a/n: late to my own party, I know, I know. this chapter is way more dialogue/less angst. get your dentist on the phone; you might get a cavity from this one.


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They had won. It was all over. They'd achieved peace at last, or at least a long respite from trouble of the magnitude reached in the war.

But not everything was at peace within the walls of Konoha. Their economy was in shambles; the community efforts to rebuild the city were still in full effect. Clans were restructuring themselves in the wake of some rather significant casualties. People were still gaining footing after years of fear and traumatizing battles all coming to a head, while some others were shell-shocked after their participation in the second or even third war of their lifetimes.

Shino was grateful, relieved even, that he'd been fortunate enough to return home without the death of a teammate, without much in the way of injuries. He knew he was lucky he could return home at all. The knowledge settled into him with a physical presence, one that crept throughout his mind and laced itself into every thought. He was grateful. He was relieved. He was alive.

Somehow, though, he was still restless, as if his bugs coursed and ran like blood through his entire system. His nerves weren't frayed as they'd been leading up to the war; his anxieties about his team and family coming back alive had ceased the second the fight was over. No, this was different—his heart felt raw around the edges, everything acute and overwhelming.

A hand thumped over his shoulder, and he turned to find Kiba standing behind the bench, Akamaru panting happily beside him.

"What's up, dude?" He jumped over the back to land in a casual crouch beside Shino, his usual snarl of a smile on his mouth. "I feel like I haven't seen you in days."

"I don't believe you have," Shino replied automatically. "I haven't attended many of the festivities since we returned."

He felt his shoulder get bumped with his teammate's. "You're missing out on some pretty crazy parties, bro. I know it's not really your thing, but it's been pretty friggin' sweet. Tsunade's even letting us all drink in public during the street festivals."

"Perhaps it's less that she's allowing you, and more that she isn't paying attention to it. She has more important things to attend to in a time like this."

Kiba frowned in disapproval, eyeing him with a narrowed stare. "Yeesh, lighten up. You should be feeling good right now, you know? Not all crappy and emo."

Shino wasn't sure what he could say to that, because in truth, Kiba was right. As if to punctuate his friend's sentiments, the sun peeked out from behind a cloud then, winking rays of light through the tree beneath which they sat.

"Seriously, what's eating you?" He sniffed, prompting Akamaru to do the same where his head rested in Shino's lap. "You even smell negative."

Shino's brow creased, and suddenly he was a bit self-conscious, much like he'd been around Hinata that night not long ago. It was far less potent here in the daylight while she wasn't with him.

He had hardly seen her since then. The war itself had wrapped up rather quickly after that, especially with the use of the infinite tsukuyomi. Several of her clan members had been killed in battle, so once she returned home, she, her sister, and Neji had to assist her father in memorial services and reassigning duties within the family. He had tried to visit once to extend his condolences—as a teammate, it was the right thing to do, and as a friend it was his duty—but he was denied entry. Only council members and officials were allowed within the compound during the traditional Hyuuga mourning period.

"This about Hinata?" Kiba scratched inquisitively at the bright red line on his cheek. Shino started a bit at his question. While he wasn't the most emotionally observant or considerate person, Kiba was sharp when it came to those people and situations he knew his way around.

"Yes."

A loud clap resounded in Shino's ear, causing his hand to twitch where it sat atop Akamaru's soft head. "I knew it!"

"Knew what?" He was curious at such a strong reaction. He didn't think himself so obvious when it came to his worries, but that had proven different around his teammates.

"I totally called it. Something was up with you guys ever since you came back to camp and she was wearin' your clothes." Kiba pushed and poked at Shino's shoulder again. "Did you guys do it?"

"Do what?"

"Shino," he growled, canine teeth bared in a grin, eyes alight with excitement. "Come on! As your teammate, I got a right to know. Did you guys get freaky?"

