Chapter Summary: Itâs the little moments, the in-between times, even when theyâre short, Iâm glad I spent them with you. Renji and Rukia find little ways to support each other during these hectic times. (Post WDKALY, Loosely inspired by Fargo, Authorâs Note after the story)
Part of the "We Can't All Be Winners" anthology series of oneshots.
How much jail time would you get for killing a Hell Butterfly, I wonder? Rukia grumbled to herself. She had been sleeping in late on one of her and Renji's few days off together, when a black butterfly woke her up by alighting on her hand.
âEverything alright?â mumbled Renjiâs sleepy voice next to her, his arm draped lazily across her midsection, and his face pressed into her hair. Rukia sighed, before slowly sitting up, gently releasing herself from his embrace.
âNoâŚI gotta go into the Thirteenth Division...some problem or whatever. Sorry, Renji.â
âEh. Can't be helped. But you gotta eat breakfast, Ru. Iâll make ya some eggs,â Renji simply yawned back as he slowly sat up too. Rukia whipped her head around towards him.
âWhat? Renji, you donât have to-â
âYou gotta eat some eggs, youâre no good without your protein," he stated matter-of-factly as he swung his legs off of their new tatami bed. He slowly stood up, stretched, and yawned again. âPlus, you tend to get pretty crabby without it," he finished as he cracked his back.
âPsh. Thanks a lot,â Rukia smirked, as she swung her legs off the bed as well and slowly stood up too. She stretched as Renji walked around towards her.
âYouâre welcome," he smirked back. He bent down and gave her a quick kiss, "Go ahead and get ready. Itâll be done by the time youâre finished.â
"Thanks, babe," she replied, and headed towards the bathroom.
When she finished dressing, she came out to the kitchen to find the table already set, a plate of eggs for each chair and a giant stack of pancakes in the middle. Rukia blinked in surprise.
âPancakesâŚ?â she asked as she sat down.
âOh yeah, I learned how to make them from Orihime. Ichigo told me you liked them, so I figured Iâd give them a try,â Renji replied as he brought over the syrup and hot sauce, âGo on, try 'em!â
Rukia cut up her pancake, before dousing it in syrup. She picked up a piece with her chopstick and took a tentative bite.
âThisâŚis delicious, Renji!â she began shoveling pancakes into her mouth. Renji laughed and began pouring them both some tea.
âGlad you like it.â
âAnd you made all this and the eggs too in such a short time?â Rukia asked when she took a break from inhaling pancakes to sip some tea, âThatâs amazing!â
"Heh. Got to if I'm going to keep up with your appetite!" Renji replied as he finally sat down.
"Hmph! It's not my fault you make such tasty food," Rukia sniffed as she covered her eggs in hot sauce, and began shoveling them in her mouth as well. Renji chuckled as he sipped his tea.
It was a peaceful morning.
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When Rukia finally made it back to the house, it was late in the evening, the sun having set long ago. Renji came to meet her at the door.
âHow did it go?â he asked.
âFine. We got the problem solved, anyway,â Rukia said, as she slipped off her sandals. She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him, âAre you hungry? Sentaro felt bad about calling me in on my day off, so he made me some massaman curry and rice. I told him not to worry about it, but he insisted. Also, I picked up some sweet mochi on the way home for dessert.â Renji smiled at her toothily.
âSounds great! Iâm starved!â
âSorry Iâm back so late,â Rukia said, as she followed him into the kitchen, âYou could have eaten without me, you know?â
âYeah, I know, but I like eating dinner with you,â He replied as he got out the bowls.
As they sat quietly eating dinner, Rukia looked up at Renji and asked, âSo how was your day? Anything exciting happen?â
âHm? Yeah, actually!â he put his spoon down, and began to gesture enthusiastically with his hands,âYou know that sunglasses design contest that Silver Dragonfly Eyewear was having? The design I entered won one of the brackets!â Rukia stopped mid bite, and looked up at him wide eyed.
âR-Really?!â
âYeah! ItâŚ" but Renji's voice began to falter. He picked up his spoon again and slowly stirred his curry into his rice, "Well to be honest, I only got picked for the lowest bracket. Itâs really just an honorary mention of designs that they liked, and that will be shown off in their magazine at the end of the month. So basically, I didn't even win a cash prize, so itâs not really that big of a deal, butâŚâ he was then immediately interrupted by Rukia standing up, reaching across the table, and slapping both of her hands on his shoulders, gripping them tightly.
âRenji, thatâs amazing! You won an art contest! I knew you could do it! When that magazine comes out, Iâm gonna frame it on the wall!â She said excitedly, eyes gleaming. Renji looked up into her shining eyes, and felt his heart lurch in his throat.
âThanks, RuâŚâ
âIdiot, what are you thanking me for? Youâre the one who won the contest,â Rukia said, sitting back down, âCome on, hurry up and finish eating. Now that we have a tv, I want to watch cheesy rom-coms with you while we cuddle on the couch and eat mochi.â She picked up her spoon and began shoveling curry into her mouth again. Renji smiled at her fondly.
âPfft. Okay, you got it.â
It was a peaceful evening.
>>>>>>>>>> Authorâs Note <;<<;<<<<<<<
A/N: Letâs finish off the year with some RenRuki domestic Fluff! This is loosely inspired by the main couple in Fargo, and just how well they both support each other, but more specifically the scenes near the beginning and the end with the eggs and the stamp collection. Now admittedly Iâve never actually seen Fargo, instead I heard about it from a Drawfee stream. But the host described the scene so warmly and so beautifully, I just had to make a RenRuki version of it! (I did eventually watch those scenes on youtube as well.)
Anyway, thatâs it! Thank you all for reading, but really, thank you all so much for such a wonderful first year! The support has been amazing and I truly donât deserve you all! While this is the end of this year's anthology series, if you would like even more RenRuki, then worry not! Starting in December I will be posting my first ever multi-chapter fic! Anyway, thats it for now. See you all next year!
Chapter Summary: When you Konsou a Soul Reaper, they get sent back to wherever they consider their âhomeâ to be in Soul Society. But where truly is oneâs home?
Authorâs Note: So originally I wanted to do a comic for Renjiâs birthday, but things got busy and so it didnât pan out. Luckily, I dug through my WIP and found this silly, little drabble that I think you all will still like! So âHappy Belated Birthdayâ Renji Abarai and please enjoy!
Non-canon but sort of canon adjacent? Itâs inspired by this post, which discusses what might happen when you konsou/soul burial a soul reaper.
