Bleach -- Valentine Exchange '06 -- Renji x Rukia -- gift fic for ameru
Title: First date
For:(ameru)
Request: Renji x Rukia, flowers
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Renji x Rukia
Genre(s): Romance, some humor, and a little bit of angst
Warning(s): Some language. Spoilers through SS arc; some Renji & Rukia backstory.
Rating: PG
Credits: All Kubo Tite's!
Yes, I’m going to ask her. I am going to ask her right now, just as soon as she finishes eating that gyoza. These thoughts would have charged him up so much more if only he hadn’t been thinking them for the last two months. They tended to lose their potency after a while.
Rukia looked up, and cocked her head at him slightly. “Renji, is there something you want to say?”
His resolve left him in a rush. “Er, what kind of dumplings are you eating?”
Rukia just looked at him like he was crazy. “Renji, are you sure you’re not getting Alzheimer’s?”
Renji blinked. “What’s that?”
“It’s a human disease that makes you forget things when you’re old.” Her face scrunched up a little as she tried to recall all the things that Kurosaki Isshin had told her about that illness. “I think that it’s caused by a worm that chews holes in your brain, so that all that all the information you have in there falls out.”
Renji put down his soba noodles in disgust, and protested, “I’m not old! And I don’t have Alzamers or whatever it’s called!”
“Renji, for the third time today, I’m eating pork gyoza.” She put down her chopsticks. “Now, what’s really on your mind?”
He looked down at his unfinished noodles, concentrating on the oily gleam on the white surface of a particularly fat strand. It looked like a bunch of tapeworms to him now. Man, he was never eating soba again.
“Well, what is it Renji?” He heard Rukia take a large gulp of her drink.
He somehow stopped himself from fidgeting with his robe. “Well, I…uh…was wondering if…this Friday night…you would…like…to go out with me?” He looked up at her hesitantly.
…only to be sprayed in the face with green tea. As soon as he had finished wiping the tea leaves out of his eyes, he quickly reached over and gave a choking Rukia a few quick slaps on the back. However, given the way she suddenly lurched forward as he did so, he suddenly realized that he might have overenthusiastic in his efforts to help. This hypothesis was confirmed when she socked him in the face.
“You idiot!” She was still coughing. “Don’t say stuff like that when I’m trying to drink something!”
He rubbed a hand over his swollen jaw. Rukia had a mean left hook. “When was I gonna say it?!?!”
“You could have asked me this morning when we weren’t eating.” She coughed a few more times, and shot him a glare. “Your timing really sucks, Renji.”
He felt his heart thud a bit more loudly in his chest. “Uh, what do you mean by that?”
“I mean that you shouldn’t try to ask me out--” she flushed a light pink and quickly directed her eyes elsewhere “--when I’m eating and that no, I can’t go this Friday night.”
His breath caught in his throat, and he felt his heart stop in his chest. It wasn’t outright rejection, but…
“How about next Tuesday? You know, when they’re having the festival.”
His heart hesitantly started beating again. “Tuesday’s great.”
It was Tuesday afternoon, only six hours until the festival began. Renji had no idea how slowly the time could pass, and at the same time, how quickly it could pass. He’d been nervous these past six days, and his nervousness had only increased when he’d bumped into Rukia accidentally during training the day before. Really, there was no reason at all for him to be this tense-he’d known Rukia for well over forty years now, had fought alongside her, sparred with her, gone on patrol with her, and had buried family and friends together. Going on a date with her really shouldn’t have been that big of a deal after what they had been through…
…but it was. Renji groaned and tried to concentrate on the unfinished report before him, only to find that he had misspelled his own name on it.
“Good afternoon, Vice-Captain Abarai.”
Renji sat up, startled; he could always sense Captain Kuchiki from a block away, but apparently today was the exception. Then again, it was also partly his captain’s fault for sliding open the bamboo door so soundlessly.
“Good afternoon, Captain Kuchiki.” Why did the hair on the back of his spine suddenly stand up like that?
“So, today is the day you are taking Rukia to the festival, is it not?”
