Roar
Part First
Kiba awoke unceremoniously to find himself entangled in the white cotton sheets of his large bed. He slowly opened his eyes to the daylight, which was magnified by the pure whiteness of his bedroom. Even more slowly did his right arm raise up and rest the back of his hand upon his forehead. He closed his eyes again for several minutes.
"It's so hot," he said aloud, softly.
In a spasm of energy, he wrangled the sheets from his body and cast them aside, collapsing back against the white pillows again. A moment later, he reached over to pick up the small China clock that resided on the nightstand. He brought it within inches of his face and looked at its face a moment before replacing it on the nightstand.
"Ten o'clock," he said, releasing a heavy sigh. "Only ten o'clock…"
He lay as still as possible, not wishing to even move an inch. His body was covered in a thin layer of sweat from the morning humidity, making his skin appear as if it might be glowing. The white drapes on the large set of glass double doors that led to a terrace flapped about in the breeze. The only other sound came from the small electric fan which was positioned on a small table at the foot of the bed.
Kiba reached out his left leg toward the fan, nudging it slightly with his bare foot, inching is slightly over so that it would blow more fully upon him. He rested his foot on the table afterwards, not wishing to use the energy to pull it back down to the bed.
I wonder what time I got home last night, he thought to himself. And I wonder who I was with…
He dozed off again for he didn't know how long when he was suddenly jarred awake by the shrill jangling of the telephone. Sighing, he lifted his arm and pulled the receiver off and brought it to his ear.
"Yes?" he asked into the machine.
"Hey, Kibes," the telephone replied. "You're alive I see."
"Alive but not really awake…" Kiba said with slight annoyance, but not true annoyance. His best friend was on the other end of the wire, Shikamaru, whom he had known since going to boarding school together.
"Oh, sorry," Shikamaru said. "I thought it would be safe to telephone you by now. Anyway, I just wanted to remind you about tonight, and the person I'm setting up for you to meet. I think you'll like him…"
"Oh yeah, that's tonight, isn't it?" Kiba asked.
"Yes, it's tonight!" Shikamaru said. "Now I don't care that I woke you if it means you would have forgotten otherwise."
"I'm sure I would have remembered at some point," Kiba mumbled.
"Now you have all day to think about it."
"Yeah, uh huh," Kiba said without much enthusiasm. "Who is this guy again?"
"He's a stockbroker," Shikamaru said. "Really nice guy, hasn't been in the city long…."
"He's not your stockbroker, is he?" Kiba interrupted.
"No, no," Shikamaru said. "He just works with mine."
"Oh, that's so much better," Kiba said. "Well, when are you picking me up? I couldn't possibly drive into the city two nights in a row."
"I want to know what you did last night," Shikamaru said. "You were very evasive when I saw you for a moment…you drove off very quickly. I didn't even see who you were with."
"It's a funny thing," Kiba said after a moment. "I don't really remember…but what time are you picking me up? You haven't said yet."
"Oh, uhhhh," Shikamaru said. "It's a funny thing…I have to be in the city earlier, and I don't want to drive back to the country to get you, so I'm just having him pick you up at eight o'clock. It will be fine, don't worry, and you're going to love his automobile."
"What?!" Kiba started to reply. "I don't want him to come here…
He suddenly realized that the line was dead, so he hung up the receiver on its cradle and lay back against the pillows once more.
Damn, he thought. This is going to tie me to this guy all night…maybe I should just be out already when he arrives, pretend I thought Shikamaru said seven instead of eight and I got tired of waiting…
A while later, Kiba finally arose from the bed, wandering slowly toward the white marble bathtub that was built into the the bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the large tub and reached over to unleash the torrent of cool water. As the water filled the basin, he strolled back through the bedroom, picked up a silver cigarette case from his desk, and opened it by pressing the sapphire button that released the catch.
He absently selected a cigarette from within and put it to his lips, reached over to pick up the matching silver lighter, and lit the cigarette. He drew the smoke deeply into to him and exhaled slowly as he sat down on the chair, resting his elbows on the mahogany surface of the desk. His left hand ran through his damp brown hair, trailing down to his shoulder, to grasp it because it was stiff from how he had slept on it. He rubbed the back of his neck as well, hanging his head down as he did so. The smoke from the cigarette curled up from his right hand and he brought it to his lips once again before snuffing it out in a crystal ash receiver that sat upon the desk.
He stood up and walked back to the tub, turned off the water, and removed the blue and white striped cotton pyjama pants he had slept in. He slowly eased himself into the cool water, which was incredibly refreshing to his warm body. He leaned back onto the smooth marble of the basin and closed his eyes.
