Ok. So I started writing this back in February. FEBRUARY. It started as a Valentine's Day thing, but instead I made some alterations for it to fit into the Summer Contest on the deviantArt ShinoTen FC.

It started, as all of my stories have, as a conversation with Rellie (Rel, here on ). We were both musing about how Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls was a fantastic fit for Shino. No really. Go listen, it fits him perfectly. But, what started as a completely serious conversation, turned upside down (as almost all our conversations do) as we realized that Iris is one of those songs that everyone our age had their first slow dance to. And then, this monster of a one shot was born. So! Enjoy!

Story: Spun Around

Genre: Romance/Comedy

Characters: Shino, Tenten, Gai, Lee, Ino, Hinata, Naruto, and many, many more.

Notes: Summer Contest Entry

She couldn't believe it.

At first, she was somewhat excited about the idea. A formal? The perfect excuse to ditch the sweaty clothes and the training boots for a full evening? It was like any girl's dream!

But this? This was a nightmare.

She should have known. Anything of a serious nature planned and lead by her dear sensei lost all of its seriousness once passed the concept stage. What started as "a Youthful Gathering for the young shinobi of Konoha to enjoy themselves on one of the most Romantic Days of the Summer"—his tribute to some obscure holiday Tenten had begun to suspect Gai-sensei had completely made up—had turned into "the color pink just threw up on my village, and not in a good way."

Gai-sensei had spent a week preparing, and insisted that their team contribute in every way. This, of course meant, that she and Neji had found every route of escape, and let Lee and Gai-sensei to their own devices. Which probably wasn't very smart on their part, she admitted. Now the main gathering hall was draped in the brightest shades of pink, yellow, and orange in a way which clashed horribly, making her somewhat sick to her stomach. Usually, she rather liked pink, but when everything from the table cloths to the toilet seats were adorned in it, it would make anyone gag.

It would have been one thing if she weren't the ONLY kunoichi in Konoha who didn't have all the boys falling all over her. Knowing that she likely would spend the evening trying to hide from Gai-sensei or watching everyone else get all mushy with each other on the dance floor was enough to get any girl down.

At least everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves. And it was a great excuse for everyone to clean themselves up for once. The room was spattered with sleek tuxes, flowing gowns, and beautiful kimonos—an unusual scene in their village, but certainly a pleasant one. Who knew Kiba owned a suit? A ratty one, sure, but a suit all the same. Even Akamaru wore a bow tie…or had worn, she noted as the dog finally wrestled it from his neck.

And Hinata…well…if Tenten had to guess, Ino might have had a part to play in her outfit. Ino had been quite thrilled at the idea of the formal, and was quick to offer her styling expertise to anyone who was willing to listen. Tenten had let her help for a bit before deciding that Ino's taste was more…risqué than she was willing to go. But poor Hinata…being too polite to say 'no,' seemed now to be stuck between what her friend wanted and what she felt comfortable wearing…because, let's face it, no kimono was ever meant to be that revealing. Not to mention that quiet little Hinata had…well…quite a lot to reveal!

No wonder every man she tried to hide from kept tripping over his own feet…

Now that she thought of it, it seemed that everyone in the room had their own definition of 'formal.' The room was alight with a mix of traditional to revealing, current to retro.

Speaking of retro… "Tenten-san, what an amazing party! I have not had this much fun in a good while!" While her initial reaction to Lee's appearance would have been to cringe and hide, it took Tenten a mere second to remember that this was LEE…and that the powder green, polyester suit complete with bell-bottoms and a gigantic pink carnation was less embarrassing, and more…hilarious.

"It's great, Lee. You and Gai-sensei did a wonderful job," she smiled through her laughter. "Nice suit by the way."

"Do you like it? I could not believe it when I found such a wonderful suit in Gai-sensei's closet! I could not pass it up, when I discovered it was my size!"

That explained a lot.

"You're dressing from Gai-sensei's closet now?" she asked, not expecting an answer once she realized that for almost as long as she'd known him, Lee had always been dressing from Gai-sensei's closet…

"He was going to throw it out! I could not believe it! Such a dashing suit to be disposed of without a second thought? I had to save Gai-sensei from making such a terrible mistake!"

Speaking of Gai-sensei, Tenten had surprisingly not seen him yet tonight. And as much of a relief it was to not have him force her to 'offer her assistance,' she was more afraid of what he was up to in his absence…

"You look beautiful tonight, too, Tenten-san!" Lee exclaimed when she failed to respond. "Where did you find such a lovely dress?"

She looked down at herself. "Oh, you know…I just had it…lying around." Lee probably saw right through her, of course… In her line of work, rarely did she have the need for opulence. While shopping with Ino, she had almost immediately fallen in love with the warm burgundy cheongsam-style gown. While it reflected her usual sensibility, it was the little details that made the gown perfectly fitting of a formal party: the open back, the rich gold detailing, the subtle slit, and the elegant train. Throw in a pair of heels and an unusually flashy set of earrings and voila! She was a generally practical person—a trait which often filtered to other aspects of her life, including her fashion sense. But, every girl needs a moment of indulgence, right? …To feel distinctly feminine, even if just for the night.

