Chapter Text
Kiba arrived at school with Hinata after taking the bus, and the both of them walked lazily to their classroom. They were sleepy after having spent too many hours playing games online with Shino and Naruto, and now they kind of regretted it. Hinata covered her dark circles with makeup, but Kiba just looked outright like a panda. He had barely had the time to brush his teeth before leaving home, so he was now there looking tired as hell, wearing jogging pants, a hoodie and slippers, his bed hair on full show. The worst part was that he knew Lee had arranged indoors training for the soccer team that afternoon, and he was not sure if he could survive the day.
— Am I going to die if I sleep in Daikoku’s class today? — He asked his friend halfheartedly.
— If you don’t snore too loudly, he doesn’t care. Even I’m considering this option. — Hinata sighed.
They entered the room around fifteen minutes before the bell could ring, and could already see their friends chitchatting in the corner. Kiba barely said his greetings before throwing himself on his chair, yawning loudly and resting his head on the table as if it was a comfortable pillow. He could see that, in front of him, Naruto was in the same state, and the only one who didn’t seem to be dying was Shino, that damn bat.
Shikamaru stared at Kiba mockingly.
— Ok, now everyone is here, Shikamaru. Will you tell us what’s up already? — Ino whined in complaint. — You made us curious!
— Ino, leave him. — Chouji said, next to her, while he caressed Karui’s hair.
— It’s alright, Chouji. — Shikamaru dismissed it. — I was really just waiting for them anyway.
At that, all of his friends looked at him with curiosity. Well, all except Kiba, who knew very well what was coming and just wanted to bury his head underground so he didn’t hear any noise anymore. He would probably have to make one or two trips to the infirmary and ask for a headache pill.
— Just say it already, man.
— So, I want you all to listen up. After I tell you this, just don’t bother me and don’t say any shit, because I seriously don’t have the patience. Anyway, it ain’t anything special, I just thought you guys should know that I have a girlfriend now.
Naruto immediately jolted awake, almost choking on his own spit.
— You what?!
— Oh, man. — Ino grunted. — It’s that blonde girl from special classes, isn’t it? I knew it. I called it!
— She has a name, and it’s Temari. — Shikamaru rolled his eyes. — She wants to meet you all today at break and she’s fully capable of murder in case any of you say shit about her brothers.
A second of silence.
— Congratulations, bro! — Chouji was the first to speak up then. — So this is why you skipped our game night, huh?
Shikamaru exchanged a brief glance with Kiba.
— Yeah, you could say that.
— We’re all happy for you, Shikamaru. — Hinata said, already aware of the whole situation too. — And we’re all gonna treat her nicely. Aren’t we? — Then she shot her stern glance at everyone in the group, silently warning them that they shut up in case of any objections. Naruto, especially, knew that look from a hundred miles away and didn’t dare to speak a word.
— Yeah, congratulations, Shikamaru. — Shino spoke. — We will all behave.
— How about the brothers situation, though? — Naruto carefully asked, avoiding Hinata’s eyes.
— It’s stupid. — Shino yawned. Oh, so the lack of sleep had gotten to him a little too. — Look, that Kankuro guy hasn’t showed up to bother Kiba lately and we can just keep away from Gaara. It’s been months, let’s get over it already.
— I agree. — Hinata shook her head affirmatively.
— What do you say, Kiba? — Ino questioned him. — I mean, you were the one fighting the guy all the time.
Kiba grunted. This was annoying, but was also an opportunity.
— As Shino said, it’s stupid. I’m over it, you guys should be too.
Soon enough, Gaara entered the room. He briefly looked over at where the group was, rolled his eyes and sat down. That didn’t go unnoticed by Naruto.
— Gaara is still scary though, and definitely hates us.
— Not without reason. — Shikamaru sighed. — Look, think whatever you want, but just behave. Temari can be nice when she wants to, but she’s scarier than my mother.
