Chapter 12
"Can you give these to Shino for me?" Tenten let Shibi inspect the baby spiders as she didn't bother to take off her shoes in the entryway. There was no point, really.
"No." Shibi placed the glass cage back in her arms. "He doesn't live here anymore."
Tenten was hoping he wouldn't get stuck on technicalities. "I know he still keeps some of his stuff here, when he stops by he can pick them up then, I will just leave them in his old room with the rest of his collection," Tenten slipped off her shoes and moved towards the hallway. Shibi cut her off by stepping in front of her and turning her towards the couch, firmly sitting her down. He took the cage, set it on the coffee table and sat next to her.
"Spill." He demanded turning his head in her direction. Tenten grumbled but complied. She liked Shino's dad. She didn't need to make things worse by pissing him off, too.
"It's a peace offering."
Shibi raised and eyebrow. "You had a fight with my son?"
Did drugging someone and threatening them count as fighting? She mulled this over for a bit. "Yes." She wondered if he would ever talk to her again. She briefly wondered the same about Kankuro, though she doubted he would even recognize her unless she was half naked and sporting those stilettos he was so fond of. Well, both men were fond of, but her friendship with Shino was important to her. She needed that to stay intact. She had a sneaking suspicion that nearly killing him damaged that some how. A bunch of spiders in a cage suddenly seemed a bit lacking for an olive branch.
"Was it about the Council's decision last night?" Shibi shifted his weight as he turned toward her.
Tenten had completely forgotten about the council meeting. Her pupils turned to pinpoints as she turned to look at Shibi's now solemn face.
"There might be hope after all," Shibi stated studying her face.
"The hearing can be overturned?" Tenten asked with a glimmer of optimism in her voice.
"No," Shibi said with a shake of his head. "I think it is for the best." He got up and handed her the cage. "You need to talk to my son. I don't know what you fought about, but I am sure that whatever you did can be forgiven."
Tenten gave a faltered smile- she wasn't so sure about that.
"Congratulations," Tenten mumbled to Shibi as she hugged him on the front of the Aburame complex. She was gone before he had a chance to correct her.
….
"Congratulations!" Tenten smiled brightly as she hugged her roommate with excitement.
Temari broke the embrace to slug her best friend in the shoulder.
"OW!" Tenten stated more out of yelling at her that hitting hurts than a knee jerk reaction. "What the hell was that for?" Tenten pointed to her shoulder for an explanation.
"For not telling me you made Anbu."
"You talked to Kankuro? He still pissed at me?" Tenten wondered yet really didn't want to hear that yet another person in her life was going to be shut out completely.
"What? No, why what happened?" she asked suddenly. "Does this have anything to do with Shino? I need to beat some sense into that blockhead brother of mine." Temari reference the last part offhandedly.
"Ok, now what the hell are you talking about?" Tenten asked wanting more of a direct answer than incoherent ramblings. She was starting to get frustrated with all of this nonsense.
"That's it!" Temari grabbed her and forced her to the door. Tenten wasn't sure if it was a sudden epiphany or if Temari was as frustrated as she was.
"Ug, Temari, please." Tenten begged with exasperation. Clearly she was not going to be dragged anywhere by her roommate tonight. Temari snatched the cage of baby spiders by the door as Tenten broke away from her grip. The sudden maniacal grin on her face confirmed to Tenten that her roommate was in fact evil as she was willing to take the cage hostage just to get what she wanted.
"Ok, seriously? Are you twelve?"
Temari held the cage out from her body as if ready to drop it.
"Whoa! Ok, you're serious. Point taken." Tenten raised her hands as if to let her know she wasn't going to make any sudden moves. Temari grabbed Tenten's keys clutching the cage under her arm and slipped out the door.
Yelling obscenities, Tenten pulled her shoes on and took off to follow her roommate into the night.
…
Tenten knocked loudly on the door of the Shikamaru's and Shino's apartment. She fought the urge to yell through the door as she grew impatient. Shikamaru answered the door. Tenten blew by him without being asked to enter. "Where?"
"Shino's room," Shikamaru offered a thumb over his shoulder.
