It was still dark out when Hinata roused. She nearly panicked when she didn't recognize where she was, or who she was with. It took a few seconds to come to the realization she was still at the training ground, but with Kiba's heavy body on top of her, as if keeping her trapped there in his own subconscious way. She blinked her eyes a few times to readjust to the light of the moon above before looking down at their conjoined bodies. She recognized the furry coat lining along her neck—seemed Kiba had draped his leather jacket over her torso at some point before falling asleep with her, as his heavy arm was on top of the jacket.
Carefully, she craned her neck to see if she could get a glimpse of him. She held her breath for a moment as he mindlessly readjusted his head so that his face was now turned towards hers and she couldn't help but admire him. His fangs popped out from his top lip still, and his hair still glistened in the moonlight. Suddenly she was becoming very aware of just how…intermingled, their bodies were. Then, she was very conscious of just how hard his body was up against hers. And it was oddly comforting.
Where had the rambunctious young boy she once knew gone? He laid before her, unmistakably a grown man, snoozing away and gripping her as if she was his precious possession. She clenched her teeth slightly as thoughts of her teammate flooded her mind.
"It's been over a year and you're still so shy. How come? Oh—hiiii Naruto! HAHAHA! I'm just jokin'!"
"Listen to me, be smart. If they put you in with that guy from the Sand Village, you've got to forfeit the match. Same with Neji. Be smart, just walk away. Trust me. They'll be merciless. They'll destroy you."
"If I kick enough asses, I might even end up Hokage!"
She cracked the tiniest smile at the last thought. She knew Kiba was never truly serious about becoming Hokage, it was more of a jab towards Naruto, or just something all young shinobi of the Leaf said to some extent.
She wondered why it was he seemed to care so much about her. Sure, she loved her teammates, but she wasn't sure she would be able to handle them if they were acting like she was—a brat, she had to admit. She knew she was being unreasonable, so why did Kiba tolerate it, and in fact still push to keep her home? Push to help her move on, as he put it? How could he possibly help her move on when there's nothing to move on from? It's not like she had ever been with Naruto…and Neji was gone, forever. There was no 'moving on' from all that.
When she felt him stir, she glanced down to find his tired eyes peeling open to look at her. She sucked in both of her lips as she awaited his movement. As he blinked his eyes open, that smirk enveloped his lips once more. He glanced down at their bodies, then heaved a loud, obnoxious yawn.
"How'd ya sleep?" he asked, casually.
How did she sleep? She was surprised to find that she had slept wonderfully, actually. She hadn't really dreamed, she didn't think, and she couldn't recall having any nightmares like she normally did. Hesitantly, she responded, "well."
"S'good," he mumbled, slowly pulling his arm off her torso, and propping himself up on his elbow. "You wanna keep impromptu camping, or we can go back to my place?" Her eyes widened at the proposition, and he chuckled. "Not like that, Hinata. My mom's definitely asleep, so you can crash on my bed in my place."
"Your place?" She blinked, tilting her head. "I didn't realize you had your own place…"
"You thought I still lived with my mom?" He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair. "Give me a little more credit, huh?"
"I…I guess I just didn't…" She trailed off, glancing away from him. Finally, she nodded. "What time is it?"
"Eh…" Kiba looked up at the night sky, furrowing his brows a bit as he did. "About 4ish. Sun'll be up soon. C'mon." He lifted to his feet and extended his hand for hers, opting to wait for her to accept help instead of forcing it on her once more. Hinata nodded once more before grasping his hand, letting him pull her up. She handed him his jacket and they dusted themselves off, then fell into step alongside each other as she followed him back to the Inuzuka properties in silence. They passed his childhood home, which had all its lights off, then stopped in front of a smaller unit nearby. She watched as he unlocked the front door, then followed him in.
She was surprised to find a fairly clean and tastefully decorated living space. She stopped in front of the door to take it in as he shut it behind her and turned on the lights. It reminded her quite a bit of his mother's home, but with his own personal touches. What looked like an animal skin rug, a Tanabata ornament she had gotten him at the festival several years ago for his birthday, the "Complete Guide to Kikaichu" book Shino had given him so many years ago sitting on top of a dresser. Surprisingly, a large variety of candles dotted the space, as well as several paintings. She couldn't help but be impressed by it all.
