***Tip: when mentioned, I suggest you check out to listen to "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" by Def Leppard and "I Know What I Want" by No Secrets. The songs seriously fit the mood and theme of their prospective parts, and those are the songs that were on my playlist while I wrote. It's in the best interest of the writing to listen to those two songs specifically when mentioned. Arigato!***
I grin at Akamaru as Temari, Anika, and I change in my room. The guys are all changing in Kankuro's room down the hall, where all the beds are made up. The game ended a few minutes before. I had dared Anika to spend ten minutes in the closet with Kankuro later in the evening. The only rule I had whispered in her ear was forbidding sex in my closet. I decided that would be best, especially since they just met each other. Knowing the guys are far enough away not to hear us, I tell the girls and Akamaru of my dare. The girls squeal. They both, like Gaara, figured out around the same time I did that I do have a thing for the mutt. After I pull the lingerie on delicately, I pull on a white tank top and the pajamas Kiba gave me.
*Aria,* Akamaru woofs. *Your confession is going to be serious. What are you going to do if Kiba realizes that the confession is what you were dared to make and thinks all your words are just for the dare?*
I freeze, not having thought that over. "I… I don't know, Kama." The girls look at me questioningly, and I repeat what Akamaru asked me.
"It'll be fine, Aria!" Temari assures me.
"Yeah, he does like you, after all 'Ria!" Anika adds. I smile at them gratefully and walk out of my room. The girls and Akamaru follow me. I nod.
"Yeah. It'll be fine."
The guys' door opens, and they trudge out in their pajamas. Deidara looks at me pleadingly, and I nod in consent. "Ten minutes, Deidara."
A grin lights his face, and he takes off down the hall to set up his fireworks. I glance at Anika and Kankuro. "Dare time, 'Nika!"
She blushes, and Kankuro grins slightly. He takes her hand and leads her into the closet downstairs. I shut the door and call after them, "Ten minutes!"
I flop down on the couch with Temari, who begins to chat with me. Kiba settles himself on the couch for a talk with Shikamaru, who is awake, surprisingly enough. I notice he and Temari are giving each other glances every once in awhile, and I grin.
"Temari, you really should tell him that you like him."
"I can't do that, Aria!" She exclaims while glancing at him. She blushes slightly and looks away after having made eye contact. I am amused to see him displaying the same reaction. We continue to chat quietly, changing our topic and straying away from her fantasizing to my dare. I am excited to finally let Kiba know that I like him, but some part of me wants to hold back until he tells me that he likes me first. I sigh quietly and tell Temari of my predicament. She shakes her head and smiles slightly.
"The best thing you can do, Aria, is to let him know. After all," she says, "he may never find the guts to tell you, and then look what you'll have missed!"
*Surprisingly, the blonde makes a good point. You should listen to her.*
"You make a good point, 'Mari, and I should listen to you, ne?" I say, careful to acknowledge both of them with the one statement. Kiba glances over, wondering how his dog and I can be thinking so much alike. Catching his glance, I look over to Akamaru. "What do you think, 'Kama?"
*Do the dare, do the dare!*
"Nani? Do you want me to do the dare or something?" A sneeze from Akamaru confirms his request, and I glance at the clock on the wall. Smirking slightly, I stand and walk over to the closet door, all the while hearing muffled bumps and breathy whispers. I clear my throat and knock on the door quietly. "You two have thirty seconds before I open the door. The fireworks are almost ready, loves!"
A grunt and a giggle are the responses I receive, and I am pleased with my work. I prance back over to the couch and pull Temari up by the hand. Akamaru also rises. Deidara bursts in the backdoor just as Kankuro and Anika emerge from the depths of my closet, hand in hand and grinning at each other. Temari's smirk matches my own. Kankuro gives me a meaningful glance, which I acknowledge with a slight inclining of my head. As Shikamaru and Kiba stand, they head their separate ways: Shikamaru to Temari and Kiba to Akamaru, who also happens to be standing next to me.
*Good luck, Aria.* Akamaru pants. I look down at him questioningly before looking at Kiba with my head tilted in "confusion."
"He said, 'Good luck, Aria.'"
