Tickle, tickle. Tickle, tickle, tickle.
Like a light and gentle feather teasing her skin. Leaving her in goosebumps.
That's what the feel of his bugs were like on her skin.
Hotaru's fingers twitched in response to her captor's beckoning chakra, his warm life force coaxing her to come back to life with him.
Unsuspectingly taken, before she could resist him.
The sweet rush of his chakra flooded her body, until her chakra flow and every part of her body buzzed with the life he was breathing back into her. An addicting fix she'd never get enough of, even after his body left hers.
"My insects are giving you some of my chakra," his voice melted her last resolve. "It'll help numb the pain."
Hotaru was afraid to open her eyes, never wanting to let go of how good it felt to have his chakra entwined with hers.
Unwilling to give up the one who made her feel this good.
Was this a dream?
Whatever it was, she wanted more of it.
More of this chakra force.
More of him.
She wanted to pull him closer. Subject herself completely to his will, if it meant never losing this euphoric feeling again.
But reality would always be crueler than the foreplay of his voice in her ear.
"Wait..." Hotaru whispered, when she felt his chakra slowly pulling out of her. She tried so hard to surrender back to sleep. "What...are you?"
Because it only made sense to her, that feeling this good had to come from the power of a "what", not just any mortal "who".
"Please don't stop this..."
But before she ever knew the full weight of his chakra bringing her to a spiritual climax, the high faded away.
He withdrew his force from hers, and she slowly regained consciousness.
Snuggled inside of something like a cocoon or hammock with a green jacket keeping her warm, which smelt a lot like wet dirt and oakmoss. Oddly comforting and familiar to her.
All around her were the sounds of bugs; crickets, grasshoppers, katydids, bees. All of them likely drawn to the campfire she heard gently crackling next to her.
And then it all hit her.
The reason why she was there, and why she wasn't dead yet.
And then the damning realization that she had failed her mission, and there was still no way back home.
Why hadn't that Aburame ninja killed her when he had the chance?
Had he taken her prisoner?
Slowly, Hotaru's golden eyes opened, glowing like candlelight against the swirling gray fog and the starlight locks of her hair.
The kikaichū scurried away her, having successfully transferred enough of Shino's chakra to her to break her coma.
They buzzed off into the grove, to find Shino and report that his captive was now awake.
"I have to get out of here," Hotaru thought, quietly slipping out of the hammock and snatching her ninja tool bag from next to fire. "Before that Aburame guy comes back."
"You should save your strength. You can't run from me," the same voice from her dream stopped her. "There's no way out of this grove. I've already tried."
Hotaru stood dumbfound, as Shino emerged from the fog, carrying more wood for the fire.
Him? He's the one who joined his chakra with mine?...How could I be so stupid?
But when her golden eyes met his in disbelief, it was Shino who was ultimately disarmed by her.
"Like fireflies," he couldn't help but think to himself. "Her eyes are just like fireflies."
Eyes full of a melancholy that he knew too well, glowing as warm as the honeywine jar next to him.
Why would a girl with eyes so much like Hinata's want him dead?
"Still, it doesn't change anything," Shino reminded himself. "I can't let my guard down around this girl."