Kiba went through the motions, barely paying attention to the woman in front of him as he accepted her payment and sent her on her way with her pamphlets that stated the importance of keeping up with a cat's vaccinations. He worked behind the counter of his mother's clinic and knew the job well enough that he didn't even need to think, just do, which was just fine by him.

He heard the door to the operating room open and turned around to see his mother come out after having cleaned up from the neutering she'd just done on the cat. Her nose scrunched up as she saw Kiba's face. She never did seem to get used to the tattoos marking it, bright red fang marks on either cheek. She had a fit when he came home that first day, but she seemed to realise why he had them done, and she hadn't said anything since. Not like there was anything to do about them anyways.

"Can you close up?" she asked as she pulled off her long, white coat and hung it up. Kiba just shrugged in a vague confirmation.

As she walked past him she stopped, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You should get out of here afterwards, go do something fun."

Kiba just shrugged again. He wasn't really in the mood to do anything fun, hadn't been in a while.

His mom didn't press things, although he knew she ached to do just that. It was not like Tsume to not state her opinion, so he figured he was only a few weeks of moping away from her starting to forcibly drag him out of the house, demanding that he enjoy himself.

She left him behind, and he started off the closing routines. He was in the middle of sweeping the floor when his phone rang. He pulled it out immediately, almost expecting to see Naruto's name on the screen, but then realised he was an idiot. Naruto wouldn't call, he couldn't call.

"Ino, what's up?" he answered, leaning on the broom.

"Kiba! I'm so glad you picked up for once."

Kiba didn't care enough to answer.

"It's my birthday today, and I'm having a party. I want you to come, Kiba."

Kiba hesitated. He'd completely forgotten it was almost her birthday. "Ino, I—"

"Kiba! I know what you are thinking. You are trying to come up with some lame ass apology, like you've done for the last four months. I'm not taking no for an answer. You are coming, whether you want to or not, or I'll force you. I'm not above tying you up and dragging you out there."

"I didn't know you were into bondage," Kiba shot back, earning a bark of laughter from Ino.

"Well, you'd know if you actually hung out with us, we haven't seen you for ages."

"I've been busy."

"Pft. Kiba Inuzuka, I know you better than that. You're not busy; you are avoiding us, and anything fun, because you have got it into your head that you should be miserable forever."

Kiba didn't answer, because there was more than a little truth in what she'd just said. He hadn't come to a single party or social gathering since… the accident. He knew he wouldn't be much fun to be around anyways. He didn't drink, and he just felt awkward being around them, particularly since he didn't have Naruto by his side.

Silence grew between them.

"You are allowed to have fun you know, even if he isn't there." She didn't need to specify who she was talking about; there was only one important enough. One who he had always gone to parties with. Together Kiba and Naruto had been the life of any party, but without him he was just… dull.

"You act like he's dead or something," Ino continued.

Kiba moved over to the couch in the reception area and sat down, abandoning the broom. He knew Ino wasn't going to let this go, so it might turn into a long conversation.

"Have you even seen him lately? You two used to be connected at the hip, it's weird never to see you two together anymore."

"Yeah, I've seen him."

Truth was that Kiba hadn't seen Naruto in well over a week. It just… hurt too damned much. It had taken two weeks for him to wake from the coma he had been in after the accident, and it had quickly become apparent that he had not walked away from the accident unscathed. His vocal cords were irreparably ruined, and he was left mute. Naruto, the guy who could talk your head off, always loud and boisterous, could never say another word. Kiba had been there with him when he got the news that would never be able to talk again and he had seen how Naruto seemed to deflate, some of the life dying in his blue eyes.

Kiba got steadily angrier whenever anyone would tell Naruto that it would be okay, that it could be worse.

At least you are still alive. At least you still have your vision. You'll pull through alright, you'll see.

Kiba saw the frustration in Naruto when he wanted to talk, but couldn't. He got a notepad and a pen, but it wasn't the same. His hands didn't work as fast as his mouth had, and now he had to think and formulate sentences, and not just let the words pour out of him. It wasn't the same. Naruto knew that, Kiba knew that, but no one else seemed to realise.

Kiba had been prepared for Naruto to banish him from his room, to demand that he leave, to tell him that he hated him, but he should have known better. If there was one thing Naruto was good at it was forgiveness. He never once showed in any way that he thought Kiba had done anything wrong, and that angered him maybe more than anything. He wanted the accusations, he wanted Naruto to realize that this was all Kiba's fault, but Naruto just shrugged and wrote, I should have worn my seatbelt.

