What Lips Cannot

[endless_scrolls]

Title: What Lips Cannot
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Character(s): Tenten, Aburame Shino; brief mentions of Hyuuga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Rock Lee
Pairing(s): Slight Shino/Tenten if you kinda squint
Warning(s): Fluff. Adorable fluff.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: ...Because this is what happens when you feed the plot bunnies too much with cute and love. 8|... ♥ Takes place in the same universe as last_stretch. The results of several very adorable and random conversations about the two.
Dedicated to: semchance. They can be cute together any time you want. ♥
Useless Fact: JULIET: For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.
ROMEO: Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
JULIET: Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
ROMEO: O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

Crowds of pedestrians packed into the busy streets, pushing and fighting for space as they all seemed to migrate towards Ueno Park in droves. Young and old, children and adults, tourists and locals alike. People from every walk of life coming together with one destination in mind, for one singular purpose. A common cause. Moving as one to take their places, finding a patch of grass to stand. A slab of concrete to fill. All waiting in anticipation for the music to begin.

And in the middle of it all stood Tenten, vying for room and the perfect view of the stage just like the rest of them.

As the bustling center of Japan -- some might even say the world -- Tokyo was not unfamiliar with its share of lavish events and exciting experiences. Sometimes, Tenten believed, it seemed as if there was a profound moment in history happening every single week. Something to keep the populace busy and on their toes. Something to keep the industrious city from becoming all too predictable. Presented in a way that was not the least bit intimidating or overwhelming. This week, it was a benefit concert to support the continuation of art and music programs in the public schools. A cause that held the support of many, apparently, she thought with a chuckle. Next week, who knew. It was an endless list of possibilities.

All part of the city's charm, as she often said. And one among many reasons why there was no other place she would rather be. Even with thousands of people standing in the way of the young woman and her friends, although the heavy surge of bodies did make it difficult to breathe properly let alone move. Even from several feet back of center stage, things were looking fairly crowded and full of excitement. Full of life. Certainly, there had been a lot more people than any of them had anticipated. And for a moment, Tenten wondered if this many people gathered in what seemed like too small a space would become a huge problem. But in the end, the numbers were what counted. With tickets fairly priced and all proceeds going to the foundation, it would be well worth it.

"Do you see them anywhere?"

Looking down from where she stood pressed against the light pole, the young woman shook her head in dismay. "No..."

Indeed, it had been a big turn out, reaching far beyond expectations. Something she liked to attribute to the talented crop of musicians and performers that the Student Council had managed to pile together, incorporating artists and local bands from a wide selection of musical genres. There was something for everyone to enjoy. And with great efforts from the planning committee to promote the event, it was obvious that word of just who was scheduled to perform had spread like wildfire. So what was thought to be a modest benefit concert for hundreds turned into sold out performance for thousands.

"What are you doing here, anyways?" Tenten called over her shoulder, shielding her eyes from the glaring sun as she scanned through the crowd once more, "You're not usually one for social gatherings, especially those of this magnitude."

There seemed to be a moment -- a split second in time -- where Shino simply held her gaze in thought or contemplation over the question. And then his eyes were lowering from where they looked up at her and were focused on some point straight ahead. Into the growing crowd surrounding the open stage where the concert would be held. "Hinata is... very persuasive."

"With that voice and her air of complete innocence? Yeah." It might have been the small inflection in his tone. Or the way he tried rather adamantly to seek refuge from her piercing eyes behind the bunched collar of his hoodie. But it became relatively clear that the young man had been embarrassed -- in his own way -- to admit to that small statement. A fact that she found rather endearing. Especially in how he refused to meet her gaze afterwards, even while their conversation continued. And the fact that Tenten agreed only seemed to make him less willing to amend that feeling. "The girl makes it really hard for you to say no.

True enough, as Tenten had experienced such on several occasions. No, she was not a master manipulator. Far from it. With her extremely polite demeanor and almost paranoid fear of upsetting anyone, the younger girl could barely be considered to possess any sort of animosity at all. In fact, there was hardly anything in the world that could be more harmless than Hyuuga Hinata. Which made it very difficult to turn down any request that she found the courage to ask. Even for a social hermit like Shino.

Still, Tenten could not help but feel slightly grateful for it.

"I'm glad you came," she admitted, glancing down at him with the faintest of smiles, "I'll be interested to know what you think of the bands."

"Pending we find a better vantage point to watch from," he countered, his voice even and calm as always. The Abruame's version of sarcasm, she supposed.

What he had said was true, though, and it drew her attention back to the task of finding their band of merry schoolmates in the sea of bodies. A daunting task for anyone as the faces and people began fadig in and out between one entity and the thousands that made up its composition. But there were benefits to having friends with not so conventional traits and tendencies. Being able to spot a shock of blond hair and an orange blob of a jacket beside a bloom of pink and green in a huge crowd was merely one of them.

"There!" she called out, pointing a slender finger towards the distant horizon, "Along the railing."

By the time Shino managed to look where she indicated, Tenten was already hopping down from her perch on the lamp post and walking towards the new destination. There was no rush, of course. Not with their companions already camped out in what had appeared to be a prime spot to view the concert from. All the same, the longer they stood there discussing the matter, the less of a chance there was for Naruto and the others to keep their seats open. And so, a moment was spared while she glanced back at the young man and motioned with a wave of her hand for him to follow after. Not that it was actually necessary for her to do so. Tenten trusted that he would. He was already here, after all. To show up and remain secluded from the rest of the group was not his style. Or at the very least, it had not been thus far.

The urgency of the motion, however, was the main point of the exchange. Something that he seemed more than obliged to abide by as his long and even strides kept him within sight while she continued to weave her way through the crowd. Still, habits were hard to ignore and were called such for a reason. Every few steps or so, the young woman could not help but peek back over her shoulder to ensure that the other had not lost is way. Because in a crowd of hundreds -- perhaps thousands even -- it was easy to get separated and lost.

And he was certainly not the type to react well when lost in a crowd. Or stuck in one, made apparent in the slightly nerved way he stood, rigid and still, as the people started pressing in around him.

Due to her smaller frame and experience with maneuvering around tight spaces from working at her uncle's restaurant and the cafe for so many years, the task of slipping in through the crowd of people had been fairly easy to accomplish. Her long years of studying martial arts and learning to move her body in such ways to avoid strikes and blows did not hurt either. Shino, however, did not have any hope of sharing that same luxury. Especially with his aversion to physical contact. And his chances of a successful escape without harm was narrowing even further by the second as more concert-goers rushed forward, trapping him in their web of warmth and unfamiliarity even further.

She could almost start to see the indicators of his panic and anxiety in the little creases of Shino's face. Never a good sign.

Making her way back to him, not a single word was uttered while she reached out a hand and took a firm grip of his wrist, pulling him out of his hell of a lion's den. And kept her hold on him as they both moved forward towards where the others were last seen. And somewhere between then and the moment Tenten spotted the blond spikes of Naruto's hair, her hand had slid further down so that their palms were pressed tightly together, his fingers curled around hers for an anchor and a lifeline to his sanity. Hers around his to give the young man a point of focus beyond the crowd and the people. Beyond his fear of them invading his personal space.

And if the others noticed how reluctant to let go either one had seemed once they finally reached their destination, they had made no remarks about it.

Clearing his throat with a light cough, Shino murmured his appreciation. Attempting to avoid her gaze the entire time. "...Thank you."

"Sure... no problem," Tenten responded, and could not help the smile that pulled at the corner of her lips. And fought the urge to wonder just why her heart seemed to race half-beat faster.