From the remixredux08
I didn't have time to post this when it was revealed so here it is now.
Title: Improper Uses of a Hell Butterfly (The Friends With Benefits Remix)
Author: aviss
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Renji/Rangiku, implied Renji/Rukia and Shuuhei/Ranguiku
Summary:
Rating: R
Genre: Romance
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Kubo Tite.
Word Count: ~4.000
Original story: Random Roundabout by scathachdhu
Notes: Thanks so much to kazzik, my beta for putting up with me and my frantic poking.
Improper Uses of a Hell Butterfly (The Friends With Benefits Remix)
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
What the fuck happened last night? I'm not sure but I think the pink scarf that was tied around my waist is yours. It's the only thing I was wearing when I woke up this morning and my memories of the night stop after Yumichika began to sing.
Please tell me it's yours, I only know of one other person in Soul Society who wears a pink scarf and Kuchiki-taichou lacks sense of humour so I would rather not ask him.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
You have my scarf? That's good to know, I've been looking for it all morning.
I can't answer your question, I'm afraid. I remember up to the point Madarame passed out but no further, though I have a collection of hickeys on my body that demand explanation.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Hickeys?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yes, Renji, hickeys. You know: love bites, scratches, soreness and some other matters you don't really want to hear about.
I suspect you are the one responsible, though we can probably blame the sake. How much did we drink last night, anyway?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Way too much, it seems.
So we slept together then. Was I good?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I don't know, I can't remember you dumbass.
When are you returning my scarf to me?
My Taichou is coming back; we should probably get some work done.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Let's meet at 10 tonight in my rooms. I'll give you back your scarf and we can try to remember together.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
At 10 in your rooms? You just want to get me drunk again to take advantage of me. I know you, Abarai Renji.
I'll be there. You provide the sake.
...
It should have been awkward to meet the friend she didn't remember sleeping with just the day after it happened, but somehow it wasn't.
Matsumoto took one look at Renji's pained face and burst out laughing before dropping to the floor in front of him and taking the jar of sake to his side.
"Hair of the dog," she said, taking a large gulp of the liquor straight from the jar.
Renji looked at her and blinked, then grabbed the jar from her outstretched hand and drank as well. "Hair of the dog," He agreed.
It was a good thing that, of all the people this could have happened with, it had been Renji. Matsumoto liked him, he was a good friend and, though their views of life were quite different, they understood each other perfectly. Renji was loud and brash and was always pushing himself to attain his goal; Matsumoto was laid back and cheerful, and could talk anyone's ears off.
And, incredibly enough, both of them appreciated the virtue of silence, and didn’t feel the need to fill it with inane chatter when there was nothing more to say.
They stayed that way now, simply drinking and smiling at each other. The silence was comfortable and Matsumoto was reluctant to break it, but there was something she wanted to ask.
"Renji, are you feeling bad for sleeping with someone who's not Rukia?" she queried finally.
Renji's head snapped up and he stared at her, his brows drawing together in a frown. Matsumoto thought for a moment that the question had been inappropriate and he was angry.
His expression relaxed and he smiled sheepishly. "Yeah… I'm an idiot," he said finishing the sake and rising to get another jar. "And you? Are you feeling bad for sleeping with someone who's not--"
"Don't say his name," she warned him and Renji snapped his mouth shut with a nod. "No, I'm not. He is in the past, where he belongs."
They slipped into the same comfortable silence again, the sake being passed back and forth between them.
"What do we do now?" Renji asked after a pause, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Matsumoto didn’t even pretend not knowing what was on his mind. She returned his smile with one of her own. "We could try doing it again and see if we remember this time. Who knows, we might like it."
...
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
You forgot something in my room again. It's already cramped enough without your crap all over the place.
Come tonight to pick it up.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
If you want to see me you just need to say so, Renji.
Stop moaning and clean the place for a change. I can't go tonight; I have a meeting with the Shinigami Women’s Association.
I'll say ‘hi’ to Rukia for you...
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Fuck off.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Taichou just complained we are using the Hell Butterflies for “personal things” again. I love him to bits, but sometimes I wish he was less stuck up.
Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something. I was in Earth yesterday with the 9th.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
So I heard. You went with Shuuhei?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yes, we spent the day there.
I saw Kurosaki and the rest, they look fine.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Don't try to distract me; it's not going to work.
So you went with Shuuhei? What did you do?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Not much. The mission was easy, so we had a lot of time to kill before coming back.
