ext_259349 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
better-third.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
tampered2008-03-04 04:01 am
better-third.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2008-03-04 04:01 am
Log; Completed
When; Sunday, March 2nd
Rating; PG, with mentions of cactus burning.
Characters; Kotsubaki Sentarou {![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bearded_monkey} and Kotetsu Kiyone {better_third}
Summary; After her fallout with Masaki, Kiyone goes to console herself by bothering Sentarou.
Log;
Though Masaki had always been true to his word, that didn't stop Kiyone from hoping he'd been only threatening to leave, and not actually meaning to do so. The stumble from Kaoru's room to their own was short, but all the way she kept telling herself that he'd still be there, he'd still be there.
But as soon as she opened the door, her heart dropped. The room was the emptiest she'd ever seen it. Kuro and Shiro were gone, too, and the silence was more than deafening. She stood around for only a moment before she decided she couldn't stay.
She scrawled a quick note on a small scrap of paper and left it on the edge of the bed, where he'd be sure to see it.
Masaki-
If you come home before I do... I'll be visiting either taichou or Kotsubaki.
I love you. And I'm sorry.
- Kiyone
Taichou's presence would have been the most comfort at the moment, but surely he had enough on his mind already, what with Aizen's return to the City and the opening of his tea shop. She didn't want to bother him any more than she had to. Sentarou, on the other hand... She couldn't care less how much of a bother she was to him.
His room was only a few doors down from her own; she steadied herself with one hand on the wall as she walked, Masaki's anger having been only a little sobering. "Hey, gorilla fa- ... Kotsubaki," she called when she reached his door. "Let me in."
---------------------
He hated the ticking. Sure, he was used to noise - used to the thirteenth division barracks and cafeteria...but there was none of that here. He supposed he was lucky enough to be where Taichou was. Instead, in the silence there was the noise a constant reminder that he was alone. He didn't mind that really...he was used to being alone. Kotsubaki Sentarou didn't need anybody. He came from the Rukongai, and he was proud of it. But here in the city, it was starting to look like that didn't mean much.
He was staring at the cactus in the corner. He figured he should decorate the room, since it seemed like they'd be here a while, but a well worn couch, a basket for clothes, and a futon was still all that was present here - well, that and the cactus.
Getting up to move the plant one more time to the other side of the kitchenette counter, he heard the knock and familiar voice.
What does she want?! ....Did I forget to do something for Taichou?
"Yeah, yeah!" he called out. "I'm comin'!"
He opened the door with a yawn, mouth agape, and scratching his chest.
"What're you bothering me at this hour for?"
---------------------
Kiyone stared at him for a moment after he opened the door, watching as the taller third seat scratched his chest.
And he wondered why people told him he looked like a gorilla.
"Do I need a reason to bother you," she asked, folding her arms across her chest. "I thought you might like some company... or something. It's not like anyone else will come to see you." She snorted at the thought of anyone even wanting to visit the idiot, and then frowned.
"Well? Are you going to let me in, or not?!"
---------------------
"People come to see me!" he said immediately, his first instinct was to always contradict the woman. "...sometimes," he added as an afterthought.
...the ticking stopped.
He realized that that there was at least one good reason to let her visit. Why should he care what she wanted? He would let her in...only to make the ticking stop. Not because it was the quiet time of night where it got lonely, not because she was a familiar face, and not because a cactus didn't make good company.
Sentarou let go of the door and left it open, though he turned around as if he had better things to do in his room than to greet her.
"Fine, come in or don't come in, whatever," he paused, as if making a point. "And people do come to see me. Taichou comes sometimes."
---------------------
"Taichou doesn't count," Kiyone retorted, stepping into his room. It was small, smaller than hers and Masaki's. Sparse, too, but she never really figured Sentarou for the decorating or pack rat type.
"It's very... plain," she said, appraising the room. "I was expecting trees and rope vines, but I guess a monkey's got to make do with what he's got, hm?"
She paced around the room, stopping at the kitchenette counter and grabbing it for support when the room began to sway a bit. Still a little tipsy, there.
"I'll bet you named the cactus."
