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Description
When you entered the party-space most of the guests had already arrived with the last few filtering in behind you. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits which only grew with every greeting, as you & Ino made your way around the room greeting everyone you just couldn't stop smiling.

Gai had already challenged Kakashi to half the party games & they were currently arm wrestling to decide which game to start with while Iruka was on the sofa deep in conversation with Shizune (both sniggering at kakashi's pleading 'somebody distract him so I get a break' face) & lee was trying to explain the youthfulness of the rivalry to Sai as Neji sighed & tried to make it clear that the two jonins' situation was unique & not to start challenging everyone to everything.

Choji & kotetsu were hold up by the snack table, kotetsu keeping a steady stream of syrup running to his mouth and squealing in delight with every mouthful
'Can't you go easy with the syrup just this once? At this rate you'll eat the all of it' Izumo sighed standing beside his best friend offering him a cup of the berry punch while sipping his own tropical flavored drink.
'It's a drag but I have to agree with him, so Choji - try to hold back on the chips alright?' Shikamaru smirked slightly from his place leaning on the wall beside him as Choji simply scratched his neck and laughed.
'Its fine guys' you interrupted cheerily, the four men greeting you as you did so
'Ino asked me to help stock up the snacks for tonight & knowing about your weaknesses I got extra! So don't worry about it - just have fun' you smiled
'You always were one to think ahead like that' the resident lazy boy huffed
'Well you taught me that remember' you gave a playful wink 'besides you know how Ino is - her party can't fall short on any Mark' you giggled as you continued making you rounds.

Gaara & tamari were making polite conversation with Tsunade who while responding to him, was longingly eyeing up the liquor cabinet. Suddenly a puppet appeared just behind the Hokage & tapped her shoulder... Tsunade jumped out of her skin & Gaara used his sand to catch her, she looked back at crow as the puppet lifted up two hands, offering her a bottle of sake & a cup. Kankuro popped out from behind the puppet sniggering (thankfully they all found it amusing & began to laugh).

The music was loud but people could still hear eachother without shouting. The upbeat tones were definitely effecting some of the guests as kiba & Naruto had already dragged sakura & Tenten to the dance floor along with Yamato & Anko, - who could blame them though the beat was infectious. Asuma was lighting a cigarette beside the back door while chatting to Kurenai about how Ino had grown as a student.

Finally, there he was..... Making small talk with Hinata. Wearing his same familiar gear, only this time his hood was down revealing his dark brown course hair. The high collar of his shirt was undone too & he looked slightly red & a little worn out. You headed over to the drinks table which was fully stocked on all kinds of refreshments even three kinds of homemade punch. You fetched two cups of the cool grape & melon medley punch. You were about to pour the third but heard a familiar squeak when Naruto & sakura grabbed Hinata by the hands and pulled her to the dance floor.

~well, at least I can talk with him one on one now~ you thought as you made your way towards him.
'Hey Shino' you smiled brightly, offering him one of the drinks which he accepted
'(Y/n), it’s good to see you again. Thank you' he took several large mouthfuls appreciatively
'You look lovely (y/n), that dress suits you'
'Thanks Shino,' you looked to the ground trying to hold back your blush, after winning the battle you lifted your eyes to meet his gaze & continued
'& you're welcome, you looked a little red, everything ok?'
'I came here straight from a mission, it wasn't easy & it did take some doing but I was successful'
'As Id expect from someone as skilled as you, anyone going up against you really must have rotten luck' you giggled, not noticing a small amount of the redness return to his face.
'You're too kind, (y/n)....' He smiled taking another sip
'This is really good, where did Ino find this?'
'Actually, she didn't find it - I made it'
'You, made this? I'm impressed'
'Well I volunteered to help with any kitchen stuff, I know sakura wanted to but..... Well have your tried her cooking?'
'She once helped Hinata make chocolate - after that disaster I don't trust any food offered if she's been allowed near it' You shared a gentle laugh before a comfortable silence fell between you as you watched the others dancing & conversing.

After a little while Shino broke the silence
'(Y/n) I was wondering if perhaps you might spar with me tomorrow? You have a pretty powerful genjutsu & after today it seems I need to train more so next time run into a genjutsu user.... I'll.... be......'
He trailed off when he noticed your attention had shifted to Gai in the middle of a very loud choking fit with tears streaming down his cheeks surrounded by a terracotta cloud.
'I did warn you that the cinnamon challenge wasn't a good idea Gai' Kakashi tried not to sound like he was rubbing it in but that's not easy with a grin plastered on your face & trying not to laugh.
You and several others though had burst into laughter as he spluttered water everywhere trying to dislodge the spice from his throat.

