Yo! How are you doing, Shino? Hey, I've been wondering... what's with the sunglasses? You're always wearing them.
-so I just told her that she really needed to go to a specialist because her nails looked awful. By the way, do you ever take off those glasses?
You know, Shino, I don't want to be mean or anything but you should really leave those shades home. People are starting to think some pretty odd things about you because of them.
Shino heard it at least once every day. And he was getting sick of it. Everybody was talking about his sunglasses. Wasn't anyone, besides himself, curious about those red marks on Kiba's face? Did the hyperactive ninja paint it on his face every morning? Were they permanently tattooed to his cheeks? Was he born with them?
Shino had plented one of his kikaichu (or whatever they're called) on the Inuzuka. But Kiba's skin was really sensitive so the slighest touch made him itch and scratch until it was gone. Thus when Kiba got home he was scratching himself so vigorously that his mother thought he had fleas and immediately ordered him to take a bath.
Once he had even stalked him all day. He had sprayed a whole bottle of his mother's old parfume (which she hardly ever used because she thought she was getting too old for it) on himself and hoped that neither Kiba nor his dog-nin would recognize his scent. But what Shino didn't count on was for the canine duo to realize the same scent had been following them all day and for Kiba to sic said dog-nin, who was large, heavy, had horrible breath and some ferocious fangs, on whoever carried that scent. Akamaru was also very nimble and speedy and Shino found himself running faster then ever in his life.
Shino was not the kind of man who gave up but he wasn't the kind of man for long personal conversation either. Despite that he cornered Kiba after training one day and demanded to know every detail about those damned marks on his cheeks.
"Those marks, Kiba."
"What marks?" the Inuzuka asked, a little surprised at his teammates rather dominating tone. After all the effort he went through to make their friendship work Shino was going to act like this? The ungrateful fashion-retarded jerk.
"Those red marks on your cheeks." Shino asked, taking a step towards the Inuzuka so he had no way out.
"What about them?"
"Why are they there?"
"Everyone in my clan has them."
"Yes but why?"
Kiba blinked. "I'm ... not sure." He said slowly.
Shino rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses.
"Are they permanent?"
"Yes."
"Were you born with them?"
"No, only the females are born with the marks. The males get the marks tattooed on their cheeks when the clans thinks he reached adulthood." Kiba stated, sticking his nose up in the air and feeling proud of his clan's culture. "I don't know when it started or the reason why but isn't it awesome?"
Shino nodded, feeling much better now that he knew those things and not really paying attention to the last part. Then Kiba's words started replaying themselves in his head.
"Reached adulthood? You?" It wasn't like Shino to intentionally provoke someone. Shino stated facts but sometimes these facts offended people who were easily insulted. People like Kiba.
"Yeah me! What? You don't think I'm mature?" Kiba demanded, his eyes blazing and claws ready to sink into any part of his teammate's body.
Akamaru barked, making both Kiba and Shino jump.
"What?! I am not! Then why did they give me these marks huh?!"
"Probably to stop your whining." Shino stated, succeeding in making Kiba even angrier.
"As if they'd do that! The Marking is a very important ceremony to us male Inuzukas!! They would never give it to me just to make me shut up! Besides I wasn't that bad!" Kiba roared into Shino's face.
"Well I can't really see why else they'd give them to you. You're not exactly mature. Yet." Shino added quickly after seeing the mean glint in his teammate's eyes. But Kiba would have none of it.
"I am mature! There's no other reason to why they did give them to me!"
Akamaru barked again.
"I'm not talking to you!" Kiba barked back.
Shino stared at the red triangles on the Inuzuka's face as he had an argument with his dog. In a moment of uncharacteristical fascination and unthought action he removed his hand from his pocket and slid a slender finger across his teammate's cheek.
Kiba froze. Shino froze and cursed silently. Kiba slowly turned his head towards Shino and for minutes the two simply stared before the canine ninja glared. Again. The embodiment of short temper, that one.
"I already told you they're permanent!"
"I know."
"That means they don't come off in case you didn't know." Kiba roared.
"I do." Shino stated calmly.
"And that no amount of rubbing will make them go away!"
"I know that too."
"So why are you rubbing my cheek!?"
"I'm not sure."
Kiba opened his mouth to say something but closed it after he realized he didn't know what he was going to say in the first place. He decided on just staring awkwardly at Shino. After a few moments Kiba got annoyed when the finger, who had evolved into a hand, hadn't left his cheek yet. Then he decided to be his annoying self and without warning he snatched Shino's glasses from his face.
"Oi." Shino said, annoyed at being taken by surprise and the rudeness of his teammate's action.
"ARGH!"
"What?"
