F A M I L I A R

Crushed Dandelions

As I got ready to walk Kiba to the Konoha gates, I couldn't get the thought of that dog boy out of my head. Yesterday was one of the best days I've ever had, and that's not an exaggeration. Spending the whole time with someone that cared about me was a dream come true, really. And even though neither one of us confessed our feelings for each other, I could tell in his eyes and the way he kissed me that his feelings were strong.

I wrapped my arms around myself and smiled in the mirror. I felt exceptionally warm on the inside and every time I thought about Kiba, the fire in my heart burned brighter.

Leaving my hair down, I stepped out into the morning breeze and took a deep breath.

Dandelions.

It was a refreshing scent to say the least. It reminded me of all the happiness that the Leaf Village has given me. My friends and Kiba, they were all thanks to this village. I smiled to myself as I made my way to the Inuzuka complex. After being cooped up inside all day yesterday, I welcomed nature with open arms.

By the time I arrived at Kiba's house, he was already outside with Akamaru. His pack was on the ground and they were wrestling in the front yard, not noticing me just yet. I stood in the dirt street and leaned against their mailbox, waiting for their noses to pick up on my scent.

After a few minutes of no recognition, I cleared my throat rather loudly. Kiba looked up and grinned immediately once he saw me. His smile gave me goose bumps and I straightened my posture. As he got up, grabbed his bag, and dusted himself off, Akamaru trotted over and licked my hand as a greeting. I scratched him behind the ears in response.

"Hey you," Kiba said, closing the distance between us as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Hey you," I whispered into his ear, hugging him back and resting my chin on his shoulder. I took a breath and memorized his warm scent.

I was going to miss him so much while he's gone.

I blushed as we pulled apart and took his hand in mine. This whole process was so new to me, I still felt a little embarrassed showing so much affection so willingly.

"You're cute when you're nervous."

I looked over at Kiba and saw that he was watching me out of the corner of his eye. He had a smirk on his face and winked at me for good measure.

I shook my head, "I'm just not used to this..."

"Ha, don't worry," he chuckled, squeezing my hand slightly. "When I get back from kicking Orochimaru's butt, you'll have plenty of time to get used to this."

I laughed a little at his words, finally settling in to the belief that maybe I could be happy with Kiba. Maybe he was what I needed to believe in myself again.

As we grew nearer to the front gates, I slowed our pace down, not wanting this moment to end.

"I wonder why I didn't get sent on this mission too," I thought out loud as we walked. Kiba shrugged by my side.

"I was thinking that too, but who knows, maybe Tsunade has a special mission for you or something."

"Yeah, maybe," I agreed, but something didn't sit right with me.

Suddenly Kiba came to a stop, pulling me to a halt as well. He turned to me with that softness in his eyes again that made me want to melt.

"I just want to do this before we get there," he said, leaning forward. He pressed his lips to mine with such passion that I could almost taste his intentions. He kissed me with a force that I would remember forever and savor while he was away. He kissed me like he was pouring every drop of his soul into mine. He kissed me like he meant it.