A/Ns: Here's another update y'all! Hope you like it :D
Chapter 18: Starting Over
Shino hesitated before entering the small flower shop, wondering if it was appropriate to be dressed so noticeably formal. Especially since the owner was a former classmate. He forwent his usual green attire and donned his—carefully cleaned and ironed— navy blue shirt and black pantaloons and even wore a mild cologne he bought but never ended up using.
Overall, his outfit was almost exactly the same as the one he wore on their last... outing at the market. This time, however, pinned proudly above his chest was a silver brooch pin he had inherited from his father, displaying a small ground beetle.
He hesitated to wear it initially, but he felt complete in a way.
He was Shino Aburame. Today, he would be going out on a romantical endeavor with a woman who knew and accepted that fact. Patting his pockets once more, the Aburame ensured that the familiar crinkle of the tickets was still present.
He had about 30 minutes before he was supposed to meet with Mitsubachi at her apartment before their trip to the conservatory.
This was it. Their first formal date together.
Shino would be lying if he said he wasn't the tiniest bit nervous.
He entered the small store, the fresh scent of flowers and a hint of cinammon greeting him as the chime of the door's bell resounded about the relatively empty shop.
"Welcome!" Ino paused after stepping behind the counter, blinking in surprise. "...Shino?"
The Yamanaka's questioning tone made it sound as though a clown with bright red hair and yellow shoes had stumbled into her shop to ask for tea.
The Aburame cleared his throat, speaking clearly and deliberately. "Hello, Ino. I was hoping to purchase some flowers."
"Well... yeah. I-yes, of course," Ino replied with a nod, still a bit unsure of what she was seeing exactly. She would have expected the First Hokage to wind up in her shop before her former Aburame classmate. "Did you... have any specific types in mind?"
"I do, actually." Quickly, Shino pulled out his list. He spent a rather large chunk of time last night after work researching the various meanings he wanted to convey with this floral present, hoping the color of the blooms would also look nice put together. He was never the best with aesthetics, but he did put appearance into consideration as well.
This was not to be a thoughtless present, given to fit the expectations of a first date.
"If you have these flowers available," he continued. "Would you please create a mixed bouquet with daffodils, white chrysanthemums, forget-me-nots, and... purple lilacs."
Ino took a mental note of the flowers chosen by her old classmate and picked them out, examining each specific flower type one by one.
First daffodils. New Beginnings.
Then white chrysanthemums. Loyalty, joy.
Followed by forget-me-nots. Remembrance and devotion.
And finally purple lilacs…
Ino gasped inwardly as she wrapped the bouquet together with a red ribbon. She fought the urge to verbally awe at how sweet the arrangement was, despite the slight clashing of the colors.
"Here you are, Shino-Sensei," Ino said with a knowing lilt in her voice. "You planning on giving these to a special someone?"
Shino paused right as he was about to take out his wallet. "… I am," he answered truthfully.
The blonde squealed in delight, jumping a bit behind the counter. "Congratulations! Are you two officially dating? For how long? Where are they from?"
There was no way Ino could hide her excitement. She always thought Shino was just never the dating type, or perhaps had interests elsewhere, but having a partner? And buying them such a sweet bouquet? He even dressed up! And the man cleaned up rather nicely, if she were being honest with herself. He wore such a nice cologne!
Shino shuffled his feet. "Yes—"
Ino clapped her hands excitedly.
"—Although we are keeping our relationship private," he said, with a large emphasis on the private aspect. He gave the woman a look. "We have been officially seeing each other for only a few days now. She just recently moved here from Iwagakure."
"Ooh look at you go, Mr. Romantic." Ino's tone was nothing but merry. "Well, good luck to you and your lucky lady. She's gonna love all the flowers you chose. Especially the lilacs."
Shino slowly took the flowers from the blonde and handed her the bill, seeing the knowing glint in her eyes. He groaned inwardly, wondering if his choice was too bold. He only learned of the subtleties of flower giving and the meanings behind certain types last night.
The Kamizuru viewed obligatory flower gifts as shoddy and abysmal, so he didn't wish to buy any regular bouquet for his girlfriend. He decided upon the daffodils because he felt it appropriate considering how their relationship began and was currently progressing.
