Chapter Fourteen
Hinata reached over the stove and turned on the burners. While trying to make as little noise as possible she searched for pots and pans to cook with. Then she thought of what to cook.
If Naruto was here he would want some ramen.
"Maybe some ramen ?"
She filled a pot with water. The distant thunder made her jump and almost spill the heavy pot. She hated storms. Hinata put the pot on the stove and turned around to look for some instant ramen to cook. When she turned around a wave of thunder shook the house and Hinata found herself standing in a darkened room and not being able to see her own hand in front of her face. She couldn't hear anybody talking but everyone was supposed to be in the room beside her. Had she already gotten lost ? If so that was terrible because she hadn't even gone anywhere yet.
"KIBA ?"
Hinata stopped. Calling him probably wasn't the best of ideas at the moment. She decided that she should probably just go searching for them. After all she didn't feel like spending all night in the kitchen. She walked with her arm pressing against the arm. After a couple minutes of searching she stopped in her tracks. A low grumbling noise could be heard a little ways in front of her. Normaly the noise wouldn't have creeped her out so bad but this house and the insane man were really getting to her.
She turned around to walk in the opposite direction the noise was coming from and slipped only slightly but got hurdled down a flight of stairs. She moaned as the edges of the wooden stairs pounded against her. Then she stopped and was right beside the grumbling noise.
"Eeeeek !"
Hinata crawled on her knees away from the noise and stopped in a corner while hugging her knees. This place was so creepy and since when was she on the second floor ? She had been cooking dinner on the first floor and then all of a sudden she fell down some stairs. Unless maybe she was in the basement. That thought gave her goosebumps.
"Kiba ?" Hinata whimpered.
Why was he even mad at her anyways ? It's not like she did anything. Or was that the point ? She was so confused. Well, she had gotten hurt and just because she didn't tell him about it he got all mad. Why did he get mad ? She just didn't want him worrying. Especially over something so stupid. She hadn't even thought he would get mad over something so pointless, and she should know they had been friends since they were so little. Maybe that was it. Maybe she should have told him. Or at least made up a good lie so he wouldn't feel like he meant nothing to her. Yeah she would make up a good lie and hope that he would buy it. Then the problem would be solved.
"Kiba ?"
"Where has the pretty little Hinata gone ?"
The old man paced back and forth around the kitchen.
"She was here. The pots on the stove are filled with water." Shino said.
"I say we just sit and wait for her to come out of hiding."
Kiba plopped on the floor.
"Well this house of mine. It's pretty big and I doubt if she's hiding it's because she wants too. Poor thing is probably huddled in a corner somewhere hugging her knees."
The old man with hands on his hips bent over to look down, or try to look, since the house was so dark, at Kiba.
"And since when do you hold a grudge against her ? You guys seemed fine when you first came here."
Kiba stood up and pushed the old man away.
"I'll look for her on the first floor. Shino you can take the second floor, and you, old man, can take the third floor."
As soon as Kiba finished speaking he walked off towards a random direction. He didn't know why he was looking for her. She was so ... Kiba couldn't think of a good way to describe it. He didn't want to think anything bad about her but that was kind of hard when he was mad at her. Why couldn't she see that he just wanted to know when something was bothering her or when she was hurt ? Then he thought about what he had done to her in the bedroom. Maybe he shouldn't have been so ... so ... he just shouldn't have been yelling at her so much. She was probably hiding in a corner because of him. Kiba continued walking while thunder crashed outside. He wondered if she was afraid of storms.
As Kiba stepped foward he heard a distant low grumbling sound.
"What the hell ?"
Whatever it was Kiba wanted to know. It sounded something like a heater but it sounded sort of like something was dying in it. He walked down a flight of stairs but lost his footing as one of the steps caved in. He tumbled down and hit his head multiple times till he rolled on the floor and stopped.
"Damn it."
Hinata edged closer to the corner. She heard noises that sounded like someone or something coming down the stairs. Was Kiba or Shino down here ? Or maybe it was that freaky old guy. She whimpered and burried her head into her knees. He was so creepy. Maybe if she just kept quiet he would go away.
Kiba walked into the middle of the room. The floor was cement. So most likely he was in the basement. Now he had to find Hinata.
"Hinata ?"
