[AIM Log] In the Still of the Night [Kiba and Hinaji]
Set just after Got Something To Say
The pain greeted him when he woke, not as strong and blinding as before, but enough to make him groan and squeeze his eyes shut tightly. There was pressure behind his eyes, spreading throughout him and he just wanted to fall back asleep, go back to not feeling anything. But he couldn't, not now.
He rolled over onto his side slowly, curling up into a tight ball in an effort to dull the pain, but it wasn't very helpful. And he was vaguely aware of someone else's presence, although he didn't focus on it because focusing took effort and made his head hurt more.
Would it have been this bad if he'd been branded when he was a child?
Kiba quietly slipped back into the room after speaking with Hanato and felt herself wince at Hinaji's groan. Keeping her steps silent, she watched him curl up and felt her chest tighten. He just looked so tiny and... and this was all sorts of messed up. She thought she'd feel relief when it was done and over but it was only now that she was starting to realize that it was going to take a long while for it to be 'over'.
Carefully, she kneeled down by his side, resting a hand lightly on his back. She shifted so Enka had room to squirm back next to him, half stroking his back, trying to soothe him somehow. For a moment, she debated speaking and then decided against it- she didn't want to cause him anymore pain right now.
Hinaji twitched when something touched his back, not even sensing anyone else near him. It was painful just to think. But after a while the touch became familiar, and the warmth that came with it felt a lot like Enka did whenever she stayed near him when he stayed the night.
Eventually he found the strength to shift and roll onto his back, turning his head towards whomever it was that touched him. Eyes squinting open, he smiled very slightly, recognizing Kiba through the blur his vision had become.
"K-kiba...chan..." The whisper was soft, barely more than a release of air.
She gently pulled her hand back as he rolled over, letting him settle. Once he was settled, she sat beside him, one arm curling around her knees; her free hand moved to very carefully smooth through his hair, hoping that would help a little bit. She was prepared to jerk her hand back at any moment in case the movement hurt him.
"Hey you," Kiba whispered, smiling a little bit to him. "Still feeling crummy?"
If he could, he might have laughed softly. As it was, he only smiled a little more before groaning and squeezing his eyes shut. Enka whimpered beside him, inching closer and resting her head on his chest, trying to help as much as she could.
After a few minutes the rush of pain dulled again, and he squinted his eyes open to look at Kiba. One of his hands lifted, resting against Enka's back, and the puppy whined again.
"...M-may...I have...some water...?"
"Of course," her voice remained barely a whisper and she pulled away from him slightly. She'd had water in the room to help cut down on having to run back and forth to get things- the kitchens were pretty far away. She poured a small glass of water before shifting and moving back to the pained Hyuuga.
"Here..." Carefully, she moved to help him sit up a bit, holding the glass of water. She wasn't sure if he could get do it by himself and figured better safe then sorry for now. Hinaji would let her know if he could do it.
Being moved, even so carefully, hurt, but he tried not to show it. Kiba only meant to help, and he did need to sit up to drink. And the water was cool against his throat, which was what he had wanted.
He couldn't drink much though, and after a couple sips he settled his head against her lap, closing his eyes. Actually, trying to look at anything made him dizzy.
"Th-thank...you."
She was a little surprised, to say the least, as he rested his head against her lap; not unhappy, just surprised. There was a moment where she wasn't sure what to do, before the cup was placed on the floor- Enka could take drink it if the puppy felt like it. Slowly, her fingers started to run through his hair again and she watched him in the dark.
Where things really supposed to be like this?
"You're welcome."
He smiled a little again, grateful for her company. Things didn't seem so bad, knowing his teammates were there for him.
"H-have you been...alright?" She'd used her entire day to care for him, and he felt a little guilty. She didn't have to go so far, although it did make him happy to know.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me." She reassured him quietly, fingers still gently running through his hair. A hand reached over, pulling the blanket a little bit more around him. "Just take care of yourself right now, alright?"
She really didn't mind caring for him- anything she could do to help, to make it better. And Hoshino was there too. She looked over to the Aburame- Hoshino hadn't moved but there was no way she wasn't awake. Maybe she was just choosing to stay silent…
Her hand in his hair felt really good. Soothing. He sighed softly, content with her answer for now. Kiba wasn't the type to do something if she didn't want to, after all, and she could take care of herself. And really, he just wanted to stay where he was, comfortable and warm with her near him.