He knew Mitsubachi enjoyed mums because she had them planted in her garden, and he felt the happiness and joy they were symbolic of reflected quite well on the woman. The forget-me-nots he chose because he simply liked the name. Everyone deserves to be remembered.
And the lilacs...
Well, he hoped he wasn't being too forward too quickly with the lilacs. If anything, he could feign ignorance on his end and simply argue that they were nice to look at and smell.
With a small shake of his head, Shino exited the store, thanking Ino and bidding her a good rest of her day. He also made sure to give his regards to Sai and Inojin, who Shino hoped wouldn't be informed of this little exchange by his blonde mother.
As he made his way towards Mitsubachi's apartment complex, he felt his heart pump slightly faster. He knocked on the door, feeling the relief and rush of giddy enter him as a singsong "Coming!" chimed behind it.
Mitsubachi opened the door, an apology readied on her lips for not being fully dressed yet, but quietly gasped at the sight before her.
Shino looked so incredibly handsome with his fitted shirt and sleek black pants, the slight hesitance in the furrow of his brow as he gazed at her beneath his dark sunglasses, the angle of his jawline and the softness of his cheeks.
Noticing the way he shuffled and maintained a safe distance, the Kamizuru's chest filled with the sudden desire to hold the man in her arms, whispering softly to him how captivating he was. The way the man carried himself, the way he appeared intimidating at times yet managed to be one of the kindest men she had ever met.
It felt like she was exploring the depths of a mysterious and enchanting forest, finding beauty within every hidden nook and crevice.
"Oh, Shino," Mitsubachi said immediately, placing a hand over her heart. "You look… absolutely wonderful. Are those for me?"
Shino blinked, not registering that he hadn't said anything yet. He cleared his throat, answering the lovely woman in front of him with a nod.
"Yes, they are. I hope you like them, Mitsubachi."
She gazed at the flowers fondly, already thinking of which vase would suit them the best. She hummed, her eyes perusing the types in the bouquet.
"Daffodils… forget-me-nots," she said slowly. "Ooh! Mums and purple lilacs too."
The Aburame nodded, more than glad to see how much the woman was enjoying her present. Her eyes focused lovingly on the flowers, as if she were deciphering their meaning with every little glance.
Cradling them close to her heart, she leaned forward to stand on the tips of her toes and planted a kiss on the taller man's cheek. She gently brushed against the side of his face with her knuckles, enjoying how the skin turned the slightest shade of red.
She gave him the brightest smile. "Thank you so much! I'm going to go run these in water and change! Would you mind waiting a few more minutes?"
After a clear shake of his head, Shino found himself ushered into his girlfriend's apartment and seated inside of her small living room. There were scattered supplies laying about the ground from when she cleaned out her store the other day, but he made himself quite comfortable on her sofa.
Shino couldn't help but close his eyes and peacefully listen to the running of the kitchen sink and the sound of Mitsubachi's light humming. The pleasing sound faded away as her footsteps retreated to another area and the sound of a door closing echoed through the small apartment.
He opened his eyes at the sound of the door opening. A few moments later, she exited her room, donned in her previous pink blouse and skirt from that Sunday as well. The Kamizuru heiress smelled faintly of vanilla and other forms of flowery extracts, her hair circling around her in russet-brown waves as she adjusted two symmetrical golden hair clips that pinned back her side bangs.
For a brief moment, Shino held his breath as the sunlight peeking through the windows illuminated her skin, accentuating the regal golden clips adorning her hair. He habitually stood up and met her steps halfway.
The thought crossed his mind that perhaps he was staring at an incarnate of spring itself, bringing the rains of change and flowers of emotional spontaneity into his controlled, self-mediated life.
He noted that the clips in her hair displayed two symmetrical honey bees surrounded by vines, perhaps conveying that today, she would not go out known by a secret alias, but enjoy herself in the light of the truth.
She was Mitsubachi Kamizuru. Today, she will go out on a proper date with her captivating boyfriend Shino Aburame.
The heiress of the bee clan and the heir of the beetle clan quietly looked at each other.
She placed her hand over his heart, feeling the engravings of his simple brooch on his chest. In a similar action, he brought his hands up ever-so-slowly to cup the sides of her face, the tips of his fingers lightly brushing against her hair clips.
