Fic: Shameless [Chapter 6]
X-Posted to chuunin , kibashino , and shinoxkiba .
Summary: Aburame Shino is a straightlaced, perfect student of Tokyo University. One night on the train he suddenly finds himself responsible for a loud-mouthed drunk named Kiba. From there, he can't seem to shake Kiba off, but does he really want to?
Previous chapters links inside!
0. Prologue
1. Akihabara to Ginza
2. Nature Boy
3. Mushi [Insect]
4. Aika, Elegy
5. Omen
5.5
6. Imaginary Folklore
AND LO, I HAVE RETURNED!! I know you lovely people have been patient since Christmas, so I will STFU and leave my a/n until after the chapter.
But I will say here that this chapter is dedicated to the DJ and producer Nujabes, who sadly passed away February 26 2010, age 36. Why? Well most of you would probably be familiar with Samurai Champloo, he composed most of the soundtrack including a few of the closing themes. He also made a lot of amazing solo work that suit any mood, I listen to them every time I write fiction or an academic paper, so without his solo and SC albums, my work would probably be a lot difficult to complete without his musical inspiration. When I wrote this chapter I only listened to Nujabes’s work, and this is my way of showing what a positive influence he has been to me.
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Kisses were very strange, Shino decided. A meeting of two mouths, or mouth to skin, there was greater physical sensation due to nerves and sensitive skin in the lips. But what he really found strange were the emotions that these ‘kisses’ caused. Europeans kissed on the cheek to say hello, but the gesture conveyed familiarity and friendship, whereas in Japan kisses were reserved for close family or lovers. Apart from his mother showering kisses on him as a child, the kisses in his adult life amounted to a brief kiss with Hinata, the two from his sempai, a drunken slobbery kiss on the cheek Naruto once managed to plant on him before he managed to shove him away, and Kiba.
Kiba was the best kiss of his life, and while he might not have much to compare him to, he could be mostly certain that Kiba was a great kisser in general. After all he had a lot of practice.
Shino wondered briefly if Kiba’s job bothered him now. Honestly, not at all right now, but would that change in the future? Did they have a future at all? Could he tell his parents that he was breaking up with his fiancé and was seeing a male smoker that loved punk music and had a big dog?
Did people that date always think about these things?
His thoughts were interrupted by the train stopping at his station, and with a sigh he left the train and walked towards the exit escalator. He had received a message from Chouji to meet him at a bookshop café for some social reason, although he suspected it was because they wanted to know about how the dinner had gone.
Sometimes being social was very tiring, was it normal to feel that way? He was comfortable that he mostly preferred his own company, but he sometimes wondered if even loud people found socialising tiring. He would have to ask Kiba some time.
When he walked into the large cafe he could see that Chouji was at the manga section with his nose buried in one of the latest tankoubans, and he glanced around to see where the others were as he approached.
“Just you here?” He asked, and his friend jumped in surprise.
“Oh Shino! I didn’t see you there.”
“That is not surprising, I approached you directly, but you were absorbed with your reading.”
“You always walk so quietly I hardly ever hear you anyway,” his friend said with his usual open smile, “I think you’ve missed your calling as a ninja!”
“I must endeavour to bear the loss gracefully.”
Chouji laughed slightly, “You should make jokes more often, actually no, jokes from you are even funnier because it’s never expected.”
“Usually because I dislike jokes.”
“Oh everyone loves jokes, it’s just finding the right combination of things funny. Anyway let’s sit down before it gets too crowded.”
“Where is everyone?”
“I haven’t heard from Sasuke or Naruto, so maybe they’re still on the train, Shika is…” Chouji trailed off, looking uncomfortable, “Uh, let’s sit down first.”
When they were seated a few minutes later, Chouji had bought the book and was now tapping the book’s cover nervously. This must be serious, because Chouji had not ordered any food.
“Shika-,” Chouji paused, and looked down, mumbling “Shikamaru isn’t coming today, we’ve been having problems.”
“Oh. I’m sorry I did not realise.”
“Its fine, we haven’t been fighting or anything but we’ve…been talking about the future.”
Shino remained silent, so Chouji continued; “In less than one year, we’ll graduate and everything will be different. I mean you’ll move on to the Masters programme but you might be married, I’ll start training at my dad’s main restaurant, and Shika will be an intern at his dad’s company, we’ll be real adults won’t we?”
“I suppose so.”
“So we all need to think about our future and families, Chokichi(1) will take over the family name but I’ll be a partner in the business. Shika will inherit, and heirs can’t be gay.”
“That’s a very negative view, especially from you.”
“Well I...it’s time to be realistic,” but Chouji did not look convinced.
Shino considered this, “Has anyone said anything to you? His parent’s maybe?”
“Oh no, they haven’t spoken about his future and still don’t suspect a thing, and that’s part of the problem, our dads are best friends and it would kill them to know we were together.”
“You’ve been a couple for nearly six years.”
“Six years of secrecy, I just can’t pretend anymore and I don’t want him to face either losing his family or dumping me, and obviously dumping me.”
“I don’t think he would.”
“Shino...we both know I’m not good enough to pick over family.”
Shino was silent for a moment, a little surprised at Chouji’s negative view, then;
“What has Shikamaru said?”
“When I said everything I’ve said to you he said he had to think about things, so he’s gone to his parents’ estate.”
“He must have a lot to think about.”
“He has to strengthen his business ties, and the best way still is marriage, I mean your family will become a lot more important after your wedding.”
“I don’t think Shikamaru would care about the business that much.”
“That’s why I’m making the decision for him, I don’t want him to regret anything.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little unfair? If he doesn’t care what people think than it’s his decision.”
Chouji simply shook his head, now looking down at the book so Shino could not see his expression.
Shino let out a small sigh, he had no idea what to say about their relationship but he needed to correct his friend, “I’m not going to marry.”
“What?” The redhead looked up, surprised.
“We spoke to each other about it and neither of us want to marry, we’re going to find a way out.”
“You never said anything before!”
“What was to say? I didn’t want to disappoint anyone but Hinata pointed out that we would both be unhappy eventually.”
“When did you decide this?”
“Last night. We spoke privately.”
“But...” Chouji seemed even more confused “What about the family ties? I know it wasn’t business but won’t it be awkward?”
“We’ve decided to find a way to dissolve it mutually without embarrassment.”
“Like?”
He paused, “I don’t know yet,” he admitted.
“Is it because of that boy you’ve met, Kiba?”
“No...I like him, but if Hinata had spoken to me about this a year ago I still would have agreed with her.”
“Oh...I-” Chouji paused, “I’m really surprised,” he said, “Because you’ve said nothing all this time and Hinata has always been so quiet whenever I’ve met her, I didn’t think she would be the one to suggest breaking it off.”
“As you said, thinking about the future.”
“So does he know about it?”
“He knows, he had a lot to say about it, most I won’t repeat...” It suddenly occurred to him that Kiba and Hinata had, although using different words, said the same thing.
Chouji blushed, but his reply was cut off by a small bell gong. He pulled out his phone and flipped it open.
“It’s Naruto, they aren’t coming, it doesn’t say why, just that they aren’t coming.”
“Probably another fight.”
“Maybe, Naruto usually sends lots of messages saying things like he wants to rip out Sasuke’s guts with a fishing hook or replace his shampoo with hair removal cream, so I’ll probably get those later. Does Sasuke say anything to you?”
Shino raised an eyebrow, surely he knew them both long enough to know the answer? Chouji seemed to realise this as he laughed slightly, “I forgot, he wouldn’t say much and even if he did you wouldn’t say.”
Shino only smiled slightly in acknowledgement.
Chouji smile slipped away and he sighed, looking outside. Obviously his mind was still occupied.
Eventually the redhead seemed determined to pull himself together and smiled again at his friend.
“Well, it’s just us two, and going drinking is no real fun when you’re not a big drinker and I’m a big eater, what should we do?”
“We could get something to eat,” Shino really could go without eating for a few more hours, but he knew it would cheer his friend up. Indeed, Chouji’s face lit up, “The new barbeque place?”
“If you wish.”
They stood to leave, and it occurred to Shino to enquire after Chouji’s friend.
“How is Ino?”
“In love, she met this guy online who lives in Tokyo so she’s always talking to him, she’s even talking about living with him when she’s graduated.”
“I see...may I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“How do you manage with dating a smoker and their habits?”
-
Why exactly did Naruto think that he was ever interested in watching ‘hilarious’ videos online? Really, he did not even watch variety shows, so why would he be interested in spending more time on the computer watching crude and simple so-called ‘comedy’?
Shino had to refrain from tutting in disapproval as he deleted all the ‘funny’ emails Naruto had sent him, really, how did he end up with such a friend?
“You know, I’m still in shock,” a voice piped up behind him, he ignored it.
“I might haveta reconsider our relationship.”
An email from a teacher, he typed a quick response.
“How the fuck could you have never have played Mortal Kombat!? It’s the shit!”
Finally he turned in his chair to face Kiba, “I don’t think I’ve missed out.”
“Yes you have, you haven’t lived until you’ve chopped up a ninja with a pitchfork.”