His teammates really were too good to him. He would have to do something to make this up to them. He wasn't sure how he could, and he couldn't really think right yet, but he would show how much this meant to him.
A faint smile crossed her lips as he started to relax a bit, the pained lines fading from his face and the tension easing in his shoulders. Her fingers continued to carefully slide though his hair, repeating the motion over and over again. It seemed to be helping and she didn't plan on stopping. It wasn't like she could sleep anyway- watching over Hinaji wasn't a bad way to pass the insomnia.
Akako shifted a bit, resting her head near Kiba and breathing against her softly and letting her know that she was there too.
It was a while before he came back up out of the half-sleep he'd fallen into, and he was surprised to find his head was still cradled on Kiba's lap. Frowning a little and opening his eyes, he glanced up at his friend, worry replacing the pain in his expression.
"...Kiba-chan...?"
Enka whined a little from her place beside him, head still on his chest. He scratched her back slowly, trying to soothe her.
"What is it?" She asked softly, slitted eyes watching him in the darkness. She gave him a soft, reassuring smile, fingers still gently sliding through his hair as she spoke. There wasn't much noise besides the breathing of them and the dogs and the sounds of the night outside. Akako huffed slightly, reassuring little Enka who probably didn't understand quite what was going on right now.
He frowned more. "...You...should be sleeping..." She needed to take care of herself, too. And now that he could think a little clearer, he felt guilty for keeping her from doing that. As much as he loved her help, he hated imposing on her.
"I will soon," she reassured him, smiling to him still. "I promise."
Well, she hoped at least. With everything her brother had said, plus Hinaji'... injury, she had a lot to think about. She just wasn't sleepy enough with her mind running in circles. She'd fall asleep eventually; she knew that much just right now... she was gonna keep an eye on he friend.
"...Alright..." If Kiba said she would, he would believe it. So he just settled against her more, her presence comforting, Enka's weight on his chest helping as well. The pain wasn't so bad anymore, and his vision wasn't as blurry, and for the first time that day he thought that maybe things could get better.
When he fell asleep, this time for real, it was actually restful
The pain greeted him when he woke, not as strong and blinding as before, but enough to make him groan and squeeze his eyes shut tightly. There was pressure behind his eyes, spreading throughout him and he just wanted to fall back asleep, go back to not feeling anything. But he couldn't, not now.
He rolled over onto his side slowly, curling up into a tight ball in an effort to dull the pain, but it wasn't very helpful. And he was vaguely aware of someone else's presence, although he didn't focus on it because focusing took effort and made his head hurt more.
Would it have been this bad if he'd been branded when he was a child?
Kiba quietly slipped back into the room after speaking with Hanato and felt herself wince at Hinaji's groan. Keeping her steps silent, she watched him curl up and felt her chest tighten. He just looked so tiny and... and this was all sorts of messed up. She thought she'd feel relief when it was done and over but it was only now that she was starting to realize that it was going to take a long while for it to be 'over'.
Carefully, she kneeled down by his side, resting a hand lightly on his back. She shifted so Enka had room to squirm back next to him, half stroking his back, trying to soothe him somehow. For a moment, she debated speaking and then decided against it- she didn't want to cause him anymore pain right now.
Hinaji twitched when something touched his back, not even sensing anyone else near him. It was painful just to think. But after a while the touch became familiar, and the warmth that came with it felt a lot like Enka did whenever she stayed near him when he stayed the night.
Eventually he found the strength to shift and roll onto his back, turning his head towards whomever it was that touched him. Eyes squinting open, he smiled very slightly, recognizing Kiba through the blur his vision had become.
"K-kiba...chan..." The whisper was soft, barely more than a release of air.
She gently pulled her hand back as he rolled over, letting him settle. Once he was settled, she sat beside him, one arm curling around her knees; her free hand moved to very carefully smooth through his hair, hoping that would help a little bit. She was prepared to jerk her hand back at any moment in case the movement hurt him.
"Hey you," Kiba whispered, smiling a little bit to him. "Still feeling crummy?"
If he could, he might have laughed softly. As it was, he only smiled a little more before groaning and squeezing his eyes shut. Enka whimpered beside him, inching closer and resting her head on his chest, trying to help as much as she could.