He had a bad feeling about this. “Uh, yeah?”
“Perhaps you should allow me to give you some advice on dating etiquette.”
“Um, I don’t think that really necc-” One look at the expression on Kuchiki Byakuya’s face instantly confirmed that declining was not an option. His captain shut the door shut with a soft, but deliberate click.
What followed were four of the most terrifying hours of his life, only topped by the time that Rukia had almost died at Aizen’s hands while he was extracting the hogyoko. Renji sat still in his seat as his captain stood before him, hands behind his back, as he lectured Renji in the “do’s and don’ts” when dating Kuchiki Rukia. Renji swore that he was going to go into cardiac arrest soon.
“Neither of you are not allowed to have any alcohol.”
“Yes, sir.”
“No touching is allowed. You will keep your hands to yourself at all times.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And this follows from the no touching rule, however, I will also say it to re-emphasize the previous rule’s importance. All clothing -- yours and Rukia’s -- will stay put during the entirety of the date. If I find so much as one fold of her obi out of place, there will be heavy consequences to pay.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You will bring her home by eleven o’clock. Not eleven-oh-five, Not eleven-oh-three, not eleven-oh-one. At eleven sharp. And if you are not there by eleven o’clock, I will have the entire Gotei 13 after you faster than you can say ‘bankai.’ ”
“Yes, sir.”
Renji waited patiently, in somewhat dazed terror, for the next rule. Byakuya simply stood there, looking down at him and scrutinizing him. Renji caught a flicker of worry-and maybe acceptance?-in those hard eyes as well.
“That is all, Vice-captain Abarai.” Byakuya then turned to head out of the darkening office. “Dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.”
Renji almost let out the breath he had been holding during the entire lecture, when he heard his captain pause at the door.
“One more thing, Renji.”
Renji looked over, in fearful anticipation of what other “advice” his captain might give him. “Sir?”
A corner of the captain's mouth lifted upwards. “She likes roses.”
Renji tried to settle himself at the bench comfortably, and failed. He fidgeted absently with the small bouquet of roses he was holding. For the last two years, ever since the end of the war against Aizen, this was the food stand that he and Rukia met at every Wednesday for lunch. They always sat at this table, because it gave both of them a great view of the lake.
On warm days, they would take their lunches and sit at the edge of the dock, with their robes hitched up to their knees and feet bare. The water was high, so even Rukia’s feet were submersed in the water as she swung them over the dock; the water came up to a little past mid-calf for Renji. Renji especially liked those days, because the surface of the lake always reflected ripples of sunlight across Rukia’s face, hair, and eyes, highlighting the nuances-some tough and some delicate-of those features.
He glanced at the clock at the back of the food stand, which read ten to seven. Ten more minutes, ten more minutes…
He had thought that he would be late, and he would have been if he hadn’t gone left his home when he had. He had arrived home exactly fifteen minutes after Captain Kuchiki had released him from work to find that several members of the eleventh division had decided to break into his humble lodgings. Ikkaku had slung a friendly arm over Renji’s shoulders and declared that they were going to make this a night for him and Rukia to remember, and that it was their job to make sure that their baby boy Renji looked absolutely drop-dead gorgeous.
The next hour had been complete hell. Renji was genuinely touched by his friends’ efforts, but the problem was that there were four people with conflicting ideas that were trying to help him out at the same time. If Yumichika suggested that he shaved, then Ikkaku announced that he should just go looking rugged and manly. If Kira told him to let his hair down, then Iba told him to braid it. The only thing they managed to agree on was that he should take a shower, and get dressed in his black robes with the red belt. However, all of them disagreed on what kind of shampoo he should use, so in the end he had used four different kinds, all with their own scents, just to shut them up and get out of the shower in a hurry. He wondered why Ikkaku even owned a bottle of shampoo, although he didn’t dare ask.
When the eleventh division captain suddenly burst through the door with Yachiru attached to his shoulder, Renji knew that he had to get out of there. He worst fears were confirmed as Yachiru had bounced over and cheerfully offered him curlers, and told him “Your hair will look just like Hatsumoto-neesan’s!” He dived out of the room through the window in sheer terror and ran for dear life. He knew Zaraki and Yachiru’s luck with directions, so he knew that as long as he outran them initially, there was a ninety-nine percent chance that by the time they found him, his date with Rukia would be long over.