— Not like we all didn’t know you’d end up with a girl who could beat you up. — Ino punched his shoulder.
The bell rang just after, and they all got to their seats.
Kiba enjoyed a nice dream for the first class.
They were all sitting down at their favorite table in the cafeteria. Since Shikamaru would be introducing them to his new girlfriend, none of his friends were absent, which means that even Sasuke, Sai and Karui joined them for break. Kiba was still yawning and leaning his head on Naruto’s shoulder, struggling to keep his eyes open. He would make a mental reminder not to go to sleep at 4 a.m. before a school day ever again.
Soon, through his heavy eyelids, Kiba watched two Sabaku brothers enter the place and sit in the corner like always. He noticed Kankuro’s eyes lingering on him for a second longer and smiled to himself remembering about their great time at the club. Kankuro was looking good as always, but Kiba could notice the lack of effort put into his makeup today. Maybe he’d also woken up late. Maybe he had been thinking at the spot he’d shown to Kiba.
Kiba yawned loudly again, getting off Naruto to rub his eyes and take a sip of the energy drink Hinata had bought for the two of them. Sighing, he looked over at his friends, and suddenly noticed that Ino and Sai were sitting next to each other, but a lot closer than normal. They were touching each other more often too, and he could swear he saw Ino blush. Oh, man, things weren’t looking good for Hina.
— We’re here. — Shikamaru spoke up as he approached the table, walking next to a blonde girl with her hair up in four buns: classic Temari hairstyle. Unlike her brother, she seemed to have put effort on her face today, doing a light makeup look. She wore jeans and one of Shikamaru’s oversized hoodies, something they’d all recognize. That was her way of subtly saying “we’re serious”, and Kiba couldn’t judge her for it. Temari’s eyes immediately set on Kiba, and she opened a big smile, but didn’t talk directly to him. After all, the fact that they were a little more than just acquaintances was not a known fact there.
Shikamaru sat down next to Chouji and Temari next to Ino, right across the table.
— Uhm, hello. — Temari said with a wide smile. She was aiming to please. — I’m Temari, but my friends call me Tema. It’s nice to meet Shikamaru’s friends.
— It’ nice to meet you too. — Hinata was the first to say something, carefully hiding the fact that they had already met like this before. It was a nice cover up, since Hinata was known for being the most gentle of them all. — I’m Hinata.
They all ended up introducing themselves, some a little more apprehensive than others. Sasuke, just like Hinata, pretended he’d never talked to her before, despite being the one who had spent the most time with her there aside from Shikamaru. Sakura discretely arched an eyebrow at his actions. When it was Kiba’s turn to say his name, Temari decided to be a little tease.
— Oh, I know you. You got into situations with my brother all the time.
Kiba blushed.
— Yeah, I’m sorry.
He wanted to kick her under the table.
— No big deal. Kan is a difficult one too. I hope we can all get along, since I don’t plan on letting go of this one so soon. — Temari said, holding Shikamaru’s arms. Staking her claim over the new boyfriend or something like that, not that she needed to. She wasn’t a jealous one, but this seemed like a fun act.
— We’re happy for you two. Like, for real. — Chouji smiled at her, holding Karui by the waist. — Karui and I were talking earlier, and we thought this would be a nice opportunity to go on a double date.
Temari’s eyes lightened up. Kiba knew from Kankuro that she had a bit of a romantic inside of her and really enjoyed these things, unlike Shikamaru. Well, he would do anything she said either way.
— Count on us! I’m gonna drag him there by this ponytail if I have to.
— So you know his habits, right? — Ino said.
— Right. — Temari replied. So this was the best friend, huh? From what Temari had heard, she thought that she and Ino could have a great time together if the other girl dropped the dislike of her brothers. After all, Shikamaru had said they were very much alike.
— Good. Shikamaru needs someone to put him on the line and drag his lazy ass around. It was my job growing up, but I’ll be counting on you from now on.
— Got it.