---------------------
"It's Richard," he said, frowning. She seemed a little off somehow, though he wasn't sure quite why. It was a little strange for her to visit him at all, let alone this late. He didn't comment the insults, not looking for a fight tonight. Besides, lots of people were sleeping already, his captain included.
He stood a minute, staring at her standing at the counter, before deciding that 'Richard' did in fact belong on the other side. Reaching in front of Kiyone, he took hold of the plastic white pot that the cactus was settled in, then pulled it back across the counter on the other side of the sink. Right next to the sake bottle.
...sake...
It took another moment for it to click, the gears always turned slowly for him. Then he recognized the smell, and the look on her face.
"...you been drinking or something?"
---------------------
"Or something," she muttered, one hand still keeping hold of the counter. Things had stopped spinning, but she still felt a little heady, sobriety still a hangover away.
She gauged the distance between the kitchnette and the couch. Deeming it close enough to let go of her hold on the counter, she trudged across the room and dropped onto the couch.
"If you're going to give the damn cactus a name, you could have at least come up with something better than that. Honestly, you and Nemu are two of a kind, giving things stupid names. Like calling a cat Yuu..." She trailed off, tipping her head back and staring at the ceiling.
---------------------
Sentarou's teeth clenched a bit at the comment. "Richard is a good name!" he tried not to shout, but in truth he had only two volumes, loud and louder. He hoped he was more towards the former at the moment.
Crossing his arms, he stood against the wall across from the couch, looking her over. It felt odd to have her here...but in a strange way it also felt right, and comfortable. She was of the thirteenth - a piece of home.
Watching as she flopped her head back to the couch, he said. "You sure you ain't been drinking?" A long pause. "We used to go drinking. You know, back then." Before Shiba-fukutaichou died...
---------------------
"You mean before I had to pick up your slack and do all the work? Yeah, I remember. Not much time for drinking when I'm trying to do your share of the paperwork and take care of taichou, too."
Joke as she may, Kiyone really did remember the way it was before she and Sentarou carried as much responsibility as they did now, back before they were in direct competition for taichou's attention. Not that there had never been tension between them, but there had been less arguments, more fun, and more drinking.
She groaned. Just the thought now of alcohol made her feel ill.
"Make yourself useful, why don't you. Get me a glass of water."
---------------------
"Get it your--" he cut himself off, face still angry out of habit. But even though he wasn't the smartest of men, he could still remember those days, and remembered what she'd look like after they were done drinking for the night, but not quite sober yet.
Without saying a word, Sentarou stormed over to a cabinet, getting a fairly clean glass - just a little dust, not that bad - and put it under the tap, rinsing it once before filling it with water. Glass still dripping, he turned back and practically shoved it in her face.
"Drink it," he commanded, though his voice was slightly soft. At the moment he couldn't care less why she was here, or why she was drinking. Lots of things he just accepted for what they were, and Kiyone being around wasn't unusual, even if the circumstances were.
"And don't spill it on my couch."
---------------------
She stared at him for a moment, glass in hand. Had she been a little more sober and up for another fight, she would have tipped the glass over and spilled the entire thing on his couch. But as it was, she was still trying to wrap her head around what had happened with Masaki and, for once, just wasn't up for a shouting match with Sentarou.
"I'm not clumsy like you, idiot. I can drink my water without dribbling it all over myself, unlike some people I know." She sipped at the water, relaxing a little when the cool liquid hit her stomach. It felt much better than the warm burn of the alcohol she'd had earlier, and it helping to sober her up, even if only by a little.
---------------------
He had to bite his lip to keep from responding to the 'clumsy' comment. It was late, and people were sleeping, he reminded himself.
"Yeah, well, you'd better not," he said, frowning and finding a spot on the tatami to sit on. God forbid he sit next to Kiyone on his one piece of real furniture. "I don't need a wet couch."
It was a lame comeback, he knew, but couldn't find anything better to say, and he didn't want to make her too mad, either. If she left the ticking would come back, and it was always harder to fall asleep when it was ticking. But she wouldn't be spending the night there, right?
"Hey, how long you plan on staying? Not that I care or nothing..."
---------------------
Kiyone shrugged. "I don't know. Until Masa-" She cut herself off and drained the last bit of water from the glass. No way she was about to talk about him. Until that distrustful, angry- Ugh. She still couldn't figure out what she'd done to make him so angry. What was so bad about a few drinks with a friend. Sure, said friend was another guy, but Kiyone was anything but unfaithful.
