A/N:
Hey everyone! I am giving you a long chapter early to make up for the long space there has been between updates! I want to thank everyone who has left reviews. Honestly, I have received the kindest, most thoughtful reviews ever! I really hope that everyone is enjoying this fic. :)
I would really like a reaction to this chapter! The romance is starting to heat up a little, and I was really nervous to post this. This story is about to get steamy, and I hope I am doing a good job of keeping everyone in character. Please enjoy!
The next morning found Shino lying flat on his back on his bedroll, opening his eyes and noticing that the curtains to the balcony were open. The sky was dark and cloudy, and the smell of rain wafted into the room along with fresh, cool air.
He looked to the side and saw Tenten sitting outside on a wicker chair with a notepad in one hand and a pencil in the other. She was dressed in a simple cotton robe, her long hair in a loose fishtail braid down her back. She looked like she was sketching something in the notebook.
He took a few moments to just look at her, his mind still somewhere between asleep and awake. She was up before he was for once. She tucked her hair behind her ear, taming back the tendrils that were falling into her face and she sighed. A small frown rested on her lips and her eyebrows were drawn together in concentration. He must have been very tired because all he could think was that she looked like a figure out of a painting, distracted and disconnected from the rest of the world.
He sat up and closed his eyes to rub the spot where his sunglasses had been resting. It was time to wake up.
She looked over at him from her spot on the balcony. "G'morning," she chirped, giving him a little wave and going back to studying her notebook.
"Good morning," he responded quietly, feeling slightly embarrassed that she had to watch him wake up. For some reason he felt a little uncomfortable at the thought that she could have seen him while he was asleep—although he had seen her in an unconscious state several times.
He went into the bathroom to take a quick shower and change into a comfortable yukata. When he came back out into the room, she was still sitting on the balcony and sketching. He went out to join her, looking up at the dreary morning sky and taking a deep breath.
"Smells good out here, huh?" she asked without looking up.
"Yes," he agreed. The morning was dark, but he liked this kind of weather. He could tell that it had sprinkled a little during the night, and it looked like it would rain some more during the day.
Finally, she looked up from what she was working on. "I can't believe you sleep with your sunglasses on," she remarked, good-natured as always. Anyone else might have made fun of him. "I hadn't even noticed until today. Do you do that every night?"
He didn't want to let her know that it was because he felt uncomfortable taking them off around people he hadn't known for a long time, so he replied, "When I'm in unfamiliar places."
"Does it hurt?"
"No."
"As long as you're comfortable, I guess," she said with a shrug. He felt silent relief that she wasn't going to push the matter. "Here, I've been working a little more on my map of the inn." She handed him the notepad that had been on her lap and he examined her work.
He was honestly surprised. She had a gift for map-making and an excellent memory. She had marked places of interest and doors of rooms they had yet to explore.
"This is... impressive," he said after a moment of studying.
She waved her hand as if to dismiss his compliment. "Gai-sensei drilled this type of stuff into our heads, even when we didn't need to know where we were going. Because 'it's youthful to be prepared!'" she quoted with a grin.
He looked back at the map once again. "Perhaps we can dedicate some time to exploring these places," he murmured. He handed the notebook back to her and she took it inside.
"I thought so too," she replied. "I was also thinking… we should find out more about the old manager of this hotel."
Shino had been thinking the same thing. "I concur," he stated, pushing his glasses up on his nose and turning away from the bathroom door while she went in to change.
"Akane said he died from a heart problem from birth," she was saying through the door, "but I think that's a little sketchy. We should talk to someone who knew him before, but I don't know of anyone who could give us anything useful."
Shino thought for a moment. This was true. It would help to know more about the old manager, and to find out how well he knew Jin and Suki before he died. Or if he knew them at all. There was always a chance that the story of his demise was true, but it was beginning to seem like there were few coincidences here at the Main Inn.
Suddenly she popped her head through the door, eyes bright. He turned to look at her and realized that he could still see the under layer of her kimono. He turned away with a flush. She was covered up, but still…
"I know what to do," she said as she finished tying her outfit together and began to untangle her braid. "Employee records. They'd probably be in Jin's office…" she murmured thoughtfully, her nimble fingers creating another, neater fishtail braid.
"We haven't been to that part of the inn yet," he said, beginning to follow her logic. They would be able to kill two birds with one stone if they went there—they'd have the chance to explore and they would be able to find out who the old manager was.
"We can explore and figure out who the old manager was," she said, echoing his thoughts. Not for the first time, he found himself impressed at the similar ways in which they thought. "Now all we have to do is figure out which one of those rooms is his office."