Back when the Advance Team traveled to the World of the Living, or more accurately, Ichigoâs bedroom, they had a tendency towardsâŚminor disagreements. One such minor disagreement led to a minor scuffle which was only resolved when Matsumoto slapped the hilt of her sword upon Ikkakuâs shiny bald head and, pop, he was gone. It was all very funny in Rukiaâs expert opinion.
That said, it confused Ichigo an awful lot, so she had to explain to him that a shinigami could one, be Konsouâed or soul buried, and two, when they were, they were sent back to wherever they considered their âhomeâ to be. Due to all that occurred after that, between the Arrancar attack, the Winter War, and eventually the Fullbringer incident, she assumed Ichigo had forgotten all about it. He had not.
Something she learned the hard way, when she decided to push him just a little too far with her teasing and the next thing she knew, pop, she was back in Soul Society.
At first she was simply pissed. However that annoyance turned immediately to embarrassment when she realized where she was. She was in the Kuchiki manor, which made sense. What made less sense was what she was doing on Renjiâs lap.
Turns out Renji had come to the manor to give Byakuya, who was home sick with the flu, an update on this week's reports, and she had just interrupted their meetingâŚby appearing on Renjiâs lap. After bowing several embarrassed apologies, she left.
What was slightly more strange, was the next place she appeared. She had been arguing with Ichigo about her way too large World of the Living manga stash (she always bought more âextremely embarrassingâ manga whenever she visited or was on mission, and then proceeded to accidentally leave them in his room to be found by his family later) when, pop, there she was back in Soul Society, funnily enough, with all her manga. Rukia steamed!
âOh, there you are! I was coming to see if you had gotten back yet, but they told me you werenât due to return till tonight,â A familiar voice above her said. Rukia looked up and saw Renji leaning over her. She was on his lap again.
âAh! Renji?! Where?!â She looked around frantically and saw that she had arrived in the Thirteenth Division, âHUH?!â
âYeah, looks like you got konsouâed again," Renji responded casually as she scrambled off his lap, "Was it Ichigo? What did you do to him this time? Force him to read all your manga?â
âNo, no, he was mad because he thought my stash was getting too big and that he was running out of closet space. Also, his family kept finding it and were starting to ask him embarrassing questions, so he forced me to go back with it," she looked around again after she had stood up, "Why am I at the Thirteenth though?â
Renji shrugged while picking up one of the manga, âWho knows? While I usually get sent to my living quarters, I do end up at my division from time to time. I guess in a way, our divisions are our homes.â
âYeah, I guessâŚâ Rukia replied slowly as she turned towards him, âRenji, haveâŚhave you been Konsouâed recently?â
âHmm?â Renji asked, as he flipped through the volume, âUh no, I donât think so. Not since my time at the Eleventh. Why?â
âJustâŚJust wonderingâŚâ she said as she eyed him thoughtfully.
Finally, after the Thousand Year Blood War, it happened one more time. She and Renji were having a philosophical debate on the character Ichigo played in their movie series Maid Cop, when the next thing they knew, pop pop, they were both back in Soul Society, lying in each otherâs arms.
âI guess I canât deny it now,â Rukia murmured softly as she reached up to touch Renjiâs cheek, âWith you, I am home.â
âYeah,â Renji agreed fondly as he returned her soft gaze and softer touch, âYeah, I think itâs safe to say that checks out.â
âIf you two wouldnât mind,â Byakuya stated sternly, âCould you PLEASE GET OFF MY DESK?!â
Renji awoke with a start, sweat dripping down his brow. He whipped his head around wildly, as he mopped off his forehead with his sleeve. He was alone, utterly alone. Quickly he reached out with his spiritual pressure to feel hers, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. Finally, he found her, a tiny cold gust on a frigid winter night. It felt so impossibly far away, but⌠it was enough. Renji left the Eleventh Division barrack's dorm and climbed on top of the roof to feel it better.
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"Rukia! Wait!"
Renji awoke with a start and sat up quickly, only to glare at the ceiling and flop back down again. How many times had he had this nightmare? And why were they getting worse? He would have assumed getting Rukia back in his life would have decreased his nightmares not the other way around!
Renji sighed, and immediately started his routine of feeling for Rukia's spiritual pressure to reassure himself she was okay. It was there. She was fine. Of course she was! She felt like a fresh cool breeze on a spring morning. And she was coming towards himâŚ
Renji sat up again, his heart beating rapidly. She couldnât possibly be coming here, could she? She was just coming in this direction, surely! But the more Renji felt, the more sure he was. Eventually, he heard something hit his window. And then again. Finally, he got up and opened it.
"Rukia, what-" And thatâs when he got smacked in the head with a rock. Renji thought he heard an audible gasp from outside his window, before everything went black.
"What the heck, Rukia?!" He exclaimed while rubbing his forehead almost half an hour later, "Why'd you throw a rock at my head!"
"I threw it at the window, dummy! I-It's not my fault your head got in the way!" Rukia stammered in excuse, as she gathered ice into a cloth. After the incident, Rukia had climbed in through his window and, with much effort, managed to drag his limp form onto the couch. She walked over and handed the ice to Renji, who was still laying there, nursing his now throbbing headache. Rukia sat down on the far side of the couch, leaving space between them.
"So why are you here, anyway?" Renji grumbled, but Rukia didn't answer him. Instead, she seemed to simply stare off into space. Renji watched her for a while, and Rukia continued to refuse to look at him. In fact, she looked rather embarrassed. Renji sighed.
"Hey," he began, "We've got a full moon out tonight. Want to go look at it?" Rukia nodded.
They climbed up on top of the roof of the Sixth Division barracks and watched the moon. Renji hadnât even realized he had fallen asleep until he woke up the next day and she was gone.
___________________
"Rukia! Wait! Iâm coming with you!"
Renji awoke with a jolt. He immediately went up to the roof. Rukia was there in minutes. He felt her coming, a strong, refreshing wind that cooled and invigorated him in the heat of a summer afternoon. Renji opened his arms, and she fell into them immediately.
"Did you⌠Did you have a nightmare too?" he asked as he pulled her close.
"YeahâŚ" She whispered. He pushed his face into her neck.
"Was itâŚof that day? The day we were separated?" he murmured. Rukiaâs grip on him tightened.
"YeahâŚ"
"YeahâŚâ Renji agreed. He began to run his fingers through her hair, âI'm glad you came, Rukia." Rukia breathed in his scent.
