An Airhead, A Nerd

Chapter 18

"Have you ever told her that you love her?" It was Kiba who asked this question when he heard Naruto telling him those special words before running off to her class. Shino stood for a moment in thought. Had he ever told her these words? 

"I would think so," He eventually replied and it wasn't enough for the dog-lover. 

"If you can't remember a distinct moment you've told Naruto those words, chances are you've dwelled on the thought but never opened your mouth." 

Shino would concede to that as he placed the lunch Naruto had packed in his locker before joining his other friends in class to get the first lesson underway. His phone kept buzzing but he chose to ignore it as he knew it was his parents demanding where he had gone and for him to come back home. He wouldn't, he made a promise to Naruto that he wouldn't, even if they cut him off he had more faith in his first serious relationship than he ever did in the relationship with his parents. 

But his mind did wander to Kiba's words from earlier. He was certainly in love with the firecracker. It was almost unhealthy with the amount of love he had for her, maybe that's why he's never said them. He wondered if Naruto would feel the full weight he put behind those words, to show that he was the real deal, that he was serious. He made up his mind to let her know the full extent of his affection for her just as she had easily admitted hers for him. 

He smiled under his mask. 

Naruto on the other hand was dealing with a rather difficult situation as she stared into Sakura's annoying green eyes. Her fist was already clenched but she didn't want to get in trouble. She didn't want Shino to be potentially angry with himself for stirring the pot and digging at wounds that had never healed. She tried to walk around but Sakura grabbed her shoulder and every rational thought left Naruto, she spun on her heels and attacked her. The previous words exchanged in their last interaction reared its ugly head in her mind. 

Naruto was an emotional being, the perfect half of Shino and his stunted emotions. She wore her heart on her sleeve while Shino's was hidden away. Naruto preferred it way. Only she could take it out, hold and coddle it before putting it back and defending it. She was stupid but she wasn't that stupid to not realize that many people didn't like the thought of them being together. Many disliked the thought of them, one conventionally attractive and the other a ranked loser being together. It wasn't right in their school norms but Naruto couldn't give a damn. 

Sakura was a pretty girl, capable of pulling any boy her way but the thought of her working that way toward Shino made Naruto unstable. Yes, she was emotional but the thing that motivated her into anger was the thought that Shino could be perceived as a shallow man when he was the entire opposite. It was insulting and demeaning to assume such a thing about the man she decided to attach herself to. He was a shy man, choosing to do his damage from a distance, he had morals and was always gentle with her. To assume that he was shallow because he would fold under any woman's attention made her chip in the head. 

She was aware of being hit as well by the pink-haired bitch. Though she was sure she had the upper hand as she struck first. Naruto was taken to the nurses' office to be treated for a busted lip and black eye. She looked in the mirror and knew she couldn't hide this from Shino. She sighed, she had failed to get away from scratch free. Sakura was in the bed next to her crying. 

"Why can't you leave me the fuck alone?" Naruto spat at her, her demeanor had changed, her face morphing into an expression of visceral disgust. "You got your toy and you made me the black sheep in school and now you're fighting for something else. You've tortured me enough!" 

Sakura screamed at her, no words just a guttural scream and Naruto smacked her in the face. She went down for the count and Naruto had a fleeting thought of stifling her with a pillow. The blonde quickly sat back down as she tried to gather her thoughts. They were wrong thoughts and they completely left her as Shino opened the door to the infirmary. Shino pulled her to his chest and Naruto clung to him crying. "I'm sorry," She cried. 

"It's okay, you didn't do anything wrong," He comforted as he stroked his hair. 

"But I did." 

"In self-defense and it's okay. It's okay to defend yourself if someone chooses to put you in harm's way. Don't ever believe it's okay to take abuse from people." 

Shino watched her being patched up before getting dismissed as Sakura need far more medical attention. Naruto kept staring into her hand-held at her bruised face but Shino was unconcerned, holding her hand without a beat. "Milkshake?"

The question fell on deaf ears as Naruto was critically looking at her bandaged features. Shino tugged on her arm to make her look his way. "I'm sorry, just a bit distracted." 

"You'll heal in time and you'll recover your 100 percent beauty," Shino leaned down so they were face to face. He kissed her softly, so as not the hurt her already bruised lips. Naruto slotted arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, ignoring her lip that had started bleeding again. 

When she pulled back she was smiling. "I love you and because I love you I will always defend you and your morals." 

Shino's heart swelled. He would give her everything in life, he was staring at his future wife. "I love you Naruto." 

The blonde seemed surprised to hear it but it quickly recovered as she jumped him. "Say it again, it sounds different this time." 

"This time?" Shino questioned, Naruto looked at him confused. "Isn't this the first time I've said this?" 

"No, you've said it in all sorts of ways before. This is just the first time you've said it verbally," Naruto grinned. "You love me through actions Shino and I understand that. You don't have to say a thing, your actions show me." 

Shino looked away shyly as Naruto stared up at him with those innocent blue eyes. He needed to get a ring quickly.