NiuNiu Note:
A little one shot to take a little break from my longer InouexRenji fic "Tranquillité – Leaning on you" and TOTALLY inspired by C.C. Catch song "Are you man enough?" Damn, that song just screamed Renji's name (accompanied by Inoue's innocent yet dirty smile) when I listened to it!
Forgive me all the typos and grammar mistakes for not being a person who speaks English as a mother language. I really wish they could do a proper translation machine for more than one word per time for my language….!
Disclaimer: Just purely fan made stuff made for pleasing fans, not for selling. The lyrics belong to the song's respectful owner.
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Be careful during the nights.
Stay at home after the midnight.
Don't wander on streets alone.
Watch out for suspicious looking men.
And those were just a few of the things her brother had always told her. Inoue knew he would worry himself sick if she obeyed his warnings, so she had mostly just had peaceful nights at home. No one in school ever asked her to parties, since they knew Inoue would only smile apologizing and say she couldn't come.
That's how they all knew her. Gentle, smiling, I'll-stay-at-home person, who never stepped out site to enjoy of the night life. Not even after him being gone with his advices…
Renji, on the other hand, was a different story. He sat on the high bar stool, loud music banging his ears like a drill. His eyes felt sore from the colourful flashy lights that shot and whirled around the club, smell of sweat and musk hanging in the air. Taking a swing from his already warmed beer Renji needed to admit he kind of like it. This club culture. He had no idea Karakura Town had such underground places, with such freaking looking people hanging around there. At least he had found finally a place where no one gave him odd stares because of his looks. Grunting something with an irritation for a woman who yearned for his company Renji was left again alone. Just like he preferred it. He always had people buzzing around him, in here and in Seireitei and thus moments alone felt like gold. Tasting the light brown liquid on his tongue Renji nearly managed to choke himself with it. He took a better look at the reflection on the mirror wall accompanied with lines of bottles behind the bar counter, until he turned around in his seat. He got only a glimpse of it and - not actually knowing why - he jumped away from his seat and hurried to track down his vision. Pushing the dancing people away from his path Renji snaked forward, not bothering to mutter any apologies in the loudness. He thought of seeing things – maybe the human's beer was thought stuff in the end – but finally his retinas reached what he had been pursuing. Renji freed himself from the squirming human mass and stepped to the darker side of the bar. He stood there, staring at the young woman on the small leather sofa. Hastily he decided to say hello to her, since it really was rude just to stare there. His long legs guided him nearer the sofa and as soon as he stood almost before her the young female noticed him. Her face radiated with sudden surprise and disbelieve.
"Abarai-san?! Why are you here?!"
He chuckled for the dazed looking woman and jumped to sit next to her, not wanting to yell his voice away from far away.
"My words exactly, Inoue-chan!"
She blinked few times until turning slightly red and lowered her gaze down to her lap.
"Just killing some time", she said almost shyly, fumbling with the hem of her short skirt like trying to make it longer. Renji let his eyes wander along her slim, naked legs before he composed himself to a polite grin.
"Again, my words exactly. What are you, a mind reader?"
She relaxed a bit, leaving the fumbling and giving Renji a smile. Her tiny strapless top shined lightly whenever the rolling green light hit them.
"I guess we're both surprised to see each other here", she nodded still smiling, leaning to Renji's side to make her words to be heard over the music. Renji lolled lazily on the sofa that had just enough space for two people, but not for more. He lifted his long leg on his other leg, spreading his arms on the back rest.
"You bet! This is the last place I ever thought seeing you around", he grinned, feeling how his body yearned for more beer. "Are you thirsty? Since I could help myself with another drink".
Inoue searched her wallet from her handbag, pulling a note from it.
"It's a bit hot here, so I guess I could take a drink, too", she smiled again. Renji took the offered money.
"Anything special in mind?"
"No… I can't decide. Just bring me something sweet tasting", Inoue lied, not really wanting to admit she wasn't that much a drinker to know the names of the drinks.
"Ah, a girl drink", Renji grinned, standing up and before leaving to the bar counter leaned back down to Inoue's level. "The place it's rather crowded. It might take a while. Will you be OK alone?"
