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Carnival of Rust
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. If I did I would be filthy rich now wouldn't I?
I suggest listening to Carnival of Rust by Poets of The Fall while reading this fic. Enjoy.
Chapter 1: Never ending rain
"Damn it!" Renji yelled shoving stuff off his desk, including the glass paperweight that Toshirou had given him.
"Renji! Stop." Momo cried out moving to stop him.
"I…I'm sorry Momo, Captain Hitsugaya." Renji said looking thoroughly ashamed of himself as he started to pick up the remnants of the shattered paperweight cutting his fingers on the ragged edges. Too bad, it really had been nice, the only nice thing Renji had ever been given. "I'm…I'm really sorry I broke it Captain Hitsugaya." Renji said holding the head and curved neck of the glass swan.
The white haired captain just shook his head. "It was cheap. I can always buy you another." A knock on the door made them all turn.
"Come in." Renji growled and the door slid open to reveal the young dark haired medic of Renji's frustration. "Hana." Renji said in a slightly softer tone.
"Captain Unohana sent me to get you, Lieutenant Abarai. Something about the recent influx of hollows." Hanataro said quietly. Renji's heart fell to the floor at that. Not Renji-kun, but Lieutenant Abarai. So he had made the young medic uncomfortable with his drunken kiss at the party for Momo's promotion to Squad 5 Captain.
"I'm sorry…so sorry Hana." Renji said as he had so many times since then. The young medic shook his head, dark hair whipping around his face, blue eyes averted from Renji's face.
"I...I came to get you…Renji-kun your fingers are bleeding!" Hanataro said, blue eyes widening as they shot up to Renji's face.
"Yeah." Renji said. He called me Renji-kun.He thought, his eyes softening a little.
"Let me..." the black haired boy said taking Renji's sword roughened hands in his own lightly calloused ones. Renji melted inside at the sight of Hantaro worriedly healing his cuts.
For now let me be happy. I want to stay like this forever. Renji thought and then hisses in pain as the little medic yanked an exceptionally large piece of glass out of the wound on his left hand. "Ooh, I'm sorry." Hanataro murmured. So close. The boy was so close. He could reach out and kiss the boy breathless if he wanted to.
No. Not if Hana doesn't want me to. Renji thought. I won't do it.
"This is too much." Toshirou commented watching Renji's conflicting emotions flicker across his face.
"Oh jeez just kiss him Renji, I don't think he minded much." Momo snapped.
"Ah. Momo." Renji said surprised and embarrassed.
"Lieutenant Abarai," Hanataro said wetting his lips and taking a deep breath. "Captain Unohana is waiting for you in the Squad 4 barracks. You should hurry."
"Right. Sorry." Renji said again before leaving the little medic with Momo and Captain Hitsugaya.
"Hana-chan, how do you feel about Renji?" Momo asked slyly.
"He's kind and I…everyone likes him." Hanataro said head down, dark hair covering the blush stealing into his cheeks.
"I know everyone likes him. My question is do you like him more than anyone else in the Seireitei?" Momo asked.
"O-of course. I like him so much it hurts." The young medic said not quite looking Momo in the eye.
"Then why were you upset when he kissed you at the party?" Toshirou asked.
The boy's head jerked up almost violently. "He wasn't serious about it. I could tell." Hanataro answered unhappily.
"Not serious. What do you mean?" Momo asked.
"He called me Rukia. He thought I was Rukia." Hanataro sighed.
'Renji you dumbass. He loves you too.' Toshirou thought.
"Oh Hana-chan." Momo said guiding the boy's head to her shoulder.
"I…I have to get back to work" Hanataro said pulling out of Momo's comforting embrace. 'Only Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Kotetsu have ever been so kind to me. Why are they so kind?' Hanataro wondered briefly before running off to finish his job, cheeks burning red. A loud boom came from somewhere ahead, seconds later the shockwave knocked him off his feet.
"What was that?" Toshirou asked behind him. Momo staggered to her feet checking herself out and gently rubbing her shoulder.
"An explosion. That's the Squad 4 barracks!" Hanataro yelled running unsteadily toward the smoke.
"Hanataro wait!" Toshirou called.
"It might be dangerous." Momo yelled running after the little medic with Toshirou scrambling ungracefully behind her.