— Also… Hey, Chouji. — She called out to him. — Make it a triple date. — Ino grinned. — Sai and I are coming too.
Kiba shot a glance to his side, only to see Hinata gulping. He immediately took her hand under the table and held it tight. Shino, who also was next to her, laced an arm around her waist and held her quietly. They knew what was going on in her mind. It had only been a matter of time from when Sai and Ino had started hanging out together, just the two of them, and Ino began talking more and more about him. Sakura looked at Hinata apologetically. She knew too.
— Are you? — Chouji asked a little surprised. — Since when have you been dating? You didn’t tell us anything.
— Well, — Ino started — last Wednesday after leaving Naruto’s place, I texted Sai asking if I could come over to hang out a little. We’ve had this thing happening for a while, so I just mustered my courage asked him to be my boyfriend. We were kind of going out already, just needed to make it official.
— We had planned on telling you guys a little later, but I guess Ino likes to surprise me. — Sai smiled, kissing her cheek.
Hinata tightened her grip on Kiba’s hand, but smiled nonetheless. She wouldn’t let the sadness show on her face. No, she was way too used to fake an expression, especially around Ino. Was she unhappy? Yes. Was she angry? A little. But that didn’t matter. Despite being in love with Ino, she never confessed. All they did was flirt a little, and Ino was for sure one of the biggest flirts of the group, just like Naruto, so Hinata shouldn’t have taken it to heart. Hinata was a loyal friend, a good friend, and wouldn’t let a broken heart mess her friendship with anyone.
— Congratulations too, Ino. — She said with a smile, her eyes shaping into crescents. Ino thanked her right after, but there was a hint of hesitation in her voice. Temari saw the other blonde girl exchange glances with her boyfriend and wondered what was up, looking at Shikamaru for answers, but he, too, had none.
Break time went by quickly and they soon had to separate again. Sai joined Sakura and Sasuke on the way to their classroom, kissing his girlfriend goodbye before he left. The rest of them went their own path, even though Naruto wasn’t so keen on being away from his lovers again. Kiba held Hinata’s hand inside of his hoodie pocket along the way, knowing how she must had been feeling.
Not long after, while Kiba stared at Hinata with concern, he felt his phone vibrate.
Temari (11:13): Your friends are surprisingly nice
Kiba (11:14): Thanks?
Temari (11:14): Sorry for the teasing, but I had to do it
Kiba (11:14): Lol no hard feelings
Temari (11:15): I guess you haven’t most of them about you and Kankuro
Kiba (11:15): There’s no way I would
Kiba (11:15): He wouldn’t like it
Temari (11:15): The way you worry about him is cute
Temari (11:16): I’ve been thinking, by the way
Temari (11:16): You know, you and Kan are a good match
Temari (11:16): Don’t tell him I said that
Kiba (11:17): Lol thank you. We ended up being very good friends, huh?
Temari (11:17): But is that really all you wanna be?
Kiba gulped.
Kiba (11:18): What do you mean?
Temari (11:18): Eh, forget it. I was just running my tongue.
Temari (11:18): I’ll put in a good word about your friends with Kankuro.
Kiba (11:19): That would be lovely lol
Kiba (11:19): I’d do the same for you, but I guess you’ve won them on your first try
Temari (11:20): It’s easier when I had already known some of you
Kiba (11:20): Fair enough
Temari (11:21): Just curious. Do you have any idea of when you’re gonna open up the game to your buddies?
Kiba (11:22): I’ve been thinking about it
Kiba (11:22): I want to, but I wanna respect your brother’s time
Kiba (11:22): I just wish I could tell Shino
Temari (11:23): You know, you could always ask Kankuro if he’s ok with it instead of stepping on eggs all the time
Temari (11:23): I don’t think he’d say no to you if it really is important
Temari (11:23): I’m telling you this as a friend too
Temari (11:24): You do my brother good, I’m thankful
Kiba (11:24): I’ll think about it, for real
Temari (11:24): Alright!