Kiba was lying on Shino’s bed sideways on his back, his legs splayed on the wall while his head was hanging off the edge, playing one of his portable video game consoles, he had no idea what kind.
“I think I’ve done well in life without that.”
“Nope, deprived, and you’ve never owned one video game? That should count as child abuse!”
He turned back to the screen gently shaking his head. He had a few more emails to reply to, if he was alone he would be done by now.
“Ask a question?”
“Of course.”
“What you gonna be doing when you’re twenty-seven?”
“Twenty-seven? I suppose I might be on an expedition in the Pacific Islands.”
“ ’Pacific Islands’? Why there?”
“Parasitic insects.”
“Ugh...wait, you’re pale like a ghost, won’t you explode when the sun hits you?”
“I’m not the type of pale person that burns.”
“Oh, Cool.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Eh, I figured the other day that business will start to dry up after I turn twenty-seven, which is alright cos I wanna quit long before I’m thirty, so I want to start thinking about what to do when I’m old.”
“Twenty-seven isn’t old.”
“In my job it makes you nearly middle-aged! And anyway hardly anyone wants to be doing this shit when they hit thirty.”
“So do you have any ideas for your future?”
“Well...yeah, I was sorta thinking of becoming a dog breeder. Haveta buy my own house and get some shitty qualifications, but I really love dogs. Or even help Hana set up an animal shelter one day.”
“Wouldn’t that cost a lot of money?”
“I have money.”
“I know you must earn a decent amount but I thought you spent it all on dog biscuits, hair gel and those disgusting cigarettes.”
“Says the guy with a fetish for old man clothes and flesh-eating bugs, but seriously I earn more than I spend...want to know how much I earned last year?”
“Not really.”
Kiba told him.
Shino almost looked around to see if Kiba’s face showed if he was telling the truth, more than a little surprised, instead he resumed his typing “Is that before or after you’ve paid your agency?”
“After.”
“Ah.”
There was a lull, then, “Maybe,” he heard Kiba stand from the bed, “I could come with you, when you go travelling to look at bugs.”
Shino turned the chair around to look at him, “And why would you do that?”
“See the world, shit like that. I mean, I’ve never left this country,” The brunet turned off the video game and threw it on the bed, crossing the short distance between them with a smile.
Shino wondered what he was doing, “Neither have I,” Kiba put his arms on Shino’s shoulders and sat down with his legs on either side of Shino’s waist, making himself very comfortable on the surprised boy’s lap, “So...” moving his hands to play with the short hairs to the back of Shino’s neck “in the future we can go different places, now you’re not marrying that chick you can do whatever you want.”
“Maybe,” Shino was not exactly sure where to put his hands for a moment before they found their way resting on Kiba’s thighs, “We still need to find a way out without upsetting people.”
“You talked to her about that since you decided?”
“Yes...it seems difficult to find a way.”
“What if ya can’t think of anything?”
Shino thought for a moment, the thought had occurred to him earlier “We will have to.”
Somehow his hands had found their way to interlock around Kiba’s back, “Or the only other way is to tell them the truth”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“I’m the heir...there are expectations, I know they love me but I...”
He trailed off, feeling uncertain about what to say. Kiba looked thoughtful,
“Hey, ya know I said you were a coward, but I was thinking about and I guess cos I’ve never had to tell the parents I dunno what it’s like.”
“Perhaps I am being a coward.”
“You ain’t, you’re just in a shitty situation.”
Shino sighed, and leaned forward until his head was resting against Kiba’s chest.
“Hey, if shit gets rough you know you can always stay with me, I have cable and Akamaru makes a great guard dog.”
Shino moving his head slightly to look up at Kiba, “And smell like cigarettes and dog hair like you?”
“Hey I don’t smell like-” Kiba paused to sniff his faded shirt, “Okay maybe I do a little, but he doesn’t go into the bedroom, so you can keep your old man clothes there, plus I can’t keep asking my friends to dog-sit while I work.”
“I’m flattered.”
He was not sure who went for the kiss, but it wasn’t really important. Unlike their first kiss, this one was slower, with no one to see he could really let himself relax and enjoy it.
Their noses bumped when Kiba moved his head, and Kiba broke away for a second to mutter a breathless apology before going back in, his arms winding and Shino’s neck and pulling him forward for a deeper kiss.
Shino was not sure of how long they had been kissing, but he broke away suddenly when he heard the familiar squeak of the stairs when someone stepped on them.
“Parents,” He whispered, urgently, Kiba’s eyes widened, and he scrabbled from Shino’s lap and threw himself onto the now very rumpled bed, narrowly avoiding crushing his handheld console before grabbing it and turning it on, while Shino quickly wiped his mouth and turned back to his computer, trying to appear his usual composed self.
A few seconds later, there was a calm knock at the door.
Shino turned, “Come in.”
The door slid open to reveal Shino’s father, “I just came to see if you were home,” he said, before he suddenly saw Kiba. The older man stared at him for a moment before saying, in a tone that only his wife and son would recognise as surprise, “I see you have a guest.”
“Yes, this is my friend Kiba,” The aforementioned boy seemed slightly dumbstruck for a moment, glancing between Shino and his father before he remembered his manners to stand up and bow.
“Nice to meet you!”
Shino’s father politely inclined his head, “Nice to meet you as well, I shall leave you two to continue socialising.”
After he left, Kiba turned to Shino with a huge smile on his face, “That’s so fucking awesome, now I know where you get it from.”
“Get what?”
“Everything!”
-
The next day they went to a dog-friendly park, and as soon as Kiba unclipped the leash Akamaru was tearing across the grass to play with the other dogs.
Kiba’s phone rang, and he pulled out what Shino knew was his personal phone, glancing at the call screen before grimacing and putting the phone away without answering. Shino raised an eyebrow but did not say anything, but Kiba saw his expression.
“Hana,” He said, “Don’t really feel like talking to her right now.”
“Ah.”
A little while later they were sat on the park bench idly talking, when Kiba’s phone rang again. Again, Kiba glanced at the screen and put it away.
“Is she annoyed with you?”
“Huh?”
“I assume that was your sister again.”
“Yeah, well...keep a secret?” Shino merely raised an eyebrow.
“Good point, and anyway you told me stuff so it’s only fair that I share, she wants me to come round hers for dinner soon.”
“Is that bad?”
“Well nah, I just don’t fit with her new family.”
“Kiba-”
“I mean, I fucking love her to death and I’ll always be there for her, but it’s like I don’t really fit in.”
“What has she done to make you feel this way?”
“Nothing, she’s always callin’ me saying I need to visit more, her husband and kids are real cool, we all spend the holidays together, and she calls me ‘brat’ like she used to…but, well,”
Kiba seemed focused on playing with Akamaru’s lead, eyebrows furrowed. After a minute of silence he took out his cigarettes and lighter, and it was only after he lit up and exhaled did he speak again.
“We only got back into contact just over a year ago, not cos of a fight or some dumb shit like that, but…” He trailed off, seeming to work out what to say in his head. Finally; “You’re a smart guy, so you obviously know by my accent that I’m not exactly from around here. I came to Tokyo by accident when I was eleven.”
“...Accident?”
Kiba began to talk, his voice sliding into monotone; “We’re from Chiba. Our ‘kaasan had to work two crappy jobs to look after us cos our loser dad ran off years back, but we were doing okay, we were happy. Then one day she died, we came home from school and there was police and…yeah, car accident.
Sis had just finished school so she tried to get a job but there was nowhere that would give her a job, I tried to get an after-school job but I was too young, so things were real bad for a while. Then suddenly these guys in suits, probably yakuza now that I think about it, they starting hanging around the house and causing trouble, I still dunno why.
“Then one morning Hana woke me up real early one day and told me to pack some clothes, and like two hours later we were on a train. We got off at Tokyo and the place was so packed with people changing trains we got separated. I ended up stuck at the station looking for her all day, didn’t see her and got scared that the guys in suits had taken her away so I went out onto the streets looking for her. Obviously you know what happened, I didn’t know the city or anyone so I got lost, ended up sleeping rough on the streets for I dunno how long, then I was found and taken in to a children’s home.
“I had no idea what happened to her, I didn’t want to go to the cops because the ones back in Chiba didn’t help us when we needed them, and I had no money to hire a detective, so I used to wander the streets whenever I could. I stopped when I got older, I thought she had been taken far away or that she really did just dump me there, else why the fuck couldn’t I find her?
“Last year I got a phone call from a private detective saying he had been hired by Hana. Turns out she hadn’t figured she’d lost me in the crowd and didn’t realise until the direct train to Kyoto was pulling away from the platform, so once the train stopped at Kyoto she got the next one back. Think I was gone by then, but she kept looking. She stayed in Tokyo, got a job and started night school, but every day she’d go out looking for me. She…she kept looking for me even after I’d given up, I mean she worked and studied, qualified, married a great guy and started a family but she still looked all over the city for me. As soon as she could afford it, she hired the best private detective in the country and he found me in five weeks.”
“Amazing.”
“Yeah well, after the detective told me everything about Hana he said I should appreciate what she’s done and give up my disgusting lifestyle so I don’t shame her. I dunno if he meant fucking men or that I do it for a job but he probably meant both.” Kiba put out the barely touched cigarette and lit a new one.
