Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto and all his friends…I'd be ecstatic. As it is, I don't. So I'll content myself with owning this story. Not the characters.
DisclaimerII: None of the universities, hotels, companies, franchises etc. mentioned in this fiction are mine. I'm just using them for my benefit.
A/N: I haven't ever seen the Chippendales live (not meeting the age requirement or having the desire) so everything described is a product of my own imagination as to what it would be like. Haha. Also, as I haven't been to NYU or Columbia, my knowledge of their programs extends to whatever information their websites offer. Factual mistakes will be prevalent, I'm sure, so I apologize for them in advance. Before I forget, this will be a two-part story. First, it's Kiba's turn (this chapter) and then Naruto's turn (next chapter).
"Oh. My. God." Inuzuka Kiba muttered angrily to himself, his eyes wide and horrified. "Oh. My. Fucking. God." He jumped suddenly and covered his face, moaning as if he was in pain. And he was.
On the stage in front of him was a group of scantily dressed men, prancing around as a sensual beat played lazily in the air. A horde of women swirled around the stage, drooling over the rippling muscles of the men who were seemingly perfect. Oh, he was going to murder Naruto, who was standing beside him, staring avidly at the dancers onstage. As if sensing his burning glare, the man in question finally turned to pay attention to him.
"Alright there, Kiba?" Uzumaki Naruto asked, grinning at his best friend. "You look a bit upset." Naruto's blue eyes regarded him with feigned concern, though Kiba could hear the laughter that was going on inside his roommate's head.
"Upset!" he exploded, his temper flaring. "Of course I'm upset, Uzumaki! You promised me…" Kiba trailed off as he remembered the exact words that the blonde had said when he had been told of their evening's activities. "Oh. My. God." He raked a hand through his hair, his face a picture of disbelief.
"Ahhh," Naruto chuckled, "figured it out, have you?"
"I'm going to kill you, Uzumaki!" Kiba growled, clenching his fists. "If you haven't noticed already, I'm not gay! I certainly don't get off watching…THAT!" he motioned wildly toward the stage where a well-built man with chestnut colored hair and a smooth, chiseled chest was gyrating his hips as he slowly unzipped his tight, pleather pants, much to the delight of the crowd.
"Well, if you're not gay already, you will be." Naruto said vaguely, his eyes following every movement.
"DAMMIT, is that your plan?" Kiba's eyes widened as much as humanly possible and he sputtered incoherently, too irate to form a complete word.
"Shut up, Inuzuka. I'm watching—ooh, now that's real nice." The blonde was practically salivating by now and the man on stage was halfway through taking off his pants. Kiba turned away, contemplating all the painful, bloody ways he could (and would) murder his roommate.
"Sure, promise me a 'night of wanton pleasure, sure to seduce me'," the brunette growled, repeating words he had heard earlier that evening. "I should have known he'd pull a stunt like this. My first trip to Vegas and I end up watching the Chippendales with my gay best friend. I'm going to kill him. Yep. He's going down." He surfaced from his quiet anger when he noticed the screams and catcalls rising in volume. A quick glance at the stage confirmed his worst fears; the dancer was clad only in a bowtie and a black loincloth.
"Oh come on! Take it all off!" Naruto yelled, jumping up and down. His actions earned him a wink and a grin from the man onstage and he swooned overdramatically. "Be still, my heart," he moaned, clutching his chest, a look of stupid ecstasy on his face. Kiba scowled deeper and elbowed Naruto in the side.
"Christ, I'm getting out of here before he jumps up there and begs that dancer to screw him right then and there."
"You know I'd do it, too," Naruto whooped, the expression on his face screaming mischief. "Thanks for the idea, pal." He slung an arm over Kiba's shoulders, which the other quickly threw off.
"No you don't!" Kiba shouted. "It's bad enough I'm in here, watching that! I will not be mistaken as being your gay boy toy." Naruto's only answer was to bat thick, blonde eyelashes at him, his lips in a full pout, before quickly turning back to the performance. "I'm going to the bathroom," he snapped finally, throwing his hands up in defeat. It wasn't like Naruto was paying any attention to him. Rolling his brown eyes and still muttering darkly to himself about the dangers of Naruto's 'gay hormones,' as he had dubbed them, Kiba fought his way past the hordes of woman and men (who he assumed were gay). In his irritation, he failed to watch where he was going and walked straight into a group of girls.