"Look here. I'm doing you a favour, making it look like you have friends who will come and hang out with you, and here you are wanting to know when you'll be rid of me."
---------------------
"That's not what I meant!" Sentarou growled. Masa...? Masaki? Puke hair?
After a pause, he opened his mouth to say more, but stopped, thinking better of it. Instead, he simply got the folded futon out of the corner and started to lay it out, getting his blankets and pillow from a mostly empty shelf.
I'm going to bed. She's here and the ticking is gone so I can sleep.
That was the whole reason he had let her in, wasn't it?
I don't care where she's been. I don't care if she's been drinking. I don't care what the hell puke hair has to do with anything or if he's treating her right like a lady or if he's being mean or if he said something that....
He cut off his own thoughts with a deeper frown than his normal expression, and angrily flopped down a pillow onto the futon.
---------------------
"You're not going to bed now, are you?" Kiyone turned the empty glass over in her hands as she watched him prepare his bed for the night.
There was a part of her that wanted him to stay up and talk to her about what had happened between her and Masaki. As much as the two third seats fought, only Isane knew her better than Sentarou did. She thought that hearing the other third seat agree with her on how stupid and unreasonable Masaki had been would make her feel better. The other part would sooner confide in him as surrender their personal competition for taichou's attention.
It's not like I need to give him another reason to hate Masaki, anyways.
"You're such a bad host."
---------------------
"It's my room I can sleep if I want to," he retorted, grabbing the futon's blankets and tossing them on the pile of things that made up where Sentarou slept. "I have to go to work in the morning."
I wonder if I should shut off the lights?
Part of him said it was his room, and he could turn out the lights if he wanted too...but Kiyone was still here, and he wanted her to stay. To stop the ticking, of course, no other reason.
I can't take off my clothes, either...
Maybe it wouldn't be as comfortable a sleep as he thought, but it was worth a shot. He flopped down to the futon, smashing his face against the pillow and pulling the blanket he was using up to his bearded chin.
"I'm sleeping," he said with finality. "Do what you want."
---------------------
Kiyone pulled herself up from the couch and moved to stand over him, considering a well placed kick to his ribs. Thinking better of it (his monkey-like howls of pain would more likely than not wake taichou), she opted for stealing the blanket he was using.
She dropped back down onto the couch, stretching her legs out with her back turned to the other third seat, covering herself with the stolen blanket.
"Fine," she said, voice muffled by the cushions on the back of the couch. "I'm sleeping, too."
---------------------
Finding the warmth and comfort of his usual blanket snatched away, Sentarou snapped his eyes open.
"WHAT THE HELL, KIYONE?!" he shouted, getting up and trying to take the blanket back. "Use a spare, this one's mine!"
In retrospect, he probably could have let her keep the blanket...but years of instinct and hostility told him to lash out at her and keep what was his. Possessions were few and far between in the Rukongai, after all, and that habit had stuck, even after so long in the Gotei Thirteen.
---------------------
Kiyone pulled the blanket around her as tight as she could, burying her face deeper into the back of the couch.
"Take my blanket and I swear to you, I will burn your cactus and make it look like an accident." All she needed was a match or two, and even if she couldn't make it look like an accident, she'd still burn the damn thing.
"Do it," she mumbled into the couch. "I dare you."
---------------------
He paused, blanket firmly in hand but no longer tugging. Screwing his face up a bit, he thought about the situation...somewhat defective gears turning around in his head.
I got others... he thought, glancing back at the folded ones on the shelf. And I don't want to have Richard get burned...
Sentarou had no doubts that Kiyone could and would burn his only company to ashes, so he let go, grabbed a different blanket from the shelf and turned off the lights.
I'll put the lights out if I want the lights out.
He went back to the futon, getting similarly situated as before, and closed his eyes. Then a moment later, in a voice a bit softer than he was used to, he muttered; "'Night, Kiyone."
Rating; PG, with mentions of cactus burning.
Characters; Kotsubaki Sentarou {
bearded_monkey} and Kotetsu Kiyone {better_third}Summary; After her fallout with Masaki, Kiyone goes to console herself by bothering Sentarou.