As if that was the problem. If Kiba hadn't been intoxicated Naruto wouldn't have needed a seatbelt, would be fine today, free of scars and able to talk and sing and yell as much as he wanted to.

Every time Naruto grew frustrated as he tried to get what he wanted to say down on paper but suddenly couldn't find the right words or get it down fast enough, or get the meaning out correctly, Kiba blamed himself. Naruto just brushed it off, writing that it would be fine, even if both of them knew it wouldn't.

It took another few weeks before Naruto was allowed to leave the hospital, but he still had lots of hurdles to pass. Kiba had spent lots of time with him in the beginning, but at some point he had started to pull away. Watching Naruto struggle made him feel awful, and not being able to help made him feel useless. He had completely ruined his best friend's life, and now he was only making things worse by being around, healthy and well where Naruto wasn't, rubbing it in his face.

It hurt too much to see Naruto struggle, and Kiba knew that Naruto would do better without him around. He didn't deserve to spend time with Naruto after all, and he kind of wished Naruto would have scorned him, because then he would get what he should have gotten. Being forgiven was not what he wanted. He wanted to be treated like the piece of shit he was.

Naruto had even said that the tattoos made Kiba looks cool. Like it was something he had done for fun. Fuck, he was absolutely useless.

"Kiba, you still there?" Ino asked, and Kiba realized that she'd asked him something but he'd tuned her out completely.

She sighed. "You still haven't forgiven yourself have you?"

"How can I? I see how much he struggles, and I know it's my entire fault. No one should forgive me, least of all him!"

"He doesn't blame you, you know that. I don't know why you can't just try and move on, when he tries to. I think he misses you, Kiba."

Kiba ran a hand through his hair. "I don't get why he doesn't hate me."

"Because it's Naruto, and he doesn't hate anyone. He's making the best of the situation, trying to cope as well as he can, but I think he'd appreciate you doing it with him. Listen. Forget the party okay? You are just going to be a sourpuss anyways. My birthday gift can be that you hang out with him. All night. And you are not to beat yourself up, but just have fun with him, 'kay?

Kiba hesitated. He missed hanging out with Naruto like they used to. Playing video games, watching movies, eating junk food. He was just afraid that Naruto didn't really want to hang out with him, afraid that he was just acting like he was okay with everything. He probably shouldn't doubt Naruto so much. They'd been friends for over two decades, and whenever they'd been pissed off at each other before neither had had any problem with letting the other know through shouting or fists. He just wished Naruto had punched him or something, anything to just get back at him so they could start over. But Naruto just kept insisting that everything was fine, even when it obviously wasn't.

"Okay, I'll do that," he said, surprising himself, because he was sure he hadn't actually decided to do it yet. "Happy birthday, Ino."

Ino squealed in happiness before saying goodbye and Kiba hid his face behind his hands. He was so fucked up to actually need someone to give him a reason to visit his best friend. He was such a fucking pussy! He should get over his own issues and be there for Naruto.

Abandoning the sweeping he quickly locked up the clinic and headed to the house to get a shower and change his clothes.

Just over an hour later he was ringing Naruto's doorbell, clad in sweat pants, and lugging a bag filled with snacks. Minato opened the door, a grin splitting his face when he saw who it was. "Kiba!" he exclaimed. "Here to see Naruto?"

Kiba just nodded.

"He's up in his room, playing World of Warcraft last I checked, just head up there."

Kiba quickly made his way through the house, knowing it just as well as he knew his own house. He hesitated for a moment outside the door to Naruto's room, unsure if he should knock or not, but then he scolded himself. When had he ever knocked on Naruto's door? He always rushed in. He should know as he'd caught the other masturbating several times because of it. Not that the same hadn't happened the other way though.

Kiba slammed the door open, walking inside like he owned the place, startling Naruto judging by the way the blond spun around in his chair. Kiba saw his mouth open to scream out what would usually have been an expletive, but nothing but a croak came out, instantly making Kiba feel bad again. He pushed that away though, figuring he needed to get over that shit already. So, Naruto couldn't talk anymore, that didn't mean he had changed. He was still Naruto, his brother from another mother.

"You just died," Kiba deadpanned and Naruto spun back to the screen, slapping his palm to his forehead hard enough to jolt the black-framed glasses he wore in annoyance when he realized his orc had just gotten ganked by some no good Alliance piece of scum.