"Me tooâŚâ she murmured into his shoulder, âI⌠I wanted to see youâŚ"
Renji tightened his grip around her, "I wanted to see you too."
Cuddled close, Renji felt the light of the moon and stars grow dim and hazy as he gave into sleep. The next day, he awoke with a sudden start and whipped his head around, just to find her still laying close to him, regarding him softly.
"Were you looking for someone?" She teased, "Unfortunately, it's just me here." Renji chuckled, and gently pushed her hair away from her eyes.
"Yeah," he agreed, "YeahâŚI'd take that any day."
>>>>>>>>>> Author's note <<<<<<<<<<
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about spiritual pressures and how they might feel to other people. A lot of people agree that Rukiaâs spiritual pressure feels cold, while Renjiâs feels warm. They also often agree that they are comforted by the feeling of each otherâs spiritual pressure. But while it may be obvious why a warm spiritual pressure feels comforting, I was struggling to figure out how cold one might be. Then I thought, "Well a cool breeze on a hot summer's day is comforting, so maybe it's like that?" So yeah, that was my idea for how Rukiaâs spiritual pressure might feel. I also used this idea to compare and contrast how her spiritual pressure might feel to him when they are emotionally very distant versus when they are very close. So I hope that came through. Anyway, thanks for reading! See you all next week with a comic!
Characters: Rukia and Ichigo (RenRuki/Ichihime), with a guest appearance of the rest of the Karakura Gang
Rating: G
Genre: Slice of Life, Friendship, Humor
Chapter Summary: Having chosen to go to an out of town college, Ichigo has found dorm life to be less than ideal. Rukia, a friend he met in college, feels the same way about her living situation, and so do several of their friends. But donât worry, Rukia has a plan! (Authorâs Note after the story)
Part of the "We Can't All Be Winners" anthology series of oneshots.
âThat complete and utter- ARGH!!!!â Rukia yelled, forcibly shutting off her phone and stuffing it deep into her bag. She stormed up to the college breakroom table, and dropped her bag heavily onto it, before slumping down into a chair.
âOi! Donât rock the table, I'm trying to write in pen here!â Ichigo complained as he scowled at the fresh, unintended pen marks on his page. He sighed and reached over to his bag to grab his whiteout. âWho was it this time? Byakuya or the old man?â he asked.
âThe old manâŚâ Rukia grumbled, as she rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands, âGinrei was bad enough when Byakuya was actually at the mansion. But now that he and Renji are gone on active duty for two years, he is utterly unbearableâŚâ
âHow are you dealing with that, by the way?â
âWith Ginrei? Hmph,â Rukia crossed her arms, âBy avoiding him whenever possible, of course!â
âNoâŚI mean with Renji being gone,â Ichigo asked as he continued to rummage through his bag, âYou two got engaged right before you found out about the deployment, right?â
âAhâŚthatâŚâ Rukia looked down and was quiet for a moment. She glanced at the simple, but beautiful ring hanging on the chain around her neck, before closing her eyes, and stuffing it back inside her shirt, âIt sucks that heâs gone, but it sucks more that I couldnât go with him. But ever since I got injured on my last rescue mission, Iâve been useless. Thatâs why Brother- thatâs why Byakuya submitted for my discharge after allâŚâ Ichigo glanced up at her, before returning to his rummaging.
âHey, donât get me wrong, from what youâve told me before, this Byakuya-guy sounds like a real pain, and Iâd never defend him. But as a brother, I donât think thatâs why he did that.â
Rukia continued to look down, âYou donât know him like I doâŚâ she muttered. She uncrossed her arms and sat back up, waving a hand dismissively, âWhatever, it doesnât matter. This is Renjiâs last deployment, Iâve got college to keep me busy, and when he gets back, we'll elope, and then I can finally leave that stupid mansion and its worse occupants behind for good.â Rukia withdrew a notebook from her backpack, âAlthough, with how things have been going with Ginrei, I might just move into the dorms at this point.â
âAs someone who is currently living in the dorms, trust me they can be just as bad,â Ichigo grumbled, as he finally found his whiteout and began carefully spreading it across the aimless marks on his paper. Rukia looked up at him.
âWhat? Is your roommate still causing you trouble? Do you want me to come over and beat him up for you?â At that, Ichigo finally fully looked up from his assignment, in complete exasperation.
âWhat?! No! Why is that always your first solution!â
âHah! Says the guy always getting into fights!â Rukia countered with a laugh, as she took out her markers, âOrihime told me how you âvaliantly defended her donutsâ from the âconfounding confectionery thiefâ on her way home from the bakery the other day. You get into fights over donuts, Ichigo. Donuts. Still mad you didnât call me about that, by the way, I wanted to give the guy who messed with her a good licking tooâŚâ Ichigo threw his hands up in the air at that.
âI donât try to get into fights! Plus that was different! First of all, he was a thief, not just a general jerk like my roommate. Secondly, that guy started it by grabbing her arm. And thirdly, it was off school grounds so no one was going to get expelled by it!â Ichigo said, ticking his excuses off on his fingers. He waved his hand dismissively and went back to writing his paper, âPlus the guy went down fast, you wouldnât have had any fun with him.â
âHmmm,â Rukia hummed in agreement, âStill it sucks that she lives in such a dangerous neighborhood. If she could live in the apartments closer to the school, she wouldnât have to worry about it so much.â
âYeahâŚâ Ichigo agreed quietly, as he stopped writing again. They sat there silently for a while as they fretted over their friend. Suddenly, Rukia perked up, and slammed her fists on the table.
âIchigo!â
âGah! Rukia, what did I just say about rocking the table!â
âHey, I waited till you stopped writing, didnât I? Anyways, listen to this!â she looked at him, eyes gleaming withâŚideas, âYou and Orihime should get an apartment together closer to the school!â she exclaimed excitedly. Ichigo looked up at her with huge eyes.
âW-WHAT?!? Rukia, weâre not⌠But I havenât yet⌠Even if I hadâŚâ He stammered, but Rukia just waved her hand dismissively at him.
âDonât worry, Iâll be there too, as a chaperone,â She stated matter-of-factly. Ichigoâs face immediately deadpanned.