Log;
Though Masaki had always been true to his word, that didn't stop Kiyone from hoping he'd been only threatening to leave, and not actually meaning to do so. The stumble from Kaoru's room to their own was short, but all the way she kept telling herself that he'd still be there, he'd still be there.
But as soon as she opened the door, her heart dropped. The room was the emptiest she'd ever seen it. Kuro and Shiro were gone, too, and the silence was more than deafening. She stood around for only a moment before she decided she couldn't stay.
She scrawled a quick note on a small scrap of paper and left it on the edge of the bed, where he'd be sure to see it.
Masaki-
If you come home before I do... I'll be visiting either taichou or Kotsubaki.
I love you. And I'm sorry.
- Kiyone
Taichou's presence would have been the most comfort at the moment, but surely he had enough on his mind already, what with Aizen's return to the City and the opening of his tea shop. She didn't want to bother him any more than she had to. Sentarou, on the other hand... She couldn't care less how much of a bother she was to him.
His room was only a few doors down from her own; she steadied herself with one hand on the wall as she walked, Masaki's anger having been only a little sobering. "Hey, gorilla fa- ... Kotsubaki," she called when she reached his door. "Let me in."
---------------------
He hated the ticking. Sure, he was used to noise - used to the thirteenth division barracks and cafeteria...but there was none of that here. He supposed he was lucky enough to be where Taichou was. Instead, in the silence there was the noise a constant reminder that he was alone. He didn't mind that really...he was used to being alone. Kotsubaki Sentarou didn't need anybody. He came from the Rukongai, and he was proud of it. But here in the city, it was starting to look like that didn't mean much.
He was staring at the cactus in the corner. He figured he should decorate the room, since it seemed like they'd be here a while, but a well worn couch, a basket for clothes, and a futon was still all that was present here - well, that and the cactus.
Getting up to move the plant one more time to the other side of the kitchenette counter, he heard the knock and familiar voice.
What does she want?! ....Did I forget to do something for Taichou?
"Yeah, yeah!" he called out. "I'm comin'!"
He opened the door with a yawn, mouth agape, and scratching his chest.
"What're you bothering me at this hour for?"
---------------------
Kiyone stared at him for a moment after he opened the door, watching as the taller third seat scratched his chest.
And he wondered why people told him he looked like a gorilla.
"Do I need a reason to bother you," she asked, folding her arms across her chest. "I thought you might like some company... or something. It's not like anyone else will come to see you." She snorted at the thought of anyone even wanting to visit the idiot, and then frowned.
"Well? Are you going to let me in, or not?!"
---------------------
"People come to see me!" he said immediately, his first instinct was to always contradict the woman. "...sometimes," he added as an afterthought.
...the ticking stopped.
He realized that that there was at least one good reason to let her visit. Why should he care what she wanted? He would let her in...only to make the ticking stop. Not because it was the quiet time of night where it got lonely, not because she was a familiar face, and not because a cactus didn't make good company.
Sentarou let go of the door and left it open, though he turned around as if he had better things to do in his room than to greet her.
"Fine, come in or don't come in, whatever," he paused, as if making a point. "And people do come to see me. Taichou comes sometimes."
---------------------
"Taichou doesn't count," Kiyone retorted, stepping into his room. It was small, smaller than hers and Masaki's. Sparse, too, but she never really figured Sentarou for the decorating or pack rat type.
"It's very... plain," she said, appraising the room. "I was expecting trees and rope vines, but I guess a monkey's got to make do with what he's got, hm?"
She paced around the room, stopping at the kitchenette counter and grabbing it for support when the room began to sway a bit. Still a little tipsy, there.
"I'll bet you named the cactus."
---------------------
"It's Richard," he said, frowning. She seemed a little off somehow, though he wasn't sure quite why. It was a little strange for her to visit him at all, let alone this late. He didn't comment the insults, not looking for a fight tonight. Besides, lots of people were sleeping already, his captain included.
He stood a minute, staring at her standing at the counter, before deciding that 'Richard' did in fact belong on the other side. Reaching in front of Kiyone, he took hold of the plastic white pot that the cactus was settled in, then pulled it back across the counter on the other side of the sink. Right next to the sake bottle.