Renji shook his head to clear his mind of his narrow escape, and went back to examining the small bouquet of roses again for any damaged leaves or blooms. He was amazed that he even had the peace of mind to stop by the flower shop after his mini-ordeal with the eleventh division.
“Hello, Renji.”
“Rukia!” He shot out of his seat, and turned to her with a smile on his face.
His jaw dropped.
The dark kimono, decorated with white irises, brought out the blue highlights of her hair and eyes perfectly. A tiny, mother-of-pearl hairpiece clipped the dark strands of her hair back, and exposed her temples. The slightest touches of make-up enhanced the delicate curves of her face.
“Sorry I took so long.” She was looking down at her clasped hands. “Hatsumoto was helping me go through kimonos and it took forever to find one that she and I both liked.”
Renji floundered for words. “You, ab, uh, look great.”
Rukia looked at him, with a teasing yet vulnerable smile. “You don’t sound too convinced, Renji.”
“Well, you really look great.” Shit, couldn’t he figure out something else to say? He was usually pretty good with words, but he would need to dedicate a few more brain cells to find words that exactly describe how breathtaking Rukia looked. “I really mean it.” Okay, make that a lot more brain cells, but his mind didn’t want to stop enjoying the scenery just yet.
She gave him a small, genuine smile filled with pleasure. “Thanks, Renji.” She paused, not really knowing what to say next. “Um, you look great too.”
While Byakuya had given Renji a four-hour tutorial of dating etiquette, Renji had no better idea originally of what they were supposed to do or say during the date. He hadn’t anticipated that it would be this awkward, although he’d figured both of them would be a little uncomfortable doing this for the first time because they’d never really addressed this aspect of their relationship-as long and complicated as it was-until now. While they were both thinking about the next thing they were going to say, Renji suddenly remembered the flowers lying on the bench beside him. He presented them to her. “These are for you.”
Her eyes lit up, ever so slightly. “Oh, thank you.” She sniffed the delicate blossoms. “They’re lovely-” her brows furrowed a little.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that-” she sniffed harder. “Renji, sit down for a second.”
“Eh?” What was going on? “Uh, mind telling me why?”
There was a determined shine in her dark eyes. “I want to confirm something.”
“Man, Rukia, you sure get weird ideas sometimes.” He obliged though.
…and nearly jumped out of his seat when Rukia drew close to his temple, her nose almost bumping into the side of his face. He could feel a puff of breath on his cheek. He vaguely recalled something that Kuchiki taichou had said about “no touching” but he really didn’t have the mental capability to follow his captain’s commands at the moment.
“Renji?”
Rukia’s voice woke him out of his trance. “Yeah?”
“Why do you smell like a fruit salad?”
Man, he was never letting the eleventh division help him get ready for a date again. “Well, Ikkaku and the guys decided that I needed a little bit of help getting ready for the, um, festival. So they lent me some of their shampoo.” Actually, more like poured it on him when he was in the shower, even as he was yelling at them to get the hell out of the bathroom.
“Ikkaku has shampoo?” Rukia quirked an eyebrow.
Renji snorted. “Yeah, don’t ask why.”
Rukia gave Renji’s hair another sniff before pulling away. “Well, I think it’s a pretty nice scent.”
“You do?”
A loud burst of sound and light interrupted Rukia’s reply. They both looked upwards at the sky where the brilliant display of fireworks had just started. Renji suddenly felt a warm hand being pressed into his own.
“Come on, we’ll get a better view close up!”
She gave him a swift yank, and started dragging him to the festival, the roses carefully held in her other hand.
“Oi, yo, hold up Rukia!”
Renji stumbled a little as he was jerked out of his seat, but Rukia held onto his hand tightly. Renji squeezed her fingers gently but firmly, and she glanced back with a smile, both impish and warm. They both made their way through the crowded streets filled with happy, loud noises, hand in hand all the while.
