A/N's: The country I live in is regressing and I still don't know jack diddly about physics, but I'm still gonna update anyways LMFAO. Escaping reality is what keeps me going 3.
Chapter 15: Taking the Plunge
The man quietly trudged through the empty gravel trail, sighing along with the warm summer breeze that brushed against his face and shook the surrounding trees.
There was a discreet slouch of his shoulders and behind a silver visor, narrow brown eyes were cast downwards. One unfamiliar to the discreet physical queues of the normally reserved Aburame instructor—admittedly less reserved in more recent years, but reserved nonetheless— would be none-the-wiser regarding his present disheartenment. One might brush off the catalyst of his current moodiness as 'trivial' or even 'petty,' but attention to trivialities and pettiness were indeed facets of his hidden personality, and Shino certainly believed his emotions were justified.
Woudn't finding an excessive amount of one's Ninja X card, with their description and personal picture on it, crumpled up and thrown haphazardly into the garbage make anyone upset? Adding insult to injury, the Aburame even took time out of his lunch break to dig through the garbage and properly recycle the items.
Despite the love he had for his students, they could at least try and be more tactful with where they discarded the unwanted materials.
He continued with his slow pace, raising his eyes as a familiar building eventually came into view, with a familiar woman behind its counter. There was a pleasant smile on her face as she handed off a small package to a younger customer.
The customer seemed to be a younger man, and Shino's observant eye couldn't help but notice the patches of red that bloomed on his cheeks with the way the kindly honey vendor bid him goodbye.
Well, that certainly didn't make him feel any better.
Taking slower steps towards the shop until the customer went on his merry way, Shino quietly approached the building. Mitsubachi paused in her work, carefully eyeing him before returning back to her writing on a small clipboard.
"Hey," she quietly greeted.
Shino immediately noticed how the cheerful optimism that normally colored the Kamizuru's tone was rather lacking, replaced by a lackluster aloofness, but he carried on regardless.
He nodded.
"Hello."
Their eyes would meet in brief, random intervals before both would snap their heads away to focus on something else.
The Aburame was entirely too aware of the tense atmosphere between them, so different from their normally affable banter. Undoubtedly, last night's events were still weighing on both of their minds. He had been hoping that they could simply move on from whatever occurred yesterday with Kiba and Tamaki and forget about what happened with Kaede altogether.
Even more distressing to Shino's mind was that fact that Kiba's emphatic prodding to try his hand at simply asking Mitsubachi out on a small date was also weighing heavily on his mind.
A few more awkward pauses of silence passed.
'Breaking the ice' was an action he did not typically partake in. In fact, Shino was rather accustomed to awkward silences. This time, however, he did not feel comfortable with the tension.
Not at all.
"...I noticed you had a customer. Are you two well-acquainted?"
"Oh! No, no," Mitsubachi answered, waving both her hands. "Ryota-san said he wanted to give his grandmother a present for her birthday, and apparently she loves to bake. That's sweet of him, right?"
"It is."
More silence. An encapsulating silence that filled the summer air, allowing one to hear a pin drop.
"So!" Mitsubachi said, clapping her hands. "I was just about to get some gardening done! It's supposed to rain this weekend, so..."
Shino nodded. "Well, I should let you get to that then. The reason is because I wouldn't want to keep you."
"Right! Well, have a good rest of your evening then, Shino!"
Just as the man was about to escape perhaps one of the most awkward conversations he's had in awhile—and he's had quite a few—he felt a slight tug to his sleeve.
"Wait," she said. Her eyes locked firmly with his. "Don't leave just yet, please."
She blinked, trying to process her thoughts into words, her head swaying in thoughtful consideration. "I... well, I still don't really know what happened with everything yesterday, but I don't want us to feel so uncomfortable with each other, Shino." She paused to sigh. "You're one of my closest friends here, and right now, it feels like pulling teeth trying to talk to you."
Shino gave a thankful nod that she had said something. "Me too," he said, releasing his breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. "I'm glad you said something." With a bit of hesitance, he took a seat in his usual spot.
He considered her.
