Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach…
Rukia tilted her head back against her pillow and gazed thoughtfully up at the vase on her nightstand. The flowers Hanataro had given her had long since begun to wilt, but for reasons she herself could explain, she couldn't bring herself to discard them. Perhaps it was the fact that it was first time anyone had given her flowers. Or, maybe it was the nostalgia they brought, reminding her of her days in Rukongai. No, neither of those seemed accurate. Her forehead wrinkled in frustration. It was, quite simply, confounding.
Hanataro Yamada… He was a nice person. As cynical as she tended to be, Rukia's intuition told her that his kindness was genuine; she had always prided herself on her excellent judge of character. There was something about him the intrigued her, but the reason escaped her. He wasn't strong by any means, lacked all conventional standards of charm, wasn't particularly attractive, he was clumsy and had very little confidence in himself; so why was he so… magnetic? Did she feel indebted to him for attempting to rescue her? No, that wasn't it. While he had risked his rank and well-being for her, somehow this feeling differed from the sense of duty she had felt before.
Rukia clasped her hands behind her head and stretched out over her futon. Hanataro Yamada… All circumstances aside, she actually enjoyed the time she'd spent with him while imprisoned in sixth company's jail cell. He made her feel… comfortable. Yes, that was accurate. She felt comfortable around him. In him, she could confide, though in truth, she never thought she'd live to care whether or not he kept her words secret.
Rukia bolted upright in bed. 'That's it,' she realized. Suddenly, it was all so clear to her. She finally understood the reasoning behind her attachment; it was loyalty. Above all, Hanataro remained loyal. While he didn't have the strength to fight, his fidelity drove him to do whatever he could to make a difference. Never once had he betrayed her. Never once had he turned his back on her. Never once had he refused her. He was faithful, not only to her, but to himself. It was the same quality she had come to love Captain Ukitake and Ichigo… And Kaien-dono… Perhaps he was… Rukia placed a hand over her heart and smiled.
"Yes, Kaien-dono," she murmured, "I… finally understand."
XXX
"I'LL KILL YOU." The words echoed again and again in his head. He couldn't shake the sound of Renji's voice; that seething hatred in his eyes. Hanataro let out a long, heavy sigh. What was he going to do now? He had done his best to avoid contact with Rukia, but it wouldn't be long until she picked up on his change in behavior. How could he possibly face her? What could he tell her?
Why was he so worked up, anyway? Hadn't Renji and Rukia just been friends? Hanataro was aware of the fact that they had grown up together in Rukongai, but why should it matter to him what Rukia did? Hadn't Renji, along with his captain, been the two shinigami dispatched to retrieve Rukia in the first place? And hadn't Renji also been one of the many guards Ichigo had to face in order to save Rukia? He couldn't possibly care for her well-being that much if he was willing to stand by and watch her be executed.
'But, I guess that still doesn't change anything,' he submitted. 'What would you do… Ichigo-san…?'
XXX
"I see," Commander Yamamoto stated, placing the pamphlet down his desk. Captain Hitsugaya and his adjutant, Matsumoto, stood at attention before him. "So, you believe that this proposal will prove effective?"
"Yes sir," Hitsugaya replied. "Based on the given circumstances, I feel that in executing this plan, we will be able to successfully circumvent the efforts of menos as they pass into the living world."
"I will give serious consideration," the commander assured him.
"Thank you, sir."
"If this were to be approved, who would you nominate for this occupation? Of course, you would head the mission."
"Assistant-captain Matsumoto, assistant Captain Abarai of the sixth company, third and fifth-seat adjutants Madarame and Yumachika of the eleventh company, and Rukia Kuchiki of the thirteenth company."
"Kuchiki? Do you mean to entrust such an important mission to a shinigami below the rank of seated officer?"
"Due to her history with Ichigo Kurosaki, I believe that Rukia Kuchiki's presence is indispensable if we are to earn the substitute soul reaper's cooperation."
"I see. As I said before, I will consider it. You are dismissed."
"Yes sir."
XXX
"You know," Renji began, "if you're gonna make faces like that, I'm not gonna buy you lunch anymore."
"How rude!" Rukia shot back. "And, I'm not making faces; this is the way I always look!" Renji peered down at her over his cup of tea, studying the wrinkles that lined her forehead as she frowned. She had been frowning all day. In fact, she had been acting strangely for most of the week. She had always been less than agreeable, even as a child, but lately, she had become even more irritable and sulky than usual.
