Connections
I sat under my favorite tree, reminiscing about what happened under it yesterday, when a shadow fell across my lap. My gaze flicked up and landed on my favorite dog-boy.
"Hey Shino." He grinned happily and sat down next to me. I followed him with my eyes as he leaned against the tree next to me.
"Hi." I replied quietly. He grew silent and solemn, an unnatural combination for Kiba. "Something wrong?" I asked, letting an inkling of my concern into my voice. His gaze snapped over to me and he sighed.
"Yeah. Yeah something is." I gulped at his tone, thinking that the only thing that could have been bothering him was our kiss. Well, kisses. "What are we, Shino?" My eyebrows furrowed at the question.
"We're human, sophomores. If that's what you're asking?" Kiba punched me lightly on the arm.
"Not that, bug boy. I meant you and me......us. Are we an 'us' or are we just you and me?" Most people wouldn't have understood but I was fluent in 'Kiba'. I smiled softly, something I found that I only did with Kiba and Naruto, and brought my hand up to his cheek.
"I thought we we're an us." Kiba's morose expression dropped and his normal, 'normal' being a relative term, personality came back.
"Good. I'm glad." He leaned forward and kissed me gently. When he pulled away the bell rang, signaling that we had five more minutes. "We better get going." Kiba said. He stood up and I followed. The second I was upright, he pinned me to the tree and kissed me once more. "Sorry, I needed to do that just one more time." I smirked and walked up the front steps of the school. Kiba raced past me into the class to take his seat. I walked in calmly after him. I proceeded down to my seat and as I was sitting I felt a sharp sting in my behind. I jerked and looked over at Kiba, who was grinning wickedly. I pulled out a piece and scribbled furiously. 'Don't do that!'' I passed it to Kiba who read it and smirked. He wrote onto the sheet and handed it back. 'Do what?''. I could practically hear his fake innocence. 'You know damn well what, you pinched my ass.' I wrote before flinging the paper hastily to him. He smiled again and calmly wrote. 'Oh did I do that. Terribly sorry...You loved it though didn't you?'' I fumed as I read his response and wrote down my own. 'No I didn't you ass. You're gonna tell the whole school!''. As I held it out to him a tan hand snatched the note out of my hand.
"And what do we have here, Mr. Aburame?" Mr. Umino asked. I looked over to Kiba who was suddenly pale. Kiba began stammering excuses but Mr. Umino held up a hand to silence him. "Mr. Inuzuka you know better than to pass notes, and you should too." He said, the last part was directed at me. He scanned the piece of paper and I thought for a moment he was going to read it aloud. Instead, his face grew surprised then he nodded understandingly. "You two stay after class, I need to speak with you." My heart sank and I could tell Kiba wasn't feeling much better. That hour of class was the longest of my life. The entire time, Kiba and I were casting forlorn glances to each other. When the bell rang, we got up slowly, trudging to the front of the room. Mr. Umino, surprisingly, didn't look angry, only understanding.
"I can understand you boys are in a......delicate position." Mr. Umino said slowly. I winced at the wording and it's implications. "I want you boys to know that this will remain in the strictest confidence. I know what you both are going through." In response to our questioning looks he added. "I didn't acknowledge that I was gay until I was nineteen. I'm proud that, even if it's private, you're embracing who you are." Both of us blushed and looked down at the bluntness of his statement. "I'm glad you boys have each other to rely on in this difficult time of your lives. Furthermore, I want you to know that you may both come to me if you need any advice, or the like. I remember how confusing it was. Going through something like this with no one to turn to can lead one to seek out help from anyone who'll offer it. Even if they might not have your best interests in mind."
"Thanks for understanding Mr. Umino." Kiba said, his relief obvious in his voice. The teacher grew stern and Kiba looked away again.
"Do not let this affect your behavior or schoolwork or I may have to inform the councilors and parents. Are we in agreement then?" We both paled and hastily agreed. He smiled and said we could proceed to our next class. We exited the room and left to our respective rooms. My next class was math and Naruto and I sat next to each other. The entire time Mr. Hatake was talking, I was distracted and fidgeted nervously. Eventually Naruto poked me in the arm and whispered.
"Stop squirming and meet me in the second floor bathroom." I looked at him with a perplexed expression but he simply ignored me, raising his hand. "Mr. Hatake?" The man paused and looked over at the inquiring blonde. "Can I go to the bathroom, it's an emergency." Mr. Hatake sighed and nodded, resuming his lesson. Naruto got up and looked at me pointedly as he left through the door. After a few minutes I sought permission to leave as well. His eyes narrowed a fraction but he granted me my request. I raced through the halls, up the staircase, and down another stark hallway. I halted at the set of blue doors with crude pictures of a blue male and a pink female. I stuck my head into the boy's bathroom and Naruto beckoned me inside.
"OK, so what's up with you?" I sighed and looked away. I briefly explained the encounter between Mr. Umino, Kiba, and myself. Naruto whistled lowly.