' .... better suited to defend myself' Shino mumbled disheartened.
'Hm? Oh I'm sorry shino-kun, it was hard to ignore coughing like that' you gave an anxious laugh rubbing the back of your neck.
'Its fine (y/n), don't worry about it....' He looked away, shutting himself back up in that stoic bubble of his, 'frankly, I'm used to it... Going unheard...'
Your mouth fell open, what did he mean by that? Half the room stopped to see who was coughing up a lung so loudly it was probably heard two doors down! You were hardly alone in being distracted by it.

It seems that unless it's to do with a mission, no-one ever really listens or pays attention to what I have to say anyway' he sighed with a slight note of annoyance, yet you could hear that terrible undertone of sadness that hid under every word.

Suddenly it was like the world was fading away. The music, chatter & laughter of your friends enjoying themselves fell to a dull murmur to your ears as your heart sank like lead. Kiba had always said to you that Shino was a quiet & kind of weird guy, but you had suspected there was more to it than that - knowing the Inuzuka, he probably hadn't made much effort to know him if he had seemed distant.
In the time you had known the Aburame you'd noticed that he was a fairly quiet type, like kiba said, but when he did speak it was clear he'd put thought into every word he'd chosen to make his view/point as clear as he could. His voice had a soft yet deep, husky texture to it unlike many of the guys here, maybe that was part of why they dismissed his thoughts - simply not noticing his voice.....

But to hear him say these words to you....
To feel, to see the telltale signs of his true emotions within them - it was like a kunai was buried in your chest.
'...Shino...' You breathed, at a loss for words that could bring him comfort.

You couldn't stand it... The thought of him feeling so isolated among his fellow leaf shinobi - his own friends! Didn't they notice he felt like this? Don't they see how hurt he was? Probably not, he's usually fairly stoic so why would they?
But.... How.... How did Shino not notice?
The countless times that you'd strike up a conversation with him, no matter how small the small talk was you always made the effort to acknowledge him. How many times had you come to him to show him a butterfly or beetle you'd carefully caught from your garden & see if he could tell you what species it was?
You never ignored him, not once... You always had time for him, always... How could he not see that?

~no-one listens....~ (y/n) bit her lip, hard, her balled up fists began to tremble.
'No-one listens?' She whispered
'No-one listens to you is that you said Shino? ... No-one?!'
His eyes widened in surprise & he jumped back a little, startled by your sudden outburst. The room instantly fell silent, the only sounds were the few murmurs of shock from the teens over the volume of your voice.

'Is that really what you just said to me?!' You screamed out in frustration, the power in your voice making everyone cover their ears and glassware ring loudly. Shino found his own voice & despite being floored by your high pitch he began to try calming you down.
'(Y....y/n), I-'
'CAMELLIAS!'
'Huh?' He gave you a quizzical look only matched by the onlookers own confused expressions.

'Camellias.... camellias, are your favorite flower... It's their simple elegance & light, gentle perfume that make you like them so much, which is actually a huge hint to your most disliked foods because the foods you hate all have a strong odor to them such as curry- might wanna remember that lee-' you shouted as you pointed an accusing finger at the poor boy before averting you eyes to the wooden floors, you felt your face heat up as you continued without missing a beat in a much softer tone

'If you wanna make him smile or cheer him up, then take him somewhere that serves wild grass salad & winter melon - their his favorites, and Kiba...'
A bolt of panic shot through him as you growled his name
'Err... Yes (y/n)?'
'You might think Shino's too quiet and a little strange but that’s because you're not using your brain - yes he's a man of few words but did you ever stop to think why? It's because when he's not focused on a task or talking to someone he's constantly communicating with the colony that he's host to! So maybe you should cut him some slack about being so quiet!'

Your (e/c) spheres never looked up from the floor yet you felt everyone's eyes were on you as you huffed trying to catch your breath after such a rant with tears threatening to spill, a hushed river of commentary trickled round the room.
'Whoa....'
'.....'
'I had no idea her voice had such power to it....'
'Well....'
'...(y/n)....'
'She knows all that?'
'Shut up Naruto!'

Un-clenching your fists, you felt a dull stinging from the minor wounds left in your palms by your nails & yet you didn't care....
You kept your head down to hide your crimson face & the tears that were seconds from falling. You make your way to do the door to leave when you stopped with your hand gripping the handle weakly, you spoke once more, this time without a trace of anger, only sadness as you tried to keep your voice steady.

'Oh... And green.... You favorite colour is green, not just any green but moss green - just like your jacket ...'
You lifted your head as tears raced down your (s/c) cheeks, your overflowing (e/c) eyes locked onto Shino's, even with his glasses it was impossible to hide his shock. It felt like minutes but had only been 1-2seconds before you softly shook your head & spoke once more, barely above a whisper.