"Don't act so shocked," he teased as he hung his jacket up by the door. She snapped up to look at him and shook her head.
"It's just…your place is so…clean," she said, honestly. He ran his hand through his hair as he averted his glance, in what seemed like an act of shyness. "I mean it as a compliment. It's nice, Kiba."
"Well, thanks." He coughed into his hand as he led her to his bedroom. He flicked on the light and raised his arm towards the bed. "Go ahead and get some rest. I'll be out here."
"Oh, I'm alright with the couch…" She attempted to protest, shaking her hands in front of her face.
"Nah, go ahead. I won't be able to go back to sleep anyway. See you in a couple hours." He patted her lightly on the top of the head before stepping backwards out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him. She turned around to face the now closed door and twisted her lips. She might as well get the rest while she could.
Unfortunately for Hinata, the nightmares returned. There were a few that she would cycle through. One was of Neji's death. It would replay, scene for scene, in her dreams, where she would try everything possible to prevent it, only to fail every single time. Another was of the day Naruto let her down gently. There was the faceless man and arranged marriage nightmare. But in the last few days, she had been having a new nightmare, one that involved Kiba. She dreamed of his face, coming closer and closer to hers. She could feel heat in her stomach as he closed the distance, she almost wanted to reach out and…then he would start whispering hurtful words.
"No one cares about you. You're not strong, you're just weak. Stupid, little Hinata."
She would cry in her dreams. She would try to argue back, to say something, anything, question why he would say these things to her. But she could never get any words out, and he would just laugh. And then she'd wake up.
"Why…" she whispered to herself as she propped herself up on her elbows, glancing around the room of the man she was just having nightmares about. "Why Kiba?"
"You awake?" She flinched at his calling for her, realizing he must have been able to sense her rousing. She looked at the window to find the sun now fully up. Heaving a large sigh, she swung her legs over the bedside and quietly made her way for her door, gently opening it and peeking out to find him in his kitchen. He glimpsed over his shoulder when he heard her and offered a genuine smile. "Morning, sunshine."
"Good morning." She willed herself to come out, standing awkwardly next to the entrance of his bedroom.
"You were having some weird dreams." He chuckled, looking back down at the food he was making at the stove. She pursed her lips together at the remark, wondering what she might have done to give him that impression. "Yeah, I came in like three times 'cause I swore you were callin' me."
"What?" She gasped, taking a step back. He didn't look back at her.
"S'alright. Just wanted to make you were okay." He shrugged before turning towards her with a plate in hand. "Sit. I made you breakfast."
"Oh…" she whispered, eyeing the plate. She sighed through her nose before pulling up a seat at the bar, letting him place the food in front of her. She couldn't deny the growl coming from her stomach. She had been stubbornly protesting eating for the past few days. "Thank you for the food."
"Been a while since I got to cook for you." He grinned, leaning over the counter on his elbows towards her. She nodded agreement as she picked up her utensils and picked at the food. "I missed it."
She paused as she contemplated admitting that she had also missed it because she had. After taking a bite, she let out a sigh of approval. "I…missed it, too."
"Knew it," he teased, shoving himself off the counter. "Bet you haven't had food this good since before you left!"
She willed herself to loosen up despite the urge to freeze at his comment. She nodded a bit as she continued eating, and he went about cleaning up dishes. Once more, she glanced around the unit with interest. Not only had he matured physically, but he also seemed to have matured in general. The home didn't resemble his room at his mothers at all, where you could find clothes and kunai and dishes scattered all about. No, his home was truly fitting of a full-grown adult. She couldn't help but smile at that fact.
"What's got you smiling?" he inquired after glancing back at her, pulling her from her lingering stare. She hadn't realized her eyes were resting on him now. "Like what you see?"
"Stop it, Kiba," she sighed, carefully pushing the plate from her now. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I really should be going…"
"Where?" he asked, innocently enough. She frowned as she climbed out of the seat.
"I…I'm not sure," she said as she shook her head, making for the front door.
"Hey!" he called before she could finish pulling on her sandals, causing her to stop and look at him questioningly. She was surprised to find him glancing at his feet as he rubbed at the back of his head, seemingly stalling.
"Yes?"
"Uhm…" He paused, stepping towards her. "Well-uh. Let me take you to your sister's wedding, yeah?"
