I let my guard down is the only thought that registers as you tumble backwards, weighed down by a persistent Kiba, who deftly snatches away your glasses and tosses them off to his partner in crime. With a woof and a quick shuttering of bushes you deduce that your ever present sunglasses are now far, far away. No doubt just as intended by the boy sitting impatiently on your stomach. A small fiercely defiant part of you sees to it that your eyes stay firmly shut, refusing to give Kiba the pleasure of getting what he wants. You instead settle for a vaguely annoyed sigh, wondering how long it will take for the other boy to get bored and return the absconded eyewear.

"Come on Shino! Stop being so stubborn! Just open your eyes for like two seconds! I wanna see!"

"Kiba," You say calmly, as though you hadn't just been jumped in the middle trying to study the flight patterns of a very unusual species of beetle. "My sunglasses."

He shifts suddenly on top of you and you think there's a smirk somewhere in the movement but you're not sure why.

"Hmm… They're probably about halfway back to my house by now. Akamaru's pretty quick on his feet, you know?"

The small spiteful voice that has kept you from opening your eyes thus far is quickly squashed, and your more sensible, coolly detached thought process takes over once again, reasoning that giving in will be far less involved and time-consuming.

"So…" Kiba starts.

"So…?" You supply unhelpfully, with a final stab of withering spite.

"Shino, just open your eyes already! It's not like you can get home while keeping your eyes closed!"

"Actually, the Kikaichu—"

"Damn it Shino I don't want to hear about your fancy bugs for the millionth and twenty-second time! Stop being so stubborn!"

You're hardly in a position to complain about others being stubborn.

"Kiba."

"WHAT!?"

"The sun is shining directly in my face and my eyes are more sensitive than most to begin with. I'd probably be blinded." You aren't lying, it's not as though the entirety of the Aburame goes around wearing sunglasses because they think it makes them look cool, but it's not the reason either. He wouldn't believe you for a second if you just said that you happened to be feeling childish today.

"Oh… Damn it, why didn't you just say so!?"

You're about to point out the fact that he never gave you a chance, what with the tackling and the glasses stealing, but a sudden shade over takes the warm light of the sun and you're thoroughly distracted. Your curiosity gets the better of you and you open your eyes.

You're greeted by a slightly off-setting close up of Kiba's face, which, conveniently, blocks the harsh light of the sun quite nicely. Kiba himself blinks suddenly, tilting his head with a quiet whoa.

Silence pervades as he seems to zone out, and you do your best to remain cool and ineffable despite the fact that the closest thing you'll probably ever have to a best friend is giving you a look that may or may not equate to undressing you with his eyes.

"Kiba…"

He draws to attention suddenly, and begins talking as if the last intensely awkward 10 seconds never happened.

"Not bad Shino, not bad at all. Real sharp and intense, kind of like Sasuke's…" He pauses contemplatively and peers into your eyes more deeply. "…Only with less homicidal angst and more 'Kiba, you insufferable asshole, get the fuck off of my stomach.'" He says grinning widely.

You beat down the smirk that was threatening to surface and replace it with a nice safe deadpan.

"Alright, alright, I get it already. Geez!" He braces himself over you with one hand, putting the other to his mouth and whistling almost loud enough to make you flinch. Almost.

After a few seconds Akamaru bounds over the bushes and back into the clearing, slightly slobbery, but otherwise unharmed sunglasses in tow. You curse yourself silently for not trying to call him on the bluff earlier.

"Here, no harm done, right?" He says casually, taking the glasses from his dog's mouth and wiping them on his jacket before placing them over your eyes again. You almost recoil at the gentleness of the gesture, seeming strikingly out of place when performed by your rambunctious teammate.

You hum noncommittally, quickly sit up, extricate yourself from underneath Kiba's straddled legs, and beginning the walk home without another word. You vaguely register an almost frantic Ah! Shino wait up! and deliberately keep walking, letting the aforementioned smirk sneak lazily on to your face.

Sharp and intense eh?

"Fucking bedroom eyes I swear!" You exclaim wildly as Hinata lets out a dainty cough.

"Kiba-kun please your voice…" She squeaks hesitantly.

Shit, that's right, her dad would probably kill me for I being to loud. The prick.

"Sorry. Anyways, I'm serious though! I mean no wonder he wears those sunglasses all the time! If he didn't women would be throwing themselves at him like bitches in heat!"

"K-Kiba-kun!"

Oh, maybe she meant the cursing…

"Ah, my bad, my bad." You scratch the back of your head apologetically. You notice her fiddle with the moist towel on her forehead and glance nervously between it and the basin of water next to you.

You take the cloth from her, dipping it in and wringing it out again before replacing it on her forehead. Some of the water has splashed out of the basin and the pristine white of the towel is now smudged with dirt from your hands, but hey, it's thought that counts.

"Ah… Th-Thank you…" She stutters, blushing shyly.