'...but then again.... What do I know? I mean like you said, No-one ever listens to you, do they?'
And with that you closed the door behind you and ran at full speed with pearlescent droplets falling all the while.

Your emotions started to take over as you finally started slowing down, unable to see through the tears in your eyes & legs weakening with every step. As you slowed down you realized just how far you'd ran, without even noticing you'd ran the length of the village & were now in the forest surrounding Konoha. The cold of the night air washed over your bear arms making you shiver
~should've grabbed my jacket~
You scolded while wrapping your arms around yourself as you continued walking (or rather stumbling, thanks to a combination of blurred tear-filled vision, being out of breath from running & the uneven breathing of crying so hard your chest felt like it'd been struck repeatedly).

You stopped beside a large pond and a small startled toad jumped in breaking the surface, your watery gaze focused on watching the moonlight dance on the rippling surface while silent tears fell.
~why did I have to go and say all that? I could've just said 'don't be so down, they might not be great listeners but they care' but nooo - I just had to blurt it all out & make everyone feel uncomfortable & awkward~
Drawing a shaky breath you sighed ~and to make it worse I shouted it & ran off leaving him to deal with it alone...~
'.... He must h-hate me right n-now....' You mumbled, the erratic from crying was making you stutter.

Another sharp cutting wind surrounded you making your hair flutter around the breeze as you tensed up & wrapped your arms even tighter around yourself as your shivering increased.
As the cold night air settled you looked back to the water’s surface,
~Huh? That's strange, starlight isn't gold~
Lifting your gaze just a little you now realized the source of the golden flecks on the water.
Fireflies.
They floated in the air so perfectly, gliding along at a leisurely pace & giving a gentle glow to the area.
'How pretty' you mumbled watching their dance, a small smile found its way to your features. The flow or tears finally began to slow down yet the horrible erratic breathing that comes with crying was still in full swing. 'Shame yo-ur light doesn't g-give heat too'

Suddenly you were surrounded by a soft warmth, completely embracing you... And someone’s hands resting on your shoulders.
'You look cold (y/n)' Your (e/c) eyes burst wide open as you turned to face the voice
'S-Shino!'

'Are you alright (y/n)? You left in quite a hurry'
'H-how... D-did you find me? I d-don't even w-where I am out h-here'
'I asked for assistance' you furrowed your brow trying to work out what he meant, he was in his own wasn't he? You couldn't sense anyone else around.... That's when I hit you, he didn't need to ask people for help
'The fireflies....' You muttered
'I asked the bugs in the nearby area for any information on the location of a beautiful crying girl, the fireflies lead the way & now I find you're allowing yourself to freeze but I don't understand your reasons'

A light blush dusted your cheeks as you looked away from the formerly hooded figure, hoping it was dark enough to hide it from him. Tears continued to flow as you gently gripped onto his jacket so it wouldn't fall, grateful for the warmth it held, his warmth.
~did Shino really just say beautiful? He thinks... I'm....beautiful~ you screwed up your eyes in an attempt to break these thoughts & save yourself from turning bright red. But it didn't really work as your soft blush deepened by a few shades.

'I... I forgot to p-pick up my jac-ket, and I didn't really n-notice till a f-few minutes ag-'
You felt his hands gently grip your shoulders as he turned you to face him, you tried to keep looking away afraid he might be mad to you for causing such a scene but you were your pulled sharply from these thoughts...
... When you felt his fingertips brushed against your jawline, his palm softly opened and settled cupping your tear-stained cheek.

You stared at him stunned by his actions, only to be met with a look of concern laced with his own faint hints of heartache, but that made no sense to you at all- that slightly pained look, why?
'Please don't cry (y/n)' he breathed.
'Y-you m-mean.... You don't h-hate m-me?'
~damn it! Why won't my lungs get back to a normal rhythm already?! Why is it that crying has to affect your breathing too- it’s making me frigging stutter!~ you internally moaned while praying he'd answer you.

Using his thumb he wiped away your tears & gave a gentle sigh, wistfully staring into your shimmering watery (e/c) eyes. Shino hated to see you cry, it physically hurt him to see tears spill from your eyes, especially when it was so unlike your usual happy-go-lucky, bubbly personality. Though he had to admit, had these been tears of joy - he couldn't deny you were surprisingly beautiful when you cried.
Shino smiled gently
'I'll admit you surprised me shouting like that, but no - I don't hate you'
He took a step towards you, closing the gap formerly between you. His hand that had been resting on your shoulder wrapped around you as the other gently pressed your opposite cheek to his strong chest
'I couldn't if I tried'

Your blush engulfed your entire face painting it scarlet, your mind scrambled for words - any words at all but it was like they'd all dropped out of your head!
You stood there in his gentle yet firm embrace, allowing yourself to relax into him & let the remaining tears fall. Shino wrapped both arms round you tightly, he softly stroked your (h/c) hair soothing you as silently cried into his chest. But these tears weren't like before, these were from pure relief knowing he didn't hate you like you'd feared.

