late late late, polyphonic
mm, i'm not stopping polyphonic, i just suck at deadlines. :P
Title: Polyphonic: ch 10
Beta: 3_broken_hearts
Pairings: Renji/Ichigo (centric), Grimmjow/Ichigo (one-sided), Gin/Rangiku, and more
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.
Rating: PG-13 (mostly)
Warning: AU, shounen-ai, kissing (homo and hetero), mild violence, a little swearing
Word count: 1175
Summary: Stalking Ichigo.
Renji was stalking Ichigo.
He hated to actually admit it, but there it was. For the better part of two months, he'd been following Ichigo around anytime he was free, which was basically any time during school hours. The rest he spent at practice, still thinking about what Ichigo was doing. He was completely obsessed with everything the orange haired boy did and it didn't help that he looked so hot doing, well, anything.
When he noticed that Ichigo had brought a bokken to school, he followed him to the empty field during their break period and watched jealously as a big classmate with wavy brown hair and mixed heritage joined him while he practiced. Renji noted that Ichigo seemed rather adept at the maneuvers, his form flowing fluidly between the movements.
"He started doing kendo." Renji nearly jumped out of his skin. He peered at Rukia guiltily. After Ichigo had forgiven Rukia, Rukia had unbent to forgive Renji as well because she noticed the longing in Renji's eyes whenever he looked at Ichigo.
"Oh?" Renji feigned nonchalance, even though he knew it was futile. She knew about the stalking, and from her subtle inferences, so did Ichigo.
"He goes with Sado-kun," she said, gesturing to the classmate. "They go for practice pretty much every day after classes." She paused. "Their sensei is testing them on their skills soon, which is probably why they're practicing at school now too."
Renji nodded, quietly absorbing all the information while focusing his attention on the boy in front of him.
"What do you think of him, Renji?"
Renji broke his gaze and looked at the girl standing next to him. "What do you mean?"
"I don't want either of you to get hurt. Renji, you're like my brother, but Ichigo's my best friend. I don't want..."
"Rukia, stop. I...” He paused as he searched for the words. “He's really beautiful." He held up his hand as Rukia made to speak. "Everything he does, Rukia. God, I admit, at first it was purely physical. But the way he walks and moves is like poetry in motion. And the way he talks and laughs. When his eyes light up whenever his friends are near him. Everything." Renji was blushing now, his skin tone almost matching his fiery hair. "He saved a stray dog once, you know. I was late, going to practice one day, and he jumped into the river to save a damn dog. Nobody else even noticed."
Rukia studied him. "You're in love with him." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes," Renji admitted miserably, pulling at the silver pendant around his neck. "And he probably wants nothing to do with me ever again." He sighed. "Look, just... give me some time. I'll get over him, I swear. I'll stop... stalking him."
"Renji, I don't know if I should tell you this..." Rukia began.
"Then don't," Renji cut her off. "If he doesn't want me to know, then it's fine. Don't worry, Rukia. It'll be okay, I promise." He gave Rukia a wry grin. "It's time for practice anyway, I'll see ya at home."
Rukia watched Renji walk away with worried eyes.
--
Ichigo watched Renji slip away from the corner of his eye. He'd known Renji was around (his red hair really was hard to miss). In fact, he'd always noticed Renji's presence around him. It was oddly normal for him now.
"Ichigo." Sado's voice cut into his thoughts. "You should go speak to him if you're this worried about him."
Ichigo turned red and resolutely turned his head in the opposite direction. "I'm not worried at all. He was just a minor distraction. I'm glad that stalker's leaving. Glad, okay?"
Sado nodded slowly before raising his own bokken and starting again.
Ichigo frowned. He wasn't worried, per se, but why did Renji look so depressed? Even more so than he usually did. He shook his head. No more thinking about Renji. It was about the time the redhead had to leave for practice anyway -- a fact gleaned and secretly coveted from Rukia's slip-up -- and he would surely see Renji again tomorrow.
Except that he didn't. In fact, Ichigo didn't see Renji, or any trace of him, over the next week at all. It was disconcerting how much Ichigo missed him. Renji hadn't even spoken to him during those months of stalking, but somehow just his presence always behind him had felt somewhat comforting.
