Red Cheeks - Kiba x Hinata (Naruto Classic)

It was you

The training that day went as usual - except that this time Kiba stayed away from it entirely. Shino had occasionally glanced in Hinata's direction strangely during their practice, assuming she had something to do with his absence. Kurenai was also very surprised, because even though Kiba had never been the most diligent in theory, he actually always showed up for training...
And while Shino and Hinata measured their strength on the training ground, a small bouquet of flowers lay at the edge of the field.
"And please talk to Kiba," Kurenai said in farewell after the training was over. "It's not okay that he just doesn't show up without telling me."
"H-Hai, Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata nodded obediently at her.
Shino agreed, nodding as well, his eyes on Hinata from behind his sunglasses.
The two then walked part of the way together.
Shino never spoke to her very much. Whatever it was about Kiba's absence or that weird bunch of flowers she was carrying...

... he really didn't give a damn at all.
"Bye," he just said and then walked to his house.
"Goodbye, Kiba-kun..."
Shino stopped abruptly.
...
Then he kept walking.
"Yikes!! Ah--" Just as Hinata realized her mistake and wanted to correct herself, Shino was already out of sight.
"U-um..." She bowed her head in despair.
Then the scent of the beautiful flowers filled her nostrils. She held the bouquet a little closer to her face to smell it more intensely with her eyes closed.
"HA!!"
"Huh?!" Startled by the sudden yelp, Hinata flinched.
Ino Yamanaka was standing less than ten feet away from her, pointing her finger at her.
"I knew it!" she yelled triumphantly, clenching a fist. She then put her hands on her hips and gave Hinata a sneer. "Okay, okay, I'll admit it, my first guess was Kurenai-sensei..." she murmured softly and immediately got louder again. "But Hinata! You were my second choice! YAY!"
Hinata looked puzzled. "E-Excuse me...?"
But Ino didn't mind her confusion at all, instead clutching her head in horror as her eyes fell on the flowers. "Oh no!! They haven't had any water for hours!!"
With a sweeping gesture, she snatched the bouquet from her hand and promptly put it in a small porcelain vase - why the heck she had this with her... Then she pulled out her mini watering can - why the heck she had THIS with her! - and gave some water to the flowers.
"Here you go." Then she pushed the small vase into Hinata's hand. "But be careful with it, okay? Because Kiba the Baka didn't do it!"
"K-Kiba...?" Hinata hugged the flowers.
Ino raised an eyebrow, making her look even more arrogant.
"Yes, of course!" she replied. "Who else gave you the bouquet from, huh?"
"K-Kiba...?" Hinata oddly repeated in the same pitch.
Ino frowned and eyed her skeptically. "AND?" she then called.
"W-What and...?"
"Well, were you happy at least?!" she demanded, eyeing her with a tilted head, hands on hips again.
Hinata jumped, startled. "Ah! Y-Yes...! I was!"
It occurred to her that Kiba hadn't noticed anything about it. Because when she picked up the bouquet from the ground, he was already gone...
Ino said something else to her, but she didn't even get what it was about. She was too lost in her thoughts now.
//Kiba-kun...,// she thought with a sigh. //He was... really trying. Maybe... m-maybe I should--//
"...do you understand?"
"N-Nani?" Hinata startled. And then she just nodded hastily.
"Well, then let's go!", Ino suddenly shouted. "Leave! Run!" She gestured with both hands for her to start walking.
Hinata didn't have the faintest idea what she meant, but she gave her a serious nod, turned around and immediately started running.
Namely to the house of the Inuzukas.

