The weekend was upon Shino before he could think his situation through. Shino endured throughout the week as his relatives, particularly his mother, poked and prodded him for information. He fully expected it, after all, there had never come a woman knocking at his door, and such a reknowned, talented, and beautiful one was enough to light the gossip mongers on fire.
Shino's father had admonished his mother for her behavior, and though she bit her tongue and held back the brunt of her questioning, Shino could see the hope in her eyes, the sparkle. His mother wanted him to seal the deal, most immediately, with Sakura. Far be it for Shino to reveal the fact that Sakura probably wasn't acting as a valid potential mate at all.
The weight on Shino's shoulders was heavy. He was one of few heirs, and the only one from his branch of the clan, which was regarded as the strongest. Sakura's reputation was well-known in Konoha- her healing skills and chakra control were without a match locally, and her strength was astonishing.
Clan families always loved a good background and bloodline, and though Sakura's bloodline wasn't famous, it was clear that her genes were golden. Additionally, Sakura was absolutely beautiful, and being honest, those genes would come in handy to the bug-wielding clan as well, considering their difficulty in attracting outside mates. Hence his family's excitement over the potential to bring Sakura's blood into the fold.
To think of it that way seemed cunning and greedy. Shino knew his family cared for him and wanted him to be happy, but a step above that on the priority list took into consideration the fact that his clan had pledged to protect Konoha, and the bloodline needed to continue, to thrive, to strengthen. It all made his head hurt to think about it, particularly knowing that Sakura was about as likely to end up with Shino as Shino was likely to become the Hokage. About none. Or negative nine thousand percent. Oh, how his head hurt to think about it.
Shino hoped for the best, but expected the worst.
As the week proceeded, he discovered that everyone had plans for the weekend to meet up, dine, and party. This week's late-night gathering would be held at Choji's home, and as such there would be food and booze galore. Shino resigned himself to the situation and decided to go with the flow.
Finishing his chores and rounds during the day, Shino showered and dressed himself. Regarding himself in the mirror, he at least could admit to himself that his body was in great shape. Still, a t-shirt and slacks wasn't enough coverage for him, and though he managed to leave the house with only a tiny fraction of his bugs (just enough for a parameter and to call forth a swarm in the unlikely event of an emergency), he didn't manage to leave behind his glasses or his jacket. Previously, the jacket had served to help house his thousands of bugs and protect both himself and his companions from the elements... now he pulled the collar up high and sunk down into the garment, hoping to be less noticable in general. He didn't know what to expect from Sakura, or from the evening at all, and it made him nervous. He liked to plan things out and think things through before acting, but in these circumstances, he was at a loss.
Ringing Sakura's doorbell that evening was a challenge in itself. Shino must have stood in front of her front door for at least 15 minutes before he worked up the courage to ring the damned bell. His stomach knotted up and part of him truly wanted to take flight and escape. But another part of him wanted to see her again, to feel her skin against his, and hear her soft voice. The latter was delighted as Sakura flung open the door to her apartment and she greeted him with a cheerful hello and a bright smile.
She was gorgeous- she wore a fitted black dress that stopped several inches abover her knees. The neckline was low, with several shifty ruffles. She wore a cardigan over it, left unbuttoned. Her feet were bare, but her toenails were painted pink, almost to match her hair, which was left unbound, and swept to one shoulder. Shino returned the greeting and smiled in return, noting how she tilted her head and acquired a concerned, curious expression.
"Shino.. it's not cool enough for a coat..." She said, poking out her bottom lip just slightly. "Please, come in. I'm almost ready."
She moved inside and he hesitated to follow, conjuring up all of his strength to carry him over the threshold and into her home. She closed the door behind him and looked him over as he looked around her apartment. Stay cool, he told himself. He really, truly hoped he appeared calm and composed.
Sakura was quite good at dolling herself up. Since she was fairly curvy, most fitted dresses looked and felt great on her. Feeling pretty good about herself when she finished dressing, she actually had started looking forward to the evening, even feeling a bit of excitement knowing that she would be treated at least nicely. Ultimately, she hoped to enjoy the evening and to make Shino more comfortable. Maybe then' he'd come out of that shell of his a bit... she would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit dissappointed when he showed up practically wearing a shell. Was that handsome man she'd seen just a few days prior somewhere in that coat? Or was she imagining or exaggerrating the entire thing?
