24 Chips - 10
Theme: 11:00
Title: Unexpected Comfort
Fandom: Bleach
Character/Pairing: Hirako Shinji and Sarugaki Hiyori
Category: Romantic
Rating: PG
Warnings: Just language, really bc of Hiyori. And as always, I'm making up their past before the TBTP arc because we don't know about their childhood/academy days/etc.
Disclaimer: Bleach =/= mine, or we'd see way more Vaizard love.
Summary: Part 10 of my 24-piece series of memorable "firsts" for these two.
The first time Shinji ever saw Hiyori’s strength fail her, he knew he was the only one who did. It was right after the announcement of Captain Hikifune’s promotion, and while most of the assembled group was busy congratulating her, Shinji was the only one who noticed the stiffness in Hiyori’s narrow shoulders, the way her teeth were set against her lower lip and her brown eyes were staring straight ahead as though she could somehow block out the knowledge.
He waited until well after the festivities - if they could be called that, he personally thought it was a bit stiff and formal - were concluded, around 11PM , and then set off on his way across the grounds in search of one reclusive blond girl.
She wasn’t that hard to find, all he had to do was look for the most isolated spot - outdoors, she always went outdoors when something bothered her - in the compound where she wouldn’t be heard. An old tree presented a perfect place and by the muffled sniffling sound filtering down through the branches, it was the right place.
Shinji stopped at the base of the tree, head tilted up and cocked to the side, hands resting on his hips. He could just barely make out the dark shape of Hiyori’s slight form perched high up on a branch, arms crossed and resting on another one, her chin settled on folded wrists. Grinning, he reached up to snag the one ankle that was hanging down and give it a good yank. Not enough to knock her down but it certainly got her attention.
Before she had enough time to launch a sandal or other object at his head, he’d hopped up onto the branch beside her, face turned up towards the stars. Normally he would have taken the chance to tease her, but the look on her face stopped him. She looked… defeated, almost. Like a frightened little kid who’d just had the world yanked out from underneath her. And in a way, he couldn’t deny that was essentially what had happened. Hikifune had been like a mother-figure to her, and it was in her company that he’d really seen Hiyori shine. It was only natural that she’d be feeling lost without her.
He sat perfectly still, not saying a word for a moment, glancing sidelong at her faintly tear-stained face before sucking in a breath and looping an arm around her shoulders loosely. He was probably setting himself up for the beating of his lifetime, but oh well. He felt her shudder slightly, but the punch never came, Instead, she dropped her head onto her arms for a moment, shoulders trembling faintly with silent sobs. There wasn’t really much that he could do right now, so he just sat there. Hopefully… that would be enough. And it seemed to be, when about 5 minutes later she raised her head and scrubbed the back of one hand across her eyes for a moment before fixing him with a scathing look and knocking him out of the tree.
Title: Unexpected Comfort
Fandom: Bleach
Character/Pairing: Hirako Shinji and Sarugaki Hiyori
Category: Romantic
Rating: PG
Warnings: Just language, really bc of Hiyori. And as always, I'm making up their past before the TBTP arc because we don't know about their childhood/academy days/etc.
Disclaimer: Bleach =/= mine, or we'd see way more Vaizard love.
Summary: Part 10 of my 24-piece series of memorable "firsts" for these two.
The first time Shinji ever saw Hiyori’s strength fail her, he knew he was the only one who did. It was right after the announcement of Captain Hikifune’s promotion, and while most of the assembled group was busy congratulating her, Shinji was the only one who noticed the stiffness in Hiyori’s narrow shoulders, the way her teeth were set against her lower lip and her brown eyes were staring straight ahead as though she could somehow block out the knowledge.
He waited until well after the festivities - if they could be called that, he personally thought it was a bit stiff and formal - were concluded, around 11PM , and then set off on his way across the grounds in search of one reclusive blond girl.
She wasn’t that hard to find, all he had to do was look for the most isolated spot - outdoors, she always went outdoors when something bothered her - in the compound where she wouldn’t be heard. An old tree presented a perfect place and by the muffled sniffling sound filtering down through the branches, it was the right place.
Shinji stopped at the base of the tree, head tilted up and cocked to the side, hands resting on his hips. He could just barely make out the dark shape of Hiyori’s slight form perched high up on a branch, arms crossed and resting on another one, her chin settled on folded wrists. Grinning, he reached up to snag the one ankle that was hanging down and give it a good yank. Not enough to knock her down but it certainly got her attention.
Before she had enough time to launch a sandal or other object at his head, he’d hopped up onto the branch beside her, face turned up towards the stars. Normally he would have taken the chance to tease her, but the look on her face stopped him. She looked… defeated, almost. Like a frightened little kid who’d just had the world yanked out from underneath her. And in a way, he couldn’t deny that was essentially what had happened. Hikifune had been like a mother-figure to her, and it was in her company that he’d really seen Hiyori shine. It was only natural that she’d be feeling lost without her.
He sat perfectly still, not saying a word for a moment, glancing sidelong at her faintly tear-stained face before sucking in a breath and looping an arm around her shoulders loosely. He was probably setting himself up for the beating of his lifetime, but oh well. He felt her shudder slightly, but the punch never came, Instead, she dropped her head onto her arms for a moment, shoulders trembling faintly with silent sobs. There wasn’t really much that he could do right now, so he just sat there. Hopefully… that would be enough. And it seemed to be, when about 5 minutes later she raised her head and scrubbed the back of one hand across her eyes for a moment before fixing him with a scathing look and knocking him out of the tree.