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It wasn’t that she was upset at the idea, per se, but more… taken off guard.
They’d spoken about it in the broad strokes, certainly. Their discussions of a future life together had always included adding children to their family.
It was just that the whole idea had been brought up in consistently distant terms too; always ‘yes one day’, or ‘in a few years maybe’, or ‘when we think we’re ready’. That ‘one day’ had never solidified into a ‘today’ or even into anything as concrete as ‘next year’ or ‘soon’.
For pity’s sake, they weren’t even done with the wedding part of the plan yet!
TenTen reads the back of the box for the third time that feels like the first, her mind fuzzy with anxiety, twisting the engagement band on her finger as her eyes flicker between the instructions and the inauspicious little plastic stick on her bathroom counter that’s about to potentially upend her whole existence.
“Wait at least five minutes for the most accurate reading,” she mutters aloud and checks her watch again. God! How has it only been ONE!?
With a frustrated groan, she slaps a hand towel over the test - if she looks at the spot where that damn line is supposed to be for another second she’ll go crazy - and she storms out of the bathroom with the box, reading it again to make absolutely sure.
Shit. Four more minutes.
She has to do something else, she can’t just stand there and wait or she’ll lose it with pure nerves.
Thankfully a sink full of dishes presents itself to her when she goes pacing into the kitchen.
TenTen stomps over to it, laying the test box aside and shoving her hands into the washing gloves. The pans that have been left soaking are no match for her need for distraction, and a pile of scrubbed-shiny items begins swiftly stacking up beside her as she plows through the sinkful.
Her mind keeps spinning as she scrubs burnt rice off the bottom of a pot and sauce out of the casserole dish, worries tripping over each other.
What in hell is she going to DO if it comes up positive?
She’s supposed to take her jonin levels in a month. Can they even let her participate if she’s pregnant? Their apartment isn’t big enough for both of them and a baby. They’ll either have to cram a crib into a closet or move in just a few months; so much for their lease. Not to mention the wedding, all the planning that’s already gone in that would be completely up-ended if they had to reschedule…. Oh god, and what would her future father-in-law say? Shibi had always seemed fond of her before but what if he’s disappointed in her, in both of them?
Of course, all of that presumes she can even find the words to tell her fiance….
“TenTen, are you home?”
She nearly jumps out of her skin at Shino's soft voice calling from the front half, followed by the thump-thump of his sandals hitting the doormat. She scrambles to ditch the wash gloves and snatch the test box from the counter. She can't let him see it when she doesn’t even have the answer yet!
She shoves the bright pink packaging into the trash bin under the sink split seconds before Shino steps into the kitchen.
He just blinks at her from behind his sunglasses for a moment, head tilted in question, immediately aware that he's walked into SOMETHING, but TenTen just pushes a beaming smile to her face as she comes across the kitchen to meet him.
“Shino, you’re home early!” She chirps, winding her arms around him for a hug that he gladly accepts.
“Yes. Are you alright?” he asks. His voice is tinged with worry but he still leans happily into the brush of her fingers on his temples as she reaches up to tilt his sunglasses back into his hair. Golden-flecked hazel eyes peer back at her with gentle concern and TenTen feels her heart do a little flip. (Maybe their little one would have those eyes, she thinks, biting her lip to keep from saying anything aloud...)
“I’m fine, you just surprised me.” she insists after a split second of composing herself, pushing up on her toes and tugging down the tall collar of his coat for a proper kiss. “It’s good to see you.”
“I am glad to see you too.” he echoes, pressing his forehead against hers for a moment before looking over her shoulder at the mostly empty sink.
“You did not have to do those.” he chides her gently, his hands lingering at her waist, following to the sink as she turns to go back to her task. “I told you I would get them tonight.”
“Oh I know, but I had some time to kill. I thought I’d just get them out of the way, spare you the waterlogged sleeves.” TenTen says with a soft laugh.
Shino squints at her just for a second - sometimes she could swear his Kichaku are lie detectors too, the way they thrum under his skin at a subtly different pitch when he hears something that doesn't sit right with him... - but he lets her strangely nervous tone pass for the moment, just leaning down to kiss the nape of her neck.
“Well, thank you,” he says. “Is there anything you would like for dinner?”
