Friends and Lovers

by: Foul Fountain of Flies/Night Strider

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: I said in my previous chapter that I'm going to devote this chapter to Team Kurenai and I'm keeping that promise. I actually adore Team 8 too that's why I make inclusion of them in this story. Oh, I'm uploading 2 chapters today because it's such a bitch to wait. Anyway, for those who are very concerned with grammar, I'd just like to say that I use single quotations instead of the double ones because it takes lots of hassle to press the shift key every time I insert the dialogues. My apologies. In any case, enjoy.

Oh, to those who reviewed; good guess. I'm actually making this a Neji-Shika because a friend had requested for it a few weeks ago. Thanks.

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Chapter II: Simple Bliss

Drive, swoop, shoot, repeat. Everything's so easy for him, so effortless, as he glides to the air and lays the ball rather gracefully on the basket. As a response, a medley of loud high-pitched shrieks immediately issues from the small crowd, fevered with excitement as usual. Girls, yes, girls, bunch of them, loyally keep watch on Leaf's High School Basketball Team whether it's a practice game, an official game or an exhibition game they're having. Doesn't matter to the girls one way or another. They will be there for their fair share of Inuzuka Kiba, or just the mere sight of him, in straight attendance. Kiba, the loud-mouthed recently-proclaimed heartthrob, the stylish team captain, for his part doesn't mind the screams one bit. He doesn't like them either but what else can he do? It isn't like it's his fault he easily charms the skirts off 80 percent of the school's female population. As for the senior guys in the team who didn't nab the captainship, they can curse Kiba under their breath all they want. It isn't like it's also his fault, as a junior, to be prematurely appointed as team captain.

'Practice is over, guys. We'll resume tomorrow.' He tells his team mates who obediently grab their stuff and lurch out of the gymnasium. Only one person remains where he is and that's Aburame Shino.

'What is it?' Kiba asks as he slings his bag on his shoulder, all set to split.

'I won't be making it to the game next Friday. I was thinking if you've already assigned someone else for my post.' Shino says quietly.

'No, I haven't, because you're coming.' Kiba replies sheepishly, motioning to Shino with his head.

'I'm afraid not; I'm going to represent the school in the Juniors' Annual Quiz Show together with Haruno Sakura and Hinata. I already made a promise to Kurenai-sensei.'

'Have you no more important things to do?' Kiba groans, exasperated.

'This is important as far as my judgment goes.'

'What about the team?' Kiba says, stung to the quick.

'I believe you can handle it single-handedly.'

'And I believe you're just saying that to coax me into letting you miss the game.' Kiba says. The reproach in his look intensifies.

'Not quite, Kiba. Don't make it sound like I want to miss it. I wouldn't if Uchiha were here and since he's not, I'm going to have to fill in for him in the contest.' Damn Uchiha, why did he have to run off and leave everyone to fix after his mess? But the good side to it is, now that he's done a bunk, Shino is the number 1 junior of Leaf High School in terms of grades. And also the heir to Uchiha's responsibilities, including the stupid quiz show.

'Yeah, that's quite you; always the second choice in everything.' Kiba scowls, remembering that Shino was almost made the team's captain if not for the nuances in his and Kiba's overall records, in which Kiba led by a small margin thereby outscoring the rest of the members.

'Is that a yes?' Shino asks.

Kiba pauses, lost in rumination as he gauges his situation; if Shino were to miss the game next Friday it would mean more opportunities for Kiba to collect more points, to show off and to ultimately safeguard his captainship until their senior year. Lately he's been buggered by the thought of being outraced by Shino who, by his excellent performance in the past few games, is already vying with Kiba as the team's scoring leader. Sometimes Kiba has the suspicion that Shino is holding himself back, that he can actually give more but is only wary not to upset Kiba who obviously takes the sport much to heart. Kiba can only wonder where Shino squeezes being an excellent student in between basketball games and being the class president. Yes, the goody-two-shoes runt is also the class president. If he weren't so thickly clad in his usual padded windbreaker, given his alacrity, everyone would've believed he's superman or something.

'Kiba, it's only one game. I'll take—'

'Don't sweat it. It's fine.' Kiba cuts him short.

'Thanks, good luck then.'

'Well, good luck yourself.' Kiba says with relish and traces his way to the door.

