Chapter Thirty-Six
Saiko ran a hand over her stomach. "I'm so hungry." She glanced at the party refreshments table longingly and then nervously to her new Captain. "How many laps do you think she'll make me run?
"Non. You're in a dress at a party. Enjoy yourself. You're getting too thin." Matsumoto pinched Saiko's waist.
Saiko smacked her hand away. "Stop it! I don't want to get punished!"
"Man, Squad Two has really scared you into a boring person hasn't it?"
Saiko began counting off her fingers.
Matsumoto sighed. "Now what are you doing?"
"Trying to think of how many servings of each food group I've had today."
"You're making it so difficult to like you and want to spend time with you."
Ikkaku walked over and put an arm around Saiko's shoulder. "You look awesome."
"What? No double entendre?" Saiko raised an eyebrow at him.
"Maybe later," Ikkaku patted her shoulder.
Saiko shifted uncomfortably. "Can you… you know, not?" She grabbed Ikkaku's arm and removed it from her shoulder.
"Why not? Everyone here knows what we're all about."
"So no one here knows anything?"
"No, they know everything." Ikkaku nodded.
"But nothing's going on."
Ikkaku frowned, trying to figure this out.
"That's it, I can't take this anymore, I'm eat—" Saiko began to move toward the table but spotted Renji. "Never mind, I think I'll just go out—" She looked towards the balcony door that Hisagi was standing by. "I'll just stay right here."
"I've got food! Here" Ikkaku took a mini sandwich and put half of it in his mouth. "You can have the rest." He winked.
Saiko reached over and ripped off the other half of the sandwich. "Thanks!"
"You can't use your hands! That's cheating!"
"Enough of hiding in corners! This is ridiculous!" Matsumoto grabbed Saiko's wrist. "You're dancing with me."
"What?" Saiko questioned, trying to resist.
"Come on, why not? It's just for fun, no pressure; I promise I won't hit on you… much." Matsumoto grinned.
"Yeah, I mean, why bother throwing a party if you can't even enjoy it, right?" Saiko smiled back. "Let's make some noses bleed."
"That's the Saiko I remember!"
Yasu stood next to Renji looking around the room. "I should have you help me plan more often, this turned out great."
Renji shifted awkwardly in his suit. "You think?"
"Everything looks so nice…" Yasu smiled at him. "You look… really good, in a suit."
"Yeah?" Renji adjusted his tie. "You don't look so bad yourself, that dress really… it does you good." He turned back to the crowd.
Yasu blushed. "Do you see Saiko anywhere?"
"Nope," Renji pulled his sleeve down. "If she wants to see me so bad like you claim, she'll find me." He looked down at Yasu.
Yasu looked nervous under his gaze.
"This jacket is so restricting." Renji swung his arms. "My massive biceps need room to breathe."
"You should take a tip from the Eleventh Captain." Yasu nodded toward Kenpachi who had ripped off the sleeves of his blazer.
"And risk looking like a homeless man? I don't think so."
Yasu shook her head.
"I have to keep up this awesome appearance; it's not easy you know."
"Maybe for you…" Yasu nonchalantly flipped her wavy black styled hair.
"Whoa, whoa! Hold it, Yasu! What are you trying to say?" Renji demanded, teasing.
Yasu smiled slightly. "I guess it doesn't come natural to everything…" She shrugged.
"Tch."
Byakuya stood by the bottom of a spiral stair case, glancing around anxiously. "I can't believe I agreed to this… my house…"
"Look, there's the Sixth Captain, you should go thank him for letting us use this house." Yasu nodded toward Byakuya.
"What? Why me!" Renji exclaimed.
"Because he likes you."
"He doesn't like anyone!"
"You should ask him to dance." Yasu continued.
"What? No way!"
"He's looking over here, he really wants to ask you but he's too shy."
"You're full of it, Yasu!" Renji yelled.
"Hmm?" Yasu smiled at him. "Sixth Captain!" She waved to Byakuya.