"I am certain that any gentleman in this room would be honored to dance with such a lovely woman tonight!" he said brightly, a gleam of brotherly pride in his eyes. She sighed. She knew that Lee was trying to help—and in a way, he was succeeding—but in another…he had only just managed to remind her that she was still without a guaranteed dance partner tonight.

Honestly, she was sure that Lee would be happy to volunteer, if no one else did, but talk about an awkward dance! They were practically siblings! It would be like Neji dancing with Hinata—just wrong. And the only other person there was even the slightest possibility of dancing with her was…Neji…who was currently trying to disappear into a corner and seemed about ready to make a run for it. No matter which way you looked at it, she was destined to hang on the sidelines and either laugh at her friends' antics or brood over not being noticed…AGAIN.

The room began to pound with the upbeat tempo of the song pumping through the numerous speakers, causing the streamers from the ceiling to vibrate in time. The large crowd of people, who had already been dancing in the center of the room, began to jump up and down. Tenten had to smile—the music and mood in the room was infectious! Next thing she knew, Ino had appeared before them dressed exactly as Tenten imagined she would be—in an icy blue floor length dress draped so low in the back, Tenten hoped she didn't plan to bend over at all tonight. "Well, c'mon! What're you two waiting for! There's a party going on, and you need to enjoy it!" Ino all but yelled over the thumping music, pushing Lee's back into the mob while grabbing Tenten's wrist and dragging her along with.

Now this? Tenten could handle this. There was no discomfort when everyone—and she meant everyone in Konoha—was just moving to the beat as a huge ever-morphing group. In fact, as she was dancing her way between all the familiar faces, she found herself forgetting about her earlier reservations. One minute she'd be jumping and screaming the lyrics to songs she would normally call "terrible" with the girls, and the next she would be invading the circle of awkwardness at the back comprised of guys like Lee, Shikamaru, Chouji, and a very confused Sai led by Kiba and Naruto.

Party trains of dancers began to weave around the room, winding between dancers, and growing with every step. As the song changed, a small group of younger shinobi broke away to begin a line dance, picking up a few quick learners as they went. In the middle of the dance floor, the crowd gave Lee a wide berth as he taught a smiling Hinata the complicated steps to a wild swing dance.

Forget what she'd thought before. Gai-sensei was a genius.

"KAKASHI! HONORED RIVAL! We must duel!" Tenten fought the urge to hide as the booming voice of her sensei echoed above the pounding music. Despite her renewed appreciation for all the work he had put into this, Tenten knew that whatever 'duel' Gai-sensei had in mind could only mean tragedy for his student's pride. Her eyes were unwillingly drawn to the slowly growing ring of dancers at the middle of the dance floor.

Elbowing herself between onlookers, she cautiously peaked over the shoulder of the shinobi in front of her. She immediately cursed her curious nature.

The sight that greeted her eyes was that of two grown men throwing down an epic duel for the ages...in breakdancing.

Under normal circumstances, Tenten would've joined in with the crowd, egging them on, and 'cheering her sensei to victory!' as Lee put it. But in this case, to do so would require her to admit an association with one of said grown men.

The one clad in a spandex body suit…of the most offensive shade of hot pink.

Well, she sighed, at least he kept with a theme.

But that was the only thing she could say about it.

She visibly cringed as she watched the men perform fairly spectacular stunts out of the corner of her eye.

She buried her face in her hand. Never mind that genius comment…

Before she knew it, Tenten had completely lost track of time. Now thoroughly exhausted, she clumsily made her way to the cloth-covered tables to get a much needed drink and to rest her already aching feet. It amazed her how she could always manage to forget that although her beautiful pair of heels were 'the most wonderful invention ever!' when she first put them on, after an hour or less she would regret having ever worn them, without fail…

She plopped down in an empty chair only to find Neji had long ago taken up residence in the one next to it.

"Oh! Hi, Neji! Isn't this fun?" she gleamed. He gave her an exasperated look. Ok…so maybe she should have known better. The two had done everything in their power to avoid this…and here she was enjoying it far more than she had anticipated.

"Hn…" was his near groan in reply. They sat in companionable silence for a while, as the music blared around them mingled with shouts of laughter echoed lyrics.

And then it happened.

Damnit.

And it had just been getting good.

The tempo slowed to a mellow pace. Here it was…the part of the night Tenten always found the most uncomfortable. Her sigh of displeasure and frustration was only disturbed by the sudden crash to her right. She broke from her momentary depression just long enough to see his ponytail whip under the table. How typical. Why did all boys feel the need to physically hide whenever a slow dance came along?

Lifting the table cloth, Tenten bent to look under the table at her teammate. "What the hell, Neji?"

He looked at her with more fear in his eyes than she thought she had ever witnessed. "Please. Keep me hidden," he all but pleaded. "I…I can't take it."

Tenten's eyes were wide with concern for a moment… Was Neji really that afraid of a little slow dance? She knew he had fangirls, but were they really that bad? "Ugh…baby," she breathed with exasperation, fighting the sudden urge to allow her leg to…twitch…landing her foot anywhere that would pain him most.

