I was a little hesitant about asking for time off so soon after I had been promoted to jounin, but Hinata didn't want to be home alone all day with Kiba in the other room. She had been waiting for so long for him to do anything besides lie there and now that he had, she appeared frightened by his mere presence.

The Hokage understood my situation once I explained to him that Kiba was living with us. I didn't want to be away from work for too long, though.

There was something about waking up in the morning and knowing there was nothing to do today except wait that made me feel apprehensive. Maybe that's why Hinata didn't want to be home alone.

When I woke up, it was still so early that it was dark. Hinata wasn't in her usual spot next to me, so I got up and went around the corner to see her, sure enough, sitting at the table with her head down.

"You got up so quietly, I didn't even hear you." I said to her, and she turned around, smiling weakly.

"Morning." She said. "Are you staying home today?"

"Yeah," I said, going over and putting my arms around her. She sighed helplessly and quickly stood up. "Did you check on him already?"

"Not yet." Hinata confessed.

She hadn't gone in that room since the incident yesterday afternoon. When he had finally gotten up and was less than rational. I can understand where he's coming from, so I don't blame him.

I moved my hand down to her stomach and rested it there. She wasn't showing yet, but we knew for sure that she was pregnant. I couldn't be happier and I wanted to tell the whole world, but Hinata had whispered to me a few nights ago, "Don't tell Kiba I'm pregnant…"

At first I thought it was because she was ashamed of me and I spent a bit of time being depressed over that, but soon I came to realize the real reason.

Kiba's wife was pregnant when she died.

"What's on the agenda for the day?" I asked sitting down in the chair across from her.

She moved her own hand to her stomach and she looked longingly at the floor.

"It's just going to be a long one." She confessed.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" I asked.

She nodded. "For the first time in a long time." She admitted.

"Really?" said Naruto. "I didn't sleep at all."

"Sorry." She shrugged apologetically.

We couldn't speak too loudly, we couldn't move around to quickly, we couldn't go for a walk. We had to stay in the house and we had to be quiet and polite as if we were the guests. Kiba rightfully deserved it, I suppose, after all he had been through, and we were only giving him what he rightfully deserved.

"I just can't wait for this all to be over with and for things to be back to normal." Hinata breathed.

Hinata apparently never got the memo that things like this could never be 'over with'. The man's entire family was dead.

I was just about to agree mindlessly just to make her feel better when we both stopped abruptly. I heard the distant sound of running water through the walls.

Hinata heard it too, and I watched her hesitantly tuck some hair behind her ear and listen closely. "What is that?" she said finally.

"Water." I answered.

I glanced at the faucet, but it was surely off.

"Sounds like it's coming from…" Hinata began as she looked off at the wall in the direction of the guestroom.

There was a bathroom attached to the guestroom on the other side.

Hinata and I glanced at each other.

"I don't…" Hinata said slowly as she stood up and made her way over to the guestroom and opened the door. Kiba was not in bed like he had been for so long and, sure enough, the door to the bathroom was closed and the water was distinctly coming from that room.

Hinata made a move for the bathroom door, but I grabbed her arm and told her to let me do it. She waited in the doorway and I went over to the bathroom, knocking quietly.

I got no response, so I knocked again.

Faintly, I heard a voice acknowledge my existence.

"Kiba?" I asked.

At first, he didn't answer, but then he vaguely returned with a, "Uh?"

I paused. "Everything okay in there?"

"Mm."

I turned back to Hinata, but remained at the door.

"What are you doing in there?" I said.

The sound Kiba made sounded similar to a laugh, but I couldn't imagine why Kiba would be laughing.

"I'm taking a shower."