Hey! Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate your input! :)
Hope you enjoy this chapter.
Made me kind of sad typing it, though. XD
Tried to be funny, too. You can be the judge of that.
A WALLFLOWER'S CURSE
Chapter 2: Caught
"You may need me there
To carry all your weight
But you're no burden I assure
You tide me over
With a warmth I'll not forget
But I can only give you love."
-Rob Thomas
The orange yellow glow of the sky was fading into a black silk and dinner will be starting soon. Little of his attention was spared on anything or anyone on his way to the Aburame compound.
That is until a certain head of hair and a certain shade of milky eyes caught his eyes behind the dark rims of his glasses.
"Oh, h-hello again, Shino-kun." She said with a smile spread across her face.
"Hinata." No emotion in his voice.
"I was on my way home but then remembered that the little girl who lives next door to me has a birthday coming up," She took out a fluffy white stuffed bunny with buttons for eyes and pink sewn on whiskers, "So I picked up something for her."
Always so thoughtful. He wished he didn't think that because compliments only added more information to his hard drive of a brain, giving him more to sort through.
"I have a feeling she will like it." He nodded in approval.
Her smile gleamed: accomplishment of the day celebrated.
"It's getting late." He pointed out.
The sun wasn't in the horizon anymore. The moon was in its place.
"Oh, y-yeah. I should head home." She reframed from using 'we' because she never questioned what he did with his life. She trusted how responsible he was from knowing him all this time. She always accepted what he did just as he did with her.
"I'll walk you."
A warm smile and a small tilt of her head were given as comply.
She led the way as he walked - not in front of or behind her, but beside her - with his hands resting in his pockets. He believed in her abilities as a kunoichi, but still wanted ensure her safe trip home. He couldn't argue with spending more time with her, either. It was something he never grew tired of.
Shinobi never let their full guard down, and the brunette didn't let the fact that it was a simple walk home change that. He kept all senses open and his kikaichu alert for any potential threats as they traveled. He made note of every alley, every stray figure, and every deep shadow on the way. Even as they ascended the stairs to the second level of the apartment complex he would not let himself fully relax.
"Thank you for walking me home, Shino-kun." She bowed as they arrived at her door.
His head dipped in a nod.
"Would you like to come in for some tea?"
"No, thank you. I must decline."
"Oh, alright."
It was another opportunity he forced himself to give up for her sake.
But there was no hint of suspicion or disappointment in her voice, so he felt no need to worry. It reflected her mood, which raised a small smile hiding behind his collar.
"Shino-kun?" She usually knew when he was paying her attention or not, but waited a few seconds to make sure. "What do you think Kiba will do?" She referred to the Inuzuka's promise of getting her and a certain blond together.
It took a while to compose a sentence that went against his hopes. "I wouldn't worry. I can almost trust that he knows what he's doing. Even if half the time I have to try really hard to."
"Hm hm hm." Her girly giggle made his stomach flutter. He made her laugh! (Yay!)
"And in the event that accordance does not meet expectation, know that I will be there" – even long after you find another – "as well as Kiba."
The corners of her smile fell as a thought made itself apparent in her head. "You two do so much for me..."
"We do not mind."
"No, really. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you two..." They both shuddered at the thought. "I feel like such a burden sometimes..."
A lengthy wind of silence cut the air.
The full moon found its way from behind the clouds and captivated Hinata with its glow. Shino turned his head slightly and saw what she was looking at from his peripheral. He then turned back, apparently not interested in any sight besides the one before him.
She returned her gaze to the tall man before her, and saw his response: a raised eyebrow.
Remembering that this teammate of hers never liked to repeat himself gave her comfort. He hadn't left. He stayed. Standing there with her as she was trying to pull herself out the pool of her own self-made doubt.
It's not like he denied or comfirmed anything either, but he was a man of few words. And a patient one at that. He always gave her time to think.
The corners picked themselves up. "You're right..." It was as if she read his mind, "I am being silly."
She smiled, shifting her body weight forward. "T-Thank you. Shino-kun"
She was hugging him and he didn't move a muscle.
He was too busy processing the feel of it: her phasing warmth, her soft hair tickling his nose (of course the wind came at just the right time to give a few strands of her hair the height needed to reach above his collar), her undoing scent, the size of the tiny arms encircling him, and the feel of the strong yet gentle pressure they brought in the embrace - the nearly melting embrace.
Wait! He panicked. Do something, dammit!
Not knowing exactly what to do, he placed an open hand on her back, showing that he accepted her small act of innocent affection.
He stopped himself from placing his cheek on her head, but by that time, she had already unwound her arms and stepped back, much to his dismay.
"I'll see you at training tomorrow." She said as she stepped inside. She waited for his response – a slow nod and a quiet "Goodnight" – before closing the door.
Waiting until illumination penetrated through the crack between the bottom of the door and the ground and the lock on the front door heaving a quick click, he began to walk home, a good twenty minutes away.
"Wallflowers deserve to be happy, too." The words plagued his mind. They just refused to die.
But that would be selfish. He reminded himself. And she deserves someone who isn't so selfish.
He let out a deep sigh and straightened his back.
"Caught you blushing." He looked up to see a smirked spread across the face of a slim figure leaning against a stray tree, arms crossed.
"Are you following me?" Sounding a bit offended.
"Well…yes. I'm not sure why, but I find this whole situation very interesting."
"I'm not here for your entertainment, fan girl."
"Temari. Sorry, but I can't help myself. Shikamaru got called on for a mission and I'm stuck here with nothing to do until he gets back."
"You could go back to Suna until he gets back, you know." Voice: monotone.
"As Shikamaru would say," she imitated the hoarseness of his lazy voice, "'that would be a pain'. He'll only be gone until the day after tomorrow."
"It's actually 'what a pain'."