At that very moment, a girl she would guess was about two years her junior boldly appeared. The haughty set of her shoulders and tilt of her chin oozed of ill-contained conceit, and Tenten didn't need to say a word to know exactly what was about to happen. "Excuse me, have you seen Neji-sama?" she asked, in mock politeness. "I thought I saw him sitting over here earlier."

Tenten stared at the girl. Did Neji even know this girl? Doubtful. Then, as if from nowhere, a whole hoard of girls varying in ages turned up right behind the girl, no doubt waiting for her answer. With as flat of an expression as Tenten could muster, she said matter-of-factly, "Sorry girls, he…ah…just ducked out for a moment." She valiantly hid her flinch as Neji punched her shin. "I think he was feeling a bit…under…the weather. Best go force another victi-…er…boy…out of hiding… Look! There's a few with potential by that table."

Dejected, the girls turned away, some to slink off to their own corners, while others immediately ran for any un-paired boy in the room. What wonderful shinobi they must make… To think not one of them caught on to her…oh-so-subtle…hints...

Slamming her glass on the table so hard it shook, Tenten said in a voice just loud enough to be heard, "You owe me," and stood. Straightening her dress, she began to make her way for the open door to get some fresh air.

"MY BELOVED STUDENT!"

Tenten struggled not to run for it.

She was really in a sour mood…and doubted she had the patience that any encounter with her sensei required. Especially after his earlier…display.

Not to mention the nagging inkling that Gai-sensei was up to something dubious.

Despite her better judgment, she found herself slowing to a stop. "TENTEN! You are not making the most of this WONDERFUL opportunity for youthful romance!" Well that was nice—why didn't he just rub some salt and vinegar on the wound too? "Fear not! Your sensei will find you a partner!"

Oh dear god, no.

He grasped her by the wrist and dragged her straight in the opposite direction. Her mind was racing. She needed to get away before Gai-sensei made her out to be some desperate floozy to a random guy she'd never met!

He stopped abruptly, Tenten ramming haphazardly into his bright pink-clad back. "HERE! Here is a young man searching for his Springtime!" Tenten was afraid to look. Not because she feared who it could be or even what he looked like…but rather because she was afraid of how this entire display could be interpreted. She was entirely prepared to apologize and walk away to plot full blown vengeance on her sensei. But when the well-meaning authority figure all but threw her in the arms of some faceless dance partner and thrust them onto the now slowly swaying dance floor, she realized she had lost her chance at a seamless getaway.

Blushing furiously, she disentangled herself from what she would guess to be an extremely confused would-be dance partner. She buried her forehead in her hand and prayed that the damage Gai-sensei had already done to her this evening wasn't permanent… Maybe Neji had it right…hiding under tables… It sounded like a pleasant vacation spot at the moment…

"Aburame Shino!" Tenten's head shot up at the name, "You will have the great honor of dancing with my beloved student this evening!" Gai-sensei bellowed over the relatively quiet music, furthering Tenten's mortification. Shino? Oh lord, what he must be thinking... Why did Gai-sensei have to pick the most withdrawn guy of their group? Rarely did he speak to anyone, let alone her, and now he was being forced against his will to dance with a girl he barely knew by a sensei he knew even less?

She chanced a glance at the solitary shinobi standing across from her. Despite his clear discomfort over her sensei's unceremonious methods, it seemed he had the grace to at least disguise it. He was staring directly at her, not saying a word. And it didn't seem like he would in the very near future.

"Well, now! You two get to it!" Gai-sensei shouted joyously, slapping Shino hard on the back as he left. Tenten's eyes followed her sensei's departing back with a mix of disdain and distress. It wasn't that she didn't want to dance with Shino…it was just…well. She knew he didn't want to dance with her…or with anyone, really.

With a big sigh she hoped would alleviate the tension but did nothing of the sort, she turned back to try and rectify the extremely awkward situation. "Look, Shino…you don't have to dance with me if you don't want to. Gai-sensei…he means well, but…well…he isn't very-" she finished lamely, weakly grasping for the right word with her hand.

"I never said I did not wish to dance with you."

She looked at him. She couldn't see his eyes (who wears sunglasses in a dark dance hall?) but the angle of his head indicated he was looking ever so slightly away.

"Really, Shino. I'm serious. It's not like it'll hurt my feelings if you don't want to dance, alright? I'm sorry about Gai-sensei…he excels at making people uncomfortable, believe me." She was rambling now, she could tell…but it helped her alleviate her embarrassment by filling the stretching silence. "Thanks for putting up with him, but…yeah…I'm going to g—"

"You do not wish to dance?"

"Well, it's not that… I just figured you didn't—"

Tenten looked up to find him holding his hand out to her. She wasn't quite sure how to react, but her instinct told her that repeating herself wouldn't be the wisest choice. She quirked a small smile, set aside her pride, and took him up on his silent offer.

She hadn't danced very often. In fact, she wasn't sure if she'd ever really danced with anyone in her life…because as far as she was concerned, dancing with Lee didn't count. And most of those experiences involved him randomly throwing his dance partner around in what could only be described as a high energy free-style fusion of polka and swing.

Somehow she didn't picture Shino as that kind of dancer.

If he danced at all, come to think of it.

