Bleach Fic: One Night in Rukongai [PG]
This entry was written for this week's Bleach_Contest challenge: Alcohol (a word I keep thinking has an extra 'h' in it)
Title: One Night in Rukongai
Rating: PG
Pairings/Characters: Flirtations with Ichigo/Renji, Ichigo/Rukia and Renji/Rukia (UST mostly. I originally envisioned this as a threesome. Didn't quite make it in that direction.)
Word Count: 1,435
Summary: Ichigo, Renji and Rukia spend a long night drinking in Rukongai
Note: I didn't get a chance to get this beta read. All mistakes are mine. Also my first attempt at writing Bleach fic, so I'm suitably nervous. Concrit welcome. No spoilers.
One Night in Rukongai
"Do something," Rukia hissed across the table.
"Me?" Renji cried, taking one look at the orange mop of hair floating in a bowl of noodles and quickly disavowing all responsibility. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Hell no."
"And don’t give me that look either," he added. "I wasn't the one who drank two jugs of sake."
"No, you only drank three," Rukia retorted although the ire in her voice was softened by her own lack of sobriety, her glare wobbly as best. A drunken Rukia was truly no more intimidating than one of those cute little bunnies she was so found of drawing, right down to the two circles of pink dotting her cheeks.
Renji found himself grinning.
"Yeah, well… Four now," he said, refilling both their cups and setting the jug back down on the table.
Rukia snatched up her cup and drained it with the sort of gusto that might shame Rangiku. Who knew someone so tiny could drink so much. Yet, somehow Renji wasn't surprised. Still, her composure was starting to slip, her head angling closer and closer to the top of the table. "This was your idea," she said after a long pause, pointing her finger, chin propped up with her other hand.
Renji snickered. "Yeah? You could've stopped me."
"Would you two--"
It was Ichigo. He had arisen from his soup bowl, a stray soba noodle hanging from his chin. "Shut-- Up," he cried. "You're always arguing. All the time. I can't--" But he got no further than a gurgle, his head lolling forward as he fell back into his soup with a slosh.
Renji looked at Rukia burst into laughter. "See! This--" He could barely speak, he was laughing so hard. "This is what happens when you take a fifteen-year-old drinking."
"Your idea," Rukia repeated, but she was laughing too, tears streaming down her face.
Renji wiped his eyes, still shaking with laughter. He wasn't going to feel guilty about this. Ichigo could use being taken down a peg. The Boy Wonder was just too damn cocky for his own good. No reason why he couldn't have a little fun at Ichigo's expense.
"Renji." Rukia had stopped laughing.
"Fine." Renji got to his feet and hefted Ichigo's arm over his shoulder. "I'll take care of him."
He pulled Ichigo out into the night.
+
The cold air nudged Ichigo awake. It took him a few more blinks to realize that he was outside, somewhere in Rukongai, and he was walking. Well, not walking exactly… dragged, Renji coaxing him along with the words "c'mon, you bastard" and "goddamn kid" growled into his ear.
"Renji," Ichigo heard Rukia say. She sounded pissed. "Slow down."
"I ain't movin' fast." Renji gave Ichigo a good yank. "How could I?"
Ichigo stumbled, his brain still playing catch up -- He was outside… Renji and Rukia were pissed. Nothing new there… And he was really, really drunk -- which only made the arm Renji had clamped around his waist squeeze tighter. Behind them Rukia let out an exasperated sound.
"Easy," Renji snapped, as Ichigo's free hand reached out and found a fistful of Renji's uniform.
"M'fine," Ichigo mumbled, looking up and seeing Renji's glowering face, mere inches from his own, swim into focus. He pulled himself up to standing. "Can walk on my own."
"Really?" Renji did not sound convinced. "You might want to let go then."
"Huh?" Ichigo's eyes were still fixed on Renji's face, his brain deciding to take an detour to uncharted territory. He cocked his head, leaning forward. "Do you pluck them too?"
"What?" Renji blinked, stepping back as Ichigo let go of his shirt to run a single finger along the length of one of his tattooed eyebrows.
