The Choices Between Friends

A/N: As always, thank you to my beloved sister, beta, and favorite author Fairy Niamh.

This is a short chapter, but it was the best way to cut it.   (U_U)

Also, Choices passed 11,000 hits Thursday!!!  (^o) (/o^)/     In thanks for the 11,000 hits I plan on updating this weekend as well. Thanks for reading and for the reviews! Reviews R Love!!!

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Chapter 31:

Common Ground - Treading on Toes

 

Kiba had Shino tucked back in bed and had almost managed to clear his mind of bad bad images when Shino asked something he hadn't expected. "Will you stay a little longer? Or do you have to go soon?" The other man didn't actually look at Kiba. He didn't think he could. "I don't want to be a bother. I'm sure Neji is waiting for you, or maybe the mystery person from the phone last night. It's just that...." The small man stopped talking and turned into the bed a little more, almost as if he were hiding.



Kiba felt compelled. "Uh, hey Shino." A voice more suited to growling and sarcasm sounded odd trying to be soft and humble. "I um..." He looked away and Shino got a good look at his profile. He had a pained, uncertain look on his face. "I'm sorry about last night okay?"



Shino found his voice again. "Did Neji send you or the mystery person?" He couldn't help it. A hint of amusement snuck into his tone. The man had looked like a scolded puppy the night before.



Kiba actually laughed and smiled at him as he squatted down on the floor beside the bed, so that they were closer to eye level. "Naw, I always feel like an ass after the fact. I just don't see it at the time, ya know?" He cocked his head to the side questioningly and Shino's stomach flipped. 



"I suppose I could see that, and Kanky was being ridiculous." Shino had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as he remembered the look on Kankurou's face after Kiba had growled at him.



Kiba smiled at him. "You wanna watch TV together or something?" Shino nodded.



"What's your favorite show?"



Shino grimaced. "I like educational shows that detail how things are made. I'm sure you wouldn't want to..." 



Kiba interrupted him, excited. "Awesome! I never get to watch that stuff with the goons. They hate it!" He poked at Shino until the other man moved over, then he crawled up onto the bed next to Shino and handed the glasses wearer the remote. It wasn't long before they were both engrossed in a show all about horsepower versus fuel efficiency. None of Shino's friends would watch these shows with him. Kankurou would cry and pout while Gaara and Itachi simply changed the channel or ignored the television completely. It was very nice, very comfortable; laying on his bed, watching his favorite shows with a very attentive Kiba.

 

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It had been the most amazing day. Neji and Iruka had really hit it off. What had started as a discussion of differing techniques had turned to an adventure that required dragging Naruto all over town so that the other two men could show each other where the best art supplies could be found.



The blond smiled happily as he dozed in the front seat of Neji's big car. The brunette was nearly as tired. He hadn't realized how nervous he'd been all day, until they had dropped Iruka off at his new apartment. Nothing had gone as he'd expected. Iruka was not like anyone he'd ever known before and certainly had not responded to him anything like he'd expected.



The world outside of his own closeted upbringing was not turning out to be even remotely close to his original estimation, it was so much better. Stopped at a red light in the afternoon light, he reached out and caressed the soft messy blond hair.



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“Open the damn DOOR Shino!” Kankurou was starting to get pissed. 'What the hell was is he doing in there?'

 

“Calm down. Has it occurred to you that he may not be in?” Itachi was scowling at his back. Kanky could feel it.

 

“Where? You said he wasn’t at the library when you were there. He never goes anywhere or does anything without us.” Gaara was ignoring their quarreling as usual and trying to ignore the fact that Kankurou was right. Shino was totally introverted with anyone but them. It probably wasn’t healthy and it was probably his fault for sheltering Shino the way he did.

 

The door opened and Kanky almost died of shock. “You are loud as hell and rude as hell.” Kiba glared at the three of them. “Go the fuck away.” He started to shut the door on them. Itachi’s foot stopped him. The glare deepened.