From an objective standpoint—sans familial boundaries—Mitsubachi really was quite attractive. Rosy cheeks, sun-kissed skin from days of gardening, long russet hair and splashes of freckles along soft cheeks.
A very beautiful smile.
And he certainly enjoyed the layers of her personality. Cheerful, warm, noticeably extraverted, prone to fast shifts in emotions. It was a striking contrast to Shino's own personality. Although, what he found he enjoyed most about her was the fact that she actively listened to him and encouraged his interests. He had never been much of a talker (though he had gotten better in recent years), but he enjoyed talking to her quite a bit.
Would it really be so audacious to ask the Kamizuru out to dinner or some other simple outing? To take that heart clenching step towards something more, if only for a short time? How long could he take forgoing his own desires to prioritize the expectations of others?
Those thoughts rampant in the Aburame's mind, he watched as she put on her gardening hat and gloves before flashing him a bright smile. Tension eased out of the man's shoulders as he felt a sense of normalcy return.
Even after all of this time interacting and talking, he still loved the way she smiled at him.
"So," Mitsubachi began, the normal lilt in her voice returning. "While I garden, how about you tell me how your day went?"
Shino looked up from the last of his exams to grade, a light smile on his face.
Her questions—simple and perhaps even minor—were very...
Endearing. That was how he would describe them.
"Moss green," he answered to the woman hard at work a small distance away. "My favorite color is moss green."
Mitsubachi hummed to herself, like she was pleased with his answer, continuing her work. "You know, I'm not that surprised green is your favorite considering you wear it almost everyday! They say people that like green are 'down-to-Earth and practical.' I think that fits you pretty well, no?"
Shino raised a curious brow. "Who says that?"
The honey vendor lifted her head out of the tall grass she was trimming and grinned at the man. "My magazines."
He smiled lightly in response. "What about you, Mitsubachi? What's yours?"
"Mmm… try and guess!"
The Aburame watched as the woman lifted herself to her feet, brushing off the dirt coating her pants. She took off her gardening hat to wipe away the sweat forming on her brow, just beneath her bangs.
He hadn't meant to stare, but something about the way the sun shined down on the Kamizuru woman to form a halo of light had the Aburame entranced. She met his eyes, smiling back at him with a youthful grin.
"…Yellow," he quietly answered. He wasn't questioning if her favorite color was yellow or not.
Rather, he knew it was.
Steel-grey eyes widened as she walked over to the Academy Instructor, plopping down on the seat next to him. She fanned herself to cool down from the summer heat, letting out a sigh of relief. Her next words came out a touch breathless.
"Wow, you're good! I guess I do wear it a lot though, huh? How'd you guess so quickly?"
Feeling his heart swell with the way she looked at him, the Aburame turned his attention back to his finished papers. "Magic," came the enigmatic answer.
He felt her give his arm a playful nudge.
"So!" Mitsubachi said, leaning back in her seat. "I have a request of you, Aburame-sama."
He hadn't looked up from his papers. An inkling in the recesses of his mind warned him that someway, somehow, he would end up blushing.
"And what would that be, Kamizuru-sama?"
"Would you..." he heard her clear her throat. "... I mean, what are your favorite training areas here in Konoha?"
He paused to think, a few coming to his mind. "There's a relatively popular training area just outside the gates of Konoha. Most of the forest trails around the village have spacious areas for training. Although, I suppose the one I brought you to outside of my family's complex before was the one I enjoy going to the most."
A hum of thought. "Oh, I see. Well thank you! That's good to know."
"... Are you planning on training sometime?"
"Yes," she said firmly. "I probably should, right? I wouldn't want to get rusty before I have to go home or my mother might throw a fit."
He focused on his papers, not necessarily needing to grade or even view them anymore, but needing a spot to focus on besides the woman next to him. "You are more than welcome to utilize the training grounds I showed you. You'd have more privacy than the other, more public areas."
He heard her voice rise. "Really?"
"Really."
"I... have another request of you, Aburame-sama," Mitsubachi said, the clearing of her thought suggesting bashfulness.
