
"Because you like it, dog boy" she teased, giving this almost one-sided little grin- not unlike his own sometimes, part of his brain noticed. "Or are you gonna deny that?"
"I'm not!" Kiba retorted. "But even if I like it, not playing with a dog when he's playing, or trying to- it gets old. And right now, this situation of you not playing along with me is getting old."
A small raised eyebrow, still quite interested, her gaze a bit lidded. "Ooohhh, really?" she drew out, still completely teasing. "Then perhaps it's time to try this approach instead."
In one fell swoop she'd stepped closer to him, placed a hand on the back of his neck, the other grasping his collar, then pulled his head down with both hands. With his reflexes, he could've easily stopped her at any point, but he never saw any intention to hurt him- and besides, by the time he realized exactly what she's doing, he was too preoccupied with his face suddenly being inches from hers. His previous confidence kinda faltered, leaving him unable to say anything, even as Tamaki was surprisingly blush-free, still smiling even. They remained that way for a bit, even as her gaze softened, if still remaining full of that inner playful/serious combo she tended to use... except for her fingers making small motions on his neck, which were just soft.
"Does this work for you, Kiba?" Tamaki whispered. "If not, there's still time to back down."
Somehow, Kiba managed a small grin, if for a moment. "Didn't you know, Tamaki? Dogs, and their wolf ancestors, enjoy closeness more than anything" he told her - honestly, he didn't know why he's suddenly so fine, but he's not gonna question it. "So yeah, I'm good with this, more than I have a right to be. And I don't back down from anything."
"Then assuming your answer, should I get even closer?" she breathed, just a bit more intense-
-which he's gotta say absolutely works for her.
One second they were inches apart, and the next they're suddenly pressed together- yes 'they', considering Tamaki moved the same instant he did. But any such thoughts left his mind when he registered the feel of her lips; oh yes, that's a sensation he can get used to, and soon his instincts took over. Not to say he's 'good' good (probably not, though he'd say otherwise), but what he lacked in grace, he made up for in spirit and 'passion'- something Tamaki certainly didn't seem to mind. If anything, she was returning the favor in her own way, even if only to match him... but the way her fingers moved over his neck made him think, or feel, that it wasn't just for that...
For a few seconds, he'd even gone to that open-mouth stage - she seemed noticeably slower afterward, but he'd only planned that far anyway.
Quickly, Kiba pulled back, catching his breath for a moment... yet despite this, Tamaki made it so he couldn't get far...
After a moment: "Seems you were right, Kiba" she breathed, still a bit intense, which made him react. "A dog boy like you, is quite an experience, even on his first try."
Maybe it was the kiss scrambling his brain, or his small 'feel' over something being off, but he remained silent- it even made Tamaki's expression flicker from surprise. For a moment, he just looked at her, then glanced downward, seeing his own hands had moved to her waist somewhere along the way... he moved them slightly up for a better grip, before looking back at her...
Tamaki opened her mouth to say something-
-before she could, he'd kissed her again.
After a second of surprise, she had no trouble returning it, grip on his neck moving up into his hair, which he might like better. Either way though, this kiss definitely went on twice as long as the first, even if at the exact same intensity- neither of them minded, even when it ended.
Staring at each other for a bit, Kiba broke the silence, grinning a little. "So, clearly those two weren't your 'first try'" he stated. "You were a little too practiced for that to be the case."
After a moment, Tamaki giggled, hands moving down from his head/neck, to over his arms-then-hands. "Guess you got me" she teased, but gentle, moving their hands to in-between themselves. "There were a few kisses before I came to The Leaf, but I'm not experienced beyond that, and certainly not in general. How'd you know?"
"I may not be an expert on romance, despite what I might claim at times, but I'm a shinobi, Tamaki" he stated, a little cocky, but only a little. "I can tell when a technique's practiced, just from certain cues. Making an exact guess at 'how much' is sometimes harder, but even still."
That little side-grin again. "I should've expected nothing less from you, Kiba."
"Yeah, you should've" he answered, chuckling even as she returned the favor- then after that, he glanced down at their hands.
Tamaki noticed: "What? Something wrong?" she teased.
He looked at her, that little side-grin, alongside all the internal likes/such he'd stated in his head before... Akamaru's still out there, and once he's back they'll probably be some sort of trouble, but he had a girlfriend now...
Heh, yeah he did!
Kiba just grinned, squeezing her hands. "Nothing at all" he stated, quite easily. "But now that we've kissed, we gotta find somewhere to eat."
Surprised, Tamaki raised an eyebrow, as if interested.