Inoue was a bit boggled from the odd, caring sensibility she received from Renji, who basically was almost unfamiliar for her, but finally she managed to nod to Renji, who straightened himself and disappeared to the way where the bar was located. Taking a better position on the sofa Inoue looked around and wondered what she would have missed during all these years…
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After waiting for almost half an hour Renji finally got the attention of the bar tender, ordering himself a beer and something juicy for Inoue. He really didn't know how much she was used to alcohol, which made him wonder should he get her just a soda, but he ended up having the drink. Renji made a mental statement to himself saying that it might hurt Inoue's feeling if he brought her just a glass of soda when she had asked him to bring something sweet AND since they were in a club "the sweet drink" usually meant something alcoholic. Trying not to spill the drinks down he walked back to Inoue, glasses held high above his head. He cursed himself the tightness of the place and when pushing over the last obstacle he noticed that his seat from the sofa was taken. Next to Inoue sat some guy Renji didn't recognize. At first he thought it was a classmate of Inoue's, but when getting closer Renji's narrow eyes got the glimpse of uneasiness in Inoue's eyes. Puffing his posture Renji stomped closer making sure the new guy would notice his approaching. Which he did.
"Here's your drink", Renji said to Inoue, placing the glass on the table and took a look straight at the man whom eyes were on the same level of his. Inoue mumbled hasty thanks for Renji and snatched the drink to her hold. The unfamiliar man eyed Renji measuring him.
"And who the fuck are you?"
"My words exactly", he answered to the man, neck tensing. Renji stood up, his shadow casting over the boggled looking man.
"Now, if you excuse us and move that ass of yours away from my seat", Renji continued, earning an annoyed murmur from the man.
"She said she was free", he grinned, leaning a bit to Inoue's side and trying to scoop her under his arm. Renji noticed how uncomfortable and scared Inoue looked. He wasted no time and grabbed the front of the man's shirt, lifting him away from the sofa with one arm.
"Not anymore since I got here", Renji informed the guy, tossing him away from the sofa. The man looked like ready to bark something back about this situation and his loss of a pretty girl, but one sharp look from Renji's eyes delayed his words. The man frowned and muttering something Renji didn't hear but saw from his lips the guy turned around and left. Renji stood looking at his back until he wasn't able to see him anymore – just to make sure he wouldn't dare to try returning.
"What an asshole…" Renji grunted, dropping his body down to the leather sofa and taking a look at Inoue. She looked relieved, but still a bit shocked. "I'm gone for few ten minutes and you have already gotten yourself in trouble".
Renji noticed how Inoue's brows knitted together to an ashamed expression.
"Sorry… I only tried to be polite with him", she answered looking down her glass and still being angry for herself took a swing from it.
"Oh, easy, easy! You get yourself wasted with that pace!" Renji cried out loud and hastily turned to guide Inoue to put the now half empty glass down from her mouth. She licked her lips, savouring the aftertaste.
"This is rather good", she smiled genuine look on her face. "What's in this?"
"No idea", he smirked, waving his hand and relaxed again against the back rest. His leg rose atop of another one and the cold beer streamed down to his throat.
"It smells like grapefruit", she continued solving the mystery of the drink and for Renji it was cutely way adorable behaviour.
"Guess it has that… grei..griip…grapefruint…… well, that thing in it, then" he replied trying to pronounce the new human word. He saw how Inoue found something papery from the table corner. Her eyes inspected it curiously.
"This is the drink list", she informed Renji, showing the paper for him, too. "What's this drink called?"
"…I have no idea of that either".
"Hmmm, I guess I read them all through and look for the drinks that contain grapefruit."
Renji eyed Inoue, having a little grin plastered on his lips. She was so odd sometimes. Maybe that was some kind of girl thing…
"So many drinks with grapefruit in them!" Inoue breathed out, turning to look at her glass again. "I wonder what else's in this…? Do you smell anything special? I mean… you have the sixth sense… kind of…"
She offered the glass closer to Renji's face, who took a sniff from the drink. When he couldn't figure it out he lifted it to his lips and sipped it, tasting slowly the aroma of the drink.
"Peaches. Definitely", he informed giving the glass back to Inoue.
"Are you sure?"
"Totally. We have them in Seireitei too. I like them."
Her eyes brightened up like two stars.