Alone, Shino sighs in relief. He packs his things to his bag and takes a final look at the court. He recalls the unwritten contract he had with his father before the semester started; to go easy on his extracurricular activities and to focus instead on his studies. He has no qualms whatsoever about it. His dad was nice enough to make allowance for the basketball team wherefore Shino is nice enough to do the team the favor. If his father wills it, he'd forgo joining the varsity team if only Kiba, his long-time friend, wouldn't hold grudge. But Shino is well aware he would, which is why he decided to retain his stint in the team. It wasn't so long ago when he confirmed this fact. At first he didn't believe that Kiba was capable of ditching him but when he announced his desire to leave the team early on last year, Kiba practically freaked out and didn't talk to him for days as a consequence. Shino realized that Kiba would continue to ignore him and leave him in the cold unless he took back his resignation, which he did and which is the reason why Kiba is talking to him again. It had been a troublesome friction, but for now Shino is content in spite of everything. And also, he has other reasons. In naked truth, he is afraid. Afraid that the cord that binds him to Kiba will vanish, even more so now that their relationship seems to hang by a thread, being plagued by Kiba's dogged sense of rivalry. He consciously made up his mind to tone down his game, let Kiba steal the show match after match so as to make the latter feel special about himself. It's not a big deal to Shino that he's being sidestepped; after all he desires his friend's happiness.

He sighs again, this time not in relief but in exhaustion at the very recollection of his recent experiences. He looks at his watch, marks the drama-series quality the atmosphere has all of a sudden taken on and begins to move faster. Any second now the janitor will barge in to throw him out and lock the place. At this, he leaves the gym to head for the pool where his other friend, Hyuuga Hinata, is practicing with the rest of the swimming team.

--

'I can't. I need to get home right away…'

Fresh from the practice game, Kiba is ambushed by a gaggle of girls on his way to the exit gate. They're offering a coffee treat or something else that will detain him in their icky presence, which is already starting to grate on the captain. He'd rather not linger at school beyond dismissal hours, not if he can help it, and it's only due to basketball practice why at times he'd remain longer than he wants to. Some of the girls start giggling and throwing flirty glances at him, not furtively but ostentatiously rather. He strives to hide his frown but only succeeds in barely un-knitting his brows. One more time, he pulls up an age-old excuse to wriggle himself free of their annoying clutches.

'I really have to go. My mom would kill me.'

No, Mrs. Inuzuka won't kill him. Such pretext doesn't always go along well with jock-like people like Kiba himself. It doesn't seem compatible with the very manliness he exudes, not in the least, and even the pea-brained skanks who are now tailing him don't even buy it one bit.

'You go straight home, you go straight to craziness. Doesn't it even bore you, Kiba-kun? You have no life other than basketball and school. One afternoon out won't hurt, will it?' One girl pipes in. Kiba stares at her; she has long brown hair and clear gray eyes. She doesn't even look bad, cute even, though not as pretty as that Yamanaka Ino from the other class or Kurenai-sensei, but boy does she get on his nerves?

'No, I'm going straight home and that's the only place I'm going today, or ever. Now move.' Kiba glares and makes an impatient gesture with his arm, ready to shove her. The girl backs two steps away as the others clip their mouths, intimidated. Seeing that his way is clear, Kiba darts to the gate pushing out laborious breaths.

As he traipses the sidewalks, he can feel drops of sweat rolling down his cheeks and his temper growing steadily worse. He indulges his tongue with several profanities, clutching each hand with the other and popping his knuckles. Why is he so angry? Suddenly, it dawned on him; Shino is not the only one affected by Uchiha Sasuke's unprecedented departure. Kiba is also put in a fix, specifically by being Uchiha's quid pro quo. Because, Uchiha, the heartthrob has gone, somebody would have to replace him on the throne. And of all people it had to be Kiba, who will most likely inherit as well Uchiha's title as this year's Homecoming King. It follows that girls, having no one else to bug off, would have to turn to him, naturally. He's also a second choice after all.

'Oh, screw it.' He mumbles and pries open their residence's door. He is greeted by a tiny, enthusiastic squeak that comes from a little white canine that is now rolling around his feet. Kiba picks the puppy up, holds it up on level with his head and lets it lick his face. 'It tickles, Akamaru.' He laughs, seeming to have forgotten what just pissed him off.

'Come here, boy!' Kiba sprints to his room upstairs with Akamaru close on his heels and barking happily.

