Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Reading Totems ❯ Chapter 15 ( Chapter 15 )

Author's pre-ramble: To my reviewers: otakutron, DragonTamer94, TheForsakenOne, tasuki001, Dwarfwarrior, ghostreader14, TheRavenQuoth, sotobell, interestingstuff, mousetrap…Thank you to everyone who replied to my OOC-ness question with encouragement that I've still got Shino's character down pretty well. Thank you to Lady SLV who plugged me shamelessly on her story and increased my number of hits! Postings will be slowing down to about one per week now due to my writing slowing down with employment taking up a huge amount of my time. My muse is still alive, I just don't have as much free time to write. And now we interrupt this action/drama for fluffy romance…with a dash of angst.

 

Title: Reading Totems

By: GrizzlyTeddyBear

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and this makes me sad. I do own Paige Stone, my OC!

Main Pairings: ShinoxOC, NaruxHina, SasuxSaku

Rating: M for mentioned adult themes

Warning: AU, Post-series start time. Rookie 9 is 23-24 years old. Fic mentions pagan religions, if you can't handle it, don't read! Also is OC-centric. Hold your pants, all will be revealed as the story progresses. I like to take my time.

 

Chapter Summary: Paige explains her actions with the council to Shino. The question of “why” is asked and answered. The first kiss! …and a second one.

 

***Chapter 15***

 

Once the couple moved out of the line of sight from the still wide open doors of the council's meeting room, Shino pulled Paige to a stop. She looked at him, waiting for what he wanted. He took a step closer into her space, and she let him. He reached for her hand that he was not currently holding and proceeded to guide both of her arms around his waist. “Hold on tight,” he whispered.

 

She nodded into his cloak covered chest armor as he wrapped his arms around her. Paige could feel him doing something behind her back with his hands, but she didn't know what. She was about to ask him, when suddenly she noticed they had appeared in a house…in a small cloud of smoke. She took her time looking around, but forgot to let go of Shino. They were standing in what looked like a living room of a house…judging by the size of the space and furniture.

 

“Teleportation jutsu.” Watching her look around the room they were now standing in, he added, “My house in the Aburame complex.”

 

“You have an entire house?” she asked, looking up into his still masked face.

 

Shino gave a one shouldered shrug in response which broke her hold on him. He then removed his hands from behind her and took off his mask, hood, and sword. “We're a small clan, but we are not without resources.” He walked towards the kitchen and asked, “Would you like something to drink?”

 

“Just water is fine,” she replied. While he was getting her water she raised her voice slightly so that he could still hear her from the kitchen. “So besides you being heir to a small, but influential clan, a very eligible bachelor, and rich…is there anything else I don't know about you?” She could see his smile clearly for the first time as he walked back out to her.

 

“Yes.”

 

She couldn't help but return his smile. “Oh?”

 

Handing her a glass of water, but letting his hand linger on hers, he stated, “I don't think I am an eligible bachelor anymore.”

 

Paige decided she liked this side of Shino. She liked his sense of humor. “Lucky girl.”

 

He removed his hand from hers and ran the back of it down her cheek. “Lucky me.”

 

Paige could feel herself blush as she leaned into the contact. She liked where this was going…she really did, but there were other things which needed to be dealt with first. Sighing, she broke the moment with a single sentence. “We need to talk about some things.”

 

It was Shino's turn to sigh, and he nodded as he removed his hand from her face. “Wait here a moment. I need to change.” He then walked out of the room.

 

She let out another heavy sigh after he left. She took off her bag and sat down on the couch in the living room and placed her glass of water on the low table in front of her. The sound of water running signaled Shino was taking a shower before changing. Thoughts of a showering Aburame danced through her head for a few minutes, but the sound of the water stopping jarred her back into the present. She began to feel slightly nervous about their impending talk. To try and calm herself she got up and walked around the room once, stopping at the window to look at the complex outside. She noticed the few Aburame she saw were dressed similar to Shibi and Shino—high collared shirts and sunglasses.

 

“Paige?”

 

Startled, she turned around sharply at the sound of her name. “Sorry, lost in thought.”

 

Shino nodded and offered a tentative smile as he walked over.