Maybe Renji was finally sick of Ichigo and moved on. Ichigo couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of loneliness that thought brought along with it.
Breaking his own rule on the Renji-ban in conversation, he asked Rukia. "Has Renji been really busy or something?"
Rukia averted her eyes quickly. "I don't really know, Ichigo. Sorry."
All that served just to make Ichigo feel more irritated and miserable. So what if the bastard stopped stalking his ass? It was a good thing, right?
--
Renji stood at the edge of the stage, twisting his hands a little nervously. His father had promised to be there, so where was he? He stared at the clock, and watched time slip by. That was it, it was time to go, and Renji's dad had broken his promise.
The beat started, an introduction to the sequence. Renji felt his body move as he'd practiced, all those nights drilling with the guys, and finally it was time to go. The clothing on his body shifted, his pendant from his father slipping free from the confines of his shirt. Renji watched the light glint off it and saw in that instant the light transform into the glare of bright headlights. He felt his scream reverberate through the halls, the music still playing and the beat still pounding furiously. His eyes followed the car being crushed from the side and roll down, falling, tumbling, breaking. He noticed the cold glint of a smile from a shadowed man watching from the side of the road. He watched as the car plunge into the rushing river.
The music stopped, but he couldn't stop screaming. He was in the car, staring at his father who had rushed trying to get to his son's competition. He saw the moment his father's face changed at the knowledge of the sabotage. Those eyes bore into him in sadness and regret. "I'm sorry," they seemed to say. Renji reached for his father, but found that he couldn't touch him. His arms went right through the ghostly image, and he howled as all his efforts were in vain. Then as he was sinking in his despair, he felt the cool hand touch his and he turned toward it. It was Ichigo, pulling him to the surface, saving him just as he had that stray dog.
He could hear the whisper as Ichigo pulled him close. "It's alright now, Renji. It's alright."
Renji awoke with a start, his heart pounding and tears falling from his eyes. He hadn't dreamt of his father in years, but every time had been filled with feelings of agony and regret. This time, with Ichigo, it had felt like healing. Renji let the tears fall, and felt his eyes drift shut again, pulling him into a peaceful slumber.
begin at 01. back to 09. on to 11.
Title: Polyphonic: ch 10
Beta: 3_broken_hearts
Pairings: Renji/Ichigo (centric), Grimmjow/Ichigo (one-sided), Gin/Rangiku, and more
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.
Rating: PG-13 (mostly)
Warning: AU, shounen-ai, kissing (homo and hetero), mild violence, a little swearing
Word count: 1175
Summary: Stalking Ichigo.
Renji was stalking Ichigo.
He hated to actually admit it, but there it was. For the better part of two months, he'd been following Ichigo around anytime he was free, which was basically any time during school hours. The rest he spent at practice, still thinking about what Ichigo was doing. He was completely obsessed with everything the orange haired boy did and it didn't help that he looked so hot doing, well, anything.
When he noticed that Ichigo had brought a bokken to school, he followed him to the empty field during their break period and watched jealously as a big classmate with wavy brown hair and mixed heritage joined him while he practiced. Renji noted that Ichigo seemed rather adept at the maneuvers, his form flowing fluidly between the movements.
"He started doing kendo." Renji nearly jumped out of his skin. He peered at Rukia guiltily. After Ichigo had forgiven Rukia, Rukia had unbent to forgive Renji as well because she noticed the longing in Renji's eyes whenever he looked at Ichigo.
"Oh?" Renji feigned nonchalance, even though he knew it was futile. She knew about the stalking, and from her subtle inferences, so did Ichigo.
"He goes with Sado-kun," she said, gesturing to the classmate. "They go for practice pretty much every day after classes." She paused. "Their sensei is testing them on their skills soon, which is probably why they're practicing at school now too."
Renji nodded, quietly absorbing all the information while focusing his attention on the boy in front of him.
"What do you think of him, Renji?"
Renji broke his gaze and looked at the girl standing next to him. "What do you mean?"
"I don't want either of you to get hurt. Renji, you're like my brother, but Ichigo's my best friend. I don't want..."
