Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Kiba Inuzuka and Female OC

Akari frowned deeply as she stared intently at the two dresses in her hands, her eyes trailing slowly from one to the other and back as she struggled to decide what to wear. One was an elegant black dress of societally acceptable length with a curved neckline, while the other was a blazing red dress with a plunging neckline and a questionably short skirt length. But which one is appropriate for a first-year dating anniversary? She thought with a groan and laid the two dresses down on her bed, crossing her arms as she scrutinized them, as if staring at them long enough would provide a sudden epiphany.

She and her boyfriend Kiba had been dating one full year as of that day, and together they had planned a wonderful night full of surprises for the other. Akari's gift to him was a romantic dinner for two at his favorite restaurant- and that was the problem. What happened after was entirely Kiba's jurisdiction, and so she had to plan accordingly; yet, with no inkling of what he had planned, she had no idea what was appropriate to wear. Would he be taking her to some fancy venue that required her to be dressed tastefully, or was the evening all their own, and required a little something to turn up the heat? She chewed on her lip thoughtfully before reluctantly reaching for the black dress, the safer option of the two. At least with that, if they were out in public among the haughty and well-to-do, she wouldn't feel self-conscious.

The clock ticked as she prepared herself for the night, and as time raced by, she found herself growing more and more excited. She curled her blonde her into golden, bouncy ringlets and highlighted her features with a modest yet striking selection of make-up. Just as she was fastening the tiny buckles of her heels, the apartment echoed with the familiar sound of Kiba rapping at the door.

"Just a moment!" she called, hoping that he could hear her. She jumped to her feet, her heels clacking furiously as she struggled to snap in her earrings and collect her things. I was so worried about looking perfect that I forgot to keep an eye on the time! She thought with a pout as she snatched her purse off the bed and ran down the hallway, stumbling slightly in her haste. She arrived at the front door and threw it open hurriedly, panting slightly with effort as she regarded the handsome man standing in her doorway.

No one would ever think it, but Kiba cleaned up nicely. He had abandoned his usual selection of baggy hoodies and cargo pants for a nice dress shirt and some slacks, and he had even attempted to straighten out his unruly mop of brown hair. That didn't work out well- it was still sticking up in several places, but Akari didn't mind. She loved his hair. It was soft, and she loved to run her fingers through it and twirl and curl the strands. She was so struck at his appearance that she stood there in the threshold gawking.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" he joked, and she stirred. A faint blush of embarrassment rose to her cheeks, and she self-consciously fixed her hair.

"N-no! You look very nice, Kiba," she stammered as she cast her gaze to her feet, and as she stared at them she cursed herself for not painting her toenails. She looked up with a small gasp as Kiba poked her in the forehead, and the soft, loving smile on his face made her heart flutter like a bird taking flight.

"Thanks. You look beautiful, Akari," he murmured, and even though she had been involved with him for a year now she felt like she was transported back to the very first date, and she felt tongue-tied and overwhelmed. He seemed as cool as ever, however, and smirked as he offered an arm to her. "So? Shall we?" he winked, and she attempted to quiet her pounding heart as she took his arm and let him lead her to his waiting car.

Giving him the directions ruined some of the fun, but as Akari sat in the passenger seat of Kiba's car, she couldn't help but smile at how excited he was. His face was lit up with a goofy smile as he chattered about the food waiting for them, and she felt bad for only half-listening. She couldn't help it, though; all her attention was bent on him, the line of his jaw, the muscles flexing beneath the dress shirt, that soft, silky hair and how badly she wanted to caress it. What's wrong with me? She thought as she forced herself to look out the window, and she placed a hand over her heart to find it racing uncontrollably. Only he could do this to me… she thought with a small smile.

Soon they were sitting in a booth at a renowned steakhouse on the ritzy side of the city, surrounded by young couples on dates, families celebrating a simple night, and old couples enjoying a rare night out. As they waited for their food, she and Kiba chatted idly about mindless things, like their jobs and their week. Akari blinked as he suddenly reached across the table to gently take her hand.

"What is it?" she asked him as he softly ran his thumb in circles over the top of her hand.

"Nothing. I just realized how lucky I am," he mused as he leaned his cheek in his other hand, and she flushed at his intense gaze. I'm lucky too, she started to say, but the waiter suddenly appeared with a flourish with their food. Kiba's hand released hers, and as she drew it down to her lap, she frowned at the feeling of his warmth fading away.

They spent the rest of dinner like a normal couple in love, trading glances and compliments and the occasional touch. By the time Akari received the check and paid, she was weary from the strain of her rapidly beating heart. She wasn't sure why he was affecting her more than usual; it was like everything was in high definition, like her senses were overloading. Everything he did, everything he said, seemed like the most alluring actions. Perhaps she was subconsciously expecting something? She slapped her cheeks lightly as he escorted her back to the car, scolding herself. Tonight isn't about that. It's about being with Kiba, she told herself firmly, looking over when he slid into the driver's seat. He's so handsome, though, she thought with a small whine, and she didn't even realize she was reaching for his hand until he looked at her strangely.

