Chapter Three-Round Two
"Hey, uh Ren?"
"Yes, Yoruichi?" Ren looked up from her paperwork to see what her captain wanted. Yoruichi was twiddling her thumbs and gazing off to her side, unable to look at Ren, and for once in her life, looked nervous and almost shy.
"How was your, uh, tour?" Yoruichi wasn't really sure how to bring it up, and she couldn't really find a way to be subtle about it, either.
"You mean how was Aizen?" Ren countered, with a suggestive flick of her eyebrows, knowing just how Yoruichi would take it. And just as she expected, Yoruichi's eyes grew wide and she started stammering very badly. To see a woman that was usually so carefree and jovial and confident become so nervous and embarrassed was hysterical to Ren, but for the sake of her beloved captain, she contained herself.
"W-w-w-what do you, w-w-w-what," Yoruichi couldn't even finish her sentence because she was stuttering so badly. She already felt bad for causing Shinji to make an ass out of himself earlier, but she didn't think it would go this far; if it had, she would have felt awful.
"I'm kidding, Yoruichi!" Ren laughed, unable to contain herself any longer. "Oh, the look on your face!"
"Th-that's not funny!" Yoruichi indignantly yelled, a light blush going across her face.
"Mhm. You finally got a taste of your own medicine and you couldn't handle it, just admit it," Ren boasted, proud that she had finally 'gotten-one-over' on her captain.
"You didn't answer my question!" Yoruichi scoffed, trying to change the subject.
"Do you really want to know?" Ren challenged. Yoruichi swallowed hard, afraid of what she was going to hear.
"Y-yes," she finally answered, closing her eyes and bracing herself.
"What do you want me to say?" Ren asked, prodding her on.
"Just tell me!" Yoruichi shouted.
"It was pretty bad," Ren told her. Yoruichi let a long sigh of relief, sending a small thanks to the Spirit King that her fears did not come to fruition.
"Whew. Why was it so bad?" Yoruichi asked.
"I mean, don't get me wrong, he seems nice and all and it was very kind of him to show me around, but something about him was just off. He kind of reminded me of crooked noble that I used to associate with back in the day," Ren told her, clasping her hands behind her head.
"A crooked noble?" Yoruichi repeated, not really understanding what Ren meant.
"Like he has some plot up his sleeve," Ren explained. "I mean, I highly doubt that he's up to something, but it just feels that way."
"Huh, that's interesting. So, uh, what did you think about our lunch?" Yoruichi asked, trying to be sneaky about her 'information gathering'.
"Strained, at times, but mostly enjoyable. Love and Lisa were pretty hysterical, and Shūnsui and Jūshirō were very charming gentlemen, I guess you could say," Ren told her, unaware of what her captain was going at.
"And, uh, what about Captain Hirako?" Yoruichi added. Ren just stared at her blankly for a moment.
"I can't believe someone doesn't like my cooking," Ren muttered. She looked like she was on the verge of tears, so Yoruichi panicked.
"I'm sure he didn't mean anything like that, Ren!" Yoruichi assured her, waving her hands in front of her, trying to keep Ren's mind on her and off of the bad first impression she had of Shinji.
"Do you think so?" Ren sniffed, genuinely upset at the thought of her food not being good.
"Yeah, I'm sure of it. He must have just been having a bad day or something. He's usually a really great guy," Yoruichi told her. There was some hope left for Shinji, and she would be damned if she let it get away.
"I guess, I mean, he didn't seem too friendly but," Ren trailed off at the end of her sentence, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger and looking at the floor.
"But what?" Yoruichi demanded. She had to know what Ren was going to say. It would kill her if she didn't find out.
"I-I don't know. I, uh, I like his spiritual pressure," Ren told her. Yoruichi was at a loss for words for a moment.
"What?" Yoruichi's curt statement made Ren blush a little, not liking the pressure she was being put under.
"It-it felt nice. It was really warm and inviting, I guess. I felt really safe and comfortable around it, and I was kind of hoping that he would be, you know, like his spiritual pressure, because, I mean, I was just happy being around it," Ren stuttered. Yoruichi was speechless again. That asshole Shinji had better get his shit together, or Yoruichi was going to have to have a very nice little talk with him.
