Twelve. Keeping Quiet

Kankuro

I was more than happy to leave the Inuzuka household for a few hours. After the face-to-face with Hana, I needed some time to calm down. Tonight was going to be perfect—better than perfect. Tonight was going to be the night Kiba and I finally became together.

Not that he knew it—I hadn't really told him yet. I was still mentally preparing myself. We'd only been together a few weeks, after all—was that enough time? Did it really matter?

I loved Kiba. I had known it for a while now, but I dared not say anything. He was still a bit tentative and unsure if he really wanted this or not. But tonight would change all that. Tonight I would prove my love to him, and he would see just how much he needed me.

At least, that was what I hoped he would realize. I just prayed that he would stay by me. That was all I wanted—for him to stay by me, and promise me, and love me. I didn't want him to leave—I could barely stand a few hours away from him. Maybe I was possessed by lust or love. Whichever it was, I didn't care. I was just happy to be his, and have him as mine.

I began to set up a small space for us in the kitchen at our Konaha apartment. Tonight was a perfect night—Gaara had some official business to attend to, and Temari had a date with Shikamaru. The house would be all ours.

I smiled as I spread out the tablecloth. I usually wasn't this avid about making things perfect. Normally I was an "eh-whatever-happens-happens" sort of person. This was a different Kankuro.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My headdress was askew, cheeks flushes, eyes eager. More than just my personality was changing—you could physically see how happy I was. Temari noticed, too.

"Kankuro," she said, as I began to pour some sake into two small glasses. "What's going on? You have a hot date tonight?"

"Something like that," I grinned.

"Make sure you get your business done before Gaara comes back," she sighed. "That's my advice. Otherwise, I'm going to be scrubbing your blood off the floor. You know he doesn't like it when you hide things from him."

"Hide what, Temari?" Gaara murmured, steeping out of the shadows.

I jumped. "Gaara, I've told you not to do that!"

His basilisk glare turned on me. "Hiding what?" he hissed again.

"Just that…I have a…date…tonight," I squeaked.

"Date?" Gaara smiled, though his eyes were cold. "Who is the lucky lady?"

"No one you'd know," I said, shrugging it off. I downed a shot of sake to clam my nerves. My hands were trembling, but why? Was it was because I was anticipating seeing Kiba? Or maybe—maybe it was because I was thinking about all the things my hands could do to Kiba.

I shook my head. "Don't you have some business to take care of Gaara?"

He nodded. "I was just leaving when I heard some talk in the kitchen. But I guess I should go now. I'll be late." With that, Gaara vanished inside a cloud of sand, leaving particles behind in the air. I heard Temari coughing a bit behind me. The sand had evidently gotten to her, too.

There was a knock at the door. "That'll be Shikamaru," Temari said, grabbing her handbag. "I'll be out late tonight, Kankuro. You have fun with your date, alright?" She headed for the entryway, calling, "And don't make Gaara angry!" the door shut, and she was gone.

I waited. The clock ticked and ticked, the minutes passing slower than the sand in the hourglass of eternity. I down another shot of sake. Thoughts of Kiba raced through my head. I wanted him now. Right now. I couldn't help but smile as I thought about the sound of his voice.

"Kankuro."

So clear, so rough and full of that classic Inuzuka attitude.

"Kankuro."

It sent chills down my spine.

I will take those sweet words of his and form my mouth around his lips as he said them and kiss him and kiss him and then my hands will slid lower and I will feel him and he would feel me feeling him and we both will sigh and kiss more and then we'll fall back on the bed and—

"Kankuro, open the fucking door!"

My head jolted upwards. Kiba was at the door, and I hadn't even realized it. I'd been daydreaming, a habit I'd seen Temari exude all too often.

"It's open," I called. "I'm in the kitchen."

I heard the knob give beneath Kiba's hand.

That hand, oh, I want to hold that hand, to kiss it, to feel it on my—

"Sake?" he asked, stepping into the bright kitchen lights.

"Right here," I nodded, holding up the glass.

He heaved, then sat down and took the glass from the table. His throat ripped as he downed all the drink in one gulp and pour himself some more.

Throat, so dark and brown and smooth, I want my lips on that throat, to kiss it and wet it and—

"So why'd you invite me here?" he asked.

"Temari's gone on a date," I explained. "And Gaara has some business to take care of—he won't be back for hours."

"So we have the whole place to ourselves," he grinned. It was a cocky, assured smiled, but I could sense a bit of nervousness behind it. And why not? I was nervous, too.

His eyes gleamed beneath the white kitchen lights. They were so dark, and filled with an expression I could not identify. Love, but something else, something far more urgent. I was sure he could see the urgency in my eyes. Tonight, finally, we would—

Such pretty dark eyes, look at them, so shiny and full of such love and how can I ever—

"Kankuro?"

"Hmm?"

"So…is there a reason you invited me over?" Kiba drummed his fingers on the table. It seemed he was getting bored.

"Sure there is," I whispered, reaching across the table to grab his hand. "I want to show you my room."