"Ah, I see! Thank you, Kama! I'll do my best!" I grin down and scratch his ears as he woofs softly and wags his tail. I wink at him and stand back up. Kiba turns around since Deidara has come in to inform us all that his amazing displays of fiery goodness are ready to begin detonating. I hand Tobi another sparkler, and he gets excited again. He looks slightly disappointed when I tell him that he can't light it in the house. He turns to head outside, but I turn to Kiba. His back is to me, and I take a deep breath as I tap his shoulder softly. He turns from his conversation with the now-dating Anika and Kankuro and raises his eyebrows at me.
"Yeah?" I take a deep breath and jump slightly when I suddenly feel a cold and wet nose nuzzling into my hand. I glance down to see Akamaru wagging his tail at me, silently urging and cheering me on. Kankuro is grinning at me from behind Kiba, and Anika is mouthing "Go for it!" from the same position. I take a second breath and look into Kiba's eyes as I dig my hand into Akamaru's ruff for comfort and support.
"Kiba…" I trail off, realizing everyone is listening. He cocks his head at me, looking more like a confused puppy than usual.
"What is it? Is something wrong?" I shake my head at his statement and decide to simply tell the truth.
"Kiba," I begin again. "I have something rather… important to tell you. I've been watching you for a long time. Whether you know it or not, I'm always there watching out for you. I always know when you're happy or upset or just not feeling like yourself. And it affects me, too. I know that this is fully unexpected, but I guess what I'm trying to say…"
Akamaru nudges my leg with his nose. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you, Inuzuka Kiba." I allow myself to smile, feeling good that the words are finally coming out. I take a turn with my confession. "I am cynical and lazy, and more often than not, I make jokes at your expense. I am sarcastic, and I like to tease you. I give you a hard time because it's fun. I enjoy torturing you endlessly, and I don't plan to stop any time soon. I enjoy our morning ritual, and I have to admit that I'm the one that has been sabotaging your mind with… let's call them 'visual reminders.'" I smirk as his eyes widen in understanding. "But over all the years, I've figured something out about myself."
Akamaru leans into my leg upon hearing me pause again, and I tighten my grip on his fur. I look at my feet before looking back up into his face and taking another breath.
"I love you, and there's nothing that can change that. I love you, I'm IN love with you, and I hope that you can accept me as I am."
With that said, I place my right hand on his cheek and the other behind his head. I lean in quickly and kiss him softly, my heart fluttering in excitement. His hands reach up and grab my wrists, giving away his surprise… not that I couldn't already smell it on him. I continue to kiss him unhesitatingly.
Why isn't he kissing me back?! Soon, I hear a whistle.
"Way to go, mutt face! Get some tongue action!" I hear snickers around the room as I slowly pull away while opening my eyes. I look up at Kiba and see his face is expressionless. My eyebrows knit together in confusion. Kiba releases my arms from his grip, and I look down at the ground as I turn away and walk outside. Everyone else watches me go. Tears begin to form in my eyes, but I refuse to let them out. I take a deep and shaking breath before calling over my shoulder.
"A-are going to do this, Deidara, or what?" I jump onto the roof as Deidara races outside with everyone following quickly behind. I walk across the roof and slip onto my balcony on the other side of the house. I slide open the door and flop across my bed. As I stare at the ceiling, I begin to wonder if I made a mistake. I hear the first of the fireworks go off and hear people gasping in delight. Tobi is, by far, the loudest.
"Deidara-sempai! Tobi thinks that was AMAZING!" A pause is heard before the whizzing of another firework indicates its travel before Tobi cries, "Another, sempai! So pretty!"
I hear something click across my balcony and feel something land on my bed. I dig my hand into Akamaru's fur as he lays next to me.
"Kama… what did I do wrong?" He whines, absolutely unsure.
*I… don't know, Aria. Even I could tell that your confession was the truth. There's no way he could have mistaken it. And he didn't know it was your dare, anyway.*
I sigh and hold back tears. "I screwed up, Kama. He… doesn't like me. We were… wrong."
