Author's note: This story was written in 2009 and I haven't touched it after that, so beware for some awkward language.
Even though this is kinda fluffy, I like it how this is a mixture of two realistic things. a) Typical clingy emotions of someone in love, b) things that must be in every ninja's mind every now and then; what do you do when your loved one is on a mission?
Kiba hated the echo of his frustrated grunting in the apartment. He hated the feeling of not knowing how to spend time in the apartment. He hated the ticking clock and the silence.
He didn't want to watch TV or read books. He kept going circles around the rooms, trying to think up something.
"C'mon, it can't be this hard", he mumbled in annoyance.
He hated the tidy bed that looked like there hadn't slept anyone. Actually, there hadn't. Kiba had been sleeping on the couch 'cause the bed had felt too empty.
And this was only the second day in a row. Who knew how long he would have to keep going like this? Maybe it was going to take weeks.
"Damn that mission."
An important mission had stolen Shikamaru away from him. It wouldn't have been so bad if he himself had a mission to complete. But he was totally bored; the Hokage had said he could have a little time to rest before taking the next mission. Now it drove Kiba crazy. He wanted to move, he wanted to fight, he wanted to feel danger. Anything else but the silence.
"Akamaru?" he called.
The dog lifted his head a bit. He had been sleeping on the armchair.
"You want to go out?" Kiba asked.
Akamaru growled low and continued his sleep. Kiba gasped. "So you're following Shikamaru's laziness. Great."
He even hated the sound of the name when its owner wasn't near.
Pictures on the white walls of the bedroom were something he always liked to watch. Specially the portrait of Team Asuma; Ino posing cheerfully, Chouji looking somewhat confused, but still happy, and Shikamaru looking at the camera with his usual lazy, fully controlled expression.
Kiba stared at the pic and let out a sigh. Then he walked to the kitchen and hated the empty chair where Shikamaru used to sit.
He hated the small amount of water he had to put to the coffee maker so there wouldn't be too much coffee for only one person.
He hated the calendar with missions and other important stuff marked on it.
He hated the mug he put coffee into.
Then he hated himself. "This can't be true! It's just a mission, I should be okay with that. A couple of days without him can't hurt me this bad."
He took his cup of coffee, some cigarettes and a lighter with him and went to the balcony – a habit he had learnt from Shikamaru. He didn't do so very often; usually he was just sitting around when Shikamaru smoked, sniffing him and making disapproving faces even though he had actually started to like the scent. But now it was certainly important, like he was fulfilling Shikamaru's duty.
He put the mug onto the small glass table and sat onto a bench after lighting the cigarette. He leaned his head back, puffed out and watched the smoke rising up and fading into the air. For the first time ever he understood the reason for some people to smoke – especially for Shikamaru. It was like inhaling your thoughts and then letting them go. The smoke was as free as the clouds.
There were children playing somewhere near their apartment; he heard laughing and screaming. Suddenly he missed childhood – the days he had spent with his friends, with no worries of tomorrow.
"I'm not that old", he assured himself. "I'm... a teenager."
Not a kid. A kid could drown himself in misery like this and it would be alright.
He heard his phone ringing inside.
Kiba startled, dumped the cigarette and attacked at the phone incredibly quickly. "Hello?"
"Hi, doggy."
Kiba gasped in relief. "Hi, Shikamaru. So you're still alive."
"Pretty much, yeah."
"I'm bored to death. I can't do anything here", Kiba complained.
"Why?"
"I don't know. I just don't feel like I wanted to do anything."
"Silly. What have you done since I left?"
"Walked restlessly around the rooms."
Shikamaru laughed. "Poor puppy."
"Come home", Kiba asked with a sad tone.
Shikamaru fell in silence. "Umm. I have a mission, you know."
Kiba sighed. "I know, but..."
He could almost hear Shikamaru's smile. "You miss me that much?"
Kiba murmured something.
"Sorry, I can't understand dog language."
"Yeah, I do", Kiba said clearly.
"Kiba", Shikamaru snarled with a soft voice.
Kiba didn't say anything. He sat down to the living room carpet and lay on his back. "Hmm."
"What?"
"Hmm... are you alright? I mean, you haven't gotten any damage, are ya?"
"No. Just scratches."
"Good. I'll take care of them."
"I think you'll just make more damage..."
"What are you saying?" Kiba acted annoyed. "Me, aggressive?"
"I didn't complain."
Kiba grinned.
He looked at the ceiling and hated it. He couldn't see the clouds.
"How long will it take from you to come back?"
"I don't know for sure. Maybe a week. I'll try to be quick."
"Okay."
There was a small pause, before Shikamaru mumbled: "Umm... You know..."
"What?"
"I know I don't say these kinds of things very often, but..." he paused. "I wish you were here."
Kiba smiled but didn't say anything.
"And... I guess you know I love you?"
Kiba's smile went even wider. "Yeah, I know."
"Umm, I have to go now. They're starting to look at me with those faces again..."
"You probably should be doing something much more important than exchanging sappy talk with your boyfriend", Kiba laughed. "What kind of chuunin are you?"
"Shut up or I'll punish you when I get home."
"Ooooh, I'm so scared."
"We'll see if you are. By the way, do you remember how long it took for you to become a chuunin?"
Kiba snarled. "Stop bitching me."
"The bitch needs bitching."
"Ha ha. I love you too."
Shikamaru kept quiet for a while. "Umm. We'll see in about a week, okay? Take care."
"You too", Kiba said sadly.
"Bye."
"Bye", Kiba said and hated the word.
He put the phone down slowly, sighing and then leaving back to the balcony. He found his coffee. It was already cold.
"In about a week", he mumbled.
He didn't feel frustrated anymore.
About seven days before dawn.