A/N: Please enjoy!
XV: By Accident
"Kiba…? Kiba," a soft voice murmured. "Hey, wake up."
A moment of disorientation passed when he flicked open his eyes at the friendly pat on his back. He found his face pressed into Ino's lap. Yep. Right where he'd left it.
"Hi." Ino leaned down, and her smile was like direct sunlight. Her hand swiped away his hair. "You slept hard."
Stiffly, he sat up, stretched and yawned. Sore grooves on his cheek, and there was sleep crud in his eyes. And he was groggy. Ugh. He hated sleeping hard.
He cleared his throat- -"How long…did I sleep?"- -sounded hoarse.
"A couple hours. I told Shino we would train some after lunch." She nodded her head at the coffee table. "We'll eat and get with the others."
On the coffee table was a tray that was, in typical Mrs. Aburame and/or Mrs. Akimichi fashion, laden with a three-course meal. His stomach growled even though he'd eaten breakfast a few hours ago. Ino leaned over and poured ice water into a glass and handed it to him.
"I thought I could get some training in with Hinata," Ino continued, pouring herself a glass, "and then we could have dinner together. Kiba?"
Would she be safe outside the perimeter of the sealed room?
He had already sipped from his water glass when the question came to mind. "Hm?"
"Would you sleep with me tonight?"
The suddenness and honesty of the question surprised him. He tried breathing and swallowing water at the same time, but failed miserably.
Ino smacked his back as he coughed for five minutes, and when the cough died to a scratch in his throat, he stared at Ino. She had scooted closer to help him, so he could see the delicate detail of her ears and eyes and mouth; all the fine lines, curves, and shades that made her beautiful.
He knew she meant to equate 'sleep' with 'sex', but he didn't want to be a jerk and assume something she wasn't offering. Even though he was pretty sure what she meant. Like ninety-eight percent sure.
"Are you askin' what I think yer askin'?"
The tip of her tongue wetted her lips. "Yes. I am."
Oh, yes. Kiba leaned to kiss her. Her mouth, the lips and tongue that had explored him earlier, were as warm and moist as he remembered. And tasted fantastic.
She sighed, and he felt that sound inside him- -she knew his feelings or she felt his feelings. And, yeah, he had expected the dizzying expansion in his chest, but how had this feeling gotten so big?
Ino relaxed and slowly lay back across the cushions. They shifted together, his hand finding hers and threading their fingers together, and then resting their arms comfortably near her head. She radiated waves and waves of heat, good heat, heat that Kiba liked because he could capture it inside him like fireflies in a glass jar.
"You know," he whispered, moving his mouth to her ear, and felt her shiver under him, "I thought you wanted to wait until after this whole mess."
Her fingers kneaded the back of his neck. "I can't wait that long."
"So impatient." He chuckled at the irony, nuzzling her. "But that makes me happy."
She didn't respond, or she didn't want to, because she turned her head and met his mouth with hers again. He hadn't noticed it, but his heart rate had accelerated. Their chests were mashed together- -would she feel his heartbeat?
The kissing took a deeper turn, and Kiba's hand had just rounded her breast, when a series of knocks at the door stopped him cold. Both he and Ino parted lips and passed a look that said, 'Not again'.
The coded knocking a second time. Ino groaned and pushed him off, and as she went to the door, Kiba tried to quell the irritation and deep-seeded need for her. He glanced to the food, frowned at it, and adjusted himself. By the time he looked up, Ino had opened the door and was murmuring something to Shino, who murmured a reply.
She shut the door, and turned as Shino resealed it. "Whew. Disaster averted," she said, coming back, "but now we only have fifteen minutes to eat our lunch."
"So no more necking?"
Ino shook her head. "Sorry."
She laughed when he grimaced, and they ate in amiable silence for a few moments; but Kiba felt like Ino couldn't be quiet for long. And he was right.
"Will you be letting your mom know you're spending the night over here?" she asked, sipping from her glass. "Or are you confident you can get away without her permission?"
