Author's Note: This will be a series of drabbles about Aburame Shino, Tatsumaki Hokuto, and all the dynamics in their...er, relationship.

Disclamier: Naruto and all related characters belong to Misashi Kishimoto. Hokuto and every other original thing is mine unless stated otherwise.

19: Sore

Shino entered the hospital room silently as always, figuring the occupant would be asleep, and indeed she was. She laid on her stomach, arms folded beneath her head and loose, dark emerald hair splayed wildly about her, the distinctive white streaks framing her face seemingly blending in with the stark sheets and providing a contrast to her... deeply tanned back...

Shino inwardly groaned. He had not expected Hokuto to be laying there half-naked before him, and he wondered why he always seemed to end up in these kind of situations around her.

"Enjoying the view, eh?"

Distracted by her bare back, Shino's usually observant skills failed him, and his shaded eyes locked with the honey-colored one that peeked out from under haphazard bangs accompanied by a sly smirk.

"Don't enjoy yourself too much, bug-boy. I know, you're thinking I'm laying here all ready for you an' all..." The teasing tone of her voice made Shino's brow twitch ever so slightly. "But I'm waitin' on Hinata. You'll do just fine, though-"

"Hinata has been delayed," Shino said quickly. "She asked me to tell you that she'll be late."

"Ah..." Hokuto directed her gaze in front of her and sighed, though Shino noticed she couldn't do even that without wincing. The bruises were gone from her back and most likely her front, but the process of restoring the natural flow of her chakra was proving to be a difficult and painful process. He could tell she hated being cooped up in this sterile environment day-after-day, with even the slightest movements causing her muscles to scream in protest...

...If that were the case, then how...?

"You gonna give me a massage or what?" Again, Shino had to take his gaze from her bare back to her eyes, as now Hokuto had her face towards him curiously.

"...I was wondering... why is your shirt off?"

"Feh. I was hot. It hurt like a muthabitch, but I took it off, and I ain't 'bout to put it back on anytime soon." Hokuto tilted her head. "Well, since you're here still... Would ya see if it's any better?"

Understandably, Shino hesitated. This girl was giving him permission to touch her. The thought made many others run through his head, but then again, this particular girl was the chakra-oozing waterfall-nin who happened to drive everyone - even his kikaichu - crazy.

However, in her current condition, his kikaichu weren't drawn to her nearly as much, so he had to take a seat in the chair by her bed and place his hand on her back. Extending a bit of his own chakra and silently issuing a command, the insects crawled from beneath his sleeve and onto Hokuto's back. She twitched slightly, and her skin shuddered, but other than that she didn't move or protest. Under any other circumstance, she would have been screaming bloody murder and running around like a madwoman, not that she would have let his bugs crawl all over her anyway. He remembered her saying that's it not that she's afraid of them so much as irritated at having little crawly things all over her that were too small for her to pummel.

It was only a few moments before the kikaichu crawled onto his hand and back inside of Shino, having no interest in someone with repressed chakra that they weren't ordered to destroy. However, Shino's hand lingered, and eventually he even began to move it, sliding his palm slowly up and down, his fingertips pressing into the dips and curves of her spine.

"Mmm..." Aside from her quiet moan, Hokuto remained uncharacteristically silent for a minutes, as did the ever stoic Shino, lost in his own thoughts. Compared to when he first met her, he never would have imagined this dynamic and gregarious kunoichi would end up lying in a hospital bed, letting him touch her like this. And he never thought he would ever touch another person for no reason but to touch them.

"S'no good, huh?" Hokuto had turned her head towards him again. "Usually your bugs go haywire for my hot bod, but they don' seem interested now. Guess my chakra's really screwed up, huh?"

Shino nodded. Hokuto's excessive amount of chakra had to be restored very slowly, as even her body wouldn't be able to take the shock after having nearly all of it blocked.

"...I really hate this." Hokuto's next words were muffled, as she buried her face in her arms. "Can't believe how freakin' weak I am now."

"...You're only human..." Shino said quietly, then added at her scowl, "'Heavenly dragon-child' ninja or not. We all have our strengths... and weaknesses. We can't ignore one or the other.

"...Besides, it's important for you to rest every once in a while."

"Instead of pickin' fights and runnin' from the chunin, huh?" Hokuto's shoulders moved a little bit in a shrug. " The funny thing is I love bein' sore after a good workout. A sign that you've worked hard, y'know? But this kinda sore I don't like... laying here 'cause I lost control and Neji had to beat my sorry ass.

"...Say, Shino? Are you sore all th' time? With those bugs always comin' an' goin'?"

Most of the villagers rarely bothered to speak to Shino, let alone ask if his clan ability caused him any pain. The only time he ever talked about it was once to his team, explaining to Kurenai-sensei, Hinata, and Kiba that the kikaichu left and entered his body through the pores they could open up. It didn't hurt much, and since he had these insects since birth he was used to the feeling.

"...I'm used to it," Shino answered, feeling like he'd said enough to Hokuto for one day, and not wanting to reveal anything else.

"...So, you gonna do something with that hand or what? You're gettin' me real antsy here."

Abruptly, Shino removed the hand that had still been rubbing Hokuto's back and stood up, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Hinata should be here soon-"

"Hold up! Before you go runnin' off on me... could you take the rest of this blanket off? I'm... really warm now."

Sighing with exasperation, Shino turned and pulled the thin blanket down from where it had been resting at the small of her back...

Hokuto buried her face in her pillow when Shino was gone, unable to laugh but her shoulders shaking madly. He had left in a hurry and undoubtedly red-faced after throwing the blanket back over her, discovering that the discarded shirt was actually a discarded gown, and she had been wearing nothing underneath.