For:(ameru)
Request: Renji x Rukia, flowers
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Renji x Rukia
Genre(s): Romance, some humor, and a little bit of angst
Warning(s): Some language. Spoilers through SS arc; some Renji & Rukia backstory.
Rating: PG
Credits: All Kubo Tite's!
Yes, I’m going to ask her. I am going to ask her right now, just as soon as she finishes eating that gyoza. These thoughts would have charged him up so much more if only he hadn’t been thinking them for the last two months. They tended to lose their potency after a while.
Rukia looked up, and cocked her head at him slightly. “Renji, is there something you want to say?”
His resolve left him in a rush. “Er, what kind of dumplings are you eating?”
Rukia just looked at him like he was crazy. “Renji, are you sure you’re not getting Alzheimer’s?”
Renji blinked. “What’s that?”
“It’s a human disease that makes you forget things when you’re old.” Her face scrunched up a little as she tried to recall all the things that Kurosaki Isshin had told her about that illness. “I think that it’s caused by a worm that chews holes in your brain, so that all that all the information you have in there falls out.”
Renji put down his soba noodles in disgust, and protested, “I’m not old! And I don’t have Alzamers or whatever it’s called!”
“Renji, for the third time today, I’m eating pork gyoza.” She put down her chopsticks. “Now, what’s really on your mind?”
He looked down at his unfinished noodles, concentrating on the oily gleam on the white surface of a particularly fat strand. It looked like a bunch of tapeworms to him now. Man, he was never eating soba again.
“Well, what is it Renji?” He heard Rukia take a large gulp of her drink.
He somehow stopped himself from fidgeting with his robe. “Well, I…uh…was wondering if…this Friday night…you would…like…to go out with me?” He looked up at her hesitantly.
…only to be sprayed in the face with green tea. As soon as he had finished wiping the tea leaves out of his eyes, he quickly reached over and gave a choking Rukia a few quick slaps on the back. However, given the way she suddenly lurched forward as he did so, he suddenly realized that he might have overenthusiastic in his efforts to help. This hypothesis was confirmed when she socked him in the face.
“You idiot!” She was still coughing. “Don’t say stuff like that when I’m trying to drink something!”
He rubbed a hand over his swollen jaw. Rukia had a mean left hook. “When was I gonna say it?!?!”
“You could have asked me this morning when we weren’t eating.” She coughed a few more times, and shot him a glare. “Your timing really sucks, Renji.”
He felt his heart thud a bit more loudly in his chest. “Uh, what do you mean by that?”
“I mean that you shouldn’t try to ask me out--” she flushed a light pink and quickly directed her eyes elsewhere “--when I’m eating and that no, I can’t go this Friday night.”
His breath caught in his throat, and he felt his heart stop in his chest. It wasn’t outright rejection, but…
“How about next Tuesday? You know, when they’re having the festival.”
His heart hesitantly started beating again. “Tuesday’s great.”
It was Tuesday afternoon, only six hours until the festival began. Renji had no idea how slowly the time could pass, and at the same time, how quickly it could pass. He’d been nervous these past six days, and his nervousness had only increased when he’d bumped into Rukia accidentally during training the day before. Really, there was no reason at all for him to be this tense-he’d known Rukia for well over forty years now, had fought alongside her, sparred with her, gone on patrol with her, and had buried family and friends together. Going on a date with her really shouldn’t have been that big of a deal after what they had been through…
…but it was. Renji groaned and tried to concentrate on the unfinished report before him, only to find that he had misspelled his own name on it.
“Good afternoon, Vice-Captain Abarai.”
Renji sat up, startled; he could always sense Captain Kuchiki from a block away, but apparently today was the exception. Then again, it was also partly his captain’s fault for sliding open the bamboo door so soundlessly.
“Good afternoon, Captain Kuchiki.” Why did the hair on the back of his spine suddenly stand up like that?
“So, today is the day you are taking Rukia to the festival, is it not?”
He had a bad feeling about this. “Uh, yeah?”