Sakura's apartment was a modest one. Her sofa and chairs each had throw pillows and blankets. Two shelves were filled with various books, and he could ascertain from his position that most of them were medical books. There were also several framed pictures on the mantle- of her, her teammates, and her family. It was a cozy place, inviting him in- it smelled of honeysuckle and cream, and he noticed the bouquet arranged on her kitchen bar counter.
She moved over to the bar counter to retrieve her jewelry- some pearl earrings and a thin silver necklace. He watched her, and recognized the pieces as gifts she'd recieved when she became a jounin, and several of her friends and teammates had collected a fund to buy her something nice. The set looked lovely on her, complimenting her hair and eyes... Shikamaru had played a heavy role in selecting the set. Shino sighed internally- his friend was a genius, after all, but Shino could now appreciate that on a whole new level. Sakura soon turned to look Shino over again. He suddenly felt unsettled all over again as she slowly approached him, and he froze in place.
She smiled, disarmingly. "We probably should have spoken again before today.." She could tell he was out of his element. To Sakura, Shino seemed calm, yet guarded, and almost weary of her, which for some reason made her heart hurt a little. "I think you should leave the coat here. Tonight's really a casual thing, no need to appear ready for battle... would you mind leaving it behind?"
She was right, he agreed. He'd only brought the coat because he felt so comfortable in it. It was like a wall between himself and the world. He nodded gently, "If that's what you would like."
She beamed and before he could act, she was already unbuttoning the garment. He felt the blood rush to his cheeks as she helped him remove the coat. She hung it on the rack near the door and returned to him, circling him like a vulture before returning to stand before him. In a black t-shirt and slacks, he felt nearly naked before her. She stared at his face for a long moment, and he tried desperately not to drown in her eyes.
"Do you need the dark glasses, too? The sun has almost set..." She puckered her lips and batted her eyelashes at him, several strands of pink hair falling across her visage. He was helpless against her, and as he shook his head, she reached up and plucked the glasses carefully away from his face, folding them. She almost gasped as she peered up at him, lips turning up into a satisfied grin, "Shino... your eyes are gorgeous, you know."
She wasn't lying, of course. His eyes were outstanding, and she wasn't entirely sure that his dark glasses weren't the actual reason he was single to begin with. It was easy to forget he was a bug wielder while looking up at his eyes. He looked away for a moment, embarrased at the attention, and unsure of how to respond to it. "... Thanks." He wanted to tell her his eyes were nothing compared to hers, but of course the words wouldn't come to him. But as he looked back to her, she smiled again, and he found it contagious.
"Then it's settled. We look great and we're ready to have a good time, right?" She giggled, hanging his folded glasses in the v of her neckline, which, much to his delight and torment, made her cleavage all the more visible as the weight of the glasses tugged gently at the garment..
He nodded, swallowing hard. He was absolutely in trouble... moreover, Shino was beginning to doubt whether he would be able to tell this beautiful woman no if she ever did request for him to do something he didn't truly want to. She had already picked up on the fact that he was easily swayed by her words and gestures, it was obvious. But would she truly abuse her power over him?
They exited the house, and she locked the door behind them, dropping her keys into his pocket since her clutch was only big enough for a bit of money and a lipstick. As they made their trek across Konoha toward the restaurant, Sakura slid her arm through Shino's and pressed herself against him, a gesture which brought him closer than he'd ever been to a beautiful woman before, and made it quite difficult for him to breathe normally without concentrating on it.
Kiba was the first to witness the couple as they passed through town, and consequently, the first to collect his jaw from the floor. Even Kakashi had been distracted from his perverse little book long enough to wide-eye at the scene across the block- the bug-weilding Shino Aburame, dressed very casually, strolling along carelessly, with an enticingly dressed Sakura clinging to his arm. Bystanders would see the two exchange words, and Sakura giggle delightedly, while Shino chuckled lowly. They looked outwardly, quite at-ease and natural with one another. Outwardly.