"Damn, how does he do it?" I looked up at the blonde before, startled. "He's the one who first figured out me and Sasuke's relationship. He's the one who convinced me to come out of the closet." Naruto had a dreamy and grateful look to him as he said that.
"He also said we could talk to him if we need any advice." Naruto stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"And the same goes for me, Shino. Kiba's been my best friend for years and you've certainly been inducted into the gang too." I smiled at Naruto's inclusion of me in their 'gang', as he called it. "If you've ever got anything on your mind, anything at all, I want you to know you can talk to me." It amazed me at times how Naruto could seem like such and imbecile one moment, and a loyal, caring, and wise friend the next. It reminded me somewhat of Kiba. My heart warmed at the sudden thought of the dog-boy and it must have showed on my face because Naruto threw an arm around my shoulder and smiled at me. "We've got great guys, huh?"
"Yeah, we do." I replied quietly.
"I've got the bastard with a hidden heart of gold and you've got dog-breath who's a great kisser." My warm and fuzzy feelings stopped, abruptly, and I glared at Naruto. He smiled sheepishly. "It was nothing! We were confused, adolescent boys who were experimenting. We both agreed it was awkward and stopped it." I still felt my anger simmering but the blonde had managed to deter my wrath.......for now. Kiba, however, would be getting an earful later. Or, at least, as much of an earful as was possible for me to give. Naruto laughed nervously and turned to leave.
"How long ago?" Naruto groaned.
"Do we have to talk about this?" He complained.
"Yes." He huffed and crossed his arms.
"Seventh grade. It was before Sasuke and me realized what we felt towards each other." I stared intently at the blonde before deciding he was telling the truth. I sighed and walked past him, out of the bathroom. Naruto followed and we walked down the hall in silence. By the time we got back to Mr. Hatake's room, it was only ten minutes before class ended. He looked over at us and handed us each a sheet of paper, the homework for tonight. We thanked him quietly before taking our seats. I stared at my paper, not seeing it. Naruto and Kiba.....together. I knew Kiba would tell me not to be jealous or angry. And I would have agreed with him. The problem was, I wasn't jealous. I'm not convincing myself either. The idea of them as a couple was so absolutely ludicrous that it didn't even bother me. Kiba was mine and I knew that no one would take him from me. At least not without fight. When the bell finally rang it broke me out of my daze and I stood up, working the crick out of my neck. I went through the rest of my day in silence, though no one thought anything was wrong. It wasn't until Kiba appeared by my locker that anyone knew what it was that I'd been thinking about.
"What's up Shino?" Kiba asked, his usual merry-self. I gently closed my locker and turned towards him, shouldering my pack.
"You and Naruto, seventh grade." Kiba cocked his head to the side and looked at me.
"What are you talking about?" I explained what Naruto had told me. Kiba grinned broadly and threw an arm around my shoulders. "You've had me for a day and you're already worried someone's going to snatch me?" He whispered in my ear, making me shiver pleasantly. "I didn't know I was that good looking." I pushed him away and made a halfhearted attempt to glare at him. He laughed and we walked through the doors. I turned to walk home when Kiba took up pace beside me. "Could I come over for a while?" I nodded and we continued towards my house. We came through the front door and my dad looked up from his paper.
"Hello Shino." He said. He turned to Kiba. "And who might this be?" Kiba smiled and stepped forward.
"I'm Kiba, nice to meet you Mr. Aburame." He said, extending his hand. My dad stood and shook the offered appendage.
"Glad to finally meet you."
"We'll be in my room." I said quietly. Dad nodded and released Kiba's hand. We made our way upstairs to my bedroom. I sat down on the bed and looked up at Kiba. He cocked his head and stepped up to me. He reached up and gently gripped the frames of my glasses. My hand shot up and grabbed his wrist.
"What are you doing?" I asked, unable to keep the panic out of my voice.
"I've never seen your eyes before." He said quietly. He leaned down until we were at eye level. "I want to."
"No." I said firmly.
"Why?" I couldn't think of a good answer for that. No one had cared enough to ask me before about why I wore my sunglasses. In fact even I didn't know why. Kiba took my silence as an invitation and slid my glasses off my face. I had never felt more naked and exposed before. I tried to look away but Kiba held my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. He placed my glasses on the night-stand and pushed me down gently by my shoulders. He quickly straddled me and looked me straight in the eye. He leaned down and kissed me. My eyes slid shut and I grabbed the front of his shirt. I won't lie and say I was an expert at kissing. It was sloppy and uncoordinated. But it was me and Kiba, so it was perfect. Kiba balanced his weight on one hand while the other snaked into my hair. I moaned softly as Kiba stroking my hair. He pulled back, ever so slightly, and rested his forehead against mine. Even such a simple amount of felt amazingly intimate and I found my body temperature spiking.
"You're not allowed to wear your glasses when were alone like this." Kiba said breathlessly.
"Who says?" I shot back, annoyed that he was ordering me around. His hand fell from my hair and I whimpered as Kiba braced both hands on either side of my head.