"Rukia, stop. I...” He paused as he searched for the words. “He's really beautiful." He held up his hand as Rukia made to speak. "Everything he does, Rukia. God, I admit, at first it was purely physical. But the way he walks and moves is like poetry in motion. And the way he talks and laughs. When his eyes light up whenever his friends are near him. Everything." Renji was blushing now, his skin tone almost matching his fiery hair. "He saved a stray dog once, you know. I was late, going to practice one day, and he jumped into the river to save a damn dog. Nobody else even noticed."
Rukia studied him. "You're in love with him." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes," Renji admitted miserably, pulling at the silver pendant around his neck. "And he probably wants nothing to do with me ever again." He sighed. "Look, just... give me some time. I'll get over him, I swear. I'll stop... stalking him."
"Renji, I don't know if I should tell you this..." Rukia began.
"Then don't," Renji cut her off. "If he doesn't want me to know, then it's fine. Don't worry, Rukia. It'll be okay, I promise." He gave Rukia a wry grin. "It's time for practice anyway, I'll see ya at home."
Rukia watched Renji walk away with worried eyes.
--
Ichigo watched Renji slip away from the corner of his eye. He'd known Renji was around (his red hair really was hard to miss). In fact, he'd always noticed Renji's presence around him. It was oddly normal for him now.
"Ichigo." Sado's voice cut into his thoughts. "You should go speak to him if you're this worried about him."
Ichigo turned red and resolutely turned his head in the opposite direction. "I'm not worried at all. He was just a minor distraction. I'm glad that stalker's leaving. Glad, okay?"
Sado nodded slowly before raising his own bokken and starting again.
Ichigo frowned. He wasn't worried, per se, but why did Renji look so depressed? Even more so than he usually did. He shook his head. No more thinking about Renji. It was about the time the redhead had to leave for practice anyway -- a fact gleaned and secretly coveted from Rukia's slip-up -- and he would surely see Renji again tomorrow.
Except that he didn't. In fact, Ichigo didn't see Renji, or any trace of him, over the next week at all. It was disconcerting how much Ichigo missed him. Renji hadn't even spoken to him during those months of stalking, but somehow just his presence always behind him had felt somewhat comforting.
Maybe Renji was finally sick of Ichigo and moved on. Ichigo couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of loneliness that thought brought along with it.
Breaking his own rule on the Renji-ban in conversation, he asked Rukia. "Has Renji been really busy or something?"
Rukia averted her eyes quickly. "I don't really know, Ichigo. Sorry."
All that served just to make Ichigo feel more irritated and miserable. So what if the bastard stopped stalking his ass? It was a good thing, right?
--
Renji stood at the edge of the stage, twisting his hands a little nervously. His father had promised to be there, so where was he? He stared at the clock, and watched time slip by. That was it, it was time to go, and Renji's dad had broken his promise.
The beat started, an introduction to the sequence. Renji felt his body move as he'd practiced, all those nights drilling with the guys, and finally it was time to go. The clothing on his body shifted, his pendant from his father slipping free from the confines of his shirt. Renji watched the light glint off it and saw in that instant the light transform into the glare of bright headlights. He felt his scream reverberate through the halls, the music still playing and the beat still pounding furiously. His eyes followed the car being crushed from the side and roll down, falling, tumbling, breaking. He noticed the cold glint of a smile from a shadowed man watching from the side of the road. He watched as the car plunge into the rushing river.
The music stopped, but he couldn't stop screaming. He was in the car, staring at his father who had rushed trying to get to his son's competition. He saw the moment his father's face changed at the knowledge of the sabotage. Those eyes bore into him in sadness and regret. "I'm sorry," they seemed to say. Renji reached for his father, but found that he couldn't touch him. His arms went right through the ghostly image, and he howled as all his efforts were in vain. Then as he was sinking in his despair, he felt the cool hand touch his and he turned toward it. It was Ichigo, pulling him to the surface, saving him just as he had that stray dog.
He could hear the whisper as Ichigo pulled him close. "It's alright now, Renji. It's alright."
Renji awoke with a start, his heart pounding and tears falling from his eyes. He hadn't dreamt of his father in years, but every time had been filled with feelings of agony and regret. This time, with Ichigo, it had felt like healing. Renji let the tears fall, and felt his eyes drift shut again, pulling him into a peaceful slumber.
begin at 01. back to 09. on to 11.