It only took a few of Kiba's wild gesticulations for Shino to comprehend his meaning. A wave of hot color made its way to his face over the collar of his jacket, flushing his skin up to his forehead.

"Ab—absolutely not, Kiba." He cleared his throat, hoping to attain the level of sternness he wished to convey despite his pure and immediate chagrin. "We were in the middle of a war—"

"But something did happen, huh?" Kiba leaned in closer, eyebrows moving in tandem. "Huh?"

Shino refused to mention anything about Hinata from that incident—it would be disrespectful to her, he believed, if he revealed something which had embarrassed her at the time. But as for the rest of the night, he felt a compulsion to hide that from Kiba for an entirely different reason. It was like the time he'd seen Neji and Tenten concealed in the garden—he wanted to keep it to himself. Some things weren't meant to be shared, even when they were good things, ones which piqued his curiosity or made him immeasurably happy.

His chest tightened, heart whirling and beating fast beneath his ribs, bugs buzzing and moving fast. He waited for them to calm down before speaking again. There was only one explanation for this.

"I love her," he said, watching his own hand tremble against Akamaru's ear. The dog nuzzled into his palm. Shino remembered exactly the feeling he'd had when they returned to their base that night, how beautiful Hinata looked in the dark, especially when he wasn't wearing his glasses; how whole and light he felt when she spoke to him and made him feel so human, so present. The words felt true on his tongue, resonating within him like they'd been there from the start. And perhaps they had, he wondered, all the way back when she'd spoken to him the first time at school.

Kiba whistled, more breath than sound.

"Damn," he finally managed to say. "I kinda figured you liked her, but…wow."

Shino didn't know how to react, and he didn't move.

"You gotta tell her, man."

His gaze immediately snapped to Kiba, who was staring back at him with an expression he'd never seen from him before. Was he…proud? Shino didn't exactly understand why he would be—and the more he thought about this entire situation, the less he understood at all. This clearly wasn't something he could compartmentalize or hide from. Maybe Kiba's advice was correct.

"Why?" he asked, for the first time not having the answer to his own question.

Kiba shrugged, though he quickly became thoughtful, and after a moment he let himself rest fully on the bench. "Because it's important."

"Our team dynamic is also important, Kiba," Shino replied in a quiet voice. "Telling her how I feel will undoubtedly alter the way we interact, especially if she does not reciprocate those feelings. I don't want to affect how we trust and work with each other—it could ultimately be dangerous for either one of you, as well as Akamaru."

"Well, yeah. You're right about that. But you already changed the dynamic by telling me what's up." He shrugged again. "And you're still gonna be in love with her even if you don't tell her, aren't you?"

"If she doesn't feel the same way," Shino responded promptly, voicing another great worry, "it will be very hard for her to feel comfortable."

"Okay, but—what if she does love you back?"

A bit of a blush made its way back to his face. He hadn't truly considered that, though the smallest part of him had dared to hope for such a lofty thing. "Certainly there's no way to know that without directly—"

"Are you kidding?" Kiba practically shoved him off the bench. "She basically had a stroke every time she saw Naruto! You remember her passing out all the time, yeah?" He snickered devilishly. "Even Naruto remembers that, and he's not the brightest bulb in the bunch when it comes to Hinata."

Naruto. Shino hadn't even considered him as a factor, or obstacle, as the case was. His eyes fixated on the leaves which had fallen around his feet.

Kiba cursed under his breath. "Dude, relax. I think she stopped liking him once she confessed to him and all that other crap happened. And besides, he's either in love with Sakura or has a huge boner for Sasuke." He snickered again, even more heartily this time. "We're all still trying to figure that one out."

He felt weak and helpless beneath the weight of Kiba's friendly hand on his back. It was a feeling that did not sit well with him, one with an unfamiliarity that threatened to turn his stomach. How would he diminish this? How would he ever return to normal?

Could he? Did he want to?

"I'm not sure that…" Shino stayed silent for a moment, gathering his words. "I'm not confident that I know how to carry this out."