I drank too much last night, he thought. I always drink too much. At least there wasn't anyone here with me when I woke up. That was sensible at least.
He slouched down, submerging his entire head beneath the cool water, holding it there as long as he could before bursting up again, heaving a breath into his strained lungs, and leaning back into stillness once again.
Sunlight was streaming in through the East windows now as midday neared. He rose out of the water a short while later, grabbing one of the thick, white, cotton towels from the rack next to the tub and wrapping it about his waist. He pulled a second one off the rack and proceeded to dry his dripping hair. He dropped the second towel to the marble floor and walked back out to the bedroom and sat down on the built-in bench seat that ran along the wall of windows that were on the far side of the bedroom. He sat sideways on the bench and gazed out at the hot garden. The terraced lawn sloped down to the East and a large fountain sparkled in the daylight between wrought iron gates that marked where the first part of the garden began and the second lay beyond.
The sky was incredibly blue, with huge white clouds roaming across its panorama. In contrast, the deep green of the lawn looked as though it was a deep ocean, ranging out from the large house and going on into the distance, until it met the far woods.
Kiba rested his right arm on the back of the bench, letting his head lean against it. He drew the back of his left hand across his forehead. He sighed again before getting up from the bench and walking out of the room, down the wide staircase to the ground floor, down one more floor and down a long hallway to the kitchen. He took some lemonade from one of the iceboxes and retrieved a glass, taking both with him out onto the side terrace, where a large pool lay in the middle of the lawn.
The house was empty except for Kiba and a small staff of people. The rest of his family were gone for the next six weeks, on holiday in Europe. In fact, they were still onboard the ocean liner which was currently making its way across the Atlantic.
Kiba set the lemonade down on the ground after pouring himself a glass. He sat down on the ground and took a long drink. When the glass was empty he placed it next to the pitcher and leaned back on his elbows in the long grass. The cold pitcher was already covered in condensation and Kiba would feel the sweat forming on his skin in the hot air.
He lay completely back onto the earth, stretching his arms over his head and then folding them to rest his head on. He was concealed in the shade of a large tree and he looked up through the canopy of branches and leaves seeing the blue beneath the green. The breeze would only occasionally restlessly stir the branches and the whole of the early afternoon held the promise of another unbearable day.
Kiba turned his head to the side, looking off into the distance. The haze the had clung to the morning had intensified, giving the landscape a blurred, washed out look, seeming as if everything were fading slowly to white. Kiba looked up again through the tree branches, glimpsing the white-hot sun that hung in the sky as if it were made from cut-glass, its intensity cruelly sparing nothing from its intense gaze. Kiba sighed as a droplet of sweat formed at his temple and trickled down into his hair. He turned over onto his stomach a few moments later, looking down intently into the grass, as if he were searching for the release from his boredom.
His hand swept over the blades of grass slowly, changing their appearance. He felt the sweat forming more heavily across his forehead and neck and more droplets slowly slid down across his skin. He rolled onto his back again and held his hands over his face a moment before slowly pulling them down across his chest and bringing them to rest at his sides.
"I wish I'd brought my cigarettes," he said quietly to himself.
The long, hot summer day wore slowly on as he lay in the grass for an hour or so more, finally sitting back up. He stood up fully a moment later, letting the towel fall to the ground. He stretched and then ran and jumped into the pool, swimming beneath the water's surface for a long while, until he came into contact with the far wall and then let himself rise to the surface, lifting his head up and breathing in the heavy air. He swam back and forth the length of the pool several times, breaking up the shimmering surface of the water. The sun, previously at its peak had slowly begun its descent into the West. It still hung high in the sky and the light from it struck the waves in the water that Kiba had made, turning them into luminous ribbons across the water.
He swam back and forth through the water, pushing himself to go faster and faster, until he gave up, exhausted from the effort and found himself in the middle of the pool. He submerged himself momentarily, slowly letting himself float back to the surface. He spread his arms out, floating on his back and looked up at the sky again.
The whiteness of the afternoon had multiplied and the haze on the horizon was now marred with waves from the rising heat. Kiba swam to the side of the pool, gripping the granite edge with his left hand to anchor himself while he floated in the water. He ran his free hand through his wet hair and glanced around the empty garden. He was glad to be alone except for the few members of the household staff who had not been given leave while most of the family was away. He loved the solitude, yet, something seemed to be gnawing at him ever since they had left two days previously. He had become restless and bored but had dismissed it at an effect of the unusually hot July weather. The more he felt it though, the more he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing, that perhaps he wasn't feeling quite whole at the moment.
