Naruto One Shots

Outing (Shino Aburame)

[Artwork is not mine! Credit to uttttate]

Requested by: Anonymous

Word Count: 4,595

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:
- None

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     I eagerly wait by the door, sitting on the ground and glaring at the door as if that'll make my date show up earlier. My fingers toy with the pedals of the sunflowers I bought, occasionally having to nudge one of the dogs when they try to eat the blooms I've situated again and again in their vase. Maybe I should fix them again, this arrangement looks stupid too... or maybe I've been glancing at it too long.
Or maybe I'm just a little nervous. I don't know how Shino is going to react to me getting him flowers. It's probably a stupid idea but beetles enjoy sunflowers - I think - so I figured it would be a good gift for my date. From what Naruto has told me people tend to avoid Shino because his kikaichus freak people out. I want him to know they don't freak me out, that they're not a 'turn-off' for me, and that they won't be a damper on our - hopefully - developing relationship.
There's a knock on the door, making both the dogs and me jump to our feet. "I'll get it!" I yell, over the dogs' barks, carefully placing the vase on the door side table.
"Really? I wouldn't have guessed. It's not like you've been sitting in front of the door for the past hour," my dad mumbles, getting a nose puff and an agreeing head bob from Pakkun who didn't bother climbing to his feet or joining the rest of the pack at the door.
I tap my hip, before leaving my palm pointed towards the pack. Seven of the eight dogs - Pakkun ignoring me as he stays situated under my Dad's feet - obey the command, their noses tapping against my pale as they situate themselves on the side I ordered. My hand closes in a fist, shifting down to give them their next command. Again, they all listen, falling into their sit command.
Another knock comes from the door, a round of howling answering it once again. I pat myself down, flatting my clothes and trying to brush off the dog hair I always seem to be covered in. I glance at the dogs again, letting out a shaky breath as I look them over. "Please don't be weird," I tell them, a mix of tail wags, poked-out tongues, and barks being my response.
"They're going to be weird, and if they're not, I'll be weird," Dad teases, getting a chuckle out of Pakkun this time.
"Dad!"
"Open the door before your date thinks you're ignoring him," he grumbles, rolling his eye at me before focusing on the dishes again.
Right, Shino is here... and I still haven't answered the door! I quickly turn the handle, shooting the pack another glance before tugging the door open. "Hello," I pipe out, quickly glancing over his outfit. Same outfit as usual, same glass as always, just like Shino tends to be. Just how I like it. Predictability is comfortable and attractive. Like Shino.
     "Hello," he says back, sinking his head further into the collar of his shirt.
     I glance around, trying to shake off the awkwardness, my eyes falling on the forgotten vase. My hands shoot forward, grabbing the flowers, and holding them out towards Shino. "I... uh... got you - er - your kikaichus flowers. Well I guess I got them for you but when I bought them I was thinking about what your kikaichus would favor and I don't know if sunflowers are it but I guess I just panicked and decided on these and - "
     "You're rambling, Madam," Pakkun mutters, the clicking of his nails against the floorboards filling the space. "Apologies for my Madam," he says, walking through my legs before settling between Shino's and my feet. "She tends to ramble when she's nervous."
     "I'm not nervous and I'm not rambling," I mutter, shifting the vase in my hands.
     "It's alright, your Madam's voice has the power to please my ears upon any subject she speaks," Shino voices, confusing me a bit. What does that mean? Why is he so old-timely spoken? I'm going to have to look into a Shakespeare translator or something if he keeps speaking like this.
     He takes the flowers from me, the sound of ruffled plastic catches my attention, making my eyes fall. Wrapped in a clear plastic sleeve with baby blue tissue paper is a bouquet. The flowers are a mix of soft pinks and powder purples; the greens of the bouquet are pale, going along with the soft colors so perfectly it might make me burst into tears of appreciation. My sunflowers look so cheap compared to the flowers I got him.
     "Alright, weirdo," Pakkun grumbles, twirling around my feet a few times to catch my attention.
     "My apologies. It seems I came off wrong. I have read it is common for a suitor to compliment his suitress. Is that not the common practice?" Shino asks, his head switching between being focused on me and being focused on Pakkun.