"What's wrong? Don't like the food?"
"It's fine." Rukia stared pensively down at her meal, prodding it occasionally with her chopsticks. Renji sighed and leaned back in his seat. This was the second time he had invited her to do something, yet her attention seemed sorely displaced. She had barely looked at him for the entire meal. He hated seeing her like this; her sulking always put him in a bad mood.
"Would you smile, already?! You've been acting really weird, lately and it's starting to piss me off!" Rukia placed her chopsticks carefully over her bowl and lowered her head.
"Do you really… want to know?" she whispered.
"I asked, didn't I?"
"Well, I admit, something has been troubling me…"
"Tell me, dammit!"
"It's…" Rukia lifted her gaze to meet his.
"Yeah…?"
"It's… your eyebrows," she finished. "They sadden me."
Renji's eyes narrowed over his grinding teeth. Beneath the tabletop, his fist clenched furiously, poised to strike.
"W-What did you s-say?!" he snarled.
"You really should have them looked at, you know."
"You little-!!"
"Rukia-san!" Renji and Rukia looked up to see Hanataro bounding toward them.
"H-Hanataro…?!" Though her hands clutched at the lap of her shihakusho beneath the table, Rukia's eyes couldn't conceal her excitement. "What are you doing here?!"
"Rukia-san…!" he wheezed. "I…!" Hanataro jogged to a stop beside the pavilion, panting and sweating profusely. He looked terrible, even for Hanataro; his pale skin was two shades whiter and his frame shook and rattled with effort. Even-so, his eyes remained crystal clear and focused. Renji gripped the sides of the table, hoisting himself to his feet.
"What ARE you doing here?" the assistant-captain growled. Hanataro flinched under the bigger man's tone, but continued to stand his ground.
"I-I need to talk to Rukia-san…!"
"Well, as you can see, she's busy, right now."
"Renji!" Rukia snapped.
"Stay outta this, Rukia!" Renji turned back to the trembling fourth company member. "We've been over this once before, boy…! Leave, NOW."
"I…" Hanataro's gaze weakened for a moment. "I-I refuse."
"Refuse?" Renji cocked a tattooed eyebrow and scowled. "Refuse… me?" Before Hanataro could even blink, the red-haired shinigami leapt over the table and snatched him up by the collar of his uniform. The world suddenly smeared over itself in a blur. Through the hazy of shock and befuddlement, Hanataro barely realized that his body was in motion. The ground rushed beneath him like a river of white marble tile. A cool harsh air ripped over him as he sped into oblivion. Where was he going?
XXX
THUD!
When Hanataro opened his eyes, he found himself staring up at the blue, mid-day sky. The melodic chirping of birds swept over him on a gentle gale. He could feel the cool blades of fresh green grass as they tickled his hands and the back of his neck. It was… pleasant.
"On your feet, fourth company!" Renji barked. The sound of his voice made it hard for Hanataro to refrain from relieving himself in his uniform. Those sharp, fiery eyes… That scowl of seething hatred… Never before had the young shinigami been the target of so much animosity. He could practically feel Renji's murderous intent.
"R-Renji-san…?"
"Shut up!! I said ON YOUR FEET!" Slowly, Hanataro climbed from the moist ground and glanced abut him. After a moment's observation, he came to a conclusion; they were no longer in the Serieitei. The vast, grassy meadows that surrounded them assured Hanataro that they were, indeed, alone. There were no houses. There were no sheds. There wasn't a soul in sight. "I warned you…"
"R-Renji-san, I-!"
"But, you just couldn't listen, could you?! You'll regret that, boy…!" Renji's hand moved up from his side to grasp the hilt of his zanpaku-to. The cruel-looking blade gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight. "You've met Zabimaru, right, boy?"
'Z-Zabi-maru…?!" The flawless steel rested motionlessly at eye-level. Thick waves of spiritual pressure poured out of it, splashing out in torrents. It was overwhelming.
"I don't normally do this, especially against trash like you, but you've managed to really piss me off…!"
"Wha-?!"
"HOWL, ZABIMARU…"
"N-no…!!"