We spent a lot of time talking. He's a funny one.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Shuuhei is a good guy. You could do a lot worse.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I'm already doing a lot worse.
Tomorrow?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
You wound me, Rangiku. You weren't complaining last night.
Shit, I have to go back to work; Kuchiki-taichou is looking at me with the frown that means I'm in trouble.
See you tomorrow.
...
The moonlight bathed Matsumoto's pale body giving it a silvery, almost ethereal shine. Renji extended a hand as though he couldn't help himself and slowly stroked the curve of her hip, his fingers tracing invisible patterns on her skin.
She stirred to wakefulness, purring like a cat and opened her eyes languidly to look at Renji with a half smile.
"Mmm, what time is it?" she asked, her voice rough from sleep.
"Past midnight," he said returning her smile. His caress became firmer and bolder and he moved his whole hand along her hip to her thigh and back again, the skin under his palm soft and warm.
"If you keep doing that I'm never going to go back to my room," she protested half-heartedly.
"Then don't go back tonight," Renji moved closer to her, his whole body now touching her.
"There will be more rumours," she said, leaning forward. Her auburn hair spilt over Renji's shoulders as Matsumoto pressed her lips to his neck.
"Let them talk," he said before taking hold of Matsumoto’s waist with both hands and moving her body on top of his. She opened her legs to straddle him, guiding him inside and gasping as he entered her.
Matsumoto bent down and kissed him, mouth hot and eager while she began to ride him slowly, enjoying the feel of him inside her and letting the arousal build with each thrust.
The moved together for some time, luxuriating in the slow build up of passion while they kissed and touched every inch of skin within their reach. Finally it became too much, the pleasure mounting while Matsumoto moved faster and faster. She came with a cry, slumping on top of Renji as he shuddered and moaned, coming inside her.
They stayed like that for a while, not moving or talking, just enjoying each other’s warmth. "Madarame asked about us this afternoon," Renji said when he caught his breath.
"Did he?" Matsumoto sounded sleepy and not overly interested, curling around Renji's body and purring in satisfaction.
"Yes… he said he would be surprised if we were together since we’re not the type to have fuck buddies."
Matsumoto yawned, half opening an eye. "He's right, we aren't." She closed it again.
"And what do you call this?" Renji asked, also drowsy.
"Friends with benefits, I don't like the term ‘fuck buddy’," she snuggled even closer. "We have nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of. We both know who we love and what we are doing here. Now let me sleep, if I am late again tomorrow my Taichou will freeze me to death."
Smiling, Renji closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.
...
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
I saw you with Shuuhei this morning. Another mission with the 9th?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Jealous, Renji?
No, I bumped into him by chance and he offered to take me back to my Taisha. We talked for a while. You're right, he is a good guy.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Jealous of Shuuhei? No way!
Of course he is; he’s a friend so you better treat him well. He asked me the other day if you were mad at him. He said you were too silent on the way back from Earth.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
No, I'm not mad at him.
He was looking at me, I saw him.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
So what? Half of the Gotei 13 looks at you; in case you didn't noticed you're one of the best things to look at around here.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Not like that. The way he was looking at me...
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
You liked it.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I liked it.
I wouldn't mind being with someone who looks at me like that.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Shuuhei is a good guy. You could do worse.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
So you've said before.
See you tonight?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Yeah.
...
Sleeping together helped keep the nightmares at bay, Renji realized.
It wasn't just the comfort of having another body beside his, or the exhaustion of their frequent love making. That was just part of it. For Renji it was having someone he didn't need to hide from; someone he didn't need to be strong or manly for; someone he could cry in front of without feeling ashamed.
She had been there since the beginning, so she knew.
And he knew it was the same for her. The war had been hard on everyone, but Matsumoto was one of those who had survived with the deepest scars. He was glad that fucking bastard was dead, or he would kill him himself.
It was a pity they weren't meant for each other … and he was sure Matsumoto felt the same way.
"You're thinking too much again," Matsumoto said, eyes opening slowly.
"I know."
He pressed himself against her back, his hands moving to cup her substantial breasts and his mouth going to her elegant neck. Matsumoto tilted her head back to give him better access, her own hands moving back to grab his arse and press him even closer.
"Mmmm, I love when you do this," she said candidly, sighing.
"I know," he said, his lips curving in smile against her skin. He moved one hands lower; reluctant to leave her soft breast but knowing the destination would be even better. She opened her legs to grant him access, moaning as his fingers slipped into her. She sought his lips for a kiss, her agile tongue engaging his in a game of tag.