*No, we weren't wrong.* Akamaru sighs and nudges my side, and I turn over to wrap my arms around him. I bury my face in his fur. Tired of hearing people and explosions, I get up and shut both of my doors as well as shutting the blinds. I pick up my iPod and plug it into my stereo. It's not as big as the one I have downstairs, but it will do for the time being. I put it on shuffle and lie back down, resuming my former position across Akamaru. Panic at the Disco's "Time to Dance," played by the Vitamin String Quartet, plays softly through my stereo. I sigh and hold Akamaru more tightly as he just whines. Several more songs play, including "Pork and Beans" by Weezer, "Truth" by Seether, "Headstrong" by Trapt, and "Dismissed" by ZOEgirl. I eventually get to the point that no more tears try to build up. I feel as if I have lost energy by not crying. I hear a soft knock at my door and glance at Akamaru.
*Kankuro.* I sigh at Akamaru's word.
"Yes?" He opens the door as "Soul Tattoo" by Plus One begins to play. He doesn't say anything as he picks up my brush and sits next to my hunched figure. He gently pulls me up and backward into his arms. He begins to brush my hair as I entangle my hand into the white fur in front of me. Akamaru lays his head in my lap as I allow myself to begin relaxing against Kankuro's strong form. A few songs go by before another sound is heard over the music in the background.
"I'm sorry, Aria. I… thought I was helping. I was wrong." He continues with even strokes. I place my free hand on his knee.
"It's not your fault, Kankuro." We listen as the song changes to one by Jump 5: "It's a Beautiful World."
Akamaru whines, and I continue what I had been saying. "I shouldn't have poured out my soul to him then. I guess it was kind of obvious that that was the dare, but you'd think that he'd have realized that I meant everything I said."
I sigh as Kankuro stiffens. "You meant… everything?"
"Yeah," I nod slightly. "I meant every word of what I said. And do you want to know the worst part?"
"I'm almost afraid to ask." Akamaru whines at Kankuro's words. "What… was the worst part?"
"He didn't even… kiss me back." I whisper the last half of the sentence so that it's barely audible, but I know that the other both heard my words. Akamaru licks the hand I have on Kankuro's leg.
*He… didn't?*
"No, Kama. He didn't."
Kankuro is silent and stops brushing my hair. He finishes dragging it through the section he's in before laying it aside on the table and hugging me tightly to him. "I'm… so sorry, 'Ria. There's nothing I can do to take it back...."
I fold my free arm across the two around my waist and lean backward into him. The next track to play is "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" by Def Leppard, and I take a shuddering breath. "I… don't regret it, Kankuro."
Akamaru and Kankuro both make surprised noises at this remark, but I just shake my head. "My feelings are out in the open, even if he thinks it was just a dare. I know now that he doesn't return them, or he would have at least blushed."
Kankuro sighs and buries his face into my right shoulder. I lean my head on his. "Kankuro, you should go back to Anika and the party. I'm depending on you guys to make sure nothing gets out of hand."
He pulls away slightly. "Are you… sure?"
"Yes," I nod. "Just, please, don't let anyone else up to see me, okay? I don't want to see anyone right now. I'm glad you came up, but I'd like to be alone for a little while now, okay?"
"Alright, Aria. I can do that for you, at least. Gaara will help me by keeping watch to make sure that no one disturbs you." He turns me halfway in his arms and kisses me on my forehead. "If you need me, just holler. Okay?"
I nod and hug him before letting him go. "I will."
He stands and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I sigh and lay down using Akamaru's side as a pillow. He shifts slightly before laying his head down to rest with me. Before long, I tire of my vegetative state and slide off my bed and open the sliding door after restarting the song. Akamaru hops off the bed to follow me. I leap on to the roof, leaving my door open so I can still hear the soft music playing. The only one sitting up here is Gaara. I sit next to him with Akamaru at my side as the first lyrics are sung. He glances over at me as I glance down at the party below. I see Kankuro sitting behind Anika, his arms around her waist. She's leaning back into his embrace and is smiling. A small smile plays across Kankuro's lips as he nuzzles into his hair. I see him give a regretful look back toward my end of the house before sighing and turning back around to watch Deidara's fireworks display. Tobi is continuing to run around like a maniac with a lit sparkler. Shikamaru and Temari are lying and sitting, respectively, next to each other and holding each other's hand. I search the yard for Kiba before spotting him in my favorite tree. He's sitting on the branch I sleep on and staring into the sky, not seeing anything, with a look on his face as if he were heartbroken. I glance over at Gaara and see he's watching me from the corner of his eye.
