Day 25: Sun Room (Second Shift)

[rope_victim]

Miku was very glad that the breakfast shift (and the uncomfortable conversation) was over. She hadn't felt like gardening - the photographer was likely more apt to killing plants - and her arm throbbed beneath its bandages

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[haiiro_no_chou]

Before Rukia left the cafeteria, she found one of the nurses, asking politely, and with the most pathetic expression she could muster, if she could be excused from the greenhouse activities. The nurse looked her over, apparently noting the sling and the way Rukia was holding her side as though in pain

[stray_shinigami]

Renji was lucky enough to locate the nurse whose shoes he had graced earlier. She had seemed really nice, but not annoying, so he wanted to keep track of her. And she was quite sympathetic to letting him lay down in the sun room.

He spotted Rukia immediately, though he did pause to wave to Miku first. She was talking to someone else, so he didn't want to just interrupt; that might make her less willing to talk.

He walked slowly over to where Rukia was sitting. There was another couch nearby, one that was only a little too short for him, instead of way too short. He scooted it closer to hers, then lay down on it, head resting on the arm closest to Rukia and feet hanging off the other. Just that made his head feel a lot better.

[haiiro_no_chou]

"Hey," she said quietly when Renji wandered over. Aidou was lying down, hopefully sleeping, on another couch, so Rukia didn't want to risk waking him; he would no doubt try to bother her. She glanced his way to make sure that he wasn't stirring.

She closed the notebook and set it next to her on the couch, then leaned against the arm to turn toward Renji. "Glad you could make it. Did you have to pass out, or puke again, or whatever it was you did earlier?" He really did look a lot better than he had when she first saw him this morning, so Rukia assumed he had puked. Passing out usually didn't put any color back in your cheeks.

[stray_shinigami]

Renji's eyebrow twitched. "I just talked to the nurse that was around earlier," he said. He wasn't admitting to either of those options, even if it had been the latter that he'd done. "I guess I still look pathetic enough."

A stray hair tickled at his nose, and he blew it out of the way, looking annoyed. "Too bad you don't have both your hands," he said. While he could braid his own hair - and probably would, soon, if it kept getting on his nerves - he really liked it better when Rukia did it.

"And who's that?" he asked, pointing to whoever she'd been giving the hairy eyeball to a moment ago.

[haiiro_no_chou]

Rukia just grinned at him, resting her cheek against the arm of the couch. So he was going to play it cool and not say what had happened. That was fine. She didn't really need to know, and didn't have the energy this morning to harass the information out of him.

Considering her injured arm, Rukia frowned. She could move her fingers fine, and moving her wrist only caused slight discomfort, but if she tried flexing her elbow it got pretty painful. Still, she liked to play with Renji's hair, so she didn't mind trying. "If you wanna come sit in front of me here," she said, gesturing to the floor in front of the couch, "I can give it a shot."

Looking up, Rukia saw that Renji was pointing at Aidou. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "It's that annoying kid, Aidou."

[stray_shinigami]

Renji gave the kid - Aidou - another look. Like most children, he certainly didn't look annoying, but he was also asleep. Renji grunted. "Guess it's nice to have a face for the name," he said. "Maybe he'll keep sleeping." He wasn't all that worried about Aidou bothering them, even if he was awake. While it hadn't been long enough since the boy's appearence to know it for certain, he sure felt like Aidou had been scrupulously avoiding him. Which was just fine, as far as he was concerned.

"If you're sure..." He sat up slowly and slid off the couch, then sat on the floor in front of Rukia, leaning back against the couch cushion. "Just don't push it," he said. "I can braid my own stupid hair if I'm not being lazy."

He watched as a guy wandered over and tried to wake up Aidou. "Great," he muttered.

[haiiro_no_chou]

Rukia snickered quietly. "Yeah, I seem to recall you two bickering on the bulletin board a lot. Dunno why you bother with him." She glanced up at the boy as Renji sat in front of her. "Hope so. He's obnoxious."

Scooting forward, she rested her knees against Renji's shoulders, then took a moment to consider the situation. As long as she only used her left hand to hold chunks of hair in place, she figured she'd be okay. And it wasn't like the braid needed to be a work of art. "Well, I'm just repaying you for lending me your katana last night," she said as she began finger-combing his hair.

Rukia glared at the blonde man who was trying to wake Aidou; didn't he know better??

[stray_shinigami]

"It passes the time," Renji said. "And you know me... I can't pass up on a fight with an idiot. At least when I don't have anything better to do. Might as well ask him why he's picking fights with everyone. I find him kind of annoying... but it takes a special kind of stupid to go pissing all over Ichimaru like he's been tryin' to do." His shoulders twitched. Even if he was no longer actively trying to kill Gin, he wasn't a fan of the guy. But he found the idea of Gin eating Aidou's head vaguely amusing all the same.

He snorted. "You don't have to repay me," he said. "Just so long as you don't lose it." He began to relax immediately as she combed his hair. The light tugging did make his head hurt less, oddly enough. "I think... you should probably have it tonight, too," he said. "You'n'Allen and what's his name will be off mapping, I think, if I'm seeing things right. I'm just going to be teaching. And then more plumbing, I guess. So it's not like I need a weapon."