Shino nodded and held out a hand. She watched at him closely and noticed that a tiny bug rested on the tip of his index finger. "It's going to find the office?" she asked, no longer skeptical of his bugs' abilities. He gave her a short nod and it flew off, slipping between the cracks of the door to find the office they were looking for.
"Speaking of my kikkai…" he said, recalling some of the thoughts he'd had earlier the night before. He had wondered if he shouldn't place a bug on Tenten at times when they would have to be separate. He knew that she could take care of herself if she ever ran into trouble, but he'd feel reassured if he could watch out for her at least a little. On missions, Kiba and Hinata often had a bug with them, just so he could know if they were in danger or needed any backup. It was also a handy way for them to communicate with him.
He wasn't really sure how to bring up the subject with his new partner, though.
"What about them?" she asked.
"Perhaps it would be wise if you allowed one of my bugs to be with you when we are separate," he said, keeping his tone polite and professional. He didn't want her thinking that he believed she needed to be babysat. "Why, you ask? You are my teammate on this mission. It would be easier for me to know if you are in trouble. If you were to encounter a threat and you needed backup, I would be able to find you quickly and assist you."
Tenten raised a dubious brow. Did he think she was helpless or something? Did she seem the type to constantly stumble into trouble? On the other hand… knowing that Shino was able to see and hear everything last night had actually been reassuring. "I'll probably be alright," she replied. She'd lasted this long without a bug with her, and she wasn't too sure she wanted to analyze the reasons for his offering, anyway. She'd probably just get offended.
He frowned. "Hinata and Kiba both carry bugs with them when we are on missions together," he explained. "Why? Mostly for my own benefit. This way I know that they are safe."
"Oh," she said, suddenly understanding what he meant. It wasn't that he thought she was an idiot (although she sometimes wondered). He was trying to look out for her. It was sort of like he was christening her as an official teammate. It was actually kind of… touching. She was kind of happy that he liked her enough to consider her his partner, and someone worth looking out for.
"It is no reflection on your skill as a kunoichi," he explained. "Simply a precaution. If you are uncomfortable, however, I will not pursue the matter any further."
"Well… I guess it couldn't hurt," she said, already sold on the idea once she began viewing it as a rite of passage for a teammate. "But don't your bugs feed off of chakra? Or, wait. Will it die without you?"
He seemed to smile for a second, although she couldn't be sure. But he did sound pleased when he replied, "The kikkai can feed off of anyone's chakra. One bug will take only a negligible amount. You will not even be able to feel it."
She gave him a firm nod. "Okay. We'll do it. But no funny business," she said with a smirk.
"Funny business?" he repeated, not understanding what she meant.
"You know. No ogling," she said, her voice full of amusement. If it hadn't been so indecorous he would have huffed—she was obviously teasing him again. Oddly enough, Kiba had told him the exact same thing when he'd suggested it to him.
"I assure you, I will not 'ogle' you."
"I'll take your word for it," she said lightly. "How's your bug doing? The one looking for Jin's office?"
Without replying, he closed his eyes behind his sunglasses to focus. The bug was flying down a hallway, in and out of doors looking for traces of the hotel manager's presence. One room in particular looked promising, but the kikkai couldn't do all the work.
"We'll have to investigate further," he murmured, to her and to himself.
"Where?" she asked quietly, afraid to break his concentration. It was always interesting to watch him communicate with his bugs. She silently wondered how he did it. She wondered if he'd be too uncomfortable if she asked him questions about it later… she never knew what the limits were with him. He was a very private person.
"There is a hallway that bypasses the kitchen," he replied, opening his eyes to look at her. She was studying him just as closely as she had been studying her notepad earlier in the morning.
"Should we go now?" she asked, slipping a pair of sandals over her socked feet.
He was about to suggest that one should go investigate while the other stayed to avoid being too conspicuous, but then he remembered what had happened the night before. If she was discovered snooping around by herself again, she would look suspicious, and she would be in danger of facing a similar situation.
"Yes," he confirmed. They needed to be seen together more, anyway—if they wandered away from each other too much, they wouldn't look like they were a couple.
He slipped on his own sandals and followed her out the door.
A few meters down the hall, Tenten slowed down just enough to let Shino catch up to her and she slipped her arm into his. He jumped a little—not enough for anyone to notice, but enough to bother her. As the kikkai buzzed wildly against her arm, she wondered why it was that he seemed so averse to physical contact. It worried her a little. To go on this type of mission while being as closed off as he was seemed nearly impossible. She wondered what he would do if they were in a situation where they expected to hold hands or something of that nature.
She didn't know how she was supposed to bring that subject up. With no small amount of humor she recalled how awkward he had been while they were discussing the possibility that Jin and Suki were having sex.
"Let's go get some food, Souza-san," she chirped, choosing to shelve that concern for later.
