Chapter 11: Picking Up The Pieces

A reader suggested once that since most of my story is from Ino's POV, I should create a chapter solely on Kiba's POV. So here's a chapter full of just that! I'll be continuing from where I left off from the time in the last chapter when Kiba sees Ino talking to Shika.

He was befuddled. How is it that Ino got so mad at him, but she's still all buddy-buddy with Nara? He felt a slight tinge of irritation rush through him, but relaxed soon enough, knowing that it was nearly two years ago, and Ino had grown in maturity since then, as Kiba should have. But he felt almost the same for the blond kunoichi as he had back then, and his jealousy hadn't let up very much.

Of course, Kiba knew he had no legitimate reason to be jealous of Nara. After all, Ino did not currently belong to either of them. But what he was truly jealous of, was that Shikamaru hurt her, and she forgave him in a heartbeat. But when Kiba did nearly the same thing, it took her two years. And she still hadn't forgiven him!

Kiba looked away when Ino glanced at him and caught him staring. A small growl emitted from his mouth as he continued to trudge on, hopping along with his crutches toward the Ramen shop, ignoring Ino's gaze, which, unknown to him, remained on him for a few moments.

"Hey, Naruto." Kiba said in a bored tone as he sat next to the blond shinobi who had already eaten his first bowl of ramen, ready to chow down on the next.

"What's up? You don't seem to excited to be alive." Naruto observed. "Hungry?" He offered,

"Nah." Was Kiba's reply. "Just kind of sick of being so slow all of the time in these damn crutches." He laughed. It was a lie, of course. There was far more bothering him than his silly wooden sticks.

"Well that's nothing that a bowl of misu ramen with pork can't fix!" Naruto exclaimed and ordered his friend a bowl, regardless of the fact that Kiba had turned down his offer.

Kiba ended up eating it, anyways.

He sighed and fell onto the couch as soon as he got home, relieved to be resting his pain-endured body.

One thing that had slipped his mind was that the next day was Christmas Eve. And when his mother asked him what he would be wearing to the party, he hadn't a clue what she was talking about until she sternly reminded him that the whole family was going. He reluctantly agreed, although he wasn't sure if he could look good in anything right now, what with the crutches, casts and bandages covering his person. She also explained to him that there was a white elephant exchange. And that he needed to go out and find a gift. When he complained that he was broken, she wouldn't have any of it, and shoved him out the front door with his crutches.

(A/N: For those of you who don't know what a "White Elephant Exchange" is: It's when a group of people in a party all bring presents and bring the gifts together, and each person picks a number from a hat. It goes in numerical order to decide who gets to pick a gift at random first. Blahblahblah you get it.)

And so, on the night before Christmas Eve, Kiba wandered the shops of Konoha to find a suitable gift. One that his mother would approve of. Knowing her, if it wasn't good enough, she'd send him out to get one again. It occurred to him that while he was out, he should buy his mom and sister their Christmas presents. They wouldn't very well enjoy getting pieces of paper that contained the letters "IOU" on them on Christmas morning.

While searching the market, Kiba passed the Yamanaka Flower Shop. He glanced inside the window, and, wouldn't you know it, there stood Ino, behind the counter, talking to none other than Takeshi Risa! They seemed so friendly with each other. It angered Kiba, and he wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe because Ino accepted what Shikamaru did over what he, himself did.

He wouldn't do anything about it, though. He's long since given up on pursuing Yamanaka Ino. He wasn't good enough for her, and he still remains as much.

The last thing he would want to do was hurt her again, but that's all he ever does to women. So why bother?

He sighed and continued on his way toward the jewelry shops for something for his mom.

The next day, and just an hour before Konoha's Christmas Eve party (hosted by Haruno Sakura this year) Kiba looked in the mirror at his attempt to look nice. He smirked in the accomplishment that he may just have done so. His long sleeved, dark purple button up dress shirt with brown pin stripes covered the bandages on his left arm, which held cuts and bruises. Two things he couldn't hide, though, were the sling that his right arm rested in and the cast on his left foot.