“Perhaps you should allow me to give you some advice on dating etiquette.”
“Um, I don’t think that really necc-” One look at the expression on Kuchiki Byakuya’s face instantly confirmed that declining was not an option. His captain shut the door shut with a soft, but deliberate click.
What followed were four of the most terrifying hours of his life, only topped by the time that Rukia had almost died at Aizen’s hands while he was extracting the hogyoko. Renji sat still in his seat as his captain stood before him, hands behind his back, as he lectured Renji in the “do’s and don’ts” when dating Kuchiki Rukia. Renji swore that he was going to go into cardiac arrest soon.
“Neither of you are not allowed to have any alcohol.”
“Yes, sir.”
“No touching is allowed. You will keep your hands to yourself at all times.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And this follows from the no touching rule, however, I will also say it to re-emphasize the previous rule’s importance. All clothing -- yours and Rukia’s -- will stay put during the entirety of the date. If I find so much as one fold of her obi out of place, there will be heavy consequences to pay.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You will bring her home by eleven o’clock. Not eleven-oh-five, Not eleven-oh-three, not eleven-oh-one. At eleven sharp. And if you are not there by eleven o’clock, I will have the entire Gotei 13 after you faster than you can say ‘bankai.’ ”
“Yes, sir.”
Renji waited patiently, in somewhat dazed terror, for the next rule. Byakuya simply stood there, looking down at him and scrutinizing him. Renji caught a flicker of worry-and maybe acceptance?-in those hard eyes as well.
“That is all, Vice-captain Abarai.” Byakuya then turned to head out of the darkening office. “Dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.”
Renji almost let out the breath he had been holding during the entire lecture, when he heard his captain pause at the door.
“One more thing, Renji.”
Renji looked over, in fearful anticipation of what other “advice” his captain might give him. “Sir?”
A corner of the captain's mouth lifted upwards. “She likes roses.”
Renji tried to settle himself at the bench comfortably, and failed. He fidgeted absently with the small bouquet of roses he was holding. For the last two years, ever since the end of the war against Aizen, this was the food stand that he and Rukia met at every Wednesday for lunch. They always sat at this table, because it gave both of them a great view of the lake.
On warm days, they would take their lunches and sit at the edge of the dock, with their robes hitched up to their knees and feet bare. The water was high, so even Rukia’s feet were submersed in the water as she swung them over the dock; the water came up to a little past mid-calf for Renji. Renji especially liked those days, because the surface of the lake always reflected ripples of sunlight across Rukia’s face, hair, and eyes, highlighting the nuances-some tough and some delicate-of those features.
He glanced at the clock at the back of the food stand, which read ten to seven. Ten more minutes, ten more minutes…
He had thought that he would be late, and he would have been if he hadn’t gone left his home when he had. He had arrived home exactly fifteen minutes after Captain Kuchiki had released him from work to find that several members of the eleventh division had decided to break into his humble lodgings. Ikkaku had slung a friendly arm over Renji’s shoulders and declared that they were going to make this a night for him and Rukia to remember, and that it was their job to make sure that their baby boy Renji looked absolutely drop-dead gorgeous.
The next hour had been complete hell. Renji was genuinely touched by his friends’ efforts, but the problem was that there were four people with conflicting ideas that were trying to help him out at the same time. If Yumichika suggested that he shaved, then Ikkaku announced that he should just go looking rugged and manly. If Kira told him to let his hair down, then Iba told him to braid it. The only thing they managed to agree on was that he should take a shower, and get dressed in his black robes with the red belt. However, all of them disagreed on what kind of shampoo he should use, so in the end he had used four different kinds, all with their own scents, just to shut them up and get out of the shower in a hurry. He wondered why Ikkaku even owned a bottle of shampoo, although he didn’t dare ask.
When the eleventh division captain suddenly burst through the door with Yachiru attached to his shoulder, Renji knew that he had to get out of there. He worst fears were confirmed as Yachiru had bounced over and cheerfully offered him curlers, and told him “Your hair will look just like Hatsumoto-neesan’s!” He dived out of the room through the window in sheer terror and ran for dear life. He knew Zaraki and Yachiru’s luck with directions, so he knew that as long as he outran them initially, there was a ninety-nine percent chance that by the time they found him, his date with Rukia would be long over.