 

“Our friend is in this suite as well as your boyfriend. If we wish to visit him, it is within our rights.”

 

Kiba snorted and held the door firm. “Okay, so answer this; today, when he was so sick he could barely stand, where the hell were his 'friends'?! I’m sure he’d a liked it better if it had been one of you takin' care of him than a guy he just met.” He didn’t give them a chance to puzzle out what he meant. “Shino’s sleeping. Go away.”

 

“We weren’t aware he was ill. He told us he wanted to study. We will not leave until we have seen him.” Itachi’s elegant voice was firm.

 

Kanky broke in. “Where’s Neji? You haven’t been alone with Shino all this time, have you?” Gaara’s brilliant green eyes focused on the man holding the door open. Kiba almost flinched. Those emerald gems were cold and hard.

 

“Neji is spending the day with a friend. I just happened to come by and found Shino puking his guts up. Yes. I’ve been here all day, and since I have been, I’m sure as hell not leaving until he’s better.”

 

Shino heard the commotion from his bedroom and couldn’t help but smile at the protectiveness in Kiba’s voice. He felt a flush of warmth throughout his whole body. He knew he shouldn’t feel that way about Kiba, but he indulged himself in it anyway. For the first time ever, Shino actually hoped his friends would go on and leave him behind. He wanted more time alone with the forbidden fruit that was Neji’s lover.

 

“We can and will force our way into the room. Please, let’s not make too much of a scene out of it. I’m sure both Neji and Shino would prefer it that way.” Itachi was trying to be as non-confrontational as possible with someone like Kiba. He kept his voice pitched low and soft, the way he would when dealing with one of his high strung horses. 

 

Kiba seemed to mull things over for a moment.

 

“Fine, you assholes wanna come in and wake him up, do it. Just remember, I’m not leaving here until he’s better than when I found him.” A voice in the back of his head whispered. 'The thing is… he IS better now. So why am I still here?' Kiba ignored it and let the door fall open as he turned his back on the three men signaling exactly how he felt about them in that moment.

 

Kiba opened Shino’s door and realized immediately that the man was awake. “Sorry dude, but they wouldn’t leave.” He took up the place he’d left when he’d answered the door. Gaara’s nostrils flared slightly at the sight of someone laying so close to Shino. Shino never let anyone close to him but Gaara. 

 

“It’s okay,” Shino told Kiba softly as he handed the other man the remote control. Kiba took it with a grunt and started channel surfing. “I should have told you I was sick, but I knew you had plans and I didn’t want you to change them.” This time Kiba snorted derisively. Shino had the feeling it was directed at him. He grimaced in irritation. He had only been polite. What was wrong with that?

 

“Idiot,” Gaara growled. 

 

“Geez Shino,” Kankurou grumbled like a guilty little boy. “You could’a told us.”

 

Itachi took a moment to evaluate the situation before speaking. “Perhaps we could make it up to you by getting something for supper. Do you feel well enough to eat? I could call the house and have them make your favorites….” Shino’s eyes lit up. The Uchiha’s had THE best chef in town on their personal staff. 

 

He bit his lip hesitantly. Would Kiba leave if he admitted he felt good enough to eat? The decision of how to answer was taken from him when his stomach growled loudly. Kiba, who had been steadfastly ignoring them all, burst out laughing. He curled onto his side as he tried to breath. They all watched him in consternation. 

 

“Ha ha ha, sorry, you reminded me of Nar just then. His stomach always answers for him.” Kiba was grinning at Shino as he tried to control the chuckling. Shino flushed and scowled. Who was this Nar? Kiba lost control of the chuckling again.

 

Itachi didn’t miss a thing. “Well, perhaps we should include Kiba as well.” The laughter stopped and Kiba sat up straight. He was looking hard at the pretty rich boy, trying to determine if Itachi was having fun at his expense somehow. He couldn’t read the tall raven’s expression at all.

