Title: Violet

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Summary: It was, after all, his favorite color.

…

Renji lowered his body into the heat of the onsen, sighing in a relaxed fashion as the heat of the water began seeping into his pores. His head tilted back and met with the rock softly, slowly his body sank deeper, till his shoulders were submerged as well. Sharp pain came from the area but he dealt with it, knowing his muscles were well beyond strained for them to pain him so.

He sighed again as the pain lessened, closing his eyes and letting the heat relax him further.

"Enjoying that?" a voice to his left asked, the water rippling and lapping at his form as the speaker climbed in.

Renji cracked his eyes open a small bit, sliding his eyes over to see who it was who had joined him. "Rukia, yea, actually I am. I'm so damn glad this war is over. We can finally relax." He moved his right arm and winced slightly as the muscles contracted, small popping noises issued.

Rukia nodded and let her body submerge before popping back up, her hair now sticking to her face. "Sounded like that hurt." She muttered, knowing he heard her. The onsen was deserted, no one would be coming in until nightfall, as it was midday they had a decent bit of time to sit and enjoy the water and silence.

"Nah, I'm tough." Renji smirked as he shut his eyes again and leaned back against the rock once more.

Rukia did nothing more than roll her eyes. "Whatever." She muttered, sliding her back against the smooth rock wall. Renji opened an eye, looking back over at her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, leaning back up and turning in her direction slightly.

"Nothing, I'm just tired is all." She punctuated the sentence with a yawn.

"Get much sleep last night?" Renji asked, turning back now.

Rukia shrugged, moving so she was sitting behind the man she had grown up with. "It was cold, they keep the temperature low in the barracks." She stated, lifting her hands and kneading them against Renji's back.

Renji nodded, wincing again when the muscle in his neck protested such an action. "Ours are pretty warm; I guess they would be cold as well if Captain Kuchiki stayed there. So I am at least thankful he stays at the mansion… why don't you stay there?" Renji turned his head back, looking over his shoulder at the petite woman.

His neck screamed at him for doing so but he ignored it.

"Ah… it's cold there as well, and I'm not just talking about the air conditioning." She smiled lightly, moving her hands up so she could work on Renji's neck.

"Oh." Renji returned to looking forward, trying not to hunch over as Rukia's fingers massaged the tension from his body.

"It's fine though, you don't have to worry about me, I just need to get another blanket or something." Rukia smiled, he couldn't see it but he knew what she was doing.

"Tch, who said I worried?" Renji smirked as Rukia huffed, and then yelped as she squeezed a tight muscle. "Ow, that hurt you know!" he protested.

Rukia chuckled. "I thought you said you were tough." She teased.

Renji rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He muttered.

Rukia returned to massaging his shoulders and the pair fell silent for a while.

"If you don't want to sleep in your barracks and freeze your toes off tonight, my bed's free. Pretty warm there." Renji suddenly said, waiting for the blow he knew would come.

But Rukia didn't hit him or make any noise that signaled contempt of his suggestion. They'd grown up in Hanging Dog; most nights they, and some others, would go to bed curled up together like puppies. It was just for the warmth, there was never anything sexual about it. She knew he was only offering her some warmth, if only for one night.

"If it's alright with you… but you better not be a cover hog." Rukia stated.

She moved her hands lower and only then did Renji bend forward, his nose nearly touching the water. "Dunno, never had anyone in the bed long enough to see." He muttered.

This time Rukia did hit him, but it was a light tap compared to what she would normally do.

…

"It is warmer here." Rukia observed, walking through the halls with Renji, following him to his room. True they were outside but she could feel the heat emanating from each room she passed.

"Told you." Renji said smugly, finally stopping and putting a hand on a door. He paused before he opened it though; Rukia stared up at him impatiently.

It was a cold night, they had just left the onsen, and she was wet and shivery. "Hurry up." She whined, making for the door.

Renji rolled his eyes and then opened the door, sliding it to the side and walking in. Rukia followed him, sliding the shoji door closed behind her. Then she turned and saw the inside of his room for the first time.

Rukia froze, her eyes skating over everything he had in there. She would have expected his room to be trashed, but it was clean, astonishingly. "Okay… why is it so clean in here?" she asked, not addressing the other issue.

Renji sighed. "I'm not a pig, I like being able to move around and find my things in here." He muttered self consciously.

"Mhm… and when did you become so obsessed with the color violet?" she asked, looking at the walls and almost everything else in the room that had been done in that color.

Renji blushed lightly, averting his eyes as he walked over to the closet. "I just like the color, it's calm." He stated grumpily.

Rukia smirked. "You didn't have almost everything done in this color because of my eyes?" she asked, teasing him and slipping her sandals off.

Renji stiffened, his hand, which had been pulling a sleeping yukata out of the closet, stopped. He slowly turned his head to Rukia, a slight downturn of his lips adding to the careless effect. "Dream on." He stated.

Rukia giggled and stole the yukata from him, disappearing into the washroom to change. Renji just sighed and grabbed another, changing into it before she emerged.

…

Later that night he looked around the room, Rukia was asleep beside him. He really didn't need her to know the truth about the color he had chosen.

It really was because of her eyes, and not because it was a calm color.

Ah hell… he needed to redecorate.

…..

-This my dear readers is my lame attempt at getting back into Bleach fiction… I have meant to do so a few months *years* ago but… well my muse dragons had stopped laying their eggs. *pokes muse dragon on her thigh with a branch, is immediately growled at and flamed*

Ahem, anyway… I reread my Bleach fictions from back then and could immediately tell that I was a poor authoress. I swear, it really shows how old I was when I did start writing. Which was fifteen… Seeing as I absolutely hate how they were written I'm not sure what to do with them.

I might either delete them or rewrite them; I'm not sure yet…

Bah, if any of you are still reading this then you could review and tell me. But while we wait I will tell you I am shipping for Renji/Rukia and Toshiro/Rukia again.

Maybe my next lame attempt will be a Hitsu/Rukia fiction, I'm not quite sure yet.

Ah well, review please! *wipes soot and ash from clothing and face*