“I haven’t thought about it yet actually…” she says and at the moment it comes out of her mouth she knows it was the wrong thing to say. She ALWAYS has an idea or opinion on dinner. Not having to make decisions about food at the end of a long day has long been one of Shinos’ favorite things about their relationship by his own admission…
"Something is bothering you.” He observes, voice gentle, his strong fingers smoothing over TenTen's taut arms. He lays another kiss, this time on her shoulder, and she sighs. She can never get anything past him…
“I’m fine,” she promises, turning in his arms to slip her own around his neck again, raking her fingers in soothing strokes through the dark hair at his nape and savoring the way he sighs and leans into her firm fingers. “I’m just thinking about something,” she says gently. “I don’t know what I want to say yet but I promise I’ll tell you what’s on my mind once I’ve got my thoughts in order.”
Shino relaxes into her at those words, a soft look on his face as he brushes her bangs away from her eyes.
“Take your time, love,” he tells her. “I will listen when you are ready.”
TenTen feels grateful adoration swell in her chest, a watery smile stealing over her face as she pushes up on her toes and throws her arms around him in a tight, grateful hug.
“Thanks, sweetheart…”
"Of course,” Shino says, squeezing her back and pressing a kiss on TenTen's jaw that makes her feel all weak in the joints. How did she get so lucky?
“I will just go wash up before we eat, alright?"
"Okay," she says softly. "I'll see what we have for supper."
It's only a few seconds later as she’s standing at the fridge - when she hears the bathroom door click shut - that realization smashes over TenTen like an ice cold wave.
Shit! They only HAVE one bathroom!
"Oh…oh! S-Shino wait for a second!" She squeaks out, scrambling down the hall and jiggling the door handle in the vain hope of just being able to crack it open and grab the towel off the sink edge. No luck, locked. She grabs her face with both hands, anxiety pooling in her belly.
“C-can I just pop in for a second? I’m sorry I just-”
"I will only be one moment," Shino promises from inside, and she can hear water running at the sink, the distinct pattern of him scrubbing his hands for exactly long enough…
And then there’s the rustle of fabric, a clunk of plastic hitting the counter, and a horrible silence that feels a hundred years long. TenTen feels like she’ll be sick, arms squeezed tight around herself as she slumps into the wall across from the bathroom door. Oh, this wasn’t supposed to BE like this…
The door unlatches and swings slowly aside, and Shino leans in the doorjamb, test in hand, looking like someone’s kicked the breath right out of him. He looks up at her, eyes round above his sunglasses, his jaw slack, fishing for words for an agonizing second before he asks softly.
“This is… yours?”
"I was waiting for…” TenTen swallows, her voice small and heart racing. She feels like her knees might give out as Shino takes a careful step closer, reaching out to touch her trembling arm in reassurance.
“I don’t know what it says yet." she croaks.
Wordlessly he hands her the test, his hand trembling as much as hers is, and she knows before she even looks. Truthfully, deep down, she'd been pretty sure before she had even bought it - and his shocked face tells her she was right - but seeing those two stark lines side by side still makes TenTen’s heart leap against her ribs.
She'd known it abstractly, maybe, but not quite known how she would feel about it until it was sure and real, right in front of her...
She presses her hand to her mouth, a soft little 'oh' spills out against her fingers, and despite all her panic and nerves a shy smile that she can’t quite stop bursts onto her face as she looks up at Shino.
Before she can muster one word his face cracks into the kind of giddy joyful grin she never gets to see and he has rushed forward to sweep her into a hug.
TenTen squeaks as he picks her right off her feet and spins her around, his stunned laughter and the happy thrum of his kichaku washing over her as he squeezes her tightly. Her arms come around his shoulders in return and she squeezes back, hardly knowing if she’s more happy or relieved. Every worry that had been weighing on her feels light as air with him holding her...
"A baby!" Shino crows, not quite ready to set her back on her feet, and TenTen giggles against his lips as he kisses her over and again in hurried pecks.
"Oh TenTen, a baby…." He breathes, after a moment, with a soft wonder in his voice that makes her well up with instant tears. All she can do is nod as he sets her on her feet to kiss her one more time, lingering and gentle.
When he draws back he leaves their foreheads pressed together, smoothing his hands in slow sweeps down her back, and TenTen gives a watery laugh, overwhelmed with feeling for him (though hardly for the first time).
“So, it’s good news then?” she asks, and Shino laughs breathlessly, kissing her again before answering.
“Yes. I…” he pauses for a second to gather his words, still stunned. “I am sure I will be more concerned about the details later; but not right now. Right now I just… Oh, TenTen...”
She laughs as he kisses her again, her fear melted away into giddiness for the moment, and she is glad to give herself over to it. They can worry later, she’s sure they will, they’ll be worrying just a little the rest of their lives probably, but right now they can just be excited for the future.