He sighed in annoyance and reached out from the pool, pulling the towel toward him. He grasped it with both hands and spread it out on the lawn from the edge of the pool. He quickly plunged his head under the water before pulling himself up, out of the pool, and back onto the land, completely uncaring as to whether anyone saw him or not.
He shook his head vigorously sending droplets of water out over the towel and grass like rain and then lay down on his back upon the towel, with his feet hanging over the pool's edge and into the water. He crossed his arms over his face and lay in the sun, turning over occasionally when the heat became too searing on his already tanned skin. After a couple hours, he was laying on his back once again, his feet now propped on the edge of the pool.
The heat of the day had only increased as the afternoon wore on. Kiba's arms were shielding his eyes from the brightness of the sun as he glanced about it. He sat up and scratched his head and found that his hair hadn't even dried completely from the humidity. He pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs.
No cigarettes and no watch, he said to himself. Not very smart, Kibes…
He looked up to see where the sun was in the sky to try and judge what time it was. He estimated it was probably around three o'clock, or maybe three-thirty. He stood up, placing the towel back around his waist as he did so and made his way back into the house.
In his room he found his bed had efficiently been made while he had been out, the tub had been drained with new towels on the rack, and the ash receiver on the desk had been emptied and cleaned. He collapsed down onto the bed and glanced at the porcelain clock on the nightstand. It read nearly four o'clock. Kiba rolled over onto his stomach, wrapping his arms around one of the large pillows and snuggling against it for a nap.
Just a short nap, he thought. Maybe I'll go out tonight afterall...or maybe not...Shikamaru should have known better than to have someone I've never met pick me up….
He awoke some time later, still snuggled up with the pillow. The room had taken on a shadowy appearance and Kiba felt slightly disoriented as he looked around. His hair was still damp and he felt grimy from the heat. He finally got up and stretched, then was alarmed to see the time was a little after six o'clock.
He filled the tub with slightly warm water and cleaned himself. After toweling himself dry, he picked a dark brown suit from his closet with a creamy white shirt and a lighter brown tie with gold stripes. He finished dressing, putting his gold cuff links into his shirt and a gold tie pin that held an emerald into his tie. The last thing he put on was the gold watch he had purchased the week before at Cartier. He then studied himself in the cheval mirror a moment before picking up his cigarette case and lighter from the desk along with his fedora, which was made of a sort of green felt, and it stood out against the brown of his suit and his dark brown eyes.
He walked along the darkened hallway toward the front of the house, opened a set of doors and stepped out onto a large balcony, which overlooked the front lawns. The early evening was becoming unbearable and Kiba took his handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to his brow. He had the perfect view to see his visitor as he approached the house and the perfect view to determine with it would be worth coming down or whether he would vanish out to the back garden so no one could find him until the interloper left.
He lit a cigarette and waited, inhaling the smoke and letting it slowly leave, watching it rise and disappear in the still, hot air. A moment later he heard the rumble of an approaching motorcar. He took another quick drag from the cigarette before throwing it off the balcony and standing up, leaning against one of the columns.
The automobile came over a hill and Kiba immediately recognized it as a Duesenberg Model J Roadster. Shikamaru had been right when he had told Kiba he would love the visitor's automobile. He watched intently as the car came closer and closer and the roar of the engine grew louder.
It pulled up to the front of the house and Kiba watched in anticipation. The automobile was black and it shone with a high polish, its chrome cupid's bow front bumper gleaming in the dusky light of the fading day. The door swung open, toward the back of the car and a young man emerged. He was wearing a medium blue suit, a light blue shirt, a red and dark blue plaid linen tie, and a straw boater hat that had a dark blue ribbon encircling it.
Kiba leaned forward slightly with curiosity and he could see the inside of the Duesenberg was upholstered in red hide. He watched as the young man looked around and began to walk forward, toward the steps leading up to the house. Kiba still hadn't seen his face clearly because of the brim on the hat, so he called down.
"Bonsoir, Monsieur. Commet allez-vous?"
The young man stopped, then looked up, realizing where the voice must have come from. He removed his hat, revealing a head of bright, blonde hair. He looked up toward the balcony.
"Hello," he said. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"How do you do?" Kiba replied, a slight smile playing across his lips. He was incredibly handsome, this visitor. His large, blue eyes stared up at Kiba.
"I'm well, thank you," he answered. "Are you by chance, Kiba? Shikamaru asked me to pick you up tonight…"
"I am indeed Kiba," Kiba said, putting both of his hands down on the railing of the balcony and leaning forward. "Thank you for coming to retrieve me."