And if she had to make a guess, she'd say he definitely hadn't. He stood on the very edge of the dance floor, seeming to internally argue with himself over where his hands where supposed to go, and how to move his feet. If the situation hadn't already been a gigantic farce, she probably would have found it exceedingly amusing, but at the moment, she still felt a bit sorry over her presumptuous sensei…and it seemed only fair that she take the situation into her own hands.

"Here," she said cheerfully, grabbing one hand and placing the other at her waist. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she led him to sway in time with the music. Yep. This was going to be awkward. It was as though no other part of their bodies besides hands were to touch. There was nearly an entire foot between them…and Shino was hopelessly tense.

She supposed not having layers of jackets to hide behind would make him feel somewhat exposed too. Come to think of it, Tenten wasn't sure that she'd ever seen Shino's face up close before. Gone were his high collared coat and baggy hooded jacket, and in their place, a well-fitted black suit and matching tie. He had even replaced his usual tinted goggles for a simpler pair of sunglasses. If Tenten had to describe him, she'd have to admit, he looked quite handsome.

Poor thing. What torture he was putting himself through for her…

Yet he still seemed so determined to get it right.

And determined not to step on her toes…

This whole situation would be much less uncomfortable if she could just get Shino to relax. She needed to break down that inconveniently placed wall that had seemed to be dwarfing them since her sensei's…mildly rude…introduction. But the more she tried to think of something…anything…to talk about that might distract him long enough for him to unwind, the more Tenten realized she knew nothing about Aburame Shino.

Ok, except the bug thing, but that didn't count. She could do better than that anyway, couldn't she?

"So…how 'bout this weather we've been having?" Mentally she face-palmed. Over. And over. The weather? What a cop-out…

He glanced away from his feet, seemingly surprised to find her talking to him. After a pause in which he seemed to determine she had, in fact, spoken to him, he replied, "It has been…warm."

Well, it seemed she was stuck now. She'd gotten him to speak, which was at least better than the silent awkwardness which they had been blanketed in. "Warm? I assume by 'warm' you mean, hotter than a chili pepper, wrapped in an electric blanket, in the center of a volcano on the surface of the sun."

Why did she ALWAYS ramble when she was uncomfortable?

He gave her a quizzical look. "That is impossible," he paused, then, "Why? There are no volcanoes on the sun."

Yes, well… "But if there were," she waved it off, "…it would definitely be hotter here." He looked about to render her analogy illogical again, so she continued, "I mean, it's so bad I can't even sleep! I just lie there, sweaty, sticky and wet…"

His expression became so alarming, she found herself quickly rewinding her last sentence, replaying, and mentally facepalming…again. How in the WORLD was she going to cover this one up? "No! Not like, that," she hastily remedied, blushing furiously. "You know what I meant. Well, anyway, I guess it could be worse. I mean, I could be on a mission, and then I'd have to try to sleep all sweaty and wearing clothes."

It never ceased to amaze her how fast her words could get away from her when she was flustered. Really. It had to be a gift. Or rather, a curse.

His mouth had visibly dropped open this time. Oh geez…and to think she'd started talking to relieve the tension…not contribute to it.

"I meant I'd have to sleep fully clothed! Not that I sleep naked! Well, sometimes, but…" she paused, trying to avoid his eyes, "…I'm going to stop talking now."

Well, on the up side…she'd gotten him to stop focusing on moving his feet. He really was a bit of a natural, when he wasn't thinking too hard…

In an effort to avoid her dance partner's apparent scrutiny, Tenten found herself desperately scanning the room for anything to look at to help her ignore the awkwardness of this dance. To her dismay, the only thing to look at were her fellow party goers, which did nothing more than to serve as a reminder that both she and her partner had no idea what they were doing…or how they'd gotten there.

Ino, it seemed, had all but draped herself in Shikamaru's arms, and Tenten watched as her fellow kunoichi initiated what she could only assume would become an evening long make-out session with her dance partner. Tenten averted her eyes the moment the innocent display began to shift in a…decidedly less innocent…direction. Oh, yep, uh huh, that made her feel so much better.

Not far away, Sakura was dancing with a perpetually overzealous Lee, who, although he wasn't throwing her around the dance floor like he had Hinata earlier that evening, was attempting to serenade her by singing the words of the song off-key. Tenten felt a swell of happiness for her friend—because even if Sakura was just humoring him, she looked to be genuinely enjoying herself. And even if Lee could not hold a tune to save his life (and he couldn't), he had at least succeeded in making his dance partner smile for him—a goal Tenten knew he had aimed to fulfill since the very first day he tried to impress Sakura.

With a small smile, she glanced away, only to be distracted by the electric pink of her sensei's outfit. It seems he had 'acquired' a dance partner too…and oddly didn't seem too happy about it (her vengeful side cackled with glee). In fact, he looked downright horrified…to be dancing with Anko. Oh. Tenten's bitterness towards him was slightly quelled with pity as she watched Gai-sensei's face twist from fear to barely contained panic as the woman, who thus far been holding him in a vice grip, made quite the exhibit of groping her sensei's backside.

Tenten whipped her head back to face Shino. Never again did she ever wish to witness ANYTHING like that. NEVER.

