Please enjoy the next chapter of "A Rose That Won't Bloom".
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters. I only have the OCs.
Kagami withheld a chuckle as she watched Renji drum his fingers irritably on the small table in his room. He had brought her there after agreeing to let her come on the hunt for her attacker, knowing it would be stupid and heartless to leave her alone in the Rukon District. She needed to remain hidden from the Soul Reapers of the Fourth Division, or else they'd take her back. Kagami knew Renji wanted nothing more than just that, but he needed the information she had on this case. Of course, he probably still didn't believe Tousen was behind it, but Kagami was his only lead.
Kagami glanced around the room, taking notice of how Renji now kept things organized. Well, she figured, perhaps 'organized' wasn't the best word to use. Papers were piled on top of tables and the dresser, obviously work he'd brought home with him. Various odds and ends were strewn about the walls, including and old picture of Renji, Kagami, Rukia, Izuru and Momo from when they were in the academy together. Kagami had to admit that she was impressed, though. Renji had never been the neatest of people when they were still in school. Hell, they'd made it a rule to never study in his room to avoid tripping over a pile of books that could always be found close to the door. Now, it was only furniture that contained the cluttered nature Kagami had been used to.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Renji asked, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his chair. Kagami smirked.
"I haven't seen you since graduation. The last time I saw you this on-edge was when we were studying for the final exam," she answered. "I forgot how funny it is to watch you squirm." Renji frowned and turned his head away from Kagami.
"Very funny. You know, you shouldn't be teasing the one who put in the request to go to the Living World."
"I can do as I damn-well please because I'm the reason you know to go there in the first place. You're lucky some Arrancar lackey decided to taunt a dying woman, the cocky son of a bitch."
Renji shook his head slowly and Kagami threw him a small smile. She wondered if he'd forgotten how blunt she could be. Growing up in Junrinran, she'd been exposed to many hardships. Granted, she knew it wasn't nearly as much as Renji had seen, knowing he'd raised himself in Inuzuri.
"You're something else, Kagami," Renji mumbled.
"I think I'll take that as a compliment."
Renji leaned forward in his seat, staring at Kagami where she sat on his bed. His elbows rested on his knees and his hands were clasped in front of his face in thought. Kagami stared back, waiting for him to speak whatever was on his mind.
"How's your shoulder feeling?" he asked. Kagami scowled at the wound, slowly rolling both shoulders. The left one creaked and she could swear she felt some of the thin, newly-formed tissue rip.
"Like hell," Kagami muttered, pulling her gaze away from the left sleeve. She was one of the few Soul Reapers in the Ninth Division who wore sleeves, for which she was now thankful. She wanted to hide the damage, as well as protect the wound as best she could.
"Do you need anything for it?"
Kagami chuckled. "Oh, I should be sitting in the Fourth Division with Mika taking care of it, but we both know that's not happening. I'll live. Now, back to business. When are we leaving for the Living World?"
"Mid-morning tomorrow. You'll have to sleep here for the night."
"Figures they'd make us wait until tomorrow," Kagami muttered, fingering her hair. It was still out of the braid she usually kept it in. She could no longer hold it back the way she usually did, now that she couldn't use her other hand. She figured it would get in the way, sooner or later. Kagami was beginning to consider cutting it to better suit her needs.
"Can I ask you something?" Renji asked, pulling her from her musings. Her eyes snapped forward to stare into his.
"Sure," Kagami answered.
"Why didn't you keep in touch with any of us after graduation? Kira and Hinamori said they hadn't seen or heard from you in years, except in passing." Kagami's eyes dropped to the floor. She had felt bad about losing contact with her friends, but was never sure how to reestablish a connection. She shrugged, cringing at the pain in her left shoulder.
"I don't know. I guess I just became so focused on my job as a Soul Reaper. I still talked to Izuru and Momo for a short time after graduation, though the time between grew further and further apart. If memory serves, though, you never tried to contact me after we graduated either. I heard of your promotions second-hand, usually from Izuru, Momo or Shuhei." Renji cocked an eyebrow.
"You call him by first name now?" he asked.
"He was one of my closest friends before he died. You know I'm informal with all my friends. And don't change the subject." Kagami put her hand on her hip, leaning forward slightly. She felt like she was in the Soul Reaper Academy all over again, having a mock-argument over something that had nothing to do with the task at hand. Back then, it was studying and now, it was their mission.
"I was under the impression you would contact me first if you wanted to keep touch," Renji answered and Kagami began chuckling, covering her mouth to hold back her laughter. "What's so funny?"
"I was under the same impression," she answered, realizing how stupid they'd both been. She should have figured as much, Kagami realized as Renji began laughing quietly as well. "I guess you managed to answer your own question, in part."
"I guess so." Kagami quickly stopped her laughter, giving Renji a serious expression. There was too much weighing heavily on her mind for her mind to really enjoy herself.
"Renji, can I ask you something now?" she murmured. Renji gave her a curious look and nodded slowly. "Will you be willing to take down the one who stole the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, whether or not you believe it's Tousen?"
"I don't think it's Tousen, but even if it was, I'd kill him for what he's done." Kagami smiled softly and nodded.
"Thanks, Renji."
"Of course, it's not him," the red-haired lieutenant answered, leaning back in his chair again. This caused Kagami to frown once more.
"You'll believe me when you see him. Just don't freeze up."
"I'll try," Renji answered half-heartedly, obviously not believing her. Kagami sighed heavily, flopping backwards to lie on Renji's bed.
"Whatever," she muttered.
"What are you so moody about all of a sudden?"
"When I told the Fourth Division Soul Reapers what I saw, they started treating me as though I'd lost my mind. I wasn't going to tell anyone else about Tousen, but then you came to question me. I thought you, of all people, would believe me because you know I don't make up shit like that."
Silence enveloped the room and hung heavily in the air. Kagami didn't bother moving to look at Renji. She figured he wouldn't have an answer. She turned onto her right side, resting her head on her arm and closing her eyes. With only a small lamp to illuminate the room, Kagami found it very easy to relax here. It was a stark comparison to that room in the Fourth Division—her prison cell, as she saw it.
'Sleep. You'll need your energy.' Kagami nodded numbly, barely moving her head, and waited for sleep to come.
Renji hadn't bothered to pester Kagami when she'd curled into a ball on his bed. He'd planned on letting her sleep there in the first place. To pass the time in silence, he read through about half of the paperwork for the mission. As he'd figured, most of the necessary information was found in the first three pages. He'd been surprised, though, to find Kagami's name written on the fifth page, which he'd only briefly skimmed through the first time. Perhaps he wouldn't have been so shocked to see her in the Fourth Division if he'd read that the first time. Renji tossed the papers back onto the small table and stood from the chair he'd been sitting in. He looked down at Kagami's sleeping form and what he saw surprised him. There were tears streaming across her face from beneath her closed eyes, moistening the fabric of her sleeve beneath her head. Her body was trembling lightly as she curled up even more. Was she cold, Renji wondered, or having a nightmare?
"All the walls go down when you sleep," Renji murmured as he grabbed a thin blanket and draped it over Kagami. He then prepared a mat on the floor for himself and shut off the lamp, hoping to get some much-needed sleep as well.
Please R&R.