I worked hard all week just so I can have a break today. I promised Kiba. And I knew Kurenai. she always gave us a day break so we can have our muscles relax and heal. A least, I was thinking she would.

This week I have realized how much I do not like my temporary team mates. One is a member of my clans, who always trying to prove he's better than me. Then the other is practically his henchmen. I might die in the chunin exam because they will be looking out for each other. I have to take care of myself unfortunately. I wish we didn't have an odd graduating class right now.

I strayed away from those thoughts and focused on making Kiba a cake and some steak. What an interesting combo... Through my worn out state from training I bought my ingredients last night before coming home. I don't know why it felt so important to me to do this. Maybe because it was the only thing I looked forward to. I went put of my way just to do this for him, but maybe I was also trying to hard to get him to like me. At least, continue to.

What was it about Kiba exactly?

His smile, it always made my eyes lock on him. They were so full of life, and they were so contagious. And how he acted towards me now, it made me feel special. He's so selfless, he carried me even if he was in pain. He was honest, playful, and loyal like a puppy.

I stared at the steak I was grilling outside while I was waiting for the cake to finish.

Does he like his steak rare or well done? Damn it, I should have found out...

Medium rare... That's always good. I guess.

I was panicking, and I shouldn't have. It will be fine.

The timer went off on the oven and I quickly took out the cake, and put it in the refrigerator to cool. What was I supposed to put on the cake?

I don't know... Frosting and a simple "happy birthday."

I just need to get this thing done so we have time to eat and just relax.


I quickly walked to Kiba's house, so I wouldn't be spotted by any other Inuzuka members or anyone from my clan, especially my father. I knocked on the door and looked around, no one was around.

I already heard dogs barking from inside the house as soon as I knocked. They could probably smell the steak. I kept Kira home because I didn't know how the other dogs would react to her.

The door quickly opened. "Oh, it's you!" A lady with similar hair and markings to Kiba was at the door. It had to be Kiba's mother. She was wearing a vest and the rest of a regular uniform or a chunin or jonin. "Kiba's still sleeping, but you can come in and wait, or you can wake him up." She smirked, Kiba looked so much like her. "Actually, wake him up. It will be hilarious. Come in, come in!" She said, greeting me with open arms.

She practically pulled me in the house. For some reason, I expected dog stuff everywhere, like bones and dog fur everywhere. However, it was like any other normal clean house... the living room with a few couches, the next room was the kitchen with a table it eat at. There were several dog bowls, but that was only expected.

"His room is the first door as you head up the stairs." Kiba's mom said as she sat on the couch, reading some papers. I thought she was trying to make a show of me waking Kiba up. "Make it interesting."

I just headed up stairs. The fact that Kiba was still sleeping, even though I told him when we were going to hang out, bothered me. I woke up early and fought through pain to make him a birthday meal.

I got to the top of the stairs and the first door was immediately at my left. I opened it and found the sleepy idiot shirtless and in a weird sleeping position. His Arms were above his head and his left leg was off his bed while the other stretched out to the end. He was snoring, his mouth was wide open with drool coming down his mouth. Akamaru snuggled up next to him, right under Kiba's arm. He looked exactly like Kiba in sleeping position and facial expression. They did spend all their time together.

I sighed. I would hate to wake them up, but the steak is getting cold. "Hey..." I said, no response. "Heyyyyy" I started poking Kiba with my foot. I sat down on his bed.

"Make it interesting." Was what was running through my head. Kiba's mom was interesting to say the least.

I sighed. How can I make this interesting? I opened the bag that had the food and left it open on his desk. The smell of the steak drifted through the room.

I laid on the empty side of Akamaru, next to Kiba.

Kiba's eyes were twitching and his noes was twitching. He was sniffing. "Mmm, I smell something good." With his eyes still closed, he stretched slightly. "Just a few more seconds, and I'll eat that deliciousness I smell!" He said through muffled tones. He rolled over toward me. It was coming to that interesting plan.

His arm landed on me. "Hm?" He put his hand on my arm. He opened his eyes slightly. "Aoki? Oh, I'm dreaming..." He smiled like an idiot and hugged me. "Aoki, you're here in my bed. This is the best dream ever." Kiba sang.

I hate to disappoint him now, but reality was probably better than a dream. I was kind of flattered that he would think dreaming about me is the best dream. It made me smile and it made my heart beat faster.

"What if I told you this wasn't a dream." I whispered in his ear.

"Mmm, this wouldn't happen outside of my dream." He hugged me tighter and I felt something next to my leg... was that his...?

"Kiba... I'm not kidding... this isn't a dream!" I said, speaking normally now.

"What?" He opened his eyes again. "Wait...WHAT?!" Kiba yelled. "What are you doing in my room?!" He let go of me and tried to make distance between himself and me. He then fell on the floor and slid toward the door. "Aoki, what are you doing here?!" He yelled.

Kiba's mom was bursting out with laughs down stairs as if she knew what happened.

"Oh..." He suddenly said and he looked down.