Praying he had not noticed her reaction, Tenten chanced a glance at Shino...who had clearly been following her gaze. His eyebrows had knitted into an expression Tenten could only interpret as puzzled and mildly affronted.

"Yeah…uh…don't mind my team." She wasn't quite sure why she felt the need to apologize, but while she might be used to the antics, she was well aware than most others may find her teammates to be the strangest lot in all Konoha.

A small smile quirked Shino's lips. "I would not dream of it. Why? Mine is equally…odd." He inclined his head to the side, shifting her gaze toward the opposite end of the dance floor.

And there was Kiba, looking a fool, doing a mock interpretation of every couple in the room with his dancing partner, Akamaru, balanced on his back legs. That is until Hyuuga Hinata stepped in to save him from himself.

Tenten couldn't help the giggles that started to bubble over, and the more she tried to stop herself, the harder she found herself laughing!

In her vain effort to calm herself down, she overbalanced, tripped on the hem of her dress, and found herself falling blissfully forward.

Shino caught her, as any gentlemanly dance partner might, and now she found her face all but buried in his chest.

Later she would vow never to forget the little known fact that laughing fits and dancing were never meant to mix.

Nor would she forget that opulent earrings should come with a warning label.

She squeaked in pain as she attempted to pull away from him, for it seemed her earring oh-so-conveniently tangled in one of the buttons of his shirt.

Lovely.

Shino stepped away at the sudden contact, only to drag Tenten's ear along for the ride. "Ow! Shino, stop... stop moving!" She grasped his elbows just in time to keep him form making any more movements that would painfully yank her earlobe.

She fumbled with the shining links of the earring, hoping to jostle it free, "I think I've got i-…nope…never mi-wait. Oh! Nope…ouch." It seemed her blind attempts were only making the problems worse, and poor Shino was so stiff she wondered if he hadn't turned to stone. "Shino? Do you think you could…?"

"Of course," he replied as he gently attempted to free the earring from his button's vice. Finally, he carefully slipped the earring off her ear, and Tenten felt a wave of relief, rubbing her dully throbbing earlobe. Shino made quick work of the earring still attached to his shirt, and gingerly placed it in her free hand.

"Sorry, thanks…" she smiled apologetically. The room began to pound with upbeat music again, and she closed her eyes in silent thanks that this nightmare was finally over. "Thanks for the dance, Shino," she said, still rubbing her ear—more out of embarrassment than the now ebbing pain.

His expression was once again unreadable as Tenten made her escape as politely as she was able. She chanced one momentary glance behind her only to find that Shino had disappeared into the crowd.

Tenten had made a valiant effort to forget all the embarrassment that had taken place by immersing herself in the chaos that resumed after all the couples had departed. The large groups of jumping, shouting, and laughing shinobi had reformed in full force, and Tenten made certain to be in the thick of it as much as possible.

But try as she might, the awkwardness still continued to haunt her. Not so much that she couldn't enjoy herself, certainly. But definitely more than she wanted it to...

Which was why she audibly groaned when the strains of music became less 'happy' and decidedly more 'tranquil.'

She had to get out now, before her sensei found her another partner for her to stick her foot in her mouth in front of.

She applauded her stealth as she managed to sneak off the dance floor passed the shoulder of Chouji. But just as she was about to celebrate her freedom, she jumped at the light touch of a hand on her shoulder.

She turned, wide eyed, to find none other than Shino, once again silently offering her a hand. She glanced down at his hand, then back up at him. Only for a split second did the thought of running slip through her head. But…it seemed Shino was determined to be kind to her—or maybe forgive her verbal clumsiness…

Oh, what the heck. I couldn't be any worse than last time could it?

She smiled and accepted his hand, earning her the faintest of smiles in return.

This time around, the whole situation seemed much more comfortable. That is, if Shino's body language was any indication. Tenten found herself relieved when at least he didn't feel the need to keep her at a full arms length this time around. Perhaps he had a natural grace that he was finally relaxed enough to tap into?

As the song progressed, Tenten once again found herself observing the other couples around them—this time not out of discomfort, but more because…well every girl suffers from curiosity once in a while, right? Right.

Tenten fought a giggle as she watched Sakura attempt to teach the socially inept Sai how to dance. She valiantly fielded every one of what Tenten could only guess were ridiculous questions or a series of vaguely insulting comments that only Sai would ever get away with saying.

Suddenly, an eager looking Naruto appeared between Sakura and Sai grinning impishly. "Hey Sakura!" Tenten heard him bellow, "Yo, let me show you how a real guy dances!" He then proceeded to push a completely unfazed Sai to the side. Even though she and Shino were halfway across the dance floor, Tenten swore she could see the barely repressed rage pulsing through the vein in Sakura's temple.

WHAM.

Even after all these years, Naruto had never learned the all-important lesson: never infuriate Sakura. EVER. Or you will end up with brain damage.

Of course, Naruto must have so much brain damage from blows dealt by his teammate, it was really no wonder he acted the way he did…

Naruto grumbled as he dejectedly rubbed what the lump on his head. It seemed a violent Sakura wasn't enough to discourage a desperate shinobi on a mission to get with any girl he knew on the floor. Tenten watched as he sniffed scornfully before making his way towards the next nearest couple—Ino and Shikamaru. Who happened to be otherwise…engaged… Oh this could only have hilarious results.

