The Bug Queen

It's Good To Remember - Shino / My Family - Ino

Shino returned from the Academy to find his girlfriend curled up on the couch next to his father, who had a photo album open on his lap.  The first few weeks had been uneventful, at least.  Ino seemed content with going about her hobbies or keeping Shibi company.  This evening, Shibi was pointing at pictures in a photo album, talking to Ino. They looked up when he arrived, smiling.

"Hey, Shino!"

He put his bag down.

"Hey, what are you two looking at?"

"Shibi's showing me some pictures of your family. He was answering my questions about your clan."

She turned to his father, continuing.

"Thank you for showing me your pictures."

His Dad had a sad smile on his face.

"It was kind of you to ask. I'll show you the photo albums anytime you'd like."

"Thank you."

She got up, hugging Shino tightly. He felt like he had just walked in on a very sensitive moment.

"Welcome home."

As she spoke to Shino, his father continued to look though the photo album, gazing at the pictures as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"You okay, Dad?"

He nodded as he closed the photo album, putting it on the coffee table. He buried his face in his hands. Ino broke away from Shino immediately, throwing her arms around Shibi's shoulders and holding him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up so many emotions-"

"Don't be sorry. It's good to remember them, even if it's painful. They deserve to be remembered..."

Ino nodded. Shino hated seeing the two people he cared about so deeply crying, but he knew who they were looking at in the glossy pictures: his mother. And his brother.  His only memory of his mother's face was from the picture on the shrine table. His father had told stories of her, but he just couldn't remember her at all anymore.

He was surprised to see his father so emotional, especially in front of Ino. But both of them might need this moment of vulnerability, he thought to himself. Shino stood there helplessly, unsure of what to do to help. After a minute, Ino kissed the top of his father's head tenderly before getting up.

"Hey, let's all go out to dinner in an hour, okay? Let's get out of here."

Shibi wiped his eyes.

"Only if you and Shino don't mind-"

"Not at all. Be ready in an hour, okay? Think about where you might like to go."

This made him smile a little behind his high collar. Ino worried about everyone but herself, and Shibi knew it.

"Don't worry about me; I'm just tagging along.  You two pick someplace."

She got up and took Shino's hand, leading him down the hallway to their bedroom.

He shut the door behind them and turned back around to hands already unzipping his jacket. Ino's face was streaked and salty with tears.

"Are you going to be okay?"

She nodded.

"I didn't mean to upset Shibi. Everytime I pass your shrine table, I see pictures of your mom and brother, and I just wanted to know more about them. Your Mom was beautiful, and she looks like you and I wanted to know more about her. And I remember seeing your brother in passing, but I never met him. So I asked Shibi and we spent two hours looking at pictures and talking about them..."

Ino buried her face into his shoulder.

"Your Dad loved her so much, Shino. He still does."

She looked up, sniffling as she continued.

"I just... that's the kind of love I want. A love that transcends death. Is that greedy? That's what my parents had, too. The only comforting thought I had was that at least they got to be together when they both died in the war. I just wish that they hadn't left me behind..."

She began to sob. She was finally beginning to feel her feelings and process their death, and he'd be here for her. Holding her tightly, he whispered into her ear.

"Let it out. Cry it out while we get a bath together. Let me wash you and lotion you while you tell me everything. And I'll help you into something pretty for tonight and we can get dinner with my Dad. And go to the bookstore on the way home and you can get a new romance novel. Or two. Or whatever you'd like."

She nodded, giving him a small smile.

***

Ino laid on the bed, feeling beautifully shattered after a very emotional day. A long, romantic story from Shibi followed by a quick pampering from Shino before a delicious dinner and good conversation at the dumpling house and a quick trip to the bookstore on the way home. Her heart felt full, and she knew that these men were her family.

The conversation at dinner was much lighter, which was much needed. Except when the Akamichis' came in with Karui, Choji's fiancé. But it was okay, she was with her family. Shino and Shibi.

They covered for her, knowing she might have a hard time. They were so good to her. She was able to move back into their own conversation easily, listening to father and son laugh over shared experiences.

Ino not only found love with Shino, but she had also found love with his clan well. As they drank sake and laughed louder at their table, she found Shino's hand under the table, holding it tightly.

She loved him.  More than she ever thought she could love anyone.

And now she was home, lying in bed with Shino curled against her, his head on her shoulder, his dark shades on the bedside table. He was so cozy as the cold rain fell outside. It hadn't been long, but this was the man, and the clan, that she could see herself with. She was so comfortable here. Her nails were manicured, and her clothes fit. She felt like she used to: sexy and confident. And her man looked at her as if she were a goddess. Her lean, muscular, tattooed, shy boyfriend. He clung to her as he slept, using her shoulder as a pillow.

As she gazed at him, he stirred, opening his eyes sleepily as he gazed back at her.

"Hey, Beautiful..."

He whispered sleepily, yawning.

"Hey, Gorgeous."

He blushed deeply, even though he was still half asleep.

"Aren't you going to sleep?"

"Not yet. I'm too wrapped up in watching you sleep."

He leaned in and kissed her neck gently.

"Go to sleep, Love."

She kissed his forehead.

"I will."

He yawned again.

"My family really loves you. Especially my Dad. He thinks you're great."

"I love your family. And Shibi's so great."

"I love you most of all, though."

"I know you do. I love you most of all, too."

"It was nice of your dad to tell me all about your clan, and your mom and brother. She sounded like a lovely woman. And you look just like her."

He yawned again.

"When I was younger, I could still remember her face from memory. But now I can't remember her beyond the pictures anymore."

"Your dad lit up when he talked about her. It was so nice to hear the stories. And see all of the cute pictures.  We'll find a nice way to honor your mom. I also told Shibi that, next time, I'd show him the Yamanaka family photo albums. I have a lot of them in boxes in one of the spare bedrooms."

"We'll get them out; they deserve to be displayed."

She nuzzled his face back into the crook of her neck, breathing her in deeply before falling asleep once again.  Soon, between the sound of the rain and his warmth, she was asleep as well, her cheek against his forehead.