This story is set before all my other stories, before Shino and Hinata have a relationship. Kiba is straight, and has a thing for Hinata. Early Team 8. Early Fluff warning for whole story,

Shino's POV.

It was like any other day. Kurenai-sensei paired us off to spar. I sparred with Kiba and Akamaru yesterday, so today I am paired with my female teammate, Hyuuga Hinata. I never was good with countering the Jyuuken style of Taijutsu considering every hit she connected with me closed off a tenkutsu point. I never enjoyed sparring with her. Not like Kiba. Kiba I could unleash my insects on and jeer him on about having fleas. It makes him rash and thus easier to defeat.

I dodged a rather close call to my right shoulder. I flipped over backwards and landed on my feet. Ouch! I didn't show it, but contorting my body when fighting her really took a toll on my back and shoulders. She came at me again with her gentle fist. I didn't dodge quickly enough, and she closed four tenkutsu points, two in each arm, rendering them useless for the moment. She watched my arms flop uselessly at my sides. I took that opening and jumped up, landing a kick in her stomach. Winded, we both decided to break.

She insisted on checking my injuries. I did sustain a few cuts on my arm from a stray kunai that I missed, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Oh, but she insisted. Finally I gave up and removed my jacket, exposing my shoulders and arms to her. I watched her face carefully. I saw the wince when she saw the holes that riddled my arms and chest. When she saw the kikai insects running through one of the deeper cuts. When my skin moved from kikai directly under the skin. I knew she was learning medical jutsu, and often insisted on bandaging our wounds. I closed my eyes and waited.

I stiffened when she touched the skin on my upper arm to put the ointment on.. I wasn't used to contact. The large jacket I wear usually prevents skin-on-skin contact, not that I mind. I don't like it when people touch me anyway. It's…uncomfortable. I only allow Hinata to touch me because I know it will help her practice medical assistance.

Weeks went by like this. Annoy the hell out of Kiba, fight genjutsus against Kurenai-sensei, and lose feeling in various limbs by Hinata. Get patched up by Hinata. Same routine. I like routine. What I didn't like is how I always went home stiff after sparring with Hinata. I discovered, one day, that I secretly enjoyed Hinata bandaging me up. The insects and the holes didn't seem to bother her anymore, not like the first time she'd bandaged my arm Her hands were…pleasantly warm. Hands that were deadly weapons, calloused as any hardworking shinobi hand would be, yet soft like a rose petal.

Today I was distracted. This spar lasted unusually long, and Hinata had me bending backwards and spinning through the air the avoid being hit. I saw the kunai she threw as I was spinning. No way I'd dodge it. A few quick handsigns, yes. I had plenty of chakra, we were mainly doing taijutsu. I made a bug clone and used shunshin to appear next to close tree. The clone took the attack and dissolved into millions of insects. They returned to me. I didn't notice the shuriken that had been thrown right through the middle of the cloud. The small weapon buried itself into my upper arm. It hurt, but I didn't let my face show it. I located Hinata through my lenses and called out to her. My body ached. I couldn't take much more of this rapid dodging. She dropped her defensive stance and came over to me. Worry crossed her face. The shuriken was buried deep in my upper arm, it scraped the bone. I tugged it out and tossed it on the ground. I grunted; that hurt worse than it did going in. Red soaked the sleeve of the jacket. I stiffly removed it so she could work on the rather deep would. She noticed.

She started to hum; that relaxes me, she has a beautiful voice, and she doesn't stutter when she hums. She wrapped the would slowly, trying to avoid crushing the kikaichu that leaked from the wound. She was unlike other girls, she was genuinely concerned for him and understood that the bugs were a part of him. She did not fear. She continued humming and she finished wrapping the wound. I was deep in thought, thinking of her, of all things. No…Hinata was a friend, a teammate. Nothing more. I could never be anything more to her. I knew Kiba liked her. He openly proclaimed it. I was so deep in thought that I didn't hear whisper "Byakugan" and rest her hands on my back. My eyes snapped open. Normally she would wrap my wound and leave. Today was different. Her warm hands rested on my back. I felt then grow cool and she pumped her fingers with medical jutsu.

"Hinata?" I questioned.

She didn't answer; instead she ran her hands across my back, soft as a rose petal, or a butterfly's wing. I stiffened; this new contact was…different. An unusual sensation for skin that never receives contact. She brought her hands up to my shoulders and rubbed her fingers in, massaging out every ache I had, in all the right spots. I relaxed. This was…pleasant. When she finished, I stood and put my jacket back on. I rolled my shoulders and stretches my back. It was virtually pain-free. I thanked Hinata and went home to clean up. I sighed to myself when my home was once again empty.

I relaxed in my clean pajamas. I let my mind wander. I thought about the day's events, and realized that I may have feelings for this girl I consider my teammate, my friend. I brushed off these feelings. She could never love somebody like me.

Alright. A more serious story I suppose. I am going with a no-dialog style. Next time is Hinata's point of view. Review and I'll update. I hope his thoughts were in character to the real Shino. Thanks. Cougar out.