"Do you want to talk, love?" He asks quietly. I shake my head.
"You already heard mine and Kankuro's conversation. I have… nothing more to say on the matter." He nods in agreement, and I look back toward the sky.
"I was on your balcony, but he beat me in. I simply decided to listen to make sure he didn't make anything worse."
"Thank you, love." I sigh quietly. "You've yet to let me down."
"I hope I never do, Aria." That said, he places his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his chest gently. I allow myself to be leaned into him and continue to stare at the sky. After watching a few more of Deidara's colorful explosions, I glance over at Kiba again to see he has hidden his face in the palm of his hand.
"Kama," I whisper. He lifts his head to look at me.
"What is Kiba doing?" Akamaru glances at the tree I like to nap in and seems surprised after sniffing the air. He glances back at me before resting his head on his front paws again. He lets out another sigh.
*He's… trying not to cry.*
I sit up and look for myself, and I notice his shoulders shaking slightly. I stand slowly. Akamaru moves to get up, but I wave him down. "I… need to do this alone, Kama."
He woofs quietly in agreement and settles back down next to Gaara. I stealthily jump down from our perch and land in the grass. I sneak across the side of the yard and jump up into one of the branches. Kiba moves his head slightly in acknowledgement of the noise and sniffs. I swallow, noticing immediately that my throat has constricted. I take a breath before I speak.
"Kiba." I see him stiffen as he considers answering.
"Yes?" The word is cold and clipped like ice. I pause, uncertain if he wants my company, but decide to risk the two questions I have.
"Can… I join you?" Another lengthy pause fills the air, only broken by the explosions and Tobi's squeals of delight.
"… I suppose you can." His answer makes me happier before his next words take me back down again. "It's your tree after all."
He gets up to leave after I've sat on a branch near his. My breath hitches, and my next words come out in a type of squeaky whisper. "Kiba, please stay."
He pauses before sighing and resuming his seat. He stares straight ahead, effectively avoiding looking at any part of me. I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around them. I take a deep breath and let it out.
"Please listen to what I have to say." I get only a miniscule nod, but that's enough to keep my heart beating. "Kiba… I'm sorry. I… shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have pushed you into that situation. I thought I knew how you would react, but… I was wrong. I didn't stop to consider that maybe you didn't want that, but there's nothing I can do now but regret my actions."
I pause and take another breath, tearing my attention from his inert form and focusing on the branch in front of me before continuing. "I thought that you felt the same way I do, and I didn't realize that you obviously don't. So, I have only one question left. Can you… somehow, perhaps… forget what happened, so that we can move on? I… don't think I could handle losing your friendship, and I'd rather just remain friends with you than to lose you altogether. Please, forget everything I told you in my living room and be my friend again."
My voice breaks on the last word, and a tear rolls down my cheek. My lower lip trembles, and I bury my face in my knees. I know Kiba hasn't moved, but I can't see his face to know if he'll forgive me or not. My throat constricts again, making it hard for me to breathe properly. My shoulders shake as silent sobs rattle through my body. I hear him shift slightly and know he is now facing me. I'm too afraid to look up at him, afraid of what he'll think, afraid of how he'll feel, afraid of a second rejection….
"Aria." His voice is soft. He repeats himself, but his voice cracks on my name the second time. I take the chance and look up with tears streaming hysterically down my face. Our eyes lock, and neither of us can see anything but one emotion in the other's eyes: I see pain through the tears in his eyes, and he sees fear in mine. He reaches out for me, and I take his hand, stumbling a little in my haste to join him on the wider branch. I fall into his arms, which enfold around me securely, holding me tightly against his chest. I shake with sobs as tears continue to stream down my face. He holds me even more closely to his chest.
"Wh-what exactly was Kankuro's dare, Aria?" He whispers into my hair, voice breaking slightly on the question as if he were choking on it. I look up at him, hesitation shining through the veil of tears in my eyes. He places his right hand on my cheek, and I lean into it. I never look away as I answer his question.
