Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
XVIII.
- Lovely Creature -
As it turned out, Konoha's Mountain Villa proved to be the perfect place for a reception-party because it was expensive and luxurious and had a lobby-hall that probably no one ever had used up until now. It required a minimum of two clans to fill it up and also it had a very modern sense to it and most weddings of his generation happened at least a decade ago, in significantly more humble and traditional times. He wasn't sure he liked it, but there wasn't any other place to have all those guests anyway. At least she loved it.
"What are you thinking about?"
Shino almost jumped at the touch on his shoulder, still busy admiring Amaya in all of her glory.
She had put down the ornaments from her hair and… in fact, she had gone up to their apartment and had changed completely for the party because the snow-white, five-layered kimono was way too heavy and she complained she couldn't even breathe freely with it. He was well-aware of all that because she spent fifteen minutes trying to convince him she's only leaving him to this hellish noise, blasting music and swarms of people to change outfits. Not to prank him or exercise some kind of torture on him, because it certainly felt like it for the time.
Amaya showed up quickly after she left him to his own devices, thankfully, and the loud cheer dragged his attention right away. Despite all the whistles of approval, now she was just standing there, in the middle of the hall, posing with her hands on her waist and staring right at him for approval with a playful smile. Her hands flung up in a What do you think? gesture as he stared at her and didn't know what to say or what he was expected to say.
She had somehow managed to get a hold on a loose, puffy dress in full Aburame green and black buttons all the way from the collar to the lower rim. The seconds passed and he decided it's okay that he didn't share his opinion out loud and instead took a bite from the cake in front of him. There was plenty of food and he seemed to be one of the few that actually remained on the table eating it.
Amaya burst out laughing at his non-existent reaction. "My husband is clearly very concerned with my fashion taste!" She announced over the followed noise and had him look up again, with a furrow.
It wasn't gentlemanlike to share what he was thinking about, about that dress, so keeping silent was undoubtedly the right choice. What did she want him to do? She suddenly straightened up, glancing at him incredulously. He imagined it wasn't hard to catch his mood in the sea of moods around her because it was pretty different from everyone else's. She quickly started chatting with Sakura and blushed intensely in the meantime.
It was convenient on a whole another level that he didn't like talking much and she was able to, although vaguely, grasp onto his thoughts from afar. Perfection. But Amaya aside, his father had been trying to get his attention in the last minutes and was very insistent about it so he figured they had to converse, for better or worse.
"What I'm thinking about? Silence." Shino replied, at last, noticing that his father had taken the seat next to his. "You seem like you're enjoying yourself exactly as much as I do. Someone might just decide we're related."
Shibi scoffed out a dry half-laughter at the cutting-edge sarcasm. It was the happiest noise he had heard him let out in years.
"I have to talk to you about something," Shibi said, sending a chilling wave down his spine.
"Please don't," Shino turned to him with a shake of his head, mortified to his core. Then he felt the need to quickly add, "I am in my thirties."
"I am very serious."
Shino carefully left his fork on the laced tablecloth and relaxed back. "Alright. And don't be surprised if I suddenly decide to leave the conversation mid-speech because I don't feel physically unable to participate in it anymore."
Shibi took a breath and released it, his covered eyes averted to the now dancing mixture of shinobi that seemingly had the time of their lives. He took his time, but not because of inconvenience, but because he was careful and dwelled on the words he'd likely planned to share. There was a sense of melancholy to him during these seconds and Shino wondered if he's not remembering something.
"I'll start from afar," Shibi glanced back at his son with a warning. "Your mother was an Aburame."
"Useful information."
Shibi scowled at him, then remained silent for a little more. Another sigh followed, "She was the loveliest creature I've ever laid eyes on, no doubt about that. She gave me you as well. I was fortunate for a long time," Shibi paused, "and then I was not."
Shino sensed the sadness that veiled around his father and he reached to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. All he knew was that his mother went to a mission one day and didn't return. It was a natural shinobi death, but his father used to blame himself a lot, for not being there with her to alter the event or at least the circumstances. All of this, it had passed, and Shino thought that it was strange for him to open up the conversation with his mom.
Shibi quickly shook off the sadness and his lips pressed together with a new concentration. "Anyway. I wasn't going to focus on that. My point was… I am your father, the previous head of the clan Aburame, and I married your mother, who was a shinobi, with pure Aburame blood."
Shino slowly pulled his hand away, squinting with suspicion. He still wasn't sure where this was going.
"Well?"
"Our insects were of the same kind."
"Alright."
"Except my kidaichū, which I bred first in this clan. Your mother didn't have them."
The quick exchange was severed by Kiba, who had been joyfully strolling around and now stopped in front of them and grabbed a drink with a cheerful laugh, "You know this is not a funeral, Shino, right? Don't spend the whole afternoon on that chair!" Then he shook his head with disapproval and went away again.
