Midnight.
Kiba could tell the clock had just turned to midnight based on the moon's position in the sky. He lay in bed, dressed in only a pair of black boxer briefs. His eyes shifted from the window adjacent to his bed to the dog curled up on the floor underneath it. Akamaru was sound asleep and had been for several hours.
"All that training must have exhausted the guy. He deserves the rest." Kiba thought as he sat up and swung his legs over the bed. "But how come I can't sleep? I'm just as exhausted as he is, but I can't even close my eyes for a whole five minutes."
Kiba let out a long and drawn-out sigh. He stood up and made his way towards the door. He figured getting a breath of fresh air may help him relax and allow him to get some rest.
He closed the front door behind him and leaned against the frame. He took in a deep breath and looked up at the moon. It glistened brightly and, in fact, looked bigger than usual. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scents of the world around him. The smell of the night air, the smell of the grass, the smell of ramen…
Wait. Ramen?
"Kiba?"
Kiba opened his eyes and found Konoha's number one blonde shinobi standing in front of him.
"Hey, Naruto."
"What are you doing up so late? And why are you outside in your underwear?" Naruto asked, looking the boy up and down.
"I could ask you why you're up so late, too, y'know. Plus, this is my house so it's not like I'm walking around in just my boxer briefs for no reason," Kiba retorted, crossing his arms. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"I was jumping around on the rooftops and I spotted you so I came down here. I couldn't sleep either."
"Oh."
Silence. Awkward silence, Kiba thought.
"He's gonna wanna leave soon. Shit. I can't let him. Not when I was finally getting my hopes up."
"Is it me or does the moon look a lot bigger tonight?" Naruto asked, looking up at the moon.
Kiba looked up as well. "Yeah, I was thinking that earlier."
"Hey, don't you dogs howl at the moon?" Naruto asked with his usual excitement, a wide grin on his face.
"What? You think I howl at the moon?" Kiba asked, shocked by this allegation.
"I mean, your clan's famous for using dogs, so I wouldn't be surprised. You kinda act like a dog, too, y'know…" Naruto muttered, raising his arms behind his head.
"What are you trying to say?" Kiba snapped.
"Hey, don't get mad at me! It was just a question! It's not like we're doing anything else!" Naruto exclaimed.
Kiba glared at the blonde before looking back up at the moon. "I did it once…"
"Huh?"
"I've howled at the moon once. With Akamaru. He was doing it so I just joined him."
"I knew it! You're just like a dog!" Naruto laughed.
"Shut up, you idiot! I'd rather be howling with Akamaru than standing here talking to you!" Kiba snapped.
Naruto immediately stopped laughing and stared at Kiba, a shock and hurt lingering in his eyes.
"Oh fuck. I shouldn't have said that!"
"Oh. I guess I'll be going then," Naruto muttered, his sadness evident in his tone.
"No, Naruto, wait. I didn't mean that. It's just annoying that people ask that question all the time," Kiba quickly replied. "I… I would actually like it if you stayed…"
"Really…?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah… I mean, if you want. It'd be… Nice… To have someone around to talk to," Kiba muttered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Yeah, it would," Naruto said, plopping down on the ground. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"
Kiba sat down in front of Naruto and leaned back on his hands. "Yeah, sure. What's up?"
"What's up with you and Hinata?"
Kiba stared at Naruto blankly. Did he just ask him about the relationship between him and his teammate? The girl he sees as a little sister?
"Hinata? There's nothing going on between me and her. What makes you think I like her like that?" Kiba asked, almost suspicious that there was some sort of ulterior motive behind his question.
"I dunno. I just thought you had feelings for her like I used to have feelings for Sakura-chan," Naruto replied.
"'Used to'? You don't like her anymore?"
"No. Not anymore. I just got over it after a while. She likes Sasuke, even if he's the world's number one target right now."
"I can't believe she still loves that bastard. Love really is blind."
