UPDATE ‼️

If you enjoy the story remember to vote comment a lot and share. I appreciate it and thank you for reading ❤️

Enjoy✨

•••

I stayed in the bathroom for a bit more whilst crying and feeling sorry for myself about just what had I gotten myself into to the point that I couldn't see just how big of a picture this whole thing was.

It pained my heart to think that because of me Kiba was conditioning himself to do things that he wouldn't normally do, all because he wanted me to believe he was doing fine, when in reality he's probably doing worse than me.

Who am I kidding? He is doing worse than I am, and if he hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known.

He probably didn't even sleep anywhere near Kankuro yesterday, but there I was thinking that they had slept together all because of one stupid hickey on his neck.

What am I doing with my life right now?

When did it all become so complicated?

"Naruto?" I heard as someone knocked at the door. "Are you in there?"

It was Kiba.

"Ah, just a second." I panicked as I got up from the ground and frantically searched around to think of a different reason as to why I had been in here so long.

I turned on the sink and went over to the toilet to flush it and then I sprayed some air freshener in the room that had this beautiful autumn floral scent.

Ino's family really enjoyed florals.

After that I turned off the tap and dried my hands before walking over to the door and opening it.

"Haha sorry I had to let one go and it was fighting for dear life." I lied.

Kiba looked at me while pursing his lips and giving me a nod in understanding. I don't even know why I did that as it didn't even make a lot of sense, but I didn't really have any better excuses here.

"Um, so I'll let you use the bathroom then." I announced before trying to move past him, but he just stood in my way.

"..."

"Kib-"

"I didn't come here to use the bathroom. I actually came here too...check up on you." He revealed before opening the door wider and walking inside the room with one hand in his pocket and a beer in the other.

"Check up on me?" I asked.

"Yeah, the others were saying you were taking too long and Gaara opted to come look for you, but I told him I'd do it." He replied as he walked into the center of the room slowly.

"Oh, well I'm fine. I just lost track of time-"

"Don't give me that." He stated.

"What?"

"I said don't give me that. That, I'm fine bullshit, I don't like it." He repeated, gazing at me from over his shoulder before turning his back to me.

"..."

"Especially when it isn't true."

"..."

"Since yesterday... I knew you weren't behaving the way you wanted too. You held back and just watched everything unfold the way it did." He continued as he swayed with his steps and slurred some of his words.

Was he drunk?

"No matter how much I try to convince you that you can always talk to me and that you never ask me enough questions, you never actually consider it and keep everything to yourself and come up with your own answers."

"Kiba, you're drunk." I stated, not wanting to hear anymore.

"No, I'm just tipsy. I'm not quite drunk as yet." He replied before placing the bottle on the counter and turning to face me.

"..."

"What is it?" He asked.

"What is what?" I replied.

"What are you thinking? What do you want to talk about?"

"Nothing." I lied, having so many questions that I couldn't ask him.

"You say nothing but you keep looking at me."

"I would say the same about you."

"..."

"You say that I'm doing this and that and not talking to you when you think I clearly have something to say, but what about you?"

"Hm?" He blinked.

"You clearly have something that you want to say. So set the example and talk to me first."

"I've set plenty of examples."

"Well maybe I'm a bit dense and need a little bit more explaining."

"Hm, alright then." He chuckled lightly before leaning on the counter with his arms crossed and glancing at the ceiling.

"..." I stayed silent waiting for him to explain himself, it felt like there was a lump in my throat as I waited. I didn't know what else to say or what to do, just waiting for him.

To see where his head was at, instead of being caught up in my own.

"The reason why I've been staring at you a lot recently should be clear as I do have feelings for you, both as a friend and as a crush. However, due to our...predicament I'm giving you some space to do your own thing, but every now and then I worry about you so I can't help but look at you to make sure you're okay." He confessed.

"..." I was speechless. I had expected at least a little bit of holding back, but he didn't even hesitate.

He just spoke it like how he felt right off the bat.

"Last night, at the amusement park when you screamed in the bathroom and looked terrified as crap it took me a while to figure out what caused it, as I wasn't satisfied with your reason behind it... I figured it was because of what happened the day before."

"..."

"With Sasuke? Is that correct?"

"..."

"I'll take that as I yes, you don't need to answer that, it's clear you're traumatized by it. That was also the reason I opted to check on you when you took so long in here."

"..." I looked to the ground while shifting my gaze elsewhere. I didn't feel uncomfortable being in a private bathroom, so it seemed it was the public ones that I was a bit hesitant about.