     The dog jumps up, his front feet pressed into my leg as he stretches upward. "You know how to pick a... Suitor, Madam," he grumbles, head butting my thigh.
     "Be nice," I order, bending down to pick up the pug. "Don't mind Pakkun. He's old and grumpy," I tell Shino, turning the dog on his back in my arms so I can rub his tummy.
     "I am not grumpy, and I'm most definitely not - right there my Madam," he cuts himself off, kicking his foot as I scratch his belly.
     I giggle at the pug, tilting my head down to nuzzle my nose against his head. "Hatake-Chan?" Shino calls, pulling my attention away from the dog in my arms. "I also read it is common to meet your immediate family before I take you out on our first outing. May I do that?"
     "Sure, Shino," I answer, sending him a smile as my cheeks heat up. "Just a heads up most of my 'immediate' family is made up of dogs," I warn him, setting Pakkun on his paws again.
     "That is alright. I tend to understand and get along with animals better than humans," he tells me, sending me a small smile back.
     "Bull," I call, tapping my hip. The big chunky boy slowly trudges over, his nose tapping my hand waiting for his next command. "This is Bull, he's a gentle giant and the muscle of the pack," I explain, cupping his ears and rubbing the back of them with my thumbs.
     "Hello Bull," Shino greats, bowing his head at the dog before his head shifts around. "I would like to give you your flowers and perhaps set mine down so I can properly great Bull," he adds, holding the bouquet he bought towards me. I take the bouquet, along with the vase, setting them down on the table again. "Hello, Bull-San," he repeats, kneeling to pat Bull's head.
     The bulldog sniffs at him, sneezing when a kikaichu flaps out and lands on his nose, causing the both of us to smile. Once he's bored, Bull trots toward the kitchen, heading to go bother my Dad for scrapes. "Urushi," I call, the hyper dog eagerly leaving his heel and bolting at my date.
     Shino stumbles a bit, a hand falling to the ground to keep him balanced as the other one focuses on rubbing along the dog's fur. "He's Dad's main - "
     "Excuse me?" Pakkun cuts in, his head tilted as he glares at me.
     "Urushi is training to take over as my Dad's main ninken once Pakkun retires."
     Shino straightens himself, both hands rubbing the dog that has situated his paws on my date's chest, eagerly licking his face. "I shall tell Kiba to come talk to your father then. Akamaru isn't retiring any time soon but Kiba's mother has been insisting that he starts planning for his retirement."
     "I think Dad would like that. Now, go lay down Urushi," I order, gently tugging on the dog's collar. "Shiba," I call for the next, the dog instantly answering. He sulks over to me, softly growling as he slides his way between my legs, his head pressed into my stomach as he glares at the new man in the room. "Shiba doesn't take kindly to any man besides Uncle Gai and Dad being around me."
     "That is understandable," he mumbles, flatting his hand as he leans it toward the dog. "I will respect your wishes and keep space between myself and your Madam, alright Shiba?"
     The dog lets out a few grumbles, continuing to growl until Dad calls him into the kitchen. "Bisuke?" The flappy-eared dog races forward, bouncing around at my feet as he paws at me, wanting to be picked up. "He's the baby of the group so he's not the most behaved."
     "He reminds me of Naruto," Shino mumbles, taking a few awkward steps forward, stopping when Shiba starts growling again.
     I giggle, scratching the dog's head. "Ya, he does kind of act like Naruto doesn't he?" Shino nods, toying with his tail until the dog wanders off, setting himself up to pounce on Pakkun. "Akino?" I call, the second biggest dog slowly strutting forward, rubbing himself against Shino. "He is the most laid back of the pack, aside from Pakkun of course."
     Shino hums, running his hands over Akino's tan coat, at least until he struts away to go sunbathing. "Guruko?" Like the others, he races forward, eagerly shoving his nose against my date's clothes, sniffing out the kikaichus wrapped into Shino's being. "They're all scent-based ninkens but Guruko is the best."
     "I can hear you!" Pakkun yells, his voice huffy as he runs away from Bisuke. The chase catches Guruko's attention causing the dog to leave us to join the chase.
     "Uhei?" I call last, my dog walking over, switching between licking my fingers and sniffing at Shino. "Uhei is my dog, but he works best with a companion. I'm not as skilled as Dad so I can't handle more than one ninken, so Uhei is Dad's on the field and mine at home," I mutter the explanation, scratching the back of my head to help with my nerves.
