Chapter 11- Conflicted

"Boozy?" she whispered not believing that she was actually calling on that part of her.

"I bet you missed me." was the laughing reply.

Temari rolled her eyes, "As much as I hate this I still need your help. You say you're the part of me that knows everything, right? So you should know how I feel. How do I feel? What do I feel?"

"You are conflicted but comforted by the warm water which is very warm and soothing and-" Boozy began in a bored tone only to be cut off by Temari.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Yea but even I'm allowed to be difficult sometimes." Boozy commented with a scoff. "Anyway, the Kiba topic, the only topic that's actually fun to talk about. Your feelings? Conflicted, you're stuck. You want it but you're not sure. Girl, do you want me to tell you so you can figure it out yourself or do you want me to really tell you?"

"I don't know." Temari sighed. She had no idea what she wanted.

"Conflicted." Boozy sang. Temari growled, she should have known this wasn't going to work. "Fine, I'm dealing with this my way. You have got the hots for Kiba but it's deeper than just hots. Your problem is you don't want to hurt him."

"How would I hurt him?" Temari asked confused. If anyone was hurt it was her and she would most likely end up being hurt again. Boozy sighed at her stupidity.

"You're pretty much using him here."

"I'm not!"

"Look while it wasn't your idea and while he volunteered himself you're the only one with the profit." Boozy said and began explaining. "In your subconscious mind you know this and that subconscious part of it probably feels bad and that part of you isn't sure you want to add actual feelings to this. If you do what if he feels the same and then later on you realise it was because of your recent break-up that you felt that way and then you end up breaking him because it's not that way for him?"

"So I might end up putting him in the same situation I'm in." Temari said as realisation sunk in

"That's one way to put it." Boozy stated thoughtfully. "But there's a flip side, what if you hold stronger feelings than ever and it's for real, not something born of circumstance? Would you want him to know? Would he feel the same? What happens if he does? What happens if he doesn't?"

"I'm just getting more confused. It's so complicated."

"Ok test time!" Boozy exclaimed nearly shocking Temari out of the tub. "I'm the quizzer you just answer."

"Why?"

"It's to help. Remember I know everything so you just have to answer and correct answers will lead to you reach what you want."

Temari could just guess at the smile that would be adorning Boozy's face. She sighed in agreement anyway.

"First question: how many boyfriends have you had and what are their names?"

"Two, Renji and Shikamaru."

"Now think about your relationships with them, compare what you felt for them with what you feel for Kiba." Boozy said and Temari began to do that. "I don't need just tell me if it feels different or something."

"It's ... different." she answered after a moment of thought.

"Ok then, why is Kiba not on the list?"

"We're not really dating."

"Riiiight..." Boozy commented with an eye roll but continued. How oblivious could the girl be? "Would you like to date Kiba?"

"Yes?" Temari answers hesitantly.

"Would you like to date Kiba?" Boozy asked again dissatisfied with the answer.

"Yes."

"Good. Why do you think that what you are doing is not really dating?"

"It's a game to make me feel better."

"Why do you think he's doing it or that he even came up with the idea?"

"To make me feel better?" Temari answered quizzically. Hadn't she just said that?

"This question is not about you." Boozy sighed and Temari imagined her pinching her nose. This was getting nowhere. "Why do you think he's doing this? Why do you think he came up with this idea of all ideas to make you feel better? Why do you think he's trying so hard for this? It has to be pretty hard to put his night activities in hold just for you."

Temari though about this for a moment then it hit her like Sakura clobbering her with a tree. She gasped. "No." It couldn't be that, no way. It couldn't he possible. There were too many things against it. Kiba was a player, fidelity wasn't something he did.

"You are dense." Boozy said exasperated. For someone who was supposed to be smart she sure didn't show it when times like these called for it "Put the answer that I'm sure is floating around in your head with the kiss that you two shared, the kiss, not the make out session, and tell me you don't think so."

Temari didn't answer as she ran it through her head. It just kept getting brighter. It just couldn't be. That kiss had been to avoid the dare she tried telling herself. It wasn't working.

"That kiss wasn't one of a sex starved male ready to take you then and there, that was one of a respecting guy who really doesn't want to mess up and is trying his damned hardest to keep his reign on things so it didn't go farther than that kiss." Boozy stated and shook her head. "And the thing is he didn't mess up. You caused what happened; you're the one that broke the sweet simple innocence of it all! Though I must say that was the hottest make out we have ever had and I recommend doing that again. You can't possible have him around and not put him to use. He's so many things that you want so badly but you don't even realise it and he's so very available. You really like him and he definitely likes you but emotions are a bitch and no one wants to be hurt but he's so damn hot and sexy and fun and cool and nice and HOT! Can't we just ravish him? Why is human communication so complicated!"

Temari passed through Boozy's rant not really paying attention. If all of these things were true what were the chances that it would work? Could it? She wanted it to but she would have to talk to him about it. But when? Gaara was coming tomorrow and she was more than sure he would be trying to solve the game now that he was in Konoha for a little.