"Kiba! We're leaving!" He heard his sister call.

So early? "I'll meet you there!" He called back down the stairs. He didn't see the point of getting to the party an entire sixty minutes early. Well, then he'd just have to help out with the preparations. And he wasn't willing to do so with such broken bones. He walked out of the bathroom and into his room. He glanced at the dusty, unused book shelf, (Who needed reading, anyways?) that held a small trinket. He lifted it, and opened the locket, his eyes locked onto the girl who had stolen his heart so long ago.

"No, Kiba, NOW." His mom shouted.

"Alright, alright! Fine!" He subconsciously stuck the locket into his pocket and leaned on his crutches, hobbling out the door as quickly as he could in his condition.

When he arrived at the Haruno's Christmas party, he did what he knew he would be forced to do; help. And he didn't want to be an ass and refuse, so he helped out with the sound system. He didn't carry anything, of course. He only made sure that everything was arranged in the right way, and that the speakers didn't produce a lot of feedback; that kind of stuff.

Soon enough, people began to arrive. Along with one certain girl. He stood there and stared at her as she talked to Chouji, laughing at a joke that the Akimichi had apparently made.

She was beautiful. Her hair pinned up in a half-pony tail, the remaining tresses of long hair cascading along her ivory shoulders. She wore a knee-length, dark purple dress with spaghetti straps.

"She's gorgeous tonight, is she not?" Sakura's voice made Kiba jump. She stood next to him, drink in hand and smiled at him.

"Y-yeah..." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. He felt somewhat like a gross stalker, staring at her for all that time.

"I know it's tough, Kiba." The pink-haired girl set a gentle hand on his shoulder, "I know you think she's abandoned your friendship completely. But she doesn't want to get hurt again. She's changing, Kiba. And for the better. She's genuinely becoming happy again." Sakura's hand fell to her side as she gestured to Ino, "I would hate for anything to interfere with that." She sent him a warning glance. Not in a rude way, but a in a soft manner, her expression telling him that it may have been time to finally let her go, as he should have long before. Kiba knew that Sakura would do anything to ensure her best friend's happiness.

He sighed, turning away from Sakura and exiting the house, making his way to the Haruno's front doorstep, and sitting on a nearby bench. He stared up at the night sky. The stars and moon shone brightly in the black abyss.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" A familiar voice spoke. He turned to his left, only to see Ino's bright blue eyes staring right back at him. "I just came out here to admire it myself." She spoke again as she sat beside him on the bench.

He smirked slightly, "Almost as pretty as that little figure of yours?" He winked playfully, managing to keep a smile going.

Her eyes narrowed in frustration, but she couldn't hide the blush that so reddened her pale cheeks. "Inuzuka Kiba, you are a pig!" She punched him in the arm.

"Ow! Dammit, Ino!" He held his fractured arm.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Kiba, I hadn't realized that it was your bad arm!"

"Didn't notice the whole arm-in-the-sling thing going on around this side of my torso?" He pointed to his arm with his other, bandaged arm.

"Not one bit, actually. I've hardly seen or talked to you since your coma..." She stared down at her hands that rested on her lap.

Quiet.

"So you broke up with Nara, ey? That means you're a free woman, you know." He broke the silence, smirking.

"No. He broke up with me. It seems your Risa had won again." She chuckled, now comfortable with he fact, for some reason. She completely ignored his other statement.

Kiba grew more serious, "Ino... I wish I could say I'm sorry and take it all back but-"

"Kiba it's fine. I'm fine. I don't mind it anymore. Risa and I are actually kind of like friends now. As for me and Shikamaru: My feelings for him haven't changed, because they were never intimate in the first place." She smiled reassuringly.

She really had changed, Kiba mused. Ino seemed far more independent and confident now than she had been over a month ago.