He held you close to him like this for quite a while, the only sounds were the occasional rustling of the leaves in the breeze, and your own sharp inhales of breath. At long last your breathing had almost completely returned to its normal state, Shino's arms tightened around you just that little bit more as he gave a contented grunt, pleased to see you returning to the seemingly forever smiling, sweet girl he'd always known. But then he seemed to tense slightly, loosening his hold on you as he sighed...
'(Y/n)....'
'Hm?' You tilted you head up to look at him yet he was gazing off into the distance, though you could swear his cheeks were a little pink.
'About what you said earlier.... Did you really, no... I mean why.... Do you remember all that, about me?'

Stunned, you continued to look up at his face, admiring the way the moonlight & soft glow of the fireflies illuminated his features
~ did Shino really just do that? Did he just trip up over his words? But he never does that!.... Well, I guess he must feel a little awkward over this whole thing, how could he not?.... He looks so cute right now~
As if on cue you felt your face redden once again, you rested your head on his chest so he wouldn't notice it while softly smiling.
'Yeah... I do remember all that about you... I've always listened to you, Shino-kun'

Smirking slightly, he closed his eyes hearing your confession as he fought back his rising blush, Shino's fingertips lightly touched your hairline and glided down the side of your face till he softly lifted your chin with his thumb & forefinger, allowing you to meet his suddenly intense gaze.

His smile let you know he appreciated that someone had took notice of him over the years, but this wasn't enough to satisfy his curiosity.
'... Why? How come you remembered so much?'
You averted your eyes, still feeling too shy to tell him the answer- but he didn't let you get away with it. Shino tilted your face slightly upwards to face him, his face just a few mere inches away as he softly asked his question again
'(Y/n).... Why do you listen to me so intently? ..... Please, tell me'

~ok this is it (y/n),~ you thought to yourself
~if you're ever going to tell him they'll never be a better time than this.... Just, take a deep breath & say it on the breath out. You can do this! ~
'It's... It's b-because....I....'
'Because.....' He was now just a inch away, his arm still wrapped around you pressed you almost flush against him making your blush overtake the top half of your body

'Because, I love you... I always have shi-' you felt the warmth of his lips on your own.
The kiss was gentle & tentative to begin with, he lightly removed his hand from your face and let it glide around your waist while the other stretched up your back. You melted into the kiss almost instantly as your hands glided over his shoulders, wrapping your arms around his neck as he held you tighter.
He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, you moaned in response allowing your hands to tangle in his dark brunette hair earning a seductive groan from the Aburame, which in turn made your knees weak.

Sadly you both felt the all too familiar burning sensation in your lungs meaning you had to reluctantly break the kiss for air. As you slowly pulled away you saw his bright red blush and the sweetest smile you'd ever seen, he looked so adorable right now. He kissed you tenderly on your forehead before smiling sweetly to you.
'I love you too, (y/n)'

Extended ending:

'Told you!' Ino said smugly in a hushed tone 'and you thought I was lying, good thing HE believed me'
'Whoa... I never expected that,' sakura muttered from their hiding place in the trees above
'I thought it was Neji (y/n) liked'
'I did not think she would just tell him like that - that took guts!'
'Seizing the first romantic moment of young love with both hands - such a beautiful display of youth' Gai sniffled wiping away tears.
'I didn't think he had it in him to take charge like that!' Spoke the very dumbfounded Naruto

'Well he's been dying to do that for a long time' kiba sniggered 'but who knew - bug boy's got game!' 'Shhhhhh! You wanna get caught spying?!' Tenten whacked him over the head
*kiba whimpers rubbing away the pain*
'Hold on - you knew he liked her?!' Why didn't you say anything?!'
Kiba slapped his hand over Tenten mouth
'Now who's being too loud Huh?' He smirked as Tenten pushed him away with a huff
'Well?'
His face turned as red as his painted fangs as he looked away anxiously while running a hand through his hair
'Let's just say he knows things you'd rather keep to yourself .... And he's not afraid to use it'

Meanwhile........

Shino held you to him again. He softly kissed your cheek before you felt his lips graze your ear & heard his hushed seductive voice purr your name
'(Y/n), I believe we should find somewhere more private....' Your breath hitched again, blood rushing to your face as he continued
'I want to be alone with you,' he kissed & nipped your earlobe, 'but here, there's too many eyes on us'
Your (e/c) eyes fluttered wide open
'What?!' You whispered trying to keep calm 'H-how do you know?'
He simply smiled as he took your hand & began to run back to the village with you happily in toe
~of course..... Fireflies~

Description
When you entered the party-space most of the guests had already arrived with the last few filtering in behind you. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits which only grew with every greeting, as you & Ino made your way around the room greeting everyone you just couldn't stop smiling.

