There was a long, dreadful, murderous pause in which Kureno hardly did anything but stare at the box of condoms on his desk and count to ten--several times over.
"Kiba," he spoke at last in that kind of tone where it's obvious a lot of willpower and self-restraint is being used. "You have exactly one minute to explain what you're doing before I do something I'm probably going to regret."
Silently, internally, Kiba was gleeful. After many many years with Kureno as her sensei, it had become almost impossible to invoke that tone. He had simply... become immune to her actions. But with this stunt (and really, he deserved it after everything) it seemed she'd managed to pull that tone out of him.
... it was so good to have him as her sensei again.
Externally however, Kiba put on a 'surprised' face, almost hurt, at Kureno using that tone of voice. "Why do you sound so upset? I just want you to be safe. I worry about you, you know. You're my sensei and I just want to make sure you're safe and taken care of. You know that."
She let the grin cross her face, unable to help it. "She's the one who mentioned that you two were going on a date. I teased her about it so, I mean, I had do it a little to you too. Just a little. And honestly, they're just condoms."
... Kiba almost asked him if he had never seen them before, and wisely decided not to do that.
It's possible Kureno wouldn't have even noticed such a tease if she'd said it, but it was always smart not testing it. The reason he may not have noticed however was because he was too busy backtracking to make sure he'd heard Kiba say what he just thought she had. (Enough so that he abruptly stopped counting down the seconds.)
"Well," Kiba rested a hand on her hip, tilting her head up to think. "... she said she was taking you out to dinner. I said that it was a date, because, really, it is. And she said it wasn't, even though I said going to dinner meant that it was a date and SHE said that would mean you'd two been dating for years. Which she then refuted and got flustered and, really, it was quite amusing."
...So really that meant Asuka still hadn't made up her mind about whether she was willing to call it a real date or not. Kureno's shoulders sagged ever-so-slightly as he sighed, trying to sound more annoyed than disappointed.
"So because you found it fun to tease her about it being a date, of course you decided to come do the same with me." He gave the condoms a withering look. "Except this time you could plan for props."
Kiba almost frowned for a moment. Something about how he looked for a moment, how his shoulders slumped, made her wonder. But then it was gone and she just saw that annoyance. An impish smile crossed her lips and she sat in a chair across from his desk, shrugging just slightly.
"Sort of?" The Inuzuka said, settling down. "And I wanted to come see you. It has been awhile, you know."
"Uh-huh," the man replied, not sounding convinced. Although really his tone was just to show her how unamused he still was, because Kureno didn't really doubt she'd missed his company. Visits from any of his team were more cherished now. ...Some more than others, especially considering this little "joke".
"I'm throwing these away if you don't take them back."
"That would be a waste of money sensei, and what am I going to do with a box of condoms like that?" Kiba arched an eyebrow, actually half serious. "Use them to chase away all your admirers or something. Say they're from a girlfriend. Use them to make Asuka turn red or some-"
The Inuzuka paused at that last statement, and might have even gotten pink underneath her red tattoos. "I mean, not like that. Like, I mean, embarrass her. With the teasing. And..."
There was another pause and a long sigh, before she held out a clawed hand. "I'll take them sensei..."
Kureno had been very good about not thinking too much about what he was expected to use the condoms for up until Kiba began correcting her wording. It's possible his cheeks got a little pink as well.
Scowling in hopes of dismissing it ("When in doubt, glare."), Kureno handed back the box.
Kureno had raised them to very good, very observant, shinobi. Kiba didn't miss the blush on his cheeks.
... she did, wisely, however, not say anything about it.\
"So," Kiba asked, tucking the box back away and leaning back in her chair. "... can you drink yet? Because you did promise me. And I promised none of the Inuzuka stuff."
"Not yet, sorry. Don't worry though, I'll let you know."
With the teasing over and conversation taking a turn for normal, Kureno's scowl relaxed away. Body language suggested his attention went right back into the pile of work on his desk, but his eyes glanced up to Kiba when appropriate.
"It has been a long time. Your hair has gotten long."
Kiba let out a long suffering sigh when he said he couldn't drink yet. It was going to take forever for him to get off the medication, and that was just wrong. A good drink now and then really helped, or at least a little. And she knew how much he liked vodka. They should probably find some for him, for when he could drink again...
