Routine

Summary: A series of drabbles revolving around Shino and TenTen while they're on a diplomatic mission together.

This one.... was weird to write. It might seem a bit of a quick jump into romance but really that's down to Shino totally misinterpreting Tenten's actions.

Dedicated to: The Shino/TenTen FC on Naruto Forums ( http : // forums .narutofan. com/ showthread .php? p=2 193 0146 #post 219 301 46 )

OMG The wonderful Eight-Days has done fanart for this fic- please check out her comics of chapter one and two- http :// eight-days-a-week .deviantart. com/ art/ Routine-1-120808821

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Tenten finds she cannot sleep properly now she's in a proper bedroom. It's too cold, too big and too lacking in Shino. It seems utterly bizarre but she really misses that tent.

And for that reason she sneaks into his room.

For quite a long time she simply stands there, breathing as quietly as she can, watching his still form on the bed, feeling idiotic for being here but not really able to leave.

Eventually, when her extremities start to feel slightly numb from the cold, she sighs and turns to the door.

She is brought up short when he catches her wrist. Encircles it with his warm, strong fingers. Turning around she see's he is sitting up, the coverlet pooled around his waist. His face betrays nothing – no emotion. "You can stay," he says quietly.

TenTen doesn't move for a moment, his hand still on her wrist. Then she bits her lip and slides down into the bed, curling herself up next to him with a sigh. His hand is shaking slightly when he releases her. Is he angry? Embarrased? Annoyed at her presumption? Cautiously, TenTen rests her head on his shoulder. His body tenses noticeably, and she wonders if she is being too forward, after-all normally she didn't invade his personal space until they were both asleep. But he doesn't push her away. He doesn't say anything. His hand eases around her body so he is effectively holding her against him.

This was....different somehow and she can't believe she can feel so nervous after they've spent the previous month sleeping the same tent.

'Shino?'

'Yes.'

'Are you asleep?'

She wince's as the words leave her mouth, realising how stupid a question it was. He turns his head slightly so it is facing towards her on the pillow and she is sure he is thinking her an idiot. Grinning sheepishly, she hopes it is too dark for him to see how much she is blushing.

'You are agitated. I assumed your reason for coming here was to sleep.'

Biting her lip, she looks down.

'If.... you had other reasons....' Shino has his gaze fixed on the ceiling now and he appears to be chosing his words extremely carefully '...then I would not be adverse to that.'

Did he mean...?

The hand he has wrapped around her back is tentatively moving in a delicate stroking motion, long fingers drawing aimless patterns on the square of skin between the tops of her pyjama bottoms and her t-shirt, causing little sparks of sensation to dance across her skin.

'TenTen....'

Without thinking she puts her fingers to his lips to forestall whatever he is about to say but he just continues.

'...I had an ulterior motive in allowing you to stay here.'

As he speaks, his lips brush against her finger, causing her face to burn an impossible shade of red before she jerks her hand away.

His face is closer now and she can see his nostrils flare slightly as he breathes slowly in and out. Her eyes flicker between his mouth and those damn shades he wears even in bed. She thinks something must be showing in her face because suddenly his demeanour changes- the hesitant slightly shy Shino seems to disappear before her eyes, being replaced by someone infinitely more sure of himself…

'I find I have....grown used to your presence at night. And that I now....desire it.'

'Oh.'

She knows the word- does it even qualify as a word?- is woefully inadequate but she can't seem to say anything else. His presence is making her vaguely light-headed and when he backs off she allows herself to feel relief – only to find herself rolled onto her back a moment later, with Shino on top of her .

Their lips meet, his pressing briefly against hers with a gentle aching longing that makes her heart squeeze painfully. When he pulls back, she exhales- a shaky, disbelieving sound and wonders what the hell is happening, when things had shifted so much between her and Shino.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she asks, breath rushing out of her again as he trails small, perfunctory kisses across her cheek and down her neck.

"I...do not know," he murmurs, seeming quite intent on his task. His lips against her skin are sending strange little pulses of pleasure racing down her body and she thinks that now would be a really good time to stop this before she forgets why she's supposed to.

'Shino please... stop it.' Tenten gasps out, pushing him away and scrambling off the bed.

It feels painful to watch how the hope slides from his face, and she feels like she has slapped him, betrayed him somehow but she needs to get away from him, from this sudden confusing thing that has risen between them. He reaches out as though to touch her, then falters at the last moment. She doesn't think she has ever seen him look so vulnerable.

'Shino...I-I'm sorry.'

As she turns and runs back to her own room, she has to fight to keep the tears from her eyes.