Gai had already challenged Kakashi to half the party games & they were currently arm wrestling to decide which game to start with while Iruka was on the sofa deep in conversation with Shizune (both sniggering at kakashi's pleading 'somebody distract him so I get a break' face) & lee was trying to explain the youthfulness of the rivalry to Sai as Neji sighed & tried to make it clear that the two jonins' situation was unique & not to start challenging everyone to everything.

Choji & kotetsu were hold up by the snack table, kotetsu keeping a steady stream of syrup running to his mouth and squealing in delight with every mouthful
'Can't you go easy with the syrup just this once? At this rate you'll eat the all of it' Izumo sighed standing beside his best friend offering him a cup of the berry punch while sipping his own tropical flavored drink.
'It's a drag but I have to agree with him, so Choji - try to hold back on the chips alright?' Shikamaru smirked slightly from his place leaning on the wall beside him as Choji simply scratched his neck and laughed.
'Its fine guys' you interrupted cheerily, the four men greeting you as you did so
'Ino asked me to help stock up the snacks for tonight & knowing about your weaknesses I got extra! So don't worry about it - just have fun' you smiled
'You always were one to think ahead like that' the resident lazy boy huffed
'Well you taught me that remember' you gave a playful wink 'besides you know how Ino is - her party can't fall short on any Mark' you giggled as you continued making you rounds.

Gaara & tamari were making polite conversation with Tsunade who while responding to him, was longingly eyeing up the liquor cabinet. Suddenly a puppet appeared just behind the Hokage & tapped her shoulder... Tsunade jumped out of her skin & Gaara used his sand to catch her, she looked back at crow as the puppet lifted up two hands, offering her a bottle of sake & a cup. Kankuro popped out from behind the puppet sniggering (thankfully they all found it amusing & began to laugh).

The music was loud but people could still hear eachother without shouting. The upbeat tones were definitely effecting some of the guests as kiba & Naruto had already dragged sakura & Tenten to the dance floor along with Yamato & Anko, - who could blame them though the beat was infectious. Asuma was lighting a cigarette beside the back door while chatting to Kurenai about how Ino had grown as a student.

Finally, there he was..... Making small talk with Hinata. Wearing his same familiar gear, only this time his hood was down revealing his dark brown course hair. The high collar of his shirt was undone too & he looked slightly red & a little worn out. You headed over to the drinks table which was fully stocked on all kinds of refreshments even three kinds of homemade punch. You fetched two cups of the cool grape & melon medley punch. You were about to pour the third but heard a familiar squeak when Naruto & sakura grabbed Hinata by the hands and pulled her to the dance floor.

~well, at least I can talk with him one on one now~ you thought as you made your way towards him.
'Hey Shino' you smiled brightly, offering him one of the drinks which he accepted
'(Y/n), it’s good to see you again. Thank you' he took several large mouthfuls appreciatively
'You look lovely (y/n), that dress suits you'
'Thanks Shino,' you looked to the ground trying to hold back your blush, after winning the battle you lifted your eyes to meet his gaze & continued
'& you're welcome, you looked a little red, everything ok?'
'I came here straight from a mission, it wasn't easy & it did take some doing but I was successful'
'As Id expect from someone as skilled as you, anyone going up against you really must have rotten luck' you giggled, not noticing a small amount of the redness return to his face.
'You're too kind, (y/n)....' He smiled taking another sip
'This is really good, where did Ino find this?'
'Actually, she didn't find it - I made it'
'You, made this? I'm impressed'
'Well I volunteered to help with any kitchen stuff, I know sakura wanted to but..... Well have your tried her cooking?'
'She once helped Hinata make chocolate - after that disaster I don't trust any food offered if she's been allowed near it' You shared a gentle laugh before a comfortable silence fell between you as you watched the others dancing & conversing.

After a little while Shino broke the silence
'(Y/n) I was wondering if perhaps you might spar with me tomorrow? You have a pretty powerful genjutsu & after today it seems I need to train more so next time run into a genjutsu user.... I'll.... be......'
He trailed off when he noticed your attention had shifted to Gai in the middle of a very loud choking fit with tears streaming down his cheeks surrounded by a terracotta cloud.
'I did warn you that the cinnamon challenge wasn't a good idea Gai' Kakashi tried not to sound like he was rubbing it in but that's not easy with a grin plastered on your face & trying not to laugh.
You and several others though had burst into laughter as he spluttered water everywhere trying to dislodge the spice from his throat.