"It's nice to meet you, Kiba. I'm Naruto."
"Nice to meet you, Naruto," Kiba said, smiling again. "Let me come down. I'll be out in a moment."
He came through the front door a few minutes later, his hat in his left hand. He reached out his other as he came down the steps, grasping Naruto's in a firm handshake.
"Thank you again for coming," Kiba said looking into the blue eyes as he felt the handshake lasting slightly longer than it ought to have.
"Don't mention it," the blonde said, his face lighting up with a large grin. "Shall we go?"
"Indeed," Kiba said as he walked around the front of the automobile to get in the passenger side, putting his hat on as he did so.
Naruto sat in the driver's seat next to him, turned the key on the dashboard and the engine throbbed to life again. Easing it into gear, Naruto maneuvered the vehicle around the circular turnaround and they were soon heading back down the long driveway out onto the county road. Naruto let out the throttle and the Duesenberg seized the road and sped off. The wind rushed in through the open windows.
"I like your motorcar," Kiba said after a while.
"Thanks," the blonde replied. "It's supercharged. It's really fun to drive."
"It's beautiful," Kiba replied. "What year is it?"
"It's a 1929," Naruto told him over the wind. "I've only had it a month."
"I see," Kiba said. "Brokering must be going well."
"It is," Naruto said. "Bonds, stocks...it's all highly profitable."
"That's encouraging to hear," Kiba said after watching Naruto a moment.
They drove on in silence for a while, the only sound being the engine.
"Hold on," Naruto said, reaching over with his right hand and grasping Kiba's shoulder as they went around a rather sharp curve in the road.
Kiba looked over at the blonde again, watching him intently, then smiled as Naruto pulled his arm back.
They reached the city as twilight was turning to night and Kiba realized suddenly that Shikamaru had not given him any real details on what was supposed to happen that evening.
"I don't know where we're going," he admitted to Naruto. "I'm afraid I should have called Shikamaru before we left. I didn't have much information to begin with…"
"Oh, that's all right," Naruto said. "We're meeting Shikamaru at some Italian restaurant he said is really good. I don't know; I've never been there, but how bad could it be? It's called Fenice."
"I've heard him mention it, but I haven't eaten there either. Do you know who else is supposed to be there?"
"I don't" Naruto admitted. "All Shikamaru said was some boys and some girls would be getting together…"
"Hmmm, that seems very ambiguous," Kiba said. "But that seems like him."
"It does, doesn't it?" Naruto said, turning his head and smiling. "He's a very vague person."
"That's true," Kiba said. "How long have you known him? We've been friends since we were about ten years old."
"I've known him about four months now, I think," Naruto said as he turned off of a main road onto a side street in the city. "He met his stockbroker for drinks one evening and I was there too, so we got to know each other."
"How well have you gotten to know each other?" Kiba asked as he was overtaken by a sudden feeling of jealousy.
"Oh, nothing like that," Naruto said, reaching out to touch Kiba's arm lightly and chuckling. "He carries on with his own stockbroker, he doesn't need me for that. What about you? How well do you know him?"
"Oh," Kiba hesitated a moment, somewhat embarrassed now. "Well, we've known each other since we were about ten, so things have happened. Nothing really meaningful though. We're better as friends than anything else."
"Good," Naruto said. "I mean, yeah, friends are good to have."
He pulled the auto up to the curb and turned off the engine.
"Here we are," he said as he got out of the car and came around to open the passenger door. Kiba swung his legs out and stood up and out of the Duesenberg.
"Thank you," he murmured.
They crossed the street and a doorman opened the restaurant door as they went in. Naruto spotted Shikamaru sitting at a large round table in a back corner of the restaurant's main dining room with another young man. He grabbed Kiba's hand in his and they made their way across the room to the table, where their friend and noticed them and was standing up.
"Kibes," he said, "I'm glad you actually came. I was slightly concerned you wouldn't."
"At times, I wondered myself," Kiba said quietly, looking sideways at the blonde, who had just let go of his hand.
"Hey, Naruto," Shikamaru continued, then turned toward the fourth who had also stood up when Shikamaru had. "This is Shino. He's...a friend of mine."
"How do you do," Kiba said.
"Nice to meet you," Naruto added.
"Likewise," Shino said nodding to both of them.
"Let's sit down," Shikamaru said as he and Shino sat back down in the chairs they had previously occupied and he motioned to the two chair next to him, to which Naruto began to walk toward. Kiba grabbed ahold of his sleeve and pulled slightly.