 

“Naw, that’s okay. I’ll pick up something on the way home.”

 

“But the food is always very good.” Shino realized how he must sound and stopped himself before he asked Kiba to stay.

 

Kiba smiled at him. “I guess these losers can take care of things from here. I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He hopped off the bed. “Anyway, I need to get home. Akamaru is gonna be pissed at me for leaving him alone for so long today.”

 

“Who? Who is Akamaru?” Shino asked without thinking. As Kiba had stood, the room had narrowed to him alone. Shino was afraid it was another person who was closer to Kiba than he was. 

 

“My puppy. He sulks when I leave him alone for too long, but don’t tell him I said that okay? I like breathing.” Kiba gave him a smile as he turned and flipped the other three the bird. “Don’t fuck up all my work. Later.” He was out the door before Kanky could shout at him to “Fuck off”.

 

“What a strange man,” Gaara observed as he slid onto the other side of the bed and smiled at Shino. Itachi noticed how his red haired friend had avoided taking the space Kiba had occupied. Life it seemed was going to get a bit more interesting.

 

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Nara was laying on the couch reviewing the report he'd just finished when the phone rang. He smiled when he saw Chouji's number. "What's up?"



"I've got some bad news..."



Shikamaru closed his eyes and groaned. He'd had his hands full today negotiating with the lunatic Haku and filling out all the necessary paperwork so that the pretty little piercist could legally begin working for the shop the following week. He might look like a clueless pretty-boy freak, but Haku was actually a very shrewd business man. Nara really just wanted to unwind and relax right now.



"What is it?" He sighed in obvious frustration.



"They've decided on the booth placements." His big friend was 'in the know' on the music festival, every year he worked it. Chouji was considered invaluable. The big man really was the best bouncer around. "You're not gonna like where they put 'Ink Works'..."



Nara growled into the phone. "Oh goody. And just what hole do they plan on giving us this year? You know, you'd think they'd figure it out after awhile..."



Chouji nodded on his end. "Yeah, you think they'd get sick of dealing with Pein about stuff like this."



"It's not funny asshole." Chouji had tried to hide the chuckles, but Nara had heard them in his voice. He gave up and just laughed out loud.



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Itachi and Kankorou left to pick up the food. Gaara was propped up against the headboard. "Are you truly better now?" he asked softly.



Shino nodded as he curled up against Gaara's side. A gentle hand absently toyed with Shino's dark hair. The man sighed and shifted his head on to Gaara's thigh. "It was odd. He was so concerned about me. I wonder if he really is like that with everyone..."



Gaara was of the mind that no one did something for nothing. There was always something to be gained from every action a man made. If a man was kind just to improve someone else's view of them, that was still a pay off of sorts. The concept of selfishness was a joke. 



Gaara considered himself to be far more honest than most about such things. Every human interaction was a give AND take transaction. Gaara was gentle and supportive with Shino because Shino was loyal to him. Everything had a pay off. Shino was loyal because of how Gaara treated him. They maintained the status quo out of a desire to continue their relationship.



This philosophy meant that Gaara was always analyzing every interaction, looking for the hook, the merchandise and the sale. What was Kiba after? What did he want from Shino? What did Shino have to offer the scruffy man? The answer distrubed Gaara. He couldn't help but feel that Kiba was just trying to increase his own circle of friends.



Most people wouldn't be bothered by that. However, Gaara's pay off was Shino's loyalty, the fact that Gaara was the only one who got close to the shy man, was something he treasured. Even Neji seemed to realize this. The other might not like Gaara and he may worry about Shino being so close to Gaara, but Neji recognized that there were boundaries and Gaara was extremely territorial by nature.



Kiba was not as observant. 'So how to deal with him?' Gaara mused as he stroked Shino's soft hair, even more aware of the fact that HE was the only one who got to be this close to his shy friends.

~tbc~