She rolled her eyes at the smart-ass. "Anyways, why did you pass up that perfect opportunity to tell her how you feel?"
He wouldn't comply sharing anything more than political opinions.
"Alright. How about this: I would like to help you realize that you are entitled to happiness, or that you deserve her, whatever works for you. But in order to do that, I need you know what you're thinking and how you feel."
Shino sharing his feelings!? Unheard of! As far as he was concerned, he didn't have feelings! Shinobi are not to show emotion. In some cases, it would be easier for a shinobi to not have emotions at all.
"Do not concern yourself, sand ninja."
A few beetle-like insects were crawling all over his body, reacting to his irritation.
She held out her hands in defense mockingly. "Alright, alright." She let out a yawn - it was a long day of eavesdropping. "I'm just saying."
"What you are saying?"
"I'm just sayin-g, wallflowers deserve happiness, too."
"Why do you keep calling me a wallflower?"
"Because you are one."
He lowered both eyebrows: a sign he was interested and listening.
"You watch everything around you. You're very aware of your surroundings, including - no, especially people. You observe, listen, and take notice. Then you think, analyze, and process." She paused only to verify no protest to her assumptions. "But you think too much. Which is why you don't act on impulse."
She gave him a look as if asking 'why didn't you hug her back?'
"Wallflowers are the ones who sit back and watch. They act on occassion, though."
"Is that all?" He was itching to get away. It was blatant in his voice.
"Why do you feel like you don't deserve her so much?"
"It is merely that he can provide for her what I cannot." The warrior from Suna had finally gotten under Aburame Shino's skin. She finally got something out of him.
"Like what?"
"..."
"Do you really underestimate yourself that much?"
"No. I believe I am accurate."
"What can he give her that you can't?"
She was curious to figure out such a hard puzzle, but it was a puzzle that didn't want to be solved.
"Do you love her?"
"That's not always enough." Neither confirm, nor deny.
"So you do love her?"
He pushed his sunglasses higher on his face.
"Well you should tell her. Or at least talk about it."
He was not in the mood to be told what to do. He respected her in the sense that she was able to figure so much of him out in such a short amount of time, but she interrupted his content mood. The conversation distracted him from properly processing the hug into memory.
"Alright then." She uttered as he passed her. "Well if you change your mind, I'll be around." He felt through the ground that her feet no longer touched it.
That left an earie tingle in the sir, disappearing like that. But after so many years of it, he got used to the feeling.
It's not always enough. He kept reminding himself. She needs more than that.
He rather disliked if not totaly loathed information overloads like this. The day already dragged on long enough, but it wasn't over quite yet.
The Aburame clan leader lifted his head from his field journal and greeted his only child with a, "Where have you been, brat? The food is already getting cold."
"Can you really call it food?"
"It's edible isn't it?"
"I'm afraid to find out."
"A growing boy needs nutrition."
"Yes. Nutrition. Not potential poison."
"It's safe. I already ate my half."
"But you've had a lot more time than me to build up immunity to it, old man."
"Just shut up and eat." The man in the narrow shades pointed to the covered ceramic bowl in front of him.
He took a seat facing his father.
Lifting the lid was something the younger Aburame wished he didn't do, for it let loose a strange aroma that hit his nose like a bolt of lightning. His facial expression reflected how it smelled: it was one of disdain.
"What is it?"
"Meatloaf."
The boy poked the illegid 'meatloaf' with a spoon. "...what kind of meat?"
"...I'm not exactly sure."
"Which meal did you use the leftover's from."
"Tuesday night's dinner."
"...Dad, that was four days ago."
"It hasn't spoiled yet, so it's very much edible. Enjoyable, though...well that's debatable."
The son heaved a heavy sigh at his father. "I guess I'll take my chances." He took a spoonful and held it up to his mouth. He paused to think about it before he risked trying another one of his father's creations.
Shibi followed the food moving down his son's throat to make sure he actually swallowed it. "See, it's not that bad."
He coughed.
"Oh stop pretending to choke."
"How do you know if I'm pretending or not? I could really be dying."
He heaved a heavy sigh identical to his son's (Obvious where Shino got it from).
"Oh, by the way," The older Aburame fixed the dark glasses on his face, "your aunt Anci, uncle Aoki, and cousin Aito are coming to visit for a little bit."
The spoon dropped from his hand. "What?"
"They'll be here tomorrow. It's only for a few days."
He twitched. "How long, exactly?"
"I'm not sure. I'm assuming no more than a week, though."
A WEEK!? He couldn't believe his luck. A WHOLE FREAKING WEEK!?
"I know, I know. You and your cousin don't exactly see eye-to-eye."
"Well, I am taller than him."
"You know what I mean. Just try to be civil, ok?"
He let out another sigh.
"Thank you. Now finish your dinner before it gets any colder."
The sixteen year old looked down at the bowl, wondering if letting it get cold would help make it taste any better.
"Oh, and Aito will be staying in your room." He buried his face in his field journal just after dropping that little piece of horrifying news on his son's already sore head.
"..." His twitch did all the talking.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, but the new couch isn't a pull out and your aunt and uncle are taking the guest room. Besides, I already dragged the futon from the basement."
"...No more than a week, right?"
"Yes." Shibi found it safe to put his journal down to face his son. "No more than a week."
And the sighs just kept on rolling.
I was aiming for sweet and funny. Hopefully that's worked out? If not then I hope cute and funny? XD
Eh, I'm not that good with humor. :(
Next Chapter coming up. I'm having a bit of fun with this couple and elaborating on Shino's relationship with his dad.
Planning on really adding the OC cousin...someone I made up on my own to make things a little more interesting.
It will be one of the few things I own in this fanfic. Tehe.
Hopefully, it will be interesting. o.O
Review if worthy! :)