"No, let's sit over here," he said. "And that way we can make sure Shikamaru has to fill the spaces between with the rest of his mystery guests."
Naruto laughed slightly as they sat down on the opposite of the table, leaving two empty places on either side of them, between themselves and the other two.
"Who else is coming?" Kiba implored when Shikamaru hadn't yet made any attempt to tell them.
"Sakura and Ino…" Shikamaru said. "And I think Sasuke will be with them…"
Kiba's countenance darkened momentarily, but then he forced himself to smile.
"How lovely," he said and then took up the menu in front of him and began looking through it.
"Are you displeased…, Kibes?" Naruto whispered from behind his own menu.
Kiba turned to him, a smile playing across his lips and wonder in his eyes. He shook his head slightly and went back to reading the menu.
"Anyway," Naruto whispered again. "Looks like our friend has a new lover, at least for tonight. I've never met this one before…"
Kiba smiled again, "Nor have I," he said.
Naruto smiled too and then they heard a slight commotion at the entrance.
Kiba looked up and saw two girls coming in and he rolled his eyes. It was Sakura and Ino. Sakura was being loud and disruptive, as usual. She was wearing a pink dress with white and pink beads covering it and a matching beaded headband with large pink ostrich feathers coming out on the side. She had long, elbow-length white gloves on and white shoes. In one hand she held an enamelled cigarette holder and in the other a fan. Her companion was wearing a black dress that had fringe all over it that swayed as she moved. She had a black scarf tied over her head and blonde ringlets of hair emerged from beneath it. Both wore scarlet lip rouge.
Sakura suddenly looked around and saw where Shikamaru was sitting and she began walked toward them, pulling Ino along with her. Shikamaru and Shino stood up as they approached and Naruto was about to as well until he noticed Kiba making no attempt to do so. He settled back as he had been.
"DARLING!" Sakura exclaimed, taking both of Shikamaru's hands and then kissing him. She then quickly scanned the table to see where she could sit and be the furthest from Kiba as possible. She sat down next to Shikamaru and directed Ino to sit next to Shino.
"You'll never GUESS what I've been up to!" Sakura continued in a conspiratorial tone. "Sasuke came to pick me up and insisted on making love to me before we left! And then we did again in his motorcar before picking up Ino! Darling, he's insatiable as of late…"
"Where is Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked, glancing over at Kiba. "Or have you loved him to death?"
"Don't be SILLY, dear," Sakura said with an overly loud laugh…
"I don't know why she insists on being vulgar," Kiba whispered to Naruto, pretending now to still be reading over his menu.
"She appears to be a vulgar person," Naruto said as he reached over beneath the table and pressed his hand to Kiba's leg a moment before pulling it back. "Don't think about her and it will be all right."
Kiba looked at him, into his blue eyes, and a shy smile appeared on his face. He reached over and pinched Naruto's leg for a second. "Thanks," he whispered.
/ \\\ / \\\
"I can't imagine where he's gone!" Sasuke exclaimed for the hundredth time. "He said he was going to pick up some cigarettes and that he'd be right back!"
Sakura's boyfriend had not shown himself at the restaurant
"I'm sure he just stopped off somewhere for a drink or two," Shikamaru assured her. "We'll go find him later."
"Why don't we go now?" she asked looking around the table.
"Well, if we're all ready?" Shikamaru asked. "Kibes, you're going to Hinata's party later, right? We'll meet you there?"
"Hinata?" Kiba asked, puzzled. "I thought that was last night?"
"No, they had to call it off," Shikamaru answered. "The bootlegger could come that night."
"Ahhhhh," Kiba replied. "I guess I don't know...I'm not driving."
"We'll figure it out," Naruto said, taking Kiba's hand once again. "See you later, Shikamaru."
He then began walking toward the door, Kiba following behind. Out on the street, Naruto took a pack a cigarettes from his suit jacket, lit one and handed it to Kiba, who took it. Then he lit one for himself.
"Thank you," Kiba said.
"You're welcome," Naruto replied. "Let's get going before they come out…"
The two ran across the street and leapt into the Model J. Naruto started the engine, pulled out onto the street from the curb, and drove off down the road as the others were just coming out of the restaurant. Shikamaru watched the red lights of the automobile as the went down the street, turned left onto a side street, and disappeared into the night.
"Did you enjoy your grilled swordfish, Kibes?" Naruto asked after driving several blocks in silence.
"I did," Kiba said. "The food was excellent. I would definitely return sometime."
"I would too," Naruto said. "Do you mind me calling you 'Kibes?'"
"No," Kiba answered, turning and smiling. "I like it."
