Hinata woke well before Shino did. She blinked, getting the sleep out of her eyes. Lifting her head to look over the slumbering Aburame, she looked at the glowing numbers of the clock. It was just shy of six in the morning. She eased herself out of the bed and slipped into the bathroom successfully without waking him up. She carried with her the brush that had been discarded the night before.

When she finished, she slipped from his bedroom just as quietly. She knew Shino did all the cooking, and she also knew that her teammates fawned over hers. If anything, she was proud of her culinary skills. Navigating through the hallway, she found herself in the kitchen, and face-to-face with Shino's father, looking like he was about to head out.

They blinked at each other.

"Good morning." Shibi said.

"Ano… sorry. I was going…to cook breakfast if that wouldn't be a problem?" she said nervously.

If ever there was a man that was happy, it would be Shibi. With his lack of cooking skills, he would normally just grab something and leave, always arriving early. But, from what Shino had told him, this girl was an excellent cook. He didn't have to be at the gate until seven. Surely he could spare…

"Be our guest, please. Help yourself to whatever is in the refrigerator. You don't mind if I stick around for breakfast, do you?"

Hinata shook her head furiously.

"N-no! Not at all!"

Shibi laughed and put a hand on the girl's shoulder, directing her into the kitchen.

"Relax. I won't be offended if you only wanted to cook for Shino. And I don't bite. Often…"

Hinata just set to busying herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shibi take a seat at the kitchen table, watching her work with interest. Shibi sighed. Oh how he missed Emi, his wife.

"Be careful with him." Shibi said out of the blue.

Hinata looked away from the bacon sizzling in the pan. Her pearly gaze regarded him.

"What do you mean?"

"Shino. Be careful with him. He may not act the part, but he's selfless. If he thinks something is his fault, he will harbor that guilt. I've seen little things eat away at him."It was so odd, seeing Shibi so serious. Hinata nodded. She knew exactly what the man was talking about. She herself had seen evidence of this. During missions, Shino was usually assigned as team leader. If the mission was failed, Shino wholly took the blame. It worried her and Kiba, but neither said a word. Hinata also knew what he was talking about on a personal level. She herself took the blame for many situations, and most of the time she was not the one at fault.

Hinata turned back to the sizzling bacon and removed it from the skillet, putting it onto a plate and adding more bacon. Grabbing an egg, she cracked it on the side of the second skillet, expertly doing the job one-handed.

-

Shino awoke to the aroma of bacon wafting throughout the house. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Hinata wasn't around. It was still dark enough that he had to turn a lamp on. Judging by the lack of light under the bathroom door, he knew she was not in there. That means she's cooking and that his dad wasn't playing with the stove again. He swiped his glasses off the table and went out the bedroom door, eager to eat whatever Hinata had cooking.

The smell greatly improved as he walked into the kitchen. He found his father reading the paper at the table and Hinata at the stove, emptying a meal of over easy eggs onto two plates. Shino blinked. Two? He took a seat. She brought both plates over and served each. There were two eggs and two slices of bacon apiece, as well as toast.

"Hinata… You didn't have to -- OW!"

Shibi had rolled the newspaper and swatted Shino's head with it.

"She wanted to. Don't be rude."

Shino glared at his father, then looked back to Hinata.

"Where's your plate?"

Hinata twiddled her fingers and looked down.

"Don't worry about me. There were only enough eggs for you two. I'll just eat bacon."

Shino returned his gaze back to his father. He didn't say anything, but Shibi could read the gaze perfectly, as if Shino was screaming at him.

'You were supposed to go shopping this week.'

Hinata heard the shifting of plates and looked back up. Both men were holding their plate out to her. She sweat dropped; they didn't have to be so chivalrous over breakfast. She waved her hands and backed up.

"N-no.. really. I'm fine."

A loud growl ripped through the kitchen, and her face went beet-red. Shino and his father seemed to think on a telepathic level. They both crossed their arms and focused their gaze on her. Hinata gave in. She took an egg from Shino's plate and put it on her own, putting some bacon back. Shibi and Shino shared a mental high five. Hinata came back, sitting down and eating breakfast with them.