[haiiro_no_chou]

Rukia chuckled quietly. "You'd think he would get tired of arguments after a while." Her voice trailed off at the mention of Ichimaru, though. "Uh, yeah..." she muttered.

"Of course I wouldn't lose it!" she said, indignation giving her voice strength. She tugged gently on one of the sections of hair she was dividing. "Anyway, like I said, Vice Captain Hinamori has it now, but-- Oh, I'll be with Allen?" Since she knew her chances of working with Renji tonight were close to nil, Rukia had been hoping that she would be teamed up with Allen again. And, what's his name? "Oh, you mean Ravi? I talked to him on the bulletin board."

[stray_shinigami]

"I think he won't be tired of it until he's pissed off everyone here," Renji said. "And considering how many new people we keep getting, he'll never be done." He laughed quietly. And then mentally kicked himself for even mentioning Ichimaru. He might not like the guy, but Rukia was downright scared of him.

"Yeah, I see how it is... just passing my sword around..." He grinned. "Yeah, you should be. I mean... far as I know. That's what I'll be pushin' for, since you guys get along so well and seemed to work okay together. And then Ravi wants to go with Allen, so there's your team. Seems like it ought to work." As much as he'd like to go with them... well, maybe Rukia could just keep sticking with Allen and Ravi. The longer they worked together, the more efficient they'd be. That's how it worked. "Yeah, I..." He frowned, then shook his head. "Eh, it's not important." He let out a contented sigh, sinking a bit lower against the couch.

[haiiro_no_chou]

"Mm," Rukia said, nodding. It was bizarre how many new people had showed up the previous day, and if what she had heard was correct, the numbers of new patients had been increasing lately...

Rukia made a face at the back of Renji's head. "No, it was more like I was passing out, and Hinamori was going to be able to use the sword a lot better than me." She would have to arrange to meet the Vice Captain at the beginning of night to get the sword back. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long.

Rukia was about to say that she hoped Ravi was as nice as Allen, but stopped, puzzled by Renji's "never mind". "Huh? What?" she asked, leaning forward a little as he leaned back. She was about half-way done with the braid, but her hands stilled. Holding onto Renji's hair with her left hand, she hesitantly rested the other on his shoulder.

[stray_shinigami]

Renji laughed; at times like this, it was cute when Rukia sounded grouchy. "I know," he said. "I just wish... I mean, I'd rather you had the sword than nothing. It'd just be better... I guess. I mean, if I was there. But I'm not." He frowned. He never managed to say things the way he wanted to. There were times he hated talking.

He noticed Momo passing by and offered her a small smile. It became something a little more contented when Rukia touched his shoulder. After a moment, he raised his hand up to touch her fingers lightly.

[haiiro_no_chou]

Rukia made a disgruntled sound. "Well, I can... take care of myself," she muttered, even though she hadn't been able to do that at all last night. Rationally, she knew that everyone was weaker here, but somehow it still felt like she wasn't pulling her own weight. She had been there to keep the others from getting injured, if possible, and almost everyone had ended up wounded. The only thing that had saved them was the end of night, or so it seemed.

She didn't noticed Vice Captain Hinamori's entrance, or Renji's acknowledgment of the other Shinigami. Leaning over Renji like she was, she could smell his hair, and the faintest trace of mint. A slight blush colored her cheeks as she watched his fingers move up to touch her own. It was nice, being there with Renji, even if they weren't alone. She just wished...

Letting out a slow, quiet breath, Rukia wiggled her fingers a little, letting her thumb just barely touch the skin near Renji's shirt collar.

[stray_shinigami]

"I know that," Renji said, sounding a little testy. He was glad that she could, though he also admitted - silently - that it'd be kind of nice if she actually needed him for something. "That's not what I meant." He looked down at his hands.

He did smile at her touch, though he had to fight to hold still. They really shouldn't have even been holding hands, and he certainly didn't want to act like something was going on. Too many people were around, and he resented it. But life was unfair. He'd known that for a long time.

He moved his thumb, just a tiny caress for one of her fingers. Anything else he wanted to do was too much, for where they were.

[haiiro_no_chou]

Rukia was silent for a while, her expression closer to a pout than she would ever admit. Finally, she muttered, "I know. I'm just... I want you there, too." She started to lean forward - she wanted to hold him, or something - but there were other people around, and the nurses, and... it was so frustrating!

Carefully, she let go of the braid with her left hand and shifted so that it was resting against the back of Renji's neck. Lightly, she ran her fingers over his skin. No one could see her hand under all his hair, anyway.

[stray_shinigami]

He did smile. "It'll work out some day," he said. He didn't feel that confident about it, but he could hope. "I need you around." That statement was quieter, but more firm.

Renji closed his eyes, one hand curling into a fist as he tried not to shiver. As it was, he tilted his head down slightly, and his shoulders twitched. The movements were small enough that no one ought to notice unless they were staring, and no one was doing that.

She was making it very difficult, but he wasn't going to protest. He wanted to enjoy what little he had.