"Take me?" she asked in a bit of a higher pitched tone than she intended. He shrugged, looking up with sincerity in his eyes. He wasn't smirking, didn't seem to be trying to ruffle her feather like usual.
"Yeah, I mean. You should have someone to go with, right? I'll take you."
"Hmm…" she hummed, tilting her head at him. She felt a bit guilty about the fact she hadn't been thinking too much about Hanabi or her wedding. She hadn't even considered taking a 'date', especially not Kiba. She chewed her bottom lip for a moment before responding. "I…suppose that would be fine…if I'm even allowed to attend."
"Tch," he scoffed, waving a hand in front of his face dismissively. "No way Hanabi's gonna let your old man keep you out." She couldn't help but smile a bit at the remark before nodding. She turned again to leave, only for him to interrupt again. "Come back, okay?"
"…Here?" she asked, hesitantly.
"Yeah. Might as well, right?"
She paused a moment before nodding and finally making her leave definitively, trying to ignore his wanting stare.
For over two weeks, Hinata would wander aimlessly throughout the village then return to Kiba's apartment when the sun began to set. He would always have dinner for her and seemed to take the hint to give her space during the day. She hated to admit that she was finding the routine somewhat comforting. While she had tried to argue for him to have his bed and for her to take the futon, she eventually stopped trying after so many days of unsuccessful attempts.
But she was beginning to realize a hard truth. Wandering through the village only left her with her own thoughts to weigh her down. The only time she felt truly free of her darkest thoughts was when she was with Kiba, and that frightened her. Further, her nightmares continued despite her one peaceful night sleeping on the training grounds with Kiba. She began to seriously consider if Kiba was right—that being around him would help her move on. Something in her resisted that thought.
Since Hinata came back, Kiba hadn't gone on any missions. She didn't know if he had taken himself off the roster, or if there just weren't any missions for him to take. And she wasn't sure what he was up to during the day. All she knew is he had been home consistently every night, and he was becoming a constant.
One day, he suggested they go see Shino. Hinata had, admittedly, been avoiding seeing others. When people stopped to engage in conversation, usually surprised to see her back, she did her best to evade and escape. Kiba likely knew this, and as always, was trying to get her out of the carefully constructed shell she had made around herself. She really wasn't much of a match for his pushy nature. So, a few weeks before the wedding, they met with Shino in a quiet sushi bar. Hinata had frozen when she spotted her teammate with someone she didn't recognize sitting directly next to him, engaging in chatter.
"Oh, right." Kiba snickered, setting a hand on her back in an attempt at comfort. "That's Shino's fiancée, Kuri. She's from the Aburame clan."
"Fiancée?" Hinata's jaw dropped as she stared at the pair. Kiba nudged her and she gulped audibly, nodding. She hesitantly moved towards them, Kiba slapping Shino on the back. The two looked up and Hinata couldn't help but feel amusement at the fact the woman was also wearing sunglasses. Immediately, Kuri stood up and gave Hinata a deep bow.
"Lady Hinata, it's a pleasure." Hinata once again felt paralyzed. It had been a long time since she had met a new person that was beyond a hotel clerk or shopkeep. Once more, Kiba nudged her.
"Don't be rude, Lady Hinata," he whispered teasingly as he poked her side. She blinked up at him before shaking her head.
"Uhm—yes. Likewise, Kuri." Hinata bowed as well.
Hinata and Kiba took the seats next to Shino, and the two engaged in chatter. Hinata felt a sense of discomfort at the idea that this absolutely looked like a double date. She couldn't help but glance around the restaurant, wondering if anyone they knew was there. Then she glanced over Kiba's shoulder as Kuri was reaching up with a napkin to wipe at something under Shino's chin. She smiled faintly at the tiny sign of affection, and guilt panged at her heart. Maybe if she had been more receptive when she returned, been more open and willing to chat with Shino, she would have already known about his engagement.
Guilt was becoming second nature at this point.
The gathering went as quickly as it came, and Hinata couldn't help but feel guilty at the fact that she couldn't seem to get herself to engage in any conversation with Kuri. When the group rose to leave, she was surprised to find Kuri grasping her elbow and leading her out of the restaurant with a smile on her lips. "Please, would you walk with me, Lady Hinata?"
