TZC: Bath Time (28 Zanpakutou)
Zangetsu and Zabimaru sat in the middle of the bridge between their worlds and listened to their shinigami. It was, as always, far from a boring activity. Ichigo had been out of the Fourth Division for less than an hour, and he’d managed to exhaust himself, reopen some of his wounds and get blood everywhere. Three times.
Renji was attempting to help, and he’d at least managed to get Ichigo to stop re-injuring himself. Zangetsu claimed to be “miffed” at the whole situation. Zabimaru had yet to stop laughing.
Then Renji suggested he help Ichigo take a bath. Zabimaru’s reaction to that was less than amused.
Oh, here we fucking go.
Zangetsu, after reaching out to Ichigo and finding his condition acceptable for the moment, turned back to Zabimaru.
Perhaps he’s simply summoned the courage to finally make a move?
Zabimaru eyed Zangetsu like he’d just suggested that maybe they should try talking to the hollows and working out their issues instead of committing gloriously violent bloodshed.
You’ve met Renji, right?
Zangetsu favored his companion with the same look he gave Ichigo when his shinigami was being particularly…difficult. But before either of them could say anything further, they were interrupted by the all-too-familiar sound of their shinigami arguing.
Will you just-
You get yer damn hands off me an’ maybe-
-know good an’ well you can’t-
Can’t what, O high and mighty-
Why don’t you just-
Zabimaru snorted.
Y’know, at this rate, they may just manage to finish a damn sentence by fuckin’ Christmas.
Zangetsu smiled fondly and leaned slightly into Zabimaru as he responded.
Optimist.
Predictably, Ichigo and Renji broke the moment.
Dammit, Renji, what the hell are you-
I’m tryin’-
Watch the hands!
Oh, yeah, like you-
Finish that sentence and-
Promises, promises.
Oh, fuck you very much, Renji.
Zabimaru gave a surprised bark of laughter and craned his neck to look at Zangetsu.
Does he even realize what he sounds like?
I doubt it.
Suddenly, Ichigo’s voice came back, this time less angry and more breathless.
R-Ren-
Zangetsu’s eyebrows shot up. Zabimaru looked torn between confused and proud. Renji’s voice, when he responded, was softer and huskier than before.
Easy. Easy. Just-let me.
Fuck.
Ichigo moaned. Zangetsu and Zabimaru both simultaneously reached out to their respective shinigami’s senses, and held the connection through the remainder of the bath.
After five minutes of what sounded like a particularly foul-mouthed porno-during which nothing pornographic actually happened-they disconnected.
Zangetsu looked at Zabimaru.
Zabimaru looked at Zangetsu.
Both zanpakutou rolled their eyes.
This may require more drastic measures than we’d previously thought.
Ya think?