"I-I'm sorry," she blurted, and he blinked before chuckling quietly and switching the car into reverse. He backed out of the parking spot while Akari placed her hand firmly in her lap, and her face burned in embarrassment. She heard the shift of the gears as he switched the car into drive, and then she felt his hand grab hers and pull it over the center console.

"Sorry. Kind of takes two hands to back out," he mused at her through his peripheral vision, maneuvering through traffic perfectly even though he was driving one-handed. Akari stared at their conjoined hands, then smiled happily and laced their fingers together. They sat in silence for a good while, just enjoying the feeling of holding hands, until Akari realized that they were driving out of the city.

"Where are we going?" She inquired as she leaned forward slightly in the seat, staring out at the expansive stretch of forest lining the highway.

"It's a surprise," he laughed. "Wouldn't be any good if I told you, now would it?" Akari pouted, the curiosity driving her insane, but she obediently flopped back into the seat and watched the dark scenery roll by. What could it be? Are we going star-gazing? A nighttime picnic? No, we just ate, that can't be it. Oh, how many things to do are there out in the middle of nowhere? Unless… what if we're going to a cabin? Does he…?! She looked at him, mildly appalled, but he was just staring at the road with a smirk on his face, very amused at his girlfriend's incessant stressing. His amused expression revealed nothing, however, and Akari was forced to wonder the entire ride.

She was still clueless even as they pulled onto a small side road. It was more of a path, really, a stretch of dirt shaking its way through the forest. She shrunk down slightly in the seat as the dark forest surrounded them, but blinked when a collection of lights bloomed in the distance, sparkling amidst the thick green. She craned her neck to try and discern what the group of lights could possibly be, but it was so hard to tell as they weaved through the forest. Kiba was laughing by the time they rolled to a stop, so close to the lights that they were shining just beyond the edge of the trees, but the plants grew so closely that it was too hard to make out. "All right, from here, we go one foot," he told her, letting her hand go to throw the car into park and exit the car. Akari slowly unfastened her seat belt, leaning forward as she stared at the lights, until Kiba opened her door for her.

"Kiba, what is this?" She asked impatiently as she took the offered hand.

"You'll see!" he taunted as he pulled her out of the car, closing the door behind her. "Watch your step," he warned as he guided her slowly up the rest of the path. Akari was only half paying attention, adamant to know what the lights were and why Kiba had brought her out in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, the trees parted, and Akari stopped dead in the path as she stared around her in wonder.

"Oh, wow. It's beautiful," she murmured as she took a few steps forward. The trees had all been strung with thousands of glittering string lights, glowing soft yellow in the night. They were in a small clearing, and the night sky was open above them, the sparking white stars accepting the assortment of artificial lights. She looked back at Kiba, so delighted that she threw her arms around him in a hug. "Its magnificent! You did all this?" She cried.

"Well, I had a little help," he admitted bashfully, holding her as she clung to him. "Come on. That's not all," he smiled and lightly pushed her away to take her hand and lead her out into the center of the grassy area. She looked down to see that it was more wildflowers than grass; the clearing bloomed with white dandelions and yarrow and purple forget-me-nots. They seemed to glow with the twinkling lights shining down upon them, and Akari felt like she was walking into a place full of magic. When Kiba stopped and turned back to her, he frowned deeply when he noticed her eyes were filled with tears. "What s wrong?" he asked her worriedly, reaching up to catch her tears with the tip of his finger.

"It's just… I'm so happy," she whispered as she looked back at him. She wound her arms around his neck, curling her fingers into the messy brown hair she loved so much. "I'm so happy you would do all this for me… You spent so much time and effort. Thank you," she smiled genuinely. He smirked and grabbed her waist, and she looked down as he kicked a stereo that had been hidden in a deep patch of grass. Suddenly the forest clearing as alive with the sound of a love song, echoing all around them and floating up into the night sky. Akari exhaled slowly as Kiba pulled her towards him, while she looked around in wonder. "This is the song that played on the radio on our first date," she recalled.

"You remembered," he smiled at her, sounding genuinely pleased. She looked at him as he slowly began to dance her in a small circle, and when her eyes met his her heart completely stopped. They were so full of love and passion that it made her dizzy and breathless. He did all of this to show how much he loves me, she thought, a smile forming on her lips.

"Of course I remembered," she told him. "I remember everything about that day. The weather, the songs on the radio, the cars that passed by. Every bit. It was the day I thought that I could be with you the rest of my life," she admitted shyly. "Is that sad?" She laughed as she looked down in embarrassment.

"No," he mused and cocked his head to the side. "Sometimes, people just know. I knew," he mused and brought his face closer to hers, making her unconsciously look up. "Happy one-year anniversary, Akari," he breathed, and she closed her eyes as his lips pressed softly against hers. For the first time that night, her heart was beating calmly, as she slowly danced with the man she loved most in the world. With the lights glowing above and the music echoing around her, she kissed him passionately as he held her gently in his arms.

I thought then that I could spend the rest of my life with you, she thought absently. Now I know that I would, gladly.

As they slowly glided through the flowery field dancing to the love song, laughing and kissing, Akari knew that without a doubt, Kiba felt the same way.