"And besides, if Shikamaru wasn't the one for me, why should I fight it?"

"Well, yeah. But I was talking about us..." He said rather sheepishly, staring at his feet.

Ino was silent for a moment, and he soon regretted his words completely.

He stuck his hands in his pockets, and to his surprise, he felt something metal inside. He pulled out the heart-shaped locket, realizing he must have stuck it in there by accident.

"I suppose I've become at peace with that, too." She finally spoke, sounding a bit unsure of herself as she stared up at the stars. "It...helps not to think about it, though." She managed to say, clearly having some trouble with the thought. "I suppose we could have had another chance, had you come after me. But you didn't. So that's that." Her voice actually cracked slightly.

He did regret not fighting for her. And he should have, he knew. But even he was afraid that he would hurt her again, because, being honest with himself,

She's out of my league.

"And now... Well I wouldn't want to lose you to another girl again, so having you as a friend may end up being good enough." She whispered, and her eyes then widened, as though she hadn't meant to say that last part aloud.

Kiba didn't respond, and she began to talk but paused when instead of speaking he took Ino's hand and placed something in her palm, tenderly closing her fist. He struggled to stand with his crutches while she opened her hand and gasped to see what it was that she was holding.

"Merry Christmas, Barbie." He mumbled.

"This is..." She trailed off, and he had already been nearly half way back to the house a few feet away.

"Kiba, wait." She said, standing from the bench as he turned around.

She walked up to him and smiled, "Since you can't put it around my neck this time, would you hold my hair out of the way with your better arm?" She requested, turning around, to his complete surprise. He gently moved her hair out of the way while she put the locket around her own neck.

When she turned back around to face him, she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Kiba." She whispered and passed him to make her way back inside.

Just do it... What have you got to lose? You've already lost her.

"I never meant to hurt you, Ino. I hope you know that..." He faced her and she stopped, turning around to look at him. "And I do still love you." He continued more quietly, a pained expression across his features.

That was all she needed: To know that he always cared.

He couldn't read her expression, and that worried him slightly. But he thought he could take whatever she said. He'd dealt with rejection by a small hand full of women before -- not a lot, of course. -- Although, none that he was ever in love with. So it may just pose far more difficult to sink in this time. He only sought after so many women in the past because he couldn't find anyone to fill the hole as well as she did. And eventually, it simply became a numb routine.

The moonlight enhanced her beautiful features and his gaze averted to the ground to the left of him. He heard her high heels click quickly, one after the other toward him and soon enough, he felt two small arms wrap around his torso, underneath his own arms.

"I know." Ino whispered, her cheek pressed against his shoulder as she held him close and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Her sudden action surprised Kiba considerably. He stiffened, unsure of what to do. Soon enough, he found himself wrapping his one good arm around Ino.

It had been so long since he'd held her, and he would be lying if he said he didn't miss it.

"I've been waiting so long to be able to tell you how glad I am that you're OK." She muttered into his shoulder, sniffing. "And now that I have the chance, I want to tell you that I wanted to see you when you woke up... I really did. I didn't forget about you, Kiba," She shook her head, "I didn't."

He wasn't sure what to say. All of that time, he was so sure that she hated him.

"I was afraid. I was afraid of getting hurt again - of losing you, again."

He gently kissed the side of her forehead, "You won't. I'll always be here as your arrogant, flirty bastard of a friend, Blondie." He laughed quietly, knowing that he was still afraid to hurt her, regardless.

"That's what I was hoping you'd say." Ino chuckled softly, pulling away from Kiba and staring into his eyes. She closed her eyes and her tears splashed from them as she shook her head, "Because I can't do the whole relationship thing again." She smiled weakly, opening her eyes, "At least not for now. I need to figure myself out, first." Her blue eyes locked gazes with his dark brown ones, "I had the whole month that you were in the hospital to think my feelings over. I miss you being my best friend, Dog Boy. And I didn't realize that until you were almost permanently taken from me."

