Cocoon

Chapter 2

When Hinata made it back to the living quarters of Hokage Tower, she found Naruto passed out on their futon, wearing only his boxers and his goofy nightcap that he had refused to stop wearing regardless of the holes and the fact that it was one size too small.

She let out a sigh and began undressing herself, and didn't start climbing in beside him until she was down to a tank top and undies. Naruto was emitting some kind of mouth-noise, but it was too quiet to be considered snoring. She lay on her back, and stared up at the ceiling for a moment before attempting to close her eyes. But, as suspected, her mind was wandering in places she had been desperately trying to not let it wander in. Now that she was laying still, all that she could focus on was that big, hard...

No. By the nine beasts, no! She had the love of her life, right there beside her. If she wanted, she could press up against him and wake him up and take him into her right then and there. What business did she have thinking about an old friend's accidental brush against her? It probably wasn't even what she thought it was. Shino wouldn't be attracted to her like that...Shino wasn't attracted to anyone! Even if he was, it's not like he wanted to pursue anything with her. Guys react like that all the time without having any control over it, especially after a night of drinking. It was no secret that Hinata had endowments that rivaled the Fifth's, and it wasn't hard to spot when someone's pants started getting a little tight. It was the reason she adorned herself in baggy clothing most of the time, simply because the stares were too much to take.

So it was obvious that Shino would react like that, especially with how close they were. He had probably felt her bosom pressed up against him, and he was so warm...

No. Just stop right there. Hinata was Naruto's. She belonged with Naruto! Wonderful, strong, powerful Naruto, with his big sweet smile and his brown eyes and the soothing hum he always...

Hinata pounded the heels of her palms into her temples. Stop it, stop it, stop it! Shino is just a friend...he's always been a friend. That's it. That's it! Just a friend...

She rolled over, squeezing her eyes tight and commanding herself to fall asleep. But it just wasn't working...the harder she tried, the more aggressively the thoughts of Shino fought to stay in her focus. Eventually, she just gave up and let them seep in.

Ancient memories that hadn't passed her mind in ages began to surface from the depths of her subconsciousness. She remembered missions with Team Eight, fighting alongside Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino. Those were the good ol' days...but not due to the thrill of the fight. Despite how top-notch her abilities had become being the significant other of Konoha's greatest hero, fighting was never something she would do for the fun of it. No, her favorite part was the travel. The day-to-day from one place to another...taking long walks down country roads, smelling the fresh air, or leaping from branch to branch in the cool shade of the woods.

Then, she remembered something that she had kept in a dusty old filing cabinet full of forgotten memories in the back of her mind. She had blocked it out for so long, but now that the cobwebs had been swept off, she could see it as clear as yesterday.

During especially chilly nights, after their fire had begun to burn low, Hinata would have a hard time falling asleep. Kiba had his hound to keep him warm, but Hinata...Hinata had Shino. It was a little bit awkward the first night it had happened. Shino had noticed Hinata shivering away in her sleeping bag, so he nonchalantly offered her to sleep in his with him. "For survival," he said. Nothing wrong with that. Plus, Shino had an extra large sleeping bag for...reasons he never really cared to explain. So, she hesitantly slid in beside him. The warmth was more than enough to convince her to stay.

The first night, they lay side by side, fully clothed, only their arms made any contact. But just having him near her, along with that soothing sound, lulled her right to sleep. It wasn't long before the two began to make it a habit, nor was it long before the awkwardness began to chip away. Eventually he would sleep with an arm around her, then with her leg around him. Then they slept with their coats off. Then they slept completely pretzeled around each other.

Oddly enough, their strange ritual never escalated beyond nightly cuddles. They never put their hands anywhere where they shouldn't have. They never kissed, not even on the cheek or the forehead. It was simply...an arrangement that worked for the both of them. In addition, since Kiba was always the last to wake up, said arrangement was Shino and Hinata's little secret.

Hinata thought it peculiar that she hadn't thought of that in so long. They must have slept together at least a dozen times. It never changed their relationship in any aspect. They were never affectionate in public, and Shino never gave any sort of sign that he wanted something more out of it. Perhaps it was so secretive between the two that she had forgotten to remember it at all. She had even forgotten when they stopped.