"Alright. Now you're just freaking me out." Kiba threw his arm across Shino's shoulders, swaying him back and forth with casual camaraderie. "I got you, bro. I can sniff out the pheromones with this sorta thing, so I'll scope it out. Then once you get some of your confidence back, you can badass your way to the finish line."

He nodded, considering this, and pushed his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose. Some objectivity on the whole situation seemed necessary. "Okay."

"Nice." Kiba clapped once more, wrapping up the whole conversation in one succinct move as he stood. "Now let's go talk to the master."

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Kurenai's house had always been a clean, comfortable place. Because Yamato had structured a new one for her after the Pein attack, she now had a spacious home rather than an apartment, one filled with sunlight and the smell of freshly brewed tea. There were perfectly cut flowers arranged in vases throughout the living room and kitchen. Shino enjoyed the atmosphere there. His sensei had a subtle but nurturing spirit which showed in everything she did.

She was also highly perceptive woman—it was her biggest strength as a ninja and a trait that genjutsu masters possessed in spades. When Kiba occupied himself with Mirai in the living room, playing a relatively tame round of tag with her and his dog, Kurenai approached Shino where he was steeping tea in a mug.

"It's a bit warm outside for that, hmm?" Her smile was kind and genuine, though it held an undercurrent of an approaching question.

"Perhaps it is, though I'm partial to hot tea over most drinks."

"I know." She patted his forearm—he was too tall for her to reach his head now. It was a gesture he appreciated nonetheless. "It's good to see you, Shino-kun. How have you been?"

It was rare that someone asked him these questions. But now he'd received two versions within the same day, neither of which he was fully prepared to answer.

"Kiba has likely told you about…my recent predicament." Boiling-hot steam hit the edge of his thumb, scalding it, but he didn't move it from the rim of the mug.

"Mhmm. He guessed at it, at least. I was actually hoping you'd come for a visit so we could talk." Another pat to his forearm. "Let's go sit on the porch, shall we?"

Shino nodded, dutifully following her to the back of the house where a screened-in porch resided. Chairs with plush cushions sat around a small table with a vase full of lovely pink peonies. It looked the same as the last time he'd been here to read a rare science textbook Mitarashi Anko had gifted to Kurenai—even though it came from the Sandaime's classified archives, she immediately invited Shino over to study its contents.

Kurenai closed the door behind her, giving them a semblance of privacy, and motioned for Shino to take a seat. She took the one across from him and leaned into its back. It was a long moment before she spoke; a few cool breezes filled the silence, strumming through the wind chimes and leaving delicate twinkling notes as they passed.

"I think…the first time I knew I liked Asuma was during my chuunin exams," she began with in a soft, fond voice. "I'd been using my genjutsu so carelessly that I ran out of chakra the first night, and we had to find somewhere to hide."

Shino watched her closely. She'd never talked about her relationship to Asuma before, at least not with him.

"I felt so stupid. I was trying to prove how good I was, since Asuma was kind of cocky back then." She smiled, red lips curving into a good-natured smirk, eyes with even redder irises turned toward the afternoon sun. "Raidou was so good with kenjutsu, too. My skills were a little different. They weren't visible until I made them so, which meant I got underestimated quite a bit."

He sipped his tea. It was indeed too warm for the day's weather, but it was the same one he drank at home, and the smell of dried its herbs and flowers put him more at ease. He wasn't quite sure what to make of what she spoke.

"They found this little hiding place between some huge tree roots. I was so worried that because I couldn't fight, I would get killed—or worse, that one of them would get killed because of me. People were especially brutal back then."

He immediately recalled what he'd said earlier. His weakness would be a hindrance to everyone, just as it would be in battle. The sweat which had collected at the nape of his neck began trickling down to the collar of his shirt.