Temari (11:25): While you’re at it, help Shikamaru out when he tries to get your friends used to Gaara, ‘k?
Kiba (11:25): For sure. I promised Kankuro I’d try too.
Temari (11:25): See? You’re the best
Temari (11:26): Better play attention to class tho, so I’ll leave you to it
Temari (11:26): Bye bye, sweetie.
Kiba (11:27): Bye.
Between worrying about Hinata and listening to teachers’ babbling, Kiba had wondered all day about what Temari had said. Maybe he should just ask Kankuro if he could tell Shino about their connection, since the fact that he was hiding a secret from his best friend was eating him alive. He was just apprehensive about how Kankuro would deal with it, being as insecure as he was, and Kiba didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. But it was reaching a point in which Kiba was finding it uncomfortable not to confide in Shino. So, what to do now?
His head was everywhere during the indoor soccer training, and Lee had told him to focus more than once, until he had to be pulled off to the side and questioned by the boy. Of course, Kiba just made excuses about having a terrible headache, which wasn’t technically a lie, so Lee let him go for the day with the promise that he would make it up to the team in their next training session in two days. Naruto watched him leaving with curious eyes, still hung-up on the idea that Kiba had been acting weird for weeks now, and it was beginning to worry him a lot more.
Kiba went to the school’s infirmary to get painkillers from the nurse, asking her if he could lay down for a while. What should he do now? Should he ask Kankuro if it was ok to tell Shino? Should he wait a little more? All of this, together with worrying about Hinata, was making him wish things were a little easier.
Maybe asking wouldn’t hurt.
He pulled up his phone from his backpack.
Kiba (16:38): Hey, are you with your car?
Kankuro (16:40): Yeah, why?
Kiba (16:40): I don’t wanna sound like a leech, but my headache is killing me
Kiba (16:41): Can you pick me up?
Kiba (16:41): I need to talk to you in person
Kankuro (16:42): What’s wrong?
Kiba (16:42): I’d rather not explain through texts :(
Kankuro (16:43): Sure, I’ll be there
Kankuro (16:43): Wait for me in 10 minutes by the east gate
Kiba (16:44): Thank you so much
Kiba opened the door to Kankuro’s car still in his soccer clothes and sat on the passenger’s seat, throwing his bag on the backseat. He didn’t want to change back into his casual outfit before taking a shower, given that he had sweated during the training. He leaned his head on the cold glass, cursing internally at the painkillers that still had had no effect.
— Do you want a jacket? — Kankuro asked, still parked. — It’s cold.
— No, thanks. I’m dirty and kinda stinky.
— That isn’t a problem, you know? I do laundry.
Kiba chuckled at his answer.
— I’m not feeling the weather yet, Kanky. But thank you anyway.
Kankuro sighed, starting the engine so he could get back on the street. Kiba was silent, unsure of how to bring up the topic that had been haunting him for days. He fidgeted a little, avoiding to look in Kankuro’s direction, and his evasive moves were quickly noticed by the driver, who just sighed.
— Do you want me to take you home?
— Yes, please.
— Alright, just give me the directions.
When Kankuro pulled up in front of Kiba’s house, he turned off the car and leaned onto the steering wheel. He was confused by the way that Kiba was behaving, and you could say that it was stressing him out a little, since he didn’t know what to say or do. He wasn’t the best at dealing with people, and it was biting him in the ass right now. Since Kiba wasn’t getting out, he decided to try.
— What did you need to say to me?
Kiba gulped. He didn’t dare to stare back at Kankuro.
— There’s- uh… — He started, hesitation clear in his speech. — There’s something that’s been bothering me lately.
— Is that “something” me?
— No! — He was quick to deny. — No, of course not!
— But it’s related to me, isn’t it?
Kiba slumped back on his seat, crossing his arms.
— Yeah.