"Hn." Kiba chewed thoughtfully. "I want some overnight clothes if I'm gonna be sweatin' today. I'll just tell 'er I'm spendin' the night at Shino's. She won't question it. But," he pointed at her, "how am I gonna get through that door without Shino?"
Ino's mouth curled. "Shino's not the only one who can seal a door."
"Is it weird that we don't want anyone to know what we're doin'?"
She fell silent and settled the plate on her knees, looking at it like she didn't know what to do with it. He reached out to slip a hand under her hair, to caress her neck; she glanced at him when he did.
"The less people who know, the better," she answered. "Things will be complicated enough tomorrow."
"Whoa. Why…are you sad?"
And she was. Her eyes had changed, and Kiba had never seen them so dark and cloudy before. The sadness had infiltrated her scent, making the lightness of it become heavy, and casting a pall over the mood.
He set aside his plate and did the same to hers, and when he gathered her in his arms, she relaxed. A few quiet minutes passed. It felt so good to hug her close. Like her body was a physical part of him; a breathing, thinking part that he'd needed.
She had tucked her face into his neck; he knew she was going to continue when he felt the inhale of breath. "I don't want"- -her lips and breath touched his neck- -"to talk about it right now. There's too much for me to say, and we have training." Her eyes met his; she smiled. "I'll tell you tonight, okay?"
Kiba nodded, deciding not to press the issue. "Yeah, okay."
They held hugged tighter, allowing him to drop a kiss on her forehead, before they broke apart. They had continued eating when Kiba told her he didn't think it was a good idea for her to leave the protection of her room. She, of course, disagreed, and they got into a heated discussion, with her winning it, mainly because Kiba wanted to pep her up some and letting her win was one way of doing it.
He liked that it worked.
- -N- -
Never in his life had he thought that one of his teammates would be out to get him. Today, Kiba felt like Shino had wanted to kill him. He and Akamaru had tried all their tricks and still couldn't get anywhere near Shino.
Currently, Shino reached down, offering his hand. "You did well, Kiba. That last attack was particularly stimulating."
"Hn." Kiba accepted Shino's support in standing. "I need more training."
"Be that as it may, I think we should call it a night. I'm fairly certain Mother is expecting us home for dinner."
"Yer probably right. I'm worn down, and I gotta get some rest tonight."
Shino only grunted and dove his hands into his coat pockets. Ino and Hinata had arrived in time to watch Kiba get his ass handed to him, and now, Ino stood beside him, hovering. He knew he had to act natural, so he turned and smiled at her and Hinata.
"Didja train hard?" he asked her. "You look like it."
Ino folded her arms and nodded in return. He couldn't see under the sunglasses, but he was sure her eyes were savoring him. The itching for her returned, but he had to be patient. He'd get at her tonight.
Hinata nodded as well. "Yes, we did. But not as hard as you, it looks like!"
"Why don't you and my cousin return home ahead of us," Shino interrupted, "while I accompany Kiba for his overnight pack?"
"A pajama party!" Hinata said as her eyes crinkled with her wide smile. "I'm very excited!"
Kiba shifted his eyes to Ino and smirked. Yeah, he felt excited too. They said their goodbyes and parted ways for the time being. He and Shino and Akamaru walked in silence for a bit, at a slower pace because Kiba's punished muscles complained with the forward movement.
Shino spoke up, almost hesitatingly. "How is Yukari?"
"Ah, fine, I guess." Of all the times to want to talk about her. "I haven't seen her in awhile."
"Perhaps you should."
Kiba kept silent.
"Why don't you invite her over sometime? Then our girlfriends can meet, and we would have what would be a double date."
He's coverin' for you, Akamaru said. Play along.
"What do you say?" Shino asked, pressing the point.
No. Never in a hundred, thousand, million years- -"I think…that sounds like fun. I'll talk to Yukari 'bout it and get back to you."
"Do so. And be sure to ask her about Sasuke."
"Hunh? Why would Yukari wanna-ouch!" Akamaru nipped him on the hand! That was the second time Akamaru had bit him on purpose. "Why'd you do that?"
He's tellin' you to talk to Ino, not Yukari, about Sasuke.
Shino had stopped as well. "Will you ask her?"