"Your eyebrows." Ichigo let out a giggle, his hand moving to linger along Renji's hairline. "I always wanted to do that," he admitted, a perverse thrill shooting through him as two splotches of red appeared on Renji's cheeks. And then it hit him; he was petting Renji. No. He wasn't just petting him. He was caressing him. What the hell-- He snatched his hand away. "Umm-- S-Sorry. I--"
He made a move to flee, except he couldn't, his arms and legs becoming entangled. Renji was no help either. He seemed to be moving forward for every step Ichigo tried to take back, his hand grabbing the back Ichigo's shirt. "Stop. What--" The words died in Ichigo's throat as Renji moved forward once more, the stubble of his chin grazing the side of Ichigo's cheek. Somewhere over the pounding of his own heart, Ichigo could hear Rukia calling out their names when momentum, confusion and unsteady legs sent Ichigo tumbling backwards taking Renji along with him.
+
"Renji! Ichigo!" Rukia cried, falling to her knees onto the ground next to them. Neither looked to be moving, Renji's head burrowed into the crook of Ichigo's neck. "You two make a pretty picture," she muttered as she tugged on Renji's arm.
She heard a grumble and then a sigh as Ichigo's arm moved and came to rest on top of Renji's shoulders.
They were… cuddling. On the ground. On a dusty Rukongai street. Rukia looked around. It wasn't even dark yet, the sky streaked with orange as the sun began to disappear behind the straw rooftops.
Not to mention they were cuddling. Not that she was jealous. No. Not at all.
Rukia sat back on her heels, regarding them, an expected well of emotion rising inside her. She loved them both. As friends… as comrades… as… she bit her lip. She was drunk, obviously, and being maudlin. She was becoming more like her brother everyday.
She stood up and gave Renji a swift kick in the ass.
Retribution came swift.
"Watch it, pipsqueak," Renji snarled after he leapt to his feet, Ichigo still picking himself off the ground.
"Oh hey, pineapple head," Rukia shouted at him, kicking him in the shin before turning on her heel and walking away.
"What's with her," Ichigo said, finally standing.
"I'm hungry," Rukia said over her shoulder.
+
"I'm thirsty."
Ichigo rolled his eyes and hefted Rukia higher onto his back. He had been carrying her piggy-back for last mile or so after finally tiring of hearing her complain about her sore feet. Renji was up ahead, back in one of his dark moods. He hadn't spoken to Ichigo since they left the last bar where they both sat at opposite ends of the table, morosely watching Rukia feast on a plate of steamed dumplings.
Night had properly set, the sky above starless black. Even the moon was hiding. Ichigo had lost all track of time. The village streets meandered on and on. He really hoped Renji knew where he was going.
Rukia tugged hard on his ear.
"Ow!"
"I said I was thirsty."
"Fine," Ichigo snarled. Rukia had yelled that right into his eardrum. His head throbbed, and Renji was apparently so disgusted that Ichigo had touched him that he couldn't bear to be closer than ten paces away. At a fast clip.
Ichigo was at a party once when he was fourteen. Someone handed him a beer and he drank four more. He threw it all back up on one of his female class-mates and then got his ass kicked by his dad after. He had no idea why anyone drank.
It ruined everything.
A run-down two-story building appeared up ahead. It reeked of urine, vomit and rice wine. It looked as good a place as any.
"Renji," he yelled out. "We're going in."
+
A serving girl set a jug of sake on the table along with a trio of dirty cups.
"Hell of a place you picked out," Renji said, not looking at Ichigo. He was about to give the girl shit for the filthy service when Rukia spoke up.
"Inuzuri. This is near where we grew up." She shrugged, her face unreadable as she polished the rim of her cup with the clean edge of her kimono. She gave Renji a crooked smile. "It's not all bad. We had some fun here, didn't we?"
They rarely talked about their childhood here, Renji because of shame and Rukia probably had two reasons of her own: namely Byakuya and Kuchiki.
He matched her grin. "We did." He reached for the pitcher and drained into their cups. He even smiled at Ichigo, raising his cup. Later after they were both drunk again he was going to ask Ichigo why he tried to run away earlier just when things were getting interesting between them, but now he was just going to enjoy the company.