Shino frowned slightly, “She doesn’t know.”
“And she never will. It’s not like I’m fuckin’ ashamed or anything, I do what I’m good at and get paid a lot ‘cos of it, but I’m her baby bro, our ma worked hard so we wouldn’t end up as no-goods and I don’t want her knowing that I dropped out of high school because I didn’t care about it, and started sleeping with people for money. You know, for a career.”
“I don’t think she would despise you.”
“So, what then, she’d feel sorry for me? That’s even worse.”
“What did you tell her?”
“Said I was a host at one of those host clubs, I cover a friend every now and then so it’s not complete crap, but now she’s saying I should get a real job. Thing is, after I dropped out it was either this job or working at some shit supermarket, so I can’t just go ‘okay’ and get a office job, and even if I could I don’t want to.”
“A lot of older siblings usually tell their brothers or sisters what they should do, I really don’t think she would despise you for following your own path.”
Kiba snorted, muttering “So what I should I say? ‘Hey sis I slept with two guys last night and earned just under ¥250,000 (2) in five hours, ain’t that awesome? ’ My ass wouldn’t touch the ground when she’d throw me out!”
“Have you told her you like your job?”
“Nah.”
“Perhaps...Of course I don’t know how it feels to be in this situation, but perhaps you should tell her that you enjoy your job, you make a lot of money and will find another job when you’re ready.”
Kiba glanced at him, the first time he had looked over since he started talking, “You mean lie?”
“Well, in this situation it could be as one of my friends put it ‘selective truth’, you earn a lot and won’t stay in it forever, as for enjoying it, I can only assume you tolerate it, to do it for so long.”
Kiba considered it for a moment, “That’s a good idea, but I’d have thought you’d tell me to be honest.”
“Would rather I did?”
“No but...you’re having problems now with keeping secrets.”
“This is different, you don’t want to disappoint her but you have no other options, whereas I’ve put off mine for so long.”
“Yeah, well at least you’re doing something about it, I guess I’m the coward...but I’ll think about what you said.”
“I’ve never thought of you as a coward.”
“Hn,” Kiba was now looking back at Akamaru playing with the other dogs, “I think when it comes to real personal stuff people sometimes do really stupid things when they should just be honest, but its hard y’know? I don’t wanna lose people because I’m doing stupid things.”
Shino was not sure what her could say and so chose to say nothing. Instead, he slid closer to Kiba, and put his hand over his. The brunet looked at him in slight surprise but did not argue. Instead, he let their fingers intertwine.
-
A little later, the boys and their dog were back at Kiba’s place, and Shino was looking for a film to watch before dinner.
“I’m almost afraid to look,” Shino muttered under his breath, as he scanned the case spines, “I’m not sure if I will like what I find.”
“Eh?”
I’m not sure if I want to see what… you have in your DVD collection,”
“Why’s that? You don’t like violent movies?
Despite still facing away from the brunet, Shino resisted the urge to roll his eyes, “Do you keep your regular and… personal films together or separate?”
Kiba did not reply, and just when Shino looked around to see if he had dozed off on his futon the other boy sat up, “D’ya mean porn? Don’t worry about that cuz I don’t have any.”
“Really?” That was hard to believe.
“Think about it, I have sex at least four or five times a week, sometimes three times a day. Sex for me is for work or fun times with boyfriends, when I’ve got time to my self I just wanna do other stuff. But if I do wanna jack off I’ve got a great imagination once I’ve locked Akamaru away in the bathroom.”
“Why would you-“
“Ever have your pet staring at you while you’re trying to enjoy yourself?”
“...No, but I see your point.”
Kiba lay down again, staring at the ceiling. After a few moments, he began to rub the lower part of his stomach, near his pelvis. Shino watched him for a few moments, witness to see the slow movements of his splayed fingers across his taut stomach, hearing his breath slow down and deepen. Was this how he sounded when he…
Shino turned back to the stack of DVDs, he could feel his face becoming warm and was not exactly sure what to do in this situation, so he busied himself with his previous task. Eventually he picked up a promising film.
“Hey,” Kiba said suddenly, “you got a porn stash? Bet you do, but it’s really boring arty stuff, like in black and white with two fully dressed guys in a park staring at each other for four hours.”
He had to smile a little at that, “You think so?”
“Nah, I dunno, I just like the thought of you touching yourself.”
Shino dropped the case.
“That reminds me, next time you do that take a picture on your phone and send it to me.”
He quickly looked over his shoulder, did he hear that right? “Why?”
“Something to look at until I get the real thing.”
“And what makes you think you’ll ever get the real thing?” Shino picked up the case and went to the DVD player to put the film in.
“It’ll happen, I’ll find a way to annoy you into bed, I mean I’ve already gotten under your coat,” Kiba reached for the remote and turned the TV on.
“You’ve certainly become forward lately, and that will be as far as you’ll get if you keep talking like that,” after he placed the DVD inside he turned to Kiba, “behave yourself.”
“Of course, but hey I can’t help it if I have raw animal magnetism,”
Kiba shuffled aside slightly on his futon as Shino came to sit next to him, surprising him by looping his arm around Shino’s shoulders and bringing him down to lie next to him.
“Kiba!”
“We can still see the TV from here, and I won’t try anything while there are ninjas on the screen.”
Shino just sighed, and let the other boy cuddle him closer as they waited for the film to start.
“Thanks, for earlier,” Kiba muttered suddenly, sounding almost embarrassed. Shino only squeezed the other’s boy arm in acknowledgement.
About an hour later into the film, Kiba gently nudged him in the ribs,
“Hey, you wanna stay over for the weekend?”
-
For as long as Shino had known him, Shikamaru was a smoker.
Even at fifteen Shino had disapproved of the habit, but never really made an issue out of it, as Chouji had told them early in their friendship (when Shikamaru was outside taking an unofficial smoking break from class cleanup duty) that he had started in the memory of their favourite junior high school teacher that had died fighting to protect his pregnant fiancé from armed robbers. When he asked Kiba, he had said that he just liked it, and when Shino asked him if he was worried for his health at all, Kiba just laughed and said he’d only die in a completely awesome way.
Shikamaru was one of the few people permitted to smoke inside the Aburame household, and by ‘permitted’, he could smoke in the small courtyard that was at the centre of the house. The two friends were sat on the wooden walkway’s edge, looking at the small garden and pond that the gardener that came in twice a week took so much pride in.
Shikamaru outwardly seemed like his usual lazy self, but since had arrived twenty minutes ago he had smoked three cigarettes in a row, something was bothering him. Shino of course knew why, but experience in social convention had taught him that Shikamaru had come to talk about it, but he must wait until his friend had brought the subject up himself. He also knew not to read while his friend was bothered, so had to content himself with mentally naming the different species and characteristics of the insects that lived in his garden.
Eventually, after lighting yet another cigarette, Shikamaru finally spoke; “Chouji thinks we should break up.”
“I know.”
“Huh, I figured he’d either talk to you or Naruto, what else did he say?”
“Only that you would be better off marrying a woman; for your sake and the business that is.”
“I don’t know why he believes that crap.”
“He feels that you need to consider the family’s reputation.”
“Did you agree?”
“No...” To think that Shikamaru thought he might agree stung a little, “I said that you cared about him more than anyone else.”
“And I do! I know I don’t run around screaming how I feel like other people, or even do much at all, but me and Chouji have known each other all our lives, he knows when I’m hungry and what I want before I do, but he doesn’t realise how much I love him? Also, I know what you’re thinking, yeah I’ve told him, I’ve been telling him since we got together, but he seems to just think I’ll dump him as soon as it’s convenient. It kinda feels like he doesn’t think much of me.”
“He’s insecure.”
“Yeah obviously, but why? After six years together?”
“It’s possible...he did say that because our lives would change after we graduated.”
“So what? After the student bubble burst I’d just ditch him?”
“I don’t know”
“Geeze.”
“I was surprised at how sudden this all is.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why did you leave?”
“My ‘kaasan’s always hassling me to become more involved in the businesses, so going to the estate to look at the accounts was a good excuse to get away and think, but I should have taken him with me so we could have talked properly.
“I care about the business but it’s not gonna rule my life, work is work, and as long as my private life doesn’t break the law no one should give a shit about what I do and who I love in private so somehow I’ve gotta prove that to him.”
“A friend of mine has a similar philosophy to you.”
“Friend? d’you mean that guy that you say you’re not dating?”
“We’re seeing each other.”
“Really? That was a bit faster than I thought. When did that happen?”
“Less than a week ago.”
“And you and Hinata are gonna dissolve the engagement?”
“...You have spoken to Chouji.”
“Not yet, but apart from that you never mention the engagement and you like men, neither of you made an effort to see each other in two years so it was pretty obvious that there wasn’t going to be a wedding, so how are you going to break the news?”
“We’re trying to dissolve the engagement without causing embarrassment.”
“Not gonna happen, you should just tell them you’re gay.”
“Why do you think that?”
“There’s no way it could be done quietly now, you’ve both left that option behind years ago so just be honest now.”
‘Like you.’
“I heard that, I’m gonna tell them tomorrow.”
“You are?”
“ ‘Kaasan’s a bitch sometimes, but I know they’ll be okay with it.”