"Um, yeah," he replied slowly. "Sure."
But why did Shino want him to ask Ino about Sasuke? Kiba looked at Shino from the corner of his eye as they continued walking. Shino had always been much more perceptive than people realized; had he figured out what was going on between him and Ino already? Of their plans for tonight? And if so, to what gain would talking about Sasuke produce?
Ino's a strange creature, Akamaru said from beside him, guessing his thoughts. Shino's worried that her intentions may not be pure. He talked to me about it earlier. He wants to make sure you know what you're doing.
Pure intentions? The hell? Utterly confused, Kiba stared at his dog. "Say what?"
Akamaru sighed. You know how obsessed Ino was with Sasuke…to the point of becoming bitter rivals with her best friend. Perhaps she's still obsessed, and waiting for Sasuke to return. Meanwhile, she's getting practice with you. And you know what I mean by 'practice'.
The confusion parted as Akamaru's ominous meaning became clear. And then Kiba had never felt so furious so fast in all his life.
No, no. With the sick drop in his stomach, Kiba abruptly spun to face Akamaru. He wouldn't even think about that. Nails dug into his palms when he clenched his hands.
"You don't get to say that about her." The nasty growl ripened in his throat. "You don't know anything."
Just 'cause you don't wanna think about it doesn't mean it isn't happening. How do you know Ino's not manipulating you like Yukari did?
Kiba's anger expanded, a hot and uncontrollable fire in his chest. His exhaustion dissipated under the flood of emotion. A physical fight might just break out here and now.
"What is happening?" Shino asked, and Kiba felt him close in. "What are you arguing about?"
He ignored Shino's questions and ground out his defense. "She'd never do that."
STOP thinking with your balls! Akamaru barked. This is Ino we're talkin' about! She's perfectly capable of getting what she wants from you and then tossing you aside.
Kiba snarled again, almost too enraged to speak. "Why do you wanna turn me against her so bad? Are you jealous of her?"
Akamaru hunched and curled his lips back to show sharp teeth; the hackles at the back of his neck rose as muscles bunched and rippled under the white fur. Adrenaline and irritation spiked in his scent.
So Akamaru had been jealous.
Maybe it isn't Ino who's using you, Akamaru replied. Maybe it's you who's using her. Is she just a warm body for you to-
"SHUDDUP!" Akamaru's implication choked him. "You don't know a goddamn thing about me'n'her!" Kiba scuffed his boot as he stepped forward, threatening, lowering his voice. "I know what she smells like, and that ain't a lie."
Yeah, whatever. You can be attracted to someone but be in love with someone else.
Literally, his world contracted and turned red as Akamaru's words gouged him, hurting like he imagined how a broken heart would feel, hurting like his spirit had shattered in a tinkling shower of fragments.
He didn't know what happened next- -just sorta…blanked out for a couple moments. One second Akamaru was standing there, low to the ground, and the next second Kiba watched, his arm and fist suspended in air, as his dog went skidding over the ground.
"That was unnecessary," Shino said. "You didn't have to hit him."
Kiba swallowed around the lump in his throat. "Shut up."
Then blindly he turned, shaking off Shino's hand, and dodged to the trees. Kept telling himself: don't think about it. Chakra system stung from the abuse. His heart was not much better off. Don't think about it-
An image of Ino smiling at someone with dark hair and dark eyes. Sasuke's damn cold eyes.
Don't think-
Her fingers trailing down a chest that wasn't his, that wouldn't hold this surging, suffocating emotion for her. No one could feel about her like he did.
Don't-
She wouldn't.
But she could if she wanted.
Landscape and sky blurred as Kiba raced to home. He needed some time to get out these violent feelings; like, he could seriously kill Akamaru right now. What right did he have to speculate on Ino's intentions? Hadn't she been the one to warn him about Yukari? Hadn't she backed him up on his mission to the Nakamura manor?
And now…his best friend, his companion who ate and fought with him, had tried to drive a wedge between himself and Ino. It wasn't at all fair. Kiba knew Ino to be honest about her feelings for him. She was not using him.
But she could if she wanted.
