Unlike Poles | Six

As much as Kiba might wish it to be so, most of their days aren't spent in the constant sprinkling of cheesy romance that he enjoys so much. More often than not, Hinata's responsibilities keep her in the office till late; as for Kiba, well, money doesn't exactly drop from the sky for him.

Today is no exception. He's up by nine (after putting his alarm set for eight on snooze multiple times), not exactly bright-eyed and eager, but not quite as grouchy as compared to if he had spent a late night out with some drinks for company. Changing into a comfortable pair of jeans and a fitting shirt, preparing breakfast for both himself and Akamaru, these are morning rituals that have become second nature to him by now.

Scooping a spoonful of cereal into his mouth, he sends off a quick text to Hinata: G'morning, kitten! Lots of work today? Lunch at 2? I miss you. He leaves the job of catching his sloppy typing to his phone's autocorrect function, which it does quite admirably—his fingers are made for tasks other than struggling with a minute touch screen device.

He's on his way out of the door when her reply finally arrives, succinct but sweet. Oh, the usual. I'll let you know about lunch later, okay? Love you and can't wait to see you :) It brings a chuckle to his lips and he shakes his head, brown locks flopping into his eyes as he gets into his car. It really doesn't take much to make him happy these days—he's all but a slave to his gentle girlfriend's every word.

Besides, Kiba knows better than to be disappointed. It's taken some adjustment, he's not going to lie, but eventually he's managed to come to terms with the fact that Hinata's life doesn't and isn't going to revolve solely around him.

Still, what he wouldn't give to have her by his side every minute of the day, even if it's only to feel her hands running through his hair while he dozes with his head in her lap.

Of course, complications only ever occur when one can least spare the time, and so the pipe replacement he's been called to check out takes longer than expected. He ends up having to send an apologetic text to Hinata during a toilet break, telling her to go ahead and eat without him.

Wielding tools with expertise, getting drenched in less-than-hygienic water, enduring the dull ache in his lower back that always comes from bending too much—it's all in a day's work for Kiba, really. All the same, he's exhausted when he finally gets home to a dark apartment that evening.

Ten minutes and a delightfully warm shower later, Kiba immediately determines that he feels like eating out that night. Fortunately, Naruto is in the vicinity, and the two old friends find themselves in their favourite fast food joint with greasy burgers between them, identical grins on their faces as they dig in with obvious relish.

"Not eating with Hinata-chan today?" The blonde speaks around a mouthful of meat, a habit he has somehow never learned to curb.

Kiba shakes his head with a shrug. "It's her second cousin's birthday or something like that. You know her family is totally huge, right? I was invited as her plus one, but then I found out it was another formal event…" A grimace stretches his lips at the thought. "Hintata said I could skip out on this one as long as I attend her sister's birthday reception next month. Better Hanabi than some kid I don't even know, anyway."

Naruto snorts as he tears open a packet of ketchup, figuring that there isn't enough on his burger already. "A birthday reception? These Hyugas sure don't do things halfway, do they?" His tone is a mixture of awe and pity, but it only earns another casual shrug from Kiba. He's been with Hinata long enough by now that her family's excessive formality no longer seems as ridiculously stilted as before—although he does still draw the line at attending birthday celebrations of very much extended family members.

The two males split up once they've polished off the veritable amount food in front of them, Naruto heading for one of the old haunts they used to share. Funny how Kiba no longer feels the need to languish in as enticing a manner as possible in the various clubs in the area, but then again, he's already found the company he's always craved.

Company that calls near midnight, sounding undeniably weary, but with a lilt to her tone that tells Kiba there's a smile on her face all the same.

He's stretched out on his bed, eyes closed as he presses the phone to his ear. "How was the party? Too wild for you?" he teases gently, knowing the worst that might happen at a Hyuga function would be someone tripping over the corner of the carpet after indulging in a little too much fine wine.

Hinata's quiet laugh at that brings an involuntary smile to his face. "It was nice to see everyone again," she says, her tone subtly chiding. "How was your day?"

And that is he cue to give her a quick rundown of his various customer encounters, playing up a few just to hear the soft tinkle of her laughter. In turn, she mentions some office politics going on that immediately has his hackles up at the thought of anyone even thinking of saying anything harmful in her general vicinity, but she hastily and easily soothes his worries with a few choice words. She's had quite a bit of practice with calming him down like that.

Their idle chatter goes on for a while longer before she finally stifles a yawn and mentions, "It's late." He immediately agrees that it's time for bed, the idea of trying keeping her awake another moment longer never even crossing his mind. He knows well enough that she will work through her fatigue to continue the conversation for as long as he wants to.

But he can't help trying again with a hopeful, "Dinner tomorrow?"

"Exactly what I was thinking," comes her response, sounding like she's perked up a little. "I can't wait."

"G'night, kitten. Sleep tight, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Mhm, goodnight, Kiba-kun. Love you."

"Love you too."

There is a soft click as the line disconnects, and just like that, another day passes.