“What about Chouji?”
“Haven’t told him, and I’m not gonna mention him when I talk to them, I’m not gonna out him.”
“Do you think it would convince Chouji of your sincerity?”
“I don’t know, but it’d be worth it, I’m tired of hiding.”
“Hm.”
After a moment, Shino broke the silence,
“Kiba has invited me to stay with him this weekend, could I tell my parents that I’m staying at your house?”
“Yeah yeah of course, it’s not like you haven’t covered for us a hundred times.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey, if everything works out for me and Chouji I’ll be really glad I won’t have to come up with troublesome excuses on why I’m out all night or sneak out of his place before his dad and brother woke up, and cos they’re chefs they get up pretty damn early.”
“Were you keeping your sexuality a secret for Chouji?”
Shikamaru gave a kind of half smile and tapped the side of his nose. It was a habit he had picked up on since a trip to England and Shino was not entirely certain what it meant, but the few times Shikamaru had used the gesture Shino could only surmise that the gesture meant ‘secret’.
Shikamaru’s phone suddenly rang, and he pulled the phone out of his pocket, “Naruto?” A sudden burst of incomprehensible noise erupted from the speaker and Shikamaru jerked the phone away from his ear, “geeze, what the hell?” he muttered as soon as the noise went down slightly, “What? What’s you and or Sasuke done now? Huh? Yeah he’s right next to me...eh? Why don’t you tell him yourself? Okay okay! Geeze...” Shikamaru pulled the phone away looking irritated and said “Naruto wants you to give Sasuke a message.”
“Why doesn’t he tell him himself?”
“Guess why.”
“...Another fight? I don’t want to be involved.”
“None of us do, but I bet they never get the message, listen I don’t think he’s stopped ranting.”
Indeed the enraged noises from the phone had no abated at all, in fact Shino half expected the speaker to sprout foam.
“I wonder if this was the same fight from a few days ago?”
“Really? Wouldn’t they be having makeup sex by now?”
Shikamaru raised the phone between them and the two friends both leaned towards the phone to hear what Naruto was saying.
“-And you can also tell that rotten cunt that if he thinks I’ll be chasing after him again after this he’s even more egotistical and deluded than I thought! I’ve wasted years on that fucker and he just says...just tell that him I said fuck you, fuck you very much because I know he went through a lot of horrible stuff but he had NO FUCKING RIGHT to say that!”
-
Sleeping with Kiba the ‘sort-of boyfriend’ was a marked improvement from sleeping next to Kiba the ‘drunk and rude stranger’ that cost him a lot of money and embarrassment, although they needed to learn how to perfect ‘snuggling’ (as Kiba put it) without annoying each other. Shino liked to sleep on his stomach and tended not to move much during the night. Whereas Kiba’s style seemed to be a bit of everything, thankfully not snoring, but constantly moving around and had rolled out of the futon more than once, even Akamaru at the foot of the bed looked annoyed with him. Eventually at about four in the morning Shino had had enough, and in mild desperation put his arms around Kiba’s t-shirt covered torso and lay his head on the brunet’s chest to keep him still. It worked, but it was good for Shino that it was dark and Kiba was still asleep, because Shino’s face had grown hot at the intimate contact, all irritation now lost in the feel of Kiba’s warmth and the worn cotton of his t-shirt. Even when he yawned and mumbled “Beef please,” it was almost sweet.
When Shino woke late in the morning Kiba was already awake. He was lying on his back staring at the ceiling, but as soon as Shino shifted to look at him he looked over, and smiled after a moment.
“So that’s what your eyes are like, I didn’t think they’d be grey.”
It took a moment for his still-waking mind to catch up before he realised what he said and reached for his glasses, but Kiba’s hand stopped his. “Don’t,” he said quietly, “You look nice.” Shino looked at him carefully to see if he was being honest for a moment, before slowly withdrawing his hand. Kiba kept his hold on his hand and began to slowly run his fingers up Shino’s arm, slowly pushing the sleeve of his sleeping shirt up to his elbow to trace the minute scars, all the time looking straight at him. Shino felt strangely naked.
“So how come you wear those anyway?” Kiba said at last.
“I’m short sighted, as well as light sensitive.”
“Your dad as well?”
“Yes, it’s genetic.”
A shuffle of sheets as Kiba moved closer, and they kissed slowly.
While their kisses became deeper and more intimate, Kiba had reached down with his hand and did something that was...very nice.
After, Shino insisted on cooking while he stayed over, partly to say thank you but, mostly so Kiba would not die of scurvy. Shino really was the most basic of cooks, his parents had insisted on his learning home skills because they both worked and he considered that fair, but his cooking skills were limited to healthy but extremely plain.
Kiba however just seemed ecstatic to have food that wasn’t instant, although he made sure to complain about the lack of meat, and threw a handful of bacon from a packet onto the meal before practically inhaling the food with a sheer a lack of manners that made Akamaru’s dining habits seem worthy of royalty.
On Saturday night one of Kiba’s phones rang. He picked up the phone, answering it while grabbing an old notepad and pen. He said very little apart from “Yep,” every now and then, and “Thanks,” when he hung up.
Shino glanced up from his book, “Work?”
“Yeah, it’s not too far away so I won’t be gone too long,” But Kiba didn’t seem very happy about it as he stood to go get ready.
Less than an hour later they stood in the hallway, Kiba looking strange again in a suit while smelling of the shower and a splash of expensive cologne. Akamaru had fallen asleep earlier so the main room door was closed.
There would have been an awkward silence at the situation if Kiba wasn’t so hell bent on ruining it. Instead he leaned forward, biting his lower lip slightly before he spoke. Shino tried to ignore that he found Kiba’s slightly longer than normal canine teeth attractive.
“Can I have a kiss to remember until I get back?” he asked.
“Isn’t that unprofessional?”
“Yeah,” He nodded and slowly undid his tie, “If I was fully dressed, but my tie’s undone, so I’m not at work,” he replied, cheeky as ever as he waggled his eyebrows in an attempt to look sexy.
Despite himself Shino smiled a little, and leaned in to capture Kiba’s warm lips, the heat of the kiss dissolving the strangeness of the situation.
When they parted, Kiba made sure that Shino saw him lick his lips as he slowly fixed his tie, “I’ll see you later.”
“Take care.”
After a moment, Kiba’s smile grew a little, “Doesn’t this feel weird? Me off to work and you saying bye to me like a housewife, maybe you should have packed me a lunch.”
“Go away.”
“So cruel!” Kiba dramatically dabbed his eyes, then winked at him and left.
-
In the small hours of the morning Shino was woken from his sleep by the sound of a key in the lock, and the door opening. After some shuffling in the bedroom, the door to the main room opened and he heard Kiba yawn and start to undress. Soon he felt the covers move as Kiba got into the large futon and immediately cuddle against him, and Shino soon drifted off again.
Shino suddenly woke less than an hour later when Kiba elbowed him in the face, while still fast asleep. After shoving the arm away from his face he quietly got up to use the bathroom, although Kiba and Akamaru were such heavy sleepers a tank could have rolled through the room and they would not stir.
When he returned, he was suddenly very glad that Kiba actually had a curtain drawn back for the night time, or he would have surely have fallen and broken his neck on all the rubbish Kiba hoarded in the room.
It also meant that he could look at Kiba, really look at him without all the layers of crudeness and attitude. Quietly, Shino sat down on his previous spot on the futon, unable to look away from the steady rise and fall of the brunet’s bare chest that was half-covered by the blanket, with his face relaxed in a deep sleep he looked less defensive, but still handsome.
He had lied to his parents to see this, he knew that he would feel terrible when he went home tomorrow evening, but whenever he was with Kiba very little seemed to matter. It was not that he forgot his responsibilities, but he was so new to this...whatever it was they had, he liked it and found it more important.
The more he got to know him, the more he liked Kiba, and while he still felt the same way about the marriage before he had met him, he was glad that he was not alone in dealing with it. Of course there were his friends, but this was...this was different.
Shino raised a corner of the blanket and was about to slip back under the covers when something on Kiba caught his eye and made him pause. He briefly considered it to just be a trick of the moonlight on one of his tattoos, but curiosity made him pull the covers back further.
He took a sharp intake of breath, unprepared for what he saw. There, on the right side of Kiba’s stomach, was an old but jagged, angry scar.
_______________________________________________
(1) Chokichi - The name I picked for Chouji’s older brother, apparently it means ‘good fotune’.
(2) ¥250,000 - About £1,746, or $2,682 US.
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Additional A/N: Well I’m back y’all, I hope you enjoyed this super-long chapter. I’m very sorry for the epic delay, but after I completed my horrible dissertation I suffered a massive writer’s block on this story. I had no problem coming up for new stuff (and I know at least one of my fair regular reviewers enjoyed one of my new stories), but with ‘Shameless’...well, it was like after I posted the chapter and replied to a few fic-related emails, I switched the ‘Shameless’ part of my brain off and since February I’ve been stumbling around in the dark trying to find the switch to turn it back on. I’ve also been job hunting seriously, which is...fun :|
Also, my birthday has just passed (I am now an old woman of 24 *sobs*) and I would love to have some lovely reviews from you awesome people, especially the lurkers!