"But Asuma sat right next to me the whole time. He let his tough, rebellious facade slip for a little while and let me sleep next to him until I regained enough chakra to fight." Her voice was soothing, framing the memory like an embrace. "He told me that no one would want to fight us there because I intimidated them—that my abilities scared them more than they could scare me. I still remember that huge smear of dirt he had on his face when he said it—he was blushing enough that I could see through it."

She rubbed her arms distractedly, as if she were cold. "That was when we were just kids. Maybe a little younger than the three of you were when you were assigned to me. And it only got worse when we were older. I liked him immensely when we were teenagers, and I knew he liked me, but we were both too stubborn to do anything about it. Both of us were worried our parents would find out, that no one would take us seriously if we were in a relationship."

"Were you still in a team together at that point?" Shino asked, and she smiled as if she'd expected him to ask as much.

"We were. Though the war was longer then, and our clans and units took precedence over our genin cells, so we weren't always fighting together." Kurenai sighed to herself, smoothing her dark hair over one shoulder. "After all of that was over, we went back and forth for years—being in love and hiding our relationship; breaking up and trying to pretend that we didn't want to be together. We only started being a real couple after I became jounin."

While she was speaking, Shino couldn't help but question why she was sharing so much with him. Kurenai had given him plenty of advice and kind words over the years, but neither of them had ever been inclined to reveal much in the way of personal information or feelings. Had she ever talked to Kiba or Hinata this way?

"Shino-kun," she prompted gently. "I'm sure you're wondering why I'm telling you this."

"I am," he admitted. Kurenai simply smiled wider, understanding.

"And I'm sure you're wondering how to deal with your feelings about Hinata, too."

He only nodded once by way of response.

"I wanted to tell you about my relationship because I thought it might help you understand what you're going through."

He considered this for a few solid seconds, retracing the conversation thus far. "How so?"

"Well, I know how intelligent you are, and also how logically you see the world." She crossed her hands over one another on the table. "But everyone is scared of being in love. Especially for the first time."

He stayed quiet while she mulled over her next words.

"Being in love with Asuma made me a lot of things—scared of the future, excited, completely and utterly heartbroken, unbelievably happy. But more than anything, it made both of us stronger."

The image of Kurenai unable to stand by the end of Asuma's funeral came to mind. Then Sakura with Sasuke, Hinata with Naruto…all the same images from the last time he'd thought so hard about the way these relationships worked. Shino shifted in his chair. He didn't think Kurenai-sensei a weak woman by any means, but where lied the strength in love when it only led to a negative or unfulfilling outcome?

"It's a lot like friendship," she continued. "Very much so. You have someone to support you, someone to depend on. Someone to talk to who accepts you for who you are. When you're in love with the right person, you do all the same things a friend does, only unconditionally and more strongly." Her fingers drummed lightly against the table in a slow, cheerful rhythm. "Love is about dedication, security, and trust. It gives you something to look forward to and something to fight for. It adds to your life in a way that makes everything better and brighter. Do you know what I mean?"

And that silenced every other thought. Shino's heart thumped unsteadily in his chest, jumping at her words. They resonated with him more than anything else she'd said.

He thought about Hinata, how she was confined to the Hyuuga grounds until further notice. How despondent she may have grown at the news of the death of some family members, not to mention the lack of encouragement and support from friends who were not allowed on the compound. He wanted to sit beside her in the tea room and hold her hand, exactly like she had for him not long ago. He wanted to let her know that she wasn't alone. He wanted to be with her even if his heart burst from this surge of new emotion.

Suddenly, Shino knew exactly what he needed to do.

"Please excuse me, Kurenai-sensei." His heartbeat was loud in his ears and beat softly in his palms when he pushed back from the table. "I should go."

Rather than being startled by the way he stood without warning, Kurenai simply offered a caring smile, her mystic red eyes seeming somehow clairvoyant while they glimmered in the sunlight.

"I'm proud of you, Shino-kun," she said.

"Thank you, sensei," he replied swiftly, bowing as humbly as he could before leaving her home with a new sense of purpose.

