Hello there. (:

I was watching an AMV on YouTube and felt inspired to write this fic.

So, I'm dedicating it to user: Rellie47. If you like ShinoTen go look her (I think it's a her?) up! She actually masked a Shino and TenTen kiss scene!

It was a Friday afternoon and TenTen had absolutely no plans. How did one of the prettiest kunoichi in Konohagakure have nothing to do? Well, her partners had prior engagements and she didn't. Hyuuga Neji was out on a special B-rank solo mission, Rock Lee was off training like the spastic workaholic he was, and her sensei, Maito Gai, was having one of his lame competitions with Hatake Kakashi.

Story of her ninja life.

Laying back in a small grassy field, the weapons specialist gazed up at the vast blue sky. It was difficult to recall the last time she'd simply kicked back or even peered at the sky overhead for elongated periods of time. TenTen absently picked a blade of grass that had been harmlessly sprouting by her hip, tossing it aside afterward.

Sure, Haruno Sakura had invited the brunette to Ichiraku with the rest of team 7, but the ramen shop was most definitely not her scene. Sai had a bizarre habit of smiling creepily at TenTen when he saw her and tossing around rude remarks. Uzumaki Naruto was kindhearted with good intentions, but he was also annoyingly loud--much like her own teammate. Not to mention Sakura herself was always throwing punches at her squad and causing a incident. They were just a little too rowdy for her tastes.

That didn't leave much else for TenTen to do that quiet day. She'd been training since daybreak and it was growing tiresome. Day in and day out, it was all she ever did in her spare time. Reaching her arms up toward the sun as it began to drift to the west, TenTen questioned her lifestyle. It seemed like there was no end to the cycle of training and missions.

There should be something other to life than just that, right?

Maybe not. It was her choice to become a shinobi in the beginning. It wasn't as if she didn't realize what she'd been getting into. She just . . . wanted more.

A deep sigh escaped from TenTen's lips and she rolled onto her stomach. Oddly enough, as she did so, the brunette found that she was no longer alone.

Not too far from where she was, Aburame Shino was crouched over a shrub . . . talking to it.

Weird.

TenTen hadn't had much experience with the bug-nin--they'd never even been partnered on a mission before--but she got this strange vibe from the guy. He hardly ever spoke to people, especially if you weren't named Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, or Yui Kurenai. She mutely wondered what kind of person he must be.

"Shino-san!" she called out. It could have been boredom or curiosity, but she wanted to find out.

Upon hearing TenTen's voice, the quiet man glanced over his shoulder. His face was obscured by the high neck of his shirt, hood of his jacket, Leaf engraved headband, and the thick shades he wore.

For a moment she regretted speaking, but to her pleasant surprise he responded in a somewhat-friendly tone.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing over there?" she asked, jutting her chin towards the bush.

"Collecting insects," he deadpanned.

Oh. No wonder he was conversing with a bush.

Unsure of a proper response, TenTen muttered a lame, "That's cool." She rose to her feet, ambling over to his side. As she walked, the kunoichi tried to pull a question from her brain that wouldn't be totally off base. "What kind of bugs are you collecting?"

"This one."

On the shinobi's left index finger fluttered a tiny black butterfly with blue near its rear and white speckles patterned along the edges of its wings. It was much prettier than the specimen TenTen had expected to see, like a grotesque-looking beetle of something of that manner.

"A butterfly?"

Shino nodded, softly clarifying, "It's a Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly."

As if showing off, the butterfly flickered it's wings and turned to face TenTen. Leaning down to get a closer look at the Swallowtail, she breathed, "It's beautiful."

"Yes, it is."

TenTen glimpsed at the man beside her and grinned. From the angle she was posed, her milky-brown orbs had a full view of the lower half of Shino's face.

He was smiling.

Maybe he wasn't as strange as she'd previously thought. In fact, he seemed genuinely nice.

The weapons mistress straightened up, patting the dust from her legs. "Ne, Shino-san? Do you have any plans for today?"

The bug master shook his head slowly.

"Would you like to go get something to eat with me? We could get some Chinese food at this new place that just opened up here in town. Or if you don't like Chinese we could--"

"Chinese is fine."

Thanks for reading!

(I typed it up in like 40mins so it's nothing glamorous.)

But, if you liked it please REVIEW.