Naruto's middle finger shot up over his shoulder, directed towards Kiba. Obviously Naruto had come up with imaginative new ways to show his annoyance at Kiba.

"I come with peace offerings," Kiba said, and Naruto instantly perked up as he spun around in his chair again, holding out his hands when he spotted the bag Kiba was holding. Kiba handed it over, and couldn't help but to grin when he saw Naruto's face light up in a happy smile as he pulled out cups of ramen, chocolate and soda.

He threw the gifts onto the bed and jumped after, getting settled in a pile of snacks. Kiba headed over, but was stopped soon by a cup of ramen flying at him. He grabbed it out of the air, and saw Naruto expectant grin directed towards the cup. With a sigh and a roll of his eyes Kiba left the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen, knowing Naruto would bug him until he made the food so he might as well get it over with.

A couple of minutes later he was carrying the food back upstairs and found Naruto lying on the bed, munching on a Twizzler, the red liquorice slowly vanishing between his plump lips. Kiba found his eyes drawn to them, and had to shake his head a bit to distract himself from the view. He might be racked with guilt, but that had not diminished the feelings he'd developed for his blond friend in the slightest, and that just made him feel even guiltier.

Naruto's face lit up in a grin as he noticed Kiba and he immediately jumped up, crossed his legs and made grabby hands towards the steaming container. Kiba handed it over and plumped down on the mattress next to him, grabbing a Snickers bar to munch on. Naruto had turned on his small TV while Kiba was downstairs, and it was airing a rerun of some old sitcom they'd seen multiple times before, but neither of them minded. A comfortable silence rose between them, and for a moment everything was as it had always been.

"Hey, Naruto?" Kiba said as he'd finished up the chocolate and tossed the wrapper onto the floor where he knew it'd stay until Kushina picked it up, muttering about how Naruto was damned well old enough to clean up after himself.

Naruto slurped up the last of the noodles and trained his blue eyes on Kiba, waiting for whatever Kiba was saying. Kiba hesitated when his eyes drifted to the scars lining Naruto's cheeks, his stomach knotting in guilt again. He knew those were only a few in a whole mass of scars, had seen all of them at the hospital, slashing across Naruto's chest and throat in a crisscross of stripes. The rest were all hidden underneath a hoodie and a scarf Naruto had wrapped around himself though.

"Are you… okay?" he asked finally, not knowing how else to ask.

Naruto hesitated for a moment before pulling a shoulder up in a shrug that did not convince Kiba. He knew the guy too well for that to fly.

"I'm sorry I've been a bit of a dick lately, not coming over and stuff," he said, scratching lightly at the tattoos on his cheeks, feeling how they were slightly raised in spots where the needle had dug too deep.

Naruto parted his lips as if to say something, but then caught himself. Kiba caught the flash of annoyance cross his face, and it was a stab to his heart. He was the reason his friend was struggling.

Naruto looked around for a moment before spotting his cell phone lying on the nightstand. He grabbed it and promptly ignored Kiba as his fingers swept across the screen. A few moments after he finished Kiba felt his own phone buzz in his pocket, and he realized what Naruto had done as he pulled it out and opened the incoming text message.

Naruto
I'm mostly bored.

Kiba opened his mouth as if to answer, but then caught himself. If Naruto couldn't speak, then he wasn't going to either. He typed a message back.

Kiba
Sorry. I'll come over more often?

Naruto
I'd like that. I miss you, bro!

Kiba looked up at him and flashed him a grin, showing off his pointed canines.

Kiba
Of course you miss me, I'm awesome.

Naruto's lips quirked into a grin as he read the message.

Naruto
Calm down, mutt. I'm the ducking awesome one.

Kiba snorted and quickly typed back.

Kiba
Quack quack?

Naruto frowned as he read the message and Kiba waited expectantly for the moment where the blond would get it. He knew it the instant Naruto realised what he meant, could read the small tells on his face.

Naruto
F U C K. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

Kiba
Hey, do you kiss your momma with that mouth?

Naruto glared at him, and Kiba just did his best to look innocent as he typed up another message.

Kiba
And you know that I have evidence of your foul mouth now, right? I should show mommy dearest just what kind of words her precious baby is writing to me.

Naruto made a sound of amusement in his throat, the sound more ragged than it should have been had his throat not been messed up so bad.

Naruto
Have you met my mom? She swears like a sailor. A nasty sailor. Way worse than me.

Kiba snorted.

Kiba
You know, texting like this is gonna get expensive for you, you're gonna have to hit the streets or something.