Shino finally looked up from his papers, meeting her eyes. Unsurprisingly, red tinged his cheeks at the way she focused on him. His voice dropped to a secretive hush.
"What would that be, Kamizuru-sama?"
"If you're not busy! Would you," she paused to take a breath. "Would you like to train with me again? You're free to say no, of course! You're probably busy with schoolwork and everything—"
"Yes," he quietly answered, enjoying how her eyes came to life with his words. "I would like to train with you again, Mitsubachi. Anytime you would like outside of work hours."
He tried to ignore the way his heart swelled as she answered him, positively delighted that she would have a physical sparring partner. He tried to ignore the flutter in his chest as Mitsubachi brushed against his arm, affectionately nudging him.
Most of all, he tried to ignore the little voice in his head that sounded vaguely like Kiba to forget about the expectations placed on him and his clan.
"You're an Aburame," the voice said to him. "But you're also Shino!"
What the Aburame wanted was order and control. Upholding the traditions of his family and making his father and previous ancestors proud. Becoming a clan head worthy of the title passed onto him. That was all he wanted for a long time.
However, as of recent, what Shino wanted was to savor these quiet moments between the two of them like warm tea. Indulge himself in the company of the Kamizuru woman until she grew tired of him.
Would it truly be despicable to—for once in his lifetime—do what Shino wanted?
He slowly walked towards the training area. Being the previous spot they had met before, the two of them had agreed to meet each there.
The Aburame decided to bring a few water bottles and spare food pills he had lying in his home in the event that they got hungry. This area was quite far away from the nearest food stores or restaurants, after all.
He arrived a bit earlier than what he and Mitsubachi had decided on, but it seemed the Kamizuru woman was already there.
He hid himself behind a tree, quietly observing her spar with an invisible enemy.
Shino was taken aback by the way that she moved. The last training session they had focused solely on Mitsubachi's chakra control towards utilizing her insects; that was certainly his forte; something the Aburame knew he could confidently aid her with. However, he had never seen the Kamizuru woman physically spar.
Mitsubachi's movements were fast and agile, using a mix of precision and flexibility to quickly strike the air with the middle knuckles of her closed fist before pulling back.
She did an impressive number of flips before striking at the air with a controlled leg, contouring her body in a way that looked like it required years of difficult acrobatic and gymnastic training.
It was fascinating watching her fight with her invisible enemy.
She looked as though she were dancing.
Beads of sweat dripped down the Kamizuru's face as the bright afternoon sun shined down.
Seeming to take a break, she leaned down to stretch her legs with her arms crossed, elbows a short distance from touching the ground. Shino quickly averted his eyes, retreating back behind his chosen tree. He could have given the past Hinata a run for her yen with how bashful he was acting.
From where the Aburame stood, he was able to clearly see certain areas of the honey vendor that were absolutely disrespectful to look at without the person's knowing, and that only added to his hesitance.
Peeking from the tree, he saw how Mitsubachi's body leaned forward from its stretching position so the woman could fall into a controlled handstand. She began to move forward with her hands, enjoying her view of the world from upside down.
Taking a deep inhale, Shino eventually moved away from his hiding spot, slowly walking towards the woman. His heart was beating surprisingly fast despite him not having exerted any real physical energy. It was hard to deny the oncoming feeling within his chest.
Simply put, he was nervous. He should have worn something lighter if they were going to be focusing on taijutsu today.
Mitsubachi gracefully lifted herself back onto her feet, her back facing him.
Shino paused, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight.
In all the time that he had known the woman, he never saw her wear anything outside of a loose long sleeve or sweater. Even in the summer heat, she wore long sleeves or, at the very least, a simple t-shirt. Certainly not something like the form-fitting halter top she wore now. It was very backless, leaving the base of her neck to the very end of her spine exposed to the elements.
Though her fighting attire certainly caught his attention, what truly left him in a state of stupor was the surface of her back.
He held his breath, completely fixated on the sight. In a light brown ink, the entirety of the surface of her back displayed an intricate design of small hexagons packed closely together. The markings ended just before her shoulders and the outermost hexagons of the apparent tattoo curved slightly outwards towards the woman's ribs, hugging her sides.
