Business: none of us own anything. TheDrunkenWerewolf however owns Cherry. Prompt fic borrowed from s/5961470/1/Mini-Fic-Meme#.
A/n: a collaborative effort with SesshomaruFreak, timewaster123456789, and TheDrunkenWerewolf.
Prompt: angst (yachiru)
Notes: angsty Zaraki and Yachiru. Bit of fluff at the end.
She always watched him sleep. He would twitch and groan, sometimes talking from the depths of his dreams. It was never good. 'Stay away from me!' 'Yachiru, no! Don't leave me!' When he had nightmares was the only time she ever saw him shed tears.
She sat quietly, watching her father figure suffer in his sleep. She dared not wake him; she'd done that once and Kenny hadn't been right for days.
He gritted his teeth as his back curved backward in agony. She wondered if he was remembering a Rukongai beating. She definitely remembered her own from before they met, before he protected her.
"Don't!" he snarled. "Leave 'er alone." he snarled and bucked as though struggling against restraints. "No!" he bolted upright panting. Yachiru watched his eyes were wide, fists clenched. It was also the only time she ever saw sheer terror on his face. She hated it.
She sat and watched as his eyes darted around the room, doubtlessly searching for her. She always seemed to be involved in his nightmares, somehow. Whether it was her leaving him, being threatened, or coming to harm in some grisly fashion. The scenarios differed, but she was a constant fixture in them. The root of so much terror for him.
She hated that, too.
She waited, silent, still, as he returned to reality and his panting ceased. She knew better than to interrupt him in these moments. Even as he cursed and dragged a hand down his face to wipe the sweat away.
"Shit. Bad dream."
Instead of jumping on his shoulder like she normally would have done, she crawled onto the bed and slipped puppy-like under his raised arm body pressed against his ribs.
She really hated seeing him like this, knowing she was the cause. She wondered sometimes when she wasn't occupied with finding candy or stealing koi if he regretted taking her with him. She was never brave enough to voice her fears though. She didn't know what she'd do if they were true.
No, best to keep the pin in that grenade.
"Kenny," she said instead, voice soft, the calm voice she used when approaching wild animals. Or rather stalking Byakuya's koi with a little white fox she'd befriended. A creature she'd been calling Snowy until Gin said her name was Cherry. "Kenny it's okay, you were just having a nightmare. I'm still here. I aint goin anywhere."
His head snapped towards her, it would have been startling if she wasn't used to it. After a moment the wide-eyed panic turned back into a standard glare. This particular one being the 'nothing to see here' glare. She ignored it, smiling as stroked her hair roughly. He was only so tender when they were alone. He'd never admit it but she knew he was reassuring himself she was really there. That she wasn't just an illusion, or a remnant of his dream.
She wanted to say something to further reassure him, but he'd already put his 'tough guy' front firmly into place again. And she knew anything she said would simply be brushed off. Dismissed. 'You worry too much, kiddo', is what he'd usually say. Though she knew deep down he was grateful for it.
His hand tensed slightly to pull her close but he caught himself raising it again to rub sweat from his face instead. She took the hint and pressed closer hugging as best she could with her annoyingly short arms. She felt his breath hitch but, pretended not to notice, something she'd picked up watching him interact with their squad though she was the only one who'd ever had reciprocated.
Not that he'd give anyone else a chance to reciprocate. And if anyone tried to, they'd be decapitated for their trouble.
"S'alright, kiddo," he murmured, somewhat more 'normal' again now he'd calmed down a bit. "S'just a bad dream. Don't worry 'bout me. Go back to sleep."
She fought the frown threatening to cross her face, wanting to argue with him. But she knew before she even opened her mouth it was an argument she'd lost.
"Okay," she said. "But I'm sleeping here."
He barked out a laugh, but he didn't argue with her.
xxx
Kenpachi knew better than to argue with his little girl; she could be tenacious. Besides, deep down, he really wanted her to stay near. He watched as she curled up next to him. Outside the window, it was still dark. He tried to shake off his nightmares as he laid back down, watching over his little Yachiru. She was innocent and sweet- everything he wasn't. Once he was sure she was asleep, he laid a hand on her pink hair.
"Thank you." he whispered into the dark.
xxx
Yachiru smiled in her 'sleep' and nudged her head against his hand. She would never leave her demon and she would never tell.