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The note sat like a boulder in the pocket of his jacket. He was so aware of its presence there that his palms began to sweat; he wiped them against his pants so that they wouldn't smear the ink when he finally handed it over.

The Hyuuga compound was quiet, the only sounds birds chirping and leaves rustling from the languid, balmy curls of eastern winds. Shino approached the main gate with shoulders squared, determined as ever. Two guards were on standby, both with unactivated byakugan and donning black kimono, as well as an ANBU agent stationed behind the wooden enclosure who kept a quite obviously suspicious eye on him.

"We're not accepting visitations," one of the men said, expression stern. His face was strikingly similar to that of both Hinata's father and Neji.

"I understand, but I'm not here to visit. I would like to have this note delivered to Hinata-san as soon as possible."

"Hinata-sama is in mourning. You may return in eight days to speak with her." The other guard was just as cross, if not more so. Perhaps he'd been there to turn Shino away the first time he'd come to visit.

He was about to contemplate ways to sneak past the guards when a chakra signature flared from the top of the gate. Hanabi gracefully landed between Shino and the other men, turning to the former in a mischievous flourish of black silk and a shroud of hair. She was a short, slight girl, though her posture was impeccably fluid. There was power in the way her brows sat low and sharp over her milky eyes. Unlike Hinata, she'd never been a pleasant or agreeable person—none of the Hyuuga clan members Shino had ever met were—but he could appreciate the subtle way she held herself strong, the way the guards snapped to attention at her entrance.

She looked to Shino, extending a hand for him to place his letter in, and tucked the paper in her obi.

"I'll make sure she gets it." Her voice was startlingly cool and low, very much unlike Hinata's. "It's a good thing you came by. If nee-san dies of boredom, we'll have to extend our mourning period another month."

Then she was gone as quickly as she came, silencing the guards into submission. However, they shook it off quickly enough to glare at Shino, who only tucked his hands in his pockets and walked away, relishing both the fact that he had found a way past them and the nervous excitement fluttering in his stomach.

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After more than a day had passed, however, he began to worry.

It was difficult for him not to feel discomfited with the amount of emotions he'd been experiencing even since before Pein's attack. The anxiety had taken its turn, quelled in great part by Hinata—with the help of the one person who had known exactly what to say and had aided him on levels she likely wasn't aware of, he'd dealt with it accordingly, and he had let it pass.

But this was something else entirely. He no longer felt like the same person. It was sending his thoughts into somewhat of a chaos. Shino was experiencing things he'd never felt, a good portion of which he'd never even seen in others either, and therefore had no knowledge from which to draw any kind of conclusions.

Instead, he found himself pacing slowly around his room, hands tucked neatly behind his back, ruminating on the possibilities of the situation. If Hinata had received his note as Hanabi promised, then she would have found a way to communicate with him by now.

The letter had been very brief, asking her to meet him on his own compound once she was able to slip away from her duties. While he normally wouldn't condone shirking responsibilities or breaking tradition, this seemed far more urgent and separate from the usual that he deemed it acceptable to enact. And if Hanabi's statement on Hinata's condition had been true, she was due for a change of scene which he was more than happy to provide. He'd even placed one of his tracking beetles inside the envelope so that she could choose whether or not to wear it—if she did, he'd be able to sense her approach from a rather sizable distance. And if she did not, the beetle would have returned to him.

The fact that it was still nowhere to be seen granted him some much-needed hope.

In the midst of his pacing, Shino kept finding himself near his closet, which drew him temptingly close to his mirror. He'd never cared so much about what he looked like, figuring no one would see him; he'd assumed that he would never get close enough with someone to necessitate the dissipation of such a barrier. But he cared what Hinata thought about him and in so many ways, ways which had haunted him since she'd seen his face.