"Ren, I-" Yoruichi was cut off by a knock on her door. Before she could finish her statement or even tell whoever was at the door to come in, Shūnsui decided to invite himself in, bringing a very lovely and expensive looking vase of flowers with him.
"Oh, Ren-chan!~ Look what I found outside!" Shūnsui sang. He seemed to almost glide as he made his way over to her, putting the vase in her arms. His grin grew wider once he saw how she blushed.
"Oh my, what nice flowers! What's the occasion, Kyōraku?" Yoruichi asked, eyeing Shūnsui
suspiciously. He just gave her a wink and continued with his plan.
"I don't know, Yoruichi-chan! I believe they're from Captain Hirako! I have business to attend to, so I'll see you later, ladies!" Shūnsui let himself out, hoping that his plan would work.
"Captain Hirako?" Ren muttered, putting the vase down on her desk, and picking up the note that came with the flowers.
"What's it say?" Yoruichi asked, curious as to the 'message' that Shinji had left for Ren. Ren unfolded the note, and quickly read it. Yoruichi knew it was good when Ren blushed as bright as a tomato.
"Read it to me!" Yoruichi explained.
"You do it," Ren told her, handing her the letter. She didn't have the gall to read it out loud.
"Fine. Here we go. My dearest Ren, I apologize for the way that I acted earlier. Your wonderful smile left me speechless, and your beauty clouded my mind to the point where I could not think or act straight. I hope that you will forgive me, and that you will allow me to see you again soon. Yours truly, Shinji Hirako," Yoruichi read.
"Shūnsui, you smooth bastard," Yoruichi thought to herself.
"See? I told you he wasn't like that all the time!" Yoruichi cheered.
"Ah, Shūnsui was real nice doing that for Shinji, wasn't he?" Ren commented, smiling at the shocked look on Yoruichi's face.
"How did you know?" Yoruichi stuttered.
"There are no traces of his spiritual pressure on the flowers. I know I haven't been around him long, but I know what his spiritual pressure feels like. It was a nice thought, though, and I can take a hint," Ren explained. "I'll be back in a bit."
"Wait, where are you going?" Yoruichi called.
"I gotta go and meet someone."
"Stupid Sōsuke, stupid lunch, stupid people," Shinji grumbled as he furiously did more paperwork. Aizen had come back in about an hour ago, and even though Shinji had not asked him, he proceeded to tell Shinji about what a nice young woman Ren was, and how he had got to talk to her the entire time they were out. He claimed that he had learned quite a bit about her, like what some of her interests were and some details about her past. After he had done a little bit more paperwork, Aizen left for the day, leaving Shinji to brood by himself.
"What!?" he yelled when heard somebody knock on his door. He was in no mood to talk to anyone right now, or to even see another human being for that matter.
Ren was half tempted to turn away once she heard the anger and irritation in Shinji's voice, but she knew that she had to toughen it out, especially if she wanted to get on the Fifth Division Captain's good side. The main thing that kept her from turning away, though, was his spiritual pressure. It gave her such comfort and solace, that she thought about just hiding her own spiritual pressure and hiding there for the rest of the day just so she could be near it. He might consider that creepy, though, so she decided against it. She breathed in deeply to calm herself, and once she felt her heartbeat slow down a little bit, she opened the door.
"H-hi, Captain Hirako," she barely managed to greet him. He looked like he had seen a ghost when she walked in. He was embarrassed about earlier, and he didn't know what to say. He could feel his face turning red, and there was nothing he could do about it.
"R-Ren," he stuttered. He didn't know where to go from there. Should he apologize, compliment her, or be nosy and ask about her little walk with Aizen?
"I, uh, this is going to sound weird, but, Shūnsui brought me some flowers and said that they were from you. He wrote a nice little apology on there for you, too. I mean, I know he did it, but Yoruichi has been telling me that you're really nice and all, and I think that you would be too. I mean, I don't know why you were in a bad mood earlier, but I figured, you know, if you were okay with it, that maybe we could start over or something. I mean, I could cook for you again. I swear I'll try harder to make it better!" Ren ranted, becoming very flustered at the end. If Shinji hadn't been paying really close attention to what she was saying, he wouldn't have been able to understand her.
