Sorry for taking so long; for a while I wasn't sure if I wanted to add an epilogue or not, but well, here it is. A big thank you to everyone who read this story!
Epilogue
Kiba couldn't take his eyes off her face as he settled himself down by her side, knees touching in the dark. His fingers reached up, knuckles brushing gently over the wet trails tracing slowly down the curve of her cheeks.
"…….You're crying….." he sounded faintly surprised. Hanabi nodded mutely, lower lip trembling as she looked up at him through the white blur of her tears. He looked a little older, a little more worn out; he moved carefully, still hurting from the barely healed injuries that had nearly cost him his life.
But he was alive.
Suddenly Hanabi smiled through her tears, reaching out with both arms. Kiba's breathing hitched slightly and he leaned forwards, allowing her to rest her head against the hollow of his throat, her arms tightening around his shoulders as if to assure herself he was real.
"Hanabi-chan?" he asked thickly, still unsure about her feelings, about them. Perhaps she was only glad to see a friend alive. That time at the wedding – all those nights they spent together – perhaps all she had needed was some comforting and someone to lose herself with. Perhaps what she needed wasn't him, even after everything that had happened.
Then Hanabi lifted her head and kissed his cheek softly before burying her face once more against his neck, breath hot against his skin.
"I don't ever want to lose you, Kiba-kun."
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The last lingering traces of light were gone. The world was bathed in a gentle darkness; edges were softened, lines were blurred, shadows across shadows flickering slowly on the ground. A man and a woman lay amidst the rubble and faded petals, gazing up at their starless night sky.
This was not their happily ever after, not yet; life would go on, tears would be shed, worlds split apart. But for now –
For now, their hearts beat together in a slow, steady rhythm, their breaths mingling and their hands warm against each others, fingers intertwined.
For now, it was enough.