"Oh—of course." Hinata felt her mouth go dry as she nodded, allowing herself to be led by the Aburame. She glanced back to see Shino and Kiba eyeing her, a playful smirk on his lips as usual. He nodded forward in her direction to encourage her along before turning back to Shino. She looked ahead again. "I—uhm—I apologize for my…lack of…social skills, I suppose. I'm not the best in social situations, as you can probably tell—"
"Do not apologize, my lady." Kuri gave a genuine smile and Hinata shook her head.
"Please, just Hinata."
"Of course." Kuri nodded. "I just wanted to let you know that your return has been quite impactful."
"Oh?" Hinata swallowed, looking at the woman from the corner of her eye. She wondered where this conversation would go.
"Yes, since your return, Shino has become far less tense." She smiled down at Hinata, who raised her eyebrows at this. "It may be difficult for you to understand, La—Hinata. But Shino and Kiba care for you a great deal. Not a day went by when they didn't wonder where you were. But now that you've returned, they both seem so much…happier."
It dawned on Hinata that she couldn't have known how much her leave had affected her teammates. Perhaps it was selfish of her to never wonder what kind of damage she had inflicted by her abrupt escape. She wondered if Kuri resented her? "I…I am glad to hear that, Kuri."
"As am I." Kuri nodded along, stopping with the her in front of the Aburame household. Kuri chuckled as they looked behind them, finding her teammates quite a bit behind them. "Seems the men have slowed their pace."
Hinata nodded hesitantly, crossing her arms behind her as silence fell over them. She glanced up at Kuri before continuing, "how long have you and Shino been…together?"
"A year and two months," she responded immediately. "It was arranged by our fathers." Hinata's face fell at this, but Kuri shook her head. "But I quite like him, and I'm keen to think he enjoys my company."
"Well, that's what's important, I suppose." Hinata sighed, looking at the two as they came into earshot. All she could hear was Kiba's boisterous voice. Once they were close enough to stop, Kiba patted Shino on the back before turning to the women.
"Sorry 'bout that, got carried away." He grinned down at Hinata before draping an arm around her. She tensed under his touch momentarily but chose not to push him away. Shino eyed the two before chiming in.
"Will we see you at Hanabi's wedding, Hinata?" Shino asked gently, glancing between her and Kiba.
"Yep, even if I have to drag her," Kiba interjected on her behalf. She rolled her eyes briefly before nodding.
"Of course, I will be there for my sister…" Hinata sighed, looking down at her feet as she twisted her hands together.
"I look forward to it." Kuri nodded, a small smile. "Goodnight Hinata and Kiba."
"Yes, goodnight." Shino raised an eyebrow at Kiba before turning away.
"Night!" Kiba waved, steering Hinata away. She flinched when he grabbed at her hands, pulling them away from their dance. "No need to be nervous."
"I'm not!" Hinata clenched her fists, shrugging at his arm over her shoulders. He chuckled as he dropped the arm to his side, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I just—I wish you had given me some sort of warning about who I was about to meet."
"She's nice, huh?" Kiba deflected, not meeting her glare. She sighed before nodding. "Not jealous, are ya?"
"Wh—no!" Hinata huffed, growing increasingly frustrated. "I wish you would stop teasing me, Kiba."
"Why?" he asked, and the question sounded genuine as he tilted his head down at her. She raised her eyebrows, surprised.
"Because I don't like it."
"Why not?"
"B…because! It's rude."
"But you like it."
"I just said I didn't!"
She stopped when she looked up at him to find him grinning mischievously at her. Why did he think he could treat her like this? She huffed with frustration before stomping ahead, knowing he was reveling in the fact that despite her anger with him, she was still heading straight for his home. So, when she passed his childhood home and saw the lights on inside, she decided to stop. She jogged up the porch to knock on the door, looking over her shoulder with a glare at Kiba. She couldn't hold back a small smile of satisfaction at his shocked expression, frozen at the foot of the steps. Tsume answered and looked down at her with raised eyebrows.
"Well, hello Hina." She set her hands on her hips, looking over the top of the girl's head at Kiba. She squinted her eyes suspiciously.
"Would you mind if I stayed here, tonight, Tsume?" Hinata bowed with her hands clasped. Tsume snorted at the question.
"My boy pissin' you off, huh?" Tsume held out her arm, grabbing her by the shoulder to pull her in. "'Course you can." Hinata glanced over her shoulder once more and uncharacteristically decided to gloat by poking out her tongue before Tsume shut the door on her son.