Byakuya's eyes widened and he tried to pretend he didn't see the girl.
Yasu retracted her hand, "Oh… he's pretending not to see me… we should go after him, Renji…Renji?" She followed his gaze to Saiko spinning around with Matsumoto on the dance floor. "You should go over there."
"Huh?" Renji's attention snapped back to Yasu. "I'm not going to talk to the Captain."
"No," Yasu shook her head. "You should go talk to Saiko."
"No way, if she wants to talk to me, she'd come over here." Renji crossed his arms, his gaze returning to his old third-seat.
"Are you sure?"
"Crystal,"
"That isn't the right answer to my question." Yasu furrowed her brow at him.
"Oh… sorry." Renji scratched the back of his neck. "I was distracted."
"I'm going to go over there…" Yasu pointed to nowhere in particular. "See you later."
Renji grabbed her arm. "I'm sorry; do you want to dance or something? We've been standing around too much."
"Oh man… Abarai can see me from here." Saiko flinched.
"Good, let him look, he can cry his eyes out over the girl he lost." Matsumoto said, doing a twirl.
"Not… lost…"
"Oh, Saiko, no, you were leaving to get over him!"
"Well it's hard… He looks very nice dressed up like that." Saiko mumbled.
"Forget. About. Him." Matsumoto told her.
"Right, forgetting, concentrating on you. Sorry." Saiko said, stumbling on her feet. "Sorry!" She grabbed her stomach.
"You go sit outside; I'll bring you some food." Matsumoto pushed Saiko away.
Saiko sighed and nodded. "Don't let my Captain see you bringing it to me."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Yasu shook her head at Renji. "I don't dance."
Renji sighed. "What do you want to do then?"
"Go over there, by myself."
"You want to ditch me?" Renji questioned.
Yasu nodded. "You're embarrassing me, I don't want to associate myself with someone with hair as red as yours."
"Tch." Renji shoved her lightly. "I see how it is; you want to pick up some guy, huh? Take him back to your room…" He winked. "Don't let me cramp your style." Renji held his hands up. "Just know, whoever it is, I'm going to kick their ass if they so much as look at you the wrong way."
Yasu blushed. "Good bye, Renji."
Matsumoto was about to walk outside with a plate of food when she spotted Shiro. "Oh. My." She squeed, just the sight of her tiny captain in a suit was too much. "Ikkaku, here." She shoved the plate of food into his hands. "Take this outside for me."
She bounced over to Shiro. "Captain~! You look so cuuute~!" Matsumoto gave him a busty hug.
"But… I don't," Ikkaku spotted Renji walking away from Yasu. "Hey, take these outside." He handed him the plate of food before disappearing.
"What? Why?" Renji questioned, looking at the food in his hands.
Yasu strolled over to Byakuya and stood next to him. "Enjoying the party, Sixth Captain?"
Byakuya's eyes widened in surprise, not sensing Yasu coming up to him. "No."
"Yeah, me neither… but don't tell anyone." Yasu said quietly.
"You harassed me until I agreed to lend you my home, and now you have the nerve to tell me you are not having a good time?
Yasu shrugged. "Why aren't you having fun?"
"…That song is not playing and the snacks are lacking… something." Byakuya told her.
"Oh… that reminds me, I have a thank you gift for you later… I was going to have Renji give it to you, but I think it will mean more coming from me, you might… enjoy it more." Yasu smiled at him.
Many questionable thoughts ran through Byakuya's head, some dirty and some dangerous, making his eyes widen once again. "What are you talking about?"
"… Blueberry muffins? Why do you look so horrified…?"
"I don't." Byakuya looked away.
Yasu sighed. "Sixth Captain?"
"No."
"I was talking to the party store shop keeper, about my problems." Yasu began.
"Why are you telling me these?"
"I needed some advice… and he seemed to know what was going on with me more than I did."
"Good, go talk to him now." Byakuya tried to look for an escape.