-

Shibi was long gone. Hinata was dressed in the clothes she came in, and Shino was digging out his wallet. Finding it, he met Hinata out in the front yard.

"Are you ready?"

Hinata nodded, clasping her hands and standing silently next to him. She would have rather paid herself, but her current situation left her broke. She felt guilty for making the silent ninja pay for her. Shino, on the other hand, felt obliged to pay. He took her to the small family shops within the compound first, in case she saw something she wanted. They always discounted him because he was the heir. Reaching the silk shop, he held aside the curtain.

"Take a look around. If there's anything you like, tell me. I'm good friends with the owner."

Hinata walked past him into the silk shop. Her eyes shined. It was all so beautiful! All kinds of colors, and under her trained eye she could tell that they were hand-woven. She saw a tank against one side of the small shop.

"Silkworms."

Shino nodded.

"Our finest."

After a while of browsing, Hinata decided it was time to leave. But, she decided, she would keep a mental tab of where this shop was. She would definitely have to come here again. Holding Shino's arm, they left the shop, heading for the gate out into the main shopping district.

-

Shino internally groaned. Shopping. Ugh. Sure, Hinata was having a blast, but Shino was still a man. He did not just shop. He gets what he needs and leaves. But nooooo, women have to go and loooook at everything, tooooouuuch everything, weeeeaaar everything…

"Shino! How's this look?"

He looked up at her for the umpteenth time. He had to admit, she did look good in this one. A simple lavender blouse with black slacks. He nodded, and she added it to the surprisingly small pile of clothes that she was actually getting. He was mildly surprised when she came back out of the dressing room wearing her original clothes. They both grabbed some clothing, and Hinata ran off to get some things. Having an idea of what she was getting, he chose not to follow.

He was waiting by the checkout when she returned with pink cheeks and small articles of clothing.

-

They walked back to Shino's house, each carrying a bag. They passed the Yamanaka flower shop along the way. Ino was inside, reading a magazine, blowing a bubble with her gum. She looked up just in time to see The Aburame and the Hyuuga walking together, each with a bag. Her bubble popped. No Kiba. Hmmm…

Ino closed the magazine and walked through the shop to greet them. There may be some interesting gossip here. And, she figured, not like they were getting any business today. The bell over the door jingled as she caught them as they passed.

"Oi, Hinata! Aburame!"

The two stopped and turned, looking at the cheerful blonde behind then. After a second, Shino took Hinata's bag.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up with you in a minute."

Hinata look puzzled for a moment, but went over to meet Ino. Putting both bags into one hand, Shino one-handedly signed fro a bug clone. He gave it the bags.

"Take these home, fold them, and put them on top of my dresser."

"Hai, Boss."

Shino watched the clone disappear. He turned and met both girls in front of the flower shop.

-

Ino waved as Hinata came towards her. But as she got closer, Ino noticed bruised peeking out from underneath the short sleeves. Her smile faltered.

"Hinata? Is everything alright?"

Hinata's smile faded to, and her eyes flashed. Ino realized Hinata was remembering something that she didn't want to remember. Maybe she shouldn't have asked…

"Sorry. If you don't want me to know, that's alright. If you'd like, I have a medicinal plant…?"

Ino left the question hanging, she wanted to be polite in case she had offended the Hyuuga. Sure, she couldn't give it away for free because her parents would kill her, but she could mark down the price if the shy girl needed it. She looked over the girl's shoulder to see Shino sending away a clone with the bags they had been carrying.

Hinata shook her head.

"It's alright. You weren't wrong… to ask…"

Hinata brought her hand up to the spot on her head where her hair had been ripped out.

"It was…. My f-father. He finally did it. Sh-Shino and his f-father took me in."

Ino's jaw dropped. She had known that the relationship between Hinata and her father was testy, but she had never known how extreme it was. She hugged the girl as Shino walked up to them.

"Oooooh! I'm so sorry!"

Shino cleared his throat.

"Hello, Ino."

Ino let go of Hinata. She turned to Shino, looking him up and down. Putting a hand on her chin, she slowly circled him. Shino felt a sweatdrop forming.

