Disclaimer: dont own naruto, but i do have salsa
Note(s): i dont feel well, so this chapter may not come out very well. its mostly a filler. takes place the day after the Red Kimono brawl. also, there are some americanized things in here, so please forgive me. im not closed minded, im just not familiar with foreign customs.
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The sun shone through my eyelids, making my sensitive eyes burn, and waking me up. I sat up and yawned and opened my eyes, but found that that was not a good idea. Closing my eyes my hand fumbled on the side table next to the bed. I felt something smooth and familar and slid them onto my face. I opened my eyes.
Even though the blinds were closed the damn sun cut through them and sizzled into my room. I kept it dark in here. Clothes were scattered all over the room, some were mine, others... weren't. A short black dress laid all by its self near the dresser. Loki's. Where was Loki?
I looked over to check the alarm clock, and saw that it as 10:47. Damn, I slept late today. I DID have an excuse, though. We had a long night, not just the fight, too. Loki was probably already up, making coffee and pancakes. The smell of coffee, bacon, french toast, and maple syrup hit me hard.
I got up and went to the door to head down the stairs and eat some breakfast. Then I noticed that I was naked except for my sunglasses. I don't think that my grandma would really appreciate her 16 year-old grandson strutting around the dining room with his package hanging out. If it had been only me and Loki, I wouldn't have minded as much. No need to scare Grandma. I opened a drawer and pulled out some boxers and pajama bottoms then headed down the stairs.
In the dining room, the entire Aburame clan was already seated at the long table. Tons of food on large platters beckoned me to join them. Naturally I obeyed. I love Loki's french toast... It seems that the rest of my family did, too.
Most people assumed that I had a small family of silent people with sunglasses and high collars. My father and I were the only ones that wore sunglasses all the time and high collars when it was warn. We didn't speak alot to people out of the family. It turned out that my father is more friendly than I am.
Because of our eyes, both Dad and I have to wear the sunglasses. All heads of the clan had the silver eyes and the quiet demeanor. The rest fo the family wasn't like this at all.
My mom is a bright and sunny woman. She is of a proud clan, and her blue eyes and blond hair made her a big hit with all of the guys. A lot of people were shocked when my parents married. The quiet Shibi married the bubbley Lea. It was also strange that they hooked up because Inuzuka Tsume is my mom's best friend and she absolutly HATED my dad. Freaky how her son became my teammate.
The rest of my family were actually very friendly, talking enthusiastically at the long table. I picked up a plate and began to shovel french toast and bacon on it, poring maple syrup on everything. I put it down and poured coffee into a big mug. I placed my breakfast at my usual place near the head of the table next to my father. On his other side was my mother laughing with my Aunt Nora.
"Where's Loki," I questioned my father as I took a chug from the balck coffee.
"I think she's in the kitchen fixing up some iced tea and feeding Balt," he said. When he had first met Loki, he had been a bit worried about having a lupin leaving in his house. Its kind of funny that Loki's dog was named after her father. I heard that it was because they both had a love of bacon. Dad had spent some time with her father when Tobias Balthazar was still alive. He had been charming, handsome, funny, and warm as my mother put it. Dad and Balthazar had gotten along suprisingly well. Loki was a lot like her father: she had a way of getting along with people, and knew when to keep her mouth shut. I guess this is why our fathers got along quite well.
Loki had worried that she wouldn't be welcome at the Aburame home. I thought that she would feel better if she socialized with my family. My mom loved to doll her up and play with her hair. I think she had always wanted a daughter. My Grandma loved Loki because she didn't treat her like the senile old bat that she was. Loki listened to her stories and stuck up for her in arguements. Grandma adored her. The rest of the family took her in as one of their own for various reasons. The only one that didn't take to her quickly was Shibi, my dad.
The truth was that seeing her reminded him of Balthazar, who had been one of his closest friends. Loki just seemed to bring back painful memories. She had begun to fret whether my dad would ever accept her. Then Mom suggested that she ask my dad for cooking lessons. Aburame Shibi was the greatest cook in Konoha, and he wasn't going to share his secrets.
It came as a huge suprise that Dad took her under his wing and taught her her way way around the kitchen. The two could be found going over recipes for hours on end, and no one could really understand what they were talking about. When I would ask what was going on, they shot me twin glares and I hauled ass out of there. It also seemed to do him good to settle his inner demons for not being beside his friend's side when he died. The sound of a door opening and closing behind me alerted everyone that Loki was finally joining us.