He felt her shuddering and stiffening around his fingers, a moan stuck on her throat, and he released her slowly, letting her calm down while he kissed her.
Finally Renji closed his eyes, tired and strangely happy.
"You don't want to?" she asked in surprise.
"No, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I just wanted you to--" he trailed off to a yawn and she kissed him chastely on the cheek.
"You're weird, Renji," she said fondly. "But Rukia is one lucky girl if someone like you fell for her."
"Uhn?" Renji tried to ask what she meant but couldn't keep awake any longer.
"Sleep, you idiot. And think about getting the girl in your dreams," she whispered, "you deserve someone who loves you."
Renji wanted to tell her that she did too, but was too late to speak.
...
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Are you going to the Festival with your Taichou?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yes. Were you thinking about inviting me?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
No, I was just curious.
I though maybe Shuuhei and you...
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I saw him on my way to the last Shinigami Women’s Association meeting and we chatted for a while. I think he wants to ask me out. So that's me sorted.
When are you going to confess yourself to Rukia?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
That's none of your business, Rangiku.
Anyway, she's busy with the Festival preparations and all that shit. I think she likes to order people around way too much, I haven't seen her as happy as this in a long time.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Most of us haven't been happy in a long time.
You will have to confess sooner or later, Renji. Or do you intend to spend all your life just looking at her, just playing the childhood friend?
Now’s your chance to move on.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Does this mean you're not coming over any more?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Are you stupid? Of course I'm coming over. Shuuhei might want to ask me out, but he hasn’t done so yet.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Right.
See you tonight, then.
...
The Festival was a huge success.
Soul Society had had little to celebrate in the past years, so everyone was enjoying their first celebration, singing and dancing and laughing as if nothing bad had ever happened. They deserved it.
Renji scanned the crowd, looking to join familiar faces.
"Renji!"
He turned to see Rukia approaching, the familiar feeling of butterflies still present flaring in his stomach every time he saw her. He always assumed he would outgrow this childhood crush sooner or later.
"Hey Rukia," he greeted, unable to hold back the smile, "you did a great job!"
She beamed in response, "You're late. You missed the singing contest. Shunsui-taichou won," she said dropping to the grass and taking a small parcel from somewhere within the folds of her clothes. Renji sat next to her, leaning back on his elbows and enjoying the feel of the sun on his face.
"I've heard Shunsui-taichou’s singing before. If he was the best one there I'm glad to have missed it."
Rukia laughed, her face showing only happiness, without a shadow of the sorrow she had been carrying with her since their return from Hueco Mundo, and Renji fought the impulse to gather her in his arms and kiss her; it was frightening how quickly his resolve not to do so was wearing off.
Rukia opened the parcel and popped some of its contents into her mouth, chewing gleefully.
"What's that?"
"This?" she smiled, bits of food still in her mouth. Renji grimaced but laughed that she could be such a child after the recent events. "Some taiyaki I convinced the stall guy to give me," she said, popping another bit in.
"More like you bullied him into giving you, if I know you. Give me some."
Rukia glared and moved the food out of his reach, "No, it's mine!"
"Rukia, you greedy bitch! Share with me!" he lunged for it and she stood up and moved further away, laughing. It reminded him so much of their times in Rukongai he couldn't help but to laugh as well as he tried to give chase.
"I have to eat everything myself so I can grow curves like--" Rukia stopped, her face growing serious again while she looked somewhere to their left. Renji followed her gaze and saw Matsumoto, spectacular as always, dragging her unwilling Taichou after her. Renji watched her pass, her lovely face failing to distract from the unbelievable body. "She's beautiful," Rukia said her voice low and with a note of sadness. Renji wondered how much she knew and if he could hope she was a bit jealous.
"That she is," he admitted, with no reason to deny the obvious.
"Here," Rukia said, offering him some taiyaki, "have some if you still want, I hate seeing a big guy whine like a baby."
Renji arched an eyebrow but said nothing in reply, taking a piece and eating it slowly as his eyes followed the progress of Matsumoto and Hitsugaya across the Festival grounds.
"You don't need to entertain me if you have something else to do, Renji," Rukia interrupted suddenly.
Renji snapped back to the present, cursing himself for his easy distraction. He extended a hand and snatched the taiyaki parcel from Rukia's hands, popping one into his mouth.