Tenten watched, an amused smirk on her face, as Naruto proceeded to tap Shikamaru on the shoulder. Once. Twice. The third time he all but punched the busy shinobi in attempt to avert his attention away from the lips of his partner. "OI! Shikamaru! Seriously, dude, what the hell? It's my turn!"

Tenten couldn't help the snort that bubbled from her as even that failed to grab the couple's attention enough to stop. She felt Shino's eyes on her. Well, that wasn't very lady-like of her was it? Either that or he was concerned she'd start giggling so hard they'd be dealing with a repeat of earlier…

Finally, a frustrated Naruto finally seemed to get the point. At last, he shrugged, and glanced around until he found his next victim. Which appeared to be Hinata and a happily grinning Lee.

Tenten shared a glance with Shino. She wondered if Shino was as curious as she was at how their perpetually polite teammates would react to the intrusion.

"Hey, Bushybrow!" Naruto said, delightedly slapping Lee on the back. "You should let me have a turn!" Lee could not have looked more dejected, as he seemed about to step away.

But Hinata, in all her sweetness, seemed to read his expression instantly. Blushing slightly, she said something to Naruto which Tenten couldn't hear over the crowd, over which Lee brightened considerably, and Naruto bellowed, "Aw, c'mon Hinata-chan!" Hinata continued quietly, until the pouting Naruto crossed his arms and said loudly, "Well, fine! But only if you promise! That next dance is mine!" She nodded shyly but definitively, as Naruto walked away, and then was all but scooped back by an overjoyed Lee.

Tenten couldn't help her broad smile. But it disappeared entirely the moment she turned back to Shino to find him glaring off with the barest of frowns. What was his issue? Was there something wrong with Lee dancing with Hinata? But, when she looked again, Shino's gaze seemed to be traveling away from their teammates and towards…

"Yo, um…whatever your name is. Mind if I…?" Naruto gestured vaguely as he addressed Shino to cut in. Oh. So it was Naruto that unsettling glare was aimed at.

Shino's scowl deepened. Was it just her, or did Shino pull her closer? Well, that's odd. Maybe he's just trying to make a point—after all, Naruto couldn't even remember his name. He probably didn't even know hers, come to think of it.

She could feel the waves of ire flowing from Shino as he made every attempt to intimidate the clueless Shinobi. "My name is Shino. Do not pretend not to remember my face. I know you are familiar with it. How? We have been teammates on many missions. Therefore it is likely you are trying to antagonize or upset me. Possibly with the hopes I will give up my dance partner to you more readily than the others, who you have already approached to no result. Allow me to inform you in no uncertain terms: No."

Tenten couldn't help her astonished expression. Was Shino really that insulted that Naruto didn't remember him?

Naruto squinted blankly at Shino, the response clearly wafting right over his blond head. Shino showed no indication of continuing either. And Tenten was beginning to get a little annoyed as she watched Naruto slowly try to work through the words to find what should have been an obvious meaning.

"Ugh, Naruto! It means 'Bug Off.'" she spat. She felt Shino's momentary surprise more than she saw it. But it was gone almost as quickly as it had come, replaced by a fierce…something…that Tenten couldn't quite place.

Even as Naruto skulked away, grumbling audibly, Shino's grip on her didn't slacken. She couldn't figure out what had suddenly come over him. Sure, it wasn't like they'd been dancing at arm's length at all this time around…but this? It was almost like he was expecting every guy in the room to approach him for a fight.

Shino's almost…possessive…attitude lingered until the moment the song concluded and he bowed away back into the shadows, leaving a somewhat confused Tenten in his wake.

The remainder of the evening passed in a relative blur of jumping, dancing, and all around partying. Her internal timeline of events and become jumbled amongst the relative pandemonium on the dance floor. But despite all this, one thing was always certain. Whenever the tempo began to slow (with only one exception: when she had spent a song running back and forth from the water cooler to the men's restroom for a suffering Gai-sensei who had been slipped one too many drinks from a rather forward kunoichi) she was sure to find Shino had once again appeared from nowhere at her side, ready to whisk her off to the dance floor.

And here she was worried she'd spend the evening in a corner…

It really was kind of sweet of him…

As the final song drew to a close, Tenten found herself oddly unwilling for it to end. She flashed a grateful grin as she extricated herself from his arms for the final time. Was she grateful because torturous evening was over, or because he had made it far less torturous than she had been expecting? Her mental self sighed as she realized even she didn't know that answer…

Slowly the crowd of party goers began to filter out of the hall, Tenten and Shino among them. The warm night air was a welcome refreshment from the stuffy air inside. Tenten looked longingly down the road which led to her apartment, rubbing the back of her neck as she wondered how to properly bid farewell without sounding too relieved. Or too disappointed…

"Well, uh, goodnight, Shino," she said, mind racing to fill the awkward silence that followed. "…And…well, thank you," she added fighting to restrain the blush that seemed to have come from nowhere. What was wrong with her? She never acted this way.

With one last smile, she turned to head home. But something seemed strange. The Aburame complex was in the opposite direction, yet his chakra signature was…

…right next to her. Again with the magic appearing! How did he do that?

