Title: Gummy Bugs
Author: x.Nanako-chan.x
Rating: PG ( K+ )
Challenge: June Bugs
Pairing: ShinoHina

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You could never know what in the world Shino was thinking. Glasses, ink black and perfectly rounded always blocked the gateway into a person's emotions. His face always remained impassive, uncaring and hardly ever revealed a smirk, smile or frown. But, deep within the abyss of Shino Aburame's uncaring demeanor, anger grew, bubbled and practically steamed inside of him.

Gummy bugs.

She had asked him for gummy bugs. Gummy insects.

His right eyebrow gave an uncharacteristic twitch. What was wrong with people these days? Didn't girls usually cower in fear over these miniscule but remarkable creatures? Then why in the world were people marketing candy in the shape of bugs? With the average of a person eating seven spiders in their sleep, don't they think that people have had enough of eating insects? Not to mention all of those poor creatures being crushed and used as ingredients in candy.

Yes, there are tiny insect parts inside the dye or "confectioner's glaze" of the candy we eat.

Also, there are those absurd people who candy insects. Banana scorpion lollies, watermelon worm pops, white chocolate covered ants, crickets dipped in chocolate, and farm-raised insects trapped inside a box of British toffee… Ugh, what disgusting people! Bugs were meant to be respected! They are remarkable creatures. What other thing besides the common ant cant lift something ten, twenty, or even fifty times their own body weight? Such a slender remarkable creature being capable of being so strong! And then there were those who market insects and candy them to be eaten… as a treat. How absurd – don't even get Shino started on insecticides and pesticides.

So he simply stood there in front of the large shelf of candies in the middle of the store. And stared menacingly and angrily at the large, rounded box of brightly colored candy. It practically glowed in the light of the supermarket. Alluring. Mouth-watering. Sweet. Chewy. Soft. Tasty. His usually impassive face furrowed into an angry scowl.

He raised his right arm to grab the box. Hinata had asked him for them… and very politely as well. He stopped his arm. Even if the sweet, shy, Hinata Hyuuga had asked him, it was just so against his morals. He brought his arm back a little. But she did say she was really craving them. He moved his hand forward. But why should he be supporting this unjust campaign towards bug abuse?

The dark aura surrounding him grew as the debate within his mind waded on. He stood there for awhile – it could've been minutes, seconds, hours for all he knew. His inner turmoil grew. It was either be a good friend and just get the damned candy, or side with his morals and walk away. He couldn't decide which. His eyebrow twitched.

Shortly, soft clicks on the hard tiled floor of the supermarket filled his ears.
"Shino-kun?"

He turned his gaze towards his left giving whoever interrupted his reverie a cold-hearted glare. The pale-eyed girl beside him visibly stiffened. As soon as he realized who it was, he softened his gaze and his posture relaxed immediately affecting his companions' stature. She let her shoulders droop a little – a sign of her anxiety being put to rest.

"What is it Hinata?" he replied stiffly.

"W-Well, I went looking for you since you left to buy the gummy bugs over an hour ago."

She toyed with a strand of her ink-blue hair as a scarlet-red blush crept on her cheeks. Hinata knew she interrupted something. But why would he be brooding over a box of gummy bugs?

He cocked an eyebrow. It had been an hour? It had been an hour of debating with himself whether or not his morals allowed him to buy the cursed gummy bugs? He gave an exasperated sigh. He could easily walk away from the tall shelf of candy, but of course, he could just as easily buy the damn box already. Not to mention if he walked away, he'd probably have to go into a long and detailed conversation as to why his morals didn't allow him to buy the candy.

"Is there s-something wrong Shino?" she inquired.

"No. Nothing at all," he replied sternly.

Of course, Hyuuga Hinata was not stupid. Raised by a family with "all seeing eyes" she could easily sense something troubling the sixteen-year-old Aburame. After all, she had been his friend ever since she was a child.

As far back as she could remember the boy never did talk much. He was stern and straight to the point – almost like her father except he lacked the annoyed expressions he sometimes sends her way whenever she asked something rather trivial to him.

And of course, like her, he didn't have many friends. They were both a stark opposites to their other friend of the trio, Kiba Inuzuka. She wondered why though. Shino was a highly intelligible young man. His looks were on the handsome side - She blushed at the thought – and he never went out of his way to be rude or obnoxious. And his hobbies… Oh yes. Yes. That was it. The main reason Shino didn't have many friends – his odd fascination for bugs. There was just something truly remarkable about those little creatures that intrigued the Aburame even at a young age.

The first time she had saw him was at Konoha Park, sitting idly, wearing "A Bug's Life" themed T-shit, staring at the lump on the ground. If closely inspected you could see black little dots moving in a straight line towards the top. When she asked him what he was doing he stiffly replied that he was watching a colony of ants bring food to the queen.

Then she realized. The whole reason as to why Shino was brooding over a box of gummies. She shifted her gaze towards him and realized he was still staring intently at the box of sugary treats.

"Shino?" she asked meekly.

"Hn."

He looked at her and she gave a shy sort of smile.

"We can have gummy bears if you want."

He of course would rather have bear abuse then bug abuse.