"Sorry. Excuse me, ladies," he winked jauntily, throwing them his best smile. His efforts were wasted since their attention was focused solely on the strip tease occurring onstage.
Kiba scowled again, finding another reason he hated the Chippendales. The club was full of young, hot, (mostly) single women but none of them were paying the least bit of attention to him. And, anyway, he thought savagely, it was enough to demolish a young man's ego watching those men up there, with those unnaturally sculpted bodies. He worked damn hard at the gym and still hadn't achieved the amount of muscles that all the dancers had. It was downright unfair.
"Hmph, I really don't see why you dragged me here, TenTen." Kiba turned toward the voice, eager to find at least one other person in the room full of estrogen (and 'gay hormones') that was equally uncomfortable. He wasn't disappointed; the man who had spoken was scowling alternately at the stage and at the petite girl beside him.
"Oh, stop complaining, Neji," the girl replied flippantly, motioning a gesture of dismissal in his face. Kiba nearly laughed as Neji's eyebrow twitched. "I'm having fun, isn't that what matters? Besides, you said we could do what I wanted tonight." She adjusted on of the two buns perched on the top of her head.
"Yeah, well, this wasn't what I had in mind and you know it." Neji pouted, shaking his long, loose ponytail. Then, as he felt Kiba's curious stare, Neji glanced up and his alarmingly light grey eyes met Kiba's. It was nearly instantaneous: they knew right away that they had found a sympathetic soul amidst the sea of rabid girls.
"Hey man, tough luck," Kiba smiled, holding out his hand, which the other took. "Inuzuka Kiba."
"Hyuuga Neji. Damn, this isn't what I had in mind!"
"Me neither. But at least you're with a girl. I was tricked into coming here with my gay roommate."
"Yeah, this one here," Neji threw TenTen a glare, which she ignored, "insisted on coming here. My fault though," he conceded regretfully, "I shouldn't have let her choose." He shrugged ruefully.
"She your girl?" Kiba asked, noting that TenTen was pretty cute, with her petite frame and pixie-like facial features.
"Yeah," Neji answered, a defensive tone creeping into his voice. "Watch it."
"Whoa, I was just asking. Sorry." The other boy relaxed and became slightly more friendly, though Kiba saw that he was careful to keep his back to the stage. The two chatted casually, Kiba finding out that Neji was a year older than himself and that he and his group of friends were staying in the same hotel that Kiba and Naruto were, though on a higher floor. They also talked to each other about the universities they attended, Neji admitting that he and his cousin, along with a close family friend, would be moving soon.
"So are you excited about it?"
"I suppose. NYU offers one of the better English programs in the country, which is perfect for my cousin. And it's near enough to Columbia that I can keep an eye on her. Her father's pretty happy about that. I'm not so sure how happy she is."
"You're going to Columbia?" Kiba raised an eyebrow. The tuition for NYU was already pretty steep, factoring the tuition for Columbia, as well as living expenses for the two of them, Kiba figured they must be pretty loaded. Or smart enough to merit scholarships which would take care of the costs.
"Yes. Which is why I am here." Neji sighed almost sadly. "TenTen's going to UCLA in the fall so I thought we should spend as much time together as possible."
"Ouch. That's rough, man, being all the way across the country. Long distance relationships suck."
"Thanks for the encouragement," the man's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Well then, go and enjoy watching your girlfriend drool over nearly-naked men. It's the last time you'll see her in a long time." Kiba laughed, pushing the other toward her.
"Hmph. Our last trip until who-knows-when and she drags me here of all places." Neji continued to mutter darkly about his misfortunes when he was suddenly pushed aside by two very excited girls.
"Oh, TenTen, you see that!" One of them squealed. She was slim, slightly taller than the girl she was addressing and, to Kiba's surprise, had vivid pink hair. "He's gorgeous."
"Keep dreaming, Sakura-Big Forehead, because he's mine." A girl with white-blonde hair cut in, smirking at her friend.
"Oh yeah, Ino-Pig?" Sakura-Big Forehead retorted, animosity suddenly sparking between the two. "What makes you think he'd want someone as," her light green eyes raked scornfully over the blonde's body, "challenged in the looks department as you beats me. He'll want someone like me."
"Wanna bet on that?" Ino-Pig growled, glaring daggers at Sakura, who returned with an equally icy stare.
"Hey, are they with you?" Kiba asked, leaning closer to Neji so he could ask questions without the girls overhearing. The Hyuuga nodded almost imperceptibly. "Um, are they supposed to be friends?"