Mitsubachi's eyes glimmered. "So…"
"So?"
"What do you think about having a re-do, Aburame-sama?"
Shino placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "It would be my honor, Kamizuru-sama."
The first thought that crossed Shino's mind as they entered the large building was how warm it was, even towards the front where there were no plants. Flashing their tickets to the friendly guard at the front desk, the couple approached one corridor of the conservatory.
Apparently, there were five separate corridors that constituted the entirety of the building. One for each of the Great Nations.
As soon as they entered through the sliding doors of the first corridor, they were greeted by the sight of rows of flowers upon flowers scattered across bright green grass. The sides of the spacious room were covered by lush, green trees that casted a small canopy above them.
The most noticeable design in this corridor, however, was the large diorama of the Hokage Rock that oversaw the room.
Konohagakure Exhibit, read the large sign above it.
Meandering through the brick trails about the room, Mitsubachi took her time to read the small informational blurbs about flowers native to Konoha and the ones with special meaning within the village. Shino looked around them, quite impressed with the accuracy of the layout of this room.
"This is so exciting," Mitsubachi exclaimed in what could only be described as pure joy.
Shino nodded. "It is. This room is quite impressive. The room temperature is even accurate to an average summer day in Konoha."
The Kamizuru woman intertwined their hands together, excitedly pulling him along to browse more of the plant life. To the Aburame's surprise, she pulled out a small camera from her bag, taking small snap shots of the plants and their blurbs that she found interesting.
Reaching towards the furthest side of the Konoha corridor, a line of people formed to take pictures underneath the faux Hokage Rock. Shino could recognize that most of these people were tourists, likely from other villages or more rural areas of Konoha. A small family was up next and the father stepped into the distance to photograph his wife and two young toddlers, both girls.
Mitsubachi gave Shino a nudge to the side, pointing out how cute their children were. He nodded quietly in agreement, meeting her gaze with a reserved smile.
She gave his arm a small tug, flashing him a grin before stepping towards the father.
"Excuse me," Mitsubachi kindly interjected after the man seemed to finish. "But would you like me to take a photo of your whole family?"
The man looked relieved. "Oh, would you mind? That would be wonderful!" He flashed the brunette a smile and lightly bowed before handing over the camera and moving to pose with his wife and kids.
Shino observed as the honey vendor squatted lower, squinting one eye while the other peered through the camera's viewfinder. A light smile crossed his face as he watched her find the perfect angle with a tiny gasp.
So expressive.
"Ooh, that's perfect! Ok, one... two... three! Smile!"
The click of the camera resounded and Mitsubachi moved to take a few more photos at slightly differing angles. The whole family gratefully thanked the younger woman once she finished.
"Your family is so beautiful," Mitsubachi complimented as she handed the camera back to the father.
"Why thank you," the mother replied genially, holding her two daughters' hands. "Would you like us to take a picture of the two of you?"
The older woman gestured towards Shino, who had been quietly watching the short exchange. He blinked in surprise at being addressed.
Mitsubachi looked at her boyfriend warmly before nodding to the mother. "That would be perfect! Thank you so much!" She quickly handed over her own camera to the father before making her way underneath the Hokage Rock.
Shino slowly moved forward to stand next to Mitsubachi, a bit unsure of what to do with his hands.
The father laughed, his voice booming as he readied himself to take the photo.
"Oh, c'mon now! Show your girlfriend a little love, wouldja tough guy?"
With a tiny smile, the Aburame gently wrapped his arm around the Kamizuru and pulled her in closer. She naturally leaned her body against him as the father took photos of the two of them with resounding clicks.
As Mitsubachi was given her camera back, she noticed with delight that the two young girls were staring at her and Shino with wide, innocent eyes. She mouthed happy greetings to the toddlers, inwardly gushing at how adorable they were.
Suddenly, one pointed to her chest, while the other pointed to the sides of her head.
"Bug!" The toddlers happily cooed along with other snippets of incoherent baby babble. The Aburame and Kamizuru felt their hearts warm instantaneously.
The mother gave loving pats to their heads. "That's right, girls. Now you say 'bye-bye' to the nice young couple, ok?"
