A/N: Thank you guys for reviewing! To the Baffled Insomniac, you've hit the nail right on the head, my dear. So, sit back, relax, grab some popcorn and enjoy the wonderful fluffy goodness.

Chapter 3: Encounters

Wednesday

After training was through, Hinata had gone home, and Kiba and Shino went over to Ino's house. Ino, in top form, was basically giving orders to everyone. "Chouji, can you bring music?" He nodded. Ino and Sakura were going to decorate. Kiba's only job was deception, for which he was very disturbed, but Ino brushed it off. Sasuke and Naruto, as well as Shino and Shikamaru, were going to be helping Ino's parents with the supplies. Ino found out from Tenten, who was getting over the flu, that Lee and Neji were going to be going on a mission with Gai-sensei, and she hadn't even asked them. Kurenai-sensei may or may not be able to make it, depending on what was happening with her that day. Kiba sat on the couch blinking, staring off into space.

Earlier, Neji had found him, just after Shino had gone off to get lunch.

"I heard Hinata-sama telling Hiashi-sama that you asked her on a date, Kiba." Neji's eyes were narrowed to small slits.

"Neji, I…"

The Hyuuga had drawn a kunai from his pouch then, and moved faster than Kiba could see, laying the blade against his throat. The white eyes of the Hyuuga stared into his, and he tried to blink, but found that he was transfixed. "If you hurt Hinata-sama, I'll make you wish you'd never been born, Inuzuka. Got it?" Kiba had tried to nod, but felt the kunai's point much more than he would have liked.

"Hai, Neji-san. I got it."

Ino stood in front of Kiba. Waving a hand in front of his face, she said, "Hey, Kiba, snap out of it! Are you ok?"

He suddenly came out of his trance. "Ino, Neji's gonna kill me. He said that if I hurt Hinata, he'd make me wish I were never born. He thinks it's for real."

Ino laughed. "Hinata's not going to get hurt, Kiba. It's a party. How could she get hurt?" Easier than you think, Ino-pig. He hated this. He wanted to go to Hinata's house right then and just tell her everything. The little voice in back of his head piped up again. But then again, she's not the only one you're fooling, is she? Neji was having the wool pulled over his eyes, too, but the person who was suffering more than anyone at the moment was Kiba. He was sure that Hinata was going to be hurt in some way, but he did not want to be the one to cause that hurt.

"I gotta get outta here," he growled, standing up. Ino moved to stop him, but the glare that he shot at her made her think twice. "My job is simple. It's not like I have too much to do. Later, Ino." He nodded to the rest of them and left. He wandered through the streets, not really having a destination. He ended up on the training grounds. As he arrived, he saw that he was not the only one there. Masking his chakra, he hid behind a tree.

His keen nose sniffed out Hinata's mellow scent right away. Kiba closed his eyes for a moment. She smelled like lavender. Hinata was standing in the middle of the training area, her arms at her sides, and she looked at the ground. What is she doing here? He wondered, but then his question was answered. She suddenly flowed into a series of katas that were at once sharp and smooth in their movements. Kiba was once again struck by how graceful she was. He leaned against the tree, watching. When she was finished, she began to talk to herself.

"Kiba is very nice. But why did he…? I don't understand it myself, not even why I said yes. It's even a little funny when he tries to be gentlemanly and proper, but it's also something that seems very right." Hinata sighed. Kiba felt his cheeks grow hot. He was not supposed to be hearing this. "He is very nice, yes. I…I like him. But should I tell him that?" Kiba's eyes grew wide. He turned from the scene, and sank to the ground, holding his head in his hands. This is way too much. Hinata likes me? That's good, I guess, since I kinda figured out that I like her too. Gah! How do I fix this mess?

As far as he was concerned, Ino could take the party and shove it. He didn't want to hurt Hinata by making her think that the only reason he had asked her on a date was that he had to get her to the party. But that was true at first, wasn't it? "Shit." I have to tell her something, somehow. Rising from the ground, he turned east to walk to his house.

"Kiba-kun?" He heard from the distant spot where Hinata stood. She had seen him? That was not good. He turned back to face her, and saw her walking toward him. Hinata stopped directly in front of him. The sun was setting, and the light was slightly pink, so that it hid the flush on his cheeks. Her eyes glinted pink in the light, and made her seem very unearthly. "Are you alright, Kiba-kun?" Her hands moved to his head, pushing back his coat hood, removing his forehead protector. She felt his forehead, and seemed satisfied that he was not ill. After replacing his forehead protector and hood, she looked at him curiously. "Why are you here, Kiba-kun?"

"I, uh…was walking, and I come here sometimes, so…" He was almost stuttering.

"Did you hear me?" Her eyes were not narrowed in suspicion as one might think they should be when asking such a question. Hinata looked up at him with that expectant curiosity she had shown before. He nodded. A small smile crossed her lips. "I guess there's no need for me to tell you, then." She then reached up, took hold of his jacket collar, and pulled him down toward her, kissing his cheek.

He blinked in surprise. That was unexpected. Now, he only felt worse. That didn't stop him letting that goofy grin form on his face, though. Hinata laughed at him. "Would you walk me home again, Kiba-kun?" He nodded. As they walked, he felt her small fingers take hold of his. His insides turned into a puddle of goop, and if it was possible, his smile became even goofier. They walked in silence, and were soon at Hinata's door. She stepped up onto the porch, and then seemed to remember something.

"Seven o'clock, ok?" She said in a quiet way that nevertheless sent a slight shiver through him. He nodded dumbly. Suddenly, she waggled her fingers at him, making her silly face. He stifled his laugh, holding his sides. He leaned on one of the pillars on the porch for support. He looked up, noticing how very close to him she was. He swallowed, hearing a gulping noise as he did so. The sun had gone down, and in the half-light, her eyes seemed to glow. It was just his imagination, he was sure.

Once again, not thinking, his hand moved on its own, one finger tracing her brow, and then he let his palm rest on her cheek. This did not seem to startle her at all. Kiba bridged the short distance between them and kissed her lightly. This did seem to surprise her a little, but not for long. After the short duration of the kiss, she pulled away from him and smiled at him. Yet again, his insides turned to mush. She just seemed to have that effect on him.

"Seven o'clock." Kiba said, straightening from his leaning position against the pillar. "Until tomorrow, Hinata-hime.1" He gave a small wave, and started up the street again, tripping once or twice. He was really going to have to figure out a way to straighten up this mess. He had just been kissing Hinata, and he had enjoyed it, thank you very much. But he didn't want Ino's scheme to mess things up. He needed to talk to that pig before the party.

A/N: Hinata-hime: "Princess" Hinata. A pet name Kiba thought up on the spot. For a guy who never thought to ask a girl out before, he's pretty slick. And all of that without really thinking!

Sorry for it being so short. I just decided to divide it up by the days of the week, and it just so happened that not a lot happened on Wednesday. Don't worry, Chapter 4 will be much longer, and oh so very cute!