Naruto isn't mine. Believe it. :(

This was part of a double update, so please don't forget to make sure you have not missed anything. Enjoy!

oOo

When Hinata walked into the physical therapist's office, the receptionist invited Hinata to head to the back. Kiba was there, putting exercise balls on their racks and hanging up resistance bands.

Akamaru noticed her first. He jumped up from his bed in the corner and barreled over to her. He was careful not to actually touch but circled her with his whole-body wriggling in excitement. She offered a weak smile and leaned down to bury her fingers in his thick fur.

"Hey cutie." She greeted.

"He's not the only cutie here." Kiba groused, opening his arms in invitation. Hinata obliged and rushed over to accept his bear hug. He gave a big, gusty sigh.

She let out a deep breath of her own. Instantly, she felt lighter. "Hi, Kiba."

He grinned before reluctantly letting her go. "While you're here, why don't you hop on the table? I can check your knee while we're waiting for Shino." Kiba offhandedly suggested.

Hinata sent him a flat stare. She knew what he was up to.

He shrugged, unrepentant. "If someone scheduled regular sessions…" He sing-songed.

She made a face, but it was an obvious tell of her emotional state that she did not argue more. She hoisted herself on the table.

Luckily, she was in a long skirt. So Kiba only had to drape the obscuring fabric over her thigh to get to her joint. He bent down one knee, propping her foot on his thigh perpendicular to the ground before lightly prodding the muscles around her kneecap.

"Are you using the foam roller?"

"Yes." She hated it. Like a short and fat pool noodle, it was made of a hard foam. She used it to massage tense muscles like the one that ran down her leg from her knee to her hip.

"Your IT band feels a less tight."

"The foam roller." She said dryly.

His eyes twinkled and he peeked up at her. "You get sassy when I mention it."

She huffed and opened her mouth to complain, but Kiba interrupted her.

"Hush, Princess." He prodded a tender space right next to the bone and Hinata hissed.

Akamaru bolted over to inspect the situation. Kiba pulled back as if he had been stung. "Sorry, sorry!"

She blinked away the tears. This definitely did not hurt as bad as it could have. "I've been doing the exercises but it's still really tender."

He carefully draped her skirt back over her legs. He rubbed her calf over the fabric. It was not a medical move, just one friend trying to give comfort to the other.

"So, what's really going on?" He asked quietly.

Hinata shifted uncomfortably. "I don't want you to think I only call you when I need something."

His smile was affectionate enough to make her flush. "We've been friends since before Kou taught me how to tie my pointe shoes. I know you better than that." He lightly pinched her Achilles tendon, teasing.

She smiled and ducked her face to hide behind her hair. Haltingly, she tried to untangle her knotted thoughts enough to give them a voice. "I… My… friend brought some ice cream over and I freaked out because I thought it was going to make me have an episode and… I don't know if he's my friend anymore."

"Does he know? About your condition?"

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes against her tears. "Kiba, I messed up. It's not his fault."

There was silence and Akamaru took the moment to lick a broad stripe over her hand. Without opening her eyes, she blindly reached out and scratched behind an ear obligingly.

"When was the last time you had a decent meal?" Kiba finally asked.

She startled and her eyes flew open. "I don't-"

"No." He cut her off firmly. "We've talked about this. It's harder to fight the demons in your head if you don't keep your body healthy. You use all the tools in your arsenal to fight your mental illness, and your physical health is one of them. You fucked up. Fine. But you can't punish yourself like this. You learn and you move on. You overreacted but just tell him next time you want some fruit instead."

Unbidden, her worst fear bubbled up and out of her mouth before she could stop it. "What do I have to offer anyone? I'm so messed up and I'm fighting and it's never enough and-"

"Hinata." A voice sounded from the doorway. Shino walked in, and in an unusually demonstrative move, ran his hand over Hinata's hair. She realized she was shaking.

"You understand the power of choice much better than Kiba and I do. Why? Because many choices were taken from you. Allow your friend to choose to be in your life." He rumbled, revealing just how much of the conversation he had heard.

Hinata clutched at the table. "What if he knows me, and doesn't want me around?"

Kiba grinned wolfishly. "Then we kill him."

oOo

See you next month. Coming up: Sasuke and Hinata finally hash some things out. Finally.