Title: Distance Traveled
Universe: Wolf's Rain
Theme/Topic: Something actually set in the WF universe.
Rating: PG
Pairing/Character/s: TsumexToboe, Kiba, Hige
Warning/s: No spoilers, really. Possibly some OOCness because I don't remember them giving Kiba a lot for me to work with. --;;
Word Count: 790
Time: 42 mins
Summary: Toboe traverses great distances and doesn't even know it.
Dedication: Ann- I don't know, does this work? O.o
A/N: So I wanted to write something in a universe I'd never written for, and this technically counts, since the last time I used the WF characters they were in the Love Mode universe. thumbs up Yay loopholes. Anyway, I don't know how well I did considering, but if anything, at least there is cuddling. Yes.
Disclaimer: Not mine, though I wish constantly.
Distribution: Just lemme know.

It's interesting to watch the space gradually diminish between them, the way, when the pack lies down to sleep at night, the two of them will gravitate towards one another. He remembers how it had been not so long ago, with Toboe whining and Tsume inching away a good few feet, snapping at the kid when he tried to get closer for warmth.

It's been like that for a while. He knows because as their leader it's his job to pay attention to these sorts of things, after all. Always at night, Toboe wanting to sleep near Tsume inexplicably, choosing the cold on Tsume' side instead of huddling on the other end of their shelter with Kiba and Hige, who don't mind sharing body heat.

"You're a dumb kid," Tsume would tell the young wolf. "If you're cold go sleep with those two idiots."

"I don't wanna."

"Why the hell not? It's the same thing."

Toboe's brow would furrow and he'd look a little confused himself. "I don't know. I'd just rather be here, is all." And then he would lie down like it was that simple-- even if it was colder there and his reasoning made no real sense-- and go to sleep, a few feet between he and Tsume yet.

Tsume would look confounded for a moment before shaking his head and muttering something about the boy's development.

He and Hige had spoken about it briefly one day, watching their pack mates, and the other wolf had said, "He'll get there," with a type of smug certainty that really had no basis that Kiba could see.

Kiba had snorted and said, "He'll never get there," and from that day on it had been a sort of competition between the two of them, to see who was going to be right.

Some time later, Kiba noticed that the few feet between his sleeping pack mates had dwindled to only one.

"I told you!" Hige had told him that night, triumphant.

Kiba supposes he doesn't mind being wrong about this.

Because it's fascinating to watch the space between their bodies dwindle, Toboe's eagerness, his naïve persistence the only thing Kiba can imagine with the capability of wearing down Tsume's sharper edges. If not by fondness then by pure exasperation.

So he waits for when that almost-foot between them will become nothing, thinking that it will be an interesting day in the life of his pack when it does.

Tsume's stubbornness versus Toboe's innocent determination. The battle has already been won, really, but Kiba still can't help but wonder when the last prisoner will be taken.

Surprisingly it's the snow that closes the final space between the two of them, and not the gradual wearing down that Kiba had expected.

Or maybe that is the cause, indirectly.

He watches, pretending to be asleep, as Tsume grunts and eyes the shaking form of the little wolf beside him. The wind and snow scream just outside the cave they are sheltering in, and after a moment of indecision, Tsume sighs resignedly to himself and gets up, padding over towards the younger wolf and plopping down right next to him, taking the spot nearest the mouth of the cave to block the wind.

Toboe stops shaking then, and waking up, Kiba hears him as he blearily murmurs, "Tsume?"

"Shut up and go to sleep, kid."

He can't see it from where he's lying but he imagines Toboe's smile matches the way his tail is beating against the ground in intensity.

"Would you stop that and go to sleep?" Tsume hisses, sounding more embarrassed than angry.

"'Kay."

The pup settles down then, burrowing in closer to Tsume than the gray wolf felt was necessary, but being too tired to do anything about it, he sighs and drapes his head against the kid's back before shutting his eyes.

"Told you!" Hige whispers suddenly, near his ear.

Kiba swats at him, "I know," he says back.

The fat wolf grins. "Now it's just a matter of that one last space."

Kiba blinks. "What do you mean by that?"

Hige chortles and stretches his forelegs out luxuriously. "Well," he starts, "if the old nose is right, Toboe's fixing up to have his first season soon."

Kiba stares at his pack mate. "What?"

Hige just looks smug, because he knows his nose is the sharpest of the bunch. "Why d'ya think he's been Tsume-hunting all this time?" he responds, shrugging simply. "He doesn't know why yet, maybe, but I give it a month tops before he does. Before everyone does."

Kiba sighs. "Tsume's in trouble." After a moment, he allows a small, almost mischievous smile. "Do you think Toboe will make it?"

Higi sniffs. "Of course."

"Huh. Me too."

END