Summary: Aburame Shino is a straightlaced, perfect student of Tokyo University. One night on the train he suddenly finds himself responsible for a loud-mouthed drunk named Kiba. From there, he can't seem to shake Kiba off, but does he really want to?
Previous chapters links inside!
0. Prologue
1. Akihabara to Ginza
2. Nature Boy
3. Mushi [Insect]
4. Aika, Elegy
5. Omen
5.5
6. Imaginary Folklore
AND LO, I HAVE RETURNED!! I know you lovely people have been patient since Christmas, so I will STFU and leave my a/n until after the chapter.
But I will say here that this chapter is dedicated to the DJ and producer Nujabes, who sadly passed away February 26 2010, age 36. Why? Well most of you would probably be familiar with Samurai Champloo, he composed most of the soundtrack including a few of the closing themes. He also made a lot of amazing solo work that suit any mood, I listen to them every time I write fiction or an academic paper, so without his solo and SC albums, my work would probably be a lot difficult to complete without his musical inspiration. When I wrote this chapter I only listened to Nujabes’s work, and this is my way of showing what a positive influence he has been to me.
____________________________________________
Kisses were very strange, Shino decided. A meeting of two mouths, or mouth to skin, there was greater physical sensation due to nerves and sensitive skin in the lips. But what he really found strange were the emotions that these ‘kisses’ caused. Europeans kissed on the cheek to say hello, but the gesture conveyed familiarity and friendship, whereas in Japan kisses were reserved for close family or lovers. Apart from his mother showering kisses on him as a child, the kisses in his adult life amounted to a brief kiss with Hinata, the two from his sempai, a drunken slobbery kiss on the cheek Naruto once managed to plant on him before he managed to shove him away, and Kiba.
Kiba was the best kiss of his life, and while he might not have much to compare him to, he could be mostly certain that Kiba was a great kisser in general. After all he had a lot of practice.
Shino wondered briefly if Kiba’s job bothered him now. Honestly, not at all right now, but would that change in the future? Did they have a future at all? Could he tell his parents that he was breaking up with his fiancé and was seeing a male smoker that loved punk music and had a big dog?
Did people that date always think about these things?
His thoughts were interrupted by the train stopping at his station, and with a sigh he left the train and walked towards the exit escalator. He had received a message from Chouji to meet him at a bookshop café for some social reason, although he suspected it was because they wanted to know about how the dinner had gone.
Sometimes being social was very tiring, was it normal to feel that way? He was comfortable that he mostly preferred his own company, but he sometimes wondered if even loud people found socialising tiring. He would have to ask Kiba some time.
When he walked into the large cafe he could see that Chouji was at the manga section with his nose buried in one of the latest tankoubans, and he glanced around to see where the others were as he approached.
“Just you here?” He asked, and his friend jumped in surprise.
“Oh Shino! I didn’t see you there.”
“That is not surprising, I approached you directly, but you were absorbed with your reading.”
“You always walk so quietly I hardly ever hear you anyway,” his friend said with his usual open smile, “I think you’ve missed your calling as a ninja!”
“I must endeavour to bear the loss gracefully.”
Chouji laughed slightly, “You should make jokes more often, actually no, jokes from you are even funnier because it’s never expected.”
“Usually because I dislike jokes.”
“Oh everyone loves jokes, it’s just finding the right combination of things funny. Anyway let’s sit down before it gets too crowded.”
“Where is everyone?”
“I haven’t heard from Sasuke or Naruto, so maybe they’re still on the train, Shika is…” Chouji trailed off, looking uncomfortable, “Uh, let’s sit down first.”
When they were seated a few minutes later, Chouji had bought the book and was now tapping the book’s cover nervously. This must be serious, because Chouji had not ordered any food.
“Shika-,” Chouji paused, and looked down, mumbling “Shikamaru isn’t coming today, we’ve been having problems.”
“Oh. I’m sorry I did not realise.”
“Its fine, we haven’t been fighting or anything but we’ve…been talking about the future.”
Shino remained silent, so Chouji continued; “In less than one year, we’ll graduate and everything will be different. I mean you’ll move on to the Masters programme but you might be married, I’ll start training at my dad’s main restaurant, and Shika will be an intern at his dad’s company, we’ll be real adults won’t we?”
“I suppose so.”
“So we all need to think about our future and families, Chokichi(1) will take over the family name but I’ll be a partner in the business. Shika will inherit, and heirs can’t be gay.”
“That’s a very negative view, especially from you.”
“Well I...it’s time to be realistic,” but Chouji did not look convinced.
Shino considered this, “Has anyone said anything to you? His parent’s maybe?”
“Oh no, they haven’t spoken about his future and still don’t suspect a thing, and that’s part of the problem, our dads are best friends and it would kill them to know we were together.”
“You’ve been a couple for nearly six years.”
“Six years of secrecy, I just can’t pretend anymore and I don’t want him to face either losing his family or dumping me, and obviously dumping me.”
“I don’t think he would.”
“Shino...we both know I’m not good enough to pick over family.”
Shino was silent for a moment, a little surprised at Chouji’s negative view, then;
“What has Shikamaru said?”
“When I said everything I’ve said to you he said he had to think about things, so he’s gone to his parents’ estate.”
“He must have a lot to think about.”
“He has to strengthen his business ties, and the best way still is marriage, I mean your family will become a lot more important after your wedding.”
“I don’t think Shikamaru would care about the business that much.”
“That’s why I’m making the decision for him, I don’t want him to regret anything.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little unfair? If he doesn’t care what people think than it’s his decision.”
Chouji simply shook his head, now looking down at the book so Shino could not see his expression.
Shino let out a small sigh, he had no idea what to say about their relationship but he needed to correct his friend, “I’m not going to marry.”
“What?” The redhead looked up, surprised.
“We spoke to each other about it and neither of us want to marry, we’re going to find a way out.”
“You never said anything before!”
“What was to say? I didn’t want to disappoint anyone but Hinata pointed out that we would both be unhappy eventually.”
“When did you decide this?”
“Last night. We spoke privately.”
“But...” Chouji seemed even more confused “What about the family ties? I know it wasn’t business but won’t it be awkward?”
“We’ve decided to find a way to dissolve it mutually without embarrassment.”
“Like?”
He paused, “I don’t know yet,” he admitted.
“Is it because of that boy you’ve met, Kiba?”
“No...I like him, but if Hinata had spoken to me about this a year ago I still would have agreed with her.”
“Oh...I-” Chouji paused, “I’m really surprised,” he said, “Because you’ve said nothing all this time and Hinata has always been so quiet whenever I’ve met her, I didn’t think she would be the one to suggest breaking it off.”
“As you said, thinking about the future.”
“So does he know about it?”
“He knows, he had a lot to say about it, most I won’t repeat...” It suddenly occurred to him that Kiba and Hinata had, although using different words, said the same thing.
Chouji blushed, but his reply was cut off by a small bell gong. He pulled out his phone and flipped it open.
“It’s Naruto, they aren’t coming, it doesn’t say why, just that they aren’t coming.”
“Probably another fight.”
“Maybe, Naruto usually sends lots of messages saying things like he wants to rip out Sasuke’s guts with a fishing hook or replace his shampoo with hair removal cream, so I’ll probably get those later. Does Sasuke say anything to you?”
Shino raised an eyebrow, surely he knew them both long enough to know the answer? Chouji seemed to realise this as he laughed slightly, “I forgot, he wouldn’t say much and even if he did you wouldn’t say.”
Shino only smiled slightly in acknowledgement.
Chouji smile slipped away and he sighed, looking outside. Obviously his mind was still occupied.
Eventually the redhead seemed determined to pull himself together and smiled again at his friend.
“Well, it’s just us two, and going drinking is no real fun when you’re not a big drinker and I’m a big eater, what should we do?”
“We could get something to eat,” Shino really could go without eating for a few more hours, but he knew it would cheer his friend up. Indeed, Chouji’s face lit up, “The new barbeque place?”
“If you wish.”
They stood to leave, and it occurred to Shino to enquire after Chouji’s friend.
“How is Ino?”
“In love, she met this guy online who lives in Tokyo so she’s always talking to him, she’s even talking about living with him when she’s graduated.”
“I see...may I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“How do you manage with dating a smoker and their habits?”
-
Why exactly did Naruto think that he was ever interested in watching ‘hilarious’ videos online? Really, he did not even watch variety shows, so why would he be interested in spending more time on the computer watching crude and simple so-called ‘comedy’?
Shino had to refrain from tutting in disapproval as he deleted all the ‘funny’ emails Naruto had sent him, really, how did he end up with such a friend?
“You know, I’m still in shock,” a voice piped up behind him, he ignored it.
“I might haveta reconsider our relationship.”
An email from a teacher, he typed a quick response.
“How the fuck could you have never have played Mortal Kombat!? It’s the shit!”
Finally he turned in his chair to face Kiba, “I don’t think I’ve missed out.”
“Yes you have, you haven’t lived until you’ve chopped up a ninja with a pitchfork.”
Kiba was lying on Shino’s bed sideways on his back, his legs splayed on the wall while his head was hanging off the edge, playing one of his portable video game consoles, he had no idea what kind.