' .... better suited to defend myself' Shino mumbled disheartened.
'Hm? Oh I'm sorry shino-kun, it was hard to ignore coughing like that' you gave an anxious laugh rubbing the back of your neck.
'Its fine (y/n), don't worry about it....' He looked away, shutting himself back up in that stoic bubble of his, 'frankly, I'm used to it... Going unheard...'
Your mouth fell open, what did he mean by that? Half the room stopped to see who was coughing up a lung so loudly it was probably heard two doors down! You were hardly alone in being distracted by it.

It seems that unless it's to do with a mission, no-one ever really listens or pays attention to what I have to say anyway' he sighed with a slight note of annoyance, yet you could hear that terrible undertone of sadness that hid under every word.

Suddenly it was like the world was fading away. The music, chatter & laughter of your friends enjoying themselves fell to a dull murmur to your ears as your heart sank like lead. Kiba had always said to you that Shino was a quiet & kind of weird guy, but you had suspected there was more to it than that - knowing the Inuzuka, he probably hadn't made much effort to know him if he had seemed distant.
In the time you had known the Aburame you'd noticed that he was a fairly quiet type, like kiba said, but when he did speak it was clear he'd put thought into every word he'd chosen to make his view/point as clear as he could. His voice had a soft yet deep, husky texture to it unlike many of the guys here, maybe that was part of why they dismissed his thoughts - simply not noticing his voice.....

But to hear him say these words to you....
To feel, to see the telltale signs of his true emotions within them - it was like a kunai was buried in your chest.
'...Shino...' You breathed, at a loss for words that could bring him comfort.

You couldn't stand it... The thought of him feeling so isolated among his fellow leaf shinobi - his own friends! Didn't they notice he felt like this? Don't they see how hurt he was? Probably not, he's usually fairly stoic so why would they?
But.... How.... How did Shino not notice?
The countless times that you'd strike up a conversation with him, no matter how small the small talk was you always made the effort to acknowledge him. How many times had you come to him to show him a butterfly or beetle you'd carefully caught from your garden & see if he could tell you what species it was?
You never ignored him, not once... You always had time for him, always... How could he not see that?

~no-one listens....~ (y/n) bit her lip, hard, her balled up fists began to tremble.
'No-one listens?' She whispered
'No-one listens to you is that you said Shino? ... No-one?!'
His eyes widened in surprise & he jumped back a little, startled by your sudden outburst. The room instantly fell silent, the only sounds were the few murmurs of shock from the teens over the volume of your voice.

'Is that really what you just said to me?!' You screamed out in frustration, the power in your voice making everyone cover their ears and glassware ring loudly. Shino found his own voice & despite being floored by your high pitch he began to try calming you down.
'(Y....y/n), I-'
'CAMELLIAS!'
'Huh?' He gave you a quizzical look only matched by the onlookers own confused expressions.

'Camellias.... camellias, are your favorite flower... It's their simple elegance & light, gentle perfume that make you like them so much, which is actually a huge hint to your most disliked foods because the foods you hate all have a strong odor to them such as curry- might wanna remember that lee-' you shouted as you pointed an accusing finger at the poor boy before averting you eyes to the wooden floors, you felt your face heat up as you continued without missing a beat in a much softer tone

'If you wanna make him smile or cheer him up, then take him somewhere that serves wild grass salad & winter melon - their his favorites, and Kiba...'
A bolt of panic shot through him as you growled his name
'Err... Yes (y/n)?'
'You might think Shino's too quiet and a little strange but that’s because you're not using your brain - yes he's a man of few words but did you ever stop to think why? It's because when he's not focused on a task or talking to someone he's constantly communicating with the colony that he's host to! So maybe you should cut him some slack about being so quiet!'

Your (e/c) spheres never looked up from the floor yet you felt everyone's eyes were on you as you huffed trying to catch your breath after such a rant with tears threatening to spill, a hushed river of commentary trickled round the room.
'Whoa....'
'.....'
'I had no idea her voice had such power to it....'
'Well....'
'...(y/n)....'
'She knows all that?'
'Shut up Naruto!'

Un-clenching your fists, you felt a dull stinging from the minor wounds left in your palms by your nails & yet you didn't care....
You kept your head down to hide your crimson face & the tears that were seconds from falling. You make your way to do the door to leave when you stopped with your hand gripping the handle weakly, you spoke once more, this time without a trace of anger, only sadness as you tried to keep your voice steady.

'Oh... And green.... You favorite colour is green, not just any green but moss green - just like your jacket ...'
You lifted your head as tears raced down your (s/c) cheeks, your overflowing (e/c) eyes locked onto Shino's, even with his glasses it was impossible to hide his shock. It felt like minutes but had only been 1-2seconds before you softly shook your head & spoke once more, barely above a whisper.

