Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain and am not making any profit from this writing.
This will be a compilation of Kiba/Hige oneshots, set throughout the series. This is one of my favorite pairings, so I wanted to dedicate a series of fics especially to them. Let me know what you think!
Summary: After being saved from the incinerator, Hige reflects, and relives his own terror. Set after Episode 6.
Trapped in metal bars, Hige is unable to escape. The humans laugh and jeer about the stray dog. The door opens, and he is thrown from the cage. He yelps as he hits the floor. Everything is dark. He hears a door slam shut. Then the world ignites.
Hige bolted awake, panting heavily, and looking around frantically. He was unsure what he wanted. It had all been just a horrible dream, right?
Right. Suddenly, he vividly remembered Kiba prying the bars of the cage open with his teeth. He was safe. He needed Kiba though. The white wolf was always strong, always safe. Where was he? Tsume and Toboe were curled up together, but their alpha was nowhere to be found.
Had the others not been sleeping, Hige would have howled for him, pride be damned. He needed him. As it was, however, they were sleeping, and he did not want to risk waking them (especially Tsume). So he followed his infallible nose instead. He walked slowly through the trees, jumping at every noise and bump in the night.
He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the white wolf, lying on a boulder, overlooking the area. Watching him, apparently.
"Can't sleep?" Kiba asked quietly, standing and hopping down.
"Kind of," Hige mumbled. His alpha looked at him critically.
"Anything I can do?" he asked, after a moment of silence. Hige swallowed.
"Sleep with me?" he pleaded. Kiba's yellow eyes softened.
"I can do that," he answered softly, "Do you want to go back with the others, or..." he trailed off.
"Stay here," Hige was not ready to go back to his other pack mates just yet. He wanted Kiba to himself. He wanted Kiba to comfort him. Kiba always made everything better.
"Whatever you want," the white wolf responded amiably. He led Hige under a large oak tree, and lay down. The tawny wolf lay next to him, curling into him slowly, hesitantly. He badly wanted to be close to Kiba, but he was still unsure as to where he stood with him. Kiba seemed to like him fine, but that did not necessarily mean he wanted to cuddle up to him.
Kiba seemed to have different ideas however, as he shifted closer to Hige and began licking his head, grooming him gently.
"I'm listening, you know," he said carefully, "If you want to talk about it."
"It was the incinerator," Hige mumbled, almost too quiet to hear, but Kiba caught it.
"You're alright," he assured him, "You're safe."
"Thanks to you," Hige said softly, leaning further into him.
"You could've gotten out of there," he answered simply, tilting his head to clean the tawny wolf's ear. Hige squirmed at first in surprise and discomfort, but quickly stopped once he realized what the white wolf was doing.
"No," he protested, "I was only kidding about the barbarian thing. I'm not like you, I'm not nearly that strong, and I don't have nerves of steel."
"I beat most wolves when it comes to brute strength," Kiba replied dismissively, before pausing, "You think I have nerves of steel?"
"Yeah," Huge answered, grunting as Kiba shifted to clean his other ear. Kiba snorted softly.
"Idiot. I don't."
"You do, though. You came to get me, even though you were already injured, and you got me out immediately."
Kiba gave his ear a final lick, apparently deciding they met his standards of cleanliness. Hige missed his gentle ministrations.
"Well, I'm glad you think so highly of me," Kiba said, clearly bemused, but sounding genuinely pleased. He began licking the tawny wolf's head again, and it was all Hige could do not to practically purr with all the attention he was getting. He was enveloped in Kiba's warmth, and despite their surroundings, he felt safer than he had in ages. He cuddled more closely into the white wolf, determined to take full advantage of the moment.
"I was terrified though," Kiba finally added, so softly that Hige almost missed it. Hige froze, and pulled away to look at him.
"You were?" he asked, amazed. Kiba refused to look him in the eye, seeming anxious.
"Kiba? Why were you scared?" Hige asked patiently, though internally, he wondered if Kiba could hear his heart racing. The white wolf swallowed.
"I didn't want to lose you," he whispered. Hige stared at him for a long moment, before nuzzling him gently. Kiba stiffened.
"I wouldn't leave you," Hige teased, "I'm the life of the party! What would you do without me?"
Kiba was quiet, apparently unsure how to take that response. Hige always forgot the white wolf's stunted sense of humor.
"Seriously," he swallowed, "You're stuck with me. Forever."
Kiba leaned back into him at that.
"Good," he whispered, "I'm glad."
Thoughts? Was it too out-of-character? I'm working with the assumption that Hige is somewhat traumatized, which I think excuses some OOC-ness on his part, but I don't want Kiba to be OOC. I haven't watched Wolf's Rain in quite a few months, so if I've gotten some things wrong, please let me know. I love constructive criticism!