Shibi shifted uncomfortably and took a gentle sip from the sake in his cup. "I was not going to discuss this, but… but your kidaichū proved to be very different from mine. In a sense of, well, aggressiveness."
"I have to admit I am very confused so far. Do you mind skipping straight to the point?"
Shibi swallowed, putting his hands together with some kind of final agreement with himself.
"So, because the kidaichū lived together with the kikaichū, Aburame's usual breed, in me — the host — they had grown used to each other and didn't try to drain her chakra when… when we were together. With your mother, I mean." Shibi spoke, way quicker than usual, and turned his whole body to meet Shino.
Shino, on the other side, was like struck by lightning. He just stared at his father at a complete loss, letting all noise deafen to whatever it was his ears heard just now.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I think it's a little late to talk about this at the wedding itself, but I strongly believed that you'd be aware of this anyway, since it happened… already. In a way."
The air in his lungs made an odd stumble when he exhaled with utter astonishment. His eyes immediately shifted on Amaya and she caught his gaze with a little worry in them. She always knew when he was looking at her, even through the visor or the glasses.
"She's not even an Aburame," Shino heard himself say, word by word. "Why are you telling me this right now? I mean," he swallowed down the rising concern, "I knew the kidaichū would probably try to feed off her chakra and all. It'd be natural if-if…" His eyes fell to the table. They tried to kill her that night, when he was out of his mind. And all they did was hug each other. What about...? "She is a Kamizuru. Her bees will try to feed off me as well. She told me her chakra control is still very poor in comparison to mine."
"Well… yes." Shibi said, with a comical resolve, and put his palms on his legs. Neither of them looked at each other. He went on, with the calmest, most unbothered tone, "Also. You are bound to lose most of yours as well. If not all of it. Nature has a really twisted sense of humour when it comes to insect users, you know. The pain of hosting is generously compensated with the pleasure of mating."
Shino slowly sank into the chair, letting the horror sift through him freely. Amaya was often turning to look his way now, likely fighting an urge to go talk with him but didn't. His father's presence kept her away and she always gave them the needed privacy when they saw them together like that. Ahina, her mother, was sitting across their table and talked with the Tsuchikage about something hopeful, judging from the rosiness on their cheeks.
"Now is the time to give me tips. Any tips."
"I told you I'm serious."
"I didn't, I didn't think—" Shino clenched his fists. Damn, what a great time and place to announce that trying to spend the night with his wife was probably going to kill them both. How he was even supposed to have children later on? "What the hell's wrong with this clan?" The words came out of him, but it was a statement more to himself.
"No Aburame in a thousand years, or probably more, has married outside the clan," Shibi said, in a perfectly even intonation.
"Is that supposed to calm me down?" Shino groaned helplessly. "I wish you could've just stopped at the sweet description of my mom being a lovely creature."
Shibi looked like he was strained to a maximum, only to not let that creeping smile from forming on his lips. Even his jaw was clenched with the struggle. So it was downright funny to him, huh? "Listen." Shibi attempted to renew the conversation with the most serious tone he could muster up. "Things are probably not as bad as we anticipate. You'll just have to…"
"Figure it out? Yes, it's not like I have a choice at this point." Shino feverishly leaned in, upset by the lack of contents in his own glass and grabbed the one next to it, draining it to the bottom and wishing the daze that hit him momentarily would remain for a longer time and wash away at least a little of the panic.
"That's going to sound weird coming from me, but you said you wanted tips. I was going to say, allow them to get used to how she feels like." Shibi finished and Shino let out a tormented sound, standing up and leaving the table.
He wasn't sure what grimace of disgust he was wearing on his face when Amaya intercepted his way and grabbed him by the hand, pulling at him to the centre of the room. She didn't say anything, only looked at him askance; it was one of her greatest qualities, figuring him out without the need for him to explain.
Shino hadn't noticed the music had changed to a more normal one, something significantly slower and calmer, and most guests had taken their places back at the tables. Only a few remained in the open space in the middle where Amaya had dragged him. It was much better and much more secluded than having to push up with everyone else at the tables, he had to admit.
Amaya was quiet for a while, hands wrapped around his waist and head leaning on his chest. She had learned that combining her close presence with thick silence was a way to appease him. There were a few things that made him feel comfortable like this. It was all the more reassuring to have her a couple of levels less agitated than him about this whole day. There was suddenly the insight, a sort of a very clear understanding of what his father meant by the loveliest creature I've ever laid eyes on.
"It's time to speak to me." Amaya put her hands on his shoulders, looking up. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Amaya smiled warmly. "Alright, I'll use my brain then. Judging from the emotional states you went through and the awkward positions your father changed, my guess is you were talking about tonight." She paused, but Shino didn't even flinch at her words. Her hands entwined behind his neck, eyes searching through his visor intensely. "Something that I need to know?"