"Shino…isn't your place the other way?"

"I am walking you home."

What? She was sure her bewildered expression must have been quite comical. "Oh, Shino, that's not necessary. I'll be fine. Thanks though."

It was as though he had not heard her. He was serenely walking by her side, unfazed.

"Seriously, Shino—I'm a big girl. I'll be okay! You're just making an extra trip for yourself." It wasn't that she didn't want him around, she admitted to herself, but it just seemed so…impractical.

He was silent for a beat, then, "You are implying my accompanying you on a walk through the village is an insult to your skills as a shinobi?"

Ok, where had he gotten THAT from? "Heh, no. It just seems a lot of effort to walk the same path twice, just to make sure I'm safe."

"Is there a great effort to be put into a quiet walk? No, not for shinobi who are accustomed to traveling long distances in a short amount of time," he said in a tone so characteristically Shino, Tenten had to wonder if he weren't slightly…nervous? "A walk, though enjoyable alone, is often more so in company. Was I wrong to assume you would agree?"

She stared at him through the corner of her eyes. True he was typically a loner, but it seemed he had just bared a part of himself that many people—including herself, up to that moment—would never know: he yearned for acceptance, particularly from his peers.

Particularly, so it seemed, from her.

She quirked a coy smile and replied, "Okay, have it your way! But don't go complaining to everyone tomorrow when your feet ache."

"I do not believe it will be me to have such a thing to complain about."

She looked down at her feet, still scrunched into the beautiful pair of heels that had caused her feet and ankles so much agony throughout the night. Huh. Who knew Shino had a sense of humor? Of course, maybe he had just noticed how much she was clearly hobbling along. "Ha, I guess you're right." She paused for a moment, bracing her hand against his shoulder—which caused him to tense almost immediately, but if he was going to join her, he might as well be of help!—and pulled each of her throbbing feet out of their prison. "There, much better," she said, grasping her shoes by the heel and draping the train of her dress over her arm.

When she continued on her way, it took her a few steps to notice that Shino hadn't moved an inch. "Shino?"

He seemed to be staring at her—not that she could tell through the darkness of the street and the fact that he was STILL wearing sunglasses. "Would you prefer if I were to carry you?"

WHAT? "Um…why? I like being barefoot," she grinned through her bewilderment, lifting a foot and waggling her toes. Ok, this whole thing had just gone from weird to weirder… But, what a relief it was to have her feet back. She all but skipped down the street, which she imagined would look quite silly in her formal dress. "Shino? Are you coming or not?" The constrained and bewildered look on his face was priceless—especially as it was an expression she had never seen on him before.

They continued on in companionable silence. Tenten tilted her head up to the sky, involuntarily shivering at the breathtaking view. The sweltering heat that had hung over Konoha seemed to have finally lifted, leaving the warm breeze wafting through the night air as its only memory. Each of the twinkling stars blinked down at her cheerfully and she couldn't help the smile of appreciation spreading across her lips.

Her silent reverie was broken when the warm touch of fabric enveloped her shoulders. Looking down, she found that Shino had removed his suit coat and draped it around her. She shot him a quizzical look, but before any question left her lips, he answered, "You shivered—I assumed you to be cold."

Hadn't they, not hours before, just shared a conversation about how warm the weather had been lately? If it were Lee, she wouldn't have hesitated to state that fact…but something in her said it wasn't worth the effort. It was a gentlemanly gesture, at least—she should feel complimented!

Tenten found herself mixed with a very strange emotion of relief and disappointment when they finally reached her apartment. He accompanied her all the way to the door, where, after fishing her keys from her bag, Tenten turned to him not really sure what to say. She settled on a simple, "Uh…well, goodnight!" She worried for half a moment that she had let on to her eagerness to escape.

And it wasn't eagerness because she wanted to escape him, she realized. It was eagerness to escape both of their inability to ease this awkward tension that had so plagued them throughout the entire evening!

She made quick work of the numerous locks and protective jutsus securing her door, but just before she managed to open it…

"Wait."

She jumped at his even tone. "You still have my jacket."

Oh. So she did. Laughing anxiously, she replied, "Right! Uh, sorry—here." She cursed her lack of grace as she all but threw the jacket off her shoulders and held it out to him. She felt more than saw him studying her and she couldn't help the wave of self-consciousness heave from the depths of her gut.

His expression was unwaveringly neutral at he grasped the jacket, his hand lightly brushing hers as he did. Try as she might, hiding the blush that was now rising so resolutely to her cheeks was impossible. Why was she acting like a flustered school girl? It was entirely unlike her! Yet, after an entire evening, the closest they'd come to conversation were half-stammered "thank you's" and an awkward exchange of an innocent nature wrought with double meaning's…while normally she would be chatting anyone's leg off!

"Thank you."

His words broke her from her internal berating session, and she realized, with the full force of embarrassment, that she had just been staring at him for a full minute. And what was worse? She still hadn't let go of the jacket. Her cheeks burned with her mortification, and in a desperate attempt to save face, she turned back to her door, tossing a soft, "Yeah, uh…you too," over her shoulder.

But before she even managed to fully open the door, she found her wrist captured in his hand.