"Believe it or not, they're best friends. But they bicker over everything. I'm only glad they didn't set their sights on me. They almost ripped Sasuke in half, one time." He cracked a wicked smile. "That was a sight to see." TenTen called his name and his attention was diverted.
"Huh?" Kiba was lost but before he could question Neji further, he was pushed gently aside as another girl joined the group in front of him.
"Excuse me," the newcomer smiled shyly, bowing her head. Her voice was high and sweet and her hair was cut almost boyishly. As he nodded to her, Kiba saw that her facial features vaguely resembled his new friend's: their eyes were the same shape and even the same strange color.
"It was no problem," he paused, waiting for her to supply her name, a wide grin on his face as he took a step closer to her. She blushed deeply and ducked her head, breaking the eye contact he had initiated.
"H-Hinata," she replied in such a small voice it was nearly a whisper.
"Hinata," he finished. "Nice to meet you. Inuzuka Kiba, at your service." Her blush became more pronounced and she busied herself with pressing her two index fingers together; a nervous habit, he thought, a cute nervous habit.
"Oi, Hinata, you want get a bite to eat?" Neji turned to her. His eyes took in her blush and Kiba's smile in a flash. "I think it'd be a good idea if we got out of here so Ino and Sakura stop fighting over the guys."
"S-s-sure, Neji-kun," she replied in her small voice, her lips curling into a pretty smile.
"Is she the cousin you were telling me about?" Kiba asked, still gazing at the girl in front of him.
"That's her. You'll have to excuse her, she's extremely shy."
"Oh, but—but Neji-kun," she began to protest.
"Come on, let's get out of here." The group began to make their way to the door when Neji stopped, looking over his shoulder. "Well? Aren't you coming, Inuzuka?" The brunette raised an eyebrow, even as he followed the five friends.
"I wasn't aware I was invited."
"Now you are. Hurry up, I've gotta get out of here before I feel the urge to kill something." It took the six of them a while to force their way past the mob and, though the outside air was stiflingly hot compared to the relative comfort of the air-conditioning in the club, Kiba breathed a sigh of relief. After a large amount of squabbling and bickering, which seemed to be a favorite pastime of the friends, they decided to eat at the Hard Rock Café.
When they were seated and situated with glasses of water and menus, Kiba remembered, with a jolt, that he had entered the club with a certain blonde friend of his own and had just, technically, ditched said friend. The "angel" side of him scolded him for leaving without telling Naruto, which, it reasoned, would make him worry. Kiba scoffed, brushing the thought away. They were grown men and Naruto could fend for himself. Besides, they each had a room key and Kiba assumed that Naruto wasn't such an idiot that he didn't know they were staying at New York New York. He figured that he'd be able to make his way back to the hotel, and if he didn't, well, that was his own problem. Besides, it served the idiot right if he did worry about Kiba's whereabouts; after all, he wouldn't have left the club if it hadn't been the Chippendales.
"Hello? Earth to Space Man Kiba!" The brunette jumped and blinked, coming out of his reverie to stare straight into Sakura's palm. He turned quizzically to her and she giggled.
"Does anyone know where Sasuke-kun is?" Hinata asked, taking a dainty sip from her glass of water.
"Beats me. Last time I saw him, he had some hot blonde practically glued to his crotch. So either they're still at the club, practically screwing over their clothes, or Sasuke's shagging like a bunny in a hotel room God-knows-where." Sakura replied, shrugging, apparently unconcerned at the blunt comments coming from her mouth.
"Wait, really?" Neji called from further down the table. "Shit, d'you remember if he brought a condom with him?"
"Umm," Sakura tapped her chin thoughtfully, tilting her head back to face the ceiling. "I'm not sure but—I think he did. He usually does."
"Sasuke-kun's a family friend. He and Neji-kun have known each other since they were practically born," Hinata said quietly, apparently noticing the lost expression on Kiba's face.
"So he picked up a hottie, huh?" Neji asked, grinning, apparently satisfied with Sakura's answer. "What did he look like?"
"Blue eyes, tall, built. Gorgeous smile." Sakura sighed wistfully. "Too bad Sasuke got to him first."
"So Sasuke's gay?" Kiba sputtered, choking on his water. Everyone turned to him, Sakura's expression becoming hostile in a split second.
"What, you have a problem with it?" she snapped and Kiba leaned away from her slightly. "Because if you do, I suggest you get the hell away from me."