âGee, thanks a lot,â he scowled. He scratched his head, âAnyway, thatâs not the only problem, yâknow? Even between the three of us, there is no way we could afford the apartments that are near the school. They are way too expensive!â
âHmmmâŚtrue,â Rukia agreed, as she tapped her chin in thought. But she quickly perked up again, much to Ichigoâs chagrin, âWhat about Chad? You two were tight back in high school, right?â
âSince middle school, actually, and I can ask him, but Iâm still not sure. I think we need one more to be in the clear.â
âEasy,â Rukia shrugged, âIshida.â
âWhat?â
âIshida. He hates his dad, constantly complains about the guy. Heâd be glad to move out.â
Ichigo stared at her. âFirst of all, just âcause someone doesnât like their parent doesnât mean they want to move out,â Ichigo said. Rukia shrugged nonchalantly at this, âSecondly, Ishida might be a bigger introvert than you.â
âUntrue, Ichigo! How could you utter such a falsehood? No one is a bigger introvert than me!â
âThatâs exactly my point!â Ichigo exclaimed as he waved his hands for emphasis, âOut of the people you have gathered, including myself, youâve got three huge introverts, a guy who barely talks, and a girl who constantly overworks, and never asks anyone for help. Ever. Also, weâll probably each have to share a room. How in the world do you expect us all to live together?!â
__________________________________
Three weeks later, Ichigo stood outside the nice apartment building, his bag swung around his shoulder and a suitcase in his hand.
âYouâre in the way, Kurosaki,â Ishida said as he bumped his way past him with his bags.
âCome on, Rukia, letâs go pick out our room! Oops, sorry, Ichigo!â Orihime apologized as she accidentally grazed him with the large item she was attempting to carry in by herself.
âOrihimeâŚlet meâŚhelpâŚâ Chad muttered too quietly for anyone but Ichigo to hear. He ended up having to jog to catch up with her. Finally, Rukia strode up beside Ichigo, bags on each shoulder, hands on her hips, looking smug.
âThis is going to be great!â She grinned. Ichigo just sighed.
>>>>>>>>>> Authorâs Note <<<<<<<<<<
A/N: So I've started reading through the Bleach light novels and I really like their chill, slice-of-life feel. This piece was inspired by the first one, Letters From the Other Side, where they really tap into Ichigo's and Rukia's roommate/schoolmate relationship. I would love to turn this into a whole series one day, but that would be a pretty massive undertaking, so this is it for now. Thanks for reading!
Characters: Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo (implied RenRuki), with a guest appearance of the Advance Team peanut gallery
Rating: G
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship
Chapter Summary: While shopping with Ichigo in the World of the Living, Rukia finds a tiger print robe that reminds her of someone from her past. (Starts out in the Soul Society Arc, but then jumps around a couple of times, Authorâs Note after the story)
Part of the "We Can't All Be Winners" anthology series of oneshots.
âOkay, we're here,â Kurosaki Ichigo began as they entered the clothing store, âThe womenâs section is in the back. If you need clothes, I donât mind buying you a set or two, so can you just please stop stealing Yuzuâs?!? Sheâs starting to get suspiciousâŚâ But Rukia wasn't listening to him. Instead, she was looking around the store, completely enthralled.
âWoah! This is incredible!â Rukia replied with wonder, as her wide eyes flitted from one brightly colored clothing display to the next, âAnd you can afford such garments on your allowance alone?â Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her in response.
âYeahâŚ? Itâs just a cheap department store, Rukia.â
âIncredibleâŚâ she muttered to herself again as she continued to look around the huge, lively store with a mixture of awe and nervousness. Several people passed them by, chatting as they filed in or out of the entrance, and loud music played on the speakers overhead.
This is nothing like the open markets that sold only rags in Inuzuri, she thought, And once I got adopted by the Kuchiki Clan, the tailors came to me. I donât think Iâve been to anything even resembling a regular clothing store since the Academy. There is too much choice! What should IâŚ?
Rukia could feel Ichigoâs concerned eyes on the back of her neck. Quickly, she stood up straighter, and turned towards him.
âYou said, I could get whatever I wanted, right?!â she asked with a devilish grin. Ichigo sighed heavily as if he was immediately regretting both this decision and his entire existence. He scratched the back of his head.
âWithin reason! Iâm not rich, you know," he scowled, "You can get one everyday outfit and one sleepwear, thatâs it!â With that, he set off across the store.
âAh! You're so stingy, Ichigo!â Rukia teased as she followed after him.
âKeep talking smack, and Iâll make you shop in the childrenâs section!â
âI might anyway,â Rukia mused, as they passed by a pair of childâs pajamas with bunnies on them, âchildrenâs clothes have nicer prints.â
âWhatever,â Ichigo replied, âWear what you want when you sleep, but when you are out and about, try to wear typical 'teen clothes'. Otherwise people might get the wrong idea when we are walking together.â
âYeah, yeah,â Rukia dismissed with a wave of her hand. As they continued walking along on their way to the back of the store, passing from the children's section into the men's, Rukiaâs eyes were caught by a brightly colored robe. Turning towards it, she felt taken aback when she beheld the largest, tackiest tiger print bathrobe she had ever seen. Suddenly, she felt like she was thrown back over forty yearsâŚ
_______________________________
âOi, Rukia! Look at that!â Renji shouted to her while staring at a stall in Southern Rukongai. Rukia stopped mid run and turned around. They had finally made it all the way to the fifth district, but still had a ways to go.
âWhat is it, Renji? We've gotta get going if we are going to make it to the Shin'Ĺ Academy by the day of the entrance ceremony!â
âI know, I know! Just come look at this real quick!â Renji replied enthusiastically while waving her over. Rukia sighed, but ultimately relented, and walked over to him.
âWhat? That tacky tiger print yukata?â She asked while crossing her arms. Renji immediately spun on her.
âItâs not tacky! Tigerâs are cool!â he defended. He turned back towards the robe, a twinkle in his eyes, âThey are strong and powerful! And when we become strong and powerful shinigami and get paid good money to beat up a bunch of hollows, Iâm going to buy a ton of âtacky tiger yukataâ, so you better watch out!â Renji turned and tried to give her a smug smirk, but his smile was too big, too goofy, tooâŚgenuine. Rukia quickly turned away, a mixture of emotions tumbling within her.
âPsh, yeah, whatever, dork⌠Come on, let's get going. If we're late, and get thrown out, you'll have a real tiger to deal with!â She said as she began to march down the road again. Renji took one last look back at the robe before jogging to catch up with her.
"Yeah, alright, alright. I'm coming, Miss Tiger."
________________________________
âOi! Rukia!â
Rukia hadnât even realized she had stopped until she heard Ichigo shouting her name. She immediately spun on him.