"She said to make it interesting..." I told him and smiled nervously. I still laid in his bed. It was so comfortable. In just the few days that I have not laid in it, it has made me miss it. One day I'll switch beds with him. He'll never know.

"So... you decided to go on my bed?"

"Yeah, I was going to wait till you realized it wasn't a dream yourself, but it was getting... weird."

"What?" Then he looked down and took the blanket that was on the floor and covered himself. "Uh... sorry... it happens. It's a guy thing..."

"You can't help it, I guess... well, I don't really understand why that happens. Unless you were having a dirty thought about me..." I glared at him.

"Well, you were in my bed...what do you expect a guy to think?"

"Ah, true... then I don't hold it against you." I sighed. "I did that to myself."

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"You don't smell it?"

He sniffed and looked at his desk. His eyes watered, he was happy to see the meal in front of his eyes. "Aoki! You're the best!" He was going to charge for the desk.

"Stop!" I yelled. "Put some clothes on first..."

"Uh..." He put he blanket over his shoulders. "Right..." He went to his closet and took out whatever he needed. "Wait here, and don't eat before me." He demanded.

"I made it for you, I'm not going to eat it without you." I sassed back and rolled around on his bed. "I'll be here!" I sang and snuggled up on his pillow. The pillow smelt like him. It just reminded me of when he graciously carried me on his back to town, when I realized I needed him...

I sighed and spread my arms across the bed. I suddenly felt guilty again.

Akamaru crawled next to me and snuggled up under my arm. I rubbed his back while he still slept there. They were probably working just as hard as me. Yet, I was surprised he was too tired to realize that there was steak in the room.

"So, what did you bring me?" Kiba said, his mouth watering so much that it would soon look like a waterfall.

"Doesn't your super nose tell you that?" I smirked. "Breakfast in bed? Well, it's more like lunch time now. Either way! You're eating this wonderful meal I have prepared!"

He looked into the container I put it in. "Have I proposed to you yet?"

"Uh, no, not yet." I said sarcastically. I sat up, and packed up the lunch. "We're going somewhere more romantic." I took his hand and dragged him out of the house as we both said bye to his mom.


The sound of constant rushing water overwhelmed the stillness in the forest as we. Ame closer and closer. Not a lot of people come this way since they would get lost on the way or get lost on the way back.

For people like Kiba and I, it was impossible to get lost. Just being in the area of the waterfall seemed like it cleansed the air. It calmed the senses. We climbed to the top, near the river where the waterfall soon dropped off into a lake.

"Can I eat now?" Kiba complained. He was trying to yell over the loud waterfall. His stomach kept growling the whole way here. "You're torturing me!"

"In a minute! Don't be so impatient."

"You woke me up, after I've been through a ton of training without having me eat anything."

"The wait will be worth it, don't worry!" I smiled at him as I sat down by the water. I was thinking of making him beg like a dog, but this was supposed to be a gift after all. I set up the food next to me. Kiba was fidgeting, waiting to dig in. Akamaru sat up, begging. I sighed. "Just save me one!"

He just used his hands to grab it and started gnawing on the steak. I feel like more food particles traveled across the forest from Kiba. I tossed one to Akamaru and he used is front paws to hold the steak as he quickly chewed on it.

"You're the best..." He suddenly said after he finished the first steak. "Live at my house and cook for me!" He quickly grabbed another.

I laughed at him. "You're silly." I took small bites of my steak. I liked to enjoy my meal and eat slowly. "Anyway, save room for the cake."

He smiled. "I'll eat whatever you give me."

"Don't get too bloated. You want to feel good tomorrow!" I scolded him.

"I can't help it, it's so good!" He said, his mouth full of mashed up food.

I just smiled. Just seeing him happy made me happy. It was such a weird feeling.

As soon as the last of it was done he just laid down, holding his stomach. "I'm so full." he complained. Akamaru looked like he was mimicking him, laying down the same way.

"I told you not to eat too much." I said in a I-told-you-so tone.

"Shut up and just lay down next to me." He said, patting the ground next to him.

I did lay down and I stared up at the sky with sound of the waterfall still consumed us, like we were in the ocean. Having the sound of rushing water and being by Kiba's side made everything calm. Like, nothing bad was happening.

It was hard to believe that tomorrow we might be pinned against each other and forced to fight, but I stand by my words. I can't fight against him, and I don't care what anyone says. Especially not my father.

"Yahoo!" Kiba suddenly yelled. I could only hearahistorical voice trail off and be followed by a splash, I didn't even see him run off. I look off the edge of the cliff. "Come on!" He yelled floating on his back. The water still rippled from his jump. "You a scardey cat? Afraid of water?" Kiba was laughing and swimming around and Akamaru looked so cute, he doggy paddling around Kiba.

I glared at him, and I knew that he saw me no matter how far we were because he laughed. "I think you're an idiot sometimes!"

"I know. All that aside, seriously, Aoki, jump in!"

I sighed and the took a few steps back. I took in a deep breath and ran, jumping off the edge of the cliff.

When I was with Kiba, nothing else mattered. So, I jump into the clear waters with him.