 

Paige took his short walk to notice his choice in clothing. He was wearing his usual black pants, but for his shirt, instead of his usual matching high collared button-down black shirt, he was wearing a simple black tank top styled undershirt. It showed off his nicely muscled arms and the top of his chest. She took in how it showed off the holes in his arms through which the kikaichu entered and exited his body. Letting her eyes roam she also noticed a red spiral tattoo on his one shoulder. She was struck by how handsome he was underneath all of those baggy clothes he usually wore. Paige wondered to herself why he had feelings for her. She wasn't that much to look at and she lied to the council, she was broken. She shook her head once to clear it of her darker thoughts. When Shino came within arms-reach, she traced her finger over the lines of his tattoo, down his arm, over some of the holes, and then dropped her arm back to her side.

 

“ANBU symbol,” was Shino's reply when she ran her fingers over the tattoo. He then slowly reached up and removed the red handkerchief that had been covering her hair and ran his fingers through some of the short messy blonde strands. “We were going to talk,” he gently reminded her.

 

“Yeah.” Another sigh escaped her. “I want you to understand more of what happened today. Why I said and did some of those things.”

 

“You don't have to explain. I understand enough.”

 

Paige shook her head and took a few steps away from Shino back towards the couch. “It's not enough to me. If what we have is going to work, I want you to know more about me. I want you to understand my actions.”

 

“I understand refusing the council.”

 

“But do you understand why I practically had a panic attack at the idea of an arranged marriage?” She looked down at her clenched fists.

 

Shino took a few steps closer to her and tried to reach out to her. “I can guess some of the reasons.”

 

Paige figured he was recalling her little outburst at Danzo after the words torture, interrogation, and rape rang through the council meeting. She backed away before Shino's hand could make some contact with her and distract her from what she wanted to reveal to him. She moved back to the window. It was like some sort of strange dance the she was leading him around the room in.

 

Leaning against the window frame she ran her fingers through her own hair and began. “What made me panic was the thought of not having a choice in the matter. I told you I needed freedom to do my work here in Konoha, but there's more. I feared having my right of consent taken away from me. It's something I vowed never to let happen again, and then your father came in with the council's half-made decision and it all came crashing back.”

 

Paige felt herself start to shake and sought out her totem of grizzly bears to bolster her courage to tell her story. “I was 16 at the time. It was shortly after my family had disowned me for finding out about my abilities. They called me similar things to what Danzo was yelling at me.” She turned to look out the window as she continued. She didn't want to see Shino's reactions. “I was alone and scared, and I made the stupid decision of getting involved with someone I hardly knew. It was my first relationship. I didn't listen to the little voice in the back of my head that said it wasn't a good idea. I was just too naïve and wanted to tell him everything about me. To say he reacted badly when I told him of my abilities is an understatement. He got this wild look of fear and rage in his eyes and…beat and raped me repeatedly that night…It was my first…my only time…with a guy…”

 

Paige closed her eyes, “We were out on what was supposed to be a date. It was on the drive home that I told him. He pulled over on the road, dragged me out in the middle of the forest, and when he was done, he just left me. Some poor family who was camping found me. No one knows how long I was out there in the condition he left me, but it was long enough for infections to set into most of my wounds. It was one of the infections that scarred me enough to where I can't have children. I spent two months in the hospital recovering, and I told myself never again would I let that happen to me.”

 

She turned back to where Shino was in the room, but didn't look him in the eyes. “I only told Sakura that it was an infection…I didn't tell her the how. I guess she thought some of the old wounds were from my time with the bandits. You're the only one that knows about it now.” Paige now looked Shino in the eyes behind his sunglasses. “I told myself I would choose better next time…you're the only one I've chosen to let my feelings out to since then.”

 

His reaction was surprising to her. Shino stalked over to where she stood in front of the window, swept her into a fierce embrace and whispered into her ear. “I am honored by your trust in me.” He had never shown such raw emotions before.

 

Paige returned the embrace with equal enthusiasm. Some of the tears she had been holding in from telling her story began to fall when she said, “The medicine wheel told me of you…that I could trust you…that maybe there could be love with you. And then you actually appeared and I knew I didn't even want to try to fight any feelings I had for you. Shawnodese sent you to me. I'd be a fool to let you go. He gives healing of the heart. And…mine needs it. But…why me? Why do you… Why?” She wasn't sure exactly what she was asking. Her voice was wavering and the tears were flowing freely by the time she stopped talking. Once more she tried to bury her face in his chest to hide her tears.

 

Shino pulled back slightly from their embrace to wipe the tears trailing down her cheeks. Slowly, he backed up, leading her towards the couch. Arranging one of the small decorative pillows for comfort, he sat down with his back in the corner of the couch—one leg on the cushions, with the other foot on the floor. He held out his arms for Paige to join him.