It looked as though the skin was a real honeycomb.
Shino felt his heart race faster and faster. He managed to let out a croaking sound and Mitsubachi turned around.
The Kamizuru heiress let out an undignified yell, eyes widened with surprise. She quickly placed a hand over her heart in relief upon realizing it was the Aburame heir, nudging his arm with more force than she usually did as she flashed him a shocked smile.
"You scared me!"
"I...I apolo—apologize," Shino stammered uncharacteristically, quickly turning around so his back faced her. "I didn't mean to surprise you, I simply didn't realize you were...well you were..."
He took a deep inhale in. And a deep exhale out.
"I'm sorry," he finally managed to say.
After a few moments, he felt Mitsubachi tug at his sleeve from behind. "It's ok, Shino," she said to him, letting out a tiny snort of laughter. "You don't need to apologize. At all! You just came a bit earlier than I thought you would, and you were so quiet, I didn't even notice how you got so close!"
Shino closed his eyes, remaining silent as he attempted to reign in his agitated kikai.
Perhaps agitated was the wrong way to describe his state of emotions. Embarrassingly enough, the kikai underneath his skin seemed more excited than anything.
"You can turn around, if you'd like," Mitsubachi continued gently. "Please?"
Gradually, the taller man turned around to face the shorter woman. Her eyes peered up at him, slightly narrowing at the brightness of the sun above them, before she bashfully turned away. "So, how long were you standing there?"
Shino cleared his throat. "I watched you train for a few minutes upon my arrival. I apologize for... well, essentially for spying."
"You don't need to apologize," Mitsubachi reiterated, nudging his arm with her elbow. "It's weird, I feel like the roles are reversed this time since I'm usually the one apologizing to you."
He watched as the Kamizuru heiress walked towards a nearby tree to retrieve her regular shirt, and Shino found his eyes focused once more on the patterns of her back.
"It's beautiful," Shino said quietly, entranced and still unable to look away.
Mitsubachi paused, regular t-shirt still in hand. She blinked in surprise before turning to face him. With a touch of breathlessness, she asked him to repeat his previous comment.
"The pattern on your back," he answered with a clearing of his throat. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the Aburame swore he had seen those exact symbols before. Perhaps in a dream?
"It's beautiful," he finished.
Hearing his words, the Kamizuru woman slowly placed her shirt back on the ground and walked towards him, her lovely skin out in the open. The sun accentuated the dusting of freckles all along her shoulders and body, giving her an almost fairylike quality.
Mitsubachi gave him a tiny grin, eyes turned downward as her cheeks bloomed a healthy red. "The bees my clan uses tend to mar our skin once they've settled in. The heads of the Kamizuru are required to have their skin tattooed at the age of 15 , sort of like... a show of pride! I guess you could say."
She briefly crossed her arms to hug her sides, brushing light fingers along marked skin. "I get a bit self-conscious when people outside of my family look at my back. You don't think it looks a little strange? Trypophobia isn't hitting you at all?"
"No," Shino answered resolutely. His next emboldened words came as a surprise to even him, but the Aburame found himself unable to hold back. "No, absolutely not. I think it's one of the most beautiful pieces of art I've ever seen."
She gazed up at him with dilated pupils. "Thank you," Mitsubachi said quietly, a pleasant smile on her youthful face.
In that moment, Shino suddenly felt torn, unsure of what to do with himself and the strange mix of emotions stirring in his chest. Had he been a person more accustomed to following his instincts and the sudden impulses that occasionally scratched at the back of his mind, the Aburame would have pulled the Kamizuru into his arms and gently kissed her, praising how charming she was before asking her to dinner.
He shook his head.
"Would you like to get started then?"
Shino let out an undignified grunt as he was knocked to the ground again.
He had long since began to regret all of those years he shirked out on taijutsu training while he was studying to be an instructor.
They agreed earlier in their training session to focus solely on hand-to-hand sparring for now, but the Aburame couldn't seem to get the leg up on the Kamizuru despite his best efforts.
