Soft : Scene 3
Renji sat in Urahara's vast basement, shirtless, beside the hot spring, sipping from a sake bottle like it was the elixir of life.
He was an idiot. Completely and entirely.
He'd gotten greedy, he'd asked too much. And he'd ruined the two best things that ever happened to him.
If he was lucky, they'd make him choose, and he didn't think he could make that decision. He thought and thought and he couldn't just pick one of them. He loved both, there was no way around it.
More likely than getting to choose, they would probably both decide to break it off, search for someone who would be exclusive, faithful. Not like him...
What was wrong with him? He'd been happy with Ichigo, and Orihime and him... well they'd had a good friendship to start. They could've remained friends if he hadn't kissed her back, if he'd let her blush and make excuses. This never had to happen.
But he'd fallen for her before that, and he knew it. It was her sweet eyes, her gentleness. Her innocence. Dammit, what was he, a defiler of virgins? That was just great...
Ichigo had been innocent too, but in a different way. His complete confidence, his utter faith that good would triumph over evil. That was a kind of innocence. Renji thought like that too, he hoped, but he didn't believe entirely. He knew that life didn't always favour the just and the good. But Ichigo was like a blazing beacon of hope.
Well, at least until he'd broken his heart. Way to go, Renji.
He'd just taken another long drink from the sake bottle when Ichigo and Orihime came down the ladder. He wasn't even close to being drunk enough to deal with them. Hell, he was only halfway through the damn bottle!
"Renji?" Ichigo was frowning, looking at the liquor in Renji's hand with disdain. Orihime's frown was all concern, and she instinctively reached out as if to hug the redhead. But then they both stopped, eyes fixed on Renji's bare torso, still damp from the hot spring. They glance at each other, only to have Orihime giggle in amusement at their shared reaction. She grabbed Ichigo's hand, leading him closer, so that they could face an apprehensive Renji.
Ichigo didn't think he'd ever seen Renji look so frightened. The man had been on the verge of death numerous times and Ichigo had never seen him with even the tiniest bit of fear in his eyes. But now... Now Renji looked as if his whole world was crumbling around him.
"Ichigo... Orihime... I didn't except the two of you t' come here together... But I guess we should get this over with, right?" He turned away from them, unable to see pain in their eyes, or worse, hatred. Not that they didn't have every right to hate him.
"Renji..." Orihime went first, going up to him and placing her small, pale hands on his broad shoulders. "We aren't angry with you."
He turned to her, surprised to see nothing but tenderness in her wide eyes. Although, really, Orihime wasn't capable of being truly angry with anyone, was she? Ichigo was a different story.
"She's right. Mostly." Ichigo piped up, turning Renji around to face him. "I'm pissed that you hid your relationship with her from me. And I'll make sure you pay for that. But... Renji, we love you."
The shinigami was confused, looking between his two of them with an expression that bordered on hope.
"We'll find a way to make it work." Orihime insisted, cupping Renji's face. Ichigo's arms wrapped around his waist. The three of them were pressed tightly together, with Renji at the centre. And somehow it felt... right.
Renji couldn't believe it at first, surely this was a hopeful dream brought on by the sake. But they were there, they were holding him, they didn't hate him, and they weren't leaving him. He clung to them both, quivering with suppressed emotions he couldn't name. If it was just a dream... no he couldn't stand it if it was.
"Ichigo, Orihime..."
"It'll work. It has to."
He was an idiot. Completely and entirely.
He'd gotten greedy, he'd asked too much. And he'd ruined the two best things that ever happened to him.
If he was lucky, they'd make him choose, and he didn't think he could make that decision. He thought and thought and he couldn't just pick one of them. He loved both, there was no way around it.
More likely than getting to choose, they would probably both decide to break it off, search for someone who would be exclusive, faithful. Not like him...
What was wrong with him? He'd been happy with Ichigo, and Orihime and him... well they'd had a good friendship to start. They could've remained friends if he hadn't kissed her back, if he'd let her blush and make excuses. This never had to happen.
But he'd fallen for her before that, and he knew it. It was her sweet eyes, her gentleness. Her innocence. Dammit, what was he, a defiler of virgins? That was just great...
Ichigo had been innocent too, but in a different way. His complete confidence, his utter faith that good would triumph over evil. That was a kind of innocence. Renji thought like that too, he hoped, but he didn't believe entirely. He knew that life didn't always favour the just and the good. But Ichigo was like a blazing beacon of hope.
Well, at least until he'd broken his heart. Way to go, Renji.
He'd just taken another long drink from the sake bottle when Ichigo and Orihime came down the ladder. He wasn't even close to being drunk enough to deal with them. Hell, he was only halfway through the damn bottle!
"Renji?" Ichigo was frowning, looking at the liquor in Renji's hand with disdain. Orihime's frown was all concern, and she instinctively reached out as if to hug the redhead. But then they both stopped, eyes fixed on Renji's bare torso, still damp from the hot spring. They glance at each other, only to have Orihime giggle in amusement at their shared reaction. She grabbed Ichigo's hand, leading him closer, so that they could face an apprehensive Renji.
Ichigo didn't think he'd ever seen Renji look so frightened. The man had been on the verge of death numerous times and Ichigo had never seen him with even the tiniest bit of fear in his eyes. But now... Now Renji looked as if his whole world was crumbling around him.
"Ichigo... Orihime... I didn't except the two of you t' come here together... But I guess we should get this over with, right?" He turned away from them, unable to see pain in their eyes, or worse, hatred. Not that they didn't have every right to hate him.
"Renji..." Orihime went first, going up to him and placing her small, pale hands on his broad shoulders. "We aren't angry with you."
He turned to her, surprised to see nothing but tenderness in her wide eyes. Although, really, Orihime wasn't capable of being truly angry with anyone, was she? Ichigo was a different story.
"She's right. Mostly." Ichigo piped up, turning Renji around to face him. "I'm pissed that you hid your relationship with her from me. And I'll make sure you pay for that. But... Renji, we love you."
The shinigami was confused, looking between his two of them with an expression that bordered on hope.
"We'll find a way to make it work." Orihime insisted, cupping Renji's face. Ichigo's arms wrapped around his waist. The three of them were pressed tightly together, with Renji at the centre. And somehow it felt... right.
Renji couldn't believe it at first, surely this was a hopeful dream brought on by the sake. But they were there, they were holding him, they didn't hate him, and they weren't leaving him. He clung to them both, quivering with suppressed emotions he couldn't name. If it was just a dream... no he couldn't stand it if it was.
"Ichigo, Orihime..."
"It'll work. It has to."