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When Hinata met Shino
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Shino was a deep sleeper.
Unlike the vast majority of shinobis- or at least, surviving shinobis, he could afford to be one. His kikai would inform him of any foreign chakra within a five metre radius and like most shinobi, he was able to snap from deep oblivion to instant alert in a matter of seconds, especially since those seconds could save your life.
However, there were a few rare occasions when his bugs judged a friend safe enough to let their master continue . Hinata giggled quietly to herself and gingerly stretched out her hand to complete the ritual. Blue flames of chakra flickered delicately on her fingertips before the kikia swarmed over and carried off the bribe of a gift. Already she could feel some gathering tactfully on the back of her clothes to show their acceptance of her in their own peculiar insectiod way, though always polite enough not to enter her clothes. She stilled for a moment to let them settle, then carefully knelt down beside her sleeping teammate, medic kit rustling the grass as it fell beside her.
He looked different. It always surprised her how... human he looked without his shades and coat obscuring him from the world. The stiff fabric was folded neatly under his head of dark unruly hair, and in his sleep he looked vulnerable- a boy dreaming in a forest clearing. Hinata ignored the usual tinge of guilt for invading on something so private, but really, this had been her special spot where she could hide herself from the world and enjoy being herself for a while before he'd started taking sporadic naps here, bringing reality with him.
Not that she minded. His kind of reality was welcome, a relief from the harsher one waiting at home. It was of teams and friendships and kind senseis who encouraged rather than shoved. It was of understanding between her teammates and her, despite their vast differences, and a mutual respect for each's individuality. But Kiba's rowdy welcomes for her, while touching in sincerity, never seemed to comfort her as much as Shino's quiet acceptance did, and now, even in sleep, the same silence made the hush of the afternoon seem more soothing than usual.
Hinata's breath caught as the boy jerked in his sleep, then only relaxed again when the twist in the brows cleared. Her hand lingered timidly over his forehead before brushing away dark hair to reveal pale skin marred by a bright red cut. Healing is therapeutic to the applier in it's own way, or at least, it was to her. For his case, she preferred to think of it as payment for trespassing in what was technically Hyuuga land, though really, he was more than welcome here anyway. Still, she had to make sure not to fully heal his minor cuts and scrapes to avoid suspicion, just doing enough to speed up the process.
A simple, comforting routine- Hinata hummed to herself as ointment was applied in light strokes, smiling as the kikai showed her other mild injuries their master had by gathering near the area. This was how life should be, what she looked forward to after an exhausting training session or a particularly vicious encounter with her family. Sunlight filtered through the leaves overhead and it was peaceful and quiet and...
Shino was waking up.
For one second of pure irrational terror, Hinata froze, hand held stiffly over his forehead and body still leaning over his. She saw the glimmer of consciousness emerging beneath the eyelids, felt the warmth on her wrist as his hand groped hers, heard the thundering in her ears. And in that second, Shino emerged groggily from his sleep, saw the iliac eyes, and against all character and reputation, smiled at her. A genuine, full-blown Aburamesmile.
Later, Hinata would remember those warm dark eyes and that special smile that came with it when others would see a bug freak. Later, Shino would continue to watch Hinata through dark lenses and forget not to smile when he collected the chakra presents she gave him through his kikai. Later, while Kurenai wouldn't wonder about Hinata's blushes or Shino's protectiveness- she'd been around too long for that-, she'd smile and arrange matters so their silent conversations didn't have to be quite so silent. And one day when she was ready, Shino would give her a rose crafted out a mix of her chakra and his, and Naruto would finally be out of the picture and out of her mind.
But right now, it was just a boy waking up in more ways than one, and a girl finding a teammate being more than just that. Shino was forgetting how to be himself, and Hinata was smiling back because for once, she couldn't remember either.
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it's a beautiful day
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Ah... Kesshin, dear boy, thanks for all your comments. I'm aware this doesn't fall exactly under fluff, but I'm an angst personand it DOES go under "sweetness", especially if you squint a little. Tried to do a shizune X kabuto one (can't resist the challenge, heh) but it led to smut/angst but I WILL attempt for a fluffy one again later. XP
For those starving for fluff, a fluffy SasuSaku coming up next!
Many thanks to all reviewers; concrit, comments and all feedback very welcome. XD