Renji shook his head to clear his mind of his narrow escape, and went back to examining the small bouquet of roses again for any damaged leaves or blooms. He was amazed that he even had the peace of mind to stop by the flower shop after his mini-ordeal with the eleventh division.
“Hello, Renji.”
“Rukia!” He shot out of his seat, and turned to her with a smile on his face.
His jaw dropped.
The dark kimono, decorated with white irises, brought out the blue highlights of her hair and eyes perfectly. A tiny, mother-of-pearl hairpiece clipped the dark strands of her hair back, and exposed her temples. The slightest touches of make-up enhanced the delicate curves of her face.
“Sorry I took so long.” She was looking down at her clasped hands. “Hatsumoto was helping me go through kimonos and it took forever to find one that she and I both liked.”
Renji floundered for words. “You, ab, uh, look great.”
Rukia looked at him, with a teasing yet vulnerable smile. “You don’t sound too convinced, Renji.”
“Well, you really look great.” Shit, couldn’t he figure out something else to say? He was usually pretty good with words, but he would need to dedicate a few more brain cells to find words that exactly describe how breathtaking Rukia looked. “I really mean it.” Okay, make that a lot more brain cells, but his mind didn’t want to stop enjoying the scenery just yet.
She gave him a small, genuine smile filled with pleasure. “Thanks, Renji.” She paused, not really knowing what to say next. “Um, you look great too.”
While Byakuya had given Renji a four-hour tutorial of dating etiquette, Renji had no better idea originally of what they were supposed to do or say during the date. He hadn’t anticipated that it would be this awkward, although he’d figured both of them would be a little uncomfortable doing this for the first time because they’d never really addressed this aspect of their relationship-as long and complicated as it was-until now. While they were both thinking about the next thing they were going to say, Renji suddenly remembered the flowers lying on the bench beside him. He presented them to her. “These are for you.”
Her eyes lit up, ever so slightly. “Oh, thank you.” She sniffed the delicate blossoms. “They’re lovely-” her brows furrowed a little.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that-” she sniffed harder. “Renji, sit down for a second.”
“Eh?” What was going on? “Uh, mind telling me why?”
There was a determined shine in her dark eyes. “I want to confirm something.”
“Man, Rukia, you sure get weird ideas sometimes.” He obliged though.
…and nearly jumped out of his seat when Rukia drew close to his temple, her nose almost bumping into the side of his face. He could feel a puff of breath on his cheek. He vaguely recalled something that Kuchiki taichou had said about “no touching” but he really didn’t have the mental capability to follow his captain’s commands at the moment.
“Renji?”
Rukia’s voice woke him out of his trance. “Yeah?”
“Why do you smell like a fruit salad?”
Man, he was never letting the eleventh division help him get ready for a date again. “Well, Ikkaku and the guys decided that I needed a little bit of help getting ready for the, um, festival. So they lent me some of their shampoo.” Actually, more like poured it on him when he was in the shower, even as he was yelling at them to get the hell out of the bathroom.
“Ikkaku has shampoo?” Rukia quirked an eyebrow.
Renji snorted. “Yeah, don’t ask why.”
Rukia gave Renji’s hair another sniff before pulling away. “Well, I think it’s a pretty nice scent.”
“You do?”
A loud burst of sound and light interrupted Rukia’s reply. They both looked upwards at the sky where the brilliant display of fireworks had just started. Renji suddenly felt a warm hand being pressed into his own.
“Come on, we’ll get a better view close up!”
She gave him a swift yank, and started dragging him to the festival, the roses carefully held in her other hand.
“Oi, yo, hold up Rukia!”
Renji stumbled a little as he was jerked out of his seat, but Rukia held onto his hand tightly. Renji squeezed her fingers gently but firmly, and she glanced back with a smile, both impish and warm. They both made their way through the crowded streets filled with happy, loud noises, hand in hand all the while.