— You can talk to me, Kiba. What is it?
— It’s just… Look, I know that you have a hard time with some people, especially my friends because of all that has happened between us. It’s ok, I totally get it, since I was afraid of your brother at first too, but ever since we’ve started our thing, there’s something in the back of my mind.
— What is it? You can tell me.
The younger boy bit his bottom lip.
— It’s Shino. He’s my childhood friend. He, Hinata and I have been best friends since we were brats, and we don’t usually hide stuff from each other. At first, I didn’t dig the idea of telling him about you because I thought he had grudges against you because of the punch and all. But now, after we’ve stopped the arguing and Temari is dating Shika, I realized that he doesn’t mind at all.
— Is that so? — Kankuro replied in a low voice.
— Yeah. You know, Shin is a nice person, he’s just not outgoing like me or Naruto. He isn’t the type to hold stuff against people for too long if it’s not a problem anymore. He realized that I’m acting weird and hiding something from him, and I feel bad, as a friend, for doing it. We’ve always shared everything with each other, so I don’t wanna keep you a secret from him anymore. — Kiba sighed. — You’re important to me too, so I want him to know that. But I’m not going to do something that makes you uncomfortable or tell him behind your back, I’m not that type of person.
— So you want my permission to tell him?
— Yes.
Kankuro chuckled.
— You’re really cute, aren’t you? — He said with a small smile. — I would never deny you that, Kiba. He’s you best friend, I don’t have the right to tell you what to say or what not to say to him. I’m really glad that you asked me first, because yeah, I’m still a little uneasy about it, but I’m not gonna say no.
Kiba then let out a deep breath that he didn’t even know he’d been holding. Had he been making a big deal out of nothing? Worrying about something that he didn’t have to worry about?
Kankuro continued talking.
— I’d appreciate if we could take it slowly just like we’ve been doing, though. I’m not ready to meet the others or have they knowing about us. I realize I may be asking too much, but we can come to an agreement.
— It’s no problem, for real. I was only worrying about Shino.
— Then it’s alright. Just tell him, I don’t mind.
— Thanks, Kanky.
— This is nothing you should thank me for.
— Still. — Kiba insisted. — God, I was so worried you wouldn’t like it.
— You’re the best friend I could have asked for. — Kankuro laughed. — No one is that worried about my opinion.
— You’re awesome too. I’m sorry for making you pick me up on your free day.
— Not a problem at all. I like spending time with you, even if it’s only for a ride.
— I like being with you too. — Kiba said, looking right into Kankuro’s eyes. He could see a light blush on the other boy’s cheeks. Was it bad that Kiba wanted to be the only one to ever see this expression? — Hey, I should really get inside, though, and take a hot shower.
— Yeah. I’ll see you around, ok?
— Ok. — Kiba smiled, getting his bag and opening the door. — Thank you so much, Kanky.
— Call me anytime.
Kiba watched the car go away from his porch, dumbly smiling to himself. His worries about that situation were gone, and he suddenly felt light. He’d tell Shino as soon as possible.
After taking a shower and swallowing another pill, Kiba laid on his bed comfortably in warm pajamas. He wished it would start snowing soon.
Kiba (17:57): Wanna come over for dinner tonight?
Kiba (17:57): My dad is making pizza.
Kiba (17:57): And I have some stuff to tell you.
Shino (18:04): Sure, I’ll be there.
After dinner, Shino, Hinata and Kiba headed up the stairs to Kiba’s bedroom. Hinata, of course, wasn’t in her best state, but she assured Kiba that she wasn’t a child and could deal with her feelings well enough. Still, she looked very out of balance.
Hinata laid on the bed comfortably while the boys sat each on one of the chairs in the room. Kiba looked at both of his long-time best friends and sighed.
— So? — Shino asked. There was only one word coming out of his mouth, but Kiba knew exactly what questions he was asking. He would answer them honestly.