 

She hesitated a moment, but then joined him on the couch. She was half sprawled on top of him, but she was comfortable. Paige laid her head upon his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. After a moment, she took off her glasses to get more comfortable, and then laid her head back down. What she heard surprised her. Shino's chest was humming! She blurted out, “Your chest hums.”

 

The sound of his voice rumbling through his chest answered her, “The kikaichu…does it bother you?”

 

“It's kind of soothing actually.”

 

Shino tightened the arms around her back slightly in response. He began talking…answering the questions Paige had momentarily forgotten she asked. “I wanted to see what the insects were talking about at first.” He ran his fingers through her hair as he spoke.

 

Paige remained quiet, knowing he was not one to waist words, and she didn't want to miss any of them.

 

“No one usually goes to that clearing, but you were there. And they were right…you are pretty.”

 

She blushed again, and made as if she could hide that fact from him by burrowing further into the embrace.

 

A hand appeared in her field of vision and gently lifted her face up so she could watch the words leave his mouth as he said it again. “You are pretty…beautiful.” Shino took his hand away, but she didn't try to hide her face again. “You weren't afraid of me. You didn't recoil from my kikaichu. But it was your reading that decided it for me. You sat there and told me about myself when I hadn't even said a word to you. You said I needed to open up more to people. When you didn't react badly to the kikaichu, I decided I would open up to you.” He hesitated for a moment. “I want to show you something.” Slowly he reached up to his sunglasses, but Paige stopped the motion.

 

“You don't have to. I know they are somehow very important to your family.”

 

“I want to,” was all that he said. Paige removed her hand from his and watched as he removed his sunglasses to reveal his closed eyes. He held out the sunglasses in front of Paige, “Put them on the table.”

 

She placed them next to her own pair of glasses and turned back to stare into Shino's perfectly black eyes. She shifted her position a little higher so she could look better. “Do you mind?” She wanted to know if she was being rude by staring, but he shook his head no. With his permission, Paige stared more. His eyes were totally black with no whites, no visible pupil. She could understand the sunglasses now. If someone didn't know him, it could be intimidating to be under his gaze. She ran her hands through his soft, dark brown hair for the first time while still looking into eyes she decided she could drown in. They held such intensity. “I think they're pretty.” They stared into each others eyes for a while longer before Shino broke his silence again. Paige watched the play of emotions in his eyes as he spoke.

 

“You said Shawnodese gives healing of the heart.”

 

Paige nodded and saw pain reflected in his eyes.

 

“I think he heals me too. The Aburame keep to themselves because others fear our appearances and our kikiachu. You don't fear me.”

 

She saw the beginnings of love in his eyes that matched the feeling of hope she felt rise in him. Paige had to close her own eyes. She had to be sure. “But…I'm…” She felt his hand run down her cheek again, and she reopened her eyes. She fought a gasp at fierceness of his gaze.

 

“You have nothing to be ashamed of. My father stated he would be honored to have you among the Aburame. He was not lying. As a small clan, we've had to adapt. The line of descent does not have to be linear. I have cousins who are more than capable of being heir to the clan.”

 

Paige settled back down, but this time laid her head on Shino shoulder. It was nice to just revel in the closeness now that the business with the council is over. Suddenly she giggled. “It just occurred to me that we basically declared to the council and most of our friends that we would get married in our own damn time.”

 

Shino gave a snort of amusement. “So?”

 

“We haven't even kissed yet! Or had an actual date!” she exclaimed and once more propped herself up to be able to look him in the eyes.

 

“Oh?” The look in those eyes was decidedly mischievous.

 

Paige felt the hand in her hair still and cradle the back of her head. The hand that had been resting lightly on her back began to make slow circles. She found herself drawn down into those black eyes and closer to the mouth that wore a slight smirk. Her eyes fluttered closed as she let herself be drawn into the moment. Their lips met. His lips were soft and gentle as they parted and came together again to pull slightly on her lower lip. Paige sighed and relaxed into the contact. Shino repeated the action. It was brief, but oh so nice. He tasted slightly sweet. She felt a stirring of emotions inside of herself that she didn't know who they came from, but she decided it didn't matter. She didn't know another person could stir those emotions in her like Shino was doing now.

 

And soon Shino was cradling her head in both of his hands and drawing her back from the kiss to look into her eyes. He gave a curt nod and said, “Now we've had our first kiss.” He said it with such seriousness that it made Paige blink herself out the slight post-kiss haze she had been in.