"No, no, that's not what I meant. My best friend is gay, after all. I was just asking and then I choked on my water. Went down the wrong pipe." He chuckled sheepishly.
"That's okay, Kiba-kun," Hinata said encouragingly. "Sasuke-kun's just a really, really good friend of ours and we get a bit defensive when people question his lifestyle."
"Ah, I know how it is. My best friend's been beaten up more times than I can count , just because he's gay." The brunette shrugged, scowling. "People can be so close-minded, it's amazing." Everyone nodded in agreement just as the waitress came by to take their order. When she bustled away, promising their food in 'just a few,' a short silence settled on the table.
"Hinata, why do you add 'koon' after a name?"
"It's 'kun' and I'm from Japan, so it's more of a habit than anything," Hinata replied, a blush coloring her pale cheeks. "I can stop if you don't like it."
"No! Just curious. I think it's cute." At his words, the blush spread until she resembled a ripe strawberry. Throughout the evening, she engaged him in deep conversation, especially interested when she found out that he was going to NYU. As she bombarded him with eager questions about the campus and the city, he noticed that Neji was watching the two of them like a hawk, an unreadable expression on his face. Hinata noticed his distraction and looked around to Neji, scowling slightly. Even in his discomfort, Kiba found that Hinata was extremely cute when she was irritated.
"Don't mind him, Kiba-kun. He's just overprotective." She swiped her bangs out of her face and gave him a brilliant smile; it was so unexpected that he very nearly fell off his chair. "Are—are you okay?" she asked tentatively, her eyebrows furrowing at his strange reaction. "Are you ill?"
"N-no," he stuttered, still staring at her, even as his mouth formed a huge grin. "It's just that—you've got a gorgeous smile." Shock made him blunt and he winced inwardly, knowing he sounded so completely unromantic. Hinata failed to notice, however, and she beamed at him, more brightly than before, even as she blushed. She quickly changed the subject and soon, they were back to comfortable, un-awkward territory. As they talked, exchanging ideas about everything from books to music to politics, he realized that she was becoming much more comfortable with him, judging by the animation and feeling in her voice that hadn't been there before.
She had a sharp-tongue and was quite witty, once she was comfortable expressing her opinions. He also found that she was very passionate about her beliefs and could become feisty when she felt they were being threatened. She was open minded but unyielding about one thing: her perseverance. Listening to her talk about all the obstacles she'd overcome in order to be able to attend a university so far from her home, he knew that she was a person who would never give up, even if she failed miserably in the end.
He'd had plenty of girlfriends before, never one to enjoy being alone, but this was the first time he had ever liked a girl who could be his equal. He was smart, almost dauntingly so, and he was also handsome. Yet, in his previous experiences, he had always chosen a girl he could easily dominate, someone who would listen to him without question, one who wouldn't challenge him in the relationship. Hinata was, for lack of a better word, amazing and was probably the only woman he had ever liked who would challenge him wholeheartedly if he went out of line.
"Oi, you two, we're leaving now." Kiba looked up, surprised to find that everyone was standing. A quick glance at his watch told him that it was nearly midnight.
"Hinata, how would you like to go out with me for a drink?"
"Like a date?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Yeah, like a date."
"I would like that, yes."
"Are you two coming or not?" Neji called impatiently, wanting to leave. TenTen and the others were already out the door.
"We'll catch up with you later, okay, Neji-kun?"
"Oh?" Neji sauntered over to them. "And how long will you two be out?" The question was directed at Kiba, who gulped, upon seeing the almost dangerous warning on the previously friendly man's face.
"Not too late. I'll have her home before three, at the latest." Neji appeared about to protest but Kiba kept talking. "I just want to talk to her, get to know her better. I won't do anything, if that's what you're worried about, and I'll make sure nothing happens."
"I'm not a little girl anymore, Neji-kun," Hinata piped up, impatience in her countenance. "I like him, it's fun talking to him."
"Fine, fine, but I swear, Kiba, if anything happens to her, I'll rip you limb from limb," Neji growled and the brunette gulped.
"I'll keep that in mind." With a last warning glare at the pair of them, Neji followed his girlfriend out of the restaurant. As soon as he was gone, Kiba relaxed, turning to Hinata. "Let's get outta here."
Once they found a bar and were seated in a private corner, their conversation picked up right where it left off and Kiba found himself laughing at Hinata's easy blush, much to her embarrassment. It had been so long since he'd actually had a conversation with a girl without any awkward pauses; it was ridiculously effortless to talk to Hinata.