"Bottoms up."
Title: One Night in Rukongai
Rating: PG
Pairings/Characters: Flirtations with Ichigo/Renji, Ichigo/Rukia and Renji/Rukia (UST mostly. I originally envisioned this as a threesome. Didn't quite make it in that direction.)
Word Count: 1,435
Summary: Ichigo, Renji and Rukia spend a long night drinking in Rukongai
Note: I didn't get a chance to get this beta read. All mistakes are mine. Also my first attempt at writing Bleach fic, so I'm suitably nervous. Concrit welcome. No spoilers.
One Night in Rukongai
"Do something," Rukia hissed across the table.
"Me?" Renji cried, taking one look at the orange mop of hair floating in a bowl of noodles and quickly disavowing all responsibility. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Hell no."
"And don’t give me that look either," he added. "I wasn't the one who drank two jugs of sake."
"No, you only drank three," Rukia retorted although the ire in her voice was softened by her own lack of sobriety, her glare wobbly as best. A drunken Rukia was truly no more intimidating than one of those cute little bunnies she was so found of drawing, right down to the two circles of pink dotting her cheeks.
Renji found himself grinning.
"Yeah, well… Four now," he said, refilling both their cups and setting the jug back down on the table.
Rukia snatched up her cup and drained it with the sort of gusto that might shame Rangiku. Who knew someone so tiny could drink so much. Yet, somehow Renji wasn't surprised. Still, her composure was starting to slip, her head angling closer and closer to the top of the table. "This was your idea," she said after a long pause, pointing her finger, chin propped up with her other hand.
Renji snickered. "Yeah? You could've stopped me."
"Would you two--"
It was Ichigo. He had arisen from his soup bowl, a stray soba noodle hanging from his chin. "Shut-- Up," he cried. "You're always arguing. All the time. I can't--" But he got no further than a gurgle, his head lolling forward as he fell back into his soup with a slosh.
Renji looked at Rukia burst into laughter. "See! This--" He could barely speak, he was laughing so hard. "This is what happens when you take a fifteen-year-old drinking."
"Your idea," Rukia repeated, but she was laughing too, tears streaming down her face.
Renji wiped his eyes, still shaking with laughter. He wasn't going to feel guilty about this. Ichigo could use being taken down a peg. The Boy Wonder was just too damn cocky for his own good. No reason why he couldn't have a little fun at Ichigo's expense.
"Renji." Rukia had stopped laughing.
"Fine." Renji got to his feet and hefted Ichigo's arm over his shoulder. "I'll take care of him."
He pulled Ichigo out into the night.
+
The cold air nudged Ichigo awake. It took him a few more blinks to realize that he was outside, somewhere in Rukongai, and he was walking. Well, not walking exactly… dragged, Renji coaxing him along with the words "c'mon, you bastard" and "goddamn kid" growled into his ear.
"Renji," Ichigo heard Rukia say. She sounded pissed. "Slow down."
"I ain't movin' fast." Renji gave Ichigo a good yank. "How could I?"
Ichigo stumbled, his brain still playing catch up -- He was outside… Renji and Rukia were pissed. Nothing new there… And he was really, really drunk -- which only made the arm Renji had clamped around his waist squeeze tighter. Behind them Rukia let out an exasperated sound.
"Easy," Renji snapped, as Ichigo's free hand reached out and found a fistful of Renji's uniform.
"M'fine," Ichigo mumbled, looking up and seeing Renji's glowering face, mere inches from his own, swim into focus. He pulled himself up to standing. "Can walk on my own."
"Really?" Renji did not sound convinced. "You might want to let go then."
"Huh?" Ichigo's eyes were still fixed on Renji's face, his brain deciding to take an detour to uncharted territory. He cocked his head, leaning forward. "Do you pluck them too?"
"What?" Renji blinked, stepping back as Ichigo let go of his shirt to run a single finger along the length of one of his tattooed eyebrows.