"Of course," Shino said as he led her down the stairs towards the kitchens.
They got a small breakfast of rice balls and miso soup and sat down at one of the small round tables that sat near the kitchen.
In between bites, he leaned close and whispered, "Down that hallway. The last door to the left is the most likely location."
"Mm-hm," she said cheerfully through a mouthful of soup. He gave her a smile, as if they were talking about something casual, and he went back to his own meal.
They looked spectacularly unassuming as they took a stroll around the halls. There were very few people up and about, and since it was only late morning, most of the people they did run into were either too tired or too hung over to care what they were doing. Most of the staff was busy cleaning or cooking or tending to guests, so they were able to fly under the radar on their way to where Shino's kikkai was waiting.
Tenten felt just a trace of nervousness when they got there—the feeling someone got when they knew they were somewhere they weren't supposed to be. Still, being the shinobi that they were, they were able to slip into the empty hallway without anyone noticing.
She let go of his arm and could practically feel the relief oozing off of him. Without a word, they made their way to the last room in the passageway. Tenten carefully and quietly slid open the paper door, and watched as a little bug zipped right past her and into Shino.
"This is it?" she asked him, looking around at the tiny room. Sure enough, it looked just like a little office space. Despite the old-style building and decorations, there were modern filing cabinets and office supplies lying on a sturdy-looking desk.
"Yes," he responded.
"How long do you think we'll have to look around here?" she asked, making short time of opening up the locked filing cabinets.
"Kikkai are on the lookout outside of the hall," he told her, opening up the desk drawers in search of something useful.
Tenten stopped talking and focused on the work at hand. She carefully fingered through different files: accounting, finances… She shut the drawer she was in and opened up a new one: taxes, legal documents… a list of clients?
She quickly scanned the manuscript. It only contained names of people she'd never heard of. Useless. "Shino," she said. He looked up from the file he was looking at. "Got anything?
"I think I've found what we're looking for," he said, his eyes scanning a sheet of paper in a folder. She leaned over his shoulder to take a look.
"This is it," she said, recognizing a few of the names on the paper. He flipped through a few pages to look at past employees.
"Haru Tendo," Shino read aloud. "Manager for six years. Reason for leaving: Death."
"That's him," she said. "Does it say anything else? Was Jin working here before he died?" They scanned the paper together, looking for any evidence that Jin or Suki had been working at the Main Inn for more than four months.
"His name only appears after the death of Haru Tendo," Shino said.
"He's got emergency contacts," Tenten muttered, memorizing the name and address of Haru Tendo's wife.
Shino glanced up at her. "Someone is coming."
Tenten shut and re-locked the drawers behind her as quietly as she possibly could as Shino put the file away. Leaving the room just as they'd found it, they snuck back out into the hallway.
"… extra aprons in the storage closet…" a muffled voice came from behind a door close by. She froze as she heard footsteps coming closer and closer to them.
"Tenten," Shino whispered to get her attention.
Before she could look at what he was doing, he pulled her through a closet door. "Eep!" she squeaked. She covered her mouth with her hands and looked up at her partner. He looked irritated as he covered his mouth with one finger to tell her to be silent.
They were in a small dark room that had just enough space for the two of them to stand apart among brooms, mops, and… aprons. Tenten grimaced when she realized that they were standing in the very storage closet that the worker was headed to. Shino's glasses gleamed in the low light, and they both peered out the tiny crack of the closet door.
"Who was that?" the voice that had been talking about aprons just a moment ago was right next to them now.
She could see Shino tense up.
"Is someone in here?" A hand came into sight, and Tenten knew that there was no way they wouldn't get caught now. So she did the only thing she could think of.
It actually took a lot of effort to pull Shino down to her level. He was stiff and she could tell that he had no idea what she was trying to do. As quickly as she could, she placed a hand on his chin to angle his face toward hers and grabbed a fistful of his clothes to tug him close.
His hands went out to brace the wall on either side of her in an effort to keep himself from falling, and his lips were frozen when they touched hers. Most intriguing of all, she could feel his body vibrating against hers. It felt like hugging a beehive.
When the worker who was looking for aprons opened the closet door, he found what appeared to be two lovers who'd snuck into a closet to make out like teenagers.
"Oh!" Tenten exclaimed in mock-surprise, pushing Shino back. She gave an embarrassed smile. "I told you we'd get caught," she murmured, keeping her hands pressed to his chest.
The hotel employee cleared his throat, and Tenten didn't miss the look of exasperation on his face before he bowed. "Forgive me, honored guests, but this hallway is meant for employees only," he said patiently, as if this was a thing that happened all the time.