Her mind, still processing his grasp, halted entirely as she was spun on the spot. An unreadable emotion flickered across Shino's face, and had she been coherent enough to analyze it, she might have interpreted it as "Now or Never."

Next thing she knew, he had leaned in, hovering mere inches in front of her face. Was he going to…? Her heart skipped a beat in the momentary pause before he seemed to finally decide to close the distance, pressing his lips to hers.

He was both tentative and insistent all at the same time…as though it were the first time he had ever acted on impulse and was completely unsure how to react. But the moment she didn't pull away was the moment he seemed to forget his uncertainties and let natural instinct take over.

It was almost as if they were dancing again, with his free hand hovering at her waist and his grip loosening on her wrist. The soft summer breeze encircled them with their own private serenade, lulling them to sway back and forth in time as they had…how many times that evening? It was an intimate moment—not one of daring passion, but one of serene reverence.

It was the most relaxed he had been all night—something which emboldened Tenten to lose herself in the moment a little more than she ever would admit. Was this the source of all their awkwardness this evening? That somewhere, subconsciously, they both knew where one little dance might lead?

No…that couldn't be it. Because Tenten had most certainly NOT envisioned ending her night like THIS.

Mmmm…not that she minded…

Wait…where had that come from?

By the time Tenten had come to the hazy conclusion that she didn't want the moment to end, his presence was replaced with the brush of warm night air.

It took several moments for her muddled mind to catch up to the reality she never noticed she'd lost a grip on. Staring into space, drowning in astonishment, she was unsure of what was more surprising, the fact that Shino…Shino…had kissed her…or that fact that it was so…good.

Damn good.

He looked about as shocked as she felt. Maybe a little more. It occurred to Tenten that perhaps he had been as startled by his own actions as she was…

"I…am sorry," he stammered. "I did not…mean…" If the still coherent portion of Tenten's brain had been paying attention, it would never have imagined someone as articulate as Shino…stuttering. If she were to be honest with herself, she had stopped listening a long time ago. The only thing on her mind was the feel of his tentative yet firm lips moving with hers and, most especially, the unfortunate distance separating them right now!

With that realization, she took one brazen step forward, pushed up on her toes, and returned the favor. This time it was Shino who was caught entirely off guard and she had every intention to show him just how good it was.

Shino had gone totally rigid in shock. Grasping his tie, she pulled him closer, as if in encouragement for him to continue what he'd started. And when he finally began to respond in kind, she found herself almost begging for this not to be a dream. It was almost as if they were letting out all of the night's frustration, anxiety, and embarrassment in one truly passionate moment.

And just as quickly as she was overcome with the need to close the gap, a wave of self-consciousness swept through her. She pulled away, with an uncharacteristically breathless "Thank you," dashed behind her still partially open door, and shut it with a click.

The darkness of her apartment echoed with the screaming voices of bewildered thoughts swimming in her mind. Had…that just happened? Had she just made out with Shino…TWICE? It seemed as though all the blood rushed to her face and that her legs had lost the ability to hold her upright. Bracing herself against the door, she numbly noted the fact that she was oddly shaky all over.

Oh god.

Oh god…

…Oh god, was it good, too…really good…

Only causing her to blush even more, she slowly touched a finger to the now slightly swollen lips that his had touched not moments before.

…When she had practically jumped him…

UGH, Tenten! Desperate much?

But in all honesty, he had been nothing but a gentleman to her tonight—which was more than she could say for some of her closest guy friends. He'd been polite, protective, and ready to save her from her own demons every time one of those sappy love songs began to play. And how had she thanked him? By jumping him and then running away.

…

Well, he started it!

She buried her burning face in her hands. What a mess she had gotten herself int—

KNOCK, KNOCK.

Her heart hammered at the light vibration of the door at her back. Trying valiantly to ebb the furious blush on her cheeks, she tentatively cracked open the door.

There he stood, straight as a board, his features schooled to a calm, even expression. Perhaps it was her desperate mind trying to make light that she wasn't the only one experiencing discomfort, but…was he blushing? She doubted very few (besides maybe his teammates) had encountered Shino with more than one expression…ever. And here she had seen several tonight. The realization bolstered her just enough to look him in the eye…or in the sunglasses.

"Please forgive my intrusion." He paused for a long moment, one which Tenten could only assume he was attempting to regain his composure as much as she was. "I…would be pleased to enjoy your company over lunch tomorrow."

"Yes!"

She stifled a gasp at her own haste. Tenten warred with herself to keep all the thundering thoughts raging in her head from showing in her eyes. Had he…asked her on a date? For lunch? What a peculiar way to ask a girl to lunch… Not that the entire evening hadn't been peculiar…no…not at all.

And had she…just said yes?

Aw, hell, why not.

As if to solidify her answer, more for herself than for him she supposed, she flashed a grin.

He seemed to relax a little at her smile… At least his shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch…and for Shino, she mused, that was relaxed. He gave a deft nod and turned to leave.

She watched him go, and only once he had disappeared down the street did she allow herself to tune back into her mind. But all the thoughts that had been storming there in the past ten minutes were…shockingly absent.

Maybe Gai-sensei really was a genius.