7. Ward
Shuuhei and Kensei
'I just needed to see if I could,' said Shuuhei, his hands clenched fists at his sides. Kensei's rage rang silent and volatile; a monster coiled and ready to spring, but he held it back with deep breaths. His brow was furrowed with the effort of it.
'Are you trying to kill yourself, Hisagi?' Kensei growled, 'I don't get it. You've got all these brains and this raw, stupid talent…' The muscles of Kensei's back tensed, as if he might punch something, and then relaxed, '…you're fucking reckless.'
'You can't give me this, captain. You, of all people, can't tell me I'm reckless,' said Shuuhei, his voice eerily quiet, his eyes dull and far away.
'I know where to draw the line, kid,' Kensei bit, 'I know my limits.' Kensei's shoulders shook with his restraint and Shuuhei would have given an arm, gladly, to be anywhere else. He didn't want to see his captain, he just wanted … He just …
'I was told you were responsible,' said Kensei, 'I was told you were hard working, smart and reliable. What happened to you?'
'People change,' said Shuuhei.
'No, I don't believe that,' growled Kensei. Shuuhei bit the inside of his cheek to keep from flinching away. 'People change them…' Kensei looked hard at Shuuhei, his eyes searching, and then he turned his back and walked out of the room and the fourth and the conversation. Shuuhei's body, taut with defiance, collapsed in spite of him, like a snapped rubber band, and it hurt like hell to slump back into the bed, but it would have been so much worse had Kensei seen.
