It wasn't the same. This time was different. As he looked down at her figure in the moonlight he contemplated what had just happened. From the sweat rolling off her forhead, and the flush of her cheeks, there was something different then all the other times she had laid here. Of course they had made love before. It had started off innocent while on a mission together, and since then all it had been was a game between them.

But that last time, there was something else there. Some form of passion that was impossible to ignore. The way she screamed his name... The way she held him close... Her breath on his neck... It was all too much. He was falling for her.

This caused a problem for Shino, as he was a ninja. Liking someone who was also a ninja could become an issue if put on a mission together and could put the whole mission at risk. Not to even mention the complications it would make for his clan if they knew he was infatuated with a clanless kuniochi.

But as he looked at her face glistening in the minimal light, her chest heaving up and down with each breath she took, her long brown hair astray on his pillow, he couldn't help feel something he never felt for anyone.

He couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same about him. After last nights activities, he marveled at the thought that she might have felt something for him, too.

He subconciously moved a stray piece of her hair from her face and sighed.

TenTen shifted in her sleep and mumbled something incoherent as she shifted slightly in his arms. Shino stiffened, fearing he would wake her, but all she did was snuggle into his chest and continue to slumber.

There was no way, he decided, that there had been anything different this night than any of the other nights. He was simply tired from his last mission with Kiba and Naruto. He was imagining things and needed his rest. That was all.

He relaxed his muscles and closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep at any moment when he heard,

" Love you..."

Shino opened his eyes in shock, stiffened again, and listened.

"What?" He called quietly.

"Said... I love you..." Was TenTen's sleepy response.

Man was he screwed.

I do believe that I will be reupdating these chapters as I am not happy with them. I have recently re-read my chapters and realized that not only has my writing style changed, but that I have rushed this story.

-S.A.M