"I have nothing better to do than this, Rukia," he said, voice serious. A light flush spread over Rukia’s face before she launched herself at him, tackling him to the ground, the taiyaki spilling.
"You bastard! That was mine!"
Renji laughed, "I'll buy you more. Let's go!"
...
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
God, I'm so tired. They should have given us more days off after the Festival.
The Shinigami Women’s Association was really happy with Rukia's work, they commended it in front of everyone. Rukia was grinning so hard I thought her head was going to split in two.
I saw you with her in the Festival. You guys are a good match; why the fuck don't you confess how you feel already?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Don't push it, Rangiku.
I saw you at the Festival too, you were dragging along your Taichou.
I don't understand how the poor guy puts up with you every day.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
He likes it, not matter how much he complains.
Anyway, I have something I wanted to talk to you about Renji.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
That sounds ominous.
Should I be afraid?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Shuuhei asked me out.
Can we meet tonight?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
You want to call it quits.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yes.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Come over at the usual time.
Since you are the one doing the breaking up, sake is on you.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
See you tonight.
...
It didn't feel like a break up, not really.
Matsumoto took another sip of her sake and put the bottle down, laying her head on Renji's lap once more. Renji moved a bit to accommodate her, resting his hands on her hair and combing his fingers through the long locks.
"I'm going to miss nights like these," she said finally, and she meant it.
It had been a strange relationship since the beginning, but she was glad they’d had it. Not just for the sex, though the sex was good. More than good, Renji was a gentle and skilled lover, and, although she knew it wasn't courteous, she worried Shuuhei would compare unfavourably against him when the time came.
But it was the nights spent in silence in his room, just the two of them drinking sake and simply being that she would miss the most.
If it was possible to choose who to love, she would definitely have chosen Renji.
"No you won't miss these nights," Renji said, voice low. "You’ll have plenty of them with Shuuhei."
They fell silent again, both lost in their own thoughts, remembering to drink from the bottle of sake from time to time.
"I have to go, Renji," she said, not moving.
"I know. The guys are drinking tonight by the 11th," Renji said finally moving his hand from Matsumoto's hair.
"You're not coming?"
"No, I don't feel like drinking, I’ll probably take a walk later."
Matsumoto stood up, stretching like a cat. "If you feel like going elsewhere, the Shinigami Women’s Association is meeting by the 13th," she said smiling at him with her most innocent expression.
"The 13th?" he repeated arching a tattooed eyebrow.
Renji stood up too, accompanying Matsumoto to the door.
"Yes, they usually stay until late, so you have time to decide if you are going to take your walk around that area," Matsumoto looked at him, something like regret flashing in her eyes for a second. "I have to go now," she said after a moment, "It's been good, Renji. Really."
"I know." he smiled impishly. "Can I have a last kiss? One for the road?"
Matsumoto laughed, shaking her head. "Of course." She stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips against Renji's, the touch so light it felt more like a whisper. Renji grabbed her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. They stayed like that until air became a necessity and they pulled apart breathlessly.
Matsumoto smiled up at him.
"Goodbye, Renji."
"Goodbye, Rangiku."
...
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I'm tired again. You should have warned me Shuuhei was so energetic. I can barely walk and I'm feeling aches in muscles I didn't know I had.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
What the fuck?
You should be sending Hell Butterflies to him, not me. Kuchiki-taichou is glaring at me again, I think he knew what we were doing with the Hell Butterflies before and he might start to think I'm cheating on his sister.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I'm bored.
I did. You forgot to tell me Shuuhei was such a stiff guy, and not in the way I like best. He replied this morning that Hell Butterflies were not for personal matters and refused to answer after that.
So, I gather you finally confessed to Rukia. It wasn't that difficult, was it? You should thank me for pushing you in the right direction.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Maybe if you did some work you wouldn't be so bored, Rangiku.
Yeah, I did. She wasn't surprised; she even said that took long enough for me to figure it out. We're taking it slow. Slower than you and Shuuhei, anyway, but I think it's going to work.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yeah, and have my Taichou die from shock? I think not.
Good, you deserve to be happy, Renji.
You are a good guy. And you’re a good friend. Just because we're not shagging any more doesn't mean we can't keep being good friends.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
I know.
It was good, wasn't it? We were good.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yes we were.
But good isn’t enough. We deserve better, we deserve perfect.
And now we're going to have it.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
You're right.
Now it's perfect.
...