Hinata lifted her head it sounded like Kiba. She put her head back down. She didn't want him to find her if he was just going to go off on her again. Then again at least it wasn't that old guy.
"Kiba-kun." Hinata lifted her head to see where he was.
"Hinata-chan are you down here ?"
"I'm over here." Hinata stood up.
"Come towards my voice."
Hinata obeyed and made her way towards him she bumped into him slightly on the way.
"Oops I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
They stood there as an akward silence fell over the room. Kiba wanted to let her know that he wasn't mad at her and Hinata wanted to let Kiba know she was sorry but neither knew how to.
"Maybe we should go back." Kiba said while slowly walking away.
Hinata just stood there watching his back. He could feel eyes burning holes in him and when he didn't hear Hinata's soft but distinct footsteps upon the floor he turned to see why she had stopped. He looked at her and she looked at him but they said nothing. Hinata didn't want to be the first to speak and Kiba didn't have anything to say. Or at least he didn't have anything to say at the moment.
"Kiba-kun, are ... are you ... ar are ... ummm ... are you mad at me ?"
Hinata avoided eye contact as she nervously studdered. Her studdering got on her last nerve. Kiba noticed she wasn't looking at him so he decided to stand right in front of her face. He knew what he was doing was making her nervous but he really didn't care as long as she was looking at him.
"Well ... Yeah I'm mad at you ..."
Kiba backed up a little and Hinata lost some of her nervousness but still felt kind of anxious as he put his hand on her shoulder. She gained some confidence and decided to look him in the eye. They both smiled as pure-white eyes met brown-concerned eyes. Then Hinata slowly and gently placed her hand on top of his. Kiba was shocked by what she had just done but shook it off with a smile because the warmth of her hand was too much for him.
"Is their a reason I shouldn't be mad at you ?" Kiba asked in a desperate attempt to strike up a conversation since they had been standing in their positions for what seemed like forever.
Hinata lowered her head and Kiba was afraid she was going to get weary eyed on him. Maybe he should just say it was okay and that he wasn't mad.
"What right do you have to be mad ?" Hinata stated. She spoke flat and her speech was almost along the lines of mumbling.
Kiba arched his eyebrows in confusion.
"I SAID WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO BE MAD !"
Hinata rose her head in fury. She smacked Kiba's hand away and he was almost to shocked too realize that she was about to cry. Kiba kept his eyes glued on her as she started her verbal attacks.
"IF ANYBODY SHOULD BE MAD IT SHOULD BE ME ! I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING ... JUST ... DAMN IT ! LEAVE ME ALONE !"
" ... Hina ... Hinata ?" Kiba managed to say.
Hinata had somewhat calmed down and had resorted to just keeping her head down. Her shoulders were shaking. If she were crying. They were silent tears.
"HINATA-CHAN ?" Kiba repeated.
Hinata grasped her small fingers on opposite sides of her head, she furiously tugged on her hair as if she were trying to pull it out. Kiba continued screaming her name as she backed up and let herself slide to the floor with her back pressed against the wall. She hugged her knees and remained silent.
"What's wrong with you ?" Kiba asked.
Hinata shook herself back and forth. She didn't want to scream at Kiba like this. She didn't want to scream at anybody like this. She was slowly but surely starting to sound a lot like somebody she knew. Hinata let herself slip into a long chain of thought, blocking out what Kiba was saying to her or was trying to say to her.
"Hinata-chan ? Hinata-chan, snap out of it."
Kiba ran to her side but she acted as though he wasn't even there.
"Come on Hinata-chan. You're starting to remind of the psychotic old guy."
Hinata thoughts were interrupted as she felt a warm embrace and an even warmer sensation on her lips. Her eyes shot open to look at him but they were opened in vain because his eyes were shut tight.
'Oh no ... no. Kiba-kun is stealing ... my first kiss' Hinata screamed inside.
Hinata made an inward groan and pulled away but Kiba just pulled harder. She groaned louder but Kiba seemed to just ignore it. He pulled her closer to him and she could do nothing but wait for it to be over. Hinata jerked away and Kiba let go of her.
"Kiba-kun ?"
Kiba turned around and started to walk back up the stairs. He stopped for a second and looked back at her.
"We should go back now, Hinata-chan."