âWhat?!â she snapped back.
âYou stopped in the middle of the aisle! Whatâs so dang interesting that you hadnât heard me call you three times?!â Ichigo asked. He looked up at the tiger robe and then back down at her questioningly, âNot exactly your size, is it?â
âWhatever! Itâs tacky anyway!â Rukia snapped, and marched off towards the womenâs section. Ichigo scratched the back of his head, shrugged, and followed after her.
__________________________________
 âNow listen up, all of you, this is a World of the Living store!â Vice Captain and Advance Team Leader Abarai Renji proclaimed professionally as they entered the building. He turned around towards the group of shinigami in gigai following him and continued, âYou may each pick out a few outfits to use while here. You know your budget, so please stick with it!â he finished, giving Matsumoto Rangiku a pointed look.
âWhy are you looking at me? You should look at Yumichika! Heâs way worse!â she whined dramatically. Renji sighed. Matusumoto was reliable in battle, but when it came to budgets? Less so.
âYumichika has Ikkaku to keep him on budget,â Renji countered.
âYeah, and he listens to him on these matters about as much as I listen to my captain,â Matusmoto muttered.
âHey!â Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro yelled.
âNormally, I would argue with her, but sheâs right on that point,â Ayasegawa Yumichika said with a flick of his hair, âAlthough, I do tend to spend more money on make-up than I do on clothing.â
âItâs true,â Madarame Ikkaku agreed, âHeâs found us some really nice eyeliner over the years, hasnât he, Renji?â
Renji was rubbing his temples by this point. He greatly respected his mentors from the Eleventh, but sometimes he wished he didnât always have to be the adult in these situations, âThere is no make-up budget, only a clothing budget.â
âHow am I supposed to dress like the women of the World of the Living without make-up?!â Matsumoto complained.
âFine! Whatever! Get what you want! Just stay on budget! Now go!â And with that, the groups split off, Yumichika and Ikkaku in one direction and Matsumoto and Hitsugaya in another. Hitsugaya stopped, and turned back towards Renji.
âDonât worry, Lieutenant Abarai, Iâll keep her on budget.â
âThank you, Captain Hitsugaya,â Renji replied, a little relieved. Hitusgaya nodded, and went after his lieutenant. Renji sighed and began rubbing his temples again.
âNot easy being a parent, is it?â Rukia teased as she walked up to him.
âNo, not at all,â He grumbled in response. Rukia laughed lightly.
âCome on, Iâll show you where the menâs section is. Itâs right before the womenâs section so itâs on the way anyway,â She replied, strutting off. Renji followed after her.
âHere we are!â Rukia announced once they had arrived, âThe everyday wear is here, the socks and underwear are over there, and the sleepwear is-â But she froze the minute her eyes fell upon a familiar looking brightly colored sleeping robe. Renji looked up to see what she was staring at.
âOh, wow! A tiger robe!â he exclaimed excitedly. Rukia felt a familiar mixture of emotions as she watched him immediately walk right up to it, âThis is so cool! How much does it cost, I wonder? AhâŚâ
âWhat?â Rukia asked tentatively, âIsâŚIs it expensive?â
âYeah⌠Itâs pretty pricey. Makes sense, this material is so amazingly soft! Oh well⌠I guess it is a little tacky, huh?â He joked half heartedly, as he put back the robe. Rukia stared at him for about half a beat before responding.
âYeah, it isâŚbut youâre tacky enough to pull it off,â she finished with a smirk. Renji wheeled around and scowled at her.
âHey!â
âWhat?â Rukia asked innocently, as she grabbed the largest size robe off the rack, âI said you could pull it off, didnât I? Anyway, what size are you? Like a gazillion extra large?â
âThatâs not even a real number, Rukia, let alone a real size. And no, donât buy that!â
âWhy not? You said we could get whatever we wanted as long as we stayed within our budget, so this qualifies,â Rukia reasoned. Renji threw up his hands in protest.
âIf you buy that, you will only have money for one like, one dress!â he exclaimed, âYou wonât even have enough for sleepwear!â
âSo?â Rukia asked, as she removed the robe from the hanger and began carefully folding it, âI already have some leftover World of the Living clothes I left at Ichigoâs house. I donât need more than one new dress. Plus, like you said, I can choose to spend my money however I like! And Iâve chosen to buy this very large, very tacky tiger robe. But oh no!â She exclaimed, smacking her forehead dramatically, âWhat to do? I bought a size too large! I suppose I'll just have to give it away!â She handed Renji the neatly folded up robe.
Renji stared at her wide eyed for a moment, before relaxing and finally taking the offered robe, âPft. Fine. Whatever. Spend your money however you likeâŚâ he finished, smiling a little as he rubbed the back of his neck.
âThank you, Oh Great Advance Team Leader,â Rukia proclaimed, as she bowed dramatically. She found herself smiling as well, âI certainly will!â
__________________________________
Epilogue
âOh yeah, I almost forgot!â Ichigo said as he stood before the Senkaimon doors, about to return to the World of the Living once more, âRukia, could you give this to Renji? Hat-and-Clogs told me to give him this. Apparently he left it at his shop when the captains came and took you guys back to Soul Society during the war. Not this last war, the one before that. You all sure have a lot of those, huh? You should work on that. Anyway, here you go,â He pulled out a rather large, brightly colored, crumpled ball of cloth.
âHm? O-Oh! Renjiâs tiger robe! I thought we would never get it back!â Rukia exclaimed, taking it from him, âHmph! That candy selling jerk probably used it to do gods know what. I better wash it before I give it back to him tonight. Anyway, thanks, Ichigo!â Ichigo watched Rukia as she carefully smoothed out and then folded up the robe. Suddenly, something clicked.
âW-Wait! Is that why you were acting so weird at the store back then?â Rukia turned to look at him.
âHuh?!â
âBack then, when you were secretly living in my closet, I took you to the store to get you some more clothes, remember? While there you started reminiscing right after you saw that tiger robe!â Ichigo exclaimed. He crossed his arms and looked up in thought, âSo Renji had his own, huh? Thatâs surprising, I didnât think he had too many World of the Living clothesâŚâ
âHe doesnât, fool! IâŚuhâŚbought it for him,â Rukia finished quietly. Ichigo looked at her again. He raised an eyebrow.
âOh, you did, huh?â
âY-Yeah! So what?!â Rukia snapped. Ichigo regarded her wordlessly for a while. Eventually, he clasped his hands behind his head and turned towards the Senkaimon.
