"Twinny! What happened to your face?!" Yachiru's high pitched squeal of a voice echoed down the halls of the Squad Eleven barracks.
Saori brought her fingers up to the bandaged patch on her cheek, "Oh this? It's just from this morning's spar." She placed her hand atop Yachiru's head and ruffled her pink hair, "It's nothing to worry about."
That smaller soul reaper giggled as Saori messed up her hair.
As the pair left the barracks, Saori felt a weight lift off her shoulders. Like she let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding. With Yachiru's tiny hand in her hers, she felt almost at ease. The tense spar with Renji felt far away. Like it had happened in a nightmare instead.
Bringing her free hand up to her cheek, Saori touched the bandage once more. This time she frowned. It was proof that the spar happened. That he was really here.
Saori looked back at the barracks. It appeared tiny in the distance. And she felt tiny in comparison. Just like when she first arrived in the squad. Closed off. But after a while, her walls began to crumble. She remained guarded with her fellow squadmates, but was still at relative ease with them. But now, she could feel her walls building up once more.
"Are you okay, Twinny?"
Saori turned her attention from the barracks to her lieutenant beside her. But instead of Yachiru's big brown eyes, a pair of green eyes stared back at her.
Saori pulled her hand away and stumbled a few feet back, "Su-Suzuha…" The name spilled from her mouth.
"Suzuha? Who's that?"
Saori closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to shake off the nausea that washed over her. Her eyes opened once more and she was met with pink hair and brown eyes.
"Lieutenant. Forgive me." Saori bowed at the waist.
Yachiru placed her tiny hand atop of Saori's head and mimicked the ruffling she had received earlier. The twintails that Saori wore her hair in made it difficult for the ruffling to be effective. "Maybe you got your noggin' knocked around too much this morning'" she exclaimed. A wide toothy grin on her face.
Saori couldn't help but smile in return. "Yeah, I think you're right."
"I think some candy will help!" Yachiru snatched up Saori's hand and tugged her along. Much quicker than before.
Once at the confectionery, Yachiru was running wild. Grabbing bags of candies, chocolates, and other such goodies off of the shelves and piling them up in Saori's arms.
"Do we have enough money for all this?" Saori asked, craning her neck around the ever growing pile of goodies. The store that Yachrui had let them to was in one of the more richer districts. Saori didn't know how much a lieutenant's salary was, but she knew that hers wouldn't be enough.
"I've been saving a while, so I think so." Yachiru's voice rang out.
The smaller soul reaper pushed Saori to the counter of the establishment. The clerk behind the counter was cowering at the mountain of goodies Saori finally put down. She glanced around as the clerk tallied up the total. The store was empty. Free of other patrons. Probably because Yachiru and herself wore the black shihaksho of the soul reapers. And despite Yachiru's small, childlike appearance, the badge ranking her as lieutenant must have caught the eyes of those around. Especially if they knew the specific squad the two of them were from.
The clerk must've also caught a glimpse of the squad number on Yachiru's badge, as he struggled to stutter out the total amount that the young soul reaper owed.
Yachiru pulled her change purse out of a hidden pocket in her uniform and dumped the contents out of the counter.
"I have enough!" she shouted.
The clerk gulped. Clearly peeved at having to count all of the small change, but too scared of the two soul reapers to do anything about it. As he reached to begin counting, he noticed Saori swat her hand at him. Immediately, he retracted his hand and gave her a quick and curt bow.
Silently, Saori counted out Yachiru's change. Separating it out into piles for ease. Yachiru stood on her toes to try and peak over the counter, but she was too short. The pile of sweets was not helping.
Silence continued throughout the shop as Saori finished up the counting. Yachiru looked up to her squadmate, awaiting the final verdict.
"Can I see your purse, please?" Saori asked.
Yachiru handed over her emptied purse and watched as Saori shoveled a handful of change back into it. She stared in awe at the once again heavy coin purse, before shoving it back into her pocket.
The clerk was quick to bag up the goodies. Thanking them with a stutter and a bow.
"Thanks so much, Twinny!" Yachiru practically screamed once they left the shop.
Saori swore Yachiru was going to jump and hug her, had she not been holding the bags full of goodies.
"Is there anywhere else you wish to go?" Saori adjusted the bags in her arms, falling instep behind her lieutenant.
Yachiru turned around to face Saori, walking backwards in the process. Her hands on her hips. With her big brown eyes, she gave Saori a once over, as if judging her appearance. Saori gave a quizzical look, but didn't say anything.
"I know what you need!" the smaller soul reaper exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "Ribbons! To match your sash!"
Knowing better than to argue or disagree with her lieutenant, Saori gave a small smile, "I'd love some ribbons."
Yachiru gave an excited cheer, running ahead with her arms extended. "I think there's a place up ahead!" She exclaimed again, running through crowded market street. The other shoppers nearly tripping over themselves to make way for the small lieutenant.
Saori heard Yachiru call her from beyond the crowds of people. She quickened her pace, careful not to let any goodies fall from the bags. She quickly found Yachiru in front of an outdoor stall, holding up two small bow clips.
"They match your sash!" She exclaimed, waving the small clips in the air.
They were a similar shade of purple to the sash Saori used to tie her zanpak-to to her back. The clips were a touch darker though.
"How much for these?" Saori asked the woman manning the stall.
The woman gave a rather modest number, accompanied with a polite bow.
Saori looked at Yachiru. She still held the clips above her head. "Alright."
Placing the goodie bags gently on the ground, Saori knelt in front of her lieutenant. She gave her a gentle nod, to which Yachiru squealed in delight. With her tiny fingers, she clipped the ribbons into Saori's hair.
"Twinny! You look so cute!"
Saori smiled. It felt nice to be cute, She reached into her own hidden coin purse, grabbing the exact amount of change needed.
The lady of the stall accepted the money with another polite bow.
"Anywhere else you'd like to go?" Saori asked, lifting the bags up off the ground.
Yachiru rubbed her chin, as if in deep thought, "Nah, we can go back home."
This time, Yachiru was walking beside Saori. Her shorter legs falling into step with Saori's longer ones.