Chapter 33: I Love You
Airi wiped the sweat from her brow and fell backwards onto the soft grass. "Phew, I'm tired!"
Shino lay next to her. "Giving up…already?" He tried to regain his breath.
"No! But we've just been playin' around for hours now!" She sat up. "I can handle it though. I've got enough energy for two!"
"A ninja knows how to control his chakra so he can have tons of energy."
"Chakra shmakra! I rely on pure energy! It all comes down to whether you have energy or not!" She pulled him to his feet. "C'mon Shino!"
"I'm coming!" She pulled him along.
"I found this really cool place here the other day." They stopped at a pristine lake. "Here we are! Check out that lake!"
"It's nice."
Airi watched Shino as he stared at the crystal blue water. …I'm gonna tell him. But first… She quietly walked behind him. "Shino?" He looked at her. "Hee hee!" She pushed him backwards into the water.
"Ack!" Shino broke through the surface of the water. "Airi! What was that for?"
"Nothing."
He jumped as he turned around and found Airi in the water with him. "A-Airi?"
She smiled at him. "Are you mad?"
He looked into her glowing emerald eyes. Airi is…such a wonderful person. I can't even begin to describe her…I…I love her…for every reason in the world. "…Airi…I have something that I need to tell you."
She stopped smiling. "Huh?"
"It's…something that I've been meaning to tell you for a long time now. You see…"
"Shino wait!"
"What?"
"I…have something that I need to tell you too. May I go first?" He nodded. "Thank you. Shino…our clans have always hated each other for as long as I can remember. No one has ever told me why though. But as I watch my people and your people live together without a single grievance in this village, I know that this hatred is stupid and meaningless. It's obvious to me now that in time, this hatred is going to go away. I think they're starting to see that they're exactly like each other. They're all people." She smiled. "A while back though, what I did would have been considered the worst thing possible by my people. Shino, would you…would you like to know what I did?" He nodded again. "Shino I…I fell in love with you."
"Wh-What?"
"Shino…I love you!" She hugged him. "I love you so much that I couldn't bear keeping it in anymore. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I've said to you and for everything I've done to you. I don't care about anything anymore but you and my love for you!" She was almost in tears.
"Airi, that's okay because not for moment did I ever stop loving you."
She looked at him. "Sh-Shino?"
"I've always cared for you. I've never doubted my love for you."
Her lower lip quivered. "Sh…SHINO!" She hugged him tighter as tears streamed down her face. "Shino, I don't want to be away from you anymore. I don't want to be so distant!"
He rested his head on hers. "You don't have to be. I don't want to lose you ever again. We're gonna get through this fight together." They looked at each other, time coming to a complete stop.
"Shino I…" She stopped. There was no need for words at that moment. Airi touched her lips to Shino's, gentle as the brush of a butterfly's wing. To her surprise, it was Shino who deepened the kiss, pressing his lips more firmly against the priestess's and holding it for quite some time. Airi was more than happy to return the favor. Timidly at first, but more confident when she met no resistance. She was a bit startled when she found Shino's arms wrapped tightly, but softly, around her waist. They held each other in the cool water for a while.
"…That…wasn't bad," Shino said, mostly to himself when he broke the kiss.
Airi giggled. "Thanks, I think…"
He smiled. "That's not what I meant. I didn't mean you."
"Oh…Shino…Can I see you without your sunglasses for once? You always have them on and I've only seen you without them maybe three times or so."
"…Alright." He took them off.
"That's better. I'd like to look into the eyes of my…lover." They kissed each other again.