“I think I’ve done well in life without that.”
“Nope, deprived, and you’ve never owned one video game? That should count as child abuse!”
He turned back to the screen gently shaking his head. He had a few more emails to reply to, if he was alone he would be done by now.
“Ask a question?”
“Of course.”
“What you gonna be doing when you’re twenty-seven?”
“Twenty-seven? I suppose I might be on an expedition in the Pacific Islands.”
“ ’Pacific Islands’? Why there?”
“Parasitic insects.”
“Ugh...wait, you’re pale like a ghost, won’t you explode when the sun hits you?”
“I’m not the type of pale person that burns.”
“Oh, Cool.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Eh, I figured the other day that business will start to dry up after I turn twenty-seven, which is alright cos I wanna quit long before I’m thirty, so I want to start thinking about what to do when I’m old.”
“Twenty-seven isn’t old.”
“In my job it makes you nearly middle-aged! And anyway hardly anyone wants to be doing this shit when they hit thirty.”
“So do you have any ideas for your future?”
“Well...yeah, I was sorta thinking of becoming a dog breeder. Haveta buy my own house and get some shitty qualifications, but I really love dogs. Or even help Hana set up an animal shelter one day.”
“Wouldn’t that cost a lot of money?”
“I have money.”
“I know you must earn a decent amount but I thought you spent it all on dog biscuits, hair gel and those disgusting cigarettes.”
“Says the guy with a fetish for old man clothes and flesh-eating bugs, but seriously I earn more than I spend...want to know how much I earned last year?”
“Not really.”
Kiba told him.
Shino almost looked around to see if Kiba’s face showed if he was telling the truth, more than a little surprised, instead he resumed his typing “Is that before or after you’ve paid your agency?”
“After.”
“Ah.”
There was a lull, then, “Maybe,” he heard Kiba stand from the bed, “I could come with you, when you go travelling to look at bugs.”
Shino turned the chair around to look at him, “And why would you do that?”
“See the world, shit like that. I mean, I’ve never left this country,” The brunet turned off the video game and threw it on the bed, crossing the short distance between them with a smile.
Shino wondered what he was doing, “Neither have I,” Kiba put his arms on Shino’s shoulders and sat down with his legs on either side of Shino’s waist, making himself very comfortable on the surprised boy’s lap, “So...” moving his hands to play with the short hairs to the back of Shino’s neck “in the future we can go different places, now you’re not marrying that chick you can do whatever you want.”
“Maybe,” Shino was not exactly sure where to put his hands for a moment before they found their way resting on Kiba’s thighs, “We still need to find a way out without upsetting people.”
“You talked to her about that since you decided?”
“Yes...it seems difficult to find a way.”
“What if ya can’t think of anything?”
Shino thought for a moment, the thought had occurred to him earlier “We will have to.”
Somehow his hands had found their way to interlock around Kiba’s back, “Or the only other way is to tell them the truth”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“I’m the heir...there are expectations, I know they love me but I...”
He trailed off, feeling uncertain about what to say. Kiba looked thoughtful,
“Hey, ya know I said you were a coward, but I was thinking about and I guess cos I’ve never had to tell the parents I dunno what it’s like.”
“Perhaps I am being a coward.”
“You ain’t, you’re just in a shitty situation.”
Shino sighed, and leaned forward until his head was resting against Kiba’s chest.
“Hey, if shit gets rough you know you can always stay with me, I have cable and Akamaru makes a great guard dog.”
Shino moving his head slightly to look up at Kiba, “And smell like cigarettes and dog hair like you?”
“Hey I don’t smell like-” Kiba paused to sniff his faded shirt, “Okay maybe I do a little, but he doesn’t go into the bedroom, so you can keep your old man clothes there, plus I can’t keep asking my friends to dog-sit while I work.”
“I’m flattered.”
He was not sure who went for the kiss, but it wasn’t really important. Unlike their first kiss, this one was slower, with no one to see he could really let himself relax and enjoy it.
Their noses bumped when Kiba moved his head, and Kiba broke away for a second to mutter a breathless apology before going back in, his arms winding and Shino’s neck and pulling him forward for a deeper kiss.
Shino was not sure of how long they had been kissing, but he broke away suddenly when he heard the familiar squeak of the stairs when someone stepped on them.
“Parents,” He whispered, urgently, Kiba’s eyes widened, and he scrabbled from Shino’s lap and threw himself onto the now very rumpled bed, narrowly avoiding crushing his handheld console before grabbing it and turning it on, while Shino quickly wiped his mouth and turned back to his computer, trying to appear his usual composed self.
A few seconds later, there was a calm knock at the door.
Shino turned, “Come in.”
The door slid open to reveal Shino’s father, “I just came to see if you were home,” he said, before he suddenly saw Kiba. The older man stared at him for a moment before saying, in a tone that only his wife and son would recognise as surprise, “I see you have a guest.”
“Yes, this is my friend Kiba,” The aforementioned boy seemed slightly dumbstruck for a moment, glancing between Shino and his father before he remembered his manners to stand up and bow.
“Nice to meet you!”
Shino’s father politely inclined his head, “Nice to meet you as well, I shall leave you two to continue socialising.”
After he left, Kiba turned to Shino with a huge smile on his face, “That’s so fucking awesome, now I know where you get it from.”
“Get what?”
“Everything!”
-
The next day they went to a dog-friendly park, and as soon as Kiba unclipped the leash Akamaru was tearing across the grass to play with the other dogs.
Kiba’s phone rang, and he pulled out what Shino knew was his personal phone, glancing at the call screen before grimacing and putting the phone away without answering. Shino raised an eyebrow but did not say anything, but Kiba saw his expression.
“Hana,” He said, “Don’t really feel like talking to her right now.”
“Ah.”
A little while later they were sat on the park bench idly talking, when Kiba’s phone rang again. Again, Kiba glanced at the screen and put it away.
“Is she annoyed with you?”
“Huh?”
“I assume that was your sister again.”
“Yeah, well...keep a secret?” Shino merely raised an eyebrow.
“Good point, and anyway you told me stuff so it’s only fair that I share, she wants me to come round hers for dinner soon.”
“Is that bad?”
“Well nah, I just don’t fit with her new family.”
“Kiba-”
“I mean, I fucking love her to death and I’ll always be there for her, but it’s like I don’t really fit in.”
“What has she done to make you feel this way?”
“Nothing, she’s always callin’ me saying I need to visit more, her husband and kids are real cool, we all spend the holidays together, and she calls me ‘brat’ like she used to…but, well,”
Kiba seemed focused on playing with Akamaru’s lead, eyebrows furrowed. After a minute of silence he took out his cigarettes and lighter, and it was only after he lit up and exhaled did he speak again.
“We only got back into contact just over a year ago, not cos of a fight or some dumb shit like that, but…” He trailed off, seeming to work out what to say in his head. Finally; “You’re a smart guy, so you obviously know by my accent that I’m not exactly from around here. I came to Tokyo by accident when I was eleven.”
“...Accident?”
Kiba began to talk, his voice sliding into monotone; “We’re from Chiba. Our ‘kaasan had to work two crappy jobs to look after us cos our loser dad ran off years back, but we were doing okay, we were happy. Then one day she died, we came home from school and there was police and…yeah, car accident.
Sis had just finished school so she tried to get a job but there was nowhere that would give her a job, I tried to get an after-school job but I was too young, so things were real bad for a while. Then suddenly these guys in suits, probably yakuza now that I think about it, they starting hanging around the house and causing trouble, I still dunno why.
“Then one morning Hana woke me up real early one day and told me to pack some clothes, and like two hours later we were on a train. We got off at Tokyo and the place was so packed with people changing trains we got separated. I ended up stuck at the station looking for her all day, didn’t see her and got scared that the guys in suits had taken her away so I went out onto the streets looking for her. Obviously you know what happened, I didn’t know the city or anyone so I got lost, ended up sleeping rough on the streets for I dunno how long, then I was found and taken in to a children’s home.
“I had no idea what happened to her, I didn’t want to go to the cops because the ones back in Chiba didn’t help us when we needed them, and I had no money to hire a detective, so I used to wander the streets whenever I could. I stopped when I got older, I thought she had been taken far away or that she really did just dump me there, else why the fuck couldn’t I find her?
“Last year I got a phone call from a private detective saying he had been hired by Hana. Turns out she hadn’t figured she’d lost me in the crowd and didn’t realise until the direct train to Kyoto was pulling away from the platform, so once the train stopped at Kyoto she got the next one back. Think I was gone by then, but she kept looking. She stayed in Tokyo, got a job and started night school, but every day she’d go out looking for me. She…she kept looking for me even after I’d given up, I mean she worked and studied, qualified, married a great guy and started a family but she still looked all over the city for me. As soon as she could afford it, she hired the best private detective in the country and he found me in five weeks.”
“Amazing.”
“Yeah well, after the detective told me everything about Hana he said I should appreciate what she’s done and give up my disgusting lifestyle so I don’t shame her. I dunno if he meant fucking men or that I do it for a job but he probably meant both.” Kiba put out the barely touched cigarette and lit a new one.
Shino frowned slightly, “She doesn’t know.”