Title: Improper Uses of a Hell Butterfly (The Friends With Benefits Remix)
Author: aviss
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Renji/Rangiku, implied Renji/Rukia and Shuuhei/Ranguiku
Summary:
Rating: R
Genre: Romance
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Kubo Tite.
Word Count: ~4.000
Original story: Random Roundabout by scathachdhu
Notes: Thanks so much to kazzik, my beta for putting up with me and my frantic poking.
Improper Uses of a Hell Butterfly (The Friends With Benefits Remix)
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
What the fuck happened last night? I'm not sure but I think the pink scarf that was tied around my waist is yours. It's the only thing I was wearing when I woke up this morning and my memories of the night stop after Yumichika began to sing.
Please tell me it's yours, I only know of one other person in Soul Society who wears a pink scarf and Kuchiki-taichou lacks sense of humour so I would rather not ask him.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
You have my scarf? That's good to know, I've been looking for it all morning.
I can't answer your question, I'm afraid. I remember up to the point Madarame passed out but no further, though I have a collection of hickeys on my body that demand explanation.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Hickeys?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yes, Renji, hickeys. You know: love bites, scratches, soreness and some other matters you don't really want to hear about.
I suspect you are the one responsible, though we can probably blame the sake. How much did we drink last night, anyway?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Way too much, it seems.
So we slept together then. Was I good?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I don't know, I can't remember you dumbass.
When are you returning my scarf to me?
My Taichou is coming back; we should probably get some work done.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Let's meet at 10 tonight in my rooms. I'll give you back your scarf and we can try to remember together.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
At 10 in your rooms? You just want to get me drunk again to take advantage of me. I know you, Abarai Renji.
I'll be there. You provide the sake.
...
It should have been awkward to meet the friend she didn't remember sleeping with just the day after it happened, but somehow it wasn't.
Matsumoto took one look at Renji's pained face and burst out laughing before dropping to the floor in front of him and taking the jar of sake to his side.
"Hair of the dog," she said, taking a large gulp of the liquor straight from the jar.
Renji looked at her and blinked, then grabbed the jar from her outstretched hand and drank as well. "Hair of the dog," He agreed.
It was a good thing that, of all the people this could have happened with, it had been Renji. Matsumoto liked him, he was a good friend and, though their views of life were quite different, they understood each other perfectly. Renji was loud and brash and was always pushing himself to attain his goal; Matsumoto was laid back and cheerful, and could talk anyone's ears off.
And, incredibly enough, both of them appreciated the virtue of silence, and didn’t feel the need to fill it with inane chatter when there was nothing more to say.
They stayed that way now, simply drinking and smiling at each other. The silence was comfortable and Matsumoto was reluctant to break it, but there was something she wanted to ask.
"Renji, are you feeling bad for sleeping with someone who's not Rukia?" she queried finally.
Renji's head snapped up and he stared at her, his brows drawing together in a frown. Matsumoto thought for a moment that the question had been inappropriate and he was angry.
His expression relaxed and he smiled sheepishly. "Yeah… I'm an idiot," he said finishing the sake and rising to get another jar. "And you? Are you feeling bad for sleeping with someone who's not--"
"Don't say his name," she warned him and Renji snapped his mouth shut with a nod. "No, I'm not. He is in the past, where he belongs."
They slipped into the same comfortable silence again, the sake being passed back and forth between them.
"What do we do now?" Renji asked after a pause, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Matsumoto didn’t even pretend not knowing what was on his mind. She returned his smile with one of her own. "We could try doing it again and see if we remember this time. Who knows, we might like it."
...
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
You forgot something in my room again. It's already cramped enough without your crap all over the place.
Come tonight to pick it up.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
If you want to see me you just need to say so, Renji.
Stop moaning and clean the place for a change. I can't go tonight; I have a meeting with the Shinigami Women’s Association.
I'll say ‘hi’ to Rukia for you...
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Fuck off.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Taichou just complained we are using the Hell Butterflies for “personal things” again. I love him to bits, but sometimes I wish he was less stuck up.
Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something. I was in Earth yesterday with the 9th.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
So I heard. You went with Shuuhei?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yes, we spent the day there.
I saw Kurosaki and the rest, they look fine.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Don't try to distract me; it's not going to work.
So you went with Shuuhei? What did you do?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Not much. The mission was easy, so we had a lot of time to kill before coming back.
We spent a lot of time talking. He's a funny one.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Shuuhei is a good guy. You could do a lot worse.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I'm already doing a lot worse.