He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, "I get it," he managed to whisper.

"But know this;" Another tear fell down Ino's cheek and dropped to the ground as she reached up to grip the back of Kiba's hair in her hand, pulling his face toward hers and pressing her lips against his. Only a short moment later, she pulled away, their foreheads still leaning against one another. "Never did I stop loving you, Inuzuka Kiba."

She took a sharp breath, and with that along with the sound of a few clicks from her heels, she was gone and back inside of the house.

She sure was making it hard to let go.

He sighed and adjusted his crutches. He'd spent enough time at that party. Holidays weren't his thing, anyways.

Knock Knock

Kiba woke up on the couch in his living room. He didn't remember falling asleep there, as opposed to his actual bed.

Oh, yeah. I was too lazy to try and get up the stairs... The memory came back to him.

He didn't want to bother attempting to hobble his way up the long steps.

Knock knock

He sat up, rubbed his eyes and groggily stumbled with his crutches to the front door before turning the nob and opening it.

"Merry Christmas, Kiba!" Stood Sakura, smiling broadly and holding a medium sized box, wrapped in shiny paper with a bow on the top. Beside her stood Naruto, who held two smaller gifts in his own hands.

"Ne, this is your white elephant exchange gift. You left, so you got the last one." The blond man handed him a small brown box. "And I got you this." He shoved the next, a small bag, into Kiba's hands.

"I got you something, as well." Sakura said merrily as she handed him the gift that she held.

Kiba grinned crookedly, "You really didn't have to get me anything, guys."

"But we wanted to!" Naruto exclaimed, "We bought gifts for everyone!"

"Hai, we're going around town giving them to our friends." Sakura nodded in agreement, holding up a fairly large bag filled with carefully wrapped presents.

"Well, thanks." Kiba muttered before yawning.

"And what are you still doing sleeping? Shouldn't you and your family be opening presents by now?"

"Nah, don't wake up at five in the morning to get stuff. We wait until we're all awake, and then we go about whatever." He didn't really want to try and word his sentence properly, on account of being tired.

"Damn, the sun's hardly up... Why?" He raised an eyebrow at them, referring to the question of why they would wake before sunrise to trudge around town in the freezing cold and give people things.

"It's Christmas!" Was all Sakura said as she continued to smile brightly. Did nothing ever dampen this girl's spirits?

"See ya, Kiba." Naruto waved and Sakura followed after he walked away.

Kiba sighed, staring at the gifts in his hands before closing the front door and sitting right back onto the couch.

First; he opened Naruto's, and it was a gift card to Ichiraku Ramen. Kiba chuckled lightly. He hadn't even known that they offered cards.

Next was Sakura's. It was a brown scarf and beanie, along with a note. It read: Don't pack light clothing. I've got a surprise for everyone on New Years! He raised an eyebrow, wondering just what it was. Would they all be going somewhere? He didn't exactly feel up to a trip.

And then he opened the white elephant gift. At first, he thought of it as some crappy rope bracelet, with brown and orange design, but he decided to wear it anyways. It wasn't girlie, after all, so why not? He didn't go and buy a useless gift for the exchange for nothing.

After waking his grumpy mom and sister, they opened their gifts. Kiba got socks and a scarf from them (As usual) but the two were ecstatic when they opened his gifts to them. He got them both beautiful bracelets, both nearly identical, save for the color.

The sun rose, but the skies were gray with clouds of the same shade when Kiba walked out of his house as soon as he had the chance. He exhaled, watching his foggy breath fill the cold air ahead of him as he began to limp down the nearly empty streets of Konoha, (He felt useless with crutches, so decided to man it up and attempt a voyage without them,) shrugging on a jacket as he did so.

No one in their right mind is awake right now... He convinced himself. It was now Six O'clock in the morning, and people were either sleeping comfortably in their beds, or opening presents.