“And she never will. It’s not like I’m fuckin’ ashamed or anything, I do what I’m good at and get paid a lot ‘cos of it, but I’m her baby bro, our ma worked hard so we wouldn’t end up as no-goods and I don’t want her knowing that I dropped out of high school because I didn’t care about it, and started sleeping with people for money. You know, for a career.”
“I don’t think she would despise you.”
“So, what then, she’d feel sorry for me? That’s even worse.”
“What did you tell her?”
“Said I was a host at one of those host clubs, I cover a friend every now and then so it’s not complete crap, but now she’s saying I should get a real job. Thing is, after I dropped out it was either this job or working at some shit supermarket, so I can’t just go ‘okay’ and get a office job, and even if I could I don’t want to.”
“A lot of older siblings usually tell their brothers or sisters what they should do, I really don’t think she would despise you for following your own path.”
Kiba snorted, muttering “So what I should I say? ‘Hey sis I slept with two guys last night and earned just under ¥250,000 (2) in five hours, ain’t that awesome? ’ My ass wouldn’t touch the ground when she’d throw me out!”
“Have you told her you like your job?”
“Nah.”
“Perhaps...Of course I don’t know how it feels to be in this situation, but perhaps you should tell her that you enjoy your job, you make a lot of money and will find another job when you’re ready.”
Kiba glanced at him, the first time he had looked over since he started talking, “You mean lie?”
“Well, in this situation it could be as one of my friends put it ‘selective truth’, you earn a lot and won’t stay in it forever, as for enjoying it, I can only assume you tolerate it, to do it for so long.”
Kiba considered it for a moment, “That’s a good idea, but I’d have thought you’d tell me to be honest.”
“Would rather I did?”
“No but...you’re having problems now with keeping secrets.”
“This is different, you don’t want to disappoint her but you have no other options, whereas I’ve put off mine for so long.”
“Yeah, well at least you’re doing something about it, I guess I’m the coward...but I’ll think about what you said.”
“I’ve never thought of you as a coward.”
“Hn,” Kiba was now looking back at Akamaru playing with the other dogs, “I think when it comes to real personal stuff people sometimes do really stupid things when they should just be honest, but its hard y’know? I don’t wanna lose people because I’m doing stupid things.”
Shino was not sure what her could say and so chose to say nothing. Instead, he slid closer to Kiba, and put his hand over his. The brunet looked at him in slight surprise but did not argue. Instead, he let their fingers intertwine.
-
A little later, the boys and their dog were back at Kiba’s place, and Shino was looking for a film to watch before dinner.
“I’m almost afraid to look,” Shino muttered under his breath, as he scanned the case spines, “I’m not sure if I will like what I find.”
“Eh?”
I’m not sure if I want to see what… you have in your DVD collection,”
“Why’s that? You don’t like violent movies?
Despite still facing away from the brunet, Shino resisted the urge to roll his eyes, “Do you keep your regular and… personal films together or separate?”
Kiba did not reply, and just when Shino looked around to see if he had dozed off on his futon the other boy sat up, “D’ya mean porn? Don’t worry about that cuz I don’t have any.”
“Really?” That was hard to believe.
“Think about it, I have sex at least four or five times a week, sometimes three times a day. Sex for me is for work or fun times with boyfriends, when I’ve got time to my self I just wanna do other stuff. But if I do wanna jack off I’ve got a great imagination once I’ve locked Akamaru away in the bathroom.”
“Why would you-“
“Ever have your pet staring at you while you’re trying to enjoy yourself?”
“...No, but I see your point.”
Kiba lay down again, staring at the ceiling. After a few moments, he began to rub the lower part of his stomach, near his pelvis. Shino watched him for a few moments, witness to see the slow movements of his splayed fingers across his taut stomach, hearing his breath slow down and deepen. Was this how he sounded when he…
Shino turned back to the stack of DVDs, he could feel his face becoming warm and was not exactly sure what to do in this situation, so he busied himself with his previous task. Eventually he picked up a promising film.
“Hey,” Kiba said suddenly, “you got a porn stash? Bet you do, but it’s really boring arty stuff, like in black and white with two fully dressed guys in a park staring at each other for four hours.”
He had to smile a little at that, “You think so?”
“Nah, I dunno, I just like the thought of you touching yourself.”
Shino dropped the case.
“That reminds me, next time you do that take a picture on your phone and send it to me.”
He quickly looked over his shoulder, did he hear that right? “Why?”
“Something to look at until I get the real thing.”
“And what makes you think you’ll ever get the real thing?” Shino picked up the case and went to the DVD player to put the film in.
“It’ll happen, I’ll find a way to annoy you into bed, I mean I’ve already gotten under your coat,” Kiba reached for the remote and turned the TV on.
“You’ve certainly become forward lately, and that will be as far as you’ll get if you keep talking like that,” after he placed the DVD inside he turned to Kiba, “behave yourself.”
“Of course, but hey I can’t help it if I have raw animal magnetism,”
Kiba shuffled aside slightly on his futon as Shino came to sit next to him, surprising him by looping his arm around Shino’s shoulders and bringing him down to lie next to him.
“Kiba!”
“We can still see the TV from here, and I won’t try anything while there are ninjas on the screen.”
Shino just sighed, and let the other boy cuddle him closer as they waited for the film to start.
“Thanks, for earlier,” Kiba muttered suddenly, sounding almost embarrassed. Shino only squeezed the other’s boy arm in acknowledgement.
About an hour later into the film, Kiba gently nudged him in the ribs,
“Hey, you wanna stay over for the weekend?”
-
For as long as Shino had known him, Shikamaru was a smoker.
Even at fifteen Shino had disapproved of the habit, but never really made an issue out of it, as Chouji had told them early in their friendship (when Shikamaru was outside taking an unofficial smoking break from class cleanup duty) that he had started in the memory of their favourite junior high school teacher that had died fighting to protect his pregnant fiancé from armed robbers. When he asked Kiba, he had said that he just liked it, and when Shino asked him if he was worried for his health at all, Kiba just laughed and said he’d only die in a completely awesome way.
Shikamaru was one of the few people permitted to smoke inside the Aburame household, and by ‘permitted’, he could smoke in the small courtyard that was at the centre of the house. The two friends were sat on the wooden walkway’s edge, looking at the small garden and pond that the gardener that came in twice a week took so much pride in.
Shikamaru outwardly seemed like his usual lazy self, but since had arrived twenty minutes ago he had smoked three cigarettes in a row, something was bothering him. Shino of course knew why, but experience in social convention had taught him that Shikamaru had come to talk about it, but he must wait until his friend had brought the subject up himself. He also knew not to read while his friend was bothered, so had to content himself with mentally naming the different species and characteristics of the insects that lived in his garden.
Eventually, after lighting yet another cigarette, Shikamaru finally spoke; “Chouji thinks we should break up.”
“I know.”
“Huh, I figured he’d either talk to you or Naruto, what else did he say?”
“Only that you would be better off marrying a woman; for your sake and the business that is.”
“I don’t know why he believes that crap.”
“He feels that you need to consider the family’s reputation.”
“Did you agree?”
“No...” To think that Shikamaru thought he might agree stung a little, “I said that you cared about him more than anyone else.”
“And I do! I know I don’t run around screaming how I feel like other people, or even do much at all, but me and Chouji have known each other all our lives, he knows when I’m hungry and what I want before I do, but he doesn’t realise how much I love him? Also, I know what you’re thinking, yeah I’ve told him, I’ve been telling him since we got together, but he seems to just think I’ll dump him as soon as it’s convenient. It kinda feels like he doesn’t think much of me.”
“He’s insecure.”
“Yeah obviously, but why? After six years together?”
“It’s possible...he did say that because our lives would change after we graduated.”
“So what? After the student bubble burst I’d just ditch him?”
“I don’t know”
“Geeze.”
“I was surprised at how sudden this all is.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why did you leave?”
“My ‘kaasan’s always hassling me to become more involved in the businesses, so going to the estate to look at the accounts was a good excuse to get away and think, but I should have taken him with me so we could have talked properly.
“I care about the business but it’s not gonna rule my life, work is work, and as long as my private life doesn’t break the law no one should give a shit about what I do and who I love in private so somehow I’ve gotta prove that to him.”
“A friend of mine has a similar philosophy to you.”
“Friend? d’you mean that guy that you say you’re not dating?”
“We’re seeing each other.”
“Really? That was a bit faster than I thought. When did that happen?”
“Less than a week ago.”
“And you and Hinata are gonna dissolve the engagement?”
“...You have spoken to Chouji.”
“Not yet, but apart from that you never mention the engagement and you like men, neither of you made an effort to see each other in two years so it was pretty obvious that there wasn’t going to be a wedding, so how are you going to break the news?”
“We’re trying to dissolve the engagement without causing embarrassment.”
“Not gonna happen, you should just tell them you’re gay.”
“Why do you think that?”
“There’s no way it could be done quietly now, you’ve both left that option behind years ago so just be honest now.”
‘Like you.’
“I heard that, I’m gonna tell them tomorrow.”
“You are?”
“ ‘Kaasan’s a bitch sometimes, but I know they’ll be okay with it.”