Tomorrow?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
You wound me, Rangiku. You weren't complaining last night.
Shit, I have to go back to work; Kuchiki-taichou is looking at me with the frown that means I'm in trouble.
See you tomorrow.
...
The moonlight bathed Matsumoto's pale body giving it a silvery, almost ethereal shine. Renji extended a hand as though he couldn't help himself and slowly stroked the curve of her hip, his fingers tracing invisible patterns on her skin.
She stirred to wakefulness, purring like a cat and opened her eyes languidly to look at Renji with a half smile.
"Mmm, what time is it?" she asked, her voice rough from sleep.
"Past midnight," he said returning her smile. His caress became firmer and bolder and he moved his whole hand along her hip to her thigh and back again, the skin under his palm soft and warm.
"If you keep doing that I'm never going to go back to my room," she protested half-heartedly.
"Then don't go back tonight," Renji moved closer to her, his whole body now touching her.
"There will be more rumours," she said, leaning forward. Her auburn hair spilt over Renji's shoulders as Matsumoto pressed her lips to his neck.
"Let them talk," he said before taking hold of Matsumoto’s waist with both hands and moving her body on top of his. She opened her legs to straddle him, guiding him inside and gasping as he entered her.
Matsumoto bent down and kissed him, mouth hot and eager while she began to ride him slowly, enjoying the feel of him inside her and letting the arousal build with each thrust.
The moved together for some time, luxuriating in the slow build up of passion while they kissed and touched every inch of skin within their reach. Finally it became too much, the pleasure mounting while Matsumoto moved faster and faster. She came with a cry, slumping on top of Renji as he shuddered and moaned, coming inside her.
They stayed like that for a while, not moving or talking, just enjoying each other’s warmth. "Madarame asked about us this afternoon," Renji said when he caught his breath.
"Did he?" Matsumoto sounded sleepy and not overly interested, curling around Renji's body and purring in satisfaction.
"Yes… he said he would be surprised if we were together since we’re not the type to have fuck buddies."
Matsumoto yawned, half opening an eye. "He's right, we aren't." She closed it again.
"And what do you call this?" Renji asked, also drowsy.
"Friends with benefits, I don't like the term ‘fuck buddy’," she snuggled even closer. "We have nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of. We both know who we love and what we are doing here. Now let me sleep, if I am late again tomorrow my Taichou will freeze me to death."
Smiling, Renji closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.
...
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
I saw you with Shuuhei this morning. Another mission with the 9th?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Jealous, Renji?
No, I bumped into him by chance and he offered to take me back to my Taisha. We talked for a while. You're right, he is a good guy.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Jealous of Shuuhei? No way!
Of course he is; he’s a friend so you better treat him well. He asked me the other day if you were mad at him. He said you were too silent on the way back from Earth.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
No, I'm not mad at him.
He was looking at me, I saw him.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
So what? Half of the Gotei 13 looks at you; in case you didn't noticed you're one of the best things to look at around here.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Not like that. The way he was looking at me...
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
You liked it.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I liked it.
I wouldn't mind being with someone who looks at me like that.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Shuuhei is a good guy. You could do worse.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
So you've said before.
See you tonight?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Yeah.
...
Sleeping together helped keep the nightmares at bay, Renji realized.
It wasn't just the comfort of having another body beside his, or the exhaustion of their frequent love making. That was just part of it. For Renji it was having someone he didn't need to hide from; someone he didn't need to be strong or manly for; someone he could cry in front of without feeling ashamed.
She had been there since the beginning, so she knew.
And he knew it was the same for her. The war had been hard on everyone, but Matsumoto was one of those who had survived with the deepest scars. He was glad that fucking bastard was dead, or he would kill him himself.
It was a pity they weren't meant for each other … and he was sure Matsumoto felt the same way.
"You're thinking too much again," Matsumoto said, eyes opening slowly.
"I know."
He pressed himself against her back, his hands moving to cup her substantial breasts and his mouth going to her elegant neck. Matsumoto tilted her head back to give him better access, her own hands moving back to grab his arse and press him even closer.
"Mmmm, I love when you do this," she said candidly, sighing.
"I know," he said, his lips curving in smile against her skin. He moved one hands lower; reluctant to leave her soft breast but knowing the destination would be even better. She opened her legs to grant him access, moaning as his fingers slipped into her. She sought his lips for a kiss, her agile tongue engaging his in a game of tag.
