Cracked Lens, Broken Heart
Kiba bustled around the kitchen, smiling happily to himself as he made cookies, wearing that stupid apron his husband had bought him as a joke for their first Christmas together. He put on some music and danced around, tapping his dog Akamaru on the nose. It was an understatement to say he was happy, that fact was he was immensely ecstatic.
His husband, Shino Aburame, was in the navy and had been gone for a half a year. This made Kiba sad, Shino being gone for the second half of the first year of their marriage, but he managed.
'He's so brave to fight for our country!' Kiba thought, smiling softly at nothing in particular. But why is Kiba so happy?
Shino is finally coming home for good.
The phone rang and Kiba answered happily. "Hello?" He chirped.
"Is this Mr. Kiba Aburame?" Kiba fought the urge to giggle at his last name.
"Yes, it is!"
"My name is Kotetsu, I and my friend Izumo fought with your husband for a good amount of time. Can we stop by?" His voice seemed dead, almost sad in a way.
"Sure! Any friend of Shino's a friend of mine!" Kiba replied cheerily. "Come on over." He hung up, smiling as he finished making his cookies and put them in the oven, thinking about the day Shino had proposed to him.
"Kiba?" Shino scooted off the couch and took Kiba's hand, letting the dog boy undo his collar and remove his glasses. Kiba looked into his loves eyes.
"Yeah Shino?" Kiba responded, peering into those silver orbs he loved. "What is it?" He continued when Shino stayed silent. Shino looked at the ground a moment, his hand fumbling for something in his pocket.
"I have something to ask you." Shino said, getting down on one knee and kissing Kiba's fingers. Kiba gasped, eyes getting teary when Shino pulled out a thin gold band and looked up at him with a rare smile on his face. "Kiba Inuzuka, will you marry me?"
Kiba started laughing, tears pouring down his face. "Yes! I will!" Shino stood and slid the band on the third finger of Kiba's left hand. Kiba threw his arms around Shino and kissed him passionately, and Shino wrapped his arms around Kiba's waist.
That was the first time Kiba had ever cried in front of anyone.
Remembering the proposal led to remembering the wedding night. Kiba turned pink at the thought, taking a tray of cookies out of the oven. He had refused to have sex with Shino until after they were married. He never believed they actually would be joined in holy matrimony, it had just been something he'd say to stop things. But Kiba was glad they had married, he didn't want anyone but Shino in his love life.
The door bell rang through the house, a cheery sound on this great day. Whistling, Kiba took off the apron and left it on the counter, answering the door.
"Hello Mr. Aburame." Two men stood in the doorway in Navy suits. Kiba stepped back and let them in, leading them to the living room where he proceeded to scold Akamaru for barking at the newcomers before they sat down.
"Hello! Can I interest you in a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie? Their Shino's favorite!" Kiba babbled. "Or a soda?"
"No sir. My name's Kotetsu, and this is Izumo." The man with very long, spiky hair said, motioning to the man in the hat beside him. "We came to talk to you about Shino actually."
"He's coming home tomorrow, didn't you know? It'll be great to have him around again!" Kiba smiled. "I'm tired of only getting an occasional letter!"
"Sir, we have something very important to tell you." Izumo cut in. "During the war we're in, a ship was sunk. Hit by a missile, you see."
"That ship was ship number 52." Kotetsu said. "It went under and everyone on that ship drowned."
"I'm so sorry! I feel so bad for those who lost their loved ones!" Kiba frowned, shaking his head. "'War is a horrible thing', Shino always says."
"Sir, We came regarding your husband. Mr. Shino Aburame was on that ship when it sunk." Both men bowed their heads. "As friends of Shino's we were a asked to tell you."
Kiba stood slowly, shaking his head. "No. . ." He whispered, tears beginning to spill over. "No, he was coming home tomorrow."
"Sir, Mr. Shino Aburame will be missed. He was an amazing man." Izumo said. "We're so sorry for your loss." He held out his hand and dropped something into Kiba's shaking ones. It was Shino's black sunglasses, a crack in one of the lenses.
And that day marked the second day Kiba cried in front of anyone.