All God's children need travelling shoes...

[fighting_boy]

Characters: Kurosaki Ichigo, Arisawa Tatsuki
When: December 22, evening (before the vote is resolved!)
Where: Thirteenth Division, Tatsuki's room
Rating: PG
Summary: Tatsuki's back from her self-exile, and it's time to face the music. Or at least Ichigo. Head-first collisions imminent, please brace yourselves.

[COMPLETE]

Comments

[arisawaironfist]

Tatsuki had laid low since her return. It didn't feel right to be out in the limelight again immediately once she'd been more or less dragged back into Seireitei. So great was her embarrassment and shame for running away that she'd taken to smuggling food into her room late at night and just staying locked up, concentrating at hiding her reiatsu and reading the many postings she'd missed on the kounisshimou

[fighting_boy]

For a moment, he didn't know whether to hug or punch her. She looked none the worse for wear, and he was indelibly glad for that, but her expression was an odd mixture of very un-Tatsuki-esque emotions.

"Hey, you." Stepping into the doorway, he reached out with one arm and hauled her into a quick, hard hug. He counted the time it took him to blow out a sigh, then let go before she could hurt him for his presumption. "You dumbass. Had to worry me sick, didn't you?"

He kept his gaze on her face as he came into the room, face set in a familiar scowl, belying irritation, regret and overwhelming relief.

[arisawaironfist]

The hug was unexpected, she'd admit, but it filled her with relief beyond measure. He really had forgiven her, and that lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. Tatsuki's face, and indeed her entire body, relaxed at that moment. She stepped away once he'd let go to let him inside, and laughed a small laugh. "Yeah, I had to worry you. I gotta keep you on your toes."

She closed the door behind them, and walked over to have a seat on her (oh so wonderful, comfy, fluffy) bed. There was that familiar Ichigo face, set in its permanent scowl that showed all was normal in the world again.

"I had an adventure," she said, and shrugged, "Learned a few life lessons. Had my own ass handed to me by guilt. Wasn't so bad, really."

[fighting_boy]

He paused to nudge her knee with his foot, a halfway sort of kick, and then flopped to sit next to her. "Ah, I'll take all that worry outta your hide later. If you're up for shunpo lessons again. Gotta brush up for the captain, eh?

"So, was Rukongai fun and therapeutic? Looks like you handled yourself pretty well, though." She held herself well; there was no wariness to suggest a recent injury. He wouldn't mention that he'd kept an eye on her for most of the time. No point in it now. "And... I gathered you told Inoue the truth, too?"

[arisawaironfist]

Tatsuki whapped his shoulder in return for his kick, a little loving violence between siblings, and nodded, "I need shunpo lessons still. My body won't thank me for it, but I haven't given up on Soi Fon-taichou, and apparently she hasn't given up on me. That woman is mean, but she knows her stuff."

She clicked her tongue, "Rukongai was something alright. It's... really sad, actually, once you get pretty far out. It sucks that most of the afterlife is practically a ghetto. I know, Renji told me we got bigger fish to fry right now, but I hope they do something about it once this is over." She nodded once more, "I told Orihime everything. She didn't even really care about why I left, she was just happy as can be that I got back safely. That girl..." she shook her head, "she's too sweet."