I do not own Naruto.


Chapter 8

The Reminder

Shino loved peace and quiet. That was the original reason why he agreed to live with Sai – the guy didn't talk much unless you provoked him to spout bullshit. The pale Sasuke look-alike was very neat and wasn't even home much because he was always out painting.

What Shino didn't take into consideration, however, was Sai's girlfriend.

The sound of creaking and moaning could be heard through the walls. Every now and then, there would be a loud crash or slapping noise. Shino couldn't help but cringe as he tried to wipe away the curiosity that made him wonder what caused these strange sounds.

"Curse these thin university walls…" he mumbled to himself, as he reached for his headphones.

As he was about to plug them into his laptop, a loud banging came from the front door. Frowning, Shino stood up to get the door until he recognized the loud screaming that was being emitted behind it.

He stared at it, wondering if the creature would go away eventually.

"I know you're in there! Stop jacking off and pay attention to me."

Sighing, he opened the door to find Kiba standing there.

"About time," he huffed.

"What is it?" Shino spoke with the usual annoyed tone, "I'm studying."

Before Kiba could respond, Ino screamed from the other room for Sai to "go harder."

Kiba looked bewildered from the sudden interruption. "How the fuck do you even study with THAT?"

Shino adjusted his glasses and tried to ignore the moans that grew louder and louder.

"What do you want? It's late at night and I need to wake up early tomorrow."

Kiba ignored him and sat down on the couch, taking note of the miscellaneous items on the coffee table. Shrugging, he started flipping through the sketch book that Sai had left out. After what seemed like the most awkward minute of listening to Sai and Ino have sex, Shino sat down next to his best friend.

"So are you going to tell me? Or do I just need to assume that you slept with her and you're worried that Temari will kill you."

Kiba threw the book down and glared at Shino. It was hard to intimidate somebody when they always covered up their face, but there was a reason why Shino and Kiba were so close all these years. They just somehow complimented each other with their drastically different personalities.

He headed towards the mini fridge and pulled out a beer. Shino waited patiently as Kiba chugged half the bottle.

"She wouldn't even let me kiss her."

"Are you upset that a girl has finally rejected you?" Shino asked, leaning on the armrest.

Kiba paced around, showing his anxiety that had been building up. Finally, he stopped and looked at Shino, fear evident in his eyes.

"I-I don't know if it was a date," Kiba admitted, his hand running through his hair in frustration. "We texted each other and agreed to hang out and we did. And, I just, I don't know. We had dinner and all that shit and… I guess it was it was fun. I made her try ice skating. She wouldn't let me kiss her and, I guess that's ok? Does it sound like a date?"

Shino's mouth dropped open. He was definitely not expecting this from his best friend. Kiba continued rambling on about what they did and talked about, unaware that the man on the couch was too busy thinking.

Shino had expected Kiba to come in and drink angrily while he complained about how the girl had not put out. He was nowhere prepared for something like this.

"It's about time you got over Sakura."

They both looked towards the newly open door. Sai leaned against the frame, wearing only boxer briefs and smiling innocently.

Kiba's mouth thinned, suddenly aware that other people could have heard him whining. About a GIRL.

Ino popped out next to Sai, wearing what seemed like to be his t-shirt.

"Who would've ever thought that dog boy would stop being a whore?" she smiled slyly.

"UGHHH!" Kiba groaned as he flung himself back onto the couch.


The smoke made the air in the room heavy. The fragrance of the herb was strong, and the occupants laid down on the carpet as they continued breathing in the scent.

Temari walked over them, carrying a plate of tater tots and settling it down on the coffee table.

"He's so cute," giggled Koharu. She rolled onto her side to look at Shikamaru who was laying down on his stomach near her.

"He's not that great…" grumbled Temari. She stuffed a couple tots in her mouth, her eyes red from all the weed they had been smoking.

"Nevermind that," Shikamaru stated into the carpet. "What are you going to do?"

"Did I mention how he tried to kiss me?" she continued on, ignoring the question. "I moved last minute and the look on his face was hilarious!"

Temari rolled her eyes; she couldn't believe her ears right now. How the hell had her best friend developed a crush on somebody that was nowhere good enough for her?

"And he let me keep his jacket!" she laughed for the millionth time. It seemed like the sativa really lived up to its positive effects.

Shikamaru sighed, knowing that the girl would continue on like this for a while. Ever since she came home from her night with Kiba, she wouldn't stop babbling about the stupid brunette. He wondered silently if Temari was like this when they first started dating. The idea seemed impossible to imagine, but he had to admit, it sounded cute as fuck.

Enough with the conversation, Temari stood up and grabbed a picture on the wall.

"Yoohoo!" she jammed the picture into Koharu's hands. "Did you forget about something important?"

Koharu's eyes grew wide when she recognized the picture. Shikamaru looked up to see what was going on, and immediately regretted it. The look on Koharu's face was enough to make him feel guilty.

"I'm not trying to be mean," Temari huffed. "I'm just trying to be a good friend. You can keep talking about Kiba as much as you want, but I think you should slow down and think about you're doing. As much as I'd like to give Kiba shit and assume he's messing around, he might not be the only one."

Koharu rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling; the arm holding the picture fell to her side. It was an old photograph taken at Suna University. Koharu had been accepted to transfer to SU and Kankuro was giving her a tour of the campus. He decided to surprise her with a stuffed raccoon, the school mascot. In the picture, she could be seen laughing to the side, while he held her from behind, leaning into her neck to give her a kiss.


Several bottles of beer were scattered on the coffee table. Sai and Ino had returned back to the bedroom, this time to actually get some sleep.

Kiba sprawled on the couch, with his head dipping over the side and close to the floor. He had plenty of beers, but that didn't mean he wasn't aware of his surroundings.

Shino sat next to him, again, patiently waiting for the tipsy man to speak.

"Dude," he began. "What am I supposed to do?"

Turning his head to examine the odd position, Shino opened his mouth to speak.

"I can't tell you what to do, Kiba. I know I suggested to stopping fooling around, but I wasn't expecting you to develop feelings for somebody so quickly."

"I don't ha-"

Shino's leg swung out and kicked Kiba off the couch.

"Shut up and listen to me. I don't even know if you have feelings for this girl, or if you've just tricked yourself into it. But I know this: you need to slow down and think about what you're doing. You might not have feelings for her and lead her on, or you might be in denial and lose a good opportunity. Nobody knows what's going to happen, but if you think it over, maybe you'll make the right choice. You might not be together forever, but at least you'll be happy."

Kiba stared up at his best friend, letting the words slowly sink in.

"Stop letting your pride get in the way of everything and start listening to your feelings."

Shino stood up and walked over to the small closet that was next to the front door. He grabbed a blanket and threw it on the couch.

"Set an alarm, you have work in the morning."

He walked into his bedroom and closed the door. Kiba hoisted himself back onto the couch, settling under the blanket. His eyes were blurry from the alcohol and sleep that was setting in, but at least for the moment, he felt more sure about himself.