Did she find him approachable? Trustworthy? More than anything, and quite embarrassingly so, he wondered if she found him…attractive, or at least pleasing to the eye. Shino had always rejected the concept of seeking other's approval, at least from people outside of his clan. With Hinata, however, he wanted her to see him as someone worthy of her time and words. Someone worthy of her thoughts and affections.

He wasn't much to look at, he concluded, at least not in the face—his skin was neither unhealthy nor perfectly healthy in appearance. While it was unmarked by the scratching of kikaichuu or battle scars, it was instead lightly browned by the sun with faint freckles across his nose and cheekbones; there were a few small spots which resided over the thick, dark lines of his brows too. His eyes were brown as earth, nothing near as captivating as Hinata's moonstone eyes. His hair was coarse like dry summer grass, black like a beetle but without the gleaming sheen of its carapace.

If he had to compare himself to others, perhaps the best way he could describe himself was…well, perhaps Shino was plain. It suited him, after all; for all the years he'd flown beneath the radar, it made sense to him that this was how he looked. Now, though, it was hard not to dwell on every detail. Was his nose too large or small to be proportionate? Were his cheekbones too high to be considered aesthetically pleasant? He was tall, which he knew most women tended to find attractive, but he wasn't particularly concerned with their opinions—would Hinata find it an attractive quality?

Shino sighed. Fresh air would calm him down enough to think more rationally, though he would prefer not to think at all. He simply wanted to see Hinata, to know how she was faring in a life post-war with a world of duties ahead of her. He wanted to know whether she was being appreciated, spoken to with respect; if the power she'd worked toward was being rightfully acknowledged.

He didn't have to wait much longer. The tracking beetle resting on his collar stood at attention, honing in on a signal from its companion. Shino scrambled to replace his sunglasses, slipping on shoes as he made his way to the backyard.

The smell of grass hit him immediately when he opened the door, which he barely remembered to shut it on his way out. It was approaching evening at that point, and the air was thick and golden, somewhat dewy from the pond on their land. Light streamed through the trees in a thousand different rays, running over his feet and shoulders as he made his way closer to the signal, to the distant call of Hinata's chakra.

He hadn't realized how quickly he was walking until he saw her. He almost didn't recognize her—rather than her usual light-colored uniform, her formal robes made her appear a dark figure in the forest. It didn't take much more speed for him to catch up to her. It was the strangest thing, the lightness that gripped his body, the way he felt like he was floating across every pine needle and fallen leaf on the ground.

She looked up as he approached. The moment she saw him, her face turned a full shade of pink as if she'd noticed him for the first time, and she halted completely. He felt himself flush at the sight, too—in his excitement he'd come all the way out here to meet her, which he never did unless it was regarding a mission, and it had likely alarmed her.

Shino stood a few feet away from her. "Hinata-san, I did not mean—"

"Shino-kun—"

Both of them started talking, then stopped at the same time. It left them blinking at each other. Hinata's face grew even pinker.

"Sorry," she said meekly, eyes on his feet, hands twisting in front of her. "You go first."

"No, please. You go first." He was fidgeting again.

"Oh, okay." Hinata glanced up at him before looking down again. Shino found himself momentarily stunned. She looked so lovely with her hair tied up in delicate, intricately woven braids which appeared even more violet against the black kimono she wore.

"I got your note," she told him after a moment. "I was happy to hear from you."

"I'm glad that you received it." His voice was surprisingly even despite his bugs thrumming as frantically as his heartbeat. "The guards turned me away whenever I came to see you, so I was grateful for Hanabi's interference. She said you were bored."

Her lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and she looked everywhere else but at him. "Well, I was, but…"

"Are you alright?" he asked when she didn't continue.

Hinata nodded. "I, um…"

And then she closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his waist in a firm hug with her head on his chest. He could feel his heart beating against his ribs even more strongly where her ear and cheek rested; he prayed she couldn't hear it, though he knew it was very likely she could. The kikaichuu whirred around inside him, trying to figure out what was setting his vitals so off-balance.

