After that night, Shino avoided Tenten. It was slightly unlike him with his new relationship with her, as they had always found time for their couplings. But he just couldn't be near her without hearing those words and, frankly, he didn't know how to respond. He didn't think he could just pretend he didn't hear her like he had that night. She would catch on eventually.
How could she even say that? Did she fully understand the meaning of those words? Those words meant many things that Shino wasn't ready for-didn't know he would ever be ready for. He was not ready to put everything else in his life aside for the commitment of loving some woman. Sure, he had felt for her like no one else before, but could that really mean he loved her? He didn't want to even think about it...
So he didn't. Shino pushed it back into his mind and chose to forget everything about it. He would eat and train as if nothing had happened. He would talk with comrades and everything was fine. But the second he thought about going home and lying in his bed, the memories came back to haunt him.
He couldn't, no wouldn't, say the words back. He hardly knew the girl.
That, in all honesty, he thought was sad.
~`O`~`O`~`O`~`O`~
TenTen wasn't much for sappy love stories or waiting by the phone for a guy to call, she had more important things in her life to do. But damn it, the man could atleast acknowledge she was there when they would see each other! I mean, she had been the victim of one-night-stands before, but this was nothing like that. They were, how should she say, partners.
If he dares to ignore her one more time when their paths cross, she will give him a piece of her mind! What was going on with him anyway? Was he purposefully ignoring her? What did she do wrong? Men were so confusing. Well it wouldn't bother her in the least.
...
...
Ok maybe it would.
She threw herself on her bed, her face smashing into her pillow.
"I wanna scream! UGH!" She sat up in her bed, her hair falling down out of her buns. She jumped up and threw on some appropriate clothes. She didn't think her PJ's would be acceptable to where she was going.
"If he won't come to me, I'll come to him." With that, she left her apartment with much confidence and made her way to the Aburame Compound.
As she walked the streets of Konaha, she made sure she looked for him. She made sure to check for his chakra. She made every precausion she could to make sure he wasn't going to avoid her again. But she didn't see him. As she continued to walk, she began to have second thoughts about going to see him. What would she say? More importantly, how would he respond?
The sun shown in her eyes as she walked up to the gates of the Aburames. She stood there for about a minute, and the gates opened on their own. She walked up to the giant white door, ignoring all the bugs that left their flowers to buzz around her. She did not knock, as she knew the inhabitants of the home already knew she was there. She waited for a few seconds, noticing the peeling paint on the outside wall, and Tenten had to refrain herself from picking at it. The door began to creak open, and Tenten averted her eyes from the peeling wall to look at one of Shino's cousins.
"He's not here." She said, and started closing the doors.
How did she know who Tenten was here for? Tenten did not recognize the Aburame in front of her and didn't believe their paths had crossed before.
"Wait, wait!" Tenten stuck her hand in the door to keep it from closing, annoying the woman on the other end. Or so Tenten thought as you couldn't see the woman's face. "Can you, maybe, tell me where he is? I need to talk him. It's..." She searched for the right word. "Important." Well, that would have to do.
The woman on the other end seemed to reluctantely opened the door the rest of the way.
"I don't know where he is." Then shut the door.
"Man..." She was about to turn around and head into town when she heard the door squeak.
The door cracked open slightly, and Tenten could make out part of the woman's sunglasses.
"He said something about training with his tea-"
"Thanks, Gotta go!" Tenten sprinted away, waving behind her. There was no need, though. She knew there was no one there to see.
~`O`~`O`~`O`~`O`~
As she reached the training grounds that were reserved for Team 8, she realized she hadn't thought of what she should say to him. She was able to make out shapes in the distance, and instantly saw the one that belonged to Shino. The one standing stiff against the tree.
She made her approach.
"Shino Aburame! What is your deal? Do you think that you can just ignore me after all that? I mean, I don't need you to call me every night, but-"
"Tenten." Shino had not moved from his spot against the tree that was scarred from years of training, yet Tenten could feel his eyes on her. As he spoke to her, his voice was thick and almost... Icy. He had never said her name like that before. "This is not an appropriate time for such a topic. Why? I am busy."