From what he could observe, Shino had the upper hand in utilizing his insects with ninjutsu-based attacks, but Mitsubachi had him beat in everything physical. It was a touch ironic with how short she was. Her punches weren't as earth-shatteringly powerful as Sakura's or Tsunade-sama's, nor were they inwardly damaging like the Hyuuga's Gentle Fist.
In fact, the honey vendor was using little chakra for her blows and moreso physical force to strike at exposed areas on the body. If Shino could compare her fast strikes to anything, it was almost like being stung by a swarm of bees over and over.
He rubbed at the tender skin between his neck and his shoulder blades which had received a particularly painful hit, hissing slightly at the tingle he felt.
"I recall you saying how you weren't the best fighter?" His words held a touch of rue as he massaged the muscle.
Mitsubachi his form on the ground, relaxing her previous fighting stance. She let out a small snort.
"I said I wasn't the best with chakra control. I do know my way around taijutsu, though."
Looking up, he saw her kneel down to hand him a bottle of water. Her face was nothing but apologetic as she suggested they take a break.
Shino gratefully took the water and moved to rest against a nearby tree. Mitsubachi took a seat next to him, playing with the fabric of her loose harem pants. He relished in the protection that the tree provided from the hot summer sun, the cicadas buzzing loudly around them to emphasize the warm afternoon.
Attempting to shift his body so his back wouldn't face the Kamizuru heiress, Shino inhaled between gritted teeth at the action. It was almost embarrassing how out of practice he felt.
"Here," Mitsubachi said, turning to him instead. She paused her hands a small distance away from the man's tense shoulders. "May I?"
He hesitated. After a few moments of silent consideration, the Aburame gave a quiet nod, almost moaning in relief at the way the tender skin was immediately massaged between delicate fingers.
"It's good to massage the tender skin after training so you don't get stiff, aching muscles," Mitsubachi gently explained as she continued her ministrations. "I'm sorry for going so hard on you, Shino."
"Don't be," he replied, secretly enjoying the massage he was getting. "I agreed to hand-to-hand combat today. I—really my whole clan in general—am not the most adept when it comes to taijutsu. Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"You can thank my mother for that one," Mitsubachi answered, pushing a bit harder on a more tense muscle. "After Suzume-nee, Jibachi-san, and Kurobachi-san came back from the Bikkochu debacle, my mother was furious, but surprisingly reflective, I think. Especially after learning that they lost to a 13 year old Aburame Genin," she ended with a giggle.
Shino's eyes turned downwards as an unshakable guilt settled in his stomach. Seeing how the Aburame's face shifted, Mitsubachi gently squeezed his arm in reassurance.
Her hands moved a bit further down, and Shino realized the honey vendor was really just giving him a massage at this point instead of only focusing on the bruising areas.
"Then what happened," Shino asked quietly.
"Then," Mitsubachi continued. "My mother took a small journey by herself to...you know, I'm not really sure? She's so mysterious sometimes, it's a little off-putting. Anyway, I digress! But all I know is that when she came back a few weeks later, she was different. More strict and the slightest bit more distant. She would train relentlessly every morning and every evening to improve her taijutsu. Then, she began training me and the rest of my sisters once they were old enough."
Shino felt Mitsubachi's grip loosen, but her hands still rested on his shoulders. He noted how her voice took a more distant tone from behind him.
"I think she focused more on taijutsu because she knew..." Mitsubachi took a deep inhale, "...She knew our small clan could never beat the Aburame in ninjutsu if it came down to it. But if the younger generation of Kamizuru were raised to be more adept at taijutsu, we would have a greater chance at beating you! Looks like it worked, huh?"
She quietly laughed to herself, leaning forward slightly.
The Aburame leaned back, feeling the Kamizuru woman's body heat against himself as she inched closer. He could even feel the heat of her breath against his neck as she quietly laughed. It was a pleasant warmth. Almost comforting, like he was being hugged from behind.
"If you think I went hard on you," Mitsubachi said, giving his shoulders a friendly shake. "You should spar with my mother sometime."
