Watch Me
Chapter 28
The pounding of her quick footsteps drowned out all other sounds to the dark haired kunoichi as she ran down the streets of her village. She turned as she reached each corner, not running from anyone, but from something: the memory of her father's words. She could forgive his coldness towards her mother easily, but his nonchalant admission of all the pain and trouble he'd caused her during her life were almost too much to bear.
Without really noticing where she was going, she ran down the familiar streets, turning when she could, dodging people when the streets were full, and keeping her head down when she felt someone near her. A sudden change underfoot caused her to stumble slightly and she choked on a sob as her knees crumpled and she collapsed to the soft grass. Without realizing it, her feet had taken her to the training clearing where she had trained so many years before with Shino, Kurenai, and Kiba. She smiled through the haze of her tears as she remembered how she had first discovered her strength in this spot when she'd faced her teammates' attacks. How long had it been since she had felt strong, competent, resilient to any attack?
Her breath came in great heaving gasps as her mind fought to process what she had learned of her father's motives. That he would love her seemed an almost ludicrous idea. That he wished for her to be the next heir of the Hyuuga seemed impossible. That he had never meant to hurt her… she rolled onto her back as a humorless chuckle rasped out of her throat. Her sobs faded slowly as she watched the sun set in a brilliant array of colors. As the sky darkened to it's dusky bluish-black color, her tears escaped her eyes. She sat up slowly, moving to sit on her knees as the cool breeze crept under her light jacket and chilled her skin. She raised her eyes to the heavens one last time, hearing her father's voice reverberate in her mind.
"I never expected you to forgive me... I apologize for the pain, the insults, and the mortal danger. I apologize for the wrongs I've done... You are my daughter and the best heir that the Hyuuga clan could have. You are exactly what the head of the house should be…"
"How can I believe you father?" Hinata's voice was roughened with her crying. "How can I forgive you?" She raised her plea to the sky. "How???"
"By just doing it." A soft, warm, wood and dog smelling jacket dropped onto her shoulders, followed closely by the lanky frame of Kiba. "You just forgive him by doing it. You forgive him like you've forgiven me countless times." He turned to her, his eyes dark and soft. "It's in your nature, Hinata, to forgive people."
"But what he did…" She looked at him, eyes questioning. "Could you forgive him for it?"
"For how he treated you when we were kids? No. For what he did, the whole dog business? I already did." He ignored her gasp and continued. "He told me of his cousin who never remembered his fiancée. I forgive him for endangering me because he showed me the strength of our relationship. Because it shows that you truly love me as much as I love you, something I was sure wasn't true. I forgive me because it was me he hurt. Me and not you. He is your father, and you are a Hyuuga. I forgive him because you will, and because it would then hurt you if I hadn't. I forgive him because it will someday make you happy."
Hinata's eyes widened as she listened to his reasons. "When did you get to know me so well, Kiba? So well that you know I have to forgive him? So much that you know to what extent I felt his betrayal? When did you??"
Kiba smirked slightly, lifting the corner of his lip to expose one fang. "When I realized I loved you, I began to watch you." He turned to her and met her gaze. "I've had ten years of watching you, Hinata. I know you well enough."
She reached for his hand blindly in the dark. "Thank you, Kiba. For being here with me. For knowing me so well and understanding. For loving me. I will never understand it…"
"I love you. Just accept it, Hina. If you can't return it, then accept it." He entwined his fingers with hers as he returned his stare to the stars above. He barely heard her move, scarcely felt her body move closer, hardly felt her breath ghost over his cheek before her lips pressed to his in a tentative kiss. He turned his head before she had a chance to withdraw and returned her timid caress with his own, bolder, more aggressive version. She moaned softly as the passion of his kiss left her breathless. He groaned as the fleeting caress ended, leaving him yearning for more. Following his instincts, he rolled over, covering her body with his own, effectively shielding her from the cold of the day, both literally and figuratively. He attacked her lips with his own, molding them to his, taking from her without hesitance and, in that same instance, giving back so much more of himself. Finally, he stopped his sensuous assault as her hands gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly.
She pushed his body a few inches from hers for a few seconds, barely long enough to articulate a response to his earlier statement. "How can you think I don't love you? I love so much. Don't you know that?" Her hands shifted from his shoulders to the back of hi neck, where her hold served to bring his body back to hers. She shivered in pleasure as their lips met yet again, quivered as his hands ran along her sides, sighed as his lips found her neck, and whimpered as his body lifted from hers.
"Hina? Marry me?" His breathless question meant more to him than she knew. He sensed her momentary stiffness at the question and dropped his head to her shoulder, unwilling to see the rejection in her eyes.
"I said yes once, Kiba, and I'll say it again, and again, as many times as you ask me. I will marry you. I promise." She saw the pure, undiluted joy shining in his eyes as her words burst through the haze of doubt that had been clouding his deep black eyes. She moaned again as he made that elation obvious to her through the affectionate nips and kisses on her neck, face, and mouth. She smiled softly, opening her eyes and meeting his own.
"What are you two doing?" Like a broken spell, the movement stopped, replaced quickly by two equally blushing faces as Kiba jumped off Hinata and helped her up hurriedly. They stared at each other guiltily, before looking at the person who had found them in such a compromising position, their faces easily discernable in the bright light of their captor's lamp. Kiba scratched the back of his neck embarrassedly as he tried to find a suitable excuse to present to the witness of their activities.
"We were…"
The light clicked off, plunging the area into darkness as an equally red faced Neji looked away from the couple. "Never mind. I don't want to know…" He looked everywhere but at them as he breathed deeply for a few seconds. "Anyways," He looked at the ground as he spoke. "Hana and Tsume are worried about you two. I think you should go see them…" He turned around and ran off at top speed.
Like two teenagers caught by their parents, Kiba and Hinata followed Neji's path back into the center of Konoha and to the Inuzuka household. Their blushes had only cooled a little when they arrived at their front door.
"What do you think they have to say?" Eager to speak of anything but what had just happened, Hinata broke the silence. Kiba shrugged nonchalantly and followed her up to the shoji. When she was about to open the door, he caught her wrist and tugged her back, causing her to lose her balance and fall into his arms. As she looked up at him, he leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers.
"I remember your promise, Hinata. I'll hold you to it." He released her, expecting her to blush and open the door hurriedly. He was completely unprepared for her to wrap her arms around his waist and kiss him back.
"You don't have to hold someone who goes willingly, Kiba." She stepped away from him and into his-their- house, but couldn't resist voicing one doubt. "Besides, who's to say I won't have to hold you?"
"You'll only have to hold me back from rushing you into the Hokage's office for an impromptu marriage!"
A/N
Sheepishly Did I miss the weekend deadline???
SORRY!!! (Again)
No excuses this week. (I have them, but I wont use them. J )
DISCLAIMER
Masashi Kishimoto owns all the characters in this story. Capisce?