"Thank you," Hinata said, genuinely as she pulled off her sandals.
"Anytime." Tsume smirked down at her. "I'm just doing paperwork in the other room. You know where everything is."
Hinata nodded, allowing Tsume to disappear into the diagonal office. She sighed as she pulled off her coat and hung it up, glancing around the house for a moment. She hadn't really had much of a chance to take in the old Inuzuka household, as Kiba had carried her in unconscious initially, and Hanabi had rushed her out the door when she left. She took a moment to inhale deeply before making her way to the kitchen to make tea. She would enjoy the peace and quiet as much as she could, for now.
The next day, Hinata sat at the dining table with Tsume, having prepared breakfast for the older Inuzuka as a show of gratitude. They engaged in idle chatter about Hanabi's wedding and the going-ons of the Inuzuka clan until Tsume directed the conversation to Kiba.
"So. What'd my boy do to get you so worked up?" Tsume asked, pushing her plate and utensils away as they finished the meal. Hinata bit her lower lip, averting her gaze.
"It's really nothing…Kiba is my best friend, but he can be…"
"Too much." Tsume finished for her, chuckling. She hesitantly nodded. "Oh, I know it. It's all out of love though."
"I know." Hinata nodded in agreement, feeling slightly guilty. She shouldn't be here speaking ill of the son of the woman who allowed her to stay in her home. "I love Kiba, but I feel he doesn't know when to give it a rest."
"Can you blame him, though, hun?" Tsume's voice softened, causing Hinata to look up in some surprise. "You did take off without a word. He never said it, but once he had you back, he wasn't going to let go."
Guilt washed over Hinata in crashing waves. She knew deep down that Tsume was right. She had been selfish. She was constantly reminded of it. For some reason, hearing it from Tsume was an entirely new level of guilt-inducing. She pursed her lips as she contemplated her words. Tsume reached over to comfortingly pat her hand, still holding her chopsticks.
"Talk to him." Tsume offered, willing Hinata to look up at her. "I'll ask you be patient with him, but he should be patient with you, too."
Reluctantly, Hinata nodded. As if on cue, the front door burst open to reveal the Inuzuka in question. He stretched his arms as he looked at his mother and Hinata, frowning. "None for me, huh?"
"None for boys who make asses out of themselves," Tsume shot back, picking up the dishes from the table. Kiba snickered as he wiped at the bottom of his nose. He reached out his hand to beckon Hinata.
"C'mon. We're going to the nursery." He all but demanded, thumbing behind him. Tsume sighed impatiently.
"Why don't you ask if she wants to go, boy?" she snapped, hands on her hips. Kiba recoiled slightly from the scolding before glancing at Hinata, who was awkwardly avoiding both of their eyes.
"Ah—right. Sorry, Hinata. Come with me to the nursery?" Kiba's voice tempered and Tsume gave a contented smirk, clasping her arms. Hinata finally looked up and nodded, lifting from her seat.
"I think I'd like that," she said, truthfully. It had been a long time since she had been to the Inuzuka nursery, but the sheer number of excitable pups was always a surefire way to cheer her up.
Kiba grinned as she joined his side, glancing back at his mother and mouthing a quick "thank you" as they left. Tsume waved him away, shaking her head.
The pair walked in silence for a few moments before Kiba started, "hey." Hinata looked up at him with expectantly raised eyebrows. She found him looking a bit fidgety, one hand rubbing the back of his head. "I—uh—I'm sorry for teasing you so much. I'll let up." She looked back down at the ground in front of them, feeling red overcome her cheeks. Kiba wasn't normally one for apologizing, so she knew he meant it. Admittedly, it made her feel better.
"Thank you, Kiba," she whispered, pulling her hands behind her back to join. "I'm sorry for…everything. I know what you do comes from a good place. So…I'm sorry."
"Tch," Kiba puffed, waving a hand in front of his face. "Don't be. Here." Upon approaching the nursery, he grabbed the door for her, allowing her to go in before closing the door behind himself. They went through the second set of doors and Hinata felt that sense of joy immediately fill her heart upon the sight of tens of puppies all scrambling towards her. Finally, a genuine look of happiness overtook her face as she fell to her knees, holding her arms out for whatever puppies might tackle her.