     "There is no shame in knowing your limits and doing what is best for your ninken," Shino mumbles, patting my dog's sides.
     "Now that I have met all your dogs, I would like to meet your father. I also read it is customary to meet a suitress's father and thank him," he says, crawling to his feet as he swipes all the hair off himself, the fur standing out against his black clothing.
     "You've already met my father," I point out, my eyes glancing to the side as the sound of my Dad approaching fills my ears.
     "I have but I wish to formally meet him, especially since he is allowing me to take you on an outing," he says, slightly nodding his head in agreement with himself.
     "What a gentleman," Dad mutters, a hand on my shoulder as the other one stretches out towards Shino for a handshake.
     "Hatake-San," Shino says, his voice a normal leveled tone for once instead of the soft-spoken tone he usually uses. "It is nice to meet you and I would like to say thank you for allowing me to attempt a courtship with your child."
     He shakes my Dad's hand, causing just a hint of a smile to form under his mask. "Of course. I am rather glad you have met the pack," Dad starts, using the handshake to pull Shino closer, my date ending an inch or two away. He leans down, a closed-eye smile on his face as his tone drops an octave. "Now you know the eight talented-nosed and sharp-teethed beasts that will haunt you down if you do anything to my heart and soul."
     "Kakashi."
     "Dad!" Pakkun and I both call, glaring at my Father because of his overprotectiveness. "Let's maybe not threaten my date, please?"
     Dad drops Shino's hand, throwing his arms up in a shrug as he starts heading back to the kitchen. "What's the point of being a good Shinobi if I can't use the fear of my career history to scare your potential partners?"
     "We're leaving now," I groan, rolling my eyes at the old man. "Do you mind taking care of my flowers and making sure the dogs don't eat the sunflowers I got Shino while we're away?"
     "You got it, Kid," he agrees, already pulling a vase out of the cabinet. "Be back by dark or I'll send the hounds after you two."
     "We got it, Dad," I continue to groan, motioning Shino out the door.
     "Thank you again, Hatake-San," he calls before I close the door. Once there's space between us and the overbearing pack I call family, Shino's full focus is on me again. "You look like a marbled heaven-hued primrose, Hatake-Chan," he says, another soft smile on his face, his cheeks peppered in a pink similar to the flowers he got me.
     I let out a laugh, a smile easily tearing onto my face. "You say the weirdest things sometimes," I tell him, shaking my head and looking down at the street, starting to walk away from my home.
     "Did you not like it? I can offer a different compliment if you'd like," he rushes out, obviously trying to fall in line with my steps. He's struggling too, his strides are a lot larger than mine because of his long legs.
     "No, I like how you compliment me," I hum, walking a bit faster so he will hopefully fall into his normal strides. "I was just pointing out that no one has ever complimented me like you do."
     He does, Shino's strides going back to normal, making his body language relax a bit and flow easier. "I have planned a decent day, I believe, but I wish to get your approval first."
     "Whatever you have planned I'm sure I'll have fun doing."
     "While I appreciate your belief in my abilities to provide you with an appealing afternoon, the plans I have made for us are a little... exclusive. I have read that women are advised to be in a public space during a first outing and I have planned a... well, an exclusive outing, alone, in the forest. If you are uncomfortable being alone with me so apart from - "
     "Shino," I say, cutting him off and stopping my steps. He stops too, mouth snapping shut as he looks down at me, waiting for me to finish my statement. "I've known you for years now. Ya, we might not have been friends until recently, but if Sai doesn't even dislike you, I'm pretty confident I'll be fine. Sai doesn't like anyone but Ino."
"Oh... okay," he mutters, his hands being shoved into his pockets as he falls quiet. "Hatake-Chan?" He calls after a few moments, stopping our walk again.
"Aburame-Chan?" I tease, tilting my head up to look at his mostly covered face.
He sinks into his shirt color again, just a thin strip of his face exposed. "You're a brisky eye-beaming nymph."
I smile at him again, even if I don't know what he means. "Thank you, Shino."
He pops out of his hiding spot like a cute little turtle, slightly nodding his head. "Let us continue our walk," he mutters, head facing forward as he picks up our stroll again.