Hey. Aseru, here. KankuroXKiba gets no attention. (Grumpy face) I've realized this lately. I read a lot of pairing, I fan the usual SasukeXNaruto, and KakashiXIruka. But... Geeze, KisameXItachi has more stories than this pairing.
Maybe it's because this one takes some creativity to see in cannon. Meh, oh wells. (Grin) I like it.
And sorry the updating is taking forever. I work a kinda.. crazy schedule. (Sigh) And have too many friends who want my attention, constantly.
.. That probably sounded mean. (Shrugs)

Part two, go!

We All,
That Simple

He could remember being twelve- maybe thirteen- and hearing that conversation-

"You've been hanging out with that Kanara girl a lot lately haven't you," he remembered Tsume asking in her hard tenor. And then there was a long pause that Kiba had sat on the couch with a book for english class in his hands, just waiting for what his sister would have to say.

"Yeah, I have."

"I haven't seen nearly as much of Itachi either," Tsume nearly stepped on her words, seeming to be trying to draw the conclusion out faster.

"He's been pretty busy," Kiba could remember how Hana's voice had shaken.

"He was never too busy before."

"Yeah," Hana seemed to have a bit more confidence this time, "He's just been trying to give us-"

"Has he applied for SAMI's yet? You said he was going to- and that's quite a drive from out here."

"Mom, you know, Itachi and I-"

"Or had you talked any more about getting that apartment you two had been thinking about."

And then came that pause- where Kiba felt like the air had left his lungs. Where the silence had grown so heavy that he could hear it humming. And then he'd heard the chair moving, Hana giving a dismissive answer and then softly thudding up the back stairs.

Right then, it had seemed to Kiba like there'd been a decision made, and he felt like he'd never had a say in the idea even.

He could remember checking her room later- and he'd found her bedroom window left open to the mid-June air. He'd listened through the dead silence later that night as she'd climbed back in and tossed and turned all night.

He'd felt like for weeks that Hana had simply frozen. Then he could remember watching her- at the table, at the computer, on the phone- she was there, alive; animated. But after that, Kiba had always wondered why his sister never smiled right around his mother- why there was suddenly this fake smile or a plastic posture that he'd never been able to explain.

Hana hid things after that conversation, Kiba had decided after a while. And Kiba learned to hide things too.

X

"Come over?"

"You know I can't," he felt bad that the response came out that fast. But at the same time, upset that Kankuro still had the pleading look in his eyes. "I can't, Kuro."

"Please, Kiba." If it hadn't been the fourth time he'd asked since they'd hung out at Muro, Kiba would have rolled his eyes again. "Only for a few hours even- please." Kiba had to close his eyes to block out the barrage of coco colored eyes in full pout. "I want you to meet my sister- and okay, maybe have some time with you to my fucking self," he sighed so pathetically, "Is that so much to ask?" Kiba kept his eyes knit, but he couldn't help groaning as he could feel the arms around him tighten a bit. "Please please, please?" And against his will, Kiba could feel his shoulders relax, his head droop, and his lips quirk a small smile.

"Let me talk to Shino, see if he'll cover for a night," he sighed, eyes still knit closed.

"Yes," he could feel Kankuro start to shake as he got excited. The other boy's arms held him just a bit tighter, where they were trapped between Kiba's back and the wall of the deserted locker room, as suddenly he was caught in a happy kiss. And then the taller boy was pulling back to smirk/smile at him like a kid who'd gotten a cookie. "Thank you."

But there were so many things in his eyes that Kiba didn't wan to name that when he opened his eyes again, he found himself accepting another kiss to keep from seeing.

X

Even with his ever-present glasses, Kiba was one to know when his best friend was giving him odd looks. "Why make lies, when you could make the same story, just telling her you're with him?"

"She trusts you, Shino- you know that."

"If anything of a parent in this situation, you would think your mother would suspect myself."

"I know, but she doesn't. Maybe because you and Hina dated for that summer. I don't know- she's weird." Kiba knew what his rebut would be.

"You mean the summer before the fall that she doesn't know I dated you." Kiba let out a sigh.