"Your eyebrows." Ichigo let out a giggle, his hand moving to linger along Renji's hairline. "I always wanted to do that," he admitted, a perverse thrill shooting through him as two splotches of red appeared on Renji's cheeks. And then it hit him; he was petting Renji. No. He wasn't just petting him. He was caressing him. What the hell-- He snatched his hand away. "Umm-- S-Sorry. I--"
He made a move to flee, except he couldn't, his arms and legs becoming entangled. Renji was no help either. He seemed to be moving forward for every step Ichigo tried to take back, his hand grabbing the back Ichigo's shirt. "Stop. What--" The words died in Ichigo's throat as Renji moved forward once more, the stubble of his chin grazing the side of Ichigo's cheek. Somewhere over the pounding of his own heart, Ichigo could hear Rukia calling out their names when momentum, confusion and unsteady legs sent Ichigo tumbling backwards taking Renji along with him.
+
"Renji! Ichigo!" Rukia cried, falling to her knees onto the ground next to them. Neither looked to be moving, Renji's head burrowed into the crook of Ichigo's neck. "You two make a pretty picture," she muttered as she tugged on Renji's arm.
She heard a grumble and then a sigh as Ichigo's arm moved and came to rest on top of Renji's shoulders.
They were… cuddling. On the ground. On a dusty Rukongai street. Rukia looked around. It wasn't even dark yet, the sky streaked with orange as the sun began to disappear behind the straw rooftops.
Not to mention they were cuddling. Not that she was jealous. No. Not at all.
Rukia sat back on her heels, regarding them, an expected well of emotion rising inside her. She loved them both. As friends… as comrades… as… she bit her lip. She was drunk, obviously, and being maudlin. She was becoming more like her brother everyday.
She stood up and gave Renji a swift kick in the ass.
Retribution came swift.
"Watch it, pipsqueak," Renji snarled after he leapt to his feet, Ichigo still picking himself off the ground.
"Oh hey, pineapple head," Rukia shouted at him, kicking him in the shin before turning on her heel and walking away.
"What's with her," Ichigo said, finally standing.
"I'm hungry," Rukia said over her shoulder.
+
"I'm thirsty."
Ichigo rolled his eyes and hefted Rukia higher onto his back. He had been carrying her piggy-back for last mile or so after finally tiring of hearing her complain about her sore feet. Renji was up ahead, back in one of his dark moods. He hadn't spoken to Ichigo since they left the last bar where they both sat at opposite ends of the table, morosely watching Rukia feast on a plate of steamed dumplings.
Night had properly set, the sky above starless black. Even the moon was hiding. Ichigo had lost all track of time. The village streets meandered on and on. He really hoped Renji knew where he was going.
Rukia tugged hard on his ear.
"Ow!"
"I said I was thirsty."
"Fine," Ichigo snarled. Rukia had yelled that right into his eardrum. His head throbbed, and Renji was apparently so disgusted that Ichigo had touched him that he couldn't bear to be closer than ten paces away. At a fast clip.
Ichigo was at a party once when he was fourteen. Someone handed him a beer and he drank four more. He threw it all back up on one of his female class-mates and then got his ass kicked by his dad after. He had no idea why anyone drank.
It ruined everything.
A run-down two-story building appeared up ahead. It reeked of urine, vomit and rice wine. It looked as good a place as any.
"Renji," he yelled out. "We're going in."
+
A serving girl set a jug of sake on the table along with a trio of dirty cups.
"Hell of a place you picked out," Renji said, not looking at Ichigo. He was about to give the girl shit for the filthy service when Rukia spoke up.
"Inuzuri. This is near where we grew up." She shrugged, her face unreadable as she polished the rim of her cup with the clean edge of her kimono. She gave Renji a crooked smile. "It's not all bad. We had some fun here, didn't we?"
They rarely talked about their childhood here, Renji because of shame and Rukia probably had two reasons of her own: namely Byakuya and Kuchiki.
He matched her grin. "We did." He reached for the pitcher and drained into their cups. He even smiled at Ichigo, raising his cup. Later after they were both drunk again he was going to ask Ichigo why he tried to run away earlier just when things were getting interesting between them, but now he was just going to enjoy the company.
"Bottoms up."