Mitsubachi's eyes glittered as the two little girls bowed to the two of them, their pudgy fingers waving goodbye as the family continued forward.
"These are definitely getting developed," Mitsubachi immediately stated as she scrolled through the photos with a satisfied sigh.
Shino leaned his head over, observing the photo that the father took of the two of them. He had a genuine smile on his face, uncharacteristically at ease as Mitsubachi leaned into him. From this angle, you were able to see the beetle brooch on his chest and the bee hair clips on his girlfriend's head.
"Please have a couple of those developed," he replied quietly, attempting to calm the smile on his face. "Because I would like to have one as well."
After taking a few more moments to browse the Konohagakure Exhibit, the two made their way towards the other sections.
Mitsubachi was absolutely enthralled by the vast array of fountains and large ponds filled with underwater plant life in the Kirigakure exhibit. Shino was surprised that this Exhibit even had a waterfall to imitate the grand landmark at the entrance of the village.
He bent over to read the blurb on Kirigakure's native water lilies in a more hidden portion of the exhibit, but paused after hearing a familiar click.
He immediately directed his eyes a few feet away, where Mitsubachi was attempting to hide her camera behind her back. She grinned at him sheepishly.
"If you're going to take a secret photo," he began, his voice taking a teacher-like tone. "I believe it would be in your best interest to turn off the camera shutter."
His girlfriend pouted cutely. "Who said I was taking a photo of you?"
"Childish pouting won't defend your case."
Mitsubachi slowly walked over with a mischievous glint in her eye. She raised an eyebrow to challenge him. "Are you calling me childish, old man?"
Shino's shoulders immediately dropped as a purple cloud seemed to cast itself over him.
Old man.
It almost slipped his mind that there was such a large age gap between them.
Ooollllld maaaaan.
...Was he a pervert?
Even if they were the same or closer in age, Mitsubachi acted more youthful than he did by miles. If he acted the same as he normally did and only dyed his hair, Shino could play the part of a 60 year old retiree if he wanted.
Noticing his sudden sulking, Mitsubachi slowly approached and shook her boyfriend's shoulder in concern. "Shino? Honey, are you ok?"
"You're dating an old pervert," he said, his words dramatically sullen.
"You are not old," Mitsubachi replied immediately, giving him a light nudge. "You're 30—"
"33," Shino corrected, the purple clouds above his head seeming to grow heavier. He refused to meet her eyes.
Mitsubachi looked at her sulking boyfriend, oddly amused that he was genuinely distraught over their age gap. Eight years really wasn't the end of the world considering they were both consenting adults. With a smile, she leaned forward and pressed her head against his back.
She nuzzled her face into his navy shirt and inhaled the smell of his cologne, trying to envelop Shino's larger frame from behind.
"Ok, so you are eight years older than me, give or take," she began, shifting to press her ear against his back to hear his kikai. She felt him tense up ever-so-slightly. "But you're forgetting—Aburame-sama—that I am an adult."
Mitsubachi looked from left to right, ensuring they were alone, before pressing a soft kiss to his back. "Listen, ok? We're both consenting adults, and you are the only man I've met that's been able to understand… everything—the experiences, emotions, the family issues and complications—that I've been through and am currently going through. You're kind and caring, intelligent and responsible. And all of those qualities come to my mind before your age does!"
She smiled against his back as Shino's hand lightly brushed hers. "So with that being said… would you please turn around and give me a proper hug?"
Wordlessly, Shino let out a relaxed sigh before turning around and enclosing his arms around the smaller woman. He pressed a light kiss against her temple, feeling the waves of doubt planted into his mind dissipate as she leaned closer.
"I'm sorry," he quietly said, taking her in like a warm, relaxing tea.
Mitsubachi smiled as she pressed her face to his chest. "There's absolutely nothing to apologize for," she answered, her words slightly muffled. "But I suppose I'll accept your apology if you let me keep my photo."
Shino rubbed gentle circles into her back.
"You mean the secret photo that wasn't of me?"
"Let's just say," Mitsubachi began, loosening their embrace as they continued on with their tour. "I happened to catch a lovely candid of a handsome, young nobleman that I would like to have framed."