'...but then again.... What do I know? I mean like you said, No-one ever listens to you, do they?'
And with that you closed the door behind you and ran at full speed with pearlescent droplets falling all the while.

Your emotions started to take over as you finally started slowing down, unable to see through the tears in your eyes & legs weakening with every step. As you slowed down you realized just how far you'd ran, without even noticing you'd ran the length of the village & were now in the forest surrounding Konoha. The cold of the night air washed over your bear arms making you shiver
~should've grabbed my jacket~
You scolded while wrapping your arms around yourself as you continued walking (or rather stumbling, thanks to a combination of blurred tear-filled vision, being out of breath from running & the uneven breathing of crying so hard your chest felt like it'd been struck repeatedly).

You stopped beside a large pond and a small startled toad jumped in breaking the surface, your watery gaze focused on watching the moonlight dance on the rippling surface while silent tears fell.
~why did I have to go and say all that? I could've just said 'don't be so down, they might not be great listeners but they care' but nooo - I just had to blurt it all out & make everyone feel uncomfortable & awkward~
Drawing a shaky breath you sighed ~and to make it worse I shouted it & ran off leaving him to deal with it alone...~
'.... He must h-hate me right n-now....' You mumbled, the erratic from crying was making you stutter.

Another sharp cutting wind surrounded you making your hair flutter around the breeze as you tensed up & wrapped your arms even tighter around yourself as your shivering increased.
As the cold night air settled you looked back to the water’s surface,
~Huh? That's strange, starlight isn't gold~
Lifting your gaze just a little you now realized the source of the golden flecks on the water.
Fireflies.
They floated in the air so perfectly, gliding along at a leisurely pace & giving a gentle glow to the area.
'How pretty' you mumbled watching their dance, a small smile found its way to your features. The flow or tears finally began to slow down yet the horrible erratic breathing that comes with crying was still in full swing. 'Shame yo-ur light doesn't g-give heat too'

Suddenly you were surrounded by a soft warmth, completely embracing you... And someone’s hands resting on your shoulders.
'You look cold (y/n)' Your (e/c) eyes burst wide open as you turned to face the voice
'S-Shino!'

'Are you alright (y/n)? You left in quite a hurry'
'H-how... D-did you find me? I d-don't even w-where I am out h-here'
'I asked for assistance' you furrowed your brow trying to work out what he meant, he was in his own wasn't he? You couldn't sense anyone else around.... That's when I hit you, he didn't need to ask people for help
'The fireflies....' You muttered
'I asked the bugs in the nearby area for any information on the location of a beautiful crying girl, the fireflies lead the way & now I find you're allowing yourself to freeze but I don't understand your reasons'

A light blush dusted your cheeks as you looked away from the formerly hooded figure, hoping it was dark enough to hide it from him. Tears continued to flow as you gently gripped onto his jacket so it wouldn't fall, grateful for the warmth it held, his warmth.
~did Shino really just say beautiful? He thinks... I'm....beautiful~ you screwed up your eyes in an attempt to break these thoughts & save yourself from turning bright red. But it didn't really work as your soft blush deepened by a few shades.

'I... I forgot to p-pick up my jac-ket, and I didn't really n-notice till a f-few minutes ag-'
You felt his hands gently grip your shoulders as he turned you to face him, you tried to keep looking away afraid he might be mad to you for causing such a scene but you were your pulled sharply from these thoughts...
... When you felt his fingertips brushed against your jawline, his palm softly opened and settled cupping your tear-stained cheek.

You stared at him stunned by his actions, only to be met with a look of concern laced with his own faint hints of heartache, but that made no sense to you at all- that slightly pained look, why?
'Please don't cry (y/n)' he breathed.
'Y-you m-mean.... You don't h-hate m-me?'
~damn it! Why won't my lungs get back to a normal rhythm already?! Why is it that crying has to affect your breathing too- it’s making me frigging stutter!~ you internally moaned while praying he'd answer you.

Using his thumb he wiped away your tears & gave a gentle sigh, wistfully staring into your shimmering watery (e/c) eyes. Shino hated to see you cry, it physically hurt him to see tears spill from your eyes, especially when it was so unlike your usual happy-go-lucky, bubbly personality. Though he had to admit, had these been tears of joy - he couldn't deny you were surprisingly beautiful when you cried.
Shino smiled gently
'I'll admit you surprised me shouting like that, but no - I don't hate you'
He took a step towards you, closing the gap formerly between you. His hand that had been resting on your shoulder wrapped around you as the other gently pressed your opposite cheek to his strong chest
'I couldn't if I tried'

Your blush engulfed your entire face painting it scarlet, your mind scrambled for words - any words at all but it was like they'd all dropped out of your head!
You stood there in his gentle yet firm embrace, allowing yourself to relax into him & let the remaining tears fall. Shino wrapped both arms round you tightly, he softly stroked your (h/c) hair soothing you as silently cried into his chest. But these tears weren't like before, these were from pure relief knowing he didn't hate you like you'd feared.