"Thanks," Naruto said. "Let's drive around for a while and see if we want to go to this party or not…"
Part Second
Naruto and Kiba were in the elevator going up through the floors of the apartment building that Kiba's friend, Hinata lived in. She occupied one of the corner duplexes on the fifty-second floor, and the elevator door had just closed at the lobby. The two were alone and Naruto took Kiba's hand in his and looked at him.
"I want to kiss you," he said intently.
Kiba looked at him a moment in wonder again before a broad smile broke his face and Naruto leaned over and their mouths met softly, then their tongues met, and were interrupted by the elevator stopping and the door opening at their destination.
They walked out of the elevator and rushed along the hallway to the end, at Hinata's door. Kiba knocked on the door and it was opened after a short wait by a maid, who showed them into the interior where about twenty others were mingling about.
"Hi, Kibes," Hinata said, coming out from the small group gathered around a table where several people were playing blackjack. She kissed Kiba on both cheeks and hugged him. "It's so nice to see you again. It's been a long time…"
"It's nice to see you again, too, Hinata," Kiba said. "This is Naruto, Hinata. He knows Shikamaru's stockbroker and is kindly driving me about this evening."
"Oh, really?" Hinata said, kissing Naruto on both of his cheeks as well. She then took Kiba's arm and began to walk him away. Kiba looked back rather helplessly. "I really must speak to you…"
"I'll catch up with you later," Naruto assured Kiba. "Don't worry, I won't leave you."
Kiba smiled back at the blonde as he was led off by his friend. Hinata was wearing a long silver evening dress that clung to her body. It shone brightly in the dim light of the apartment. Her dark hair was newly waved and she was wearing several diamond bracelets as well as a heavy diamond necklace. She pulled Kiba over to two wing-back chairs that were near an unlit fireplace that was carved from black granite. She sat down in one and motioned for Kiba to take the other. She took the cigarette Kiba offered her from his case and held it while he lit it. He then lit one for himself and sat back, leaning against the back of the chair.
"I really am so glad you've come," she began.
"I am too, Hinata, but what is it you needed to tell me? I don't think Naruto knows anyone here besides me…"
"Neji is on his way here," she said, blowing smoke out in a cloud above her. "And Sasuke is with him. They've been out whoring…" She lowered her eyes. "Sasuke's drunk, and Neji said he tried to start a fight wherever they were…"
Kiba's face became a mask.
"I'll understand if you go…" Hinata began but Kiba interrupted her.
"I'm under the impression that everyone who knows me believes I'm in love with Sasuke," he said with some irritation. "I can assure you I'm not."
"Kiba," she said quietly. "You told me…"
"You mean what happend months ago?" Kiba asked. "That was nothing. I meant nothing to anyone, except maybe Sakura, that silly bitch."
"All right," Hinata said. "I was just concerned."
"I know," Kiba said, his demeanor softening. "I'm glad you were. It makes me feel good that you worry about me."
"I trust what you tell me, so I'm not going to mention it again," Hinata smiled. "Now tell me about this lovely creature who's driving you this evening?"
"I don't know," Kiba admitted, unable to stop the smile which crossed his face. "I've only just met him a few hours ago."
"Yet you seemed not to want to leave his side a minute ago."
"Did I?" Kiba pretended to not know what she was talking about. "How peculiar."
"Go find him," she said getting up from the chair. "I'm going to wander about. There's gin in the bathtub upstairs."
She wandered off and Kiba got up a few minutes later after contemplating what she had told him.
He found Naruto waiting in the next room and went up to him.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi," Naruto said. "Do you want a drink? I've been told they're making martinis in the bathroom."
"Yes, thanks, I'll wait right here," Kiba said, sitting down on a sofa that sat in the middle of the room and faced its twin several feet apart.
"Be right back," Naruto said with a grin.
Kiba leaned his head back against the sofa's cushions and closed his eyes for a moment. Suddenly there was a loud commotion and the apartment door was flung open. Kiba opened his eyes and turned around to look behind him to see Sasuke come crashing through the doorway.
"Sasuke, darling, PLEASE!" Sakura was hanging from Sasuke's arm and he flung his arm out when he saw Kiba, knocking her to the floor. He stood and watched Kiba a moment and Kiba rolled his eyes and turned back around.
"Hey!" Sasuke called but Kiba ignored him. The room had grown deathly silent.
Sasuke appeared in front of Kiba seconds later. "HEY!" he said even louder than before.
"Do you mean me?" Kiba asked coldly, looking up.
"Umm, yeah…" Sasuke suddenly grew sheepish and looked away. "Hi."