"'m sorry!" Shinji exclaimed, getting out of his chair and bowing as much as he could. His face was burning red and he had a slight nosebleed, but he was not going to let her get away again. "I didn't mean to be so rude! Yer cookin' was fantastic, best I've ever tasted! If you could possibly forgive me, I'd love ta' start over!"
There was nothing but silence. Shinji was afraid that she had run out on him, and his heart dropped. He was sad, but he couldn't blame her. He had been a real ass, and he didn't deserve her because of it. As he rose back up, he let out a long sigh, only to hold his breath as he felt a pair of warm, soft lips connect with his cheek.
"Great! Come over to Yoruichi's office for dinner then!" Ren told him, practically skipping towards the door.
"Don't be late!" she called back, shutting the door behind her. As soon as the door shut, blood poured out of Shinji's nose, and his face got even redder. Those were the most wonderful pair of lips that he had ever felt, and he needed to feel them again.
"You're back quick. Where were you?" Yoruichi asked as soon as Ren returned to the office.
"Nowhere, really. I hope you don't mind that I invited someone over for dinner," Ren told her, finally regaining her nerve.
"Oh? Who is it?" Yoruichi asked, hoping that it was a certain captain.
"I-it's Shinji," Ren said, so quickly that Yoruichi barely caught it.
"Oh, really? You sly dog," Yoruichi commented. Ren slightly flushed at her statement.
"Well, he did tell me that he actually liked my cooking, so…But what if he doesn't show!" Ren panicked. She would be so crushed and humiliated if he didn't show, and she wasn't sure if she could deal with it.
"Oh, I'll make sure he shows," Yoruichi muttered. "You start cooking, I'll be back in a little bit." Yoruichi had a plan, and the name of this particular plan just so happened to be Mashiro Kuna.
He knew it was going to be a disaster, but he knocked anyways. Shinji refused to stand her up, but maybe she would understand if he had to leave early or something. If it was just him, it would have been perfect, but that wasn't the case. He had three of the worst people with him, and he could not shake them.
Mashiro had barged into his office not so long after Ren left, and she demanded that he introduce her to Ren. He told her no at first, but after about ten minutes of continuous whining, he had to concede. Once she finally got him to consent, she decided to bring a friend, so she went and got Shinji's most favorite person in the world- Hiyori. Hiyori didn't really care to meet the lieutenant, but she wouldn't pass up the opportunity to make Shinji miserable. After a while, Kensei stormed into Shinji's office, not only looking for his lieutenant, but also wanting to yell at Shinji for being interested in that thief again. And of course, Mashiro just had to tell him where they were going. And of course, Kensei decided to go along so he could give that criminal a piece of his mind.
So, in the least to say, Shinji did not expect this dinner to go well. He would have been fine if it was just Mashiro, but once Hiyori joined in, he knew he was doomed. Kensei just sweetened the deal, almost guaranteeing that Ren would never speak to him again. Maybe Yoruichi could help him out, but he doubted it at this point, especially with the two hot-heads that were with him.
"Come in, come in!~" Yoruichi sang, ushering the party of four inside. Again, she already had a table and some mats set up, and a pot of tea was already prepared for them.
"Yoruichi, I'm not here to mess around. I want to see that thief so I can tell her just what I think of her and her pickpocketing," Kensei stated, making his intentions clear.
"Ah, well at least do it after you eat. No need for the food to go to waste." Everyone looked up to see Ren walking out with several plates of food balanced on her arms, and she was carefully making her way to the table.
"You listen here, you-" Kensei's rant was cut off when Ren dead-legged him, forcing him to kneel down on one of the mats.
"Just relax, Kensei! My Ren here is a great cook!" Yoruichi told him, shoving a bit of a rice and vegetable mixture in his mouth. He tried to object, but as soon as the flavors hit his tongue, he froze.
"Good, eh?" Yoruichi teased. Kensei didn't say a word; he just scoffed and looked off to his side, but he didn't say anything else. Shinji sighed in relief: one down, one to go.
"So, you're the 'Queen of Thieves', eh?" Hiyori bantered.