"Shit, your cousin is going to kill me," Kiba muttered as he stumbled from the bar, struggling to keep Hinata standing. "How many of those daiquiris did you have, anyway?"
"Jussshhht—um," Hinata tittered, "what was I shayyying agaiiin?" She went really quiet and very still, a puzzled look on her face as she tried to force her drunk brain into concentrating. "Oh! I remember now! I had shi-hic-cks."
"Shit, shit, shit." He hadn't noticed that she'd been consuming so many of the frozen alcoholic beverages but, he thought, they weren't that strong in the first place.
"Thanksshhh, Kiba-kuuun," she drawled, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "My firssht time drinking!" she giggled, releasing him and starting to walk away. "It wash fun, ne?" He groaned, catching her when she nearly fell.
"No wonder. Why didn't you tell me? Better yet, why'd you drink so much?" He sighed. "You're cousin is going to kill me."
"S'okay," Hinata slurred, swaying from side-to-side as she walked, "he'sh like a biiiig teddy bear!"
"And I'm Napoleon," he said to himself. "Right. Okay, I'm taking you back to my hotel room. See if I can get you sobered up a bit before I bring you back to yours." Slowly, they made their way to New York New York and Kiba thanked the gods when the elevator arrived nearly the second he arrived. He breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the room he was sharing with Naruto, hoping the blonde wouldn't be inside. He hadn't wanted to share but they had limited funds and he supposed one nice room in a cool hotel was better than two in a dingy motel on the outskirts of the city.
"Oooh, lookie!" Hinata giggled, pointing as Kiba opened the door. He had been watching her for any signs of illness (no way was he going to let her puke on him if he could help it) but he followed the direction of her finger and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Holy shit!" he yelped, freezing in his tracks.
The first thing Kiba realized was that Naruto was not alone. The second thing was that Naruto was with another man and the two were in the midst of a passionate, lust-crazed shag. The third and most horrific thing he noticed was the fact that they weren't only shagging right in front of him but that they were also shagging on his bed, dirtying his sheets with…he shuddered, violently stopping his train of thought.
The two turned to look at him and he slowly backed away, not liking the mischief on his friend's face as the blonde deliberately thrust hard into his partner, who cried out, gripping the headboard.
"Harder!" the stranger cried, panting. Naruto smirked at the brunette and then pressed a kiss to his partner's neck, licking and nipping at the skin.
"Motherfucker," Kiba cursed, grabbing Hinata's wrist and yanking her from the room, slamming the door behind him. He leaned against the closed door for a moment, rubbing his hands, but a moan that echoed into the hallway propelled him away in an instant. "Guess we'll just head to your floor, then," he mumbled unhappily. "Let's just hope we can get to your room without Neji noticing, okay?" She nuzzled his neck with the top of her head, hiccupping drunkenly, and he took that as her consent. Again, he made the laborious trek to the elevator and convinced her to get inside. It took some work since, in her inebriated state, she was utterly terrified of elevators. By the time they reached her floor and he was digging through her small purse to find her key, Kiba was exhausted.
As soon as elevator opened, Hinata nearly fell over in her haste to get out of the elevator and the brunette decided that it would be easier and safer if he held her close to him. Debating between asking the gods if they hated him or loved him, Kiba pulled the girl to him, an action she didn't seem to mind. When he wrapped one arm around her waist, careful to keep from accidentally touching anything he shouldn't, she sighed happily and leaned in closer. They walked down the hall and she seemed to do just fine, her weight steadied and supported by his larger frame. He was just sticking the key into the door when Neji sauntered out, an ice-bucket in his arms.
"Back already? You've still got time." Neji seemed to be in a good mood and Kiba prayed that he wouldn't be able to tell that Hinata was completely trashed.
"Uh, yeah, it got crowded in the bar and we decided we'd be able to talk better if we came back here." Kiba's heart was thumping in his chest as Neji contemplated the idea, nodding as if it made sense. Suddenly, the boy's face darkened and he stepped closer to the two.
"Hinata-kun?"
"Ohhh, Neji-kuuun, what're you doing'ere?" The girl asked, narrowing her unfocused eyes at her cousin. She attempted to walk toward him but tripped over her own feet, sprawling ungracefully at his feet. "Oops!"
"What. Did. You. Do. To. Her?" Neji growled, yanking Hinata none-too-gently away from the brunette.
"I didn't do anything to her, I swear!" Kiba defended himself, backing away from the irate raven. "We were talking and I guess she drank more than she could take."