“What about Chouji?”
“Haven’t told him, and I’m not gonna mention him when I talk to them, I’m not gonna out him.”
“Do you think it would convince Chouji of your sincerity?”
“I don’t know, but it’d be worth it, I’m tired of hiding.”
“Hm.”
After a moment, Shino broke the silence,
“Kiba has invited me to stay with him this weekend, could I tell my parents that I’m staying at your house?”
“Yeah yeah of course, it’s not like you haven’t covered for us a hundred times.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey, if everything works out for me and Chouji I’ll be really glad I won’t have to come up with troublesome excuses on why I’m out all night or sneak out of his place before his dad and brother woke up, and cos they’re chefs they get up pretty damn early.”
“Were you keeping your sexuality a secret for Chouji?”
Shikamaru gave a kind of half smile and tapped the side of his nose. It was a habit he had picked up on since a trip to England and Shino was not entirely certain what it meant, but the few times Shikamaru had used the gesture Shino could only surmise that the gesture meant ‘secret’.
Shikamaru’s phone suddenly rang, and he pulled the phone out of his pocket, “Naruto?” A sudden burst of incomprehensible noise erupted from the speaker and Shikamaru jerked the phone away from his ear, “geeze, what the hell?” he muttered as soon as the noise went down slightly, “What? What’s you and or Sasuke done now? Huh? Yeah he’s right next to me...eh? Why don’t you tell him yourself? Okay okay! Geeze...” Shikamaru pulled the phone away looking irritated and said “Naruto wants you to give Sasuke a message.”
“Why doesn’t he tell him himself?”
“Guess why.”
“...Another fight? I don’t want to be involved.”
“None of us do, but I bet they never get the message, listen I don’t think he’s stopped ranting.”
Indeed the enraged noises from the phone had no abated at all, in fact Shino half expected the speaker to sprout foam.
“I wonder if this was the same fight from a few days ago?”
“Really? Wouldn’t they be having makeup sex by now?”
Shikamaru raised the phone between them and the two friends both leaned towards the phone to hear what Naruto was saying.
“-And you can also tell that rotten cunt that if he thinks I’ll be chasing after him again after this he’s even more egotistical and deluded than I thought! I’ve wasted years on that fucker and he just says...just tell that him I said fuck you, fuck you very much because I know he went through a lot of horrible stuff but he had NO FUCKING RIGHT to say that!”
-
Sleeping with Kiba the ‘sort-of boyfriend’ was a marked improvement from sleeping next to Kiba the ‘drunk and rude stranger’ that cost him a lot of money and embarrassment, although they needed to learn how to perfect ‘snuggling’ (as Kiba put it) without annoying each other. Shino liked to sleep on his stomach and tended not to move much during the night. Whereas Kiba’s style seemed to be a bit of everything, thankfully not snoring, but constantly moving around and had rolled out of the futon more than once, even Akamaru at the foot of the bed looked annoyed with him. Eventually at about four in the morning Shino had had enough, and in mild desperation put his arms around Kiba’s t-shirt covered torso and lay his head on the brunet’s chest to keep him still. It worked, but it was good for Shino that it was dark and Kiba was still asleep, because Shino’s face had grown hot at the intimate contact, all irritation now lost in the feel of Kiba’s warmth and the worn cotton of his t-shirt. Even when he yawned and mumbled “Beef please,” it was almost sweet.
When Shino woke late in the morning Kiba was already awake. He was lying on his back staring at the ceiling, but as soon as Shino shifted to look at him he looked over, and smiled after a moment.
“So that’s what your eyes are like, I didn’t think they’d be grey.”
It took a moment for his still-waking mind to catch up before he realised what he said and reached for his glasses, but Kiba’s hand stopped his. “Don’t,” he said quietly, “You look nice.” Shino looked at him carefully to see if he was being honest for a moment, before slowly withdrawing his hand. Kiba kept his hold on his hand and began to slowly run his fingers up Shino’s arm, slowly pushing the sleeve of his sleeping shirt up to his elbow to trace the minute scars, all the time looking straight at him. Shino felt strangely naked.
“So how come you wear those anyway?” Kiba said at last.
“I’m short sighted, as well as light sensitive.”
“Your dad as well?”
“Yes, it’s genetic.”
A shuffle of sheets as Kiba moved closer, and they kissed slowly.
While their kisses became deeper and more intimate, Kiba had reached down with his hand and did something that was...very nice.
After, Shino insisted on cooking while he stayed over, partly to say thank you but, mostly so Kiba would not die of scurvy. Shino really was the most basic of cooks, his parents had insisted on his learning home skills because they both worked and he considered that fair, but his cooking skills were limited to healthy but extremely plain.
Kiba however just seemed ecstatic to have food that wasn’t instant, although he made sure to complain about the lack of meat, and threw a handful of bacon from a packet onto the meal before practically inhaling the food with a sheer a lack of manners that made Akamaru’s dining habits seem worthy of royalty.
On Saturday night one of Kiba’s phones rang. He picked up the phone, answering it while grabbing an old notepad and pen. He said very little apart from “Yep,” every now and then, and “Thanks,” when he hung up.
Shino glanced up from his book, “Work?”
“Yeah, it’s not too far away so I won’t be gone too long,” But Kiba didn’t seem very happy about it as he stood to go get ready.
Less than an hour later they stood in the hallway, Kiba looking strange again in a suit while smelling of the shower and a splash of expensive cologne. Akamaru had fallen asleep earlier so the main room door was closed.
There would have been an awkward silence at the situation if Kiba wasn’t so hell bent on ruining it. Instead he leaned forward, biting his lower lip slightly before he spoke. Shino tried to ignore that he found Kiba’s slightly longer than normal canine teeth attractive.
“Can I have a kiss to remember until I get back?” he asked.
“Isn’t that unprofessional?”
“Yeah,” He nodded and slowly undid his tie, “If I was fully dressed, but my tie’s undone, so I’m not at work,” he replied, cheeky as ever as he waggled his eyebrows in an attempt to look sexy.
Despite himself Shino smiled a little, and leaned in to capture Kiba’s warm lips, the heat of the kiss dissolving the strangeness of the situation.
When they parted, Kiba made sure that Shino saw him lick his lips as he slowly fixed his tie, “I’ll see you later.”
“Take care.”
After a moment, Kiba’s smile grew a little, “Doesn’t this feel weird? Me off to work and you saying bye to me like a housewife, maybe you should have packed me a lunch.”
“Go away.”
“So cruel!” Kiba dramatically dabbed his eyes, then winked at him and left.
-
In the small hours of the morning Shino was woken from his sleep by the sound of a key in the lock, and the door opening. After some shuffling in the bedroom, the door to the main room opened and he heard Kiba yawn and start to undress. Soon he felt the covers move as Kiba got into the large futon and immediately cuddle against him, and Shino soon drifted off again.
Shino suddenly woke less than an hour later when Kiba elbowed him in the face, while still fast asleep. After shoving the arm away from his face he quietly got up to use the bathroom, although Kiba and Akamaru were such heavy sleepers a tank could have rolled through the room and they would not stir.
When he returned, he was suddenly very glad that Kiba actually had a curtain drawn back for the night time, or he would have surely have fallen and broken his neck on all the rubbish Kiba hoarded in the room.
It also meant that he could look at Kiba, really look at him without all the layers of crudeness and attitude. Quietly, Shino sat down on his previous spot on the futon, unable to look away from the steady rise and fall of the brunet’s bare chest that was half-covered by the blanket, with his face relaxed in a deep sleep he looked less defensive, but still handsome.
He had lied to his parents to see this, he knew that he would feel terrible when he went home tomorrow evening, but whenever he was with Kiba very little seemed to matter. It was not that he forgot his responsibilities, but he was so new to this...whatever it was they had, he liked it and found it more important.
The more he got to know him, the more he liked Kiba, and while he still felt the same way about the marriage before he had met him, he was glad that he was not alone in dealing with it. Of course there were his friends, but this was...this was different.
Shino raised a corner of the blanket and was about to slip back under the covers when something on Kiba caught his eye and made him pause. He briefly considered it to just be a trick of the moonlight on one of his tattoos, but curiosity made him pull the covers back further.
He took a sharp intake of breath, unprepared for what he saw. There, on the right side of Kiba’s stomach, was an old but jagged, angry scar.
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(1) Chokichi - The name I picked for Chouji’s older brother, apparently it means ‘good fotune’.
(2) ¥250,000 - About £1,746, or $2,682 US.
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Additional A/N: Well I’m back y’all, I hope you enjoyed this super-long chapter. I’m very sorry for the epic delay, but after I completed my horrible dissertation I suffered a massive writer’s block on this story. I had no problem coming up for new stuff (and I know at least one of my fair regular reviewers enjoyed one of my new stories), but with ‘Shameless’...well, it was like after I posted the chapter and replied to a few fic-related emails, I switched the ‘Shameless’ part of my brain off and since February I’ve been stumbling around in the dark trying to find the switch to turn it back on. I’ve also been job hunting seriously, which is...fun :|
Also, my birthday has just passed (I am now an old woman of 24 *sobs*) and I would love to have some lovely reviews from you awesome people, especially the lurkers!