"You don't' have to comment, you can just listen." Yasu shushed him.
Byakuya sighed and looked down at her patiently.
"He told me that I'm bad at keeping secrets, and that when I figure out my secret, that I should tell someone… I think I figured it out."
Byakuya stayed silent, waiting for Yasu to continue.
"Can I tell you Sixth Captain? I know you won't care, and I'd much rather tell you than the person involved."
Byakuya sighed. "If you must."
Yasu sighed as well, debating whether or not she should continue to burden the Sixth Captain. "To fulfill the debt I have to Saiko, I'm going to give her my best friend."
"What would Saiko want with Yamada Hanataro, that life doesn't hardly seem worth her saving yours."
"Not Hana…" Yasu dropped her voice to a whisper. "Renji."
"You have no authority to hand any of my squad members away."
Yasu shook her head. "Saiko and Renji… they really like each other, Sixth Captain. Even if they won't admit it… I-I… Renji's friendship means a lot to me… but they'll never get together unless I give it up. That's sacrifice I guess."
"You are so foolish."
Yasu looked up at him. "What?"
Renji walked towards the balcony, grumbling to himself as he went. "Who's this for anyway? Why does that idiot need food outside if he's insi—" Renji fell silent as he spotted Saiko leaning on the banister of the balcony, looking out at the garden. Her long, white hair was curled slightly, falling to her mid back. She turned at the sound of the door, revealing her pale blue dress to be low cut and bordered with delicate lace.
"Thanks, Rangiku, I owe—Oh... hi..." Saiko muttered when she saw it was Renji holding a plate of small finger sandwiches. Stifly, he approached the rail and set down the plate.
"Thanks..." She raised a shaking hand and picked up one of the sandwiches. "My, uh... Captain won't let me eat much... doesn't want me wasting training time throwing up... not that you care..." She looked down at her hands, expecting Renji to turn and walk away.
"I care so much it hurts sometimes," Renji said huskily before pausing. "That was sarcasm..." He cleared his throat. "It's hard to care about someone who doesn't want anything to do with you."
"I wonder what that could be like, having someone you used to talk to all the time suddenly clam up and never speak to you again..." Saiko rolled her eyes.
"It sucks," Reji admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "Yasu keeps getting all... weird lately, do you know what's going on with her? She won't talk to me."
"I don't know, why did you stop talking to me? She seemed perfectly fine bringing you up when we were planning this," Saiko said, sounding bitter. "Tried to get you involved a few times, but I said you wouldn't want anything to do with me."
"I didn't stop talking to you," Renji murmured, picking up a finger-sandwich to pre-occupy himself with.
"You didn't stop talking to me?" Saiko hissed.
"Nope,"
"Never?"
"Not once,"
"So when I'd walk past you in the hall or would try to give you your schedule for the day, your being silent was you not not talking to me?"
Renji nodded briskly. "It was me doing my job... silently," he grinned sheepishly at Saiko.
"You're such an ass!" Saiko cried.
"You're no better! What, you left because I didn't talk to you for a few days? Real mature way to handle that!"
"That's not why I left, that was just the last straw."
"Then why did you leave?"
"I have no obligation to tell you that." Saiko crossed her arms, it now being her turn to become sheepish.
Renji shouted in frustration. "Did my friendship mean nothing to you, Saiko? Honestly, all those years together and you throw it all away for nothing? Just talk to me, spit it out, I want to know, really, you owe me that much!"
"Is giving up something so precious to you really worth repaying a debt made by two small children?" Byakuya started down at Yasu.
"I…I don't want advice from someone who doesn't understand love, Sixth Captain." Yasu looked angry, taken aback by his thoughtful response.
"Don't speak to me about love, you are the one that doesn't understand. You know nothing of me or my past."
"You've shown me nothing different besides a cold exterior, what am I supposed to believe Sixth Captain? Can't you see my heart is breaking and I chose to talk to you… What kind of human can be so heartless to not even react… Why can't you comfort me Sixth Captain?"