But one thing she did remember is that never on any of those nights did she feel any sort of arousal towards her. She must have slept beside him from when they were fourteen to about when her feelings for Naruto started to become a reality. Why now would he have that kind of reaction around her?

For reasons she could not understand, she suddenly deeply regretted leaving Shino so abruptly. She had the urge to put on her clothes and run to find him, but that would be silly. He was probably already at home, getting ready for bed, if not asleep already. Nevertheless, her body ached to be next to him like she had been all those nights. She wanted to be snuggled up to him in his big plush sleeping bag, listening to the sounds of his insects.

Don't be ridiculous. It must be two past midnight...why wasn't she falling asleep? She turned and faced Naruto's back and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her chest to him.

"Naruto-kun?" she whispered gingerly.

"Mm," he grunted.

"Do you love me?" she asked, a bit more loudly.

"Mm...hmm."

That wasn't a very satisfying answer. She needed him to break her out of this spell. She needed to be kissed and groped and made love to by Naruto. Surely being showered with affection by her one true love would put her back in order. She reached around and felt through his boxers. Soft as a bread dough...that won't do. She attempted a few strokes, but that thing was just as unconscious as he was.

Hinata felt a pinching sensation between her thighs. Her flower needed pollinating, and badly. She sent her fingers down on a mission to calm the sensation, but there was a beast hungry with passion lurking there. Hinata closed her eyes and thought of earlier in the day, of Naruto inside her. She rubbed away, gently as first, then harder as she became more frustrated. The more she pictured Naruto, the more tedious the task grew. But when she thought of Shino...

Yes, Shino...her secret. Her hidden comfort, her pocket of safety. What would it be like to be close to him? What would it feel like to kiss him? Press her skin against his? Feel him slip inside...

The pleasure bloomed within her faster than she had expected. She even let out a little moan, despite her efforts to stay quiet.

Oh dear, she thought to herself. This isn't good.

~o~

The next morning, Hinata woke up alone. This wasn't unusual, but it certainly didn't help the conflicting emotions that were welling up inside of her. Well, the best thing she could do is distract herself and keep it out of her mind. Perhaps this was all just some kind of pent up mental backlash for not accompanying her team which lead to the permanent damage of one of her team mates. Either way, she needed a bath, and badly. As she gathered her things and prepared to make her way to the onsen, she noticed a note pinned to the door that was written in the barely legible handwriting of the Ichihokage.

Hinata-chan,

Sorry for bailing on you this morning. Huge Hokage meeting just announced. Will make it up to you this evening.

Love you, 'ttebayo!

Naruto

He had gotten into the habit of just signing his family name with a spiral instead of just spelling it out. Perhaps he thought it was cool, but everyone in Konoha just thought it childish. Even has a Hokage he'd still never totally stop being that rambunctious little rascal.

Hinata sighed and smiled to herself, then tore down the note and folded it into her pocket. She always kept his notes, even if they were about something frivolous. She liked how she could hear his voice when he said that he loved her. Perhaps her weird little Shino fantasy was just a whim after all.

Until she literally ran into him on the way to the onsen.

"O-oh! Excuse me, Shino-kun!" she piped while bowing down. The bow was not so much an act of courtesy as it was a way to keep her eyes off of him.

"Hinata-san, you should get your eyes checked. I only have one and I could tell you were coming from at least a few meters away."

"I-I'm sorry, Shino-kun...really. I was...I was distracted."

"Hmm."

Despite herself, she looked up at him. He certainly wasn't the irresistable incubus she was making him out to be. He was just regular old Shino. Her Shino.

"Going somewhere?" he asked calmly after a moment of silence had passed between them.

Hinata fumbled with herself. "Oh, y-y-yes...I was just..on my way to t-take a bath."

"Hmm...I was too, actually. Would you like me to walk you there?"

How could he be so cool about this? Did he not remember how weird their last meeting was? Was he completely unaware that he had brushed against her?

"N-no...thank you."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want you running into anyone else on the way."