"Oh, we're so sorry," Tenten replied in an airheaded voice, taking Shino's hand and pulling him out of the closet with her. "We'll go back to our room."
Shino didn't say a word on the way back.
The rest of the day passed in relative silence. Night had fallen, and there were noises coming from outside that sounded like some kind of party or festival. It seemed that there was something going on every other night. He found it troublesome.
Shino sat quietly on his bedroll, trying to avoid thinking about what had happened earlier that morning. As soon as they'd arrived back to their room, she'd left, saying that she was going to grab some food for dinner and do some shopping.
He'd been able to read between the lines. She was trying to be considerate to him after manhandling him into kissing her in that closet. He didn't imagine that she would have gone out (to go shopping, of all things) if they hadn't just gone through that disaster.
He often found himself questioning her methods, and then realizing that she usually knew what she was doing. As much as he hated to admit it, this was one of those times. When they'd been discovered, the worker had simply bowed and informed them that the hallway was only for employees. If they had been doing anything else—just standing there, waiting to get caught—they would have seemed odd and out of place. At least this way they looked like a young couple who couldn't keep their hands to themselves, not two spies that had just been looking through confidential files.
He pursed his lips together, remembering the way she'd cupped his chin in her hand and directed him while he stood frozen, surprised and useless. His heart beat a little quicker and his bugs whirled around, agitated under his skin. He was suddenly annoyed for no reason.
It hadn't been his first kiss. He'd been on a few dates—he was an adult, after all. Sure, he hadn't gone very far with anyone, and he realized, without any bitterness, that most were scared away by his kikkai. It was just a part of his life that he'd grown used to. Physical contact was rare because of his bloodline limit - and the Aburame clan in general was conservative with affection. It wasn't for lack of love; it was just the way things were.
As far as dating and producing heirs went, Shino knew that someday, if he failed to find his own wife like his father hoped he would, he would have an arranged marriage. Being a shinobi and an Aburame, it was the best he could hope for. He had accepted that long ago.
He needed to get past this—Tenten was only doing her part to push the mission forward and make it succeed. He was fretting over something that held no meaning for either of them, dwelling on his own social awkwardness and anxieties.
He felt Tenten's presence at the door, and listened quietly as she unlocked it and stepped inside. He stood up to see what she'd brought: just a small grocery bag and a to-go box filled with food. She also carried some thermoses full of tea.
"I got supper!" she announced, her voice overly cheerful.
"Thank you," he replied, grateful for her efforts. She was obviously fine with what had just happened, so he decided he had to simply move on. They were both professionals.
"Of course," she said with a smile, setting the food down on the small table in the middle of the room. He made to sit down on the ground beside it and watched as she began pulling fruit out of the grocery bag. "I wasn't sure what your favorites were," she murmured, carefully setting the items out to arrange lunch. "I just got what looked good. I guess apples are in season."
"Hn," he hummed, studying her.
"I got some fruit leather, too." She unraveled some wax paper and tore off a piece. "Mango. My favorite. Oh, I almost forgot! I got some rice and fried chicken, too."
She was much chattier than usual… and it occurred to him that she could be nervous. This surprised him. What she was nervous about, he couldn't tell. He would have thought it was because of the kiss if she hadn't been so nonchalant directly afterward. Frowning, he got himself a bowl of rice and some pieces of fruit. They ate in silence. She focused mostly on her food, and he occasionally took a glance at her to try to figure out what she was thinking.
After a few moments, she took a deep breath and seemed to find her equilibrium. "So, Shino," she said, still overly chipper.
He looked up from his food to pay attention to her, prepared to set her mind at ease if she was, in fact, feeling uncomfortable about kissing him. He had decided: he was completely fine. It was a part of the job.
"Yes?"
"I have something I want to bring up with you. As a teammate," she said quickly. "I don't want you to feel offended or angry, okay?"
In his experience, when someone told him they didn't want him to get offended, they would say something unpleasant anyway. "Go on," he said slowly, trying to calculate what she could possibly have to say.
Tenten sighed and folded her hands together, trying to chew on a piece of imaginary food to buy herself time to really think about how she was going to pose her concerns. She'd left him alone in the room for a few reasons: he was obviously uncomfortable with physical contact, and she figured he needed some space.
She needed time to think about how she wanted to bring up her worries. She knew that she wasn't really the most eloquent person in the world (the number of times she'd offended Neji was a testament to that).
She also had to admit that the awkwardness between them when it came to touching or kissing was, in large part, her own fault. There had been plenty of time to discuss it with him on the way to Kurohara.