"And you didn't stop her?"
"Honestly, I didn't really notice. I thought she could handle it and by the time I realized she couldn't and stopped her, she was already like this."
"Neji-kun, Kiba-kun ish reaaaalllyyyy sweeet. I like himm," Hinata mumbled, stepping away from her cousin and toward Kiba. "He wush gonna take meh to the room."
"To do what?" Neji asked, a dangerous note in his voice.
"Get her into bed." Kiba paled when he heard the double meaning of what he just said. Neji's expression darkened further and veins started to pop along the sides of his face, near his eyes. "NO! Not like that! I wanted to get her into bed so she could sleep off the alcohol. She's going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow and I wanted to do anything and everything to make sure it's not as bad as it could be."
"Come on, Neji-kun. Leave him 'lone," Hinata tugged on his shirt sleeve. "I can take care of myself."
"Not in that state you can't," Neji protested but he relinquished his hold on his cousin, the veins disappearing as his expression softened. "Fine. But take good care of her, will you, Kiba?"
"You betcha," the brunette smiled. The raven disappeared down the hall and Kiba opened the door, gently leading Hinata inside. "Now, what are we going to do with you?"
"Ooooh," Hinata moaned, suddenly a little green around the gills. "I feel sick." Kiba took one look at her and began to rush her toward the small bathroom, much to her chagrin, though she stopped speaking halfway there and clamped her mouth shut. Shit, I think she's going to—he heaved a sigh of relief when he managed to get her head over the toilet bowl before she vomited. Wrinkling his nose slightly at the smell, Kiba took care to hold her short hair away from her face.
As she puked violently, she began to tremble, crying as she did so. Alarmed, he rubbed her back with one hand, his other full of her soft, black hair. She stopped vomiting but still leaned against the toilet, her head hanging over the water, sobbing almost convulsively. He reached up and grabbed a fistful of toilet paper, using it to wipe her mouth and face, before continuing to rub her back, murmuring soothing words to her. It was apparent to him that she had never gotten so drunk and the poor thing was terrified.
"Hurts," she whimpered, clutching either side of her head. "Kiba-kun, it hurts." The sound of her small voice wrenched his heart, even though he knew the pain would pass sooner or later.
"Let's get you into bed, okay?" She didn't answer him so he scooped her up in his arms, taking extra care not to jostle her excessively and brought her to the bed, laying her down. Almost immediately, she tried to push back the decorative bed cover and crawl under the bed sheets but Kiba stopped her. She pushed at him but he held firm.
"Wanna sleeeep," she whined.
"Not yet, Hinata-kun," he said softly, adding the '-kun' to her name. Maybe it'll calm her down somewhat. Carefully so as not to startle her into misinterpreting his actions, he unbuttoned her grey sweatshirt and removed it, laying it on the sofa beside her bed. He took off her slacks and sandals, then smoothed her hair before allowing her to curl up under the covers.
"Thank you, Kiba-kun," she murmured, as she drifted into an alcohol-hazed slumber. He allowed a smile to ghost over his lips as he bent down and kissed her on the forehead.
"It was my pleasure."
"Owww." A beam of sunlight passed the closed curtains, hitting Kiba smack on the face. He wrinkled his nose reflexively and snorted softly, rolling over. "Oowwww." His eyes snapped open, irritated. If Naruto was moaning because of a hangover, he could damn well moan quietly. But, when his tired brain finally kicked on, he realized he wasn't in his bed or his dorm room and it wasn't the blonde idiot who was moaning. It was Hinata, who was hunched over in the bed, framed by pillows and bedsheets.
"Hinata, are you okay?" he asked softly.
"Not so loud, Kiba-kun." She gave a little gasp and curled up, shaking slightly. "Oooww."
"I take it you're not having such a good morning, are you?" he whispered, smiling wryly. She shook her head but the movement must have hurt because she cried out, tears forming in her eyes. "Yeah, not a good idea."
She gasped, "I think I'm going to be sick," before she took off for the bathroom. He heard the sounds of her vomiting again and hurried after her, grabbing a coke from the mini-bar as he went to check on her. She was sitting with her head leaning against the toilet rim, tears rolling silently down her cheeks. He sat down beside her, squeezing himself into the small space.