Shino very hesitantly let his arms mimic hers, coming up to wrap around her frame. He'd never been hugged before—not that he could remember, at least. It was hard to breathe, though it was more from the wonderfully overwhelming closeness of it than anything else. This had to be a positive sign of something, he thought to himself, placing his palms against the curve of her back.

"I missed you, Shino-kun." He could feel her breath permeate his sleeve as she spoke. The skin there rose into goosebumps. "It's so much easier talking to you than everyone else."

Another good sign, he could only hope. His chest constricted and released, sending an unmistakable warmth through him. The words he wanted to say were climbing up his throat as if they were waiting to break out of a chrysalis.

"Hinata-san," he said, bracing himself, and tried not to get distracted by how her hair smelled like the orchids and lilies in her family's garden. "I have to tell you something."

She stayed still, though her shoulders tensed enough for him to notice. The steadying breath he took was shaky at the edges, though he exhaled it with resolve. He had to tell her.

"Ever since you saw me outside the camp that night, I have hardly been able to stop myself from thinking about what happened." He paused, trying not to speak too quickly. "Nobody else has ever seen my whole face before—even my father has seen me on very few occasions due to our clan's rules and traditions. Because of this, I have been…apprehensive of the way I may seem to others, and I've never been compelled to show anyone what I really look like."

If Hinata was aware of the way she started to grip the fabric at his back, she didn't show it.

"Your reaction not only surprised me, but it touched me so deeply that…that I knew something had changed. You were so compassionate, open-hearted, accepting, not only of my appearance but of my kikaichuu as well—which you've always done, but…"

Another pause, this time to gather the right words. "I have always admired your compassion and how open your heart is. When you told me take pride in the way I am, I—I wanted to become the kind of person who never had to hide myself. I wanted to be with someone who makes me feel whole, someone who understands me for all that I find necessary to conceal."

Shino closed his eyes. It was time to take a leap of faith. He would have to face whatever consequences came, but he had to tell her how much she had moved him, inspired him to be much greater; she had to know how significant she was, even if it was just to someone like him.

"I love you." His hands clenched together on her back. "I have never felt this way about anyone before, but I know that I love you. I understand if you do not feel the same, and if that is so, I will do whatever it takes to put you at ease. But it seemed—Hin…Hinata-san?"

Her entire body was trembling, clutching onto his shirt with unsteady fists. When she broke out of his embrace and turned away, even as gently as she did, he felt his heart and stomach plummet. Shino had been preparing himself for a reaction like this, but it still hit him quite strongly—especially when he considered how much hope he had secretly allowed himself. His hands dropped to his sides.

Hinata was crying. They were quiet sobs and sniffs which she kept contained to the hands with which she hid her face, and each one tugged at his insides with a small but acute kind of pain.

"Forgive me," Shino said in a low voice, regret peeking its way into his tone. "I didn't mean to upset you. This was selfish of me."

"No," Hinata protested, her own voice wobbly. "Not at all. I was"—she hiccuped softly—"surprised. Nobody's ever told me that…that they love me before."

His stomach dropped again, though not in the same awful, severe way as the first time. He hated that he knew how true her words were.

"I hate that I've made you cry," was all he could say.

"Please, don't." She wiped at her eyes over and over. Her breaths went shallow, shrinking her shoulders once more. "I'm sorry. I'm just so happy."

Shino was frozen in place. Not even the sunlight could thaw him, radiantly as it beamed down into the forest. Was she…did that mean…?

He didn't move until she turned back around to look at him with red-rimmed eyes, bright and shining with tears which stuck to her eyelashes.

"Shino-kun." She wiped at a lingering tear, sniffing a bit. "Thank you."

"For what?"

Hinata smiled gently, kindly. "For…everything. For being yourself."