"Considering how efficiently you were able to take me down," Shino began with a slight chuckle, leaning forward out of their little embrace so he could face Mitsubachi. "I would think that—perhaps—you might be downplaying your own fighting capabilities. You certainly took me down."
He gave the woman a tiny, comforting smile. It took a moment for faraway steel-gray eyes to shift back to the present, but she eventually returned his gesture with the same joyful warmth she always had when she looked at him.
Shino was briefly taken back to the night that they met, wondering if perhaps fate did bring the two of them together with the missed date, the rain, the disappointed heartache he experienced.
Their eyes met and held in place, but neither person said a thing.
Silence cut through the air of the grassy field and tension certainly filled the air, but it wasn't the same as their encounter at the honey stand.
Though they were two heirs born in-between a mutual dislike their respective clans had for each other, Shino felt that in their present moment, it was just him and Mitsubachi. Two people able to understand each other in ways neither thought was ever possible.
His heart was racing faster and faster at the way she stared at him, unblinking with a mouth slightly ajar.
Perhaps...
Perhaps it was time for him to do something for his own happiness for a change. Experience something solely for the sake of Shino, rather than Aburame Shino. Quickly, to satiate the curiosity within him and ease the fast beating in his chest.
Ever-so-slowly, he leaned forward and she naturally met him halfway.
Their lips brushed against each other in a hesitant kiss that ended almost as quickly as it had started. The two blinked as they stared at the other, almost unsure if the small meeting of skin actually happened. Simply a small peck.
That should be enough, shouldn't it? That should be enough to relieve the curiosity. To share one fleeting kiss before returning back to the way things were.
The voices that echoed inside of the brain of the Aburame heir and the Kamizuru heiress seemed to mirror each other synchronously.
That's enough, really. Everything will be back to normal after I've tried it once. It was nice enough while it lasted.
I can't forget about the "X" clan.
What would your mom think?
What about your dad?
...What about me? What do I think?
What do I want?
Maybe just another taste, and I'm done. Just another taste, and I'll be fully satisfied.
As if something had snapped, the two insect handlers felt their inhibitions— the doubtful thoughts that foresaw the future with calamity —slowly vanish with the sweet breeze that flowed through the grassy knoll.
In that moment, perhaps they could forgo everything else and simply be two people that cared for each other in a way that they knew far exceeded the boundaries of friendship.
They leaned in once more, the kiss there to stay this time. At first, it was a chaste meeting of skin. A small dip in shallow waters.
Their lips met again to try, holding far longer this time. Almost instinctively, he raised a hand to cup her warm cheek, brushing the skin of her jaw with light fingertips. They briefly pulled away before pushing back against each other.
Both of his hands now cupped the sides of her face as she leaned closer, arms wrapping around his neck.
And again.
And again.
And again.
And again, and again, and again.
Shino felt as though he were melting, his heart swelling with emotions that he refused to let out until now. He kissed her again, diving deep into the forbidden depths. With a small winded laugh between a kiss, he pulled the charmingly delightful woman closer, almost causing her to lie on his lap, indulging himself in her in hopes of dousing the fire deep in the pit of his stomach.
He felt warm all over, his lethargically blissful form drowning in the sweetest honey, and he was unwilling to part with those intense emotions. He no longer wanted to stay within the shallows.
The two pulled away breathlessly, feeling the warm breath of the other brush against skin. Mitsubachi gently cupped Shino's face and placed multiple chaste kisses to his cheek.
The same cheek Kaede kissed earlier that week. The same kiss Shino flinched away from.
It was like Mitsubachi was washing away that kiss and placing her own brand on him; he was a canvas and her lips were the paintbrush ready to be skillfully used by the painter.
She pulled away, still cupping his face as her eyes became glossy. She smiled as a stray tear managed to escape from the side of her eye. "I'm sorry I'm crying right now. I'm... I've just been waiting so long to kiss your handsome face," Mitsubachi said with a slight crack in her voice, joyful tears falling down. She kissed his cheek once more. "Your lovely, handsome face!"
