Shimmering Fireflies

Rain

After hours of sitting next to her friend, sometimes peeking in his direction, Mizuiro decided to wake him up. The sun was already piercing through the leaves in the forest, raising the ambient temperature. Subtle and almost imperceptible drops of rain began to fall, but the trees were covering the two ninja. She hesitantly placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping he would wake up after her gesture, but he didn't. The young girl thought that, just maybe, his coat was too thick for him to feel anything. She decided to stroke his shoulder a bit more until his body shivered. As soon as he did, she removed her hand quickly.

"Did you sleep well, Shino?"

"Yes. Thank you."

He pulled himself into a sitting position, keeping his back turned on her. After a subtle stretch, he replaced his coat and finally faced Mizuiro while adjusting his goggles.

"You?"

"Uh?"

"I didn't ask you how you slept earlier. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded and tried not to blush. Mizuiro knew that from now on, it would be different between them. Her heart had a hard time listening to her brain when she had that much interest in someone. The truth is, she knew she was weaker now. The worst part was that she had to hide it.

They ate their breakfast while listening to the sounds of nature. Capturing a dozen orchid mantises sure sounded easy in theory. In practice, they had to bring them back to the village without hurting them or scaring them. As Mizuiro thought about this, she realized she should've studied these bugs way better than she did.

"Hum, Shino?" She muttered after finishing her breakfast.

"Yes?"

"Are we supposed to bring back mantises so they can breed in the garden?"

"He didn't tell," Shino realized. "I guess that would be his goal if he wants to have many. If so, we need to be careful not to choose males that are older than the females. They do not have the same lifespan at all, because females live longer."

Mizuiro suddenly seemed concerned.

"I don't know how to tell how old they are..." she sighed.

"Adult mantises have wings," he started. "Most of them at least."

She let out a subtle gasp despite herself. Of course he knew that, just like he knew almost everything about bugs. That made him even more captivating. She was sure wondering how others could think he was a boring person.

After they gathered their supplies, they started to walk towards their destination. According to their map, there was a particularly humid area in the forest, near a small waterfall. They were only a few kilometers away from this place, where those bugs would surely live in abundance. After one hour of running in silence, they arrived at what they thought would be a mantis paradise. Instead, they found themselves facing up a solid rock bound wall, partially covered by various vines and flowers. The air already felt humid and heavy, so they knew they were at the right place. Without hesitation, Shino sent his bugs looking for the waterfall. Only two minutes later, they came back to him with information.

"It's on top of this mountain, apparently." Shino pointed out as his bugs were coming back in his pores. "It isn't very high, but it's quite steep."

They started jumping on stones that were large enough to be sill platforms on the mountain. It only took them a few minutes to get to the top, yet heavy rain poured down on them as soon as they reached it. They both became soaked instantly. Mizuiro let out a sigh; as much as she loved the rain, she was eager to see the mantises.

"It's ok," her friend immediately replied. "There will be even more bugs after the rain stops."

"So... now we wait?"

"Yes. We should find shelter."

The oasis was beautiful, breathtaking even. This place was brimming with all kinds of exotic flowers, mostly orchids, of course. They made an interesting contrast with the dark blue sky right now.

They found a small cavern that was naturally formed. It wasn't very profound or high, yet it was perfect for a short time rest. It was mainly empty, except for some plants along with a few spider webs. At least the rain wasn't a problem anymore. They sat down side by side, putting their bags next to them. Watching the rain streaming on everything except them procured a nice feeling.

Mizuiro felt odd to be that close to him in such a restricted place. It was very intimate, at least enough for her heartbeat to be abnormal. She wasn't that anxious naturally. She just wanted to act normal in front of her friend, although knowing his amazing deduction skills, she was scared he would notice something different.

"Mizuiro." Shino whispered.

"Yes?" she said while turning her head towards him.

He delicately stretched his hand towards her head. Blood rushed through her cheeks as he touched a few of her hair. She stayed still, immobilized by this unanticipated proximity between them. A series of questions were rapidly going through her mind. He lightly brushed the top of her head and brought his hand back to him... with a spider in it.

"It was in your hair" he calmly added.

She sighed, not so surprised that this little thing made her heart throb way too hard for what it really was. She took a peek on top of her as Shino put the spider back in his web. By reflex, she moved aside so the spider wouldn't come down on her head again. She was now even further from her friend. At least she would stay away from this kind of situation again. It's not that she didn't like to share these moments with him; she was just worried her intense feelings would ruin them.