The two continued their exploration of the very building. To Shino's amusement, his girlfriend was the least impressed with Iwagakure's Exhibit. While she condonned that the replica of the Stone Monument was rather accurate, there was more to the plant life of her home than the smaller weeds that were depicted.
In Shino's honest opinion, Suna's vast array of various cacti and other desert plants wasn't as eye-drawing as the other exhibits, but it was still a grand feat that this single conservatory managed to capture the essence of the various nations' plant life. He still found the fact that each room was tailored to the native temperatures of the various lands extremely impressive.
The Aburame was more than pleased that this was the first destination for them to have their first date together.
Finally, the young couple exited the building, Mitsubachi loosely holding onto Shino's arm.
"Oh wow," she exclaimed, glancing at a nearby clock. "We sure spent a long time there, huh?"
Shino nodded. "About three or four hours. I would say it was worth the trip."
"Yes!" Mitsubachi agreed emphatically. "I can't thank you enough for taking me here, Shino. I still can't believe you remembered that I wanted to go after all this time! When did you buy these tickets? Last week?"
"Actually, I bought them on the day we went out to the market together."
Mitsubachi paused. She blinked slowly, realization striking her after a few moments. "That's where you went that day?"
The Aburame remained silent as they walked through the bustling streets but gave an affirmative nod.
"Oh, Shino," Mitsubachi said softly, moving to place her hand over her heart. "That's so thoughtful of you. I... I'm sorry you weren't able to present them when you bought them. Or you didn't have a chance to, at least."
"There's no reason for you to apologize, Kamizuru-sama," he replied, adding the informally formal honorific to ease her concerns. "The reason is because things eventually worked out between the two of us."
The Kamizuru woman's eyes glittered as she focused on the reserved man next to her. She looked away, a light flush on her freckled cheeks.
"I'm very glad they did, Aburame-sama."
"So," Mitsubachi began as they waited on their food. She was very excited at the prospect of trying Konohagakure's famous Ichiraku ramen when they were deciding on a place to have lunch. "What time is your clan meeting?"
"Seven in the evening," he replied, distaste at having to be in attendance evident in his tone. "Clan meetings, or at least ones involving our council and my father, normally take place once the sun has set."
"You don't sound too excited," Mitsubachi commented, giving him a gentle nudge. She smiled at him, hoping it would ease the furrow of his eyebrows.
"Considering how some of my clan elders view your family, I am not particularly ecstatic for this meeting." Shino paused for a moment. "... It feels like I'm betraying you."
"You are not betraying me," Mitsubachi replied evenly. "You are fulfilling your duties as the next head of the Aburame. You should be proud you're able to take such a big step in your community."
"I want to make things right between our clans," Shino finally said, his hidden eyes focused on the wooden table. "I may be able to ease tensions with my clan elders tonight, at the very least gauge the severity of the situation."
Mitsubachi leaned over the booth, placing her hand on top of her boyfriend's. "Good luck to you, Shino. You'll do amazing, I know it. And don't worry about me, ok? Just try your best for tonight."
The two sat in a comfortable silence as their bowls of ramen were eventually placed in front of them. Mitsubachi complimented how perfectly golden the broth looked, making sure to take a deep whiff of the wonderful smell emanating from the bowls.
Somewhere in between their meal, Shino paused, a thought suddenly crossing his mind.
"Earlier... In the conservatory, you called me 'honey.'"
Mitsubachi placed her chopsticks down, blinking in surprise as she remembered the context. She tilted her head. "Did you not like it? Sorry it... well, it sort of just came out!" She laughed quietly to herself.
"No, no. I do. I simply…" How would he phrase this? "... I never expected you to give me a pet name." The simple gesture secretly touched his heart.
Noticing the way the man's cheeks slightly darkened, Mitsubachi smiled. "Well, 'honey' isn't the most creative pet name in the world, but it felt better than calling you 'babe.' You don't look like a 'babe.'"
Shino pondered her words, leaning forward in curiosity. "So I look like a 'honey?'"
"Either 'honey' or 'sweetheart,'" Mitsubachi replied with confidence. "But if you want to be a 'babe' I'll call you 'babe'... babe." She did a small eyebrow wiggle.