"What… are you doing?"

Ino didn't answer, but continued her circuit until she was in front of him again. She turned back to Hinata, putting a cheerful smile on once more.

"He's a keeper!"

Shino had no idea what Ino meant, so said nothing, but Hinata's cheeks flushed. He dismissed it.

"Yes, we'll have a… a look at that plant."

Shino blinked. What plant? Well… as long as it wasn't too expensive….

-

Shino and Hinata walked through the gate of the compound. Shino was carrying a potted plant that even he could not remember the name to. It was already evening, somehow, girls seem to make the day disappear with their shopping for nothing. After they got to the house and got everything situated, the two settled down on the couch to watch whatever movie it was that Hinata had picked out. "Dirty Dancing" began to play.

Shino leaned back on the couch, hands behind his head on the armrest. Hinata laid atop him, arms crossed under her chin on his chest. They were rather comfortable throughout the movie. He brought a hand up to her hair, stroking her head, taking his eyes off the love scene on the television to look at the girl atop him. To his surprise, Hinata seemed to have been thinking the same thing. She met his gaze, head resting on her arms as she studied the expression on his mostly hidden face. Shino continued to stroke her hair and shifted his head, tuning back to the screen.

Hinata smiled, laying her head back on its side, continuing to watch Johnny dance with Baby. She wished she could dance like that. She closed her eyes and imagined herself dancing with Shino, ending with the most notable scene in the movie, he would hold her high over his head. She giggled aloud at the very thought of the folly. Shino looked at her, eyebrow raised. Must be a girl thing. He looked back to the screen, continuing to stroke Hinata's hair, and bringing his other arm around in a loose embrace. He felt the body atop him shift. He flitted his eyes back without turning his head. Then, the air hit his face.

Hinata, being wrapped up in the movie and the prospect of being with Shino, suddenly remembered that they were home alone. There was no chance of getting caught by Shino's dad. She pulled herself up, pulling Shino's tall collar down to expose his face. She smiled when he turned his head fully to look right at her. His lips parted with the intake of breath. Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips against his, forgetting the movie. Shino was yet again taken by surprise. He kissed her back softly, using both arms to hold her. It didn't seem to click with him yet. Hinata broke the kiss. That's alright. Her face hovered over his, one hand still bunching the collar at the base of his throat. She blinked, noting the smile that crossed his lips.

Shino knew he shouldn't, and something was telling him he shouldn't, but he didn't seem to be using the right head at the moment. Running one hand up her back, he pulled her back down to him, meeting her lips once more. Hinata didn't resist. She could hear the hum of his insects. Letting go of his collar, she unlatched the top clasps that held it shut, bringing her hands around the back of his neck, holding him tightly. Shino nibbled on her bottom lip, and their kiss intensified. His hands, seemingly of their own accord, moved down to rest on her hips. Hinata snapped back into reality. She should not be doing this…

She brought her knees up on either side of him, breaking their kiss and sitting up on his stomach. They were both breathing heavy with pink tints to their cheeks. Shino's hands never left her hips.

"Gomen. I should know better. Sorry, Shino."

To her surprise, Shino chuckled.

"It's quite alright. I should know better too."

His brow arched as he regarded her.

"But then again, ignorance is bliss, correct?"

Hinata smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. Instead of kissing him again, though, she completely unbuttoned the black shirt, revealing a white undershirt. She bent and touched her lips to his neck. Yes, Shino concluded, ignorance is DEFINITELY bliss. He moved his hands a little lower, holding the girl against his body. His self control was slipping. He should know better than to do this… but no one would know…

Hinata kissed his jawbone before reaching up to remove his glasses. She folded them and leaned over him to the end table next to the couch, setting the shades down. His hair tickled her throat. He tried to keep still, and not initiate in such… dangerous… activities, but it was getting increasingly more difficult. She sat back up, taking her hands and running them across the muscles underneath the shirt. She could feel the bugs under his skin. They were excited. That meant he liked what she was doing. Other areas were also stating this fact. She pulled his shirt up and presses her lips to his chest. Shino gritted his teeth. Something could go wrong if she didn't stop… not like he wanted her to, though…

"Hinata… I don't think that…"

She silenced him by putting a finger to his lips. She whispered in his ear.