She knew how uncomfortable it could be to act intimate with another person, and she should have brought it up with him long before now. Somehow, she'd been under the impression that he would be just fine. She'd been on so many of these types of missions herself that she was totally used to fake intimacy, but she'd forgotten that he probably wasn't. When they'd first arrived, it didn't seem like they'd need to do anything more than hold hands or sit close together. Now she realized that they should have been prepared to go further.
"I was thinking about when we… touch each other," she said awkwardly. "When we hold hands or… kiss, I don't think it looks natural." She placed her hands in her lap. "I wanted to know if you've ever been on a mission like this. Where you were supposed to look like you were intimate with another person."
"No, I haven't," he answered, his face more (if possible) stoic than ever.
"Okay, I thought so. I guess the next question is… have you ever kissed anyone before?"
Shino raised his eyebrows. This conversation had taken a turn toward the unpredictable. "Tenten-san," he began, not worrying about leaving out the honorific this time, "perhaps this is an inappropriate line of questioning."
She frowned, looking worried. "Maybe it isn't," she reasoned, leaning forward to look into his eyes. Or into his sunglasses, at least. "What if we have to do something like that again? Kiss, I mean."
"It will be no problem," he said, not totally certain. She seemed to catch on to his lack of conviction.
"I don't want to offend you, Shino, but you were like a cold fish back there."
Ah. So there were the words that he was going to find offensive. He felt his eyebrow twitch. "I'm an adult," he dead-panned, eyes narrowed behind his glasses. Now he had to answer her question. "Of course I have kissed someone." He may have been Konoha's resident 'bug boy', but he still had a little bit of male pride.
"Oh, good," she said, her face brightening. "I wasn't suggesting that you hadn't, I just… if we had to kiss again, would you be able to do it?"
"Yes," he replied. "Today, I was… caught off guard. It will not happen again."
She nodded. "I believe you," she said softly. "But… even when we hold hands, you're stiff. I don't mean that in a bad way," she said quickly, holding out her hands in a neutral gesture. "I can just tell you're uncomfortable. I don't want to be going through the rest of this mission knowing that you're miserable." The way she said it was so light, so kind, and so humble that he felt guilty. Had he somehow given her the impression that she made him miserable? That the idea of being too close to her made him stiff and uncomfortable? He just couldn't let her go on thinking that.
"It is not you," he said quietly, grasping the cup of tea that was on the table to give his hands something to do. "I am… unused to so much physical contact."
She nodded. "I understand," she said. "I have a suggestion. I know it'll seem weird, but it helped me when I first started going on these types of missions."
He nodded for her to go on.
"Maybe if you just got used to me, you might not feel so nervous. Like if I held your hand for a while. Or… kissed you on the cheek." Her face was starting to turn pink. "Think of it like… training. Except you'll be training to feel comfortable enough to kiss me. Er, or someone, anyone you might have to go undercover with," she said quickly.
She watched him closely for his reaction. She was starting to feel really awkward by this point and she wasn't sure how he was going to take her suggestion.
Finally, he opened his mouth: "You say this method helped you once?" he asked, and she couldn't tell whether he was inclined to follow her advice or just being skeptical. He was completely unreadable.
"Uh, yeah," she answered. "Lee and I were supposed to go to Cloud to look for an assassin who was knocking off the local government—the details aren't really important. We were supposed to be a married couple, and obviously that was kind of awkward for both of us. It was interfering with the mission and we were starting to look suspicious," she explained, trying to remember the story without grimacing. "So one night we just hunkered down in our room and… uh, made out," she said. She would never forget that awkward night, ever.
She remembered what Lee had said right before the kissing had commenced: "Let us face this new challenge with youthful determination, dear Tenten! You, the Flower of Team Gai, and I, Rock Lee, will conquer the act of kissing. We will become the best kissers in all of Konoha. No! In all of the Land of Fire! …"
She cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks burn hot. "Sure, it was weird at first," she said, trying to look confident and cheerful through that awkward memory. "But it worked!"
She looked up at her partner to see his incredulous face. Well, as incredulous as Aburame Shino could look. "You and Rock Lee?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. She wanted to sink into the ground.
"Uh, yeah," she said, not even sure what she was supposed to do when she was this embarrassed. She felt like a huge idiot. "Listen, it was just an idea, we don't have to do anything like that. I shouldn't have ever brought it up—"
Shino listened silently as she chattered on, carefully considering his options. His initial reaction was to tell her to forget about it. It was uncomfortable and highly improper, and he may have even been a little miffed at the implication that he kissed like a cold fish. He wasn't sure how this would affect their team dynamic—they were finally beginning to sync up with one another, weren't they? Not to mention the fact that it would be… awkward to do those types of things with a teammate.
However… she was well-known among her peers to be an exceptional undercover agent. She had proven time and time again that she knew exactly what she was doing, and a part of him actually trusted her to make certain decisions that he was unsure of. As his mission partner, he believed in her. Didn't he? It would be irrational not to seriously consider her suggestions.