The woman giggled at the immediate shake of her boyfriend's head. They could both agree that it didn't suit him. 'Babe' was more of a Kiba and Tamaki pet name, they both felt.
Mitsubachi placed a finger on her chin, smiling at the long list of ideas coming to her mind.
She hummed. "Hm… 'angel face?'"
Shino shook his head.
"'Darling.'"
His head tilted left to right as if to say 'eh, somewhat.' In the back of his mind, the Aburame secretly found 'darling' to be more of an endearment term for married couples.
"'Sunshine.'"
"That feels more appropriate for you than for me."
Mitsubachi narrowed her eyes in thought. Her shoulders shook with quiet laughter. "'Cutie patootie.'"
An immediate no.
She thought to herself quietly before having a noticeable 'aha' moment. The Kamizuru woman leaned forward as a gentle smile crossed her heart-shaped lips. She lightly fluttered her eyelashes as she gazed at the man across from her.
"… 'Aburame-sama,'" she whispered tenderly, knowing she got what she wanted when Shino's cheeks turned a noticeable shade of red. She began to snicker.
"... Now, that's not fair," the Aburame eventually replied with a grumble.
Mitsubachi brightly laughed at the expense of her flustered boyfriend.
Shino let her have a few moments before he cleared his throat. "Fine," he said, taking the challenge. "I suppose it's my turn then."
Mitsubachi smirked. "As much as I like the name, you're not gonna catch me off-guard with 'Kamizuru-sama,' Shino."
"'Buttercup.'"
"Hmm... cute, but no."
"'Princess.'"
She gave an aloof shrug.
"'Tulip.'"
"Aw, that's kind of sweet actually."
He was getting desperate now. "... 'Sugar?'"
The woman blinked at him cutely. "Keep trying, McDreamy," she replied in a sweet tone.
The man narrowed his eyes, confident that he could think of something to catch her off-guard with.
He smiled inwardly as one name eventually came to mind. Slowly, he reached over and discreetly cupped his hands over Mitsubachi's, enjoying the warmth of her skin against his. He straightened up, deepening his voice to a rich, enchanting timber.
In a formal, almost reverent tone, he quietly asked. "Are you almost done then… my love bug?"
The Kamizuru woman's steel gray eyes widened as she went stiff. She quickly slipped her hands away and crossed her arms, eyes darting to the side as freckled cheeks reddened under the Aburame's gaze. Like a tomato.
Shino casually shifted his focus back to his ramen, satisfied with his victory.
"I believe I got you."
"Yeah, yeah," Mitsubachi grumbled with a pout, cheeks still a shade of red. "Ok, I guess that was a good one," she condonned.
Eventually the woman dropped her pout and smiled at the man across from her before returning back to her own food. She inwardly gushed at how sweet the nickname sounded from her boyfriend's lips. She would definitely bookmark that for later.
Their date reached a conclusion as Shino dropped Mitsubachi off at her apartment. The horizon turned warm shades of orange and dark yellow as the sun began its descent from the sky.
Mitsubachi embraced her taller boyfriend. "Thank you so much for taking me out today, Shino," she whispered against his shirt. "I had a lot of fun spending time with you."
Shino lightly tightened the embrace, pulling her closer. He leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her forehead. "It was my pleasure, Mitsubachi."
She pulled away, reaching her hands out to loosely cup the sides of her boyfriend's face. Steel gray eyes gazed up at him with confidence. "And you'll do great with your meeting."
Shino nodded, fighting the desire to tilt his head and kiss the skin of Mitsubachi's palm. "Thank you," he replied quietly.
The two insect handlers leaned forward almost simultaneously, their lips sweetly touching in a tender goodbye. Mitsubachi wrapped her arms around his neck as Shino pulled her in close.
They held that pose for a few moments before pulling back. Dark sunglasses gazed into steel gray, feeling a warm breath brush against skin. "Goodnight then, Kamizuru-sama."
"Goodnight, Aburame-sama," Mitsubachi replied tenderly. She gave a loving pinch to his cheek. "You'll do great," she reiterated before pulling away.
Just as the man was about to leave for his home, he paused, hearing a voice call out to him.
