[Log] The Handy Man Can

[triggerhappyk9]

Characters: Kurenai and Kiba
Date: March 30th, immediately following this
Location: Kurenai's apartment
Rating: PG-13?
Warnings/Notes: Language, Most likely violence.
Summary: Kurenai gets a hand with some pesky appliances and Kiba's probably going to get shot.

Comments

[carmineflush]

There was many things that was lingering in the back of Kurenai's head when she first came in contact with her student. First, that she was glad that he was alive, and second, who was it that sent him? Kiba was actually one of the students that she was proud of saying that she trained and toned, however, even he couldn't be left out of the loop of paranoia when it came to things like this in the government. Anko was a hard lesson for her and it set mean streak of paranoia into her personality that wasn't ill-thought of towards anyone

[triggerhappyk9]

He waited a few moments before knocking again, not having received an answer the first time. Rolling back on his heels a bit, Kiba glanced around for any neighbors or anyone who might be watching in. He could feel it, just not see the source yet

[carmineflush]

It had been a long time since she had seen her adoring little student, so Kurenai had figured it probably wasn't very nice to put holes in him or make him bleed before the visit was over. Not that she was such a sadist in the first place, most of it came from being partners with Anko really, but that's how demanding she was of her students usually. Some instructors slacked off and pitied their students, well, Kurenai was not like them. She made them very aware of the risks and the harsh world that was lying in wait for them in the lower districts. Everything wasn't all daisies and lollipops, so she didn't bother trying to pretend either

[triggerhappyk9]

"Nah, I'd not survived you just to be tripped up by a smoke bomb, but nice try, Teach." A cheeky grin nearly split his face as Kurenai came closer. It was odd seeing her in civilian clothes rather then the uniform, and that mixed with the lack of curly disarray was enough for him to have disregarded the woman. "Besides. You know I'd be able to rock the pink like nobodies business

[carmineflush]

Kurenai's hands were already itching for her service pistols, which just weren't there anymore. These days, they were under her pillow and in her drawer. Pretty much anywhere she could stash them and pull them out at her convenience. Once an ARCEOS always an ARCEOS. Habits died hard

[triggerhappyk9]

"As if. Ma would have my ass if I even thought about that mess. These babies are all me," he gloated, flexing a little bit and lifting his arm to press a kiss to his bicep. But booze wasn't steroids and he gladly accepted the beer without any comment but for a quick 'thanks', not putting it past his old teacher to break it against his head if need be.

"Boring as hell then, eh? Guess you can get a cheap thrill when it comes to rent collection, get to bust a few kneecaps I s'pose, but not the same. Ain't gonna lie, Lieutenant. Took me and some of the others for a hell of a loop when we heard you'd left and went civ. If you don't mind me sayin' so, figured you would have been one of those lifers," he admitted, taking a casual pull of his beer in between rambling on and carefully gauging Kurenai's expression to his words.

[carmineflush]

Kurenai choose to ignore and keep quiet about Kiba's "babies" so not to insult or stroke his large ego, popping off the top of her own beer bottle with ease and taking a large swill herself. She would need the liquid courage and the strength to answer what she knew seemed to be like a mini interrogation session. What happened to the days when her students were the quite malleable naive kids?

But she loved them, they were one of the many reasons why she was reluctant to go at first, but the ache in her heart in seeing Anko and also in losing faith with the government was the deciding factor in calling it quits. However, it wasn't wise to let Kiba know about it.

"Nice to know you kids cared," she gave him a genuinely thankful look, complete with a smile before taking another swig. "Everyone has their decisions to make and sometimes there aren't reasons for it. Mine was to leave and try to start life differently, try civilian life. Take a breather." Red eyes looked evenly back at dark ones.

[triggerhappyk9]

"'Course we did. It was the profs like you that kept a lot of us brats in there rather then calling it quits. Wasn't kiddin' when I said that a couple of us were really looking for ya there when we got bumped up," he reminded her, easily swilling back the remainder of his beer before having the grace to seem at least a little apologetic for the unmeant guilt trip.

"So AC's. Trying to get a leg up before it gets too bad, eh?"