"Hinata!"
Kiba had opened the door for her. And he was visibly surprised.
After she told him to leave her alone, he sadly shuffled home. But along the way he'd admitted to himself that she really had every reason to be angry with him. And that she might just need a little more time... Never in his life had he expected that she would suddenly be standing in front of his door!
Hinata's face was bright red. She tapped her fingers together and looked down. The vase with the pretty flowers was peeping out of her jacket pocket. And when Kiba saw that, his face brightened up a bit. She had accepted his gift after all!
"Um... ah..." Hinata mumbled something unintelligible again. She seemed about to say something but found it noticeably difficult.
Kiba looked at her for a moment. Finally he stepped out to her and closed the door behind him. He was wearing his dark gray hoodie and his brown hair was tousled as usual.
There they were now, just the two of them. Even Akamaru wasn't there because he was romping around in the backyard with the other dogs.
Kiba offered Hinata to sit on the stairs together. This suggestion suited her only too well, because otherwise she would probably soon have passed out with nervousness.
Now that they were sitting next to each other at a generous distance, both of them just looked straight ahead in silence. Hinata gulped and didn't even dare look at Kiba.
But now he looked at her from the side.
"Hinata-chan... I... I'm really sorry," he was the first to speak.
His tone was sincere, the way he looked at her ruefully. Kiba was really, really sorry about what had happened, and he just wanted Hinata to forgive him so things could finally be like they used to be between them.
She just looked straight ahead. Then she lowered her head again.
"I-I... know," she finally stammered, then looked down at the flowers. The porcelain vase was already totally warmed up by her hands, she was holding it so tightly on her lap. "Because of... the flowers... Ari-Arigato, Kiba-kun."
Kiba smiled slightly and a huge stone fell from his heart as she thanked him. Because this meant for him that she probably forgave him.
Suddenly she turned her head and looked at him, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Why... why did you... even...?" she squeaked softly.
Now Kiba suddenly got nervous. He fervently hoped she wouldn't finish her question. And if she did, he hoped a hole in the ground would open up and swallow him up.
"Why did you... even d-do that... back then?"
He was still staring at her, waiting for the longed-for, stupid hole to finally open up under him! But nothing happened... He was still there, next to her on the stairs. Sweat rolled down his face.
At some point he could no longer stand her gaze and had to look away - because he now had to think carefully about how to answer her. As he pondered, he puffed out his cheeks slightly and suddenly let the air out in a long sigh.
"Well," he began hesitantly. "Because I... because I know you...like Naruto that much--BUT!! I know how stupid that was!!" he added immediately, waving his hands around frantically.
Since Hinata was staring at him, he had to turn away from her immediately. He couldn't take it, that look from those beautiful clear white eyes. His eyes, on the other hand, narrowed slightly and the slit pupils peeked sideways in anger. He was angry with himself. Was that really the whole truth...?
...
There was silence between the two of them for a while and now Hinata was looking straight ahead as well. She had placed the vase next to her, wrapped her arms around her knees and now looked thoughtful.
Then she slowly raised a hand to her face, lightly touched her lips with her index finger.
//That wasn't... Naruto-kun...// she thought. //It was you...//
And while she thought about it, she carefully turned her head to the side. Kiba was sitting there beside her on the stairs, elbows on thighs.
She studied his profile. His brown hair hung on his forehead, his nose was slightly wrinkled and the slit pupils were set straight. His eyes still looked rather sullen.
She looked at the red mark on his cheek - until it blurred into a red veil in front of her eyes. Then she had to blink and suddenly began to raise an eyebrow slightly. A thought crossed her mind, making her cheeks as intensely red as his cheeks were.
//Um... m-maybe I should... maybe I should... test it...//
She snapped her head straight again and suddenly assumed a very tense posture. Because what she was about to do next made her break a sweat.
...
It took half an eternity until she finally managed to get her body moving. Namely, she moved towards Kiba. Hoping to be subtle about it, she slid her bum a tiny bit closer to him.
But that approach wasn't subtle enough for an Inuzuka. Kiba immediately noticed that she had approached him and his nervousness multiplied.
//N-Nani...?//
He turned his pupils on her out of the corner of his eye and his heart started pounding furiously in his chest. His hands suddenly became very sweaty and his face began to blush. He had no idea what Hinata had in mind, but the mere idea of ​​her deliberately approaching him...
He gripped the edge of the step he was sitting on with his hands, shifted his gaze to the other side... and then moved a little bit closer to her as well.
At that moment, Hinata jumped in shock. //Oh...!// He had noticed that she had moved towards him!
She too looked to the side. Embarrassed, she played with her short strand of hair.
The mere uncertainty of what might follow made both of them terribly nervous.
...
It took another long moment for Hinata to move a tiny bit closer again.
Kiba's temples began to throb. He didn't dare look at her.
But he dared to move a little closer.
Hinata didn't look at him either. And then she too moved a little closer to him.
Then Kiba again.
Then Hinata again.
...
"Ah...!" she squeaked in shock when their thighs suddenly touched lightly.
Kiba had winced as well. Then he had to swallow.
-BU-BUM-
-BU-BUM-
Their hearts were beating so loudly that they were sure each other could hear them.
Hinata clenched and opened her sweaty hands while looking down at her.
Kiba stared at his feet.
...
And then they both focused their pupils on each other out of the corner of their eyes. And then, as if in slow motion, they began to turn their heads, turning their faces towards each other. It really took an unbelievably long time until they finally looked at each other.
-BU-BUM-
-BU-BUM-
Their hearts were pounding and the blood was throbbing in their temples so loudly that they couldn't hear any other surrounding noise. Kiba's instinct told him that the other person was at least as excited as he was. If not worse...
The two had managed to turn their heads at each other at close range. And now they began to incline them a little at the same time, slowly starting to close their eyes. They got closer. And closer. Until they could already feel the warm breath of the other on their lips...