"I like peaches, too!"
He grinned back at her and she turned her attention towards the drink list once more. Renji drank his own drink slowly, wondering what had brought Inoue to a place like this. For him, he was truly just killing some time and taking a break from the work, but he didn't believe Inoue was here just to hang around. She wasn't that kind of girl. Not that kind of human. Even though she had dressed up like the other club dancers – which to be honest was rather stirring for Renji – Inoue still was like being out of the place. She didn't belong here. She should be at home, reading romantic comics, baking some odd tasting cupcakes or taking a long, hot, bubble bath with candles. The last idea burnt mentally to Renji's head with such a sudden force he coughed the beer, trying not to choke himself second time this evening.
"What's wrong? You look odd. Is something wrong?" Inoue asked, leaning closer to look at Renji's face. "You're face if half pale and half red…"
"Just something that came in my mind…" his voice tottered. She gave him a worrying look.
"Want to tell me what it was?"
"NO! ---- I mean did you find the drink's name?" Renji changed the subject as fast as possible, feeling how the cold sweat tried to seep on to his skin.
"Hmm… Not yet… I guess I'll keep looking…"
"You do that and I… uh… keep on eye the nasty men". He was immediately ashamed of his stupid babbling, but Inoue didn't seem to mind. Instead, she smiled again. Renji had already lost the count of the smiles he had received from her this far.
"Thank you, Abarai-san. It feels better when you're here."
Then she was occupied by the drink list again. Renji couldn't help the fluttering feeling under his chest, just above the stomach. He reasoned it was the beer and it would leave by the same method he had received it. Thus, he drank again, slowly drifting to his own world. Until Inoue's loud gasp bolted him up.
"What?" Renji almost barked, jumping up to sit from his lolling position. Inoue held the drink list before her face, covering her mouth behind it. Her eyes were odd looking.
"What, tell me"
"I found the drink", she mumbled from behind the paper's edge. "It's called… Sex on the Beach…"
Renji sat there, staring Inoue.
"Say what?"
"…Sex on the Beach…" she repeated it with a shy tone. Renji felt how his face flamed up again.
"I didn't know!" he shrieked, shocking Inoue to the WTF-state, making people near them turn to look at Renji. Getting even more ashamed Renji crouched lower, trying to hide his face and muttered to Inoue "I mean it wasn't intentional…."
Inoue was still hiding behind the drink list, this time more boggled than shy.
"…Why do you think I would think it was intentional?" she spoke to bend Renji, carefully, pondering her own words. He lifted his gaze, eyes narrow from embarrassment.
"Since women always think things like that from the man's side ARE intentional..!" he sniffled just before her face, sounding almost hurt. Inoue blinked, leaning backwards against the hand rest, knees held together.
".....Okay….." she said, stretching her words. She didn't get what made Renji so jumpy, but it was rather scary to have him there, snuffling with ashamed features on her face.
"Anyway", she broke the silence, straightening herself and making Renji back away. "I'm going to drink it. It tastes good, you know".
"Oh I can guess why it's named like that then", Renji mumbled.
"What did you say?"
"Uh, ehrhrh! Can I take a sip too?" he hastily covered his blurted comment, giving a bad eye for the beer glass. Damn thing, making him behave like an idiot…!
"Sure, go ahead", she smiled again for Renji, offering the glass for the man. He took a quick sip from it, returning the drink for Inoue's hold.
"So err, why you said being here in the first place?" Renji asked again. He wanted to see would Inoue's expression give him any hints of the true reasons for Inoue sitting there in the crowded club. He did indeed receive one. Her frowned brows danced on her forehead when she lowered her gaze down to her lap.
"Just spending some time", she apparently lied and Renji didn't bother to buy it. He shifted closer and leaned his head near Inoue's face.
"Don't start that with me", he grunted lightly, staring Inoue straight into her eyes. She seemed to shutter, trying to glue a fake smile on her lips.
"What... What do you mean..?"
"What's bothering you?"
She said nothing at first, but finally a weak grin appeared to the mouth corner.