"Then don't."

His eyebrow twitched. If only she knew how much he wanted this… He gripped the trialing sanity, roping it down. Now was not the time. Not right after something traumatic. What had gotten into her? …what had gotten into him? Nothing. But… she had started it. Shino was nonplussed, but his thoughts were jarred when she continued what she was doing. He grabbed her wrists when her hands started to go too low. Something was off.

And then it clicked.

The plant.

Ino had an extremely mischievous look in her eye when he had agreed to buy it. Typically, she said, it is used to soothe pain, putting the leaves over a bruise or wound, and then wrapping it up. She did mention unusual side effects should it be consumed. The leaves could be boiled in tea, and it wasn't dangerous, but she wouldn't elaborate, to him, what the effects were. She must have told Hinata something, but it wasn't the truth. No matter. It was about time for bed anyway.

"Hinata… I think it's about time for bed."

This set Hinata giggling, and she got up. He watched her, thoroughly confused. What had he said that was so funny?

He eased himself up, pulling his black shirt back across his shoulders. Hinata seemed to be stuck in a fit of giggles at the foot of the couch. He got up, amused smile on his lips, shaking his head slightly. He would never understand girls. He walked over to the TV and bent down to shut it off, getting ready to put the movie away. Hinata's arms snaked around his neck from behind, and he stood up, her being held piggy back. Shino turned his head to look at her behind him. She had a close-eyed smile on. His eyes rolled. He snatched his glasses off the end table, holding one arm in his teeth. He brought his arms back around and held up Hinata's legs so he could carry her across the house.

With her chin, Hinata pulled down the back of his collar, nuzzling his neck and he carried her. Shino growled internally. She was making this hard. Whatever toxin she consumed from the plant, they were inhibiting her better judgment. It all relied on his superior willpower to prevent something from happening that he will, inevitably, regret. She should be fine by morning.

A stream of insects escaped his right sleeve, opening the door. Walking in, he kicked the door shut and walked towards the bed, turning around and plopping Hinata down. He went to the dresser to gather night clothes. As he passed, he put his glasses on the nightstand. He didn't have to worry about Hinata; she had gotten a pair of pajamas. He noted the pile of clothes on top of his dresser. He needed to empty out a drawer for her to put her undergarments.

Finding what he needed, he headed towards the bathroom.

"Get ready for bed, Hinata. We've got things to do tomorrow."

Hinata started giggling again. If Shino could have gotten any more confused, a giant question mark would be floating above his head. But, this was the real life, not some anime TV show. Silly things like that didn't happen. Dismissing it again, he stepped into the bathroom and changed.

Hinata was feeling unusual. Ino had told her that the chemicals in the tea would help for pain and that a side effect would be that Hinata would be in an extremely pleasant mood. But….what. Just, what. Hinata didn't know what was going on. Her better judgment seemed to be failing her. It seemed that every time she looked at him, she wanted him. She wanted him to touch her. But why? All these thoughts were running through her head as she changed into the baby blue cotton pajamas she had gotten. She thought they were adorable. The top was short-sleeved with a fluffy sheep on the front, and the bottoms were half-pants, stopping at her knees. Little z's and sheep patterned them, with two wide draw stings hanging down. She patiently sat on the bed, trying to figure out just what it was that she wanted.

Shino came out in a white wife-beater and checked sleep pants. She giggled. With his hair, not contained by the headband he usually keeps tied around his head, he looked like he had just rolled out of bed, rather than getting ready to get into it. He flipped off the light and crawled into bed, exhausted from all this "shopping" nonsense. Hinata followed suit, getting under the covers.

"Goodnight, Hinata."

Hinata said nothing. Instead, she rolled herself on top of him, met his lips, and put his hands on her hips. Shino's eyes widened, but he didn't push her away. Pressing her body against his, she moved down to the crook of his neck. Shino's eyes closed. This was going to be a looooong night….