(A/N) Hiiiii! This fic is very fluffy, and adorable, and I love it. Have fun! One person was interested, but hey, what can compare to Dinosaurs?

Sakura had been pinned down by bullies again. Calling her forehead girl, and pinkie, flicking her forehead. She curled in on herself, letting their words cut deeper than kunai.

"Stop," a quiet voice ordered.

"Eh? Why should we, bug boy?" Ami, the lead bully asked, sneering at the Aburame.

"You should stop. Why? Because I can summon my father in under a few seconds, and he will not appreciate you bullying one of my friends."

Sakura stared at Shino through her bangs. They were friends? Sure, she hadn't flinched when she'd found him playing with a little ladybug, and even helped him find it again when it flew away but did that really mean she was his friend? Maybe it was an Aburame thing, they made friends with anyone who didn't flinch away from them and their bugs.

Ami sneered at him, but backed off and walked away, followed by her two lackeys.

"Are you alright?" Shino asked, tilting his head at Sakura.

Sakura blinked up at him. "Y-yeah. Why did you tell them we were friends?"

Shino drew back minisculely. "Are we not? I apologize for assuming we were."

Sakura blinked, waving her hands in front of herself. "Nono, it's fine, just, no one's really defended me before."

Shino appeared to be considering. "Is that not what friends do? I will admit I am not well versed in making friends."

Sakura shrugged, curling in on herself just a bit more. "I dunno, you're kinda my first friend."

Shino's face went very carefully blank. "I had assumed you had other friends."

Sakura shook her head meekly. "Everyone teases me for my forehead."

Shino frowned slightly. "It is pointless to ostracise someone for simple physical appearances."

Sakura nodded slightly.

"I think you should tie your bangs out of your face," Shino said suddenly.

Sakura blinked at him.

"Why? Because by keeping it on show, you will show them that you like your forehead, and they will stop bullying you about it when you make it clear that it is not a sore spot. Why continue poking at the spot a bruise was but is no longer?"

Sakura patted herself down. Her parents had given her a ribbon a few days ago, something about tying her hair back, but she hadn't bothered using it. She was stopped by a hand on her knee, and an offered ribbon. It was a dark silky black, with little leaf bugs embroidered on it with iridescent green. Sakura's breath hitched in her throat as she took the ribbon. "It's really pretty."

Shino shifted slightly, seeming almost embarrassed. "My mother suggested I get you a ribbon as a gesture of friendship."

Sakura ran her fingers over the embroidery. "I haven't seen embroidery like this before."

Shino shifted again. "It is a hobby of mine. Outside of looking for rare bugs."

Sakura smiled. "It's pretty. Thank you." She moved her bangs out of her face, tying them back with the ribbon.

A corner of Shino's mouth quirked up, but it was gone just as quickly. "Would you like to find bugs with me?" He stood up, offering Sakura his hand.

Sakura smiled, taking his hand and pulling herself up. "Sure."

"And then we went and looked for bugs for the rest of the day!" Sakura chirped to her parents.

They exchanged amused glances. "I suppose it's about time to give her the talk," her mother said reluctantly.

Sakura looked confused. "What talk?"

"The anti-fangirl talk," her father said solemnly. "We decided when you were born that we would give you this talk the first time you showed any interest in boys."

Sakura looked between her parents, confused.

"Sakura honey, ninja boys don't like fangirls. What they do like, is strong Kunoichi. A simple statement for a lot of boys. Want the boy, beat him up. This is especially true for the Inuzuka clan, who like very strong women. Most other ninja clans, with the exception of the Akimichi, Nara, and Aburame clans, like it when their females can defend themselves very well. The Aburame clan is reclusive, so you're probably not going to mess up any sort of courting rituals, the Nara are lazy as all get out but hyper-intelligent. They like people who can keep up with them mentally. The Akimichi clan likes anyone who brings food." Her mother summarized.

"But," her father held up a hand. "Keep the hitting to a minimum outside of sparring, people don't really like it when they're beat up for little to no reason."

Sakura nodded sagely.

"Good girl. Now run along and get to bed so you aren't falling asleep in class tomorrow, alright?" Her mother said, smiling kindly.

Sakura nodded cheerfully, running upstairs.

"She's growing up so fast," Sakura's mother sighed.

Sakura proudly wore her new ribbon into class the next day, the other girls of the class cooing over the beautiful embroidery, even if it was of bugs. Ami, of course, made fun of it. Sakura was quick to defend it this time, insisting that it was a beautiful ribbon, and Ami was just making fun of it cause she was jealous. Once Sakura was done defending her ribbon, she plopped down in the seat next to Shino.

Rumors were flying by lunchtime. There was a lot of speculation that somehow Shino's parents and Sakura's parents had decided to engage the two, or something equally weird. They were seven for Kami's sake! They were not dating!

Sakura plopped down next to Shino with a huff. "They're all idiots."

Shino raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Apparently, the entire school thinks we're either dating or engaged. We're seven for Kami's sake!"

Shino thought about it for a bit, then hummed thoughtfully. "Clan heirs are often put into marriage contracts much earlier."

Sakura blinked at him. "You think it's a possibility."

Shino inclined his head. "We should not rule it out just yet."

Sakura sat back, flabbergasted. "Really?"

Shino nodded solemnly. "I would not be surprised."

"Eww, we're friends!" Sakura exclaimed, wrinkling her nose. "Why?"

"Because you have the potential to be a strong kunoichi, and you are not immediately driven off by my bugs. It is very possible my parents may see that as a match made in heaven."

Sakura shuddered a bit. "Parents are weird. You really think my parents would agree to that?"

Shino shrugged. "Maybe. Why? Because you would have more prestige, being the wife to be of the clan heir."

Sakura sighed, slumping back. "Let's just not talk about that now. We have lunches to eat, and cannot spend all of lunch debating the likelihood of us actually being engaged."

Six months later, Sakura stared at her parents in disbelief. "You actually did it." Then, "Geez, Shino and I were expecting this to happen months ago!"

Now it was her parent's turn to blink at her in confusion. "What?" Her mother managed.

Sakura smiled innocently. "Shino and I sorta guessed this might happen, cause there were a bunch of rumors flying around at school that Shino and I were either engaged or dating, and Shino admitted that it was actually pretty likely."

Her parents remained standing there, very confused as Sakura skipped past them and up to her room.

The next day Shino gave her another ribbon, this one embroidered with tiny praying mantis in a vivid iridescent purple. "An apology for my parents," he said at her confused glance.

Sakura waved it off. "My parents accepted it, they just as much to blame."

She tied the ribbon around her head anyway, tying the first one around her leg. She smiled at him, and Shino decided that maybe, just maybe, the engagement would actually work out. They didn't usually, but this one just might.

Of course, it was all around the school by lunch. But really, did anyone really think otherwise?

The second ribbon joined the first on her leg on her eighth birthday and a black ribbon embroidered with iridescent blue flies tied her hair back. Sakura also decided that her parents had joined the 'Sakura and Shino are a match made in heaven' train. She was glad that Shino had picked out thread and fabric that was shinobi quality, which basically meant the fabric and thread would last forever. Any basic civilian ribbon would've been worn down by now, but the headband Shino had given her nearly a year ago was still about the same as when he first gave it to her.

Sakura sighed, watching her parents talk with Shino's. "Our parents are going to be the death of us."

Shino just nodded agreement, raising an eyebrow as the two women began looking over at them and cooing.

"Death of us I tell you," Sakura muttered.

(A/N) I think it's a cute ship. And I like Sakura when she's not being a fangirl.