He held you close to him like this for quite a while, the only sounds were the occasional rustling of the leaves in the breeze, and your own sharp inhales of breath. At long last your breathing had almost completely returned to its normal state, Shino's arms tightened around you just that little bit more as he gave a contented grunt, pleased to see you returning to the seemingly forever smiling, sweet girl he'd always known. But then he seemed to tense slightly, loosening his hold on you as he sighed...
'(Y/n)....'
'Hm?' You tilted you head up to look at him yet he was gazing off into the distance, though you could swear his cheeks were a little pink.
'About what you said earlier.... Did you really, no... I mean why.... Do you remember all that, about me?'

Stunned, you continued to look up at his face, admiring the way the moonlight & soft glow of the fireflies illuminated his features
~ did Shino really just do that? Did he just trip up over his words? But he never does that!.... Well, I guess he must feel a little awkward over this whole thing, how could he not?.... He looks so cute right now~
As if on cue you felt your face redden once again, you rested your head on his chest so he wouldn't notice it while softly smiling.
'Yeah... I do remember all that about you... I've always listened to you, Shino-kun'

Smirking slightly, he closed his eyes hearing your confession as he fought back his rising blush, Shino's fingertips lightly touched your hairline and glided down the side of your face till he softly lifted your chin with his thumb & forefinger, allowing you to meet his suddenly intense gaze.

His smile let you know he appreciated that someone had took notice of him over the years, but this wasn't enough to satisfy his curiosity.
'... Why? How come you remembered so much?'
You averted your eyes, still feeling too shy to tell him the answer- but he didn't let you get away with it. Shino tilted your face slightly upwards to face him, his face just a few mere inches away as he softly asked his question again
'(Y/n).... Why do you listen to me so intently? ..... Please, tell me'

~ok this is it (y/n),~ you thought to yourself
~if you're ever going to tell him they'll never be a better time than this.... Just, take a deep breath & say it on the breath out. You can do this! ~
'It's... It's b-because....I....'
'Because.....' He was now just a inch away, his arm still wrapped around you pressed you almost flush against him making your blush overtake the top half of your body

'Because, I love you... I always have shi-' you felt the warmth of his lips on your own.
The kiss was gentle & tentative to begin with, he lightly removed his hand from your face and let it glide around your waist while the other stretched up your back. You melted into the kiss almost instantly as your hands glided over his shoulders, wrapping your arms around his neck as he held you tighter.
He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, you moaned in response allowing your hands to tangle in his dark brunette hair earning a seductive groan from the Aburame, which in turn made your knees weak.

Sadly you both felt the all too familiar burning sensation in your lungs meaning you had to reluctantly break the kiss for air. As you slowly pulled away you saw his bright red blush and the sweetest smile you'd ever seen, he looked so adorable right now. He kissed you tenderly on your forehead before smiling sweetly to you.
'I love you too, (y/n)'

Extended ending:

'Told you!' Ino said smugly in a hushed tone 'and you thought I was lying, good thing HE believed me'
'Whoa... I never expected that,' sakura muttered from their hiding place in the trees above
'I thought it was Neji (y/n) liked'
'I did not think she would just tell him like that - that took guts!'
'Seizing the first romantic moment of young love with both hands - such a beautiful display of youth' Gai sniffled wiping away tears.
'I didn't think he had it in him to take charge like that!' Spoke the very dumbfounded Naruto

'Well he's been dying to do that for a long time' kiba sniggered 'but who knew - bug boy's got game!' 'Shhhhhh! You wanna get caught spying?!' Tenten whacked him over the head
*kiba whimpers rubbing away the pain*
'Hold on - you knew he liked her?!' Why didn't you say anything?!'
Kiba slapped his hand over Tenten mouth
'Now who's being too loud Huh?' He smirked as Tenten pushed him away with a huff
'Well?'
His face turned as red as his painted fangs as he looked away anxiously while running a hand through his hair
'Let's just say he knows things you'd rather keep to yourself .... And he's not afraid to use it'

Meanwhile........

Shino held you to him again. He softly kissed your cheek before you felt his lips graze your ear & heard his hushed seductive voice purr your name
'(Y/n), I believe we should find somewhere more private....' Your breath hitched again, blood rushing to your face as he continued
'I want to be alone with you,' he kissed & nipped your earlobe, 'but here, there's too many eyes on us'
Your (e/c) eyes fluttered wide open
'What?!' You whispered trying to keep calm 'H-how do you know?'
He simply smiled as he took your hand & began to run back to the village with you happily in toe
~of course..... Fireflies~