"Why are you doing this to me?" Byakuya asked, simply.
"I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry, I'm not in my right mind." Yasu shook her head and blushed. "I'm sorry Sixth Captain… I need some air." She rushed outside into the night, but stopped as she spotted Renji and Saiko's tense conversation and slunk into the shadows, listening silently.
Saiko looked away from Renji. "I gave you my thanks. I owe you nothing." She said to the floor.
"FINE!" Renji roared, he grabbed Saiko's wrist and tore off the very last bracelet. "Why the hell did you leave?"
Saiko narrowed her eyes at him. "Because I needed to move on!" She snatched her wrist away. "Rangiku was right; I couldn't waste any more time on someone who'd never love me back. So I left. I thought I could handle you dating someone else but, I was wrong, I couldn't. I'm not that strong. There. Happy?"
"What are you talking about? 'Couldn't handle me dating someone'?"
"You and Yasu, I was trying to ignore it, I really was, but I just couldn't do it anymore. It wasn't fair to me, so I decided to put as much distance between us as I could. I hope you two are really happy together, but, I can't keep doing this to myself... I... I need to go." She pushed away from the banister and began to walk towards the door, but Renji side stepped her.
"I'm not," He sighed. "Yasu and I have never had that kind of relationship, why would you even assume... and even if we were, why would it matter to you?"
"I assumed because you were always running off to spend time with her, to go to her aid..."
"Because she needs help, you don't. You can take care of yourself.
"That wasn't... that's not my point. My point is, if you wanted to be with me the way I wanted you'd have stuck around more."
"How can someone be around more than living and working with another person?"
"Never mind. We don't live together now, we don't work together now, and that's the way it should be. I was almost over you..."
"What do you mean over me? Over our friendship?"
"Don't make me say it; I don't want to be left out here to dry. Just... forget this conversation is happening, I'll just leave."
Renji's arm shot out and grabbed Saiko before she could leave. "Why would you be left out to dry?"
"For once in your life, Abarai, quit being so thick headed and just put two and two together!" Saiko screamed.
Renji's arm dropped to his side. "You're in love with me... aren't you?" He asked blankly. He took a few steps away from Saiko before a cocky smile began to spread across his face. "Of course you are! I mean, look at me!"
"No one likes a jackass, Abarai," Saiko said, glaring at him.
"You do," he smirked. "Hey! Wait, I'm not a jackass!"
"Forget this, I'm gone," Saiko waived her hand in front of her face like a mother fucking magician and started to walk back into the party. Once again, Renji caught her, spinning her towards him.
"Stop trying to leave! You're so difficult! I... I want to talk about this." He said, becoming serious.
"What? So you can rub it in my face? Fine, I have nothing better to do." Saiko leaned against the wall, gesturing to Renji with her hand. "Go ahead, I'm ready. Where are you going to start? Gloating about your fabulous personality? Or are you going to start with all the times I've told you to put your shirt back on because no one wants to see that?"
"I'm not going to rub it in. I mean who doesn't want this." He grinned for a moment before becoming serous again. "Why didn't you say something before?"
"Would it have mattered?"
"Honestly? Well... yeah, I mean... you're my best friend and... I love you, Saiko."
Saiko's eyes went wide and she clapped her hands together. You love me as a best friend? Wow, thank you so much! That's exactly what I want to hear! Man, this is the greatest day ever! Forget graduating from the academy, or being accepted to the court guard squad, finding out that the person you like loves you as a best friend is the most amazing, wonderful—"
Renji grabbed Saiko by the shoulders, pulling her forwards and kissing her as hard as he could. "Would you shut up?" he asked as he pulled away. Saiko stumbled backwards, looking at him with shock.
"What... Come on, Saiko, say something... You're making me nervous..."
"Y-you..." She took a few steps forwards, then threw her arms around Renji's neck, pulling him back towards her.
Yasu, who was hiding in the bushes, slid away, and hurried back into the party.