— Well, we all know I’ve been keeping some secrets from Shino, mainly because I’m a coward, but I had other reasons too. Damn, but this was eating me alive. So, I decided to just put the cards on the table once and for all.
— I’m listening. — The other boy stated calmly, like always, and relaxed his back against the chair, crossing his arms. In his face, an arched eyebrow was telling Kiba to continue.
— I don’t know what you’re gonna think of it, but I’m not gonna beat around the bush. — He then took a deep breath, looking directly at Shino. — Kankuro and I have become friends and I wanna date him.
Shino’s eyes widened and he straightened his posture, trying to conceal the shock. Yeah, he had anticipated that the whole secrecy had to do with something that would leave him speechless, but this was… well, a surprise. He had wondered about Kiba’s strange behavior and had, of course, noticed the absence of Kankuro bothering them in the past two weeks, but he could never have imagined that this was the reason why. His mind just wouldn’t make that connection, it refused to. He didn’t understand, but he swallowed his astonishment and remained calm.
Just when he finally managed to breathe in and out deeply, he spoke.
— Is that so?
This wasn’t all a prank, was it?
It’s not like he minded if that were the truth, if what Kiba had said was for real. He just needed to make sure. After all, he had nothing against Kankuro or his siblings anymore. The punch had made his jaw hurt for a few days, but that happened many months ago, and he just joined in the slander of the siblings when asked and because Kankuro wouldn’t stop picking fights with Kiba. It had annoyed him, but it was over.
Wow, so this is why he had blown up at Naruto when the boy called Kankuro a “weirdo”. This is why he was whispering with Hinata and often disappearing during break time. This is why he had skipped game night. This is why he had been distant. This is why he blushed when Temari called him out earlier, because she knew. By extension, Shikamaru knew. And Hinata knew. Who else did? Who didn’t?
— Yeah. I’m not joking.
— He’s totally not. I was shocked too, Shin. — Hinata chuckled from her spot, amused at the sight she wasn’t so used to: a very shocked Shino. This was fun.
— I still can’t understand. I mean… How?
— It all started when I got Iruka’s detention two weeks ago. I can’t say much about that day, but we just got closer. He didn’t want to have anything to do with me at first, but that’s because Kankuro is a little insecure. Some special circumstances led me to his place, and I’ve been getting to know him more and more for the past days and feeling something I’ve never felt before. It started as a crush, I’ve always thought he’s a hot piece of ass, but it grew on me, you know? — Kiba sighed with a little smile. — We went out on Friday and it was… so good. I just realized that this isn’t a simple crush, it’s not an “I like you” kind of thing anymore. I’m in love with him for real.
Shino looked at him like he was an alien.
— I’m not sure if I’m more surprised at you being in love or if it’s because you’re in love with Kankuro.
— Yeah, I know how it must sound. There isn’t much besides this, you know? We are taking things slow, this friendship, and I’m waiting for him to be ready so I can ask him out and date.
— How do you know he would date you?
— He told me. Well, he thought I was asleep, but still.
— My brain hurts. — Shino said, massaging his temples and earning chuckles from Hinata.
— I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, Shino. I was afraid of how you’d react and I wasn’t sure if Kanky was comfortable with me telling you. We were trying to get him used to my friends slowly, because he’s terrible at dealing with people. Obviously, he met Shikamaru already. Hinata too.
— Anyone else?
— Well, Sasuke knows, and he told Sakura. But Naruto and the others are in the dark.
Shino grimaced a little.
— Why did Sasuke know about it first than I did?
Hinata then intervened.
— Because he’s hiding from Naruto that he’s friends with Gaara too.
Shino sighed loudly and deeply, trying to conceal all that information in his mind.
— Okay. — He said, more to himself than to his friends. — It’s alright. If you like him, Kiba, and if he does you good, I have no objections. I guess I’m happy for you…
— … But? — Kiba said, sensing the hesitation in Shino.
— I wanna talk to him.
Oh.