Spill Forth

By Christine Lennoire

Anime: Naruto

Genre: Romance/Sentimental/Friendship

Pairing: Hinata/Kiba

Summery: For two years, Hinata hasn't seen Kiba. Her memories are all she has left of a dear friend. A visit to a very special place from her memories leads her not only to reliving her past in memories – but a chance for a very bright future. "This was how it all started..."

K-kiba-kun... where are you...?

'Kiba and I were dear friends, even from the beginning. Though we were very different, I believe that was what was so good about it. He was loud and forward, while I was soft and distant with people. Just now I was remembering all the times we spent together. After all, it has been two years, and I don't know when I will see him again. Maybe I let it get to me a little too much. When I got sad like this, there was only one place that I could go...'

The flowers were blooming nicely, in this small garden. It was a tiny patch so far out of the way, that nobody really took the time to notice it. Hinata loved this place. It was her little get away. But most important of all – was the large sakura tree at the very top of the hill. From there she could see the whole garden and even Konoha, which seemed so very far away from here. But that was good. She came here to get away...

It had been such a lovely day – so Hinata decided to go for a walk. But she never thought she would get lost. Now she was scared and alone. Even her teammates were still back home in Konoha. She was... well... here. Wherever that was... Suddenly, she realized that she wasn't just in some open meadow anymore. She was on the edge of a beautiful garden. Delight filled her eyes, and even if she was lost, she was glad to have been able to find such a wonderful place.

Then she remembered that she was lost and began to get worried again. She climbed the hill and found a huge sakura tree. The flowers were just blooming and it was beautiful. Such a beautiful garden – someone was bound to come soon... Hinata slumped down against the tree. Had she chosen to sit on the other side, she would have seen Konoha, in all it's glory. But she did not, and she stayed there, in a half dazed off state.

She heard footsteps... and then... the figure sat down somewhere, she figured – just listening to the sounds. "Is something bothering you?" Hinata sat bold upright. From her guess, the person – who sounded awfully familiar – was sitting against the tree on the other side. "You can tell me. It's easier this way." he said. Hinata smiled – 'Kiba...'

"I used to do this with my mother all the time by a tree in out backyard." Kiba said. "She would ask me if there was anything on my mind or if something was bothering me. It was a way for me to vent. I didn't have to feel like I was telling someone, and yet – it felt better to say it out loud. Mom said it was like speaking to the wind... so... if you want to..."

Hinata smiled and closed her eyes. For a moment – she pretended she was alone, and began to speak all the things on her mind. About her home, about her family, about the pain and the disappointment, but most importantly – about how she wanted to change. Kiba listened intently, not saying a word, and letting her get it all out. Finally, after he figured she was finished, he stood up, went around to the other side – and offered her his hand.

She got up on her own two feet and moved on. And suddenly it wasn't so painful anymore.

From then on, it was our little routine. He always let me talk... never asked me to listen. Kiba was there for me all the time. Sitting here now... it feels so lonely without him. I began to doze off... I never noticed...

Suddenly...

"Somethin' on your mind?"

My eyes darted open. There was no question. The voice had changed, but only slightly, and I still recognized it. Tears streamed down my face – but it was because I was happy... I was so happy to have him back. For these two years, worries have bogged my mind... now was my chance to let it all spill forth – my chance to tell him everything I was feeling and get some of the emotion off my chest.

"I have this friend – and he's been gone such a long time. All this time, I've been missing him, worrying that maybe he might be hurt somewhere or maybe even... dead. But I never heard from him, and it was killing me inside for the longest time." I took a deep breath – and for a moment, there was just the wind.

But Hinata wasn't finished. "Well, he came back four months ago... this friend, I mean. And all the feelings I had just came out. I told him everything – about my crush on him ever since we became Academy students, about how I was sure I loved him – and then I realized – I was just talking to the wind. Because there were no real emotions there. And I told him that too... I told him that I didn't love him anymore... he... he told me he was glad, because he valued me as a dear friend, but nothing more."

"All this time I spent pining over him, and for a long time, I didn't mean a word of it. My heart wasn't in to it. The heart that I so secretively hide from everyone already belonged to one person. I don't remember when I gave it to him, nor did I fully realize it. But I only ever felt truly happy... truly whole... when I was with him. I just spent the longest two years of my life – without my heart. And all my friends have come back... all of them but one..."

"I just really want to see him again. I want to tell him that..." Hinata found her mouth being covered rather quickly. And for a moment, she was very scared. Scared of his reaction, scared she might have said something wrong... a number of things flashed through her head. But Kiba lowered his head so he could stare her in the eyes.

Kiba grinned. "Tell me what? I want to be the one to hear this... face to face." Kiba never asked her to share things with him while looking at him. He knew it was difficult for her to do, what with her being so shy, but... this was important. This was special. Maybe he was being selfish and asking for too much but... if she couldn't...

"Kiba, I absolutely and 100 positively love you!" she shouted and ran into his arms. Hinata had never startled him so much in his life. Not only had she been blunt and straight forward, she hadn't stuttered or looked away once.

While holding him, she smiled. "You know... you always told me, it was like talking to the wind. And for me... the first time, it was. But since then... no, I don't think so. I see it this way – the tree was like a barrier... like the distance that separated us until recently. Inside, I was training myself for the day I knew you would have to go."

"And just recently, I felt like... we were two halves of a whole – joined by that tree and our words." she said, blushing. "I know it sounds stupid, but..." Kiba cut her off again, lifting a finger to her lips to hush her.

Kiba was smiling extra widely. "You really have changed Hinata. I always dreamed of the day when I would be able to hear you use a real sentence." he laughed, causing her to blush, remembering her stuttering problem of not so long ago. "I always told you that I believed you could do it!" he grinned, holding her close. "Wanna know why I never asked you to listen to me?"

She quirked her head to the side in a funny, confused way that made Kiba laugh. "If I had, I would have had to tell you – from that very first day, about this very sweet adorable girl that I had found. She's cute, kind, funny, and a bit shy – everything I am so not. But I love her. And..." he knelt down and whispered in her ear very quietly...

"While I was away... all by myself... sitting underneath this old oak tree, I could have sworn the wind told me she might love me too..." he paused, and in an even lower voice than before, chuckled and added, "...or was that you?'" he grinned, and kissed Hinata – slowly and lovingly.

Now that they had let their emotions all spill forth – they could pick up the pieces, fix them, build them, put them together again – and become one.

Okay, so I had this picture in my head of them sitting back to back against the tree and i just had to write a story about it, because I love this pairing and it's so sweet. I hope you enjoyed it and please review and tell me what you think!

Tin of muffins in the review lounge! enjoy, reviewers!

Christine Lennoire