"I'll stop bringing it up for now on. It still pisses me off but for you I'll stop."

"I'd appreciate that." I replied in tone so low I doubt he would've heard it, if we weren't in a closed space.

"Yeah."

"..."

"..."

The silence was deafening, not even the faint sound of the music being played in the pool room could ease the massive tension between Kiba and I, and a small part of me preferred it that way.

If we continued to speak then we might end up saying things neither of us will appreciate later on.

"We should get back with the other-" I tried.

"That isn't how this works." He stated.

I looked up in confusion to see what he meant but all I got was cold and darken eyes glaring back at me as he looked at me with such disapproval.

"..." I stared only being lost for words.

"This isn't how we have a conversation. I said my piece and now you need to say yours. So what do you have to say to me?"

"..."

"Huh? Don't just look at me with those eyes of yours." He hissed in a lower tone, yet his face softening the more I looked at him. "Talk to me."

"..."

"Naruto-"

"I can't." I replied.

"Why can't you?"

"You wouldn't like what I have to say." I began. "It wouldn't be fair to you nor Kankuro for us to even be discussing it. The two of you are together and-"

"I said we weren't in a relationship, we're just learning with each other."

"I know, but it still wouldn't be fair to you."

"How?!"

"BECAUSE YOU MIGHT TRULY NOT HAVE A CHANCE!"

"..."

"Okay? Yes, Sasuke did what he did, but I still believe that he was aware of what he did, being under the influence of something."

"..."

"Yes, I might be attracted to you, but that doesn't mean I want to be with you, Kiba."

"Why not?!"

"Why would I? We didn't start off on a good foot. It wouldn't make sense."

"I don't care that it doesn't make sense."

"Well, I do."

"But-"

"But nothing! Look at your life Kiba, look how things are with your family...do you really want to add me to all the problems that you already have going on?"

"..."

"This." I emphasized on this whole situation. "This is where we always end up every time we talk. Is fighting like we always do."

"..."

"All these arguments, all these hidden secrets and all these problems. Why would you want to make it more complicated on yourself? I don't want to put you through all of that."

"..."

"That and what other people will think, that's too much for you to handle. It just wouldn't be right for you alone to have all those problems."

It pained me to say all this to him, but I had no choice, it was the truth after all. I wasn't worth all the trouble Kiba was getting himself into just to be with me.

He had Kankuro now, and I had no problem being his friend. Things would be easier on me and mostly him that way.

"There you go again thinking about what other people have to say..." He trailed, startling me with how serious his tone was.

"What?"

"All of what you just said, don't you think I should be the one to worry about my own problems?"

"Huh?"

"Hm, it's always about other people when all that really matters is what you think Naruto, and right now what you think is what YOU THINK other people will think, and I don't care for that."

"I care about you." He stated. "That's it. Nothing more and nothing fucking less."

"But-"

"But nothing, and stop bringing up Kankuro, like I said it's not like that between us. I'm about you and nobody else so stop over thinking and just accept that because no matter what you say, deep down I know I have a chance with you."

"..."

"And that's what makes all this." He gestured, mimicking me. "All worth it."

I watched as Kiba grabbed his bottle and walked past me to the door. He was so nonchalant about but also so smug in his behavior, it almost made me want to trip him and have him fall on his ass.

How could he always be so confident?

"Stop." I halted him just before he could open the door. "Why?"

"Why what?" He asked with a smile on his face that only grew brighter as we locked eyes.

"Why do you do all this, for me?"

"..."

"I'm curious. What makes you happily do all this for the chance that we might be together, just for some simplistic high school relationship that isn't guaranteed to go anywhere except just that. To have a friends with benefits with Kankuro just to buy us some time for me to "come around" and be all yours like you want? Why do all of that, just for me?"

Kiba looked to the bottle in his hand and then back at me with a smile. A smile so bright that it almost made me smile along with him despite being utterly confused and frustrated by all of this. I thought I was about to go insane, but then that's when he said something that more or less changed me in a way.

"You know I might just actually be drunk after all because I don't know if it's the fact I'm in love with you or if it's just that I want to see you just as happy as you have made me."

In love with me?

"Did you just say you're in love with me?"

"Hm, we better get back with the others while there's still some time left." He chuckled before walking out the door. "Oh, and by the way, that's how someone under the influence of something should behave."

"..."

And just like that he left.

Leaving me with so many answered questions, but also new ones that opened my eyes to a lot more than I thought.

"So he's just that into me..." I smiled feeling light, but it wasn't long until I thought of a new problem to worry about. "I wonder if Sasuke feels like that too then?"

•••