"Yes." Shino gave a rapid answer. "No. I need more sake."
Amaya laughed, leaning back to him like before. "Okay, we'll talk about it when we're alone, but until then try not to worry. Deal?"
He didn't answer because it was genuinely not in his power to not think about this all the time, especially when she was that close to him at the moment. All the games they played after that, all the conversations they had and all the greetings they received couldn't lift off his lingering worry about it, but at least Amaya was with him all the time. She kept her promise to not leave his side throughout the whole afternoon.
The guests dispersed quickly, that wasn't bothersome at all. Neither were the goodbyes, the wishes, or the staff all the mess. Or the fun they had watching their drunk friends hiccupping out of the Villa under the scolding of the more elderly members of the clans. Shibi and Ahina were even talking with each other on their way out. The bothersome part started when Amaya led him up the stairs, without turning any lights on, and into their vast apartment on the last floor, where the view was perfect and the bed was tucked at a perfectly decorated nook of light pastel colours, all in natural nuance.
Amaya was impatiently fisting his clothes and bringing him closer, or maybe lower, so that she wouldn't have to stand on tiptoes all the time in order to kiss him. The regret was gushing from him, that she wouldn't be able to go on as senselessly and that he wouldn't be able to allow her to be senseless, to let go, stop thinking and overthinking like he usually did and to enjoy. None of this was going to happen.
"Stop," Shino sighed, pushing her away just a little, holding her by the arms.
"Right." Her eyes widened as she remembered their conversation earlier on. "Sorry."
"I don't even know where to start." The words came out of him bitterly. Then he reached for his visor and removed it, squinting at the faint night luminescence that came from the winter lights of the village outside the wide windows. It was a little irritating but overall durable. "This won't work the way you think it will."
The amber of her eyes glimmered with amusement almost visibly in the heavy dusk. "I'm open to all suggestions."
"My insects will try to kill you." He said and her lips were apart with the brutal honesty. "Yours will try to kill me too. Your typical romantic fantasy, I'm sure."
"Oh. Oh."
Shino waited for her to process the information and she did, much quicker than he expected. She was ready to follow him in just a few minutes. Silent and generally confounded by the situation, but seemingly reconciled with it. He sat on the bed and asked her to sit with him. She didn't obey, staring down at him with some sort of quiet estimation that began to frighten him at some point. She unbuttoned the first buttons of her dress and pulled it down to her lower shoulders.
Then she neared him and sat, on him, with her legs around his waist.
"What are you doing?" Shino asked, in his most casual voice, letting Amaya slide her hands under the black hakama of his kimono and upwards to his shoulders until it fell off. At least she looked calmer than him. And having fun.
"I have a plan," She whispered through a smile, adhering her body to his with a dizzying kiss that sent a strange, heating sensation through him. He could only control until he wouldn't, was the scary part. But he could try being hyperaware all the time, which sounded as impossible as it was funny to him, but there was no other way he saw this happening.
She barely touched his skin, loosening the second and the third layer, the black and the white silk, when his chakra whirled and stirred, with this unpleasant twist that made him equal parts angry and sad. He hated it, that they were natural enemies were supposed to fight each other. When his lips touched against the base of her neck, she nearly flinched, her fingers sinking into his skin.
She had barely started to remove her clothes and he felt like her chakra was flowing and seeping through him and was going to be dragged out and blended and lost effortlessly to him, almost like she was a single drop of water and he was an ocean. It was most vivid where her skin was bare, his left hand enveloping her waist while the other travelled up her arm and came in touch with the bareness of her shoulder, her collarbone and up her neck. The kidaichū were so battle-ready and thirsty that he backed away with a shaking breath.
"What did I say about crying this morning?" Amaya leaned her forehead on his with a puff.
"I'm not crying."
"You feel like it. It has the same effect on me."
Shino found her mouth and pushed against hers just a little, his breath shattering, to let her know he was close and utterly devastated. "What was your plan again?"
It resembled a vocal sigh at first, then a cluster of whispers she merged, slowly and steadily. Then she put a hand on his chest, at the very centre of the chakra and went on, a little further and less absent. It was some sort of a melody, an almost-melody, that she tentatively weaved and some words she intertwined in-between.
"What we're doing… it has never been done before," She mouthed, humming and leaning closer to his ear. "We'll have to find the way through."
Alright. He could go with this, his insects and his mind in a semi-daze. Enough to not lose the hold on them and enough to not worry about them entirely. It was significantly better like that, to have half of the mental weight on her. She wasn't singing the way she did back then, so he figured she isn't using all of her capabilities either. Just whispering and humming, to leave space for improvisation and touching, and kissing.