"And I loved the lilacs you added to the bouquet," Mitsubachi finished, deliberately adding a knowing lilt to her voice.
The Aburame felt his cheeks warm, but kept on his way. Perhaps the flowers might have been too bold... but, as far as he was concerned, they were rather genuinely accurate.
He hadn't even noticed how he smiled all the way home.
"There you are, Shino," his father called out as he waited in front of the Aburame meeting hall in the center of the compound. A building with historical significance, it was the residential home of the first Aburame clan members that settled in this area before the rule of the Senju and Uchiha.
Shino adjusted the collar of his dark green jacket, noting how his father stood at the gate next to his older, inconspicuous cousin Tatsuma.
"Father," he greeted with a formal bow. He nodded to his cousin in acknowledgement. So Tatsuma was in charge of standing guard?
Though his older cousin was rather off-putting and more than a little bit quiet due to his former work with Root, Shino supposed he would rather have Tatsuma stand guard than Shunji.
Showing a rare display of emotion, Tatsuma lightly smirked, the purple marking on his cheek curving with the action. "Running a bit late, cousin?"
"Right on time, actually," Shino corrected.
Shibi inwardly chuckled, knowing his son's relationship with his older cousin was a bit tense. However, Tatsuma meant well in the end, and the man was nothing but loyal to their clan. Perhaps too loyal, if Shibi were being honest with himself.
Tatsuma did work closely with Root and Danzo, the very same man who almost took Shino away and became the indirect reason Torune lost his life so young. But he was loyal. If Tatsuma was entrusted to guard the gate and not spy on their meeting, he would do just that.
Shibi nodded to the younger man. "Thank you, Tatsuma."
"You're welcome, Shibi-sama. Good luck, Shino," Tatsuma said with little emotion in his words, and the younger Aburame's eyebrows furrowed ever-so-slightly. "Although, you might want to change your outfit."
Shino stared at his cousin.
"You smell like vanilla," he answered enigmatically, his tone unchanging. The fact that his facial expressions remained the same as well made the younger Aburame's eyes narrow behind his sunglasses.
Shibi let out a small snort before lightly ushering his son inside of the gate.
"It seems like things with your cousin are still tense," Shibi whispered with a light shrug. "And we haven't even entered the building yet."
Shino sighed, already feeling an onset of nerves settle into the pit of his stomach. Although he had changed his attire from his date, he should have been more careful and washed the smell off of his clothes. Shino couldn't even register that there was vanilla lingering on him.
Was Tatsuma baiting him?
Shibi moved in closer, taking a small whiff. "Tatsuma must be part Inuzuka if he's able to smell vanilla on you. I can only smell a faint cologne."
Shino released a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Shibi patted his son's shoulder. "You'll be alright, Shino. This meeting is really more of a celebration than anything. We will simply have to sit through an evening of... nostalgia."
Shino didn't fail to notice the way his father's tone became more gruff. He quietly nodded as they approached the main entrance of the building.
Shibi faced his son. The next heir of the Aburame clan. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel an immense wave of pride at how serious and perfectly poised Shino looked despite the less serious implications of tonight's meeting.
But something did look a touch different about his son's demeanor. A regular person wouldn't be aware of the minuscule change, but Shibi wasn't a regular person. He was Shino's father. There was something about the way his son seemed to glow, standing up more straight, just a tad more energetic than Shibi was used to.
"You look happier," he suddenly pointed out.
Shino blinked. "Pardon?"
"I said you look happier, son. I can't exactly describe how, but you do," Shibi answered rather plainly. "And I want to say here that I am extremely proud of you."
"... Thank you, dad," Shino slowly replied, the ghost of a smile on his face.
"Now," Shibi began, sliding the doors open.
"Shall we begin?"
A/Ns: Hope y'all liked this chapter! I love writing their interactions together, and I genuinely believe that Boruto Shino (gotta make that distinction since there's such a stark contrast) would be awkwardly playful were he to be in a relationship. Next one's gonna have way more clan interactions and be kinda long, so I hope you're ready for that! As always, thanks for reading and make sure to leave a review/fav/follow if you wanna see more.
Nolwe: I'm so glad you like the contrast! Forbidden romance is a touch cliche, but I still enjoy it in fanfiction if it's done well!