 

She gave him an incredulous face and narrowed her eyes at him. What was he trying to pull? Then she saw it. The smile he had been trying to fight broke out over his face…it was small, but it was there. She slapped him lightly on the chest, “You…you…”

 

“Yes?” he asked, faking an innocent look.

 

Paige felt a smile on her own face. “You tease! You have such a twisted sense of humor!” She decided to play along then and pouted over dramatically at him. “That wasn't fair.”

 

Shino gave her a raised eyebrow. “And you want another kiss to make up for it.”

 

That made Paige stop and blink for a minute again. An instant replay of their first kiss flashed through her mind and then she blurted out the first response she could think of, “Does a grizzly bear like honeycomb?” Suddenly, Shino's chest and stomach were moving rather oddly. It took her a moment, but when he finally let sound out, Paige realized he was laughing! It was a deep chuckle, and she decided that it was even sexier than just his normal voice. She then realized what words had escaped her own mouth and started laughing at herself. “I guess that was a bad pun.” Paige laughed some more.

 

Shino stopped his own laugh and just stared at her while she enjoyed her own laughter. He ran his fingers through her hair again. “You like my sense of humor.”

 

Paige nodded even though it wasn't a question and closed her eyes. She loved it when he played with her hair. It was gentle, soothing, and now made her think of that kiss.

 

“I like your sense of humor.” He drew her head down, causing her to open her eyes and look into his own at the movement. “I like your laugh.”

 

“Does that mean I get that second kiss you offered?” she asked with a smirk on her face.

 

Shino didn't reply, but instead continued to draw her closer to him. She closed her eyes again when their lips met. He repeated the previous action of tugging slightly on her lower lip. Paige shifted so she could place her hands around his neck and in his hair. It had the added bonus of giving Shino better access to her mouth. She felt his lips part again, but this time he traced the tip of his tongue along her slightly parted lips before capturing them with his own. Paige gave a soft sound of encouragement. She felt the hand in her hair tighten its grip slightly and pull her mouth more firmly against his. The next time their lips parted Shino's tongue found its way into her mouth and proceed to languidly explore every part that it could reach. Paige's hands in his hair tightened their grip and she moaned slightly in response. When the tongue was making its retreat, hers followed it into Shino's mouth where she made her own exploration. It was Shino's turn to moan, and Paige felt the hand on her back lightly trace the raised lines of the tattoos on her shoulder blades before the lines disappeared behind her tank top. She absently decided there was such a thing as a toe-curling kiss as the need for air caused her to be the one to pull away from the kiss this time. They were both breathing raggedly.

 

“That was…” Paige decided there was no way to finish that sentence and describe the decidedly indescribable. She felt the emotions stirring in her again build until she recognized them…love…from both of them directed at the other.

 

Shino gave an “Hmm” and a smile in reply.

 

She attempted to settle back down into their previous cuddling position on the couch, but in the process of rearranging her legs, encountered a small…well, large…obstacle with her knee. Realizing what exactly she had brushed up against, she turned slightly wide eyes at Shino's face. “Um…did that hurt?”

 

He gave another brief chuckle. “No.” His eyes grew concerned. “Does it bother you?”

 

She gave him a confused look. “Why would it? I'm flattered I have that effect on you.”

 

Shino's eyes still held the look of concern. “I don't want to go too fast for you.”

 

Understanding hit Paige and she smiled. He really was sweet and caring. And he was hers. “I promise to speak up if you do. But I'm not worried.” She gave into an impulse and placed a quick kiss on the tip of his nose. It scrunched up and made her giggle slightly. “I know you would never willingly hurt me.” She found herself drawn down into another fierce hug, and Shino placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head. Paige hummed in contentment as she listened to the kikaichu in Shino's chest. They sat together on the couch for a long moment, just enjoying the contact, somewhere between being awake and asleep. Sadly that moment was broken by a knock on the front door.

 

***

 

Author's post-ramble: I know I've gotten compliments on Paige being a kick-butt kind of girl, and she still is. I just decided her character needed a little more depth to it. I mentioned she was an outcast…so I wanted to touch a little more on why some of it was self-imposed. Alright, how's the romance writing? Good, bad, ugly? I'm going for the slightly bumbling effect for Paige and cool confidence for Shino…because I think it suits him. I discovered it's really really difficult to try and describe a kiss…