"Here, it'll help you feel better." He handed her the open coke but she pushed it away. "Seriously," he insisted, bringing it to her lips. She took a tentative sip, then began to drink greedily. "Whoa, not so fast, the fizz'll go up your nose." When the can was empty, she dropped it. At the sound of it clattering on the cold tile floor, Hinata whimpered and buried her face in Kiba's neck. He blinked in surprise but he had to admit that he rather liked the feeling. Tenderly, he picked her up and brought her back to the bed, where she snuggled against the pillows, her eyes lucid.
"Feeling better?" he asked, seating himself on the sofa.
"A little. But…Kiba-kun, what happened last night?" her face scrunched up as she thought. "I remember we were talking and then…after that everything goes fuzzy." She paled suddenly, her hurting brain seeming to have put two and two together. "I got drunk, didn't I?"
"Not just drunk, dear, smashed," Kiba replied.
"And then what happened?" Her pretty face was fearful. "Did you…I mean…did we…?"
"NO!" Kiba insisted vehemently, in a voice that was a little too loud for her liking. "No, we didn't do anything. You didn't do anything stupid, though you had a really hard time walking. I just brought you here and took care of you."
"You…took care of me?"
"That's all that happened. I swear."
"Oh, damn it, and Neji-kun, did he—?" As though he had heard her call his name, Neji burst through the door, smirking broadly.
"Good morning, my dear cousin," he beamed, looking incredibly satisfied about something.
"O-ohayougozaimasu," Hinata whispered, wrinkling her nose. Kiba's eyebrow furrowed at the odd response but figured it must have something to do with Hinata's Japanese roots. Neji slammed the door shut, apparently not noticing the whimper his cousin let out at the noise, and bounced into the room, whistling loudly. Kiba hadn't known the other for very long but he was certain that Neji was not the type to whistle; in which case he felt a suspicion that the raven was making so much noise on purpose. "P-please, Neji-kun, not so much noise."
"What? Why?"
"Because I—I have a headache." The girl blushed deeply as she half-lied.
"And this is because you had a little too much to drink last night, right?" Hinata started, staring up at her cousin with large round eyes.
"Oh! Neji-kun, you—you won't tell otou-san about—about it, right?"
"Why shouldn't I?"
"You know why, Neji-kun!" her soft voice began to rise in her panic. "If h-he thinks that American culture is c-corrupting me, he won't let me stay here! You can't tell him, Neji-kun, please!" The raven stared at her with his light grey eyes, his expression stern. Hinata was just about to open her mouth to plead her case some more when it softened and he chuckled, sitting down on the bed.
"What your father doesn't know, won't hurt him. Besides, he's too protective of you as it is. Live a little." Neji lightly punched her shoulder. "Just don't get so smashed next time, alright?" Really, it was a bit hypocritical of Neji to be calling this "otou-san" protective, since the young man was almost like an very grumpy guard dog concerning his younger cousin. Then again, Kiba mentally shrugged, maybe "otou-san" was even more protective of Hinata, which would explain why she'd never really drunk anything alcoholic before.
"Hai. Arigatou."
"Well, it's getting late and I promised TenTen's mother we'd be back before 7 p.m. so we've gotta get going. Sorry, Kiba."
"Hey, it's no problem," he replied, feeling a twinge of disappointment that he wouldn't get to spend more time with the girl he'd just met.
"Neji-kun?" Hinata asked, pointedly, her eyes boring into her cousin's.
"Hai, hai, I'll leave you two alone now." He turned and left the room, his smirk even more pronounced.
"I'm very sorry that I wasn't better company," Hinata said, looking down at the blankets.
"No, no, it wasn't that bad. I had fun talking to you. Besides, you're pretty funny when you get drunk."
"Th-thank you, very much, for—you know—taking care of me. I—I really appreciate it." She still wouldn't look at him, her face hidden by her bangs. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have gotten drunk. You must think that I'm so stupid."
"Hey, it's okay." Kiba captured her chin with his fingers, gently forcing her to look at him. "We all make mistakes. I've been so drunk I couldn't even stand. Hell, I've gotten so drunk I passed out, right then and there. So don't feel bad. And don't beat yourself up about it. I don't think you're stupid. Besides," he grinned, "it's all part of the learning experience. Haven't lived life if you've never gotten drunk at least once."
Hinata smiled at him, a large one, and she leaned forward, quickly kissing him on the lips. It was a chaste kiss, just the meeting of lips, but Kiba had never felt so…electrified. When she pulled away from him, she was blushing but the smile hadn't left her face. Without thinking, he leaned in again, pressing his lips to hers. She kissed back, tentatively, and he deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue across her lips, asking for entrance, which she gave him. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her waist, scooting her closer to the bed. Her hands wrapped around his neck, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. After a few moments, she pulled away, resting her forehead against his.