You hum dismissively. "In any case, do you think you'll be feeling better in time for training tomorrow? Me and Shino can always do individual training again."

She's giving you a sort of worried look, probably figuring that individual training equates to Shino trying to train and you bothering him. Which is really only true half the time.

"No, my fever's gone down a lot so I'll probably be fine by tomorrow… Plus, Neji-nii-san went and got me medicine, so…"

"Ah, that's good." You fidget slightly. You've been sitting still for entirely too long and your leg is starting to bounce restlessly. "I should probably go though, poor Akamaru's probably getting bored." You lie smoothly.

She nods weakly. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it, you can't help that your dad doesn't want him messing up your house." Even though he's WAY better trained than that. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then!"

You get up to leave but feel a gentle tug at your shirt and you look back to see Hinata muttering to herself, or maybe you. It's hard to tell sometimes.

"…shouldn't… …-kun…. …things… …want to…"

You blink and lean closer to her. "What?"

"Y-You shouldn't m-m-make Shino-kun do things he d-doesn't want to do!"

Holy shit! Is HINATA actually TELLING ME OFF? She must have been saving up her courage this entire time to say that!

"Calm down Hinata, its not as if I was trying to rape him or something, I just wanted to see his eyes. Plus if I were really making him uncomfortable he'd just Kikaichu me and be on his merry way."

Her blush finally catches up with her and she starts fingering her blanket nervously.

"He wouldn't…" She says quietly, and you tilt your head at her curiously. "Shino-kun would never attack one of his teammates…"

The air is getting a touch to heavy for your tastes.

"Just for your sake, I'll holler next time before I jump him, okay?" You say smiling jokingly.

She smiles a very small pleased little smile and you can't help but feel slightly proud for having put it there. Any chance to help Hinata gain some confidence in herself was worth taking in your eyes.

"Take care of yourself, alright?"

"I will Kiba-kun, good bye."

You shut the door gently, resisting the urge to run through the halls and giving a slight bow to Hinata's father before nearly bounding out the door. Akamaru is at your heels in an instant, running alongside you and barking happily. It feels good to be out and about in the fresh air again.

But as you run you can't help but think back to Hinata's words.

'Shino-kun would never attack one of his teammates…'

What's worse is that the more you think about it, the more and more it seems to make sense.

He really wouldn't, would he?

You tug at the fur hem of your coat as your eyes shift around restlessly. Shino is standing solidly at your side, having already performed all required greetings and expressions of concern for the time being.

You're not really uncomfortable, as many would think, you've long since gotten used to your stoic teammate's silences. You are however, growing increasingly worried for Kiba, who has yet to appear.

Seeing as Kurenai is still away on her So Secret I'd Have to Kill You if I Told You mission, the three of you are left to your own devices for training. In all honesty, you've all past the point where Kurenai can really help you that much anyways, besides sharing her experience and opinions, so you're not really worried.

Kiba still isn't here.

It occurs to you suddenly that maybe he might be trying to avoid Shino, what with that whole sunglasses episode that transpired while you were sick. You knew that Kiba fixated on things relatively easily, and the entire time he was visiting he just couldn't seem to stop talking about Shino's eyes.

Where they really that nice?

You fidget involuntarily and steal a quick glance at Shino.

He doesn't seem uncomfortable or put off in any way, but then again this was the same Shino that had walked home on a broken ankle and hadn't told them until the next day when he had already been to the hospital and was unable to participate in training.

You don't think Kiba ever really forgave him for that.

It was hypocritical in a way, that someone who so strongly endorsed teamwork and trust between teammates had such a hard time depending on people. Needless to say, he was always accommodating and looking out for Kiba and yourself, but letting the two of you help him seemed to be far more trying of a task.

"Did you want to say something, Hinata?"

You flinch a little at the sudden question.

"N-No, not really Shino-kun… Wh-Why do you ask?"

"You have attempted seven surreptitious glances in my direction in the past three minutes…" Shino stated analytically. "…and you've started stuttering again. Is there some cause for concern?"

Thank goodness, he hasn't caught on. I'll just tell him I'm worried about Kiba-kun.

"About your eyes…"

He turns to you questioningly and you look back stunned and equally confused.

That's not what I wanted to say!

You can feel your face redden involuntarily.

"Ah! Um! I-I mean—! Y-Yesterday! Ab-b-bout yesterday! I-I—!"

"Hinata." Shino says calmly, putting a soothing hand on your shoulder.

"Y-Yes Sh-Shino-k-kun?"

"I don't mind. Breathe."

You nod furiously and take a few deep breaths. It's terrible that you still get so worked up about these sorts of things, especially when you already know that your teammates won't get angry, but you really can't help it.

Well I guess since I already brought it up…

"I-I wanted… to ask… if you w-were mad at K-Kiba-kun… for yesterd-day… and your eyes… your glasses… I'm s-sorry I w-wasn't here to s-st-stop him."