That stupid niggling thought would not leave him alone. He hated it, despised it.
Then as he neared his home, he smelt the cloying scent of lilacs. Yukari. Oh, man, he was not in the mood to deal with her. What would she want with him now? Without slowing, Kiba cleared the trees lining his family's property, Yukari's scent getting stronger with each step, and he hopped over the roof to land on the doorstep.
By coincidence, he landed in front of her as she came up the porch steps. His sudden arrival scared her. Yukari shrieked, jumping back three feet, the same time Kiba stepped away in surprise. She fell, cleared the steps, and hit the ground on her ass with a thud.
He stared, at a loss. Should he feel good about scaring her? Would that be an asshole thing to feel? Guilty? Angrier?
And what should he do? Help her? Ignore her?
There should be a manual for these situations. He did not have time for this shit.
Yukari had paled from her fright, and strangely, she looked unkempt, like she no longer cared for her appearance. Her hair seemed greasy, stringy. Then he noticed several livid welts peeking from the collar and hems of her dress. Their gaze connected. Yukari said nothing, only stared at him with wide eyes, waiting for him to react.
Kiba felt irritation swarm around inside him. "Why are you here?"
Immediately he felt guilty that he had snapped at her, but his anger with Akamaru hadn't ebbed yet.
"I was, um. I was just, you know, um- -" and that was as far as she got before tears spilled from her eyes.
Stunned, he watched as Yukari covered her face and sobbed. He didn't know how to respond. Did she expect him to have sympathy for her? She who endangered his family and friends? Who had tried to trick him into marriage through unplanned pregnancy?
"Oh, God, Kiba, I'm sorry," she gabbled. Her hands muffled her voice. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry!"
Her stupid tears again. The irritation melted into resignation, and he sighed at her pathetic show. "Stop crying. You don't need to do that."
His words seemed to make her sob harder, so Kiba hunkered down on the porch steps to wait. What a pain. Tension pulsed behind his temples and at his neck.
"Do you…do you…do you," she repeated, her speech interrupted with crying, "hate me?"
Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes, and no. "I don't know," Kiba replied. It seemed the safest answer because all he could muster was ambivalence through the broken anger at Akamaru.
"Oh."
Another long, uncomfortable silence as Yukari's crying cleared up and Kiba had nothing to say to her. This was so awkward. He thought of Ino's suggestion to seduce Yukari, thought of Shino's suggestion, thought of Mrs. Nakamura's threat. Now would be the perfect time to make everyone happy. His inner-child pitched a fit at the prospect of doing anything with Yukari, but what must be done, must be done.
"Hey," Kiba said, as he stood, the coming words like vinegar on his tongue, "my teammate Shino's gotta girlfriend who wants to meet you. Wanna go on a double date with them sometime?"
Surprise under the tears. "R-really?"
He reached down, close enough that if she reached out too, their hands would connect. "Yeah. So stop crying already."
Yukari lifted her hand to his, enabling him to tug her up. Like he'd done with Ino, he folded Yukari into his arms and hugged her. Immediately, warning bells clanged in his brain- -wrongwrongwrong!
He felt cold and paranoid that someone would see them. That Ino would find out. The notion was ridiculous, since Ino was the one who encouraged him to be involved with Yukari. But hugging Yukari felt like betraying Ino.
Pulling away to give him a weak smile, Yukari nodded. "Sounds good. You'll let me know the details later then?"
He released her- -"Yeah. I'll…drop by"- -glad for the space.
She took a few steps, but then turned to him and hesitated. "Kiba?"
"Hm."
"I was…so scared you'd shun me. I was actually prepared for you to blow me off or-or push me away. Thank you for…not doing that."
Kiba shrugged. "I'll see you soon."
"Yes. Bye."
"Bye."
He watched her walk down to the sidewalk and disappear around a corner before entering his house to brood about the God-awful day he was having. There was no sign of his sister or of his mother, which was fine by him, and he crashed into bed.
Everything had accumulated into a sickening wad in his stomach and chest. He just wanted it to end, to fast-forward his life to get over to the good stuff. His mother had told him pain was a part of growing up. So did this mean he was growing? And if it did, could he stop it? Maybe just hide out in his room for eternity-
A gentle knock at his bedroom door interrupted him.