"Good evening."
"Hn," Sasuke grunted and walked out of the room to the next one with Sakura chasing after him. She glared at Kiba as she went past.
"Hi, Kibes," Neji said before quickly following after Sasuke.
Shikamaru, Shino, and Ino came in and sat down on the opposite sofa.
"You beat us here," Shikamaru said, slurring his words slightly and Kiba realized that they had probably stopped somewhere to smoke opium. Kiba suddenly felt worn.
"Hey, I'm here," Naruto said from behind and Kiba turned around to look up at him and couldn't help smiling again. "No drinks though. I don't know who the bootlegger is, but I'm not thirsty enough to drink gasoline."
"Oh dear," Kiba said.
"Are you ok?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah," Kiba said quickly.
The five talked together for sometime. Naruto had continued to stand behind Naruto and had bent down to rest his arms on the back of the sofa. He was staring at the way a piece of Kiba's hair curled itself back behind his ear when Sasuke came stomping back in from the other room with Sakura and Neji still trailing after him. He stopped a moment and stared down at Kiba who grew immediately tense. Kiba waited for Sasuke to say something when he felt fingers brushing against the back of his arm. He leaned back further and felt the touch become more definite, as if to say he was all right and not alone. It made Kiba feel relieved, and he exhaled slowly after realizing he had been holding his breath.
"Come ON, Sasuke," Sakura said, yanking at his arm. "We need to get going."
"GET OFF ME!" Sasuke yelled, shaking loose and quickly leaving.
Kiba shook his head and felt a hand lightly grasp his shoulder.
"What was wrong with that guy?" Naruto asked.
"That was Sasuke," Shikamaru said then went quiet when Kiba shot him a look of wrath.
"Ohhh, he was supposed to eat dinner with us," Naruto observed absently. "He seems like he's a pretty angry guy. I'm glad he didn't show up."
Kiba couldn't help but laugh at that and he relaxed. Naruto withdrew his hand, but leaned in to whisper in Kiba's ear: "Do you want to get out of here? I think I do…"
Kiba turned slightly and nodded. He then stood up.
"It looks like we'll be taking our leave now," Kiba said to Shikamaru. "I'll call you in a few days."
"Bye, Kibes," Shikamaru said as his hand ran up Shino's thigh and between his legs.
Out on the street, Kiba breathed in the night air. It was still quite hot and the humidity had not changed at all. He felt irritated and out-of-sorts now. He got into Naruto's motorcar and turned his head to stare out at the city as they drove slowly along the crowded streets.
"The late films are getting done now," Naruto commented and looked over at Kiba, who seemed to have withdrawn somewhat. He reached over and took Kiba's hand. "Hey, did something happen with you and Sasuke he asked tentatively.
Kiba sighed.
"It's all right," Naruto said. "I'm sorry, it's none of my business."
Kiba continued looking out through the open window.
"Shikamaru was acting kind of strange," Naruto continued to try and make conversation. "I wonder if he drank some of that gasoline?"
"I think they took opium before they arrived at Hinata's," Kiba said, doing his best to shake off the melancholy he was feeling.
"Ahhhh, that explains it then," Naruto said. "I bet Shino and he will have a fun time tonight."
"Oh, I don't think it's just going to be the two of them," Kiba said, feeling a little better now that he had started talking again.
"What?" Naruto asked looking over to him.
"I'm certain the three of them are going to be together tonight," Kiba said. "I've known Shikamaru a long time. I know how he tends to operate."
"Oh...umm, oh," Naruto thought a moment. "I didn't realize he enjoyed that sort of thing. How's that going to work?
"I think," Kiba laughed now, "that he'll end up in the middle...if you know what I mean."
"Ohhh," the blonde laughed now too. "I'm shocked."
"I don't think you really are," Kiba teased, smiling once again.
"There!" Naruto cried out suddenly. "I got you to smile again!"
Kiba reached over and flicked Naruto's hat up off his head.
"Hey!" the blonde cried out, grabbing the hat before it fell out of the automobile. "That's not nice!"
"Sorry," Kiba said.
"I'm kind of hungry, are you?" Naruto asked. "There's a really nice pastry shop up here a couple blocks."
"That sounds wonderful," Kiba said.
"I'm glad you think so," Naruto said, "because I was going to go whether you wanted or not."
"Take me where you will," Kiba said. "I'm just along for the ride!"
Naruto looked at Kiba strangely a moment, then looked back to the road. He drove up three more blocks before turning right, went halfway down the block, and pulled into one of the angled parking spots in front of a row of shops along the street. He got out, opening Kiba's door again and shutting it after he had gotten out. They went along the sidewalk to the next shop and went inside.