âNothing. Anyway, Iâve got to head back. Iâll see you later, Rukia,â Ichigo said, walking towards the doors once more. Rukia blinked.
âOh. Uh. Okay. See you later, Ichigo.â
Ichigo was about to step through the doors, when he stopped and turned to look at her over his shoulder, âOh, and uh, donât forget to invite me to the wedding.â Rukiaâs face turned beet red.
âW-What?! Why you-â she shouted. Rukia tried to aim a kick at him, but as usual Ichigo was frustratingly quick, and with a flash, he was gone.
>>>>>>>>>> Authorâs Note <<<<<<<<<<<
A/N: Phew! Took awhile to get this one out, but itâs finally here! Originally, I had it scheduled for April, but Iâm glad I held onto it longer to edit it more at my leisure. Iâve always had the feeling that despite the fact she refused to talk about it, Rukia still thought about Renji and their past together a lot during their separation (albeit probably sadly and unbidden on her part). Even in the World of the Living, I bet anytime she saw something tiger or pineapple print, she was reminded of her âstupidâ redhead with the âstupidâ eyebrows! Speaking of tiger print, have you heard of Bleach Gree cards? They are cards of Bleach characters, one of which, of course, includes Renji in a tiger print robe as heâs dressed up as what I think is an oni for new years. Well guess what? If you look through the Rukia set, you can find her dressed up in a matching outfit, tiger print and all! I guess she wasnât kidding when she said not to make fun of Renji for his tiger print, huh?! xD Anyway, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!
(aka Please Remember To Put On Your Oxygen Mask Before Assisting Others)
Characters: Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, and some Fourth Division OCs, (RenRuki)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, some Angst, some Humor, Family
Rated: T (for mentions of medical tools such as needles and depictions of anxiety, but nothing is graphic or even really overly described. This story is more about the emotions than the medical drama)
Story Summary: Turns out purple eyes and short stature arenât the only things that run in Hisanaâs family, illness does as well. As Rukia and Renji try to help each other navigate through this new storm in their lives, will they remember to take time to breathe? (Rukia gets the same disease that killed Hisana (Bloodlines AU), Post TYBW, Post renruki engagement)
Click the link to read below or click here to read the story from the beginning on AO3!
(1/7)
Prologue: Boarding Call
(AO3 chapter link)
Chapter Summary: Good morning passengers. We are now boarding flight 50S to Anxiety Seireitei City. Please remember to store all of your baggage in the carry-on compartment above your head, so that it will not be revealed until the end of the trip. Thank you, and have a pleasant flight! (A prologue in which Rukia and Renji get a diagnosis.)
Â
It had been such a peaceful morningâŚ
"Pleasantly surprised to see you this morning, Sister,â Byakuya had said rather fondly to her as she entered the dining room that morning, âBut do you not usually leave for the Thirteenth by this time?â
"Normally, yes," Rukia had agreed as she sat down at the table, "But I'm actually only working a half day today. I have my yearly physical at the Fourth this morning, so Iâm going into the office late. I'm trying to get it done and out of the way before the wedding."
"A wise decision," Byakuya nodded.
"Speaking of which, after my appointment, I'm stealing your lieutenant for lunch," Rukia continued between bites of kyuri no tsukemono. She was having trouble not shoveling the whole thing into her mouth. The fresh but sour taste of the pickled ginger and cucumbers, the mild kick from the sprinkling of chili, these were the kinds of flavors that she loved in the morning. Their palate, a perfect pairing of coolness and heat, served to invigorated and inspired her! Plus they were tasty too, "The bar we have chosen for the wedding reception has some dishes they would like us to taste for the event. Afterwards I'll go back to work in the afternoon, followed by going to the seamstress in the evening to get the measurements for my dress."
âIndeed? You are quite busy as of late,â Byakuya replied as he sipped his tea, âWell, if youâre done with your appointment early, do come by the office anyway. I would say so that we can chat, but considering how Abarai gets when he waits for you, I doubt I'll get a word in."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Rukia asked, a little surprised. Byakuya put down his tea cup, and gave his sister a withering look.
"Sister, he is unbearable whenever he waits for you. Between the foot tapping, and the sighing, and the constant checking of that infernal communication device all you young shinigami carry aroundâŚâ Rukia rolled her eyes at him.
â...A soul pager, Niisama?â
âYes, that. Anyway, itâs a wonder he gets any paperwork done at all! If I thought marrying you two would get him to stop, I would move up the wedding to tomorrow, but Iâm sure that it will just make him worse.â Rukia chuckled fondly in response.
âWell, I will be sure to speak to him about it.â
âPlease do,â Byakuya said, as he picked up his chopsticks, âBut enough about my insufferable vice captain and your incurable fiance, tell me about-â They continued to talk amiably for the rest of the morning.
A simple routine check-up. Thatâs what it should have beenâŚ
The tech taking her spiritual pressure made a face at the monitor.
âWhat is it?â Rukia asked in a mildly amused tone, âI know Iâve always been a bit weird, but I didnât think that my spiritual pressure was that strange!â The tech didnât laugh, however.
âNot sure, something seems offâŚâ he murmured more to himself than to her as he stared intently at the monitor, âHold on, Iâm gonna grab the nurse.â He grabbed the nurse, who also looked at the monitor, and then immediately left to grab the Relief Team Leader.
âHanataro,â Rukia addressed the Fourth Divisionâs Third Seat as he peered at the monitor with a voice she hoped didnât betray her growing trepidation, "What is going on? You know I donât want to rush you, but as I told you earlier, my schedule is pretty packed today,â she gave him a mischievous look, âIf you let me leave early, I promise to bring you back some cake from the tasting Iâm going to!â
âAh⌠Sorry, Rukia⌠But cake or no, there is something about your reiatsu that seemsâŚoff. We are going to need to run some tests to be sure. Probably even draw some labsâŚ" but as he said it, Rukia's eyes went wide and her body went cold and stiff.
"IâŚI seeâŚ" she barely got out, as her hands involuntarily balled into fists.
Hanataro looked up and smiled at her kindly, "Don't worry, Rukia, I'll handle it."
"Thank youâŚ" Rukia replied, relaxing just the tiniest bit. Unfortunately, the situation did not improve.
âWeâre not positive of anything yet, Rukia, but your reiatsu doesnât seem to be flowing or filtering normally, so we feel itâs best to monitor the situation," Fourth Division Captain Isane had said when they admitted her.