"… I'm so sorry," she was saying, looking like she was about to be reduced to ashes by sheer humiliation.
"Do not apologize," he said, not realizing that he was finally cutting off a long string of apologies and explanations.
"Let's just forget about it," she said cheerfully, waving her hand as if to wave away the subject. "It's not a big deal at all. I think I was just making a mountain out of a mole hill." There she was again, so self-deprecating and polite that he almost felt guilty for his own reaction.
"It is not a mole hill," he replied, and she looked so surprised that he almost grinned. "I would be foolish not to consider your suggestions. Why? You are my teammate, and you have more experience with these kinds of missions."
Her cheeks were no longer flushed, and she looked honestly surprised that he was acknowledging her proposal. He speculated that perhaps, on a team such as hers, her ideas were overwhelmed by the thoughts and actions of her teammates. "Oh," she said, blinking in surprise. "Okay."
"How would you plan on proceeding?" he asked, deciding to treat this decision as a strategic move. He reminded himself that they were professionals. Something like this shouldn't bother him.
"Nothing too intense," she said earnestly. "I could just hold your hand for a few minutes. Or lean on your arm."
He considered it. It wasn't anything they hadn't done so far. "I do not mind," he finally said, trying to squash down the small part of him that still felt uncomfortable.
She seemed relieved, and almost glad that he'd agreed. "We can slowly make our way up to kissing. But just remember… if you get uncomfortable at any point, you can stop." She gave him a reassuring smile. "This isn't one of those things you want to push yourself too hard with."
He nodded his consent, and in just a few graceful movements she had shifted so that the table was no longer between them. She settled in front of him at a safe and comfortable distance.
He faced her with sober determination. He would treat this like any other training exercise—with a clear head and a clinical approach. The idea calmed him, actually; this was just something he needed to master in order to become a better shinobi. And who better to train him than Tenten, a patient, reasonable kunoichi who had experience? In this type of situation, they weren't a man and a woman; they were just colleagues.
"Are you ready?" she asked softly, holding out a slender hand palm-up. Ah, clever—she would let him initiate the contact, so he wouldn't feel pressured. She was truly a professional.
"Yes," he replied, beginning to feel a little more confident. He took her hand and noted that it was just slightly cooler than his.
"And that's all there is to it," she said simply, giving him a smile. She could feel the way his kikkai buzzed beneath his skin, pulsing like a heartbeat. She studied his face discreetly, not wanting him to feel like she was staring, but she was glad to notice that he was calm. Good. This was a good start. She gave him a light squeeze meant to be encouraging. She decided that now would be a good time to start talking about something, if not to ease the silence that had somehow settled in the room.
"I like this hotel room a lot," she mused, saying the first thing that popped into her head. "But I miss being home where I can cook something for myself. Too much take-out and rations get old pretty fast."
Shino raised his eyebrows. Tenten had never seemed like the type of person who could handle silence very well. She threaded her fingers through his as she chattered on. "As soon as I get home I'm going to make a big meal," she said with a wistful sigh. "Maybe some homemade sesame dumplings and rice-balls. How about you?"
"What will I eat when I return home, you ask?" He was a little surprised at the topic of conversation, but he didn't see the harm in following her line of questioning. "I will eat whatever is served in our house on that day."
Her mouth quirked as if he had just said something funny. "That's it? You don't want anything in particular?"
"I will be satisfied with whatever I have," he answered honestly. He was willing to eat what was available as long as it wasn't too harsh or strong-smelling. He kept a balanced diet, of course, but he wasn't very picky.
"You don't have a favorite food?" she asked, tiling her head and giving him an incredulous look.
"Winter melon," he said. "I enjoy winter melon and wild grass salad."
"Salad. Most guys don't go for that type of thing," she said with surprise. He vaguely noticed her scoot a little closer to him so that their knees were barely touching. "I don't even go for that kind of thing. I like most meat," she looked up in thought. "Bread, dumplings, potatoes… chocolate," she said with relish. "What's your favorite dessert?"
"I avoid foods that are too sweet," he replied. She scrunched up her nose.
"Different strokes, I guess. Well, at least you probably don't have to work off as many calories as I do," she said with a pat on her belly.
Shino hardly thought that a slender person such as her needed to worry too much about calories, but he decided not to say so. Instead, he thought up a question for her. "What is your favorite kind of tea?" he asked, partly because he didn't want her to feel like she had to drive the whole conversation, and partly out of a desire to know.
She looked delighted that he had asked, and for some reason he suddenly felt very conscious of the hand that he was holding. "Uh… mostly black tea," she replied. "Or, no, my favorite has to be cranberry leaf tea with honey," she decided. "You?"