Without saying a word, Shino gently pulled the woman's sides so she would be closer to him, if that were even possible. He pecked the area on her freckled cheek where a teardrop fell before resting his head in the crook of her shoulder to savor their embrace.
He reverently kissed the skin of her bare shoulder, taking a deep inhale. Finally, he was able to take his time and enjoy the scent of the sun and sweet wildflowers and honey embalmed on her perfect, perfect skin.
Eventually he pulled away, one hand hesitantly moving to rest upon her waist. They briefly kissed once more before he pulled away.
"Would you like to go to the Exotic Plants of the Five Shinobi Nations Walkthrough tour with me," he asked, more than a touch breathless.
Though she likely couldn't tell from beneath his sunglasses, Shino gazed at the woman with dilated honey-brown eyes, as though she herself had hung the very stars in the sky, and he patiently waited for her answer.
His shock at being knocked down into a bed of soft grass was replaced by pure bliss at the onslaught of joyful kisses being planted on his cheeks and lips.
He was shocked at how absolutely wonderful it felt to give and receive affection. How absolutely wonderful it felt to want and be wanted by someone else.
Mitsubachi's russet hair managed to break free from the confines of her loose bun, dancing beautifully in the wind as she peered over his lying form. The sun that peeked through the leaves of the tree they rested under formed a halo around her head, accentuating the angelic smile she stared at him with.
The smile that he would never get tired of seeing.
The smile upon lips he—without inhibitions or cares anymore—was able to properly kiss.
He swallowed, finding comfort in the warm pressure atop his chest as she laid on top of him.
"I hope that means yes," he said.
She laughed softly and leaned in close, sealing her answer with a light peck.
"So," Mitsubachi drawled as the two walked away from the training area, giddy running rampant in their hearts. "Are you going to call Kaede-san back?"
She was unable to quell the ever-present smile on her face, falling into a fit of giggles at the way Shino's expression immediately dropped.
"I'm kidding, of course," she said, struggling to simultaneously walk and balance on the tips of her toes to plant a kiss on his regal cheek. She stopped their trek to make the action easier, earning her a smile from the man. "If you do, the next time we spar, I won't go so easy on you."
Shino lightly chuckled, easily able to lean down and place a gentle kiss on top of the woman's head. The heat from the sun absorbed in long strands of light russet-brown warmed his lips.
"So…" he began, looking down at the woman loosely held in his arms.
Mitsubachi grinned up at him, placing her hands on his sides. "So?"
"Are we dating?"
Shino couldn't help the smile that grew and grew on his face as Mitsubachi raised his hand and placed a warm kiss on his bare knuckles. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, and—despite how cliché the very notion sounded—Shino felt his knees go weak. Her voice raised to a lilt. "Would you like us to be dating, Aburame-sama?"
"I would like nothing more, Kamizuru-sama," he answered, fully satisfied. They undid their embrace and began their walk through the forest again.
"However," Shino continued, his words laced with slight hesitance. "As much as I would enjoy being freely open with my affections towards you..."
"...We should probably keep our relationship private," Mitsubachi said with an affirmative nod. She let out a quiet laugh, reminded of the other night. "You know, Tamaki mentioned how it would be like a forbidden romance. Like Romeo and Juliet or that one popular tv show 'Romy and Jule!"
"I wasn't the biggest fan of that series," Shino replied simply. "But yes, essentially."
Mitsubachi looked at her boyfriend—her heart sung with happiness at that word—with a hint of surprise. Incredulous, she asked. "You actually watched it?"
Shino tilted his head as if to say 'eh, somewhat?' "I...like keeping up to date with things my students are interested in. To better connect with them. I believe Romy and Jule was something my female students were interested in for a bit. However, I wasn't a fan of the show's dialogue. Or acting."
"I never actually saw it," Mitsubachi said with an embarrassed smile. "I think I prefer to read my love stories than to watch them. Or imagine my own."