Naruto
Please, dude, unlimited texting, I can do this until my fingers fucking bleed.

Kiba
Hey, look, you managed to type it right this time.

Naruto picked up a Twizzler stick and threw it at his head. Kiba grabbed it with a laugh and stuffed it in his mouth, chewing happily as he leaned back on the bed, making himself comfortable.

Naruto
Hey, I gotta show you this crap they gave me!

Kiba
Is it a brain? Because you could really need that.

Naruto punched his shoulder as he jumped off the bed and headed towards the computer where his orc was still lingering in the graveyard. He logged off the game and pulled up another program on the computer. Kiba rolled over on his side, watching, curious as to what Naruto could be talking about. Another messages dinged in.

Naruto
So, it's like supposed to be how I communicate now right? I type in shit and the computer reads it out loud. Just listen to this horse crap.

Naruto turned around, making sure that Kiba had read the message and was listening as he typed something on the keyboard. It took a moment, and then a computerized voice translated the words into speech. "I have come from the future to tell Kiba that he is a moron."

The words were tinny and stilted, the intonation all wrong. Kiba snorted as Naruto typed up something else.

"The doctors say I should use this to talk rather than a notepad, because this is just so fucking natural."

Kiba didn't think the voice could be any further from how Naruto had sounded. Slow, dull and oddly high-pitched in all the wrong places he couldn't help but crack up as he imagined Naruto lugging around on his laptop, typing in everything he wanted to say and waiting for the computer to translate it.

"This is so fucking bad I don't know if I should be angry or laugh my ass off. I figure that if I gotta write stuff you guys better just read it, because no. Fuck no."

He turned away from the computer, hands running through his hair for a moment, messing it up even more than usual. His glasses had slid down his nose, but rather than push them back into place he pulled them off and placed them on the desk. Kiba knew Naruto didn't really like wearing the glasses, so he mostly only kept them on whenever he sat in front of the computer. He kept insisting they made him look like a dork so he refused to wear them anywhere else. Only Kiba ever got to see him wear them. He didn't think they made him look like a dork. Well, he always looked a bit like a dork, but in a good way. He looked just as good with the glasses as without. Not that it meant he didn't always make sure to poke fun at him, because that was just what they did to each other. At least before the accident. Okay, and maybe a little right now.

Kiba
Hey, it's better than your old voice?

Naruto snorted and Kiba knew he'd get back for that at some point, but he didn't care, because it was just so fucking nice to see Naruto smiling again, so nice to be able to just talk shit like they'd used to. It was strange how easy it was to fall back into their old banter, just like how it had been before the accident when Kiba just made the effort to not wallow in his guilt. This was… nice. Like really fucking nice. He needed to quit feeling guilty all the time and just be there for his friend, like a decent human being. Knowing Naruto there would be nothing that pissed him off more than people walking on eggshells around him, so making fun of what had happened was probably what he'd appreciate most.

Naruto walked over to the bed, dumping down on it, and scooting up until he lay next to Kiba, hands under his neck. For a moment they just lay there, side by side, like they'd done hundreds of times before. Kiba was starting to realise what an utter ass he'd been. No matter how guilty he felt it shouldn't matter because Naruto had forgiven him, and staying away from him only made the both of them miserable.

Somehow Naruto seemed more at ease with himself than the last times he's come over as well, and Kiba could sense that some of the light that had marked him was coming back. Naruto was extraordinary. He'd gone through a horrible accident leaving him scarred and mute, but apparently he wasn't going to let that stop him for long.

Kiba turned his head towards Naruto, and found that Naruto was already looking at him, soft smile on his face. Kiba's heart made a jump in his chest as he realised just how close they were and how easy it would be to lean over and just kiss him.

Kiba almost thought he would have, if not the door to Naruto's room had opened, Kushina poking her head inside. Kiba rolled over and stared at the roof, hoping he wasn't blushing, feeling like he was caught red handed doing something he shouldn't have.

Naruto waved at his mom over Kiba's chest.

"Honey, your dad and I are going out for the evening, will you boys be alright alone?"

Naruto quickly typed something on his phone and showed it to Kiba to read, probably realising Kushina might not have her phone on her.

"Naruto says that he's twenty-two, and more than capable of taking care of himself for a night. Also, Kiba is here to change his diapers and burp him so—"

Kiba didn't get to finish the half he made up as Naruto scuffed him across the head.

Kushina was used to them roughhousing, so she just shook her head and left, but not before Kiba saw a sly smile on her lips. He had no idea what that meant.

