They Say It's Warm

by candestroy

I shoulda known I was dead. Shoulda been obvious. I mean really. Who doesn’t know they’re dead? rated for language

"Hey."

Naruto looked up to see Kiba standing over him. He smiled weakly and moved over a bit so he could sit down.

He sat down.

Naruto and Kiba waited.

"Do you know where you're going?" Naruto asked.

"No, do you know where I'm going?" Kiba responded.

"They say it's warm."

"Where?"

"Where you're going. They say it's warm where you're going."

"Who is 'they'?"

"I dunno. Just they. I dunno."

"What do you mean 'just they'? 'They' has to be someone."

"I don't know. That's just what they say."

"They say there's a they."

"No, they say it's warm."

"What's warm?"

"Where you're going."

"Where am I going?"

"I dunno. They just say it's warm there."

Kiba stretched his arms up.

"Fuck they." He said finally.

Naruto sighed.

"Sorry." He backtracked.

"I don't care." Naruto said.

"I didn't mean to."

"Swear?"

"No. I meant to do that. I didn't mean to…you know."

"No. I don't know."

"I didn't mean to…"

Kiba paused.

Then he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Kill her."

"Oh." Naruto nodded. "Of course not."

"I really didn't."

"I know." Naruto said.

"It's okay?"

"No." Naruto answered immediately. "Not okay. She's dead. You killed her."

"I didn't mean to. It was an accident."

"Well, I didn't mean to do it either."

"Do what?"

"Kill you."

"Kill me…"

"You're dead, Kiba."

Kiba stretched again.

"Fuck." He uttered.

"Yeah." Said Naruto. "Fuck."

"Mostly cause I didn't know it. You know, fuck cause I didn't know it. I shoulda known I was dead. Shoulda been obvious. I mean really. Who doesn't know they're dead?"

"You."

"Right."

"And her."

"She knows." Kiba said.

Naruto stood up.

"When are you leaving, Kiba?" Naruto asked.

"I dunno." Kiba said. "I didn't even know where I was going, until just now."

"You know where you're going now?"

"Yeah." Kiba said. "You can't go anywhere else when you've killed someone."

"Even though it's an accident?"

"Even though."

"I have to admit."

"Hm?"

"I was lying before. I really did mean to kill you."

"I know. You were angry. We all were."

"You killed her. What was I supposed to do?"

"Kill me. That's it. You were right."

Naruto put his hands in his pockets and started to walk away.

"Where you going?"

Naruto turned back around and looked at Kiba. He was fading. He was going away.

"I dunno." He said.

"They say it's warm."

"Fuck they."

"Yeah. Fuck they."