Glare/Stare
The reason Shino wore glasses was so people couldn’t see his expression. For example, he easily got depressed when other people ignored him or forgot about him. His glasses hid the tears pricking the corners of his eyes when a swell of emotion bubbled in his chest. Today, however, Shino glared behind his glasses, the target of his antipathy being Kiba Inuzuka. Kiba was like a horsefly, circling and looking for the best vulnerable place to bite. He wouldn’t relent no matter how many times Shino tried to swat him away. His friendship with Kiba Inuzuka was something he appreciated, as Kiba didn’t ignore Shino or forgot about him, though at this moment, Shino wished for privacy as his gaze simmered behind his glasses through his tears.

“I wish to be alone right now,” Shino said.

“There’s something that’s been bugging me about you,” Kiba put an arm around Shino’s shoulders and leaned closer to him. “You seem a bit…off.”

Shino stiffened.

“It’s none of your business,” he said in a tone colder than intended.

“Getting emotional there, aren’t you, Shino?” Kiba said.

Shino suddenly wished Kiba would stop pursuing this useless line of conversation and just leave him be. The hive swarmed within him in anger.

“Look, you haven’t been yourself ever since Hinata got married to Naruto. So tell me what’s up.”

“It’s…nothing,” Shino breathed.

A depressive aura surrounds him. He told himself he wouldn’t cry, though he couldn’t help himself. He didn’t sniffle or whimper, though somehow, that Inuzuka knew he was crying. He hated that display of weakness. An Aburame must always bear himself with dignity. Kiba managed to catch him in one of his vulnerable states like Shino had his pants dropped down his waist or something. Shino felt vulnerable, exposed, and he hated the raw emotion within him that wanted to scream and howl as the hive within him thrummed and seethed.

“You’re lying,” Kiba said.

Shino shrugged him off and tried to distance himself from his companion. Kiba just didn’t know when to quit, and if Shino exposed the true reason why he was crying and angry, then everything would be ruined. He didn’t want to ruin anything at this point. He wished for Hinata Hyuuga’s happiness, that was his greatest wish, wasn’t it? He promised himself he wouldn’t be selfish, that he wouldn’t reveal his true feelings to her that he loved her. Yet Kiba kept on circling the topic until his unspoken words floated in his mind in maddening circles.

“Listen, Kiba,” Shino put his hands into his pockets. “It’s useless. What good does it do to bring up that subject over and over again?”

“You’ve got some unresolved feelings,” Kiba expressed surprising insight for one who was so loud and boisterous and jumped into action without thinking. “To tell you the truth, I…I had feelings for her too.”

Shino paused.

“What makes you think that I had feelings for her?”

“I knew that you had feelings for her as far as when we first formed Team 8,” Kiba said before he gestured for Shino to sit down with him on a bench. “She is something, isn’t she? Naruto is one lucky bastard.”

“What use is it to talk about these feelings? It would only cause unnecessary complications, and Hinata may never wish to speak with me again.”

“It’s killing you, right?” Kiba said with a sad smile that was all too knowing. “That the person that you love loves someone else. We always knew that she loved Naruto. But we didn’t say anything out of respect for her feelings. So here we are now, discussing Hinata’s marriage and having unresolved feelings. It sucks, you know? But you know, I don’t hate Naruto or anything. He did so much for this village. To make sure there was peace and we could live happily like this.”

“I never could tell her,” Shino blinked his tears away. Some kind of catharsis was unfolding here, discussing what he felt about Hinata Hyuuga with one of his best friends. “But really, it’s all in the past. Why dwell on it? She’s married. She’s happy.”

“But you’re not happy, are you?” Kiba asked.

Shino lowered his head slightly.

“I cannot tell her,” Shino said simply.

“Maybe not,” Kiba said. “But we’ll always watch over her, right? We’re Team 8, after all. We’ve got one another’s back. And you know I got your back too, right, Shino?”

Shino nodded.

“If I told her, maybe even once…”

“We’re just two fools in love, aren’t we?” Kiba said. “But everything will be okay. We will always be her friends.”

“Of course,” Shino said, suddenly feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. He made a promise, didn’t he? That he’d always watch over Hinata Hyuuga. He was the one who believed her silently all these years, encouraging her and having faith in her when no one else seemed to. She matured into a fine young woman, and Shino may have envied Naruto for his good fortune, he also was at peace with Hinata’s happiness. He would watch over her like promised, even if she never glanced in his direction the same way that she did with Naruto because he loved her. And love was unselfish, wasn’t it?

Editing Pass Number 1 – April 22, 2021