Second Shower
"Ren."
Byakuren turned to face the voice, and her sightless eyes widened behind her sunglasses, "Ah! Bya-kun!"
"Ren!" the girls around her grabbed her arms. They lowered their voices. "Who is that guy? We thought you were going out with Tomoya! Don't go hogging all the cute guys by yourself!"
"What are you talking about?" she laughed and shrugged them off. "Guys, this is Bya-kun. Bya-kun, this is Yuki, Emi, and Sachiko." She skipped over and grabbed his arm. "I just met him! And besides, what gave the stupid idea that Tomoya and I were going out?"
"Ren?" a voice came from behind her friends.
"Tomoya!" Yuki turned, her eyes wide. "Ah, you're, uh, ah…"
"Tomoya?" Ren did not release Byakuya's arm. "I thought you had kendo."
"Practice got cancelled. Who is he?" Tomoya's voice was considerably colder than usual as he regarded Byakuya.
"A friend," Ren answered brightly and obliviously. "We were just getting ready to leave. C'mon, Bya-kun."
Byakuya did not say anything except for glancing briefly at Tomoya and turning, "Did you want to go to that café?"
"Yeah! Your treat!" Ren giggled. "Dango! Or something else sweet!"
"You haven't changed," Byakuya murmured, almost to himself, as he helped her into the contraption that humans called a car. Compared to mastering his bankai, driving the moving hunk of metal was nothing. Luckily, Ren could not see, or she would have missed all the times he ignored the traffic lights and when the car seemed to fly down-hill roads. To bystanders, Kuchiki Byakuya was not as good at driving cars as he believed, especially when they were going 60 miles an hour down a pedestrian street.
"What are you talking about? You've only known me for a month, and besides, you always show up out of nowhere!" Ren pouted. "Can you give me a warning for when you're coming? And how'd you know where I went to school anyways?"
"We're busy," Byakuya replied, keeping his eyes on the road. "I have only been able to come here on my time off and with what has happened recently, it's surprising that we have gotten any time off at all. As for your school, there is someone I know that goes here. Karakura High School."
"Huh? Who?" Ren asked eagerly. "Are they shinigami too? Like you?"
"A substitute one. His name is…Kurosaki."
"Oh!" Ren exclaimed. "I know him! He's a year below me, a first-year student! I heard he's always getting in fights! But anyways, it's been a really long time since we saw each other." She suddenly rested her head against his arm. "I've…I don't know why, but after I met you…I feel really…warm. When you're here, I don't know why, but I'm really happy, Bya-kun."
Byakuya almost let a faint smile slip, "You really haven't changed."
They rode in silence for awhile until Byakuya drove into a small parking lot of a small bakery, "We've arrived."
"Ah, ok!" Ren's fingers felt for the lock but Byakuya reached over and unlocked the door.
"Just wait," he said softly. "I'll always be there to help you."
He did not see her flush as he got out of the car and opened her door. Ren held his arm as he guided her to the door and opened it.
"Ah! Ren-chan! You're here!" a chubby motherly woman was behind the counter. "Oh, and you brought a boyfriend, hm?"
"Ah, no!" Ren flushed even more deeply. "This is—he's just a friend! Um, I'll get two custard buns!"
Once they were in the car, Ren pushed one of the buns toward him, "Here, eat."
Byakuya took it, "Thank you…I thought you said I was going to treat."
"No way," Ren shook her head, turning away from him. "If you did that, she'd really think you were my boyfriend. Anyways, I want to go home."
He started the car. There was a silence once again before Byakuya spoke up again. "I…was married before. But…my wife passed away. Through all of it…I had a friend. She stood by my side for over fifty years. And then…she was killed by a Hollow. She left me a letter. In the letter…she confessed her feelings to me."
"Then do you love her?" Ren asked abruptly, still keeping her face away from him. "This girl. She loved you, even when you got married. Did you ever love her back after your wife died?"
Byakuya pulled into an apartment complex's parking lot and parked, "If I did…it was too late to say it." He stared at the dashboard of the car. "I always seem to be too late in everything I do. I do not want to make the same mistake. Ren—"
"I don't need to hear any more!" her voice was suddenly louder and she did not face him. Instead, her hands felt along the door of the car until she felt the lock and she pushed the door open. "I don't even know why you're telling me this!" Without another word, she got out and slammed the door shut. Ren reached out blindly, feeling her way amongst the cars.
"Ren!" Byakuya got out. "What are you--?" His phone suddenly beeped in his pocket and he frowned, pulling it out, and flipping it open. An order. At a time like this! "Ren, wait!"
"I told you! I don't want to hear it!" she shouted furiously, stamping through the melting puddles of snow. "Just go away! Someone just called you! I don't want to talk to you!"
Byakuya's frown deepened before reaching into his pocket and swallowed a round white pill. He would have to come back later.
Ren meanwhile, tried to listen for sounds of him approaching. She was concentrating on the sound that she did not notice the young boy in front of her, and almost tripped over him.
"Ah! I'm sorry!" she cried, reaching out to help him up. "Are you alright?"
"You're always so damn clumsy!" the white-haired boy growled, straightening his jacket. He eyed her, his green eyes glaring past her sunglasses. With a dull shock, Ren also realized that she could see him clearly. "Why the hell are you wearing sunglasses right now? Aren't you going to invite me in for tea?"
"You—how dare you take such a familiar tone with me?" Ren cuffed his head slightly. "An elementary school kid like you, already dying his hair funny colors, you're just going to end up as a punk!"
"Glad to see that you haven't changed," Hitsugaya growled back, shoving her hand away, "Suiren-taichou."
To Alastor90: I'm sorry for the small word count ( I was told in sixth grade by my teacher that chapters were only 1 page max, and it seems like I took her too seriously, because I seem to consistently end my chapters after a page...and unfortunately, I think most of this fic's chapters are shorter too. I'm working on it though!
Commentary: I'm a little worried about how OOC Byakuya might be in this fic. I've done my best to keep him in character, but his near confession (which might not have even been a confession) makes me a little worried. Comments and constructive critique is welcome. :)
Please Read and Review!!!!! I love comments! Really!