Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach…

Rukia stepped quietly over the polished floor of the thirteenth company hall, sweeping along behind her. The dry broom bristles hissed against the hardwood, single-handedly staving off the silence. She could shake the image from her head; they way he'd looked at her with those pleading eyes.

"…If you stop being strong now, I don't know what I'll do..."

Rukia chewed her lip, pensively. He had sounded so sincere, so heartfelt. Simply recalling the entreating tone of his voice enveloped her heart in an alien warmth. Suddenly, a rough kick to the back hurled Rukia from her thoughts and onto the floor in a heap.

"Missed a spot," Renji sneered.

"Wha-?! What was that for?!" Rukia snapped, rubbing the small of her back.

"You were spacing out, again... Someone's gotta keep you grounded." Rukia picked herself up off the floor and brushed the dirt from her shihakusho.

"What are you doing here, anyway?! Don't they have even work for assistant captains?"

"I'm taking a break," Renji shrugged. "We can do that, you know! Actually, I came to see if you wanted to get some lunch."

"Sorry," Rukia stated, "I already have plans." Renji's grin quickly melted to scowl of confusion.

"Since when do you have plans?! And with who?"

"What's wrong?" Rukia asked, leering over her shoulder. "I didn't know you cared so much, Mr. Goofy Tattooed Eyebrows Man..."

"I DON'T care!" he snapped. How did she manage to annoy him so easily? "No skin off my nose! Go have your plans or whatever!"

"I will," she chuckled, derisively. She could practically hear his teeth gnashing under the strain of his grinding jaws. It was so easy to get to him.

"I'm outta here!" he barked, and with that, Renji stormed out of the station and slammed the doors behind him.

XXX

"R-Rukia-san! You're here!" Hanataro's eyes flashed wide with elation. He had been waiting at the mess hall entrance for almost an hour (though, in truth, he had shown up over an hour early).

"Of course I am," she replied, matter-of-factly. "You invited me, so why shouldn't I be here?" A faint blush washed over his cheeks. She had a point.

"W-well... That is..." Before his mouth could form a sentence, Rukia reached out and took hold of his wrist. The warmth of her tender hand deepened his blush.

"Let's go."

Once in the serving line, it took Rukia nearly ten minutes to get her food. At first, she simply stood there, staring up at the daily menu with her chin cupped in her hand. Hanataro glanced nervously from side to side; the entire length of the line had their eyes on them. He could feel the cool sweat forming over his skin. Bloodlust was everywhere. When she'd finally decided on platter combination, the pair took their seats on the far end an empty table.

"You didn't get very much, Rukia-san," Hanataro stated, eying her tray.

"I don't care for cafeteria food," she explained, "that's why I normally eat my meals at home." Hanataro's mind momentarily flashed back to the meal they had shared in her kitchen, complete with a hospital visit and the bottle of tablets he was ordered to carry in his bag.

"But you came anyway... W-why?"

"Because you asked me to." Hanataro blushed. It seemed like such a simple, mundane answer, but coming from her, somehow, it held a different meaning. "Now... What is this?" Hanataro's jaw dropped to table with a thud. She'd spent all that time deciding on what to eat and didn't even know what she was ordering?

"Well, that's yakitori," he said, pointing to the skewered meats, "and that's... well... I'm not sure..." Rukia picked up one of the skewers and eyed it curiously.

"Oh, I remember, now!" she exclaimed. "It's a ka-bob!" Hanataro ruffled his face in confusion.

"Kabob?"

"A 'sheesh'-ka-bob," she nodded. "It's an earthly snack served at festivals and ceremonies; one of the many things Ichigo taught me while I was away. Yes, this 'sheesh'-ka-bob." Though the confidence in her voice was that of an expert, her broken pronunciation of the word lead Hanataro to believe that she wasn't quite sure herself; he was spellbound, just the same.

"Ichigo-san taught you a lot..." There was a tone of wonder in his voice.

"Yes," she smiled. "He did." Hanataro spotted a nostalgic gleam in her eyes; Ichigo must have meant a lot to her. Each time she mentioned him, her eyes glazed over with a peculiar tranquility. He often wondered what actually happened between them while Rukia was away.

"Well, will ya look at that," Ikkaku grunted, leaning back in his seat. He had been watching the two shinigami from a distance since the hold-up in the lunch line. "Kuchiki's sitting with that scrawny kid from fourth company... Uh, What-s-his-name…?"

