Author's Note: Okay, this is where the good stuff really starts. The last chapter was to set the scene and try to help you understand what happened and how long ago different events took place. Ran-chan's past will be coming into it more and those of you who wished to see more of the lab scene, that is coming around chapter 8 or so, and I may have to up the rating later on due to content.
Disclaimer I own nothing, Tite Kubo owns all characters.
Pulling the keys from my pocket, I searched and quickly found the right one. Inserting it into the lock, and turning, I pushed open the door and entered the dark room. Immediately, my nostrils were assaulted by the stench of stale beer and sweat. I shook my head and sighed. Seriously, we needed to get some decent air freshener or disinfectant of some sort. The smell was disgusting!
Taking another look around the room, I noticed I was the only one here, which was unusual. Normally, I was the last to arrive. I headed behind the bar and put my stuff in the backroom. Most of the other sins lived here, but I refused because of my profession. Looking around, I spotted the cupboards where all of the cleaning stuff was kept and I rummaged in it for a good ten minutes before I came across what I was searching for: lemon scented furniture polish and air freshener.
Spraying an overly generous amount of air freshener all throughout the room, I started to polish up the bar, ready for later that night. I looked up when the door opened and I smiled and waved at the fellow sin who had entered. He had scarlet hair, and brown eyes. Adorning his eyes where his eyebrows should be, were black, jagged tattoos. I knew that he had more similar tattoos all over his body, each one covering a scar or symbolising something he wanted to remember. He was rather tall, probably about 6'1" and his clothes clung to every sharply defined muscle on his body.
"Morning, Lust. You're very early this morning, aren't you?" He smiled; his vivid red hair in a rough ponytail contrasting dramatically with the dark background.
I folded my arms and leant against the bar, a small smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. "I could say the same for you, Gluttony. Usually you don't show until about 5 minutes before I do." For somebody with the sin of Gluttony, he certainly didn't look like the embodiment of his sin.
He glared at me. "I thought I told you to call me Renji."
I kept my grey eyes locked on his brown ones. "I would call you Renji if you stopped calling me Lust and called me Rangiku" I retorted, childishly poking my tongue out at him and he laughed.
"Why can I never stay mad at you, Rangiku?" He asked, smiling.
I shrugged in response, going back to cleaning. "It's a gift I have" I replied simply and he seemed satisfied with my answer. He disappeared into the back room for a while as he deposited his belongings and grabbed the mop. He slowly started to clean and there was a companionable silence between us for a few minutes. The silence was broken by Renji, sighing. I looked over in confusion. "Is anything wrong?"
He looked over and smiled sadly. "Nothing's wrong"
I saw through that in an instant. "Please tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone" I used my best puppy dog eyes on him and I saw him weaken at the knees.
He sighed "Fine... It's Humility... I just can't get her off my mind and I know that she's off limits, in more than one way"
That was certainly the truth. Humility was a virtue and also the younger sister of Pride. Why it worked out like that, nobody except they knew, and they weren't about to share. Pride was the first of those who embody sin to be created and Humility was the first of those who embody a virtue to be created. Pride had a fierce loyalty towards his sister and any man to even look at her the wrong way was dead in an instant. The other reason why Humility was off limits was because she was a virtue. Virtues and sins have harboured a deep hate towards each other ever since they were created and the only ones to have waved that hate for each other were Pride and Humility, due to the fact that they were brother and sister anyway.
I nodded my understanding. "I know how you feel... The guy I have in mind is off limits because he's a virtue" I sighed.
My confession seemed to have sparked the curiosity in Renji and he leaned against his mop. "Oh really? And who would that be?"
I continued with the polishing for a while, pretending I hadn't heard him, but when I looked up he was still leaning against the mop and staring straight at me. I sighed. "Diligence" was my simple reply. Renji's jaw dropped and I laughed as I saw the mop slide, knocking over the bucket of water and making him fall to the floor. He muttered and cursed under his breath before getting up, soaking wet.
"Isn't that cradle robbing?" He smirked at me and I blushed.
"No! He's older than I am, thank you very much!" I replied indignantly.
"But he's shorter than you are" Renji stated. I opened my mouth to respond, but I stopped myself. He had a point. Diligence was about 5'1" and I was 5'7", so there was quite a height gap between myself and him. Although he was small, he was handsome and he had spiky white hair. His eyes were such an intense green but they were softened or enhanced by his emotions. He was kind and hard working and extremely loyal to everyone he was allied with. Every time he came near me, I felt my heart flutter and though he never spoke to me, I knew that if it came down to it, I would willingly sacrifice my life for his; the enemy's. I knew he was unattainable. He always looked at the flame-haired Charity with a kindness that he'd never show to me. I snapped myself out of my reverie and responded with "So? He could kick you from here to the other side of the world in an instant if he wanted to" Renji didn't say anything for a couple of minutes, then;
"I still say it's cradle robbing" he stubbornly and bitterly replied.
"It is not!" I practically shouted. We continued arguing like this for a few minutes before we heard a struggle going on outside and a thud against the door of the pub.