--

'Shino…do you need something?' Hinata timidly asks Shino who has remained silent since he caught up with Hinata at the pool. It feels weird for her to be at that end of the conversation; usually, it's Shino who asks her if there's something she needs from him. Swimming practice has just ended and both are now walking on the streets, retiring homeward.

'Yes, I actually do.' Shino admits after a second or two. He's currently wearing his purple sunshades and Hinata can't read the expression on his eyes. Or rather, she can't see them.

Seeing that Shino is not going to further his words, Hinata speaks again. 'Shino, I hope you're not worried about the Quiz Show. You'll do well; I know it.'

'On the contrary, I'm not in the least bothered by it. I…' He trails, uncharacteristically, which he doesn't usually do unless he's profoundly confused and hesitating. Hinata looks at him; she has never seen her friend like this before. Shino has always been frank and straight to the point. It's precisely that attitude which earned him his peers' admiration, being a man of few and intelligent words. But now, he seems none of it. He seems all jogged up in the head.

'What is it, Shino?' Hinata says gently, troubled underneath the surface.

Shino stops walking, buries his hands in his pockets and decidedly confronts Hinata. 'Is there something between you and Kiba?' Shino says, not so much as asking it as blurting it out.

Hinata's hue turns scarlet, her eyes tremulous. The question could've melted her like butter, made her disappear there and then, but for some reason she's still there, in a standstill and not quite knowing what to say next. Whatever put that to Shino's head?

'No, really…it's…I,' Hinata says in broken snatches. She wants to tell him he's sorely mistaken, thanks to her panic she lost thread of her vocabulary. 'It's nothing.' She lastly manages to say before she trembles away.

Nothing? Shino's mind reels. Nothing means nothing and yet, why do Hinata and Kiba go to lunch together? Without me? Shino respires, noting the rapid rate of his breath. Lately Kiba has stopped asking him to lunch with him and resorted to taking Hinata instead, much to Shino's mystification. Shino knows he can still join them, make the group a threesome, but the fact that Kiba fails---or deliberately fails for that matter--to invite him every now and then already speaks volumes. Maybe Kiba doesn't like Shino around anymore and has settled to melt the myth of his affection by setting that distance. Maybe he likes Hinata and doesn't want to be disturbed by any extra presence like Shino's. Maybe it's not nothing, maybe Hinata just wants to keep the lid on because she and Kiba want to make a secret out of it. Maybe…And more brutal thoughts are welcomed by Shino at the moment until he can't take it anymore it seems that he will break.

He looks at Hinata who now has her eyes cast down, still radiated with the color red. It doesn't trouble him that she's blushing profusely as she's like that under almost any kind of circumstances. But still, it doesn't make him less wrecked with questions which answers he wouldn't know unless he brings the matter to light with Kiba. Hinata stays quiet and immotile. Shino doesn't know whether to feel sorry for her or for himself. Perhaps he should feel sorry for them both. Her, because she's most of the time defenseless against Kiba's army of fans and him because he's falling a long way from Kiba's heart each day. And because he now sits to lunch with the notorious Uzumaki Naruto who is by all means accommodating and nice but in no ways like him, who is reserved, serious and no-nonsense. Maybe he should also feel sorry for the friendship that's now under the threat of disappearing for some unknown cause.

'Hinata, I'm sorry to ask you that. Just forget it.' Shino says to break the ruthless silence that hitherto seemed to torture Hinata.

'Okay…' Hinata replies. Shino can tell that she, too, doesn't want to broach the subject any further.

They waltz away amidst the atoms of stillness. No word comes between them after that. Once Shino has dropped Hinata by her house, he retrieves the string of his thoughts and thinks of Kiba again. Why does he have to love him so with much anguish, with desolation? More importantly, on top of everything else, why can't they be friends, for good?

TBC

A/N: Aw god. Mush, more mush. I don't know what came to me. I just decided to make Shino gay and all that. Eh? I know, he's not in the least gay. In fact, he's so damn cool he could die of hypothermia one of these days. But hell, I wanted a change. So that's one yaoi pairing down (Shino-Kiba) and I'm not even sure if people can understand that pairing. I'm new to this fandom so I don't know which pairing is hot and which is not. I'm really sorry for that.

Anyways, next stop is Team Asuma (I already uploaded that chapter). Yeah, Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino...my most favorite squad.