"You are not at fault."

That placates your nerves a little more than it should have.

"A-And Kiba-kun…?"

He sighs quietly and you can feel yourself getting antsy again. "It was rude, but not unforgivable. I have come to expect such things from him. I should not have let my guard down."

You let out a breath of relief. "So you're not mad then?"

"No."

You feel more at ease now, but you can't help but be a little curious.

"Um… Is there any reason why you do…? Wear sunglasses I mean…"

He hesitates slightly. "The Aburame have a predisposition to light-sensitive eyes that is resultant of our relationship with the Kikaichu."

"Oh… I see…" You fidget more.

Shino regards you wearily and with the slightest hint of resignation. "Do you want to see?"

You flinch and immediately feel guilty. "Y-No… No, it's fine if you d-don't want to Shino-kun…"

"It's fine."

You look up at him shyly. "A-Are you sure?"

He nods, standing and beckoning you over to the shaded edge of the clearing.

You follow, eyes glued to your feet. It was ridiculous because it wasn't like he was going to be taking anything besides his glasses off. Yet it still seemed so intrusive.

"Hinata."

You look up at him and promptly turn beet red.

Oh god Kiba-kun was right!

You quickly hide your face and turn around, ashamed at yourself for getting so worked up.

"Hinata? Are you alright? Do…Do they look that weird?"

The sudden uncertainty in is voice grounds you.

"NO! N-Not at all Shino-k-kun! They're very n-n-nice, they're just… just…"

"SHINO YOU BASTARD!!"

That was all the forewarning Kiba felt obliged to give, and you look up just in time to see Shino execute a textbook over-the-shoulder counter throw, the other boy flying a few feet before flipping in the air to land on his feet. Akamaru trots docilely over to your side, feeling more inclined to watch than participate in his owner's tomfoolery for once.

"K-Kiba-kun!"

"Kiba, the idea of sneaking up on someone is that they don't hear you coming. Yelling is not advantageous."

"Forget that! What the hell is going on Shino!? I had to bug you for days and finally ambush you to get you to show me your eyes, and you let Hinata see them just like that!? I call discrimination!"

Shino looked exasperated, and notably so since there were no glasses to obstruct his expression.

"Discrimination against what, pray tell?"

"ME!"

Shino apparently felt no need to humor Kiba any further and went to put his sunglasses back on, only to find them missing.

Kiba, on the other hand, only became more indignant at the abrupt dismissal, stomping his way back over to Shino to give the boy a piece of his mind.

CRACK!

Time seemed to freeze for a single moment, as Kiba blinked and lifted his foot, to reveal Shino's newly broken sunglasses.

You squeek.

Akamaru whines.

Kiba curses.

Shino doesn't even blink.

A thick silence ensues.

"Kiba." He says finally.

Kiba flinches uncharacteristically. "Y-Yeah?"

"My bag." He commands, gesturing vaguely towards the sack lying near the log you had been sitting on just minutes before. Kiba complies stiffly, offering it slowly in an attempt not to incite the boy further.

Calmly as ever, Shino pulls out a nondescript black case, and opens it to reveal another pair of sunglasses. After putting them on, he returns the case to his bag and looks up as though nothing had happened.

"Shall we being training?"

"Wait a second! What the hell Shino? Since when did you have a spare pair of sunglasses!?" Kiba says almost indignantly.

"Since yesterday." Shino retorts dryly, pining Kiba with a very deliberate look over the rim of his glasses.

Kiba blushes and seems unable to respond for a few moments, but eventually huffs and turns away. "Wh-Whatever."

"Um…" You begin uncertainly, feeling distinctly forgotten. "It's actually about time for lunch already… maybe we should just eat?"

Kiba, who seems to have broken from his embarrassment, scratches his head sheepishly.

"Yeah, sorry about that guys, I totally slept in by accident."

You shake your head dismissively. "It's alright. It happens."

He looks over to Shino who shrugs. "Don't let it happen again."

Kiba smiles brightly. "Then how about this? We all go to Ichiraku's and eat, and then train hard for the rest of the day. Deal?"

You nod happily, relieved that everything worked out.

"Alright then, last one there gets to treat!" He says spiritedly and races off Akamaru quick at his heels.

Shino holds you back from following.

"Don't waste your energy, he can treat for today."

"But Shino-kun, he won't agree to that…"

Shino releases your shoulder, adjusting his sunglasses minutely.

"I think I've found a good way to deal with him."

You giggle lightly, and start off at a leisurely walk, Shino retrieving his bag before following.

And the broken glasses lay neglected in the grass, long forgotten by all parties.

AN: God I have such a fetish for 2nd person POV. Anyways, I kind of wanted to explore the subject of the Aburame's eyes and then (as you may or may not choose to see in the second chapter) it just got way out of control.