bleachness

Title: Footsteps
Author:

windxalchemist
Characters/Pairing: Rukia, Renji, implied IchiRuki
Word Count: 220
Spoilers: None. Possible spoilers for the end of SS Arc

There were footsteps making their way to her room. Loud, brash, almost obnoxious. They bore steadily into her eardrums. She knew that it was impossible, but she couldn’t resist. Especially not while knowing that there was some possibility. There was always a chance, some sort of a chance.

Just…

Before she even knew it, her feet were dashing across the tatami mats creating a beautiful rhythm of anxiety and hope. She flung her door open before there was even a knock.

She was so sure of it.

So, so sure.

“Ichigo! You’re-”

Rukia found herself facing a dumbfounded Renji.

“Ah…Renji.” She was disappointed.

She was disappointed, even knowing that she shouldn’t have expected anything at all in the first place. She would have liked to blame someone for raising her hopes, then crushing them like it was all part of some crude, horrid joke, but it hurt to know that there was only her and Renji, standing in the threshold of her chamber.

‘Stop being stupid, Rukia.’

Renji was wearing an expression that seemed to convey those very same four words.

“Hey.” Renji spoke first, attempting to take a crack at the ice cold silence.

How far could she go to convincing herself like this?

“Ah…hi,” she responded.

“How are you?”

“I’m…fine.”

How long could she keep up the lie?

end.

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Just a bit of nothing, kind of something.