[carmineflush]

Kurenai remembered the time when the team she was in charge of had contracted the disease that was floating around. She remembered every single detail about the afflicted that she was in charge of, the way their eyes constantly swelled with tears, whether it was for the pain or if it was thinking of the ultimate outcome. The black coffins that came after and was burned in the crematorium; all details that stood out strongly in her mind. Kiba was strong, he had last through it as well as a handful of others. So it was hard to keep a straight face, her emotions finally caving in and allowing her face to finally form some sort of reaction, other than that of indifference. These kids meant too much to her for her to ignore them, wholly

[triggerhappyk9]

A niggling pang of guilt gnawed at the young Arceo's conscience for pushing the issue. Despite the fact that it had hurt for one of his guiding lights to miss a hard earned reward that was not only a testament to his skills, but to hers as well, he really didn't want to upset his old teacher. He was a good soldier and he followed his orders, but it didn't mean that he'd adopted the stereotypical persona that everyone seemed to associate with his fellow brethren. He really didn't care for bringing someone else unnecessary grief.

"I know y'are, and I'm sorry. You've got your reasons and it ain't right for me to be prying in too much. Even if you're just a civvy now, I figure you're still ok to just slap me in the back of the head if you need to. Some privileges don't go away with just because the badge ain't there anymore."

[carmineflush]

Kiba's words brought on a faint smile on Kurenai's red lips, amused that he would offer her himself and discipline as a peace offering for this. She shook her head, sighing a bit before pushing herself off of the counter, placing the beer down on the surface. She could never be that stern with him, his own livelihood and attitude almost being quite uncanny to two prominent people in her life. Maybe that was why she found herself unable to loosen herself from this little pup, even if he was sometimes impossible to deal with.

"Don't say 'sorry', Kiba. It doesn't suit you. Although I don't need you to remind me if it's okay to rough you around or not. It's a right, not a privilege." Her hand reached up to playfully ruffle his hair a bit before passing him to the broom closet, searching for instructions on for putting the AC together that she had thrown into the closet earlier in frustration.

[triggerhappyk9]

The old comforting gesture of Kurenai ruffling his hair did a lot to ease some of Kiba's discomfort, knowing that he hadn't really overstepped himself. How many times in the past had she done the same to put him at ease, congratulate him or any of numerous other reasons behind the gesture. He followed behind her a few paces, curious to see where she was going, and admittedly could not help the small amused grin that something so mundane could stump one of the few women he thought to be truly capable of anything?

"Ya know, for someone who can dissemble a semi-automatic in seconds, I'm finding it hard to believe these things are really that bad," he observed, rocking back on his heels even as he stuck his hand out for the directions.

[carmineflush]

"A semi-automatic is a beautiful killing machine, each part having its significance in making it work," Kurenai started, almost like in a lecturing way as if she was introducing Kiba to it. She couldn't help it really, just seeing him was making it impossible to not try to drop down and give her fifty for comparing a semi-automatic to an air conditioner. "An air conditioning machine is a machine. Built to create comfort for us, a drone machine, really."

She reached further into the closet to pull out the box that contained all the parts.

"Don't compare the two and don't question my skills, Kiba."

[triggerhappyk9]

"Yeah, but they're both still machines," he countered, eyeballing the directions and having the briefest moment of panic when he could quite make out if the things were even printed in a real language. While Kurenai was still buried in the closet with her back turned to him, Kiba tried turning the instructions this way and that, seeing if they made any more sense from a different angle.

No luck there.

...This really couldn't be that difficult, right?

The box of parts rattled when it slid across the floor to stop at the tip of his boots. With just a little more panic he lowered himself down to rifle through the box, pulling out odd pieces and sitting them out separately as if he had the slightest clue as to what he was doing.

"So no old man to give you a hand with all this stuff? Or did he just disappear when it came time to get his hands dirty?"

[carmineflush]

This time, Kurenai didn't hesitate to use a spare part that she had unearthed from the rubble inside the closet and whap her student at the back of his head. That was both for comparing guns to air conditioners and talking about the one subject that she knew could turn ugly and make her look bad immediately. This made her vaguely wonder exactly where was Asuma these days and exactly what was he saying about "relationships" in general.

"Don't talk back and don't ask about my personal life. There is no 'old man'." She leaned down and flipped the directions to the right, or what she perceived to be the right way. At least that's what she thought it was, since she was pretty sure no "a" looked like that upright in the other direction.