Three. The Morning After
Kiba
My eyes fluttered open slowly. First the right, then the left. I was lying on my back in a strange room. My whole body ached. "Ugh," I moaned, sitting up. "Where am I?"
"The Kazekage's Konaha residence," a female voice answered.
I propped myself up on my elbows to get a better look. I had still been on the floor underneath the kitchen table, I realized. Akamaru yawned from behind my head and stretched, padding around to nuzzle my cheek. He wanted food.
My stomach growled. The woman turned around. I quickly recognized her as Temari, the older sister of the Kazekage. It wasn't like I hadn't seen her before. She really hadn't changed all that much.
She placed a plate of food in front of me and stuck a pair of chopsticks into my open hand. "Eat up," she said. "Once you've finished breakfast, the Kazekage will see you and give you his answer."
The answer. The previous night came flooding back into my mind. Mom's letter—of course. That's why I was here.
Temari smiled. "Your food is getting cold, Inuzuka Kiba," she said. "Hurry and eat."
I ate, grateful. I hadn't had supper the night before, since Mom had sent me to deliver the letter so quickly. The hot food scalded my throat, but didn't mind; I was so hungry I barely noticed.
Temari set a bowl of rice down in front of Akamaru. "He's grown so much," she said. "I still remember seeing him when he was just a pup, hiding in your jacket." She knelt down and stroked his fur. "Who's a good dog?" she grinned.
I smiled. "He likes it when you do that," I said. "Akamaru's a touchy-feely type."
"I suppose you are, too?" she asked.
I nodded. "A bit. It's hard, though, getting close to people. They disappear and die so easily."
"I know what you mean." Her voice was quiet, and we were both silent for a moment.
"Damn, Temari, what's for breakfast?" Kankuro shouted, stumbling into the room. He appeared to have slept well; the dark circles under his eyes from the day before were gone.
"Not so loud," she hissed.
"Why?" he laughed. "Don't tell me Gaara's still sleeping—he just yelled at me to wake up. Damn brat."
"We have a guest," Temari said.
Kankuro's eyes shifted to me. "I don't think he really cares one way or another," he said, stretching. His shirt lifted up a bit on the bottom, and I felt my stomach tighten a little; he had quite a few muscles he hid underneath such bulky clothes.
Akamaru growled. It was not a menacing growl, but more so one of pleasure. Still, it was enough to make Temari shy away and fix up a plate of breakfast for Kankuro.
Kankuro took a seat across the table from me. "Sleep well?" he grinned. His hair was mussed and his face markings were gone, but the cocky grinned assured me it was still the same Kankuro. He had a mouth on him that just wouldn't quit.
I forced myself to look away from him, down towards the table. I had not intended to spend the night here, nor had I intended to stay so long this morning. Half an hour had already passed since I had woken.
And I suddenly did not want to be around Kankuro. There was something about him now that made me nervous—the friendly tension between us had changed just the slightest bit. There was something much more potent brewing—I could almost smell it.
I hated the morning after a great night. There was always that sweet melancholy, where you never wanted the fun to be over. But here it was, another morning, another after phase. It made me uncomfortable.
Gaara entered the room, and the mood changed. Kankuro and Temari gave him their full attention, turning their moods from playful to serious.
"Inuzuka Kiba," he murmured, handing me another scroll like the one I had given him the night before. "Here is the answer I promised you."
"Am I allowed to know what it says?"
Gaara paused, as though trying to keep up suspense. "My answer is no," he finally said. "Tell Inuzuka Tsume that her offer is generous, but I cannot accept it. My explanation is in the letter."
"I'll tell her," I said, rising from the table.
Gaara nodded. "With all that being said, you are welcome to stay, should you want to."
"I should be going," I said. "Tsume will want to know her answer."
Gaara kept his smile tight. "Of course she will."
Kankuro followed me out into the entrance hall, while Gaara went back to his room for Kazekage duties and Temari cleaned up the breakfast plates. She said she had things to do; apparently she had a date with Shikamaru in the early afternoon.
"So…" Kankuro began.
I smirked. "So."
"I had a bit of fun last night," he said. "You know…a lot of good laughs."
"Yeah, it was fun. Maybe we should meet up again sometime. Boy's Night Out or something like that."
Kankuro laughed. "'Or something' would be better, I think."
I brushed a hand across his shoulder, letting it linger for a little too long. He gave me a strange look. I patted him on the back, trying to rid the moment of its awkwardness. "Take care. I'll see you around."
He looked at me through narrowed eyes, a cocky smile playing against the edges of his mouth. "I'll be waiting."