"It's a quite stupid reason, actually…" Inoue mumbled, playing with the hem of her skirt. Eyeing the girl for a while Renji stood up, lifting Inoue to her feet from the arm and started walking across the dancing people, dragging Inoue after him. The smaller Inoue tried her best to keep up with the long leaps Renji took. They reached the small hallway leading to the backdoor and taking a look was anyone paying any attention he yanked the door open, pushing Inoue outside to the street. The club's sign board illuminated the silent street with slightly pink tone. Inoue hugged her arms around her, looking with puzzled eyes Renji. He slammed the door closed behind him and stepped close to Inoue.
"OK, now it's just you and me. No one will here your 'stupid reason' except me. Why you're here?"
Inoue knew she was cornered by Renji but at the same time she felt relieved that he had asked. That he had forced her out site, away from the people she didn't know or felt comfortable with. She smiled weakly, eyes closed.
"Do you ever feel lonely, Abarai-san?"
He stood silently before her, like pondering the question.
"I mean, do you ever get the feeling you don't… belong in here…?"
He mentally stepped backwards by the question, but his appearance made no clue of that for Inoue. She shifted a bit, looking uncomfortable.
"What else you have on your shoulders?" Renji said, not really feeling like answering the question. Was he lonely? Well hell yes, but in the end he had made the decision of staying in human world himself. Besides, Renji knew answering Inoue's question would give her a change to guide the chatting away from her real issue. Thus he made her speak more.
"Well… it's quite stupid", Inoue tried again, but got a bad eye from Renji. So, she gave in.
"There's someone I.. I really like, but I don't know about his feelings…"
Ah. Ichigo. Renji thought he should have guessed it already, but wanting to be a man enough to listen to the young girl in trouble he pretended like not knowing about Inoue's crush. He waited her to continue.
"I wish I could talk to him, but in the end, I'm too shy. Silly, isn't it?"
She shifted her weight to another leg, arms still crossed around her, the weak smile painted almost permanently on her face. Renji stepped closer.
"There's nothing wrong in being shy", he commented.
"Have you ever dated anyone, Abarai-san?"
Inoue's sudden question took Renji off-guards. He turned crimson and scratched his head nervously.
"…Not really… I've.. been occupied by some other issues too much to have a relationship. My life is devoted for my job, you know…" Renji thought it was perhaps the best thing not to tell Inoue about his past in the streets and how much he had worked to get away from that life. He had had no time for loving.
"Do you like Rukia-chan, Abarai-san?"
Inoue was amused by the reaction she got from the lieutenant. He looked boggled, surprised and then calm, like nothing. He tucked his hands down to his dark, shredded jeans' pockets.
"Of course. She's like a sister to me", Renji answered shrugging his shoulders, not really knowing had he always though Rukia only as a sister. He felt a bit like lying to himself in some level. Inoue on the other hand didn't seem to mind about it.
"I see. I thought you liked her more than that".
He didn't answer that. The silence hanged in the air for a long moment, until Inoue finally broke it.
"So, that's why I'm here. Thinking. I thought getting away from home to a totally unknown place would give me courage and clear my mind".
Wanting to open up Inoue more with the troubling issue Renji opened his mouth.
"This guy you like… Why do you just try to figure out is he free or what does he think of you? That's if you're too shy to ask it straight from him."
Inoue glanced at the man standing before her. He seemed to be a lot wiser and calmer than what he looked like. Inoue was used to see him arguing over some silly issues with Ichigo, they both having some odd manly fight between them.
"…. Maybe I should", Inoue pondered chewing her lover lip. "I just don't know how to do it…He's rather.. well, he can be hot headed at times, I guess… And mystical. Sometimes it's hard to tell what's going on between his ears. I don't know what I should do with him…" Then she took a look at Renji. "How about you, Abarai-san?"
"What about me?"
"If there was a girl… I mean a woman, who liked you a lot without you knowing it, how would you like to get known about it? By a letter? By telling? By a hint from a friend?"
"… Are you asking me to snoop around if the guy likes you, too?"
Inoue's eyes widened and hastily she waved her palms before her, giggling nervously.
"No, no! That's not it! I just want to know would you like to know if someone liked you and how would you like to figure it out".
Renji's eyes wandered up and down Inoue's body. Well, to be honest, he would like to have the woman jump all over him, maybe throwing him on the bed like a dominatrix and just claim him for herself. … Of course if only Renji would like her, too. But, maybe that was something that was best to kept hidden from Inoue or the consequences of his little advice could do her more harm than help. He straightened his posture, grinning. His head cocked to the right.