"BAN-KAI!!!" A blazing red light engulfed the very air around them like a massive flame. It was more than blinding; it practically seared out the pupils in the young medic's eyes. When the last flare of radiance faded into daylight, the full form of Zabimaru came into view. Yard after yard of chalk-colored bone coiled around them. The vertebrae rattled and groaned as the structure shifted along. Hanataro's gaze trailed the monster's immeasurable length; from the rear conjoined at sword's hilt, to the enormous snake skull framed in the center of a billowing red mane. It was truly the most awesome sight he had ever laid eyes on. "Baboon King: Zabimaru…"
Hanataro's frame shrieked under the crushing force of Renji's relentless aura. It seemed endless. His garbs clung heavily to his skin, matted to his body with his own perspiration. It felt as though the world was crashing down around him. His chest heaved with effort. The overwhelming pressure made it hard to stand and impossible to move, though his body screamed for an escape. Run! Run and hide! Every fiber of his being urged him to retreat, but his will remained steadfast. He wouldn't budge; not one inch.
"Well?" Renji snorted. "Aren't you scared?"
"T-terrified," Hanataro stammered.
"And still, you insist on playing the hero… Why?"
Hanataro swallowed hard. The blazing reiatsu made it hard to breath and impossible to move.
"A-all my life I've been a coward. When things got tough, it always seemed easier just to run the other way. I probably could have been content living that way forever… But, something changed… I realized that there are things in life you have to face if you ever want to move forward. It's then that the need to move outweighs the apprehension, allowing you to push past and do what needs to be done… In the end, that's what being brave is all about?"
"Tch!" Renji scoffed. "What do you know about bravery, boy?! I'm gonna be the one to protect Rukia!" The young medic's posture went rigid.
"Protect… Rukia-san?" Hanataro's eyes narrowed in a bitter glare. "Don't make me laugh."
Renji faltered, taken aback by the boy's darker tone. Was he actually… angry?
"Where were you?" Hanataro continued. "Where you when Rukia-san was wrongfully imprisoned in the sixth company brig?! Where were you when they transferred her to the Shrine of Pentanence?!" As he spoke, Hanataro's fists shook violently at his sides. He could feel the salty sting of the tears welling up in each eye. He couldn't explain it. He had never felt this outraged, never in his entire life.
"Where were you… when Captain Kuchiki meant to cut down Rukia-san with his own hands?! Where were you…" Hanataro's shaking gradually spread to every corner of his body. He felt weak… drained, but it was different now. Somehow, it felt right. "You're… You're a coward… Renji-san…!" Renji flinched as though he'd been slapped across the face. Hanataro was absolutely right.
He had been the one that traveled to the living world to arrest Rukia. He had been the one who lacked the courage to appeal her case. He had been the one who blocked Ichigo's path to the tower. He had failed her. He had failed himself; not only as a soul reaper, but as a man.
Suddenly, Zabimaru recoiled, and in a flash of red light, the sword reverted to its sealed state. Renji sheathed his zanpaku-to and turned away. He had lost the will to fight. The sound of Hanataro's sobs was barely audible rattling of his scabbard. He was trembling from head to toe. Pathetic. Simply pathetic. He wouldn't look back; he couldn't. There was nothing he could do. With heavy heart and sickening feeling in his stomach, Renji picked up the remains of his shattered ego and vanished.
XXX
Hanataro sat hunched forward on a rock, hands clasped together between his knees. It took a little while, but he had finally managed to calm down and stop crying. Why had he been so upset in the first place?
'I can't believe I acted that way,' he thought. 'I said such awful things to Renji-san… I feel terrible…' And yet, despite his guilt, Hanataro felt somewhat relieved. It was as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. 'I feel… clean.'
"There you are!" Hanataro looked up with a start.
"O-oh, Rukia-san! I-I didn't know you were-!"
"Where is Renji?"
"He... He left." Rukia paused to study the brooding expression that plagues his features. "Rukia-san…?"
"Yes?"
"We're friends, aren't we…?"
"I-I suppose," replied, blushing lightly.
"Good," he smiled. "I'm glad." Climbing to his feet, Hanataro took a step toward Rukia and stared levelly into her. Inside his soft, blue eyes burned a resolve brighter than any he'd shown before.
"Hana-taro…?"
"I know I'm not strong, or smart, or brave," he murmured. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to be of use to anyone, but I swear I'll never leave you alone. You have my word, Rukia-san." Rukia stared blankly into his face. Had he always been capable of such intensity? Gradually, her dumbstruck gape melted into a warm smile.
"I know, Hanataro. I know."
Author's Note: Sorry this one took so long. I've been working on some other material lately, so I rarely have time for "pleasure-writing." Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (this is actually the hardest fanfic I've done). Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback and I hope you'll continue to do so.