After a few minutes the rush of pain dulled again, and he squinted his eyes open to look at Kiba. One of his hands lifted, resting against Enka's back, and the puppy whined again.
"...M-may...I have...some water...?"
"Of course," her voice remained barely a whisper and she pulled away from him slightly. She'd had water in the room to help cut down on having to run back and forth to get things- the kitchens were pretty far away. She poured a small glass of water before shifting and moving back to the pained Hyuuga.
"Here..." Carefully, she moved to help him sit up a bit, holding the glass of water. She wasn't sure if he could get do it by himself and figured better safe then sorry for now. Hinaji would let her know if he could do it.
Being moved, even so carefully, hurt, but he tried not to show it. Kiba only meant to help, and he did need to sit up to drink. And the water was cool against his throat, which was what he had wanted.
He couldn't drink much though, and after a couple sips he settled his head against her lap, closing his eyes. Actually, trying to look at anything made him dizzy.
"Th-thank...you."
She was a little surprised, to say the least, as he rested his head against her lap; not unhappy, just surprised. There was a moment where she wasn't sure what to do, before the cup was placed on the floor- Enka could take drink it if the puppy felt like it. Slowly, her fingers started to run through his hair again and she watched him in the dark.
Where things really supposed to be like this?
"You're welcome."
He smiled a little again, grateful for her company. Things didn't seem so bad, knowing his teammates were there for him.
"H-have you been...alright?" She'd used her entire day to care for him, and he felt a little guilty. She didn't have to go so far, although it did make him happy to know.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me." She reassured him quietly, fingers still gently running through his hair. A hand reached over, pulling the blanket a little bit more around him. "Just take care of yourself right now, alright?"
She really didn't mind caring for him- anything she could do to help, to make it better. And Hoshino was there too. She looked over to the Aburame- Hoshino hadn't moved but there was no way she wasn't awake. Maybe she was just choosing to stay silent…
Her hand in his hair felt really good. Soothing. He sighed softly, content with her answer for now. Kiba wasn't the type to do something if she didn't want to, after all, and she could take care of herself. And really, he just wanted to stay where he was, comfortable and warm with her near him.
His teammates really were too good to him. He would have to do something to make this up to them. He wasn't sure how he could, and he couldn't really think right yet, but he would show how much this meant to him.
A faint smile crossed her lips as he started to relax a bit, the pained lines fading from his face and the tension easing in his shoulders. Her fingers continued to carefully slide though his hair, repeating the motion over and over again. It seemed to be helping and she didn't plan on stopping. It wasn't like she could sleep anyway- watching over Hinaji wasn't a bad way to pass the insomnia.
Akako shifted a bit, resting her head near Kiba and breathing against her softly and letting her know that she was there too.
It was a while before he came back up out of the half-sleep he'd fallen into, and he was surprised to find his head was still cradled on Kiba's lap. Frowning a little and opening his eyes, he glanced up at his friend, worry replacing the pain in his expression.
"...Kiba-chan...?"
Enka whined a little from her place beside him, head still on his chest. He scratched her back slowly, trying to soothe her.
"What is it?" She asked softly, slitted eyes watching him in the darkness. She gave him a soft, reassuring smile, fingers still gently sliding through his hair as she spoke. There wasn't much noise besides the breathing of them and the dogs and the sounds of the night outside. Akako huffed slightly, reassuring little Enka who probably didn't understand quite what was going on right now.
He frowned more. "...You...should be sleeping..." She needed to take care of herself, too. And now that he could think a little clearer, he felt guilty for keeping her from doing that. As much as he loved her help, he hated imposing on her.
"I will soon," she reassured him, smiling to him still. "I promise."
Well, she hoped at least. With everything her brother had said, plus Hinaji'... injury, she had a lot to think about. She just wasn't sleepy enough with her mind running in circles. She'd fall asleep eventually; she knew that much just right now... she was gonna keep an eye on he friend.
"...Alright..." If Kiba said she would, he would believe it. So he just settled against her more, her presence comforting, Enka's weight on his chest helping as well. The pain wasn't so bad anymore, and his vision wasn't as blurry, and for the first time that day he thought that maybe things could get better.
When he fell asleep, this time for real, it was actually restful