Kiba blinked. "Nothing. I just half expected you're eyes to be freaky or missing or something so I screamed just in case. That's an interesting color you have there though. What do you call it? Pale gold?"
Kiba leaned forward to get a good look at Shino's eyes. "Why do you wear glasses actually?"
It was the first time Kiba had asked him that. Everyone else had already asked him. Unable to stop himself any longer Shino smiled. It was small but it was there. But Kiba completely missed it. He was much to focused on those, dare he say it, gorgeous eyes.
"Because our eyes are sensitive to the sun and-" Shino paused, hesitating.
"And?" Kiba demanded.
"And to strengthen our sense of sight. We can see even less in the dark then most people so we were sunglasses to try and train our eyes."
Shino wondered if Kiba would feel flattered if he told him he was the first outside the Aburame clan to know this.
"That's it?" Apparently not.
"Not good enough?"
"Well I was imagining something a little more, I don't know, mysterious and creepy and weird."
"Is that a compliment?"
"I don't think so. No, it wasn't. But I didn't exactly mean it was an insult so no getting angry about it. Anyway, how come Aburames can't see in the dark as well as others?"
"The reason Inuzukas have those strange marks."
"You have absolutely no idea then."
"No, I don't. I asked my father but he doesn't know either. But... I think I know why they gave you those marks." Shino said, tilting his head to the side slightly in thought before stealing his glasses back and ignoring Kiba's protest. "Get your own. But back to the point. They make you look... cute."
Kiba choked on his own saliva. "CUTE?!"
Shino nodded. "To even out your rather unflattering obnoxious character."
Kiba turned red. Whether it was out of embarassment or anger Shino couldn't tell.
"Yeah well, you're eyes are pretty to even out you're creepy aura." Kiba snapped as he looked away.
"Thanks." Another smile. No one had ever made him smile twice a day. Not even the insects as he watched them in their own little world.
"Your welcome." Kiba paused "You really think I'm cute?"
Shino nodded again. "Until you open you're mouth."
Kiba inflated. He opened his mouth ready for another verbal battle. He had one awesome comeback which he was sure would leave the Aburame speechless. Shino never heard it though. His mouth was blocking the words. But the blockage was only temporary and the words came out after the awkward kiss was over though with a slight change in the words.
"Like what the hell?" Kiba said, glaring indignantly at Shino. The Aburame blinked confusedly. Homosexuality was not uncommon among the Aburame clan. Basically because most of the women either dumped, divorced or neglected their husbands after the children were concieved and it was rare for the father to get a hold of the children if that happened. Much like with some insects only insects ate their husbands. It happened to his father and he, like many other men, married a male afterwards. Not many knew this though. Maybe Shino was being a little too hopeful when he assumed most of the other clans were the same when it came to accepting homosexuality.
"Did you mind the kiss?" Shino asked, actually fearing rejection. He had heard that it hurts and he did not like to hurt.
"Of course I mind! You don't just kiss people without a warning! And you've got some nerve to think I'm that easy!" Kiba barked, confusing Shino even more. Kiba continued to shout in the Aburame's face about how insulted he was that Shino thought he was easy. Then Shino heard a rustling noise.
"I hear something."
"Yeah! Me talking!"
"No. I hear-"
"Me."
"No."
"No? Are you telling me you haven't been listening to what I've been saying?" Kiba glared again.
"You're impossible."
"Just because I'm not easy that doesn't mean I'm impossible!"
"That's not what I was talking abo- oh forget it." Shino turned around, leaving Kiba speechless.
"Hey! Wait! Come back! You don't have to give up just because I'm not easy!"
Shino stopped. He turned around looking rather amused though Kiba couldn't tell because half of his face was hidden.
"Are you encouraging me to come after you?"
Kiba looked like he was caught by surprise by that. He probably was.
"N-no! Of course not!"
"Well then." Shino turned around and started walking away again.
"Wait! Wait, damnit!"
Shino sighed in slight annoyance. No one could ever feel lonely around Kiba. He wouldn't let you. He turned around, ready for another round of confusion, denial and irritation when he felt his high collar being pulled down and a pair of lips against his own. It wasn't as awkward as the first but it wasn't exactly the most romantic smooch you see in movies either.
"You slobber too much." Shino complained.
"You don't slobber enough."
"Isn't that good?"
"Not in my book."
Third time. This was the third time Shino smiled.
"Let's go to your mother's house, Mr. I'm Not Easy."
Kiba glared because of the sarcastic nickname. "Why?" He demanded
"Because I'd like to know the history of those cute marks."
Kiba blushed. "My mother isn't home. She's out on a mission with my sister."
"Even better."
000
A rather random idea of mine. Don't you just love ShinoKiba? Forgive the mistakes. I don't have a beta. Please comment.