Kureno's comment about her hair dragged her back to the conversation, and a clawed hand tugged at a bit of hair, absently. "It really has. I kinda like it. I always thought my hair was really curly but its... really just kind of wavy. And I don't get twigs and stuff in it anymores, like I used to when I was younger."
Kureno considered the way she talked for a moment, referring to her youth. That combined with recent changes made it more obvious to him that Kiba was indeed not the wild-looking, loud-mouthed, hotshot kid he'd first met so many years ago. Time had passed--a lot of it--and in it Kiba had grown up into a woman now, much more tempered and mature than his first memories of her.
...But still something of a kid. He supposed, however, that he'd always see a little of that in her.
"It suits you well, and it looks like you already know how to keep it out of your face." Because shinobi just had to think about these kinds of things. "You've really grown up, Kiba."
Kiba flashed a grin as he complimented her hair. "I like it. And I learned quick. It's not even that tangled so much. As long as its up right, it stays nice. I've even debated braiding it to keep it off my neck and stuff, but that takes an awful lot of effort when the ponytail does it fine."
There might have been a flush of pink at the praise, a slightly pleased look as she settled in the chair. A wry grin curled her face, but a grin nonetheless. "We all have. Though all sorts of trials, we're all pretty grown up now. But thanks sensei. I like hearin' that from you."
There was a long pause.
There was a long, dreadful, murderous pause in which Kureno hardly did anything but stare at the box of condoms on his desk and count to ten--several times over.
"Kiba," he spoke at last in that kind of tone where it's obvious a lot of willpower and self-restraint is being used. "You have exactly one minute to explain what you're doing before I do something I'm probably going to regret."
'But not really.'
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... it was so good to have him as her sensei again.
Externally however, Kiba put on a 'surprised' face, almost hurt, at Kureno using that tone of voice. "Why do you sound so upset? I just want you to be safe. I worry about you, you know. You're my sensei and I just want to make sure you're safe and taken care of. You know that."
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She let the grin cross her face, unable to help it. "She's the one who mentioned that you two were going on a date. I teased her about it so, I mean, I had do it a little to you too. Just a little. And honestly, they're just condoms."
... Kiba almost asked him if he had never seen them before, and wisely decided not to do that.
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"...She told you it was a date?"
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The Inuzuka gave him a charming grin.
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"So because you found it fun to tease her about it being a date, of course you decided to come do the same with me." He gave the condoms a withering look. "Except this time you could plan for props."
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"Sort of?" The Inuzuka said, settling down. "And I wanted to come see you. It has been awhile, you know."
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"I'm throwing these away if you don't take them back."
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The Inuzuka paused at that last statement, and might have even gotten pink underneath her red tattoos. "I mean, not like that. Like, I mean, embarrass her. With the teasing. And..."
There was another pause and a long sigh, before she held out a clawed hand. "I'll take them sensei..."
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Scowling in hopes of dismissing it ("When in doubt, glare."), Kureno handed back the box.
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... she did, wisely, however, not say anything about it.\
"So," Kiba asked, tucking the box back away and leaning back in her chair. "... can you drink yet? Because you did promise me. And I promised none of the Inuzuka stuff."
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With the teasing over and conversation taking a turn for normal, Kureno's scowl relaxed away. Body language suggested his attention went right back into the pile of work on his desk, but his eyes glanced up to Kiba when appropriate.
"It has been a long time. Your hair has gotten long."
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Kureno's comment about her hair dragged her back to the conversation, and a clawed hand tugged at a bit of hair, absently. "It really has. I kinda like it. I always thought my hair was really curly but its... really just kind of wavy. And I don't get twigs and stuff in it anymores, like I used to when I was younger."
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...But still something of a kid. He supposed, however, that he'd always see a little of that in her.
"It suits you well, and it looks like you already know how to keep it out of your face." Because shinobi just had to think about these kinds of things. "You've really grown up, Kiba."
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There might have been a flush of pink at the praise, a slightly pleased look as she settled in the chair. A wry grin curled her face, but a grin nonetheless. "We all have. Though all sorts of trials, we're all pretty grown up now. But thanks sensei. I like hearin' that from you."
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