She placed a warm hand on his face, bringing him back to life in an instant. He could feel her hesitance, his own confusion, how new all of this was for both of them. Her hand moved up to his temple, taking hold on his glasses, and he nodded at her questioning look. He wondered if he looked at nervous as he felt—even more so when she removed his glasses, placing them in the chest pocket of his shirt.

The world lit up around him in an instant: every color was fuller, richer; every inch of Hinata's face looked impossibly prettier. Her pearlescent eyes were full of light, illuminated in a way he hadn't noticed with the filter of his sunglasses. He wondered how much he'd missed until now.

"That's better," she said shyly.

"Yes, it is," he replied before he could restrain himself. "I can see you much more clearly now."

She blushed again, her fair skin blooming into azalea pink.

"Thank you for having the courage to tell me. I'm not so brave, but I'm trying." Both of her hands reached up to touch his face, her fingertips ghosting over his cheekbones. There was a genuine tenderness in her expression. "You make me feel special and important. And…I feel the same way about you."

His immediate reaction was disbelief, though it was directed at himself. "What do you mean?"

Hinata shifted a bit, then leaned closer to him, stretching up toward his height on her toes. She was blinking rapidly as she came closer still—and then she pulled his face down, connecting their mouths in one fell swoop.

Shino coughed out of pure shock, which sent him sputtering against her lips, which in turn sent Hinata into a recoil—she kept her hold on his face, though, so they could only meet each other's eyes when she leaned back. His face went as red as hers; he was sure the tips of his ears were the approximate shade of a ladybug's wings.

They stared at each other for a solid moment, incredulous and tense. And then Hinata surprised him more than ever—she laughed.

The sound was as effervescent as silver bells, though deep and true all the same. She laughed so hard that it slowly but surely managed to dissolve Shino's mortification, and everything else he'd been worried about began to fall by the wayside. Despite his self-consciousness, a smile touched his mouth.

"That was an accident," he murmured as she giggled profusely. "Clearly my experience is limited."

"Oh…me too, Shino-kun," she said giddily, a hand covering her fading laughs, the ethereal lavender of her eyes almost luminous. "I didn't plan that very well, did I?"

"To be honest, I also had plans for today." He felt his smile turn rather humored now, especially with the way she was looking at him, fond and as happy as she sounded. "I was hoping to be much more eloquent and for this to go much more smoothly, but it seems neither of us expected any of this."

She beamed at him and reached for one of his hands. Her own felt like flower petals, soft and lovely as velvet against his skin. "I…I'm alright with that, though. We have plenty of time to make up for it now."

Shino's fingers tingled where her own wrapped around them. He couldn't believe this was happening to him, how fortunate he was that everything had led him here. It was difficult for him to even comprehend a time when he'd thought he could live without this kind of connection, this kind of happiness; he couldn't imagine returning to his life before. Not anymore. Not now that had someone to rely on, to fill the places which used to be dark and silent.

Not now that they had each other.

"Would you like to begin making up for it today?" His thumb pressed into her palm. Their pulses flitted against each other, fast and small and simultaneous. "We can start however you see fit."

Hinata simply placed her other hand on their joined ones, closing the distance between them to rest her head against his shoulder once again.

"Maybe later." She sighed, a sound full of relief and contentment and everything else he was feeling too. "I think I'm okay right here."

And with that, everything else fell away but one single feeling. Shino suddenly understood everything Kurenai had said. He didn't just feel strong with Hinata, here in the forest where it was just the two of them, his heart pumping more fully than he'd ever been aware of.

He didn't just feel strong knowing that their sentiments were mutual. He was unsure about where they were going, yes, and he still had quite a lot to tell her, a lot to figure out. But it was just as Hinata said—they had plenty of time to figure things out, to explore something so new and meaningful. She wove their fingers together, and he knew his life of solitude was effectively over.

And that, he thought, would make anyone feel invincible.

.

.

.


a/n: aaaand that's a wrap. thank you to all of my loyal readers/reviewers/fellow shino lovers for sticking with me. y'all are the best.