FR0M THE DiARY 0F NiKKi;; Well, new style of author notes and shiznits. I'm gonna edit the first part of fourteen to match this. Anyways, guys, expect this from now on. I think it looks a little better. Here's the second installment. : )
THiNGS Y0U NEED T0 KN0W;; I don't own Naruto. This is also a pairing between Kiba and Ino. No warnings. Written on May Fifteenth, text copyright to me. Thanks. :D

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"Lookin' good today, Ino-chan."

Again…? Why wouldn't' he just leave her alone? She liked Sasuke-kun, and maybe Shikamaru, as well-- she couldn't be sure, really, of that. But not him.

He was flea-infested, rolled around with dogs all day, and it wouldn't surprise her if he peed outside.

Ew.

Just, ew.

Besides-- he was supposed to like Hinata. It seemed like it, sometimes, how he got all protective of her and was more gentle, and tried to help her with Naruto, but not in a way that would make a great impact. Just, he was encouraging and kinder than normal. And he wasn't annoyingly flirtatious. That had to count for something-- he knew it would make the girl uncomfortable, so he didn't do it, so he didn't make her uncomfortable! Yeah-- she was right.

But then… maybe, just maybe she was wrong… and he liked her-- Yamanaka Ino.

"You know… I kinda think you'd look better if you… came a little closer. Maybe got rid of that apron-thing you're wearing…"

Scratch that.

Pervert.

"Kiba-- go away! I've told you a million times, right? I don't like you. Akamaru keeps peeing on our flowers, you annoy me. You. Need. To. Leave."

He stared back at her with that cocky smirk and one eyebrow raised before shrugging his shoulders. He knew she'd warm up to him eventually. "As you command, dear princess Ino." He winked at her before whistling, calling Akamaru to his side, and as the duo left, Ino rolled her eyes.

"Finally."

-

It had been two weeks. She hadn't even seen him walking around outside the shop. And, yeah, that was unusual-- he'd never given up like that. He just didn't do it.

She leaned on her desk boredly, blowing at her long bangs.

'Really,' she tried to convince herself, 'it's not that I miss him. I don't, I don't…'

'Dammit, I do.'

With a deep sigh, Ino stood up. So he was a little annoying, but she liked his determination, and his loyalty was admirable.

And she wasn't gonna lie-- a wet Kiba without a shirt was an attractive Kiba indeed.

This thought only caused her to drop her head to the desk, leaning on it again, and mumble incoherently into the wood to herself.

"Didn't miss me much, didja?"

Ino shot up immediately, smoothing her apron and fixing her hair. She was so flustered, she didn't catch his sarcasm, too busy straightening her hair and calming herself. "'Course I didn't. Why would I…?"

His brows arched, but he walked forward to the desk, leaning his elbows on it, and it was now she noticed Akamaru was waiting. Outside. One point for Kiba this time.

Mentally, she changed it from about negative fifteen to negative fourteen.

"Dunno, but I was gone for two weeks. I listened to you, y'know, but only 'cuz I had a mission. Long ass one, too." He grinned at her, but she made a soft 'tch' sound, as if it was supposed to impress her or something, flding her arms over her stomach.

"What d' you want, Kiba?"

"Actually," He started, stepping back and taking a look around himself, "I'm here to buy flowers."

Ino stared for a moment, unblinkingly, until the combination of his brows arched and her remembrance to be kind and polite to customers caused her to compose herself. "Well… okay. What occasion?"

"… A girl."

The way he said it, so casually, she doubted they were for her. And that actually hurt, just a little. She bit the inside of her lip before replying. "Sure, but what occasion? Birthday, Anniversary, etcetera?"

"Just because I haven't seen her in awhile."

Nodding her head, Ino looked around her, ruling out certain types of flowers just for that reason. "What kind of girl is she? One like Hinata, or more like Sakura?"

"Eh. Probably more like Sakura. She's not quiet like Hinata-chan… but what's that got to do with pickin' out flowers?" He stared around, taking in all the different flower smells, trying to find a pleasing one. Without letting her answer, he pointed. "I like how that one smells."

Ino, mumbling something about flower-personality matching, turned and smiled. "Lilies. I like them, too." She answered, momentarily forgetting they were for another girl, not her and she picked the bouquet up.

"Well… I think she'll love them. So, let's get those." Kiba grinned, a secretive sort of one, as he handed over his money. "Do you have any of those little card things? And… a pen? A purple one. She told me once that was her favourite colour."

Ino nodded absent-mindedly, finding both the items, all the while thinking, 'He's such a liar, it's gotta be Hinata,' and gave them to him, watching, slightly interested as he scribbled and then stuck the card where it belonged in the bouquet.

Then, carefully, he placed the bouquet on the desk, and tapped his fingers on the wood. "Got any ribbon, maybe?"

Again, she was shocked, by how sweet he could be. Sasuke-kun, or Shikamaru-kun-- they wouldn't do this. Never. "Actually… the only colours that would really look good… we're out of them," She murmured as she looked at the rolls of ribbon on her side of the counter.

But he seemed desperate for it, and wanted it to match. "Can you check, in the back maybe?" He asked, frowning slightly.

Slightly confused at his small change in character, she nodded, with a bit of a dumb expression on her face, before turning to go to the back room. "Just stay here, we probably have some."

As she left and pushed the door open, she hummed quietly to herself before finding the small container they kept the silver ribbon in, the one she thought would look prettiest with it. Her fingertips grazed the shiny material and she smiled to herself as she pulled it out, and turned to go back to the main part of the flower shop, the entire ordeal taking under a minute and a half.

But when she got there, he was gone, the bouquet still there. With her brows furrowed, she slowly walked to the desk, the ribbon falling on it's surface as she looked around her, and noticed Akamaru was gone.

Well, if he was just going to leave them here…

Couldn't hurt to look at the card, could it?

She picked up the bouquet, slipping the card between her fingers, catching the scent of the lilies that she adored so much as she opened the small letter, letting her eyes quickly scan it.

And as she did so, the most genuine smile that she thought had ever graced her face appeared.

'Ino-chan;

I know you pretty much think I'm obnoxious, but here. These are for you; you like them.

I like them…

I like you.

I'll be back at eight.

Love,

Kiba.'

. . . Negative thirteen.