Of course he was cool about it...he was Shino. He was Mr. Cool Dude. Dr. Zen Master. Professor-I-can-sleep-next-to-a-teenage-girl-for-five-years-and-not-pitch-a-tent. Shino wouldn't fall into a stuttering mess when faced head-on in a social catastrophe.

"Y-yes, I'm fine, really. Thank you..."

She gave him a brief bow and hurried away before he could respond. There were plenty of other ways to get to the bath house, and she was going to avoid that man to the best of her abilities. At least until she got her thoughts together about the situation.

She managed to take her bath and get herself clean in privacy, but it was only a matter of time before her peace was interrupted, yet again by one of her team mates. This time it was Kiba, who met her right when she was leaving.

"Hinata-chan! I was looking for you!" he barked. Hinata swore he was one of the loudest people she had ever met (next to her boyfriend, that is).

"Good morning Kiba-kun. What's going on?" She asked politely while dabbing some moisture from her ear with her towel.

"The Sanhokage has summoned us for a mission. I swear, we just get back home and they already want us back in the field. I haven't even had time to shave!"

Hinata blinked. "We?"

"Yeah! Team Eight! You, me, and Beetlejuice over there. Just like old times!"

Hinata hadn't even noticed that Shino was suddenly walking towards them. Her heart dropped to her knees.

"Wh...wh...y..you mean I'm coming with you?

"Yeah, 'course! You're part of the team, aren't ya?"

This was weird. Hinata hadn't been assigned a mission with her team in several months, and when she was assigned a mission, it was usually some kind of errand run for the Shadows. In addition, she wouldn't be hearing about such a thing without Naruto informing her well beforehand. Nevertheless, she gave Kiba the benefit of the doubt.

"I-I..well, yes of course. Um...when..is the meeting, exactly?" she squeaked, her shoulders slumping over into shy, defensive mode.

"An hour from now. That goes for you too, Shino."

Shino, now only an excruciating two feet away from them, simply nodded in confirmation.

Hinata gulped, her hands nervously gripping at her towel. What a disaster. She hadn't felt this full of anxiety since her genin years. It was embarrassing...she needed out of there fast.

"Okay..a-a-an hour. Y-you g-got it. I um...I have to do a thing...I'll see you guys at the meeting."

And with that, she darted of before her team mates even realize she had left.

~o~

If it wasn't one thing, it was another. It took Hinata thirty minutes to head back to the living quarters and get dressed, and another twenty to scour the Hokage Tower for any sign of Naruto, which of course there was none. Why on earth was she summoned for a mission without hearing from him first?

Time was running short. It was only a few minutes until the meeting, where she would be stuck in that miserable room with Kiba and him...

She had never had less of a desire to see her team mates, which was odd considering how eager she was to be with them just yesterday. Suddenly it occurred to her just how silly her reaction to the whole thing was. Shino didn't have any feelings for her, of course he didn't! Surely his little brush was just her imagining things. The hug didn't mean anything other than missing an old friend, and experiencing deep, profoundly emotional feelings of sexual nature was just a...

Hinata shook her head and dug her palms into her temples. No, now is not the time. There are worse things to worry about, like how she was possibly going to catch up on training if she was going on a mission? And where was Naruto?

Before long, she had meandered to the office of the Sanhokage without even realizing it. It was good to know her autopilot still functioned in the midst of mental chaos. Her team mates stood in front of the door patiently waiting for her, but she kept her head down and avoided eye contact with both of them.

"Ready?" Kiba asked, placing a hand on the door.

Hinata nodded, and suspected Shino of doing the same. As the office opened, a waft of a strange herbal scent enveloped the party. Behind a wooden desk stained a deep crimson red sat Sasuke Uchiha, the appointed Third Shadow of Konoha. His hands were folded neatly across his lips as his elbows rested on the desk.

"Team Eight, right on time," he announced.

It was well-known that Sasuke's days of havoc were long over, and most of the villagers seemed confident knowing that he wouldn't have been appointed if Naruto wasn't 100% convinced of the turn of his new leaf. Regardless, he still had an aura about him that was perpetually unnerving, especially with the pungent incense he insisted on surrounding himself with. He claimed that it helped him to remain calm and aide in his decision-making, but who could have known what it was really for.