Rukia had already texted Renji to let him know she would be late for lunch. She thought it best that she text him again. He was there in minutes, sprinting into the room.
"Rukia!!!"
She had been laying in the bed, propped up by some pillows, when he had arrived. When she saw him, she sat up straight and gave him a little smile and a wave.
"Hey, Renji! Whatâs up?"
"Thatâs my line!!!!" Renji put his hands on her shoulders, "What happened? Are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere?!"
Rukia reached up her hands to gently hold on to Renjiâs wrists, "I'm fine, Renji. Don't worry, it's just a precaution," she dismissed casually, before smirking up at him teasingly, "Although my shoulders kind of hurt now."
"Dang it, Rukia! This isn't a joke!" Renji exploded as he let go of her shoulders. But he immediately deflated and slumped down in the chair next to her bed, "I was so worried, IâŚ" Rukia took a hold of his hand, lacing their fingers together.
"I know. Iâm sorry, Renji. I didn't mean to scare you."
Renji bent his head down so that it touched hers, "Don't apologize, idiot. Just feel better soon, âkay?"
"Okay,â Rukia replied, tilting her head up so that their noses touched.
"I love youâŚâ he whispered to her as he squeezed her hand, â...so muchâŚ"
"I know⌠I love you too," she whispered back.
They continued to stay, just like this, sitting close, whispering soothing words to each other, when they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a large thump by the door. Rukia peered around her tall fiance to see Byakuya clumsily trying to fix the vase of flowers that had been set on the end table by the entrance. He looked extremely uncomfortable.
"Oh, Nii-sama! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," she said. She gave him a kind smile, before bowing, "Thank you for visiting me!"
Byakuya turned away from the offending plant towards his sister, but didn't manage to step any closer into the room. Instead he stuck his hands in his sleeves and asked, "HowâŚare you feeling, Rukia?"
"I'm alright," she began. Renji gave her a pointed look, "Honest! I don't feel any different. If they hadnât protested so much, I wouldn't have let them keep me at all!" Byakuya regarded her silently, almost sadly, before tearing his eyes away from her.
"I'mâŚglad you chose to listen to them," he told her quietly.
âYeah!â Renji agreed, turning back towards her, âNo breaking out of here, you hear?â He squeezed her hand again, âI know hospitals suck, but Iâll be here whenever I physically can. Weâre in this together, okay?â
âOkay,â Rukia agreed, âAnd thank you, both of you, but like they said, this is just a precaution. Iâm sure theyâll let me out by the end of the day!"
The Fourth did not release Rukia by the end of that day, or for the rest of that week, but eventually, the diagnosis did come in. CRVS, also known as Chronic Reiatsu Vent Stenosis, a rare reiatsu vent disease that tended to run in families, and the same diseaseâŚthe same disease that killed her sister, Hisana.
"RukiaâŚ" Renji gasped between shattered breaths.
"Quiet, Renji,â Rukia said sternly, âWeâŚWe're almost there.â But the strange black sludge they were wading through clung to them, pulling them down. Rukia tried to push through, but it was like moving through tar.
"RuâŚkiaâŚ"
"Hush nowâŚ" Rukia replied more gently, readjusting her grip on him, "Conserve your strength⌠We'll make it out, I promise." She continued to push through the muck, one of her arms holding tightly onto Renjiâs arm which was draped across her shoulders, while her other arm was wrapped around his midsection. Renji hung limply by her side.
"You'veâŚYouâve got to leave me, Rukia⌠You've got toâŚ"
"Shut up!" Rukia shouted at him, "I'm not leaving you, so just shut it, okay?! We'll make itâŚ" Rukia kept moving towards the light, but it felt like it wasn't getting any closer. What was going on? Where were they?! And what happened to their friends?! She thought frantically as Renji slowly became heavier and heavier by her side. At this rateâŚ
"RuâŚpleaseâŚ"
"I said, no, you idiot! I told you we'd make it- ARGH!!!" Her foot got caught on something in the muck, and they fell hard. "UghâŚwhere⌠RENJI!!" Rukia looked around furiously before she spotted where he had fallen. She rushed to his side, but now they were both covered head to toe in the tar like substance and were twice as heavy. Rukia struggled to even drag Renji onto her lap.
"You'veâŚgot to go, Ru⌠You've got toâŚ" Renji whispered between rasping breaths. He tried to reach up his hand to her, but struggled to even lift it. Rukia reached out with her free hand and took a tight hold of his, bringing it close to her.
"No! I won't leave you!â she yelled resolutely, squeezing his hand, âI won't."
"RuâŚ"
"I canât go on without you, Renji, not again," Rukia clutched him closer to her chest, "Never again. I can'tâŚso pleaseâŚ"
"RuâŚ"
Tears began to run down Rukia's face, "I love youâŚ" She sobbed as everything went black.
__________________________________
Gasp!
Rukia woke with a start in her bedroom, the expensive Kuchiki sheets tangled tightly around her form. But despite the sweat dripping from her brow, she felt cold, ice cold. Quickly she reached out, and only began to relax when she felt Renjiâs familiar spiritual pressure perfectly safe in the Sixth Division barracks. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, only for her hands to come away wet from tears. Rukia tried to laugh it off.
Renjiâs safe, she thought, Of course he's safe! Go back to sleep, you idiot!
However, no matter how she tossed and turned, sleep eluded her. Rukia threw off her sheets and got dressed. Within minutes she had arrived at Renjiâs barracks, the warmth of his spiritual pressure flowing past his door and spreading over her like a warm blanket. Perhaps she could stay standing there for just a little bitâŚ
__________________________________
When Renji woke up the next morning at the crack of dawn, the last thing he expected was a visitor. He wouldn't have even checked had it not been for the very obvious and familiar spiritual pressure right by his front door. Not even bothering to change out of his sleeping robe, he hopped out of bed and headed straight for it. As he quickly approached his front door, the familiar coolness of her spiritual pressure rushed past him like a crisp morning breeze. It woke him up, invigorated him, made him feel like he could conquer anything.
Renji slid open the door with gusto, "RUKIA!!!!"
"WAAAAAH!" Rukia exclaimed as she tumbled right into him. She had fallen asleep on his door, "What the heck, Renji?!"
"Sorry! Sorry! But how the heck was I supposed to know you were leaning on the door!" He yelled back as he stood her up again. He leaned against his door frame, and asked, "What are you doing here so early, anyway?"
