Chapter 6 – Maybe you could
"Stand still, and I'd tell you to be gentle and quiet, but you already do that very nicely," Shino let go of her hand and smiled (Smiling for Shino would be considered a generally pleasant face on anyone else).
Hinata watched as he preformed a few hand seals, and put up his hands, fingers outstretched. Almost invisible lines of chakra flowed from his fingers in a spider-web-like pattern. Within a few seconds, butterflies from every nearby leaf and flower looked up and came fluttering over. They all congregated on Hinata, landing lightly on her hair and shoulders so within a minute, when Shino put down his hands, there must have been at least 35 of them on her of all colors and sizes.
Hinata blinked, a little surprised, but entranced at the same time. One that had landed on her hair lock that went near her face tickled her cheek with its royal blue wings. She held up her hand and looked at a monarch butterfly that had landed on her fingers.
"They like you," Shino said quietly.
"But you did a jutsu, didn't you?"
"I did, but after I released it most should have flown away, but they stayed. That means they like you."
She blushed and her lips pursed into an embarrassed smile.
"Butterflies, as well as all these other insects, like to stay here in this grove because there is a special justu technique on this area that deters all animals except insects and arachnids. They know predators can't get them here…except for their fellow preying insects and spiders."
Hinata was listening to him, but still admiring the butterfly on her finger. Shino put up his hand and the butterfly she was inspecting fluttered away over to Shino's outstretched finger. Hinata watched and follow it with her eyes, "Can you talk to all insects?"
"Most, yes," He replied.
"But I never hear you say anything…"
"It's not a very loud language…like how Kiba talks to Akamaru, dogs have such a noisy way of communicating."
Just after he finished talking a large praying mantis fly over and landed on Hinata's head, going after one of the butterflies for a meal. Hinata startled and moved at the feel of his more heavy weight and prickly leg tips, and all the butterflies on her scattered flying up at all at once. The praying mantis also took his leave with his prize.
"W…what was that?" She said.
Shino was amused at her startling from just a praying mantis landing on her, "Just a praying mantis, looking for his dinner."
"Oh…" She blushed and smiled nervously, "I scared all the bugs away…"
"It's okay; I was surprised how long they stayed…" He put up his hand and the monarch on it flew away after his brethren.
Hinata took a step closer to him, "T…thank you…that was very pretty…" she said in reference to all the butterflies.
"Your welcome. … They are everyone's favorite insect I think, because of their beauty."
"I…I bet you think all insects are beautiful, don't you?"
"That's not the only thing I find beautiful," he looked right into her eyes. Even though Shino had no eyes himself, she could exactly where he was looking. It was a little strange for Hinata, staring into the blank eye sockets where Shino's eyes used to be, but then again she herself seemed to almost have all white eyes, with the iris of them just barely defied by a slight hazy purple color. Even after this short time seeing him without his glasses, she was almost completely used to it, and the darkness of his eyes attracted her on some sort of primal level; it was mysterious and dangerous.
Hinata turned red, "Umm…I…"
He took her right hand and leaned over slightly, bringing it up to his lips and gently kissing it. Hinata was so embarrassed, but also extremely flattered, and could do nothing but lean in and fall against him, putting her arms behind him in a soft hug. Shino leaned his head on top of hers, returning the hug gently. Both of them closed their eyes and listened to the wind blowing through the leaves, the singing crickets in the grass, and the cicadas on the tree trunks.
The stood like that, silently listening to nature around them, for a length of time they both completely lost track of.
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It was just turning to dusk, and Kiba sat drawing doodles in the dirt with a stick, his back leaned up against the Aburame clan's wall, just to the right of its front doors. Akamaru chased some of the first fireflies of the evening, catching some now and then and eating them.
"Akamaru!" he yelped, "don't eat those!"
"Arrf arf!"
"Ewww….I have no idea how you think they taste good…but fine…knock yourself out…" He sighed and scratched out the crappy picture he drew, "I wonder what is taking her so long…" he mused to himself.
Akamaru walked over, sniffing at Kiba's hand, "Errr…rrow," he voiced.
"I know I know…I hope they're okay too, I'd hate to have them fighting or anything. We'll be a team again, I am sure of it Akamaru," he ruffled and patted his head playfully, "And we'll wait right here until they BOTH come out."
