A one-shot request I had from my Quizilla days. A Renji Abarai fic - The Sun in Your Eyes. Reviews would be welcomed, flames preferrably not. ;3
Thanks for reading.
^^ Utsu
Life had been simple for Saika Natsu, she had her friends, her surrogate family and lived life with a single purpose. To have fun. But that day, everything began to change.
"Hikaru! Amaterasu!" A blaze of light ran along the cool silver blade, golden rays washing colour along its fierce edges, morphing ridges around the brilliant light. A girl stood in stance, grinning as her opponent fired a ball of angry red energy her way, totally obliterated by the warm yellow fire. The blossoming rays scorched everything in their path, marking a way of destruction upon meeting with a powerful blade.
"Enough."
The light seemed to vanish into thin air quicker than the average eye could trace, there one blink, gone the next. Saika Natsu kept a hold on her smile, but couldn't deny her brightening dandelion eyes smiling for her as she caught the eye of a certain someone in the crowd. A certain red-haired goofball that might have just been her best friend for as long as she could remember.
"Saika-san, you have once again proven yourself worthy of the title 3rd Seat. Naoki-san, you fought well." Natsu grinned, nodding approvingly at the other girl. "Would the next competitors take their stances." The Shinigami called, his impatience shining through in his tone. Natsu wasn't paying attention, so didn't even bother to comment on it. Instead, she chose to leap on her not-so-unsuspecting companion.
"Renji! You came!" She exclaimed, fully aware of the weird looks she was receiving from passers-by. After all, it was hard not to draw attention when one was precariously situated on the shoulders of one of the most outstanding people in Seiretei.
Abarai Renji - her best friend, wasn't exactly suitable for the Covert Ops or the sort with his flaming red hair and startling tattoos. Rather, he stuck out like a sore thumb in most crowds of the professionally garbed Shinigami. Not that Natsu was much more inconspicuous, with her waist length rose-pink hair and seemingly constantly laughing dandelion yellow eyes. That was without considering her far too excitable attitude and the total lack of hesitance that was often near if not at the source of trouble. Which usually wasn't too far from her rather less mature adopted sister, the lieutenant of the 11th squad, Yachiru or her father-like figure Shunsui Kyouraku, Captain of the 8th squad. Natsu's family life sure was warped.
Renji sighed, unable to control the small smile rapidly spreading into a grin on his face. He never could control his emotions around Natsu, finding himself discovering things even he didn't know about his character on a regular basis. It was just one of the many things he loved about being around her.
"Of course I came. I promised didn't I?"
Natsu blinked, as though it hadn't occurred to her before. "Oh yeah." She laughed sheepishly. "Guess I forgot." He only rolled his eyes, it wasn't that much of a surprise really.
"So, I guess we can cancel practice today then?" He tried to conceal the discouragement in his voice, poorly succeeding. Natsu mumbled to herself, weighing out ideas in her mind.
10 excruciating minutes and a squad later….
"Mmm. I have an id-"
"No."
She huffed. "You haven't even heard it yet."
"I don't need to. I've learned my lesson."
"Aww Renji!"
"Nat, I still can't get Kyouraku-Taicho to look at me normally. He keeps on giving me tips." He grimaced, shaking his head as though to shake the thought away. Natsu just laughed.
"But Renji! That wasn't really my fault."
"Nat, it never really is."
"You're so mean Renji, you never listen to me."
He smirked. "Yeah, which is the only reason that I'm still slightly sane and in one piece now." He said smugly, Natsu pouted.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Yeah right. Your Kidou's worse than mine, and that's saying something!" Renji laughed, knocking his head up lightly against hers. When she didn't reply, he sighed heavily. "Fine then, go on."
"I don't want to anymore." She retorted childishly.
"I promise I'll listen."
"No you won't. It's a rubbish idea anyway."
"Nat,"
"Forget I even said anything. Take me back to the squad."
"Nat."
"Renji."
He groaned. He was sure he'd done it now. "Mine or yours?"
"Mine."
"Fine." With that one word Renji's mind was working overtime. This wasn't how he'd planned it, he wasn't used to thinking so much and it was giving him a headache. He'd come up with something anyhow, he wasn't gonna let things just blow by anymore.
It was time for things to change.
They were drawing up to the fifth squad now, and the silence between them had been as close to tense as it'd ever been. Renji took a deep breath, gathering his courage and alerting Natsu to the approaching change in air.
"You're not gonna be in one all night are you?" Natsu frowned.
"All night?"
"Yeah, all night. As in, all night long."
"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit." She deadpanned uncharacteristically. "I don't get it."
He'd been afraid of that. "Don't get what?"
"Why it'd matter if I was in a mood all night."
Silence. Even Natsu realised something was up.
"Renji." His eyes showed stubbornness, contrasting to the blush heavy on his cheeks. If he wasn't careful, his hairline might disappear.
Had it been another time, she might have giggled, but insteadshe just cocked her head to the side, jumping down with the lithe agility of a lemur.
"Renji?" He wouldn't meet her gaze. It made Natsu uneasy, and the butterflies in her stomach buzz with apprehension. She hardly heard his mumble.
"What was that?"
"I said, I was thinking we could…" He paused, shaking his head. He'd lost his cool, he was going to chicken out for now. Rubbing his neck, he began.
"Ah it doesn't matter. It's stupid." Her heart sped up and something inside of her told her she had to hear what he was going to say.
"Renji, nothing you ever say is stupid in my opinion." He passed her a disbelieving look, as if to say 'Really now?' Natsu gathered her wits and corrected herself with a secret smile, a smile that was rarely used around anyone else. It made pleasant shivers roll down Renji's spine, and only increased the heat on his face. "Well, maybe some things. But not like this…" She stepped forward, her fingers hesitantly brushing against his now crossed arms. He looked at his feet, as though something interesting was happening to them. Natsu was nervous in a way she hadn't felt often before, with a man she never could have imagined being timid over.