"I should get going now, Kiba-kun," she said. "Neji-kun and the others will be waiting for me."
"Yeah," he breathed, not wanting to let go of her, not wanting to let her leave. She averted her eyes and let go of his neck, reluctantly, he noticed. "Will I—can I see you again? When—when you get to New York, would you want to do something?"
"I would love to," she replied, brightening at the suggestion. "But, how should we contact each other?"
"Here, why don't I give you my email and you can message me when you arrive. How does that sound?" Without waiting for an answer, he reached over and grabbed the pad of paper and pen that was customary at hotels and wrote his email as neatly as he could, so there would be no lost communication. She took it and stood, the paper clutched tightly in her hand.
"I look forward to seeing you again, Kiba-kun."
"Me too." He got to his feet and kissed her on the forehead. "See you."
"Definitely." As the door closed behind him, he turned and walked down the carpeted hallway toward the elevator, figuring he would go and see if Naruto was decent yet. When the elevator opened, he stepped aside, allowing a slim-built raven-haired man to exit as he entered.
Upon entering the hotel room he was supposed to have shared with Naruto, he wrinkled his nose. It smelled like…well, like sex. Naruto was dressed, his hair wet and disheveled, like he had just taken a shower.
"Hey, have a good night?" Kiba asked wryly. The blonde just stared absently at the door, looking slightly punch-drunk. "Naruto?"
"What?" He stared at the brunette as though he'd only just noticed another presence in the room. "Did you say something?"
"I asked if you had a good night."
"Depends on what you would call 'good," the blonde replied, putting a finger to his lips, laughing wryly. "I don't want to talk about it," he said abruptly, in response to Kiba's unasked question.
"Okay, I won't ask then." Kiba refused to let his mood be dampened and he clapped his best friend on the shoulder. "What say you to getting something to eat before we head to the airport? We've got a few hours to kill before our flight."
"Sure." Naruto shrugged and headed outside, refusing to meet his friend's questioning gaze. Kiba stared after him, wondering what had happened after he and Hinata had walked in on something they shouldn't have seen.
And they left the hotel, the air around them milling with unasked questions and unsaid things.
Two months later, Kiba was in his dorm room, casually checking his email as he ignored his blonde friend, who was passionately making out with his new boyfriend on the couch.
Excitedly clicking on an email sent by an address he recognized all too well, his eyes widened considerably. He was quiet for a moment, allowing the email to register in his head before he whooped loudly, startling the other two boys in the room.
"What the fuck, Inuzuka?" Naruto grumbled, sitting up and wiping his mouth. His boyfriend, Derrick, slid off him, lazily throwing an arm around the blonde. Kiba scowled at them, hating the relationship—or, more accurately, hating Derrick—for reasons he couldn't even describe. All he knew was that there was something wrong with Derrick and he didn't like it. He only tolerated having the man in his dorm room because Naruto had threatened to move in with him if he didn't, and Kiba would be damned if he let his friend do that.
"Well, remember that girl I told you about? Hyuuga Hinata?"
"The one you met in Vegas?"
"Yeah, that one. She's arriving in New York next week and I'm going to go meet her." He grinned at the two of them, forgetting his dislike for Derrick in his joy at the prospect of seeing Hinata again. Despite their agreement to email only when she would arrive, she had messaged him not a week after he'd returned. 'To see if it worked,' she had said but they started 'talking' and he felt even closer to her than ever.
He fidgeted in excitement, already planning their first real date. She hadn't been to New York before so he figured they could see the tourist attractions. Maybe he could take her to the awesome sushi bar that was just a few blocks away from campus. No, he decided, he'd take her to the equally great French restaurant beside it; it was expensive but worth it for the romantic atmosphere it provided.
"You really like her, don't you?" Naruto smiled softly, bringing him out of his daydreams. Kiba nodded slowly but he noticed the vague traces of pain in those brilliant blue eyes, a pain that reflected sadness.
"I really do."
"Good for you." Naruto's face contorted slightly and an emotion passed through it in one moment, one that Kiba couldn't identify.
"Thanks." And, as he turned back to the computer, he was torn between worry for his best friend's odd moods and excitement that he would soon see Hyuuga Hinata, the only girl who was able to make him feel as though he were simultaneously drowning and flying on Cloud Nine.