Tenten huffed down the hall and charged the door grabbing and swinging the door open as she did. She came inches away from running smack dab into Kankuro's chest. She looked up at him. Oh crap. Things just kept getting worse.
"Hey." Kankuro said and then moved aside so she could see Shino sitting at his desk inspecting the newly hatchling camel spiders.
Talk about awkward. I'm sorry I drugged and threatened you both, have you seen my keys?
"We need to talk," Shino stated without turning around.
"I will leave you two alone."
Kankuro slammed the door shut and crossed his arms in front of it. "We as in the three of us," he smiled to Tenten.
"We need to talk" was boy code for torture. Though it usually referenced a girl saying it to a boy. She wondered if it worked the other way around. She supposed she would find out shortly.
Shino produced his chair for her to sit in while the boys took the bed, both crossing their arms and both looking pretty damn hot, if Tenten did say so herself. One more so in particular, now that she had a chance to compare them side by side. She returned her attention to the talk part so she could get her keys back.
Oh hell, Tenten wasn't good at small talk. "I am sorry I drugged and threatened you both. Have either of you seen my keys?"
Shino and Kankuro exchanged glances.
"We were going to apologize to you."
"Apology accepted," she said standing up with her palm open, "can I have my keys now?"
"You get them back when we are done talking." Shino sounded pretty rigid about this term.
"Men," Tenten lamented and sat back down in a huff.
"Shino and I have been discussing things," Kankuro began. Shino nodded with affirmation to continue. "We wanted to apologize for our behavior last night."
"Yeah, yeah, keys." Tenten said impatiently, once again came out with an open hand expecting someone to slap her keys into them at any moment.
Shino grabbed her hand and yanked her over to sit between them on the edge of the bed. She still had the bored and frustrated look on her face from earlier. She was done playing games, however.
"We promise never to act that way again, if you give us another chance."
Tenten looked up at the two males that were well over a head taller than her.
"Have you both lost your damn minds?"
"We came to that conclusion as well."
"Shino, I thought the council meeting? You're getting married…" Tenten trailed off.
"The council meeting went well, they ruled in my favor." Shino supplied.
"I'ma kill Shibi," Tenten mumbled under her breath.
"You spoke with my father?" Shino turned to her with a dubious look.
"I went to give him the spiders so he could give them to you later," she offered.
"How come I didn't get anything?" Kankuro pouted incrediously.
Tenten covered her eyes with her hands, "What color are my eyes?"
"Ummmm…?" Kankuro fidgeted uncomfortably unable to come up with an answer.
"That's why." Tenten scowled at him as she crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.
"They are a dark mahogany with flecks of gold and grey." Shino mused as her head was still turned away from him.
"That's why he has a gift." She pointed at Shino with her thumb.
"Ah."
"Gimme," Tenten demanded and once again held her hand out for the keys. Shino shook his head.
"So what do you two want?"
"I want my best friend back, and I want you to be my escort when I am in town," Kankuro noted with a friendly tone. "unless there are other hot konoichi willing to wear those stilettos for you?"
"I'll see what I can do," Tenten said begrudgingly. "What do you want?" She didn't bother to turn to Shino. Kankuro got up and left the room. The door shut with a small click.
Oh boy. Tenten gulped.
"Why didn't you tell me about the council's decision last night?" Tenten rounded on him.
"Why didn't you tell me you made Anbu?" Shino countered. She had rather hoped that he wouldn't remember that.
"Nothing changed," Tenten stated in her defense, "at least I didn't want things to change."
"You thought something would change between us?" Shino looked almost hurt at the realization. "You didn't even give me the chance to be happy for you."
"You didn't tell me your clan was choosing a bride for you!" Tenten countered back. "I didn't know until last night that you were betrothed!"
"The council overruled any marriage proposal before a marriage contract was made legal, I was never technically betrothed."
"You didn't even tell Kankuro!" Tenten almost regretted the admission as soon as it left her lips but figured there was no holding back now. "And you let Shikamaru rope me into an escort date with him no less. So don't tell me I am the one with communication problems buddy!" She screamed at him, turned around, and stalked out, slamming the door behind her.