Rukia looked up at him, their eyes locking, and felt her breath leave her. She quickly looked away.
"I⌠Is it so weird that I'm here?! I've visited you before, yâknow?!"
"Well, yeah,â Renji agreed, as he casually cleaned the dirt from his ear with his fingernail, âBut never this early. Iâm the morning person, remember?"
"IâŚâ Rukia stammered, âI had to tell you something!"
"Okay, what is it?" Renji prompted, but Rukia continued to look away, unable to meet his eyes. Finally, Renji sighed, "Okay, that's it. We're going out." He said, walking back into his dorm.
"W-What?!â Rukia panicked, her head whipping around, âRenji? Oi! We're what?!"
"We're going out to eat, of course! That always cheers you up. Come on in, but stay over there, I'm gonna go get changed," Renji said casually, as he grabbed his shinigami uniform from off the floor and walked behind a changing screen. Rukia took a deep breath and led it out again very slowly. As she stepped into his dorm, the familiar messiness of it eased her nerves a little. She picked up one of his sports magazines off the floor and flipped through it.
"Not that I ever mind eating out, but don't we have a vice captainâs meeting this morning?" she called after him.
"Not until later, and we don't have to eat at a restaurant, we can just go to a food stall," Renji yelled back from behind the screen. He emerged fully dressed, "We'll still beat Matsumoto."
"That's trueâŚ" Rukia admitted as she put the magazine back down.
"So then, come on!"
__________________________________
"So,â Renji began after they had grabbed their food and began walking back towards the meeting hall, ânow that we've gotten you something to eat, are you ready to tell me whatever it was you wanted to tell me?"
Rukia was mid-bite into a dango when he asked. She finished chewing slowly, and then opened her mouth as if to say something. However, she ended up just closing it again and staring down at her food. Renji sighed.
"You don't have to tell me, yâknow?" He said as he took another bite of his takiyaki.
"No, it's okay,â Rukia replied quietly, âIt'sâŚItâs just a little silly is all⌠â
Renji finished chewing slowly, watching her out of the corner of his eye as they walked along. Eventually he swallowed and turned towards her, saying, âRukia, you are silly.â
âH-Hey!â she snapped back, but she was looking up at him now.
âWe both are!â he went on, âThatâs why we get along! So donât even worry about it, okay?â He took another bite.
âOkay, okayâŚâ Rukia relented. She took a deep breath before continuing,â Last night, I had a nightmareâŚwhere you diedâŚ."
"AhâŚYeah. I've had those⌠Nightmares where you died, I mean."
"YeahâŚthis isn't my first time having one either,â Rukia agreed, âAfter I woke up, I reached out to feel your spiritual pressure. You were fine, of course, and usually that's enough. But lately it hasn't been. I wantedâŚI donât know, reassurance maybe? Or maybe I just wanted to be near y- UH, anyway, I was wide awake after that. So I got dressed, and was planning on just checking up on you real quick, but I ended up staying too long and fell asleep on your doorâŚ" Rukia admitted before taking another bite of dango. Renji blinked in surprise.
"Oh.â
"YeahâŚSorry..." she mumbled, as she turned away and proceeded to quickly stuff even more dango into her mouth. Renjiâs tattooed eyebrows furrowed together.
"What the heck for?" he asked. Rukiaâs head spun back around towards him.
"Mâut mu u mean âMâut mâorââ?!â Rukia attempted to shout out around a mouth full of dango.
âAck! Dang it, Rukia! You got bits of dango on me! Swallow that before you choke, you idiot!!!â
With much effort, Rukia managed to swallow the massive, munched up mound of dango in her mouth, before glaring up at Renji, âWhat do you mean, âWhat for?â I just needlessly woke you up early over a bad dream. Itâs not just silly, itâs patheticâŚ"
"Itâs not pathetic, RukiaâŚâ Renji murmured as he brushed bits of dango off his shinigami uniform, âIf you want to see me, you want to see me. What's the big deal? We're friends, aren't we?" he crossed his arms, "Just knock next time, alright? I'll let you in." Rukia looked taken aback.
"What?! Really? Youâd really let me in? No matter the time?"
"Yeah, I mean, Iâd prefer you came during the day, butâŚI like seeing you too, yâknow?" Renji admitted as he quickly turned his face away. Rukia blinked.
"Oh. Thank you."
"For what? We're friends, remember?! Don't let something like this bother you. Anything else?"
"OhâŚumâŚno⌠That's it," Rukia said, as she immediately stuffed her last dango into her mouth.
"Alright, well, we better get to the meeting if we don't want to get yelled at by Vice Captain Sasakibe,â Renji said as he finished off his takiyaki. He balled up his trash and chucked it in the nearest bin.
"Y-Yeah. Let's go," Rukia agreed as she did the same. As they headed towards the Vice Captain meeting hall, Rukia noticed she was walking even closer to Renji than she did before. She could feel his spiritual pressure flowing around her again, embracing her like a warm, comfortable blanket on a cold winter evening.
Perhaps, one day, she thought, I can tell him the restâŚ
>>>>>>>>>> Authorâs Note
A/N: Happy âalmostâ Halloween, yâall!
Months, maybe even a year ago at this point, I was scrolling through RenRuki Tumblr and found a post where someone said something to the effect of, âKnowing Rukia, I donât think she would confess first unless Renjiâs literally about to die.â Well, I thought about that for a looooong time, and eventually wrote this piece! xD Obviously no one was actually in any danger here, and sadly no true confessions were made, but hey, at least they became closer! Listen, baby steps, these two need baby steps!!!
I really had a lot of fun writing the nightmare part! It was interesting trying to write this strange, dangerous environment they found themselves trapped in. I thought about changing the title to make it not as obvious that they were just in a dream, but I was never a big fan of when they did that in stories, so I left it.
Oh, another thing I liked about writing this was trying to figure out HOW THE HECK WOULD RUKIA CARRY RENJI?! (This was written before I saw her carrying the captains in the tybw anime) Like itâs easy to imagine how he would carry her. Heâs done it several times. Itâs adorable, and I love it. But like, Renji deserves to be carried off too right?! Lol, Unfortunately the result isnât nearly as romantic, but I think it works! I imagine Rukia is pretty strong even before the TYBW arc, so I doubt his weight is the problem. Itâs his dang length!!! Anyway, Iâve gone on way too long, and talked about basically nothing, so I better go now. Thank you for reading!