"Green tea, perhaps," he said.
"Sugar or honey?" she asked, shifting to his side so that she could sit close beside him and lean on his arm. She kept a gentle grip on his hand and slipped her arm around his back. He stiffened and she loosed her grasp. "Sugar or honey?" she asked again, more softly this time.
He swallowed, wishing for his large coats. "Honey," he replied, deciding to focus on their mundane conversation rather than her warm, soft body pressing to his side. This is a form of training, he reminded himself.
"I hear honey is really good for you," she said casually. "Gai-sensei and Lee are super into those crazy home remedies. Once I got bronchitis and they made me drink this weird lemon-honey concoction for days."
"It has vitamin C," he informed, his brain failing to come up with a more intelligent response. All he could think of were facts about honey. He also remembered that it could give infants botulism, but that was probably too dark to bring up.
"Yes, it does," she agreed. "It also soothes your throat when it's sore. And Ino tells me that it makes a great facial mask." She sounded amused, as if she also knew the conversation was getting a little silly. He felt light, gentle movements and a slight pressure on his lap.
He suddenly felt her fingers on his face and he opened his eyes. He hadn't even realized they were closed. She was perched on his lap, one hand on his shoulder and the other pressing gently on his chest. "Now look at you," she said, her voice soft and lively. "You're doing really great."
She sat very still for a moment, concentrating as if she was in thought. Her hand shifted over his heart as if to take his pulse. That small, insignificant action made him wildly nervous; as if he were having a delayed reaction to her gentle touches. How had he thought he could do this? His heart began pounding and his kikkai began to buzz more violently than ever.
"Whoa," she said, gripping his shoulder a little tighter in case he decided to throw her off. The bugs beneath his skin had begun bustling and she felt like she was sitting in a massage chair. Damn! He'd been doing so well, too…
"Stay calm," she said gently, observing his frozen expression. "We can stop right now if you want. Just don't throw me off or anything," she joked, giving him a light pat on his shoulder.
He seemed to calm down at her levity. "I am fine," he said, his voice stiff.
"Okay," she said uncertainly. "But we can stop anytime."
He gave a silent nod, but she could tell that he was determined. She studied his smooth, pale features, and it occurred to her that not very many people got to see him this close up. It was a rare opportunity. She took in his features, memorizing his high cheekbones and his full, pink lips. She suddenly wished that she could see what was behind his sunglasses. Did he have brown eyes? Were his eyelashes short and straight or were they long and graceful? She often found herself envying men's eyelashes—would she envy his?
She was so close at the moment… but he was already so jumpy that she knew she shouldn't risk a peek.
"Tell me something about you," she said with a friendly smile, knowing that he needed to be distracted. "I don't know much about the mysterious Shino Aburame."
He was still a little shaky when he said, "There are not many significant things about me."
She made a "psh" noise and rolled her eyes. "It doesn't have to be some deep, dark secret. Tell me what your favorite color is. Mine is green."
"That makes sense," he quipped.
She let out a laugh. "What's yours?"
He took a moment to think about it. "… Gray."
She scoffed. "What? Gray? I don't even know if that's a color."
"It suits me," he said simply, glad to be able to think about something besides the fact that he had a girl in his lap.
"You like it because it looks good on you?"
"Hn."
"I guess that's as good a reason as any other. What's your second favorite color?"
"Tan," he said, and she groaned.
"Are you serious? That's not a color either," she said with play-exasperation. "Do you like any bright or crazy colors?"
"I do not… dislike any colors," he tried, earning another laugh. Her eyes were bright when she smiled.
"Alright, let's forget about the colors," she said with a happy sigh. Something about sitting here on Shino's lap and talking about silly, mundane subjects was actually kind of fun. She didn't feel nearly as awkward as she thought she would. "Shino, did you know that your arm is around my waist?" she asked, surprised and pleased at his progress. This was actually working!
Shino tensed up. Sure enough, his hand was resting gently on her hip, not pulling her closer but there none the less. He felt shaky once more and meant to move his hand away, but she shook her head. "No, you're doing great," she said softly. He felt his heart rate speed up once more, suddenly nervous again. He had no idea what he was doing, and he wasn't used to that feeling.
He had to steel himself to keep from stammering. "Tenten-san," he started.
"Just Tenten," she corrected. It didn't help ease his tension at all. His kikkai became agitated once more, and it was clear that she was able to feel it. He was getting more and more distracted by the second… she'd said that they could quit any time, and a part of him wanted to. Another part of him didn't want her to stop at all.
