Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Twelve hours later saw Kankuro packing for his voyage home.
He hadn't seen Kiba since the night before. It made him worry a little, having always known what the Inu Nin was doing and when he was doing it made him anxious whenever he knew the opposite. But Kiba was a Ninja; a very capable one at that... he could look after himself.
He spent longer than necessary packing, it was irresponsible considering the longer he left it the longer he'd have to travel after night had fallen to make up lost distance, but he couldn't have cared less at that moment.
He was lingering around his, now empty, apartment just in case, by any chance of fate or coincidence, Kiba might end up at his door. It would give him a chance to apologise, even if Kiba had only come to wish him good riddance.

He was leaving, and Kiba didn't want him back.
But it didn't matter. Kankuro knew it didn't matter because soon he'd be home and he'd be thrown back into work, he'd be with Gaara and Temari, people he loved... people who loved him.

But, the more he thought about it, the more it did matter, because somewhere – waiting in a shadowed corner for Kankuro's departure – in this village there was a young man who loved him, a man he'd hurt. And it didn't feel right.

Thankfully, before Kankuro could go spiralling down a path of self-pity – which he was sure he wouldn't have been able to come up from – there was a knock on the door of his apartment, and when he opened it the young man on the other side of the door walked in as though yesterdays events hadn't happened. Like Kankuro was just a friend he'd come to say goodbye to – just a friend.

"Place is fuckin' creepy when it isn't full of your shit." And Kankuro had to smile despite himself because the kid had a point. The entire apartment was like a badly furnished doll house, not to mention it was dark and... empty. "Thought you'd be gone by now."

"Wishful thinking," Kankuro muttered, not moving from his place in front of the closed door, an attempt to prevent the Inuzuka man from leaving. "Nice to hear you can't wait to see the back of me..."

"As fine as the back of you is, I'm actually glad I caught you." Kiba looked at him over his shoulder and flashed the taller man a grin. "Felt wrong not sayin' bye considerin' how much we were... together."

'Together.' The word left his mouth like a bad taste... made Kankuro sick to his stomach.

"Didn't think you'd really want to say bye..."

"Mm..." Kiba hummed, listened to it echo and started his reply. "I wasn't going to... but I didn't want you to leave with us both clearly pissed at each other."

The older man sighed, "I'm not pissed at you, Kiba. It's not like you really did anything wrong."

Kiba snorted and turned to face the other man, "Fuck off, I blew up in your face like I was on my fuckin menstrual or somethin'."

"It's bygones... besides, you had good reason."

"'Good reason' my arse. I threw a goddamn fit because you were using me, sound real manly don't I?"

He laughed, but Kankuro could hear it. That twinge of hurt that laced through the kid's breath every time a syllable came out of his mouth. It made his chest feel tight.

"I forgive you... if that's what you're after," Kankuro replied, disregarding Kiba's last statement because, to be honest, Kankuro wasn't feeling all that 'manly' either.

The younger man blushed slightly and averted his gaze from Kankuro, taking sudden interest in an empty hook on the wall left of him. "Yeah... thanks. It's, y'know, kinda awkward sayin' it out loud."

"Trust me I know..." Kankuro replied, still staring at the other man who had yet to turn back to him. "Listen, kid-"

"Kankuro..." Kiba interrupted in a voice so soft Kankuro nearly didn't believe it had left his mouth.

"Yeah?"

"Stop calling me a kid... and I'll forgive you."

Kankuro smiled. It didn't really make sense to call the Inu Nin a kid anymore, they were both nearly thirty and dealing with some pretty hard... stuff. He supposed, for the sake of an apology and a possible second chance with the man, he could stop calling him a kid.

There was a pregnant silence between the two men, neither quite sure what to say next.

"If I told you I didn't want you to leave..." Kiba started, the end of his sentence being engulfed by his embarrassment.

"I wouldn't think any less of you after what we've been through the past couple days," Kankuro replied.

"It's only been a few hours. Get a watch." The Inuzuka smirked and turned to face him.

"Feels like days," the older man responded, not taking the other up on his challenge. He wanted this conversation to go on little longer; he still had things he hadn't grown the balls to say yet.

Kiba hummed slightly, like he was agreeing with the statement.

"I don't regret it..." Kiba announced after Kankuro had watched his face become hard in thought.

"Regret what?" He knew... he just wanted to hear it. Properly this time.

The Inuzuka scuffed his toes against the wooden floor, "You know what..."

"Say it," it was almost a command, almost.

Kiba looked at the man in front of him, and Kankuro saw something in those eyes that he'd always been blind to, "I love you..."

A genuine smile passed the older mans lips, "You have no idea how good those words sound comin' from you..."

"Shur'up," the alpha male replied, smiling and looking away. "You're supposed to say it back y'know. Real fuckin' romantic you..."

"Kiba..."

"Hm?" The younger shinobi looked up at Kankuro, taking in how fucking gorgeous the man was.

"I love you too."

Boom! Number 8.

I feel like I haven't updated in a while... sorry about that :/ I don't really have a reason I suppose I just... forgot.

Good place to end? I thought so.
This chapter makes me a lot happier than the last seven; it's casual but deep... suits them perfectly.

Next chapter is ready to go... kinda.
I've never wrote smut before, so I keep going back and changing things... being female gives me limited knowledge on the whole male buttsex thing but I'm getting there. Slowly but surely.
Next chapter will probably be the last.