"Yeah, I guess. So who do you like?"
"Huh?"
Naruto leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "Who do you like? Come on, Kiba, don't chicken out and not tell me. I don't care who it is. It could be the ugliest girl in the world. I just can't guarantee I won't laugh."
"'Ugliest girl in the world'… Naruto, it's not a girl…" Kiba thought sadly.
"Is it Kurenai? Or Anko? I figured you were into cougars or something. What about Shizune? She looks like a screamer when she's getting fucked into the-"
"What the fuck, Naruto? I don't want to imagine that!" Kiba snapped, grabbing his head as if he were in pain.
Naruto let out a hefty laugh. "Or maybe you're into guys! I bet you like Shino. You two are always fighting. I bet you two fight in bed all the time, too!"
As Naruto laughed, Kiba glared angrily at him and muttered, "Shino's not even gay. I don't like him like that."
"Ah man. That was hilarious. Come on, Kiba, tell me!"
"Why do you want to know so badly?"
"Because I just do! I've never seen you try to get with anybody, but there has to be at least one person that you think is cute or something!"
"What about you? You liked Sakura so maybe you like someone else now! How about this: you tell me who you like and I'll tell you who I like."
"You suck, Kiba! Fine. I do like somebody else now…"
"Who is it? Tenten? Ino? Hinata? You know Hinata loves you, right?"
"Yeah. She told me when Pein and I fought. I already talked to her about it and we're friends now. Really good friends. I don't like any of those girls. In fact, I don't like girls at all."
A look of shock grew on Kiba's face. "You… You're gay, Naruto?"
Naruto nodded in agreement. "You're not gonna overreact like Jiraiya did, are you?"
"Jiraiya overreacted when you told him you were gay?"
"Yeah. He caught me checking out some guy at a bathhouse while we were away and flipped out. He got over it and eventually accepted it, but he was really shocked and didn't know how to take it at first. He never met any gay shinobi before," Naruto explained.
"Whoa. I'm not gonna overreact, Naruto. You're my friend. Friends accept each other for whatever they are," Kiba stated with a warm smile.
"Thanks, Kiba," Naruto replied, smiling back. "But… I don't know how you're gonna take it when I tell you who I like."
"I'm sure I'll be okay with it. Just tell me."
"Please let it be me, please let it be me, please let it be me…"
"… I like you, Kiba."
"FUCK YEAH!"
Kiba's face remained relaxed, despite his internal joy. "Really?"
"Yeah. I didn't want to tell you and make it aw-"
Naruto was silenced by a kiss from the Inuzuka. He froze momentarily, then eased into the kiss. Kiba rested his hand on Naruto's cheek and rested on his knees, caressing the boy's lips with his own. Naruto pulled away from Kiba and looked into the boy's eyes, their faces inches apart.
"Kiba… You… I… Me…"
"Yeah, I like you too, you idiot."
"Fuck you. Your breath smells like a wet dog."
"At least I don't smell like dog shit. You probably stepped on something while you were jumping on those houses."
"What the hell are you talking about? How would a dog shit on a house?"
"Well, sometimes when Akamaru and I are moving around, he-"
"YOU DISGUSTING FUCK!"
Kiba burst out laughing, falling onto his back. He grabbed his stomach while Naruto towered over him, ready to kick him in his ribs.
"I'm kidding, Naruto, I'm kidding! You don't smell like shit. You smell like ramen, of course."
"You're damn right I don't smell like dog shit. I was eating ramen before I left my house."
"Yeah. Pork. I could taste it on your tongue."
"You liked it?" Naruto asked, lustfully, sitting on Kiba's stomach.
"Yeah. Let me get another taste," Kiba replied, grabbing the back of Naruto's head and kissing him, passionately.
As the boys kissed passionately, Akamaru sat in the doorway to the house, watching his master and the boy he had been bitching about for months finally get together.
"Maybe now he'll mate and quit jerking off so much," Akamaru thought.