"Then when is ,Shino? I want to know what is going on with you. You obviously aren't going to tell me on your own account."
"I'm training. Please leave."
Tenten looked from Shino, to his teammates who were sparring quite some distance away. "I'm not going anywhere, and you don't look very busy to me." All the commotion had gathered the attention of the two sparring, and their sensei. Kurenai held up her hand for the two ninja (and dog) to stop attacking as she made her way over to her last student.
"Shino, what is going on?" Red eyes laid upon TenTen, making her feel uncomfortable. But she wouldn't back down. Not yet.
"Nothing, Sensei."
Kiba and Hinata began to also make their way over, Akamaru in tow. They looked beat, Tenten noticed, and she wondered just how long the team had been out here.
"Training is done for the day." Kurenai gave a knowing look to Shino, which told him to talk with Tenten and not have her appear at another training session again.
"Hai." They all replied.
Kurenai disappeared.
"Well... Bye guys. I guess I'll see you tomorrow. I better get home." Hinata offered a smile, but knew that there was something up with Shino, whose bugs were beginning to buzz loudly in agitation, and TenTen, who just looked pissed.
Hinata looked to Kiba, who had a strange look on his face. "Come on Kiba." She hoped Kiba would get the hint to leave.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Kiba began to follow after Hinata, who had started to leave already, still staring at Tenten. Did he smell...? No, it couldn't be.
Shino made no move until he was sure his teammates were gone. Then, he pushed his back off the tree and began making his own way home, hands in his pockets.
"Shino, what-?"
He turned around, his black goggles staring. She stared back, wondering when she should finally back down.
~`O`~`O`~`O`~`O`~
Shino couldn't believe this. He could not believe that she had come to his training grounds. He could not believe that she interrupted their practice. He could not believe that she was standing there with her eyes furrowed and hands on her hips. Perhaps he deserved this? He had been ignoring her, after all. He would take alternate routes when he saw her in town and purposefully take missions when he knew she was returning from hers. It had been two months since their last time together, and Shino was started to think that perhaps he should have taken a different approach by now.
So he took her to his home, sat down, and laid down the law.
"Tenten. There is something we need to discuss."
"I'll bet! Why are you blowing me off all of a sudden? I mean, did I do something wrong?"
"I do not think we need to continue seeing one another." He immediately regretted it as soon as it left his lips. Truth be told, he wanted her. But somewhere along the way the lines got blurred and Shino didn't know for what reasons he wanted Tenten, and what reasons she wanted him.
"What?" He couldn't believe the look on her beautiful face. She looked ready to break something. He was thankful for the fact that in his home, they hardly decorated. Making it impossible to throw anything, seeing as there was nothing to throw. But if she had her weapon scrolls...
"I think you have taken our relationship too far."
...
He waited. Anxious to see her reaction.
"I TOOK IT TOO FAR? You're the damn one who fucked me on that mission!"
Shino cringed at how loud she was, she was even louder than when they- Shino's face grew hot. "Do not be so loud." His father had, as far as Shino could tell, not know about his son's activites and Shino planned to keep it that way.
"I can't believe you! You're such a- a- a pig!" He couldn't believe he did it. He was telling her to leave. To leave him... He would have no one left and he would only have himself to blame. He cared for her, he really did. But, he couldn't give her the commitment she wanted. It was better this way.
"I apologize."
"I don't want an apology!" Tears started forming, but she wouldn't let them fall. She never did.
She left.
"That was harsh, Son."
Shino tilted his head in his father's direction. So he had heard, did he?
"It had to be done."
~`O`~`O`~`O`~`O`~
Alright, so I added a little stuff here and there to these first to chapters... Took some stuff out. Ya know. It is not where I want it to be, but I didn't want to change it too much since some people liked it. If I had changed more, it might not even been the same story as before. Sooooo, here's to hopefully updating sooner and to bettering my writing skills. (cause let's be honest, how did you guys even let me write what I did...? It was... Bad.) Thank you Loves anyway! I appreciate all the constuctive critisism and lovely words of encouragement.
Much love,
S.A.M.