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Hinata opened her eyes, to see the light had dimmed around them, and there were hundreds of fireflies emerging from the trees and grass. She looked up to see Shino also looking down at her, an expression of peaceful joy on his face. Suddenly, she made a worried expression, "Oh no, Kiba!" she put her hand up to her mouth, "He is waiting outside!"
Shino blinked, "O…oh!" he nodded, and they released each other.
"He wanted to make sure we had 'made up'…" she said gently.
"Wait here, I'll get my jacket," he said to her.
"Oh!" she ran after him just as he was turning to go, "here," she handed him back his glasses, "I seem to…be good about stealing them from you."
He pursed his eyelids and turned his mouth into a very subtle smirking expression, and kissed her forehead before turning right back around towards his house.
Hinata blushed gently and touched her forehead where he had kissed it, "I…I don't know if I can get used to being so loved, I've been ignored for so long by my crush for Naruto, it's like I'm dreaming" she smiled widely to herself, putting her hands up to her cheeks.
As she waited for Shino's return she marveled at all the fireflies. There must have been twenty times more than she had ever seen before in any part of the village or forest, even at the peak of summer. Lots of them were grouping over and around a small pound she had overlooked that lay off to her left a few yards away. She looked back towards Shino's house to see him returning, in his usual grey, high-collared coat (hands in pockets of course) and dark glasses on his face.
"Sorry to make you wait," he said.
"It's alright," she reached out and took his right hand from it's pocket and clasped it firmly, "…let's go."
Shino was surprised at her forthrightness. All the same he blushed at her taking his hand and they both walked out towards the front gate, a trail of fireflies following them like stray puppies.
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Kiba sat nearly falling asleep, a bored Akamaru nudging his leg. Just as he was about to fall asleep and fall over, he was awoken by Akamaru's bark and the sound of opening, large bamboo doors. He looked up, instantly alert, to see Shino and Hinata. They walked over and stood over him.
"What took you so long.." Kiba groaned, standing up quickly. He looked at Shino, "You okay man?"
"I 'm fine, I am very sorry for my behavior, it was nothing you did nor was I mad at any of you." He said to Kiba.
"That's good, nice to have you back!" He patted his shoulder grinning, "don't freak me out like that again, or I'll kick your ass next time."
To Kiba it only looked like he emotionlessly nodded, but Hinata looked over and could clearly see he was smirking with a "yea right" expression. She giggled.
"Huh?" Kiba looked at Hinata.
"N…nothing…" she poked her fingers together.
"Well lets' go, I'm starving!" Kiba walked on ahead, "definitely meat ramen tonight, eh Akamaru?"
"Arrrf arf!"
They walked slowly after the energetic Kiba, eager to get his dinner. Hinata leaned over onto Shino with a small pouncing motion, grasping onto his crooked elbow made from his hands being back in their usual place inside his pockets.
"That excited about Ramen?" He jested.
"Not really," she smiled gently, looking up at him.
"Me neither."
She reached up, pulling down his collar, which caused Shino to lean over slightly so his face was on level with hers. She kissed him, leaning into him, and then drew back blushing like mad, clutching back into his arm as she was before. Even though the kiss lasted only 2 seconds, it was incredibly soft and still lingered on Shino's lips. Hinata glanced up to see Shino's face turning a slight shade of red.
"Why are you guys so SLOW?" Kiba turned around and yelled at them, from over 20 feet down the street ahead of them. He blinked and did a double take at the sight of them walking, together, Hinata on Shino's arm. He tilted his head, "O…oh my are they…" He grinned like mad, "Okay you two love bugs, come'on, I'm hungry!" He darted on ahead even more.
"K…KIiiiBA –KUnnN!" Hinata turned red and ran after him. Shino shook his head at Kiba, "Great, so this is what I have to look forward to on our future missions…"
As the last of the sunlight faded, the evening insect chorus came to its full peak. A passerby would be able to just hear the sounds of youthful laughter. Shino ran after Hinata, who was chasing the giggling Kiba, blushing like mad and trying to hit him playfully. Akamaru barked as if laughing. Shino smiled beneath his tall collar, because truly, he didn't care.
He'd take all the teasing in the world…because Hinata loved him.
((Author: Wow, all finished! A happy ending, that's nice for a change. I hope you enjoyed it. ))
((UPDATE Aug. 29 2006 - I have started writing a sequel to this, and have at least the first three chapters of it up so check out my other fics and read "Blinded by Your Eyes" if you want to read onward with more Shino and Hinata romance. ))