"If it's any consolation, the two of you are cute together." Boozy supplied after a short pause from her rant about how awesome Kiba was. Temari blushed. She must be an idiot she thought, she didn't blush for being abnormally close to him or because of the memory of kissing him but for one dumb comment on how they looked together. She must really be dumb. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd definitely have to spend some time in the tub.

Turns out that without Kiba running the deliveries, business had been slow and quite a few things had been piled up. It had been his first duty to deliver all of that backed up mail then deal with the new ones. It had been a real work out and a pain. Doing that many deliveries in just four hours was crazy and it had him seriously envying Naruto's shadow clone jutsu. Both he and Akamaru were just thankful it was over and they could finally rest where they were, on the grass of an empty training ground.

They were silent as they lay there just taking in the cool night air and starlit sky. It was comforting and soon had his mind wandering to something else that was comforting, having Temari close enough that every breath held her scent. Akamaru watched him through half lidded eyes as he smiled lightly at the thought. He was getting attached but that was expected. As long as he remembered his purpose he would be fine.

Neither moved when an extra person entered the training grounds. Kiba smiled when Temari sat on the other side of Akamaru. She gave him a slight smile in reply and reached out to rub Akamaru's fur. They were silent until Kiba rolled over onto his side to look at her.

"We need to talk." Kiba winced at her choice of words. That sounded bad.

"Ok." he said waiting for her to continue. She glanced at him before turning her eyes onto her fingers in Akamaru's fur trying to hide the nervous flutter of her heart.

"Friday night was a turning point." she began. "Up until Friday we were just friends and you were just helping me but I don't think that's the way it's going to be from now on. I can't just forget how it changed. It was simple at first but then it became more complicated. Why are we even doing this Kiba, the fake dating?"

"To help you get over your last boyfriend." he answered easily.

"That's what you tell me but is that it?" she asked but Kiba remained silent. "Is that really it?"

"What do you want me to tell you?" Kiba asked with a sigh.

"The truth, the full truth." she answered and Kiba mentally cursed. Why, oh why that? "Why are you really helping me?"

Kiba looked at the sky trying to find what to say. "When I saw you, you looked like you were broken. I couldn't not help you put yourself together again."

"Why would it even affect you? I don't see you going around and helping Sakura or Ten-Ten with anything especially not stuff like this."

Kiba was silent. Temari looked up to see if he was still paying attention. He was looking right back at her with an unreadable expression but spoke sincerely. "How could I not? You wouldn't be you if I didn't help, I like when you're you."

Akamaru snorted but the two were quiet looking at each other. Kiba was being honest, that much was true but he was not saying all of it.

"Are you saying that you like me Kiba?" Temari asked nervously. She could barely hear the blood pumping her head. Boozy couldn't be right, it would be almost too much to ask. Kiba looked away before throwing himself down with a sigh.

"Of course I like you Temari. I wouldn't do all of this if I didn't." he said nonchalantly trying to sound normal.

"I don't mean just liking me Kiba I mean like seriously LIKE me." Temari said now gripping Akamaru's fur. She was being unnaturally nervous. The nin-dog growled warningly at Kiba, urging him to speak openly.

"Why are you asking me this Temari?" he asked quietly. He didn't want this, the time they spent together, to end just because she wasn't ready for or didn't want something that he had resigned himself to. He would hide it forever just so that she could recover. But then hadn't he already promised himself to give in when she wanted to stop and not be hurt by it?

"I want to know, I need to." she answered and moved around to sit beside him. Her hand was still resting in Akamaru's fur. "Tell me Kiba."

He turned his gaze to her. She was blocking the moon but its radiance glowed around her like a halo. Could she ever not look good? She was going to kill him like this. He swallowed hard.

"Yes." he said simply. Temari released a low breath. He was watching her intently now half waiting for her to declare their game over. He watched as conflicting emotions ran lightly across her eyes though the rest if her face as impassive. He propped himself up onto his elbows raising a brow at her unmoving form. "Temari?"

"Yea?" she asked distracted

"Are you ok?" Kiba asked sitting up and turning to face her. He could smell her confusion. He reached forward to touch her face then moved it upward to her forehead to almost lovingly check for a fever. She could be sick, she didn't smell sick but being out in the night air like this would probably make her sick. He'd have to make sure she got home soon.

He was so deep in his thoughts he didn't realise that Temari had moved any closer to him. Nor that Akamaru had gone suspiciously silent. He was greatly oblivious until he felt the slight sweet pressure of Temari's lips against his. He was shocked still. He was still unmoving when she pulled away to look at him.

"Me too." she whispered with a slight smile. He suddenly realised how nervous she was. He couldn't help smile, that was definitely boosting his ego. "Oh shit me."

"Excuse me?" Kiba asked surprised at the sudden comment. Where had that come from?

Temari was irritated with herself. She was acting like a little girl; she was twenty for crying out loud! She was a woman! A woman! Curses!

"You're so weird." Kiba laughed and she glared at him. He couldn't help laughing even more. "What now? Anything else you want to talk about?"

"Can we stay the same?" she asked and he smiled. "Except we do this for real, not because of a game."

"Of course." he said. He would like that very much.