[Thread] Oh Those Wacky Adolescents [Hinaji, Kureno]

[hyuuga_hinaji]

Hinaji was pacing near Kureno's home well before 6pm. He couldn't stop his nerves from snapping, and everytime he managed to remain still he was jolted into moving again. He hadn't even planned what he was going to say, what this conversation would really be about. You didn't just go up to your sensei and ask these kinds of things

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[yuuhi_kureno]

"Afternoon?" Kureno repeated, arching an eyebrow. "It's well into evening, Hinaji."

The boy looked nervous, and while Hinaji had a way of looking nervous nearly all of the time, after years spent with him Kureno had learned there were certain degrees of it. (Just like how his team had learned the certain degrees of seriousness with him.) So really, today Hinaji looked exceptionally nervous. It was probably best to let him calm down some first.

"Come inside, I'll make us some tea," he invited leaving his front door open behind him for his student to enter. After taking his shoes off he headed straight for his kitchen to put a kettle on the stove. "Have you been waiting very long?"

[hyuuga_hinaji]

"Not long," Hinaji said softly as he shut the door and removed his shoes. And hour and forty-two minutes. Not long at all. He followed Kureno's voice into the kitchen and stood about, glancing left and right. "...Is there anything I can help with?" Helping was good. He knew as well as Kureno that he needed to calm down.

It was hard, though, when he would start to relax and remember what he wanted to ask and then his stomach would knot up again. Maybe this really was a mistake. He was an adult now, right? Did he need to go to his sensei for everything?

...In this case, yes.

"How are you feeling?" Shifting the subject wasn't exactly running from what he needed to ask, and he did worry about his sensei.

[yuuhi_kureno]

Hinaji was given some zuccini bread to cut, as it was the closest thing to sweets or cake that Kureno had in the house right now.

"Better," he said, getting the tea powder and cups down. "It's good to be back to my office and my real work. And in another week or so, I'll even be on the field with you, Kiba, and Hoshino again. I'm looking forward to it."

[hyuuga_hinaji]

Hinaji smiled at that as he began to slice the bread. Now that it was guaranteed that Kureno would be back to train them, he didn't know how he had managed to go so long without their sensei.

"We are too." He cut half the bread into semi-thick slices and carefully set them aside before washing the knife. "It's been much too long."

[yuuhi_kureno]

"It has. I saw Kiba just the other day." Kureno graciously skipped over mentioning the gift that came along with her visit. "She's finally let her hair grow out. And even you look a little taller. I wonder if I'll get any surprise when I see Hoshino again."

[hyuuga_hinaji]

That made Hinaji pause. Kureno saw Kiba? By the way he was acting she must not have said anything, but Kureno could hide what he was thinking just as good as the best Hyuuga. But he continued as though he wasn't hiding anything, and Hinaji relaxed a little as they chatted back and forth about the team and what had changed.

Eventually they ended up on his porch, the wind gently blowing the water along the koi pond and moving the small wind chime hanging off the roof. Hinaji took a seat on one of the offered cushions and sipped at his tea while Kureno did the same. It was so calm Hinaji almost forgot he'd been there nearly an hour and still hadn't brought up the conversation he came to have.

Almost.

"So, sensei," he started, hesitant. He had to word this just right. "Did Kiba mention anything when she visited you?" ...Ok, not very subtle at all.

[yuuhi_kureno]

Kureno arched an eyebrow. Had Kiba been up to something? Was Hinaji finally getting around to what he'd come to talk about? It certainly seemed so. Kureno hoped the Inuzuka hadn't gotten into too much trouble this time.

...Because Kureno seriously hoped Hinaji wasn't going to start talking about him "dating" Asuka. (Although even if he did, Kureno doubted there was going to be any condoms this time.)

"Like what?" he asked.

[hyuuga_hinaji]

"Um." Hinaji's tea was very interesting at that moment, and he couldn't seem to look away to answer Kureno. Now that it was finally time to say what he wanted to say, it was scarier than he thought it would be.

"Well. About, um. Things?" His face felt very very red.

[yuuhi_kureno]

Probably because it was very very red. It had been a while since Kureno had seen the boy turn that shade, although it certain made the jounin reminiscent of their genin days when Hinaji's eyes were only for Kakami's blond, loudmouthed student.

This just turned interesting, but Kureno wondered if it would be in a good way or not.

"You may have to be much more specific than 'things', Hinaji."

[hyuuga_hinaji]

And that was what he was having trouble trying to say.

"W-well, like..." He swished his tea around a little before gulping it all down. He was an adult, it shouldn't be so hard to talk about this!

"I, um. We..." He took a very (very) deep breath. "KibaandIalmostslepttogether."

[yuuhi_kureno]

By some miracle the tea already in Kureno's mouth didn't go flying out into the air and water the yard beyond, and neither did it catch and gurgle in an unpleasant choking fashion in his throat. Instead, it was held very strictly in his mouth, lips kept shut and tongue blocking the esophagus as he very carefully didn't react to what he'd just heard. Normally such level of discipline and training was reserved for life-or-death situations. Kureno figured his sanity depended upon this, and thus felt it justified.

It was a good minute before it felt remotely safe to swallow, and Kureno put his concentration into doing just that as his mouth began to feel quite full the longer he didn't drink it. He felt it all the way down, letting it distract him for a brief while. Then slowly he turned to look at the boy--man...--boy next to him. (He knew he'd been thinking about how grown up these kids had gotten, but..)

"You what?"

[hyuuga_hinaji]

Hinaji's face felt even hotter, if that was possible. Kureno needed him to say it again? Just once had been hard enough.

"W-we um. That." ...So succinct. "And I don't know what to do now so I called on you but I'm not sure you even really wanted to know anything about this..." He trailed off and focused on his cup. He didn't have anymore tea to use as an excuse.

"...I'm just not sure what to do now." He really liked Kiba, and he enjoyed being with her. This was just a really big step he wasn't sure they were ready for just yet.

[yuuhi_kureno]

...............Okay. That was...vague. But vague could be good. Vague could be very good. Kureno would just need to find a way to get the details he needed without risking running over any he didn't want to hear. EVER.

He could do this. And Hinaji's shy nature would help in avoiding getting too much information. (Hopefully.)

"So what is it you'd like me to help you with, Hinaji?" he asked carefully. 'And please don't say you want private Gentlemen courses from me.'

[hyuuga_hinaji]

"...I don't know." He didn't want Kureno to tell him he had been foolish, and he didn't want him to say he was wrong to have enjoyed things...but he didn't know what to do. "It's just kind of confusing. We've been together a long time but things never went so far before." He poked the floor near his feet.

"I guess I just wanted some guidance?" Kureno was the only person he could go to for something like this. His sensei was the only father figure he'd ever had.