"KIBA!!" Hana's shrill voice suddenly sounded from the backyard. "AKAMARU IS PLAYING WITH YOUR UNDERPANTS AGAIN!!"
The two jumped as if struck by lightning and abruptly let go of each other.
Kiba sat there looked very crestfallen and now had an extremely embarrassed expression on his face. For the first time ever, he was redder than Hinata.
She looked at him with an irritated look. "Underpants...?" she squeaked.
But instead of reacting to her words, Kiba stood up with a jerk. His fists, which were stiffly lowered, were clenched so tight they hurt.
"Hrghngrrrgmbl...!" he gritted between his teeth and stamped up the steps to the front door.
Hinata had also stood up.
"Um, K-Kiba-kun--" she was just about to start a sentence, raising her hand in his direction - but then a loud bang interrupted her, because Kiba had angrily slammed the door behind him!
...
Hinata was left alone and stood on the stairs, a little helpless. She was still feeling the excitement of the recent moment deep in her body. With a sigh, she finally lowered her hand, but immediately had to smile a little afterwards.
"Underpants..." she repeated in a whisper and started to giggle softly.
Hana's rude interruption had obviously been more than embarrassing for Kiba, so she wasn't angry with him for leaving so suddenly.
She bent down to pick up her bouquet and examined it again from all sides. Somehow, she felt good. Even if this situation had ended differently than she had imagined...
She turned and was about to start walking.
But she paused for a moment. Because she had heard a door close behind her.
She just wanted to look, but she got a sudden shock while turning and uttered a voiceless scream when she suddenly looked directly into Kiba's face.
And without warning, without saying a word, he leaned towards her, pushed his face close to hers and then kissed her warmly on the lips!
And while he had his eyes closed, Hinata's eyes were wide open, and the blush made her cheeks glow.
Because in that second, she was allowed to experience that Kiba Inuzuka - although he was called Konoha's fast wolf fang - was a surprisingly gentle kisser.
Time seemed to have stood still around them and neither of them knew what would happen when things went back to normal. When they broke that kiss...

"HA!!" Suddenly Ino's voice rang out as she happened to be walking past the Inuzuka house. She pointed at the two from afar with an outstretched arm. "I knew it!"


(And if Hinata liked the way Kiba kissed her...
If she also closed her eyes to return that gentle kiss...
And what boy name came to her mind...

... I'll leave that to your imagination at this point. :-) Thank you for reading!)