"He d-dared me 'to conf-fess my undying l-love and d-d-devotion t-to the ever-b-blushing Kiba and then p-plant a huge wet one on him.' I was required to d-do it in f-front of everyone else as well as wrap m-my arms around y-your neck and k-k-kiss y-you for at least t-thirty seconds." I take a deep breath and am relieved to find the sobs have almost disappeared before I continue. "He pretty much just d-dared me to tell you how I feel and to kiss you. I'm sorry. I thought you liked me, and I want t-to forget about all of this and just be your f-friend again."
"No," Kiba says as my eyes widen. "I don't want to be your friend."
"K-Kiba…"
"I…" He cuts himself off. My eyes widen further as he presses his lips to mine, almost urgently. A few seconds into it, my senses recover enough to kiss him back frantically. My left arm winds itself around his neck as my right hand finds itself entangled in his hair, pulling him as close as possible. I tilt my head to give myself a better hold on him as well as better access to his mouth. His arms, both back around my waist, pull me even closer than before, if that's even possible. His right arm travels to the middle of my upper back while his left remains in the small of my back, still holding me tightly, flush against his own body. I feel a current pulse through my being as my entire body grinds into his, both perfectly aligned with the other. Our lips continue to move wildly against the other's, desperate for contact. I break away, panting hard, to whisper a name.
"G-Gaara!" Kiba's eyes cloud in confusion and slight anger, then complete fear, as sand suddenly envelopes us. A familiar jerking behind my navel brings me to my room where the Def Leppard song is continuing to play. We are deposited on my bed, with Kiba on top. The sand disappears as I whisper my thanks. It shuts my sliding door on its way out, as well as hitting the button to switch the track. As the sand leaves, "I Know What I Want" by No Secrets begins to play from my stereo speakers, and I roll over to pin Kiba beneath me and kiss him recklessly and without abandon. I break away long enough to stumble off the bed and lock both of my doors. I turn around, only to be pressed against the door since he has followed me from the bed. He wraps his arms back around my body, and I return the favor, pulling him closer to press my lips and body against his.
I let out a squeak and a moan of surprise and enjoyment as his hands grab my ass. I feel him smirk into the kiss, and I realize that I have no idea when his tongue invaded my mouth. All I know is that it feels like it's in exactly the right place, right where it belongs. He pulls away from my mouth and leans his cheek against mine, both of us panting heavily. His breath hits my ear, filling me with lust. He kisses down my neck, and my grip on him tightens. I can feel a bulge growing in his loose pants. He rubs his hands back up my ass to my lower back, where he goes under my shirt to feel my skin. Pulling his head back up to meet mine, I moan again into his mouth and don't waste another second before ripping his shirt off and running my hands down the length of his chest and stomach.
As my hands caress his pectorals and abdomen, he trails his hands over my bare sides and stomach. He manages to untie my pants strings, and one swift tug later, they are lying on the floor next to his shirt. My tank top and his pants quickly follow. He glances down in surprise, breaking our feverish kisses to stare at the silky material beneath his fingertips. His pants hit the tops of my breasts, which are exposed by the lingerie, and drives me over the edge. A smirk slides onto his face as his eyes meet mine, my face twisted into an impish grin.
"So, is that the surprise you were talking about?"
"That depends," I say, giving the smartass answer. "Are you astonished?"
His smirk becomes wider as he stares down at his prize. "Very much so."
"Are you pleased?"
"Very much so."
"Do you like?"
"Very much so. But at the risk of sounding like Kankuro..." He leans in closer to my ear, one hand brushing against my breast and coaxing yet another moan from my throat. "I'd like it better on the floor."
*** An hour or so later.***
I snuggle in closer to my new boyfriend's chest as his arms wrap around me more tightly. I trace designs over his chest as he returns the favor on my back. I sigh in content.
"This night really has turned out perfectly, Kiba." I sigh blissfully. He nods in agreement.
"Good thing the fireworks are keeping everyone else busy, ne?" This time it's my turn to agree, as Deidara's display is still in progress. Kiba glances past my nude body and down to the floor. "Sorry about the lingerie, Aria."
"It's alright, Kiba. I didn't expect to have it very long anyway with you and Kankuro around." I pause and grin while he snickers. "I'm just glad you took your time at first and didn't rip my favorite pants."
"What, the ones I got you?"
"Yeah."
"Right, well, about those…."
"Nani?" I raise an eyebrow at him questioningly.
"It seems the message on your pants is finally right, ne?"