Out on a Ledge

RukiHime

Rukia crossed her arms and analyzed the door in front of her with frustrated resignation. For good measure she jiggled the doorknob again. It didn't open. For even better measure she patted her front pockets, her back pockets, her bra (just in case she'd stuffed her keys there)… Nothing.

"Fuck…" Rukia muttered. Above her somebody patterned around. She could hear them through the floor. It was probably the red headed girl who lived there. Rukia'd met her once, when the other woman had set off the building's fire alarm baking a cake. As an apology she'd made another cake and given it to the entire building. The sentiment was really very sweet, the cake had not been.

Her keys were probably at Renji's … Rukia glanced up at the ceiling. Renji wouldn't be home for another hour and Rukia didn't particularly care to wait on him. The red headed girl upstairs happened to have a balcony … Rukia could probably jump down from it on to hers … The girl, she was fairly certain, wouldn't mind … With one more glare at the door Rukia turned toward the stairs and made the ascent upward. She knocked twice on the door and was mid-knock for the third when it swung open. The woman behind it looked surprised, a whisk in hand, something that looked like strawberry icing streaked across her cheek.

"Oh!" She gasped, then smiled, "Kuchiki-san!" Rukia felt her neck flush red, the tips of her ears got a little warm. She didn't know if it was because she'd failed to realize, until this exact moment, how cute the woman was … or if it was because the other woman had obviously cared enough to remember her name, and Rukia hadn't done the same. Rukia was trying to device a way to get around addressing her in return when the woman leaned in a bit and whispered, as if sharing a very important secret:

"Inoue Orihime," and then she rocked backward and gave her another charming smile.

"Orihime," Rukia tried for her best winning smile, "I have a strange favor to ask." Most people might have been deterred by her, Rukia regretted immediately the phrasing she'd used. Orihime didn't seem to care in the slightest, she radiate a sort of confidence that the world wasn't out to hurt her, and as long as that was true, she could throw herself freely into it. Rukia tended to believe the world had teeth and sharp claws and it was best to tread lightly.

"Okay," said Orihime kindly, "what is it?"

"I need to jump off your balcony," said Rukia, with a certain amount of determination born from a desire to get into her apartment … And entirely not because –

"Kuchiki-san NO!" Orihime gasped, grabbing her shoulders. Rukia was startled by this, she'd been sure that Orihime would let her. "People care about you!"

What?

"…what?"

"I care about you," said Orihime seriously. "I'm here for you." It took Rukia a second to figure out what had just happened, and when she did she was both mortified and oddly touched.

"Oh god," said Rukia, "no, no I didn't mean I wanted to jump off your balcony. I want to use it to get down to mine. I locked myself out of my apartment," she stopped for a moment, feeling uncomfortable, "but I, uh, appreciate it." Orihime looked like she might hug her, but she only laughed a little and then pushed open her door to let Rukia in.

"Oh," she smiled, "what a relief, of course you can use my balcony!" Rukia followed her in and nearly ran into her chest when Orihime abruptly turned, looking seriously at her, "but I am here for you, Kuchiki-san." Rukia wondered if Orihime was capable of seeing that part of her she spent so much time pushing down; to say that same thing twice to a total stranger. Or maybe it was just Orihime's nature to make other people feel loved.

Rukia didn't know what to say but it was clear Orihime wanted a response so she nodded numbly, and satisfied, Orihime pivoted in a flurry of flowing red hair that left a waft of the scent strawberry shampoo and a cool gust of air that made the heat on Rukia's cheeks more prevalent than she cared to be aware of. Orihime took her to the balcony.

The flower pots that littered the balcony were full of half dead flowers; it was clear Orihime did not have a green thumb. But the effort was endearing. And it looked liked she'd been trying continuously if the sheer number of them was any indicator.

Rukia thew her leg over the banister before she quite knew what she was doing and was sliding down the bars far before she realized just how tall she wasn't. Orihime leaned over the railing and looked down at her, clearly waiting to see what she'd do next. Of which Rukia didn't have a clue. She hung there for a moment and then grumbled silently to herself.

"Kuchiki-san…?" Orihime asked tentatively.

"I…" said Rukia, annoyed, hating the next words: "I'm too short." She bit out. Orihime's giggle was like bells and it almost made the mounting mortification bearable.

"I'll go down," said Orihime, "and then I can catch you!" Rukia thought that was likely a terrible idea, but as she was having trouble simply holding on, she kind of doubted she'd be able to pull herself back up, and she wasn't quite sure she wanted Orihime leaning over that far to try and pull her back.

"Okay," Rukia said, and then added somewhat less grouchy, "be careful." Orihime smiled.

"Of course," she said, she scrambled over the railing, slid down to where Rukia was clutching at the concrete flooring and then just as smoothly let go, landing with a light thud below. "I'm usually pretty clumsy," said Orihime afterward with a laugh, which in no way comforted Rukia, whose arms were beginning to hurt.

"Alrighty," said Orihime, wrapping her arms around Rukia's legs. Rukia knew her cheeks were red now and was hoping beyond hope that Orihime wouldn't pay attention, "you can let go now!" It was not a quick thing. It took about five minutes of coaxing before Rukia finally let go of her death grip on the balcony above. Orihime did not drop her, which was probably worse because Rukia felt supremely improper, clutching desperately to Orihime's forearms, and she would have given anything to have simply fallen into the abyss below. Orihime set her down gently and then wrapped her arms around her from behind in a hug that had Orihime's face resting on Rukia's shoulder.

"We did it!" Said Orihime, a smile in her voice. Rukia's entire body was coursing with adrenaline, she was thinking that if she turned around right now and kissed Orihime, the other girl (being as touchy and affectionate as she was) might not even think much of it.

She might have done it, too, might have turned around in Orihime's arms and done that thing and had Renji walk in then instead. As it was, the door clicked open and Renji flung through like a baboon out of hell and Orihime let go of Rukia at about the same time Renji spun the keys in his hand on his finger and declared, in the most obnoxious way possible:

"Bet you're glad I'm here, I saved your ass a world of trouble!" And he grinned in the stupidest imaginable way and jingled the keys so Rukia would know they were hers and that he'd well and truly saved her and it took every ounce of Rukia self control to not kill him as she responded.

"You had to open the door to tell me that, Renji." And even that was lost, because it was clear by his stupid perplexed look that Renji did not understand exactly why opening the door was significant. Orihime giggled behind her hand.

I don't think I've ever posted RukiHime, but rest assured my ships are varied and extensive! This was an AU prompt on Tumblr and it was also pretty fun to write! (Reviews are always appreciated :)