His hands were growing shaky and his breathing was erratic as she leaned a little closer. Her soft hands touched his face. Her skin smelled like a mixture between the apple she'd just eaten and spices, mixed with something indefinable. Something that was just her. "Are you alright?" she asked calmly, her voice like that of a patient teacher. She didn't sound worried at all, and he took a little comfort from that. He nodded his head in reply. "Do you mind if I kiss your cheek?" she asked.
"Go ahead," he said, and he was shocked that he hadn't stuttered. He was beginning to feel a little like his shy teammate—nervous and uncertain.
He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she placed a quick, friendly peck on his cheek. The kikkai seemed to pulse in rhythm to his too-fast heartbeat.
"See? Easy," she said. "How ya doin'?"
"I am fine," he breathed, unable to tear his eyes away from her face. He was all too aware of their position, her hands on his chest, his arm around her waist…
"Do you want to stop?" she asked patiently.
"No," he said, wondering if he had answered too quickly, too decisively. She didn't seem to notice. She said something else, but he didn't hear exactly what. His ears roared as she placed gentle kisses on his cheeks, her lips soft and her eyelashes fluttering against his skin. She made a light, feathery path from his cheeks, to his jaw, to the corner of his mouth.
He felt as if his whole body was shaking as she placed a warm hand on his cheek, her every touch gentle and considerate. She was being careful with him, pausing for a just a moment to give him time to get ready for what he knew would happen next. Her lips barely had a chance to brush against his before his whole body shook. The kikkai whirled beneath his skin hard enough to make him dizzy, and his heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest. He convulsed and all but threw her out of his lap, and with no small amount of shame he heard her yelp and curse.
"What the! I wasn't kidding when I told you not to throw me!" she said incredulously, her eyes wide with shock and confusion.
He stood shakily. "I apologize," he said breathlessly, his heart still pounding. Why had he done that? Why would he do something so irrational—so stupid?
Her eyes were wide and her face was flushed. There was a hint of hurt on her face that didn't seem like it belonged there, but she stood up and composed herself before he could think about it. "No, I'm sorry," she breathed. "I probably just pushed you too far." She gave him a very forced smile and a thumbs-up. "You did really well, though!"
He had to disagree with her assessment. He'd just thrown her off of his lap, and she still looked disconcerted. Still, he didn't know what to say. "Perhaps not that well," he remarked.
"It was fine," she chirped, taking a deep, cleansing breath. "As long as you feel a little more comfortable, right?"
"… Right," he agreed for lack of anything better to say, adjusting his glasses and wishing desperately for his heavy coats. "Are you injured?"
"No, I'm alright," she sighed, seeming to calm down. "I think I'm going to go to bed." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. To be honest, when he'd jolted he'd scared the hell out of her. She was still trying to get her heart rate down.
"I apologize," he said once more, his expression humble.
"No worries," she replied. "It's no big deal."
He didn't answer, and she had no idea what he was thinking. "I'm going to the bathhouse," he said after a moment, gathering a towel from the bathroom and slipping on his sandals.
"I'll probably be asleep by the time you get back," she sighed, inwardly glad that he was going to be away from the room for a few moments. That was the problem with sharing a room—if things got awkward, you couldn't escape.
She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling once he'd left.
"Augh," she moaned, covering her face with her hands. What had she been thinking? Shino wasn't like her or Lee—he didn't need hands-on training to get used to physical contact! She hadn't even thought about the potential awkwardness after the fact.
She was feeling frustrated as she prepared herself for bed. She tried to forget about the whole awkward affair, but it haunted her as she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and changed into the robe she'd been sleeping in.
As she lay under the covers with her eyes closed, all she could think about was how spectacularly weird the whole situation was. She had to admit that she'd never imagined that she'd try to kiss Aburame Shino in any capacity, but it was frustrating that he'd practically flung her off his lap before she could try.
She hadn't gotten hurt, but her ego was a little bruised.
Why was it even a big deal, she wondered? This was just a mission, and her intentions really had been pure when she'd offered to help him. But she had actually enjoyed flirting with him and holding his hand. The view she'd gotten of his face, though incomplete, was something that few could say they'd had.
But now she found herself frustrated that she hadn't been able to kiss him. And sort of worried. Maybe it wasn't that he was nervous about physical contact… maybe it was just her?
She frowned. She had a lot of positive qualities (at least she thought so) but her looks weren't anything special. She wasn't gorgeous like Ino, unique like Sakura, or curvy like Hinata. She was just… Tenten.
She groaned again. Her mind was heading into dangerous territory. She squeezed her eyes shut and pulled a blanket over her head to combat the cold air. She finally fell asleep after a few minutes of forcing herself to think about anything but the almost-kiss that Shino had managed to avoid.
A/N:
So? What did you think? :)