"I'd like the woman tell me about it honestly. Damn, maybe seduce me a bit. I'm not gonna lye to you. I'd like that. I like women with characteristics". His sneer was huge and some how cute at the same time.
"Oh, I see", Inoue said still chewing her lip. She slid closer to Renji, keeping her face cast down to her feet.
"But it doesn't mean that the guy who you like would want to get seduced!" Renji hastily corrected his last sentence, making Inoue smile a bit. She nodded, with a hum.
"To be honest, Abarai-san, I think the guy I like really would like to be… seduced… I guess all the men are like that, eh?"
Feeling that the conversation was going nowhere Renji scratched his head, brows knitted together.
"Look, I'm not good in this kind of shi--- stuff, so if you want an advice from me I'd say just blurt out the truth for the guy. If he accepts it it's fine, if not then there must be someone other, a much better guy for you out there".
She brightened up, clasping hands together.
"Thank you, Abarai-san!"
"Yeah, whatever and hey, just call me Renji, OK?"
Inoue hummed with a quick nod, still smiling. Silently she crept a bit closer to Renji, standing almost under his nose. The man stopped the head scratching and looked down with a surprised look.
"…What?"
"I was just wondering…" Inoue began, drawing a circle down to the pavement with her foot "just how much a man are you?"
"Excuse me?" Renji tottered backwards a bit, not really getting this girl's actions at all. She looked up to his face, her eyes glimmering.
"I mean… could you really handle the situation of some pretty woman would come to jump all over you?"
Renji eyed Inoue with eyes sizes of plate, until the grin from ear to ear spread over his. He let out a chuckle.
"Are you testing me? Teasing? That's quite bold from you to think something like that from me", he grinned. Inoue didn't back up.
"I'm sorry", she said innocently. "I got confused".
Her arms entwined without warning around Renji's waist, her orange haired head pressing against Renji's chest. The man's back hair rose up both in surprise and sudden excitement.
"I—Inoue…?"
"… I really like you, Renji-san…."
It was like a bucket of icy cold water would have been thrown on Renji. He stood there, unable to speak and too shocked to move. Inoue pressed herself tighter against Renji, not daring to meet his eyes.
"There. I said it", she sighed, sounding a bit sorrowful. "I guess you thought I was talking about Ichigo". When she received only a dazed look from Renji, Inoue backed up, letting go of the death god.
"I'm going to go back inside", Inoue spoke softly, distancing herself from Renji. "Now you know how I feel about you. I'm sorry if I startled you with my silly behaviour. If you want we can forget this ever happened. On the other hand…" she walked past Renji back to the back door and touching the door handle gently she turned around, smiling cutely for the still boggled man. "You can always show me just how much of a man are you."
Then Inoue disappeared, sliding her slim form inside the club. Renji felt like ready to either doze of or explode from this all. She was really testing him, dropping a task just before his feet to see would he accept it or chicken up. Regaining some kind of sanity a wide grin travelled across his thin lips. Oh would he accept the challenge? At anytime. He was a fool if he didn't find Inoue attractive and just remembering her curvy, seducing body pressed against his lean form just a second ago stirred Renji's blood nicely. Feeling almost victorious Renji followed Inoue's footsteps, opening the metallic door with a one single yank.
Was he man enough? Oh yes.
He would show Inoue just what kind of man she had managed to wake up inside of him…
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Dreams,
babe, are made of emotion
Shadows and dark deep devotion
Stay
here, my heart is on fire
Oh, I won again
My heart is in your
hands
My heart is burning, turning
Over and over,
my friend
Are you man enough?
But baby, are you really
tough?
To take my heart away, my love
Don't look back! Here I
am just for you
Are you man enough?
Oh baby, are you really
tough?
If you light the flame of love
On the wings of my love
we will fly
Love me like there's no tomorrow
Give up the
fears and the sorrows
Passion of love stays forever
Didn't I
tell you that I need you so?
My heart is burning, turning
Over
and over again
Keep the fire burning in your soul
Oh, my
heart is losing its control
What I got is what you need tonight
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