My eyes were closed, and I heard beeping noises from beside my head. Someone was walking near me. I could hear the click of their shoes on what sounded like tile.
Tile? Why is there tile in the woods?
I heard them rearranging something near my head, then they quietly left. When the door closed behind them I cracked one eye open and saw a quiet Shino sitting in a hospital chair near me.
So, I'm in a hospital. And Shino looks fine.
"You're okay? You're okay! How are Kiba, Hinata, and Naruto?"
My voice was hoarse.
"How long have I been here?"
"I'm okay, thank you. Hinata and Kiba are also doing well. And you know Naruto, he's always okay. You've been in the hospital for a week. You've been laying more still than a death feigner the whole time, we thought you were done for. Asbolus verrucosus, I think my dad calls them. More importantly, the doctors say that if you had been a smaller person, the poisons would have worked too quickly for them to reverse the effects."
The implication hung in the air. Shino, still a teenager, was smaller than me. And the blows I absorbed were originally aimed at him.
"Thanks."
"Don't thank me, I'm just glad you're safe."
"I owe my life to you."
"You owe me nothing, it was the least I could do. I didn't even do it on purpose, it's just what came naturally."
At that moment Shibi walked in.
"I thought I heard talking, is Irie awake?"
"Yes, they're up."
Shibi crossed the room in a barely restrained rush and kissed me deeply.
"Shibi! We're in public!"
I exclaimed, turning a bright red.
"I may…step out for a minute." Shino said, already exiting the room.
"I don't care who sees anymore. I've missed you. I was so worried."
"Nothing to be worried about, as long as you remembered to lock my place when you left."
"Of course." He laughed, and kissed me again.
The heart monitor hooked up to me started beeping faster.
"I thought you were gone. Please, never leave me."
"Never, I promise."
"Irie, I love you."
"I love you too, Shibi." I whispered, accepting more and more kisses until we were both out of breath.
As soon as I was out of the hospital, we made our relationship official. I moved in with him within the week. I was right, it was a little weird trying to co-parent a teenager that was nearly grown already. Shino and I are focusing on trying to become friends. We have the common ground of wanting the best for his father, so it isn't as hard as we expected. The Kamizuru clan were disgraced after failing to retrieve the bikōchū beetle from a bunch of teenagers, so their union is no longer necessary. And I've never been happier.