Kiba stood back and leaned against a wall, arms folded as he watched her erupt into giggles and baby talk. It was the happiest he'd seen her in…gods, he didn't even know how long, truth be told. "Well, hello! And hello to you! And you, oh my-your fur is so—and you!"
Yeah. This was a good idea.
"Hey, you two!" Both looked up, though Hinata only did momentarily before turning her attention back to the pups as Hana emerged from a side room, pulling surgical gloves off.
"Hello!" Hinata's voice was light and energetic as she hugged the puppies to herself. Kiba grinned down at his sister as she approached him.
"Good idea, bringing her here." Hana chuckled, tossing the gloves in a waste bin. "Lot of Inuzuka have been put out on tracking missions, poor pups are barely getting any attention these last few days."
"Oh yeah?" Kiba perked an eyebrow, tilting his head at her.
"You've been so busy with your…" Hana glanced over at Hinata before lowering her voice, teasing, "princess." Kiba rolled his eyes, stealing a look at Hinata as well to make sure she hadn't heard, and Hana brought her voice back to normal volume. "Plus, you were gone for what, six months? You haven't been keeping up with what's going on in the clan!"
"Yeah, yeah." Kiba swiped at his nose before shoving his hands in his pockets. "It was three months," he corrected before shrugging. "Sorry, alright?"
"It's fine." Hana shrugged, propping herself up against the wall next to him. "How's she been?"
"Getting better." He nodded, eyes fixed on Hinata as she diligently made her way through every pup, no pup going without some love. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"Hey, they really like you!" Hana called, causing Hinata to look up with a smile. "You ever wanna volunteer to walk 'em, just come let me know! They'd love you."
"Really?" Hinata asked, genuinely as she paused. Hana nodded and Kiba raised his eyebrows at the act of kindness from his sister.
"That's nice of you," Kiba offered as Hinata went back to playing with the puppies. Hana shrugged.
"Free labor." She chuckled, pushing herself from her leaning position. "Gotta get back to my next appointment."
Kiba nodded as she took leave, looking back at Hinata. Meanwhile, Hinata was making her way through the last of the pups, attentively making sure each one got head scratches and belly rubs.
She hadn't felt this kind of peace in a while. Peace that wasn't really peaceful per se but was simple. Paying attention to something so sweet and innocent with so much energy was good for the mind, she figured. She couldn't help but contemplate Hana's offer. She was still technically bound to the village, so she couldn't leave to walk them farther without explicit permission…permission she would have to obtain from Naruto. She pushed the thought out of her mind, choosing to focus her attention on the pups.
Later, Kiba joined her as she decided to head to the market. Strangely, he was quiet for most of their journey. She found it somewhat unsettling, he seemed fairly out of it. He didn't normally join her on her walks around the village, but perhaps he was today because they had started the day together. But the fact he was being so silent was odd.
"Kiba?" She decided to instigate conversation now as she looked over the selection of meat. He snapped from his trance to look at her, then the meat. "Uhm…I noticed you were running low on proteins. Would you like to pick some?"
"Oh." Kiba blinked as if coming out of a fog, then tilted his head thoughtfully at her before nodding. "Yeah, sure. Thanks."
After more shopping, she decided it was time to head home.
Home.
Where was home? For now, she supposed it was Kiba's home. She figured that was alright with her.
When they returned and finished putting away what Hinata had picked out, Kiba pulled his jacket back on, earning an inquisitive look from Hinata. He glanced at her before patting her gently on the head. "I'm going out for a bit tonight. Sorry about dinner."
"Oh." Hinata shook her head, then nodded in an odd movement. "Of course. I'll be alright."
"Okay." Kiba nodded back before eyeing her warily. "You won't take off, will you?"
Hinata paused at the question, before shaking her head once more. "I won't." Kiba nodded with what seemed like a somewhat forced smile before taking his leave. Hinata watched as the door closed behind him and couldn't make out what she was feeling. Sadness? Loneliness? She hadn't been alone for the night since she returned.
Sorry about dinner…
It all felt so…domestic. She was trying to figure out when she stopped minding it. Now she was trying to figure out what this tightening in her gut was, at the realization he was leaving her alone for the night.
She went about what was a somewhat normal routine, making herself dinner and getting ready for bed. For some reason, she felt empty as she shut the door to Kiba's room without seeing him lounging on the couch. She shook off the feeling and put herself to bed, knowing she would have an especially hard time sleeping tonight.