"I thought that you were going to sleep the day away! Nice to see you're amongst the living," Loki's sweet voice said joyfully. She set down her tea in the empty seat between Grandma and me. The Tobias went down the table and recieved greetings from all of my relatives. Some asked her how she was doing, if she knew what had happend at the Red Kimono last night, and begged for her opinion on whether this scarf went well with their eyes or not. Loki answered their questions efficently as she fixed her plate.
Before sitting down she hugged Mom, asked what Dad thought of the french toast this morning (it was her own recipe, and he said it outdid his own) and kissed Grandma on the cheek. Loki set her plate down, and I pulled her chair out.
"Thank you, darling. Wow, looks like you were hungry," she said her eyes marveling at my plate, that was now perfectly spotless. I had licked it clean when no one was looking. I love maple syrup...
"I worked up an appetite last night," I whispered in her ear, a knowing grin on my face. Loki rolled her emerald eyes and began to eat her cooking. I realized that my mom's jaw was agape and my dad's strip of bacon dropped to his plate. Guess I wasn't as quiet as I thought. Grandma giggled and placed a wrikled hand on Loki's shoulder.
"Oh, you two sparred last night? Did you give my little Shino a good knock on the head? You are such a good ninja! I remember when he was just a wee little boy, begging his daddy to let him stay home from that academy because some... dog-thing with red marks scared him. Oh! Have I told you about the time that he went running through Konoha stark-naked, except for his sunglasses of course, screaming 'I'm nakey! Guess who's not wearing any under-" I blushed wildly and yelled for her to shut up.
I looked over at Loki, hoping that she had been too busy sipping tea to have heard my psycho grandma. No such luck. Loki had heard every single thing that Grandma had said. She turned towards me with a smile so bright that it would put Lee's to shame. She punched my arm softly and laughed.
"You did?! Oh that sounds so adorable!" Loki giggled and turned back to the old devil woman and asked her for more stories. Too late. Tobias Loki was lost to my pleas. I sat back and groaned. I noticed my Mom smiling and my dad snickering to my left.
"No, Shino, you may not push your dear old Grandma down the stairs. Also, next time you come down, remeber to put a shirt on," Dad said knowingly. Oh how I wanted to pull an Itachi and massacre my entire family right there.
After 45 minutes the table began to clear as my relatives went to go start their day. Grandma left and I picked up a fork, intending to get her in the back like a kunai. My father glared at me as he went to go put his plate up.
"Aww..."
"What do you want to do today? Maybe we should go see if Kiba has forgiven us yet.," My Kitsune offered.
"But they were so funny! Alright, next time we go see any of my family, including Iruka, I'll let them tell you my most embarassing stories. Deal?"
"Deal..."
"Now don't you start that. It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have made any of us go anyways."
"If I would have gotten my bugs under control fast enough, none of that would of happened."
"Not your fault. I got you drunk, remember? You couldn't even control your tv, let alone your insects after all of that sake."
"Got a point there. No wonder why I love you." I put her on my lap and jammed my tongue into her mouth. She returned the favor.
"Uncle Shino and Auntie Loki are making out at the table again!" This annoying voice belonged to my little cousin, who always called me "uncle" and Loki "auntie". Little idiot didn't seem to realize that he was just my cousin.
"Have I ever told you about the time Inuzuka Kiba sprayed me with Raid? Would you like to try it out yourself?" The little boy paled at my words, his bugs freaked out and he raced off to go tell my aunt that I had threatened him with bug spray. Again.
"Damn, you're evil! You belong in the Akatsuki," Loki said, her green eyes glowing beautifully.
"Nah, I always considered myself more of an 'Orichimaru's Minion' kinda guy anyways.
Tobias Loki smiled the smile of angels and held my tight. She kissed my cheek. The smell of maple syrup on her was heavenly.
"No, you're my hero." My Kitsune kissed me and I tasted brown sugar and more maple syrup.
Final Note: shino's grandma is based off of the crazy greek relatives i was raised with. they just LOVE telling personal stories to the people that dont need to know about it. if it helps, think of the grandmother in my big fat greek wedding. i love french toast. i like thinking that shino has a big family, although you dont hear much about the Aburames, or even Shino for that matter. i dont no if his mom is still alive, but i made her anyways. shino's mom is a happy little blond, heh heh. how odd...