Nevertheless, the members of Team Eight approached him with the same respect they had with the previous solitary Hokages.

"A special meeting was held today between the Three Shadows and the Konoha Elders. The Ichihokage and the Nihokage have been asked to attend a Conference of Shadows. The reason for such remains confidential of course, but in the meantime, I'll be overseeing all the missions in Konoha for the next few days."

Hinata was about to ask about her sudden involvement, but Sasuke flashed her a look that said 'attempt to speak out of turn and you'll regret it.' She pinched her lips shut, but she could feel her cheeks flushing.

"Hinata, you've been out of the field for much too long. It's time you polished yourself up and did some good for the village."

Instead of wasting time with fucking the Ichihokage, his eyes seemed to say. She bit her lip.

"It'll be a simple C mission for now. You'll be transporting an item of importance to a client near one of the northern mountain villages. You shouldn't run into much trouble on the way, but keep your eyes open."

"What is the item in question?" Shino calmly inquired. His voice slithered up her back like a scaly lizard.

"A scroll. The contents are confidential, but very important to the client. Handle it with utmost care."

Hinata hoped that Kiba and Shino were paying attention, because she certainly wasn't. Her mind was boiling with questions. Why now was she suddenly being sent on this pointless mission? Where was Naruto? Why hadn't he come to her first about this?

Then, Hinata felt a hand gently cover her own, which was slick and clammy with sweat. She knew it could only be Shino's. Only he would be able to tell how much this was torturing her, and only he could calm her down about it. As frustrated as she was with him, the gesture was appreciated.

The rest of the meeting seemed like a fever dream. All she could concentrate on was Shino's touch, which seem to be the only anchor she had to reality. Fortunately, it wasn't long before the meeting was over, and the next thing she knew, she was standing outside with a packet of mission information in her hand and the members of Team Eight discussing their next steps.

"Well, that was uncomfortable as hell. Remind me why we elected him as our leader again?" Kiba asked rhetorically, hands casually folded behind his head.

"The Uchihas were our protectors once." Shino replied in his usual tone of total neutrality. He was never one for political confrontation.

"Yeah, but that was before he went psycho. I bet he's still just as psycho. It's only a matter of time before he explodes and Konoha gets swallowed up in the black flames of a raging scene kid."

Hinata remained silent, still contemplating the situation. Kiba turned to her.

"You know, the creeper's right, though. You really are out of practice, and our mission starts tomorrow morning. Why don't you come train with us for a while? At least until dinner?"

Hinata chewed on the corner of her lip. Regardless of her awkward feelings toward Shino, she did want to spend time with her old friends, and perhaps doing so would lessen the intensity of the situation. However, it was still imperative that she figure out what on earth was going on with her boyfriend.

"I..I'll meet you at the training grounds in a bit...there's something I have to check first."

Kiba and Shino exchanged a glance, then looked back at Hinata. Kiba shrugged in his usual nonchalant fashion.

"Alright then, but don't keep us waiting!" he quipped before mounting Akamaru and bounding off. Shino remained behind until he was out of earshot, then turned to Hinata. She looked up at him with inquisitive, silver eyes, expecting him to say something to her.

But he didn't. He didn't need to, really. Behind those enigmatic lenses was a person whom Hinata had always shared a sort of silent connection with. As a normal pair of friends might exchange a set of formalities such as "What's Wrong" and "Nothing really," Hinata and Shino knew each other well enough to skip all the nonsense. When Shino stood there looking for her, he was waiting for her to tell him what she needed to tell him.

"I just want to know one thing," she began.

"Hmm."

"Does all this seem unusual to you?"

Shino paused for a moment, then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I have experienced many unusual things. Having a mission assigned to you is not unusual. What is unusual is that you have not been on these missions due to your relationship with the Ichihokage."

Thanks, Shino. I'll make sure to send you a postcard from my guilt trip, she thought to herself.

"...however, it is also unusual that someone who is in love with someone else leaves without telling that someone goodbye."

She looked at him, and he looked right back. With his goggles on, it was almost impossible to tell that only one eye was staring back.

"I...I'll meet you at the training grounds."

He nodded solemnly, then headed off.

~o~

End of Chapter 2