Shino nodded in response. He wavered as his affection-filled high fueled by impulse began to fade away. As if suddenly becoming aware of where and who he was, the Aburame grew a bit shy. He wanted to reach for Mitsubachi's hand. Despite the fact that she was his girlfriend now and likely wouldn't mind, a tiny voice of doubt in the back of his mind echoed that his friend wouldn't want to touch him. When touching seemed like such an alienating concept for most of one's life, one was prone to have their fair share of doubts.
He—who housed insects underneath his skin—truly believed at one point that no one would ever want to touch or be close to him.
But Mitsubachi wasn't just his friend now, was she?
Girlfriend.
He had a girlfriend.
The thought was unreal to him. The Kamizuru woman, who hosted her own insects, similar yet different to him, was the first person he's ever kissed. She was the first person he's ever hugged romantically, ever truly wanted romantically. When should they discuss boundaries in their relationship? What about date nights? Would Mitsubachi rather they be spontaneous or planned?
Would she ever want to stay over? Would she want to meet his father—
"Penny for your thoughts?" Mitsubachi asked, breaking his mental tangent.
Shino paused for a few moments. It would be best to start with something simple, wouldn't it?
"May I hold your hand?"
Mitsubachi placed a hand over her chest, finding his respectful—almost shy—request absolutely heartwarming. "You didn't need to ask, Shino," she gently pointed out.
He shook his head, but felt his heart pump a few beats faster when the Kamizuru woman comfortably intertwined their fingers.
"I'm not sure what boundaries we need to establish now that we're dating. Rather, this is unfamiliar territory to me." He cleared his throat before continuing. "That's because you're my first girlfriend."
Mitsubachi swayed their hands together as they walked. She hummed in thought. "Well, you never need to ask me if you want to hold hands. Because the answer will always be 'yes'! Unless my hands aren't free for some reason. I mean, you've probably noticed, but I'm a pretty affectionate person..."
"I have," Shino answered, briefly hesitating before moving his arm to match her swaying. "I lost count of how many times you kissed me today." He cast a sideways glance to her, enjoying how her eyes briefly flashed.
Mitsubachi looked away, cheeks reddening ever so slightly. "So...if you're ever not comfortable with that, please tell me, ok? You can always be honest with me about what makes you uncomfortable or not, ok?"
Shino nodded, unable to admit that the number of full kisses she gave him was about 25, give or take. As stoic of a man as he was, he didn't think he would ever enjoy simple physical affection that much. Was it strange to enjoy touch so much?
"In terms of my own preferences...I would rather we limit public displays of affection," he said clearly.
That was a definite boundary for their relationship. Couples that gave each other long, passionate kisses in public spaces made him a touch uncomfortable, and despite having had no relationships before, Shino knew he wouldn't be the most avid fan of PDA.
"It will be done, Aburame-sama," Mitsubachi replied with a bow. "I promise."
Shino smiled and recreated the action Mitsubachi did earlier, leaning down and raising her hand to plant a kiss on her knuckles. "I thank you kindly, Kamizuru-sama. For now, I suppose that the main issue is to keep our relationship private."
"Yes," Mitsubachi said with a nod. She gave him a familiar nudge on the arm, accompanied by a playful wink. "I think for the rest, we can just figure it out as we go."
Shino exhaled through his nose in a quiet laugh. "Should we tell Kiba and Tamaki?"
Mitsubachi leaned her head against Shino's arm with a light hum.
"We can cross that bridge when we get to it."
AN's: I initially wanted to make their romance way more slow paced, but then I wrote the kiss and it all just happened LMAO. TBF both parties are each a little touch-deprived because Shino's been so used to people not really wanting to touch him romantically, so his kiss was more of a catharsis of feelings. Mitsubachi liked him from the start and she's naturally more affectionate, but kinda just waited for the right moment when he would want to kiss her too. Plus, I like writing them more romantically LMAOAOAOA.
*If anyone was interested, I based the Kamizuru taijutsu fighting style in this story from a mix of Wing Chun (the only fighting style invented by a woman which is p frickin rad), White Crane Fist, and a touch of Capoeira. If I could compare the light movements to anything, I would say to my girl Ty-Lee from Avatar. She's an icon. She's a Legend. And she is the moment.