A/N: I should elaborate so people don't get confused. Ino and Neji dated for a very short time. Although the nature of their relationship, even when short, wasn't healthy, at all. That's all. (Don't judge me! XD)

Word count: 1,039 words

Characters: Kiba, Ino

Summary: She picked up the vodka glass with elegance; she had learned the mastery of drinking a long time ago. The bitter liquid passed through her throat as fire, it felt good. R&R

Chapter 9:

Stupor

She picked up the vodka glass with elegance; she had learned the mastery of drinking a long time ago. The bitter liquid passed through her throat as fire, it felt good.

"You never struck me as a drinker," a gruff voice said behind her.

"I have my seasons," she sipped the rest of the vodka in her glass to prove the point. Kiba didn't look impressed.

He looked as if he hadn't shaved in three days; his brown hair was a mess. Inuzuka Kiba had never struck her as a stylish guy, but he looked as if he had grabbed the first pair of dirty clothes he'd found on the floor.

"I'm having the same she's having," he sat at her left after addressing the bartender. Ino raised her own glass to indicate she wanted another round.

"I seem to stumble upon you on the unlikeliest of places," even when he tried to smile, the outcome resembled more a pained grimace. Of course, he had never expected to find her on a trashy bar.

Ino answered with a puff of smoke, Kiba looked at her slightly surprised. He had failed to notice she had been smoking.

"You smoke too," he could hardly suppress the surprise from his voice. From all the females his age that he knew, and they weren't much, he had yet to meet someone addicted to nicotine.

"Not really," she didn't face him as she took another drag. He couldn't help noticing the almost imperceptible shake of her hands or the stutter of her lips after the release of smoke.

"You have your seasons too, ne? "His smirk was half-heartened; she knew his statement wasn't supposed to be a question.

Ino shook the ashes from the top with a wobble of her hand.

"Yeah," she slurred her words; she didn't understand the reason why he kept bothering to talk to her when she had roughly shared a couple of words before.

"So…why are you here," he drank a sip from his glass casually.

She couldn't help noticing the almost mocking tremble in his voice. Her irises narrowed.

"I'm afraid it's none of your business," she cut back bitterly.

Noticing her empty cup Kiba signaled the bartender for a refill. Ino felt a pulse behind her eyes as Kiba smirked at her sardonically, showing his long canines. Her nostrils flared.

"He dumped you, eh?" his voice left little room for a question.

The blonde turned her head in the opposite direction offended. He had probably heard it from Hinata but…

Had he came only to mock her?

"Ahh, you're sensitive too," he said in a strangely almost amused tone, "you should've known better,"

You should have known better? She knew it…

"It was a matter of time, you know? We all knew Neji only had eyes fro Tenten since the beginning. Don't blame yourself, 'kay?" he winked at her, glass in hand.

"That does not mean it doesn't hurt," her voice croaked with emotion, Ino was surprised at her lose of control. And she became aware; the back of her eyes had been pricking with tears.

Kiba didn't even look her way; he pretended not to notice and took a swing at his glass.

"It does hurt like hell," the way his voice was wrapped with melancholy took Ino by surprise. She had always assumed Kiba was the happy-kind of person.

After that, they fell in a relative and comfortable silence. Ino observed the Inuzuka from the corner of her eye, a mania she had grabbed from the Hyuuga himself. He drank faster than her, his eyes did not leave the glass in front of him. After a couple of cups, she lost interest and continued on her usual rhythm.

They shared the same kind of pain.

His slightly huskier voice woke her up, even when she had a good alcohol tolerance, the alcohol always made her sleepy.

"I loved her,"

For a minute Ino doubts that was something she was supposed to hear but when she turns her head to investigate she finds him staring at her bloodshot eyes with intensity.

"She's perfect…" he pauses, "unlike you,"

He smells of alcohol, she knows he's drunk. He slurs his words, he doesn't mean it but it hurt her.

Truth hurt.

He pauses and fumbles trying to find his words; Ino wonders who he could be talking about. Who could be that perfect being that could make a man lose all of his dignity?

"She's as pure as the snow," his words were cheesy. Kiba had never struck her as someone poetic, she had been right.

That sentence alone makes her existence a lot easier. She was almost certain he was in love with Hyuuga Hinata.

His eyes twinkle with liquid, she wonders if the man before her is about to break apart. She just can't get to hate her; she's a flawless being, incapable of wrong doing.

"She loves someone else," his voice however is as firm as steel. It was a shame he couldn't get to hate Uzumaki Naruto.

After that he turns away again and she's at loss of words. A broken heart was bad at dealing with mutilated pieces.

She drinks a final cup and feels the inhibition; she should probably call Chouji soon before she did anything stupid. Sometimes she felt she abused of his kindness but he was good at dealing with her tarnished heart.

"We can't really blame them for being so perfect," she stumbles upon her words clumsily. A sob almost escapes her throat, she couldn't dare to cry. She felt like crying again all of a sudden.

Kiba turns to her slowly, his eyes were swollen. He stretches his hand slowly and brushes the single tear that escaped the torture. It had rolled down her cheek. His hands are callous very unlike his.

"I hadn't really noticed it but…you're beautiful" his alcoholic breath reaches her nostrils. She doesn't really know why it means so much to her but it does.

He leans down gently and kisses her cheek lingering his lips over her moist skin more than necessary. Her tears flow down her face as a river now.

She doesn't know why but it means the world to her.

A/N: Geez, I'm back into work with a crack ship and at AU at the same time. Shall I ask for forgiveness?

This was a little rushed; I didn't have much time for checking grammar + spelling (sorry!), so please forgive any mistakes. That said, I hope I'm back into gear. What do you think?

I liked it and I think I got my point across, that said, I hope I didn't get you lost. I think there was an almost abrupt change in the mood and that's how I wanted it to converge, I hope it wasn't bad (?).

I have a background of why this happened, but I think I'll leave that to your imagination. I might elaborate on it if I feel like it. If anyone is wondering, I can share it too. If it wasn't clear enough, the nature of the relationships that is, please be kind enough to point it out to me. Whatever helps.

I hope you continue the reading. Constructive criticism is always welcomed, just as positive feedback or if you just happen to have an opinion or whatever, don't hesitate to leave a review.

Hope there are some Kiba/Ino fans out there! :P

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