"Yeah, that one." Shino let his locker snap shut, the only outward sign that the conversation was annoying him. "Please, Shi." Shino's body turned to face him, the thick coat he always wore scrutinizing him thickly.

"You really like this boy, yes?" Kiba had to sigh again, hating how Shino just knew things.

"I don't want to talk about it right now." They both knew that was a yes, and Kiba knew he was then being pinned with a hard look.

"My father and I are going camping this weekend, anyway. Cross cavern."

"No shit," Kiba pouted, "You didn't tell me."

"I knew he'd been pestering you as it was." Kiba had to roll his eyes at that. "We'll be gone the weekend, anyway. There's you alibi. You should not put him off so much- it's obvious he's trying." Kiba had to sigh, yet again.

"So, you just basically gave me the out to stay the weekend, like he was wanting- and then you yell at me to be nicer to him," Kiba was now the one scrutinizing his friend. "Geeze, Shino, I'd nearly think you liked him."

"Correction; he makes you happy," Shino bit out, his voice finally taking on some of the strain Kiba knew he had to be feeling, "And you have not been that kind of happy in over a year, Kiba." Suddenly the conversation seemed thick, making Kiba's eyes fall to the floor. "I want you to be happy, and he seems to be able to make you that. So I will make it possible that he can, like you won't allow anyone else to."

And then Shino had turned and was making his way down the hall, leaving Kiba alone in a thundering silence.

"I thought we were over this," he then asked the air in the place of where his best friend had been.

X

"Hey," Kankuro was already smiling, as he leaned up against the locker directly to Kiba's left.

"Hi," he sighed back, still for some reason feeling like someone had stepped on his heart. Kankuro's sudden drop in morale suggested he knew that.

"What's wrong," he asked then, his voice slipping a bit lower- softer, nearly comforting. Kiba wanted to scream.

"I hate realizing that people are keeping shit from me," he suddenly bit out, the frustration somehow coming out completely unbiased and he could feel Kankuro nearly physically reel back.

"Uhm," was his only question.

"Not you. Shino," he nearly growled, "Bastard doesn't even bother to sugar coat that he knows what's going on, and then an instant later is giving me a giant tongue lashing!"

"I don't think I've ever even heard the guy speak."

"He doesn't much- unless he really has something to say. And then poof, your insides are a pile of mashed potatoes, because he knows the perfect wording to get any point made, just right," Kiba concluded by throwing his last book into his locker with a satisfying thud and then slamming it shut, before turning fully to Kankuro with a huff, only to be greeted by a gleeful smile. "What?"

"One, does that mean you're coming over?" Kiba let his eyes roll, and then beginning down the hall toward the exit, leaving the other to scamper after him. Kankuro let out a chuckle and he took up pace by his side. "Second," he asked we they walked, a chuckle booming in his voice, "Do you think he could give me some pointers?" Kiba had to scoff at that.

"He'd probably give you a pep rally, as far as I would know."

"Why," Kankuro replied, voice obviously confused.

"Because he knows you somehow got me to date you." And it took Kiba at least three steps to realize Kankuro had stopped, just inside the exit door.

"Wait- what?" Kiba let out another sigh, motioning for him to follow.

"Come on, I want out of this school now."

"But-"

"Shino's one of four people that know, not including your brother," Kiba found himself growling out as he quickly backtracked, standing right in front of Kankuro while having to look up the few inches of difference. "And he's mad that I'm," he paused trying to find the right words, "Not exactly open about it. But he knows I'm trying so he's willing to help. Can we go now?" They didn't move though.

"So, he knows about your mom?"

"Yeah- he thinks I'm stupid, but," he had to trail off again. "I don't want to talk about this here."

The halls were mostly empty now. The last few students present no where near where they could hear the somehow level voiced argument.

Turning he didn't want for Kankuro to follow him this time, though the other boy did anyway.

He'd never bothered to tell anyone about that conversation. Not about Hana, or what he suspected about Hana.

Ooooh, Drama. (Giggles)

I hope the next one, or a piece of Insecure will be out soon. (Smiles) Thanks for reading and reviews are always appreciated.

Happy Hunting!
-Aseru