The Bug Queen

Do It For Him / Pudding - Ino

Ino finally began to come to when they arrived home, lifting her head groggily. Shibi wished them a good night, heading to his room so they could have some privacy out in the living room.

"What happened?"

Shino looked sick as he sat on the couch, holding her.

"You threw up and passed out. We took you to the hospital."

"We?"

"My dad and I. Sakura ordered me to bring you in every day from here on, no exceptions."

She didn't even remember passing out, but she did feel the weight of the saline lock in her forearm. Shino stared at the other side of the room.

"You need to tell me what we're going to do next. Sakura doesn't think you'll make it much longer like this. And... I'm afraid that you'll just... not wake up. Are we staying in Konoha or are we leaving?"

"Shino, you can't leave. Your life is here-"

"If we stay, you'll die."

He was blunt. She closed her eyes.

"I don't know what to do. If I knew, I'd tell you. If I knew, I wouldn't be dying."

Tears were streaming from behind his glasses.

"I can't lose you. I can't."

"We've only been together for a week-"

"You've been my friend for 15 years. I can't lose another person..."

He'd already lost his brother. He couldn't lose her, too. She began to cry bitterly.

"We just started dating. We should be going out all the time or lying in bed, talking all night. Having lots of sex. Exploring each other. Not constantly going to the hospital-"

"If we don't go, you won't be around to do those things."

The sadness in his voice was heartbreaking. She had to find a way past this. She had to get better, Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly.

"I will get better. And I'll do it for you. Because, clearly, getting better for myself isn't working."

If she couldn't get better for herself, maybe she could do it for Shino. He held her thin body against his.

"Just get better. Please. So we can see if we could start a life together."

She weakly raised a hand and caressed his face, resting her forehead against his. His ragged breath was warm against her chin.

"I will get better-"

Knock, knock.

"Dammit."

Shino sighed, pulling himself away from their intimate moment and gently moving her to the side of the couch so he could answer the door. It was Sakura with a large box.

"Hey, would it be okay if I hook Ino up to an IV here for a few days? She can have constant fluids that way. And I can teach you how to care for the saline lock and the IV. I just... we're running out of options."

Shino took the box and invited her in. Ino watched as her boyfriend took the box back to their bedroom. Sakura sat beside her.

"Hey, Ino-Pig. I'm going to give you around-the-clock fluids for a few days to see if you improve."

Ino knew she looked awful, curled up on the couch.

"Thanks, Billboard Brow. I'm going to get better."

Sakura gave her a small smile, but no real encouragement.

"I hope so."

Shino returned and picked Ino up from the couch.

"We can get you into bed so you can be comfortable."

***

As she laid there with Shino that night, shaking from the cold saline, he said something surprising.

"Dad asked me if I'd brought you here to die."

She closed her eyes, feeling that familiar lump of emotion in the back of her throat.

"I can see why he would ask that."

"Ino, if you really don't want to do this anymore... please tell me. It would crush me, but I'd never let you take that journey alone."

She looked over at him, pouring her heart out to him.

"I want to live. I want a life. Someday, I want a family of my own and a home. A new clan to belong to. I just have to find a way through this."

His light brown eyes were even lighter from crying. She was both surprised and comforted by his hands sliding under her baggy shirt, feeling her waist and her lower back.

"Your favorite food is pudding, right?"

"How... do you remember that?"

"It has been since we were little. If I make pudding, will you try to eat at least a little bit?"

"Shino, it's late. You don't have to make pudding-"

He was already getting up from the bed. She heard him clinking pots and pans as she pulled the blankets over her shaking body, falling asleep quickly.

"Hey, wake up."

She wasn't sure how long she was out, but Shino was sitting on the bed, a plate of pudding in his hand and a spoon in the other.

"Open up. It's still a little warm. I hope that's okay."

She opened a little and he put a little of the pudding in her mouth. It was... delicious....

"Mmm..."

It melted in her mouth. It was creamy and sweet and warm, and she swallowed it easily. She put her hands over her belly, wanting to cry.

"W-What's wrong? Is it bad?"

"No! It's so good!"

He had his glasses back on, and tears were falling.

"I-It is?"

He took another small spoonful, placing it into her mouth. It was every bit as good as the first! She ate small bites, but she ate hungrily, and soon she had eaten the portion he had given her. Her belly felt comfortably full and she felt warm inside. Shino was in shock.

"You did it... you ate..."

He put the plate on the side table and hugged her gently. She felt proud of herself, too. Food had been such a struggle since everything had happened.

But she ate!

"There's more in the refrigerator for tomorrow. I'll make you all the pudding you want."

"Thank you."

He crawled under the blankets with her, holding her against his chest as she quickly fell asleep again, the constant saline cold against her arm.