"I was just thinking that it'd be nice to spend… Your birthday together." He grumbled. Natsu's lemon-like eyes wide and confused.
"But… my birthday isn't till tomorrow?" Her voice was small, with no power or exuberance behind it. An unusual occurrence. Renji somehow blushed further, almost bursting with bashful irritation. Boy, he knew Natsu was dense, but he'd thought she had more awareness than this.
"Listen, forget it. Just forget I ever said anything, 'kay?" She wouldn't take no for an answer.
"But I don't get it. Renji please, just explain."
He growled, his arms unfolding as they pulled her into him, his lips smashing down on hers with a strange tenderness that Natsu had never felt from him beforehand, a tenderness that made her hurt for more.
"Renji!" She gasped, pulling away after a passionate moment. Renji's heart stopped, as though the very blood running through his veins had frozen over. Natsu was filled with shock, every nerve alert from the sense tingling kiss and her speech hitched in her throat. She could hardly think, so speaking was out of the equation, despite the questions whizzing around her in her head.
But Renji couldn't see that. One idea circled his mind.
Had he been wrong?
"Renji…" Her hand caressed his flushed cheek, reaching up to his forehead to trace the lucid pattern of his tattoos. The pleasant shivers were back in full thrust, showering throughout his whole body like waves battering against a barricade. Her hands shaking, she turned his face to hers. "I…"
"I screwed up didn't I?" Natsu couldn't think of another way to reassure him. He was so wrong, she wasn't sure how long she'd waited for this. She could safely say centuries.
"No. Renji, no." Her other hand joined the first and his eyes locked onto hers, filled with happiness and joy. He was almost taken aback.
"Nat… ah, stuff it. I'm no good at this stuff." Their faces met once again, but this time, not quite so gentle.
The next day…
"Happy birthday!" The Gotei 13 shouted in unison. Natsu grinned wildly, her arms latched around the waist of her best friend / boyfriend as said man bloomed pink from the strain. Seeing this, she loosened her grip, but only slightly. Renji still wasn't what you'd describe comfortable. Not that he particularly cared, if it made Natsu happy. She glanced up at him, the soft lemony yellow of her eyes sparkling vividly in the clear sunlight, no, to him, they were as radiant as the sun itself.
"Renji?" She questioned, her head cocking to the side in confusion. He realised he'd been staring and blushed tenuously. Finding the moment to be the perfect opportunity, Renji's hand disappeared into his pocket, fishing out something vaguely… odd shaped. Natsu gazed curiously at the unknown object, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as her mind took in the glittery pink wrapping paper and startling yellow ribbon.
"A present, for me?" Natsu winked, waiting patiently as he placed the gift hesitantly in her cupped hands. Eager and choosing not to wait for Renji to give the signal, she set the ribbon aside before ripping into the decorative wrapping, only to be confounded once again as her fingers brushed against soft material. It was a small satchel made with velvet of the very deepest blue. Embarrassment finally reaching her, Natsu blushed, her gaze raising to lock on with Renji's. He motioned to the pouch.
He wanted her to open it.
She once again cursed herself for her rudimentary knowledge of anything close to common sense and self-consciously pulled the ties to release its contents into her hands. A chain of golden white tumbled into her palm, a burnt-yellow jewelled flower pendant worked eloquently into the links. Natsu gasped in surprise, tears warming her eyes. Renji couldn't help but look alarmed, what on earth had he done to make her cry?
"Oh Renji!" She breathed. "Its…. Its…"
The flame-headed male took to wrong idea, his cheeks blooming so bright and his heart sinking like a tonne of lead as he began to walk away from the first woman he'd ever felt differently towards. That was, before she grabbed him, throwing herself into his arms and wrapping herself around his shoulders.
"Its beautiful! Just look at the colour!"
His eyes wide, Renji grinned lopsidedly. "It reminded me of your eyes."
Natsu flushed. "My… eyes?"
"Yeah," His strong will overcame his unreasonable embarrassment, freeing his words. "Your eyes are like the sun to me Nat, I shouldn't look into them, and yet I can't help myself."
"Renji-"
He was having none of it. He was going to say what he wanted to say… before his confidence ran out.
"You're my best friend Nat, you always have been… But we both know, that something's different now."
Natsu was unbelievably happy, she couldn't shake away the shock of what he was saying, the very thing she could have never expected him to be.
Romantic.
"Here." He offered his hands, to put the necklace on. Natsu agreed, gently placing the intricate adornment on his palm, her face smiling as her fingers brushed his. Renji grunted something incomprehensible as he slowly attached the thin chain around her throat, choking down the hard lump in his throat as he tore his eyes away from the tender skin of her neck. It was a feeling that he'd never really felt before, a strange nerve wrenching, mind buzzing tingle that just about drove him mad.
Meanwhile, Natsu was pumping herself up with confidence, ignoring the sensation inducing hotness of his breath on the exposed nape of her neck as she prepared herself for another new experience. Making the first move. She'd never been so anxious in her life.
"Thank you." Her voice was small, but met his ears with an undeniable notice. He turned and before either participant realised what had happened, her lips were on his and his arms held her to him like a lifeline.
And just like that, their whole relationship was reborn. Everything about the other was different somehow, every little look or touch meant something worlds apart from their previous counter parts. Much to say, it didn't seem like it would be reverting any time soon. They had embarked on a new journey, a proper beginning.
No one could have been happier than the pair at that very moment.
And that's how things should end.
The flowering pendant glinted in the sunlight, glowing a soft orange under its incandescent rays.
Renji smiled. It really had been a good idea to enlist Ukitake-Taicho's help.