"Kiba? It's Hinata. Can I…can I come in?"
He didn't care. He didn't want her there. He didn't want her to open the door, like she was doing anyway, and step timidly in his room. He didn't want her to cross the floor and sit at the edge of his bed and touch his back with her careful hand.
Normally Hinata was very conservative with her touch. The Hyuugas weren't very touchy-feely, but Hinata had warmed up to her teammates, and when she felt they needed it, she would give them a hug or a shy peck on the cheek when they did something to please her, or when she'd been worried about them. The first time she'd done that to him, her face had been beat red, and Kiba smothered her in a hug for overcoming her touch-phobia.
And now, she must have thought he needed to be comforted for her to lay her hand on him so gently.
"Shino tells me you and Akamaru got into a fight." Hinata passed her hand up his back and along his shoulders. "Was it over her?"
She referred to Ino. The stupid lump in his throat blocked anything he might say in reply. And at the mention of the fight, he wanted to snap and growl and smack her hand. The exchange with Yukari had worsened the wounds Akamaru had already inflicted.
He didn't see how he could linger around Yukari in the future when his whole being resisted her presence.
Hinata's hand felt cool on the back of his neck. "She and I spoke together about you. I was also concerned about her intentions. What did she want? What would she do to you?"
Kiba's eyes closed when her fingertips put pressure on his neck; the nagging tension at the base of his skull eased. She kneaded those points, continuing.
"You don't have to be afraid of her answer. She wants to explain her feelings. Give her the chance to."
"Yeah." He felt contrite and better at the same time. "But I'm still pissed at my dog."
"Kiba."
"He was the one who was wrong."
Kiba heard Hinata quietly sigh. "He loves you. He was doing what he thought was best. Can you really blame him for that?"
Grudgingly, he accepted her reasoning. "Yeah, I suppose yer right."
"You know I'm right."
"I, uh, saw Yukari," he blabbed before he could help it.
"Is she well?"
"I don't know. She looked a little…messy. She bawled 'er eyes out." Kiba sighed. "So I asked her out on a date with Shino'n'his girlfriend."
"That's good then. As I understand it, you haven't seen her for a few days because of your training."
"Yeah."
He heard the smile in her voice. "Now will you get out of bed so we can go and get some dinner?"
"Yeah."
The light pressure lifted from his neck, and he rolled over to see where Hinata was. She already stood at the door, smiling at him. Geez- -she could move fast when she wanted.
"Hurry up!" she told him, before opening the door. "I'll be waiting. Oh! Hello!"
Outside the door sat Akamaru. Hinata glanced from the dog to Kiba, her smile widening. She said nothing else, choosing instead to leave the door open as she exited.
Akamaru grunted as he sat in the center of Kiba's room. Hey there, doofus.
"Right back atcha, jerkwad."
Sorry I didn't explain well enough. Akamaru lowered his head. I didn't mean to…I didn't mean to upset you so much. And, you know, I do feel a little jealous.
Kiba stepped closer. "And I'm sorry I hit you. You shouldn't worry. She could never take your place."
Thanks. That makes me feel much better. His tail wagged. Nice job channeling Master Kurenai there.
"Yeah," he agreed, scratching under the floppy ears. "She's always right. Like my dog and my teammates."
Heh, yeah. Get your stuff around. You've got a hot date tonight! Akamaru sniffed a couple times. And…I think you oughta shower.
"Shuddup. You don't smell like a bed of roses either."
I'm a dog. I don't have to smell pretty to get laid, but you do.
"Mutt."
Lapdog.
Kiba rolled his eyes and went to the bathroom. He noticed as he turned on the shower faucet that the extra toothbrush and towel were missing.
Strange…but Ino was more important, so he hopped in the shower to get ready for her. He could worry about the items later; his worry was reserved for what Ino wanted to explain to him.
Would she tell him the truth he wanted to hear? Or the truth that had hounded him all afternoon?
A/N: Next chapter: Her Promise.