"Me. I don't like you hiding from me behind them." He pause before saying. "I want you to trust me." My voice caught in my throat as I looked up at Kiba. My eyes filled with tears of frustration and I looked away. He leaned until he was back in my line of sight. "No more hiding, please?" My heart sank at the pleading tone of his voice and I closed my eyes for a moment. When I opened them again, I looked up at Kiba again. I leaned forward and our lips connected gently for a moment.
"OK." I whispered. Kiba smiled softly and kissed me again.
"Thank you." He sat to the right of me and looked down at me, his hand retaking it's spot in my hair. My eyes closed again and I sighed softly as his hand ran through my dark hair. We sat silence for a while. What was probably only a few minutes became hours of blissful silence. Kiba did nothing but stroke my hair and gaze with wonder into my eyes.
"Shino?" Kiba whispered."Do you trust me?" I thought about that for a long time, my gaze never leaving his.
"Yes. Yes I do." Kiba smiled at me for a while before he snorted in laughter.
"When did we get so sentimental?" I glared fiercely at him. Unfortunately, for him, without my glasses it was much more powerful.
"Shut up. I've never done anything like this with anyone." I hissed, feeling rather betrayed that Kiba would laugh at this. I sat up and faced away from him. Kiba seemed to realize that this was important for me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder.
"Me neither. I've never said anything like that to anyone," He gently turned my head towards his. "only you. I've never been this comfortable with-" Kiba quickly cut himself off and scrambled off the bed at the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Kiba launched into my computer chair and pretended to be absorbed with the screen. I pulled an entomology book off the floor. I stared intently at the page as my door opened.
"I'm going to make hamburgers is that all right?" My dad asked. Kiba didn't speak so, of course, I had to answer. I lowered my book and said.
"That's fine." My dad looked over to me and his mouth opened, but no sound came out. He stared at me, one of the most surprised expressions I'd ever seen on his face. "What?" His eyes narrowed, I couldn't see them but his eyebrows did, and he asked.
"What were you doing in here?"
"Nothing!" Kiba answered, a little to quickly. My dad looked at me and one of his eyebrows raised. I suddenly felt angry, at no one in particular, and stood up. I looked to Kiba and he seemed to understand me, he always does. He stood up and walked behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"We're together." I said quietly, my hand entwining with Kiba's on my stomach. My dad looked from one of us to the other for a moment.
"So hamburgers are alright?" Kiba and I exchanged a bemused look before he nodded. My dad nodded and began closing the door. Right before it was about to close, he opened it back up. "We'll talk about this later." My breath whooshed out of me as the door finally closed and I slumped against the dog-boy behind me.
"I like your dad." Kiba said softly. That was all the warning I got before he flopped backward onto my bed, dragging me with him. He managed to land us with me situated right in between his legs, his head resting on my pillows. His hands rubbed invisible patterns on my now exposed stomach, my shirt had rode up when we fell, leaving me incapable of arguing. We laid there until my dad called up the stairs that the food was ready. I pushed my glasses onto my face and we proceeded downstairs to eat. I don't think that I have had such an awkward meal ever before or since. Everyone was silent the entire time. That was no uncommon occurrence between my father and I but Kiba was another story. It truly startled me that my dad could reduce, the normally chatty and never quieting, Kiba to a silent mass, quietly eating green beans. After dinner was over my dad stood and took his plate away, us in tow with our own, into the kitchen. We cleared the table efficiently and silently. When we finished, my dad quietly suggested that Kiba go home. Kiba hugged me and muttered a goodbye into my ear. He walked quickly out the door, y dad shutting it behind him. His head turned to me.
"Now we'll talk about this." I inwardly groaned and sat gracefully on the couch. "First, I'd like you to know I'm not mad." I perked up at that, perhaps he'd still let me see Kiba. "However, I'm upset that you didn't feel you could trust me enough to tell me. Why is that?" I looked away from his passive face and thought for a time.
"We've never been very open with each other. I feel like our house isn't a place for emotions." My dad rubbed his chin and looked at me.
"I want you to know that you can come to me with any problem. I guess I've never bothered to talk to you about it because I thought you'd never have problems, at least not ones that you weren't capable of handling on your own." He sat beside me and patted my knee. "You're so like your mother, so strong and independent." My gaze shot up. He never talked about my mom, so this was very unique. "I realize now that every child has troubles from time to time. I know that you'll handle them the way you handle everything, calmly and with consideration. I know you wouldn't enter a relationship unless you were certain the benefits outweighed the risk." God, he made my life sound like a math problem, but I knew this was my dad's way of being a supportive father. "I know that all our moving has been hard on you and that you have refrained from making friends to avoid leaving them. As long as you're happy and safe, then I don't mind what it is you're doing. If you ever need me though, I'm here." He patted my head and stood. I watched him leave the room, our familiar silence returning. Dad doesn't say much, but that's what makes you listen harder when he does. I knew my dad understood and that we would have no problems between us or between him and Kiba. I smiled gently and stood up. I went to my room and laid on the bed, dwelling in the lingering scent of Kiba. I sighed and rolled onto my side. I still had homework to do.