"Come on, it's practically Dating 101, which even I know: the guy typically kisses the girl after the first date" he teased back, grinning, even as he then pulled her after him; despite the surprise, she kept up, not minding the arrangement. "Sometimes the reverse happens in practice, or both at once, but whatever. The question remains: are you feeling up for a date, Tamaki?"
She laughed, long and hard and thoroughly enjoying this; it was music to his ears.
"Lead the way, Kiba" she answered, grinning.
...
Ichraku Ramen
Well, this result was certainly better than she'd expected- but it's a very good thing. As far as date locations, it probably wouldn't get top listing on most womens' lists, but Tamaki found she couldn't care less- plus knowing Kiba, he wasn't the type for 'fancy' places anyway... but it did give her the amusing notion of him eating like Akamaru.
A little much, certainly not true, but worth a laugh later.
"And already you're impressing me" Kiba said beside her, slurping up noodles with a smirk. "Sorta anyway, in a small category."
"Why? Because I didn't complain that our first date's eating here?" Tamaki teased back, shrugging. "I like cozy places more than fancy, which I haven't had the pleasure to experience yet."
Kiba got an odd expression, as if trying to figure out what she's really saying with that, but it soon got distracted by the owner's comment (that she had good taste). She gave Kiba a little grin at that, saying obviously he has good taste too, to his little grin, which changed in a hurry when she said it was for taking her here, rather than the obvious implications.
"Well if nothing else, you're sure not making things dull" he grumbled after that, while she had to restrain giggles. "As expected of a cat girl."
"Don't worry too much, if you're worried at all, dog boy" Tamaki teased, if only a little. "I'm playing things up today because you like them. It probably won't be the norm for every day; that'd get old, real fast."
Despite his grumbling demeanor, there was a very-quick glance at her, and his eyes were gleaming.
"Well, well, well..."
Surprised, they turned around from their spots- Shino stood there, most of his face hidden as per norm, making it difficult to tell what his expression was.
"I saw it, when you two had your 'love-at-first-sight' moment, but I didn't think you'd actually come around, Kiba."
Kiba made a small growl, but merely annoyed for the moment. "Yeah, well, it happened" he retorted, without any real bite. "After all, Shino, name a shinobi who thought Naruto would suddenly get it without help? Or that Sasuke would actually come around to Sakura? They both happened, with some help."
Shino looked at her- she could tell because his head moved. "Did you 'help' Kiba that way, Tamaki?"
Just as she opened her mouth: "Don't answer that" Kiba interjected, before rubbing at his hair. "I'm not about to have 'clueless' teases leveled at me!"
Tamaki grinned a little. "Even if they're true?" she asked, completely teasing.
"Hey!"
"Kidding!" she cheered, giggling. "But to answer the question, Shino, it was mutual."
She didn't see much, but from small movements of his visible facial muscles, he gave her the impression that he's unconvinced. "Right, sure" he said, rather flat- a dead giveaway there too. "I'll believe that."
"Well it's true!" Kiba answered, loudly of course and drawing attention. "But anyway Shino, we're on a date; that's a fact."
"I can see that, but in return for keeping quiet, you'll owe me, Kiba."
Was it her imagination, or was Shino actually being teasing? It's difficult to tell, but clearly he'd seen right through her little act, if helped by her not putting much effort into it - plus afterward, Shino started walking away without concern, or looking like it anyway. Kiba slowly relaxed afterward, turning toward her- his look was mixed, and part of that's some irritation at her. "I told you not to answer, Tamaki" he said, sounding similar, arms crossed even.
Tamaki just shrugged, smirking. "You're not the boss of me, Kiba" she teased, stirring her noodles. "Oh, sorry; 'alpha', I should say. And besides, I told him the truth, that our relationship was mutually agreed upon."
For a few moments, he tried to look severe at her... but eventually just sighed big, turning back to his bowl. "Well, it's not like he wouldn't have figured it out anyway" Kiba groused. "Shino may be quiet and a little creepy, but he's a smart one... not to mention, the sooner the better and all that, not just from Shino but the others as well. I just don't appreciate being made to look like a fool!"
"Where in all that did I make you look like a fool?" she asked, slightly challenging. "Hmm?"
His grin soon returned. "Okay, now this is more like it" he said in an undertone, before louder: "Well for starters-!"
The list of perceived reasons why she'd made him look like a fool went on awhile - the entire time, Tamaki had to keep from laughing out loud, but the occasional giggle slipped out, and oftentimes her body would shake from said suppressed laughter. But honestly, she wouldn't have it any other way; his boasts were pretty entertaining a lot of the time, and so she enjoyed that show while she ate.
Not bad at all, this first date of theirs, even if just the beginning.
As said in the summary, just a two-shot for this story, but still giving a little more to this under-developed pairing ;) Hope you've all liked it