"You are pretty awesome, you know." Kiba was shocked by the words that left his mouth completely out of nowhere. He had no intention to say any such thing, but suddenly it was blurting out of him.

He was too mortified to look over at Naruto, but his phone soon buzzed in his hand, and he looked down and read the message.

Naruto
We both knew that already.

Kiba rolled his eyes and then turned his head so he could look at Naruto again. The marks on his face were very visible this close, ragged cuts of red where there before had been golden skin.

"I don't understand how you could forgive me for this," he whispered, his voice almost breaking. His fingers were itching to reach out and caress those marks, and he bit down on his lip to control himself, didn't want to break down and cry or something equally embarrassing.

Naruto looked at him for a moment before turning to his phone, fingers swiping quickly across the screen.

Naruto
You are my best friend, and this doesn't change that. Shit happens. Sure, it sucks major ass, but it is what it is, and I've decided to make the best of it. It's a lot better with you around though…

He looked up at Kiba, and for a moment they just stared at each other. Kiba felt like he should say something, but all he could focus on where the blue eyes locked on his and the sound of Naruto's soft breathing. He shifted slightly on the bed, and his hand brushed up against something warm and soft. His gaze dropped down, and he saw his own hand lying against Naruto's, just barely touching each other. He watched as his own hand moved, the pads of his fingers tracing across the back of Naruto's hand. He seemed to have no control over it, as if the hand belonged to someone else, someone who had the guts to make a move on the guy he was in love with.

He wrapped his finger around Naruto's hand, surprised that the blond wasn't pulling his hand back. He had no idea what he was doing, and didn't dare look up, keeping his eyes firmly locked on their hands. This meant he could see it when Naruto shifted his hand enough to let his thumb catch one of Kiba's fingers, tracing lightly against the skin. Kiba's breath hitched. He didn't dare hope, but not only was Naruto not pulling away, he was caressing him back, and just that small touch sent sparks of electricity through him.

It wasn't like they hadn't touched before, they'd been friends forever, there'd been punches and impromptu wrestling matches and noogie, but still, this small touch was so much more. Definitely not a purely friendly touch, much too intimate for that.

Biting down on his bottom lip Kiba took a shallow breath and looked up. Naruto was looking at him, an undecipherable look in his eyes. Not shock, more of a curiosity maybe? He kept on stroking his finger though, slow circles on the sensitive skin.

"You have no idea how much I care about you, and how bad it hurts to see you like this and know it's all my fault," Kiba said, his voice just a whisper, like he was afraid to break whatever was growing between them.

Naruto pulled his hand away, and Kiba was afraid this was it, this was the one taste of Naruto he would ever get and now he'd just messed up when Naruto grabbed his hand, interlacing their fingers completely, holding him tight. Kiba squeezed back, feeling reassured by the touch.

"You are my best friend, you've always been," he said, having no idea where he was going with this. He wasn't thinking, he was just letting his mouth blabber out whatever crossed his mind, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. He had so much to say and no idea how to say it, but he just couldn't keep bottling everything up. He'd almost lost Naruto once before he had the time to tell him how he felt, and then he'd foolishly pushed him away because he felt guilty, thinking more about his own feelings of guilt, rather than Naruto's feeling of loneliness. He couldn't mess up again, he needed to go all in and hope for the best. No pussyfooting around this time.

"I need to tell you something, but I don't know how," Kiba said on a croak, his courage faulting him now that the words were lingering on the tip of his tongue.

Naruto frowned, but then he used the hand not holding onto Kiba's to dig around on the mattress, finding his phone and handing it to Kiba. Kiba took it and looked down at it uncertainly. Naruto rolled his eyes and grabbed the phone, unlocking it and going into the text messages, thumb swiping quickly across the screen.

Easier to write than say?

Kiba smiled and nodded, typing down the words before he could regret it, handing over the phone, ready for whatever the reaction would be. He just hoped this wasn't it for them, that this would ruin everything. But then again, if Naruto could forgive him for nearly getting him killed he could forgive him for this if he didn't feel the same way.

Kiba waited, heart beating wildly as Naruto looked down on the screen, reading the five small words that could potentially change everything.

I'm in love with you.

A/N: :3 That Kiba. :D Also, I may or may not have forgotten about the fact that ffn eats those "less than" and "greater than" symbols, so that kind of messed up the formatting I had done. Whenever they text their names were supposed to be bracketed by those symbols, and now they're... not. Now I don't know how to write it, so for now it's just like this. :)