Shino caught her and slowly reversed their places, lying her on the mattress and staring down her curious, warm eyes. Hopefully, they'd manage to survive this one. "If we fail…" His voice hitched a little when she heaved up and tilted her head into a kiss, bringing him down to her.
"We won't."
Amaya took a deep breath, squeezing the big, soft pillow and quietly moaning at the numbness in her bones. For a moment, she was irritated by it without a particular reason, but then she remembered where she was and her eyes opened with a small gasp. Her body had this pulsing, dull ache from the inside that she'd usually get if she spars or trains with someone all too much. But this time it was the painful void of using too much chakra and the soreness of overdoing taijutsu.
With the slowest motion, she rolled over and glanced over to Shino who was sleeping with his back to her. She had to bite her lip hard to keep herself from laughing at some particular moments she recollected. It was pretty dangerous, yes, but the fact somehow made it hilarious, because everything about them was like that. Maybe she was just not right in the head for finding this amusing.
The morning light was dim and wintry, sifting through the slightly parted curtains. It was very… bright. Which was the synonym for I totally made a compromise for you because I know you like it. There were far better places than this, but she was thankful he agreed to something that wasn't an old and dusty Aburame cellar, full darkness style. The chill nipped at her bare shoulders and she pulled the dark sheets closer to her, shifting closer to him.
Amaya relaxed on his pillow, carefully, and her fingertips reached for his skin, just barely skimming over. It was quite the view on broad daylight. A rare one, on top of extraordinary. Her eyes squinted through, passing from her own peculiar skin, which was mostly normal-looking and only appeared odd if you peer into it, to his, which had this remarkable roughness to it, slitted all over as if with a razor blade, but still very much moulded with the lean muscle of every shinobi.
Her sides burned with yet another memory, but her touching seemed to disturb his sleep and she removed her hand, unsure how he'd feel about it. Honestly, touching was probably going to be the most controversial part of this marriage and didn't even think it as a joke. Also, the drained state she found her own body to be in when she woke up exceeded her expectations and it's why she wasn't that surprised, but she couldn't predict what Shino would be like. He was nothing like her, in any sense she could think of, so she decided to lay back and hope for the best.
As she thought about it, it was a whole miracle they managed to please each other and make it out alive. It made her want to bite her lip all over again, squeezing the sheets in her hands.
Shino let out a clear sound of anguish, to her surprise, and she thought it's because of the light in the beginning but then he sat up and pressed his back against the frame of the bed as if forced against it, catching his head in hands. When she sat up as well, her first instinct was to get closer, but that could worsen the situation. Then she crawled up to the other side and took his visor instead, to ease some of the discomfort.
She put it on him and realized this simple movement had tired her out and now she was breathing heavily and fighting the urge to lay back down.
"Are you going to be fine?" She whispered feverishly, pulling at the sheets as she allowed herself to near him.
The visor restored some of the normalcy, she thought, but he didn't reply to her at all.
"Headache?"
His breathing stumbled, as if under heavy pressure. "Could've been worse."
"I think that's kind of my fault. The manipulation's not affecting your insects very well, just like the first time, when you fought off…" Amaya's voice trailed off, the tips of her fingers reaching to his face. "I'm sorry, dear."
He furrowed at her words, pulling her body closer and entangling them altogether in the sheets. "Don't you dare say that. You're the first one who hasn't run off with disgust yet. No need to apologize for anything."
Amaya lazily put her arms around his neck and smiled at him mischievously.
He rubbed his fingers against his temples absently, his brows together with what she imagined was a cluster of irritating pangs. Her expression didn't go unnoticed. "What?"
"Do you think it'll get easier with time?" She asked, nonchalantly.
Shino shook his head, making her chuckle. Always such a pessimist. "I am not doing this again for the rest of the month. I need to get my insects together."
Amaya licked her lips, nodding apprehensively and fighting the bubbly feeling inside her. She hummed, her fingers passing through the softness of her hair and leaning in to ply her tongue with his as slowly and as seductively as possible. "Mmm, are you completely sure?" She sighed, her body leaning into his.
Shino forgot about the headache, as it seemed to her, wrapping his hands around her possessively.
"No. I changed my mind."
A/N: Hello. Thought you'd seen the last of me, but I promised to finish this a long time ago! I'm keeping my promises. First of all, I hope you're all well and safe! I am sending all the love for you all, from those who were sticking with this story from the beginning till the last ones who had just recently found it.
Second, no one ever talks about Shino's mom and what happened to her so I thought I'd seize the chance. Third, insect-user mating is another curious subject we have no idea about and a chance for me to improvise, but keep it
T. It was much fun lol I'll be uploading the Epilogue these days and I think it might be shorter than usual! I hope you like this chapter as much as I liked writing it. See you soon with the ending and thanks for reading!