He felt her shuddering and stiffening around his fingers, a moan stuck on her throat, and he released her slowly, letting her calm down while he kissed her.
Finally Renji closed his eyes, tired and strangely happy.
"You don't want to?" she asked in surprise.
"No, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I just wanted you to--" he trailed off to a yawn and she kissed him chastely on the cheek.
"You're weird, Renji," she said fondly. "But Rukia is one lucky girl if someone like you fell for her."
"Uhn?" Renji tried to ask what she meant but couldn't keep awake any longer.
"Sleep, you idiot. And think about getting the girl in your dreams," she whispered, "you deserve someone who loves you."
Renji wanted to tell her that she did too, but was too late to speak.
...
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Are you going to the Festival with your Taichou?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yes. Were you thinking about inviting me?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
No, I was just curious.
I though maybe Shuuhei and you...
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I saw him on my way to the last Shinigami Women’s Association meeting and we chatted for a while. I think he wants to ask me out. So that's me sorted.
When are you going to confess yourself to Rukia?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
That's none of your business, Rangiku.
Anyway, she's busy with the Festival preparations and all that shit. I think she likes to order people around way too much, I haven't seen her as happy as this in a long time.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Most of us haven't been happy in a long time.
You will have to confess sooner or later, Renji. Or do you intend to spend all your life just looking at her, just playing the childhood friend?
Now’s your chance to move on.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Does this mean you're not coming over any more?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Are you stupid? Of course I'm coming over. Shuuhei might want to ask me out, but he hasn’t done so yet.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Right.
See you tonight, then.
...
The Festival was a huge success.
Soul Society had had little to celebrate in the past years, so everyone was enjoying their first celebration, singing and dancing and laughing as if nothing bad had ever happened. They deserved it.
Renji scanned the crowd, looking to join familiar faces.
"Renji!"
He turned to see Rukia approaching, the familiar feeling of butterflies still present flaring in his stomach every time he saw her. He always assumed he would outgrow this childhood crush sooner or later.
"Hey Rukia," he greeted, unable to hold back the smile, "you did a great job!"
She beamed in response, "You're late. You missed the singing contest. Shunsui-taichou won," she said dropping to the grass and taking a small parcel from somewhere within the folds of her clothes. Renji sat next to her, leaning back on his elbows and enjoying the feel of the sun on his face.
"I've heard Shunsui-taichou’s singing before. If he was the best one there I'm glad to have missed it."
Rukia laughed, her face showing only happiness, without a shadow of the sorrow she had been carrying with her since their return from Hueco Mundo, and Renji fought the impulse to gather her in his arms and kiss her; it was frightening how quickly his resolve not to do so was wearing off.
Rukia opened the parcel and popped some of its contents into her mouth, chewing gleefully.
"What's that?"
"This?" she smiled, bits of food still in her mouth. Renji grimaced but laughed that she could be such a child after the recent events. "Some taiyaki I convinced the stall guy to give me," she said, popping another bit in.
"More like you bullied him into giving you, if I know you. Give me some."
Rukia glared and moved the food out of his reach, "No, it's mine!"
"Rukia, you greedy bitch! Share with me!" he lunged for it and she stood up and moved further away, laughing. It reminded him so much of their times in Rukongai he couldn't help but to laugh as well as he tried to give chase.
"I have to eat everything myself so I can grow curves like--" Rukia stopped, her face growing serious again while she looked somewhere to their left. Renji followed her gaze and saw Matsumoto, spectacular as always, dragging her unwilling Taichou after her. Renji watched her pass, her lovely face failing to distract from the unbelievable body. "She's beautiful," Rukia said her voice low and with a note of sadness. Renji wondered how much she knew and if he could hope she was a bit jealous.
"That she is," he admitted, with no reason to deny the obvious.
"Here," Rukia said, offering him some taiyaki, "have some if you still want, I hate seeing a big guy whine like a baby."
Renji arched an eyebrow but said nothing in reply, taking a piece and eating it slowly as his eyes followed the progress of Matsumoto and Hitsugaya across the Festival grounds.
"You don't need to entertain me if you have something else to do, Renji," Rukia interrupted suddenly.
Renji snapped back to the present, cursing himself for his easy distraction. He extended a hand and snatched the taiyaki parcel from Rukia's hands, popping one into his mouth.
"I have nothing better to do than this, Rukia," he said, voice serious. A light flush spread over Rukia’s face before she launched herself at him, tackling him to the ground, the taiyaki spilling.