"Who cares?" Yumachika shrugged before taking a sip of his tea.

"Since when were they so chummy? I didn't even know Kuchiki HAD friends, especially outside her company... Maybe something's going on between them..." Yumachika glanced up from his tea to examine the gaunt shinigami sitting across from Rukia.

"Hmmm... I don't see how; he's not very attractive at all."

"I wonder if Renji knows..."

"Now that IS an attractive prospect." A few minutes later, the two seated officers left the mess hall and returned to their squad buildings.

XXX

"I-I'm sorry you didn't find anything you liked, Rukia-san," Hanataro murmured, nervously rubbing at the back of his head. He had taken the liberty of walking her back to her company barracks after their post-lunch stroll through the Serietei.

"I told you before: I didn't go for the food."

"R-right...! Sorry!" Hanataro bowed, apologetically, eliciting a quiet frown from the raven-haired woman.

"Hmm... Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

"G-goodbye, Rukia-san!" Rukia stepped into the squad building and closed the door behind her. Hanataro lifted his head and gaze warily up at the squad insignia painted on the entrance. 'Was it... something I said?'

XXX

Ikkaku lifted his weathered waterskin up above him and emptied its contents on his bare head and shoulders. The cool liquid did little to sate his condition. He and Renji had been sparring relentlessly for the last few hours. It had become somewhat of a bonding point for them. For Renji, it was the chance to blow off some steam; for Ikkaku, it was the opportunity to train with his bankai in secrecy. It was the perfect arrangement.

"I still don't get it," Renji huffed. "You're plenty strong, not to mention one of the only officers below vice-captain class who can release a bankai... Why don't you apply to be a captain?"

"Why don't you?" Ikkaku snorted.

"Maybe I will!"

"Look, I told you before: I don't want to be a captain. My life's ambition is to serve, and die, under Captain Zaraki's command."

"Pft…! Whatever. The higher-ups are gonna find out, sooner or later... They're gonna be promoting officers like crazy to make up for all the empty spots. Guess it can't be helped... I'll bet even thirteenth company gets a new adjutant."

"That reminds me: I saw Kuchiki, today."

"So?" Renji shrugged.

"Didn't you have your eye on her for a while?"

"Me and Rukia?!" Renji broke out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, slapping his knee repeated as he struggled to breathe. "R-Rukia Kuchiki? Give me a break!"

"Z'at so? Cause I saw her at the chow hall with that guy from fourth company." Renji's smile deflated, immediately.

"...Huh...?"

"That's right. They were all buddy-buddy sitting a table by themselves. You know, I never figure Kuchiki to be the type. To be honest, I wasn't sure if she liked guys at all... Well, whatever." Ikkaku turned to catch the bewildered expression on his companion's face. "Guess you didn't know after all..."

XXX

'I hope she's not mad at me,' Hanataro thought to himself. 'She seemed upset... But, maybe I'm overreacting?' All this worrying was beginning to affect progress, he realized. He had been ordered to rearrange to medical stockroom, but at this rate, he probably wouldn't finish until late that evening. "I suppose I should just... wait."

"Wait for what?" Hanataro's head whirled around with a start to see Renji leaning against the stockroom doorway.

"O-oh, R-Renji-san! I didn't know you were here...!" Renji didn't reply. He didn't move. Something was wrong, Hanataro realized. Something was very wrong. "R-Renji-san...? Renji-san, are you-?"

"Shut up," Renji snarled, "just shut up." He took a step forward, closing have the distance between them in a single stride. The room suddenly felt humid; stuffy. Hanataro's hands fumbled feverishly at his sides. Fear. Confusion. Discomfort. Shame. All these emotions swirled around him in a great whirlpool. What was happening? What did Renji intend to do?

"I'm only gonna say this once," Renji seethed, "so listen and listen good." The shadow of his muscular form swallowed the trembling shinigami whole. "Stay away from Rukia."

Hanataro's entire body froze. All senses left his body, leaving him little more than a hollow, rattling shell. What had he just said? The words wouldn't stick; his mind wouldn't accept them. It couldn't accept them. It was far too painful.

"R-Renji-san..."

"If you don't... I'LL KILL YOU." The young medic's mouth widened as if to protest, but the words never came. Renji had spoken, and his words were as clear as they were final. The crash of shattered glass filled his head. His paradise, his world, had just come to an end.