The store looked very old and had a wooden plank floor and several glass cases that held ice in the bottom to keep the pastries cool from the sweltering weather outside. A lot of the offerings were sold out due to the late hour, but there was still a moderately good selection. Kiba looked through the cases as an elderly woman came out from another room.
"Hallo," she said and Kiba looked up, smiled, and nodded to her.
"What would you like?" Naruto asked as they came to the last case.
"Oh!" Kiba suddenly exclaimed. "One of these, please."
"May I have two of these, please?" Naruto asked the lady, who had walked over to where they were standing.
"Deux eclairs?" she asked.
"Oui, Madame," Kiba quickly said.
She removed two of the eclairs from the case and placed them into a small, white bakery box and tied it with a pink ribbon.
"That is ten cents," she said to Naruto, who handed her the coin.
"Remerciement," Kiba said, taking the box from the counter along with two paper napkins.
"Savourer!" she said as they left the shop.
"Where shall we eat them?" Kiba asked.
"There's a little park across the river," Naruto said. "I'll take you there."
Naruto backed the Model J out of the parking space and drove forward, merging onto a ramp to the left and driving up on one of the bridges that crossed the river to the east side of the city. They drove up the broad boulevard that would have lead out of the city if they had gone that far. They went past the train station and then up a few more blocks. Naruto turned left off the boulevard and then almost immediately turned left again, then took a slight right onto another side street and came up upon the park. He pulled into the empty parking lot and parked, turning the engine off.
They got out and walked up the pathway, which was paved with red bricks. It curved off and they went under and arbor that was covered in vines. On the other side, as they emerged, Kiba saw a large man-made pond that was separated into two halves by a wide foot bridge. The pond was shaped like an hourglass and each of the parts had a large fountain in its middle. Mute swans swam about in the water.
They stopped on the bridge and Naruto untied the ribbon on the bakery box. He handed one of the eclairs to Kiba and took a bite of his own a moment later.
"It's like heaven," Kiba said.
"I told you that place was good," Naruto said.
"You weren't lying," Kiba concurred as he finished eating his eclair.
"I wouldn't lie to you," Naruto said. "However, they are extremely rich. Do you want the rest of mine?"
"Oh yes!" Kiba took it from his hand. "Can't waste anything this good."
Naruto laughed and put his arm around Kiba's shoulder.
"I'm glad you seem to be feeling better," he said as he released Kiba.
"I am," Kiba said, then sighed heavily. "Sasuke stayed overnight with me a couple months ago, that's all. Just one night, but he's been acting stupid about it ever since…"
"I'm sorry," Naruto said. "Did you like him?"
"No," Kiba admitted. "We both had been drunk, and at the time, I thought I was doing it to annoy Sakura, but I think it was more that I was using Sasuke for my own purposes...that sounds really bad, and maybe I shouldn't be telling you all this. I guess he used me, too."
"No, don't worry about it," Naruto took Kiba's hand in his again and held it. "I want to know you, I want to let you know you can tell me anything. I'll be here for you."
Kiba smiled wryly and looked out at the water and at a swan that was swimming past to go underneath the bridge.
"I'm not lying, Kibes," Naruto said.
"It's just," Kiba began but hesitated before continuing. "He's the one who told everyone. In the end, I was going to keep it a secret, but he told everyone and acted like it was his idea and how clever he was and all manner of other nonsense. And then everyone now thinks I'm somehow heartbroken when he never meant anything to me. It's very annoying also when everyone thinks they know what happened when they don't and won't believe me no matter how many times I tell them otherwise."
"I can see how it would be extremely irritating to have people not believe you," Naruto said after a few moments of silence. "But what other people think of you shouldn't matter. You are your own person. Just be yourself. Their opinions are insignificant. You know the truth, and I believe you. The rest is just insignificant little things you shouldn't let bother you."
"I suppose that's true in theory."
"Put it into practice!" Naruto said. "Go ahead, roar at the moon if it will make you feel better."
"It won't," Kiba laughed.
"And I want to know more about you. Tell me more."
"There really isn't much to tell."
"Please," Naruto said. "What about when you were young?"
Kiba stood in silence for several minutes, looking out at the fountain in the pond.
"I have a mother and a father. I have a sister," Kiba said. "I grew up in a house like everyone else. What does it matter?"
"Somehow it does right now," Naruto said.
"Why?" Kiba asked.
"Cause it's you...I'm in love with you," Naruto said softly. "And all your little things."