"Yep," Ren replied, taking a seat beside Shinji, and tossing Hiyori a money bag.
"Wh-what?! You didn't!" Hiyori raved, feeling around her pockets. Kensei started to do the same.
"I did, and just yours, too," Ren told her. "I mean, I had to prove a point." Shinji laughed at Hiyori's rage, but as soon as he did so, it was turned on him.
"What are you laughing at, baldy?!" she shouted. She was about to hit him, but Ren quickly shoved some food in her mouth, stopping her in her tracks.
"Hurt him later, Hiyori. It's time to eat now," Yoruichi reprimanded her. Hiyori made no more arguments, content with shoveling hordes of food down her throat instead.
"Glad you could make it," Ren said, looking beside of her at Shinji and giving him a small smile.
"I wouldn't have missed it," he stated, looking away from her, trying to hide his face so she wouldn't see just how red it was getting. No matter how small it may have been, her smile put him in a state of pure joy.
"Hey, Mashiro. You decided to come, too?" Ren asked.
"Yep!" Mashiro cheered.
"I thought you said you wanted ta' meet her?" Shinji pondered. It sounded as if the two had already been acquainted with each other.
"I lied!" Mashiro announced, happily munching on some sushi. Kensei would have yelled at her, but he was too busy engulfing food himself, and he didn't intend to stop any time soon.
"See? You ended up showing me around anyways," Ren stated. Dinner had long been over, and Yoruichi decided to personally herd everyone but Shinji and Ren out herself. It was quiet between the two at first, and they wouldn't even look at each other, but soon enough, Ren broke the ice first, asking Shinji what some of his duties were as captain. Their conversation took off from there, and soon enough, Shinji worked up the courage to ask Ren of she wanted to take a walk with him. He almost jumped for joy when she agreed.
"Well, I need ta' make sure that you know where yer goin', Ren-chan. I wouldn't want you to get lost now, would I?" Shinji replied. He wasn't showing her around the Divisions at all, really. No, he had decided to take her to this little lake that he had found, which was somewhere outside the Thirteenth Division.
"I'm sure you could find me if I did get lost," Ren giggled, and beauty of that small laugh alone was enough to stun him and make him stumble over a rock that was in his way.
"Are you okay?" Ren hurriedly asked, worried that something serious was wrong with him.
"'m fine!" Shinji assured her. He was more than fine, to be honest, but he wouldn't tell her that quite yet.
"Wow, that's so gorgeous," Ren breathed. It was a full moon that night, and the reflection of the moon off of the lake was so bright and clear that it almost took Ren's breath away.
"It's not the only thing," Shinji thought. He didn't want to move in on her too fast, though, so he decided to save that compliment for later. He had gotten his second chance, and he was not going to waste it.
"So, how's yer first day been?" Shinji asked her.
"Well, it's been eventful, that's for sure, but I won't complain. It's been interesting, although it was pretty strange for my first day. I got to meet a lot of people, though," Ren told him.
"Anyone in particular stick out?"
"Well, this one guy was kind of a jerk, but I guess he sort of redeemed himself." Shinji couldn't help but chuckle at himself with that one. He had no idea what had gotten into him earlier, but he was glad that he got out of it. Dinner had played out a lot better than lunch, and he was hoping that he actually had a chance with her now.
"Thanks for taking me out here, by the way. It's really nice."
"Ah, I like ta' come out here an' clear my head sometimes."
"I can see why. It's so quiet, and I bet not a lot of people know where it is."
"Nope."
"I guess we'll keep it as our little secret then."
"Oh, we're makin' secrets already?" Shinji felt confident enough to tease her a little, but nothing more than that.
"I guess so. Oh, whatever will they say about the brave and honest captain conniving with the thief?" Ren was able to play at this game, too, it seemed.
"Ta' hell with what they say. Until they meet ya and try yer cookin', they don't know anything." Shinji was thrilled; he had gotten another laugh out of her.
"But really, Shinji, thank you. You've made this first day memorable for me."
"Ah, it's the least I could do, with you givin; me a second chance and all."
"Let's just not go for round three, alright?"
"Wouldn't dream of it, doll."