"You bastard! That was mine!"
Renji laughed, "I'll buy you more. Let's go!"
...
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
God, I'm so tired. They should have given us more days off after the Festival.
The Shinigami Women’s Association was really happy with Rukia's work, they commended it in front of everyone. Rukia was grinning so hard I thought her head was going to split in two.
I saw you with her in the Festival. You guys are a good match; why the fuck don't you confess how you feel already?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Don't push it, Rangiku.
I saw you at the Festival too, you were dragging along your Taichou.
I don't understand how the poor guy puts up with you every day.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
He likes it, not matter how much he complains.
Anyway, I have something I wanted to talk to you about Renji.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
That sounds ominous.
Should I be afraid?
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Shuuhei asked me out.
Can we meet tonight?
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
You want to call it quits.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yes.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Come over at the usual time.
Since you are the one doing the breaking up, sake is on you.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
See you tonight.
...
It didn't feel like a break up, not really.
Matsumoto took another sip of her sake and put the bottle down, laying her head on Renji's lap once more. Renji moved a bit to accommodate her, resting his hands on her hair and combing his fingers through the long locks.
"I'm going to miss nights like these," she said finally, and she meant it.
It had been a strange relationship since the beginning, but she was glad they’d had it. Not just for the sex, though the sex was good. More than good, Renji was a gentle and skilled lover, and, although she knew it wasn't courteous, she worried Shuuhei would compare unfavourably against him when the time came.
But it was the nights spent in silence in his room, just the two of them drinking sake and simply being that she would miss the most.
If it was possible to choose who to love, she would definitely have chosen Renji.
"No you won't miss these nights," Renji said, voice low. "You’ll have plenty of them with Shuuhei."
They fell silent again, both lost in their own thoughts, remembering to drink from the bottle of sake from time to time.
"I have to go, Renji," she said, not moving.
"I know. The guys are drinking tonight by the 11th," Renji said finally moving his hand from Matsumoto's hair.
"You're not coming?"
"No, I don't feel like drinking, I’ll probably take a walk later."
Matsumoto stood up, stretching like a cat. "If you feel like going elsewhere, the Shinigami Women’s Association is meeting by the 13th," she said smiling at him with her most innocent expression.
"The 13th?" he repeated arching a tattooed eyebrow.
Renji stood up too, accompanying Matsumoto to the door.
"Yes, they usually stay until late, so you have time to decide if you are going to take your walk around that area," Matsumoto looked at him, something like regret flashing in her eyes for a second. "I have to go now," she said after a moment, "It's been good, Renji. Really."
"I know." he smiled impishly. "Can I have a last kiss? One for the road?"
Matsumoto laughed, shaking her head. "Of course." She stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips against Renji's, the touch so light it felt more like a whisper. Renji grabbed her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. They stayed like that until air became a necessity and they pulled apart breathlessly.
Matsumoto smiled up at him.
"Goodbye, Renji."
"Goodbye, Rangiku."
...
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I'm tired again. You should have warned me Shuuhei was so energetic. I can barely walk and I'm feeling aches in muscles I didn't know I had.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
What the fuck?
You should be sending Hell Butterflies to him, not me. Kuchiki-taichou is glaring at me again, I think he knew what we were doing with the Hell Butterflies before and he might start to think I'm cheating on his sister.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
I'm bored.
I did. You forgot to tell me Shuuhei was such a stiff guy, and not in the way I like best. He replied this morning that Hell Butterflies were not for personal matters and refused to answer after that.
So, I gather you finally confessed to Rukia. It wasn't that difficult, was it? You should thank me for pushing you in the right direction.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
Maybe if you did some work you wouldn't be so bored, Rangiku.
Yeah, I did. She wasn't surprised; she even said that took long enough for me to figure it out. We're taking it slow. Slower than you and Shuuhei, anyway, but I think it's going to work.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yeah, and have my Taichou die from shock? I think not.
Good, you deserve to be happy, Renji.
You are a good guy. And you’re a good friend. Just because we're not shagging any more doesn't mean we can't keep being good friends.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
I know.
It was good, wasn't it? We were good.
From Matsumoto Rangiku to Abarai Renji:
Yes we were.
But good isn’t enough. We deserve better, we deserve perfect.
And now we're going to have it.
From Abarai Renji to Matsumoto Rangiku:
You're right.
Now it's perfect.
...