He struggled on for a few miles and stopped in his tracks when he spotted Ino across the street. She held that amazing smile that he had fallen for so long ago on her face in that moment. However, to Kiba's dismay, she was talking to Sai, and he was handing her a small, velvet box. She accepted it timidly, a pink tint coloring her pale cheeks.

He knew that she'd always found Sai rather good looking, and he could feel the jealousy rise in his warm-blooded veins. Did he not just tell her the night before that she still loved him? So what the hell was she doing taking jewelry from other guys, and blushing, no less!

His fists clenched and jaw tightened. Calm down, Kiba... She's not yours. You and Ino are just friends. He repeated a few times in his mind as he sauntered casually (and painfully, which each passing step) up to the pair.

"Hey, hey you two!" He came between them, wrapping one arm around Ino, "Merry Christmas! I see you're up bright and early to exchange gifts, ey?" He motioned to the velvet box that was now in Ino's hand. "Woah, what's this, a ring, perhaps?" He faked a wide, expectant grin, secretly seething inside.

Sai stared at Kiba with speculating eyes, trying to figure out what this obnoxious, not to mention smelly, man was trying to do.

Ino, on the other hand, did not know what to think. She blushed slightly as she glanced down at the velvet box. "N-No!" She shook her head, shrugging Kiba's arm off of her shoulders.

"It's actually a diamond bracelet." Sai said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Miss. Lovely should have only the prettiest of jewels to match her beauty." He smiled brightly at Ino, who smiled, "Aww, you're sweet, Sai." Opening the box, she took the bracelet out and allowed Sai to attach it to her small wrist. Kiba stood by and watched with furrowed brows. "So, what, are you two dating now? Is there something that I missed since just yesterday? Because, you know, Sai, I think there's something you should know--"

"Kiba!" Ino kicked him roughly in the shin and he cried in pain, practically falling to the ground. "Please," Her eyes narrowed, "you should know, more than anyone else, that it's not like that." She turned in a huff and walked away from both of the men.

"Fuck, Ino!" He shouted after her, "You know my leg is broken, right?" His anger boiled,

"Damn it!" He spoke under his breath, limping away from a bewildered Sai and after the blonde kunoichi.

"What the hell was that for!" He shouted, catching up to her on one leg, hobbling up behind her.

"You know what it was for, Kiba!" Ino shouted right back, turning on her heels to face him. He nearly tumbled over onto her, but maintained his stability.

"Well you can't blame me for being a little jealous when even after last night, you're going around with other people!"

"I'm not 'going around with other people,'" Came her heated reply. She took a threatening step toward him and her words were bitter as they escaped her mouth, "I'm not you."

He closed his fist, his claws cutting into his flesh. He nearly retorted, but bit his tongue as she walked away from him. He cursed and punched a nearby wall, wincing in pain and drawing back, having forgotten that his "good" arm was still maimed with cuts and bruises.

He looked at the sky; It's going to rain... He noted as he popped his hood on and limped back down the street toward his house, his anger subsiding.

He discovered his prediction to have been true when the sky began to sprinkle, and seconds later, pour an icy rain down onto the Earth. From head to toe, he was soaking wet in a matter of minutes. Shivering and limping along, Kiba lost his footing (seeing that it's tough to walk with a broken leg) and tripped, falling into the mud. He tried, a number of times, to push himself up, but just seemed to have hurt his limbs even further, unable to keep himself standing for even a short period of time.

"Sh-Shit!" He hit his fists against the muddy ground in an almost childish fit of rage. What a lame-ass way to taste defeat... He felt ridiculous, sitting in the mud like a lost, helpless little boy. His manhood was certainly being mocked, somehow.

Some Christmas this turned out to be.

This chapter is meant to hold the fort for a little while, seeing as I'm going on vacation.

I should get another one up soon enough, though.

Sorry if this chapter doesn't measure up to your standards! ;/