...sake...
It took another moment for it to click, the gears always turned slowly for him. Then he recognized the smell, and the look on her face.
"...you been drinking or something?"
---------------------
"Or something," she muttered, one hand still keeping hold of the counter. Things had stopped spinning, but she still felt a little heady, sobriety still a hangover away.
She gauged the distance between the kitchnette and the couch. Deeming it close enough to let go of her hold on the counter, she trudged across the room and dropped onto the couch.
"If you're going to give the damn cactus a name, you could have at least come up with something better than that. Honestly, you and Nemu are two of a kind, giving things stupid names. Like calling a cat Yuu..." She trailed off, tipping her head back and staring at the ceiling.
---------------------
Sentarou's teeth clenched a bit at the comment. "Richard is a good name!" he tried not to shout, but in truth he had only two volumes, loud and louder. He hoped he was more towards the former at the moment.
Crossing his arms, he stood against the wall across from the couch, looking her over. It felt odd to have her here...but in a strange way it also felt right, and comfortable. She was of the thirteenth - a piece of home.
Watching as she flopped her head back to the couch, he said. "You sure you ain't been drinking?" A long pause. "We used to go drinking. You know, back then." Before Shiba-fukutaichou died...
---------------------
"You mean before I had to pick up your slack and do all the work? Yeah, I remember. Not much time for drinking when I'm trying to do your share of the paperwork and take care of taichou, too."
Joke as she may, Kiyone really did remember the way it was before she and Sentarou carried as much responsibility as they did now, back before they were in direct competition for taichou's attention. Not that there had never been tension between them, but there had been less arguments, more fun, and more drinking.
She groaned. Just the thought now of alcohol made her feel ill.
"Make yourself useful, why don't you. Get me a glass of water."
---------------------
"Get it your--" he cut himself off, face still angry out of habit. But even though he wasn't the smartest of men, he could still remember those days, and remembered what she'd look like after they were done drinking for the night, but not quite sober yet.
Without saying a word, Sentarou stormed over to a cabinet, getting a fairly clean glass - just a little dust, not that bad - and put it under the tap, rinsing it once before filling it with water. Glass still dripping, he turned back and practically shoved it in her face.
"Drink it," he commanded, though his voice was slightly soft. At the moment he couldn't care less why she was here, or why she was drinking. Lots of things he just accepted for what they were, and Kiyone being around wasn't unusual, even if the circumstances were.
"And don't spill it on my couch."
---------------------
She stared at him for a moment, glass in hand. Had she been a little more sober and up for another fight, she would have tipped the glass over and spilled the entire thing on his couch. But as it was, she was still trying to wrap her head around what had happened with Masaki and, for once, just wasn't up for a shouting match with Sentarou.
"I'm not clumsy like you, idiot. I can drink my water without dribbling it all over myself, unlike some people I know." She sipped at the water, relaxing a little when the cool liquid hit her stomach. It felt much better than the warm burn of the alcohol she'd had earlier, and it helping to sober her up, even if only by a little.
---------------------
He had to bite his lip to keep from responding to the 'clumsy' comment. It was late, and people were sleeping, he reminded himself.
"Yeah, well, you'd better not," he said, frowning and finding a spot on the tatami to sit on. God forbid he sit next to Kiyone on his one piece of real furniture. "I don't need a wet couch."
It was a lame comeback, he knew, but couldn't find anything better to say, and he didn't want to make her too mad, either. If she left the ticking would come back, and it was always harder to fall asleep when it was ticking. But she wouldn't be spending the night there, right?
"Hey, how long you plan on staying? Not that I care or nothing..."
---------------------
Kiyone shrugged. "I don't know. Until Masa-" She cut herself off and drained the last bit of water from the glass. No way she was about to talk about him. Until that distrustful, angry- Ugh. She still couldn't figure out what she'd done to make him so angry. What was so bad about a few drinks with a friend. Sure, said friend was another guy, but Kiyone was anything but unfaithful.
"Look here. I'm doing you a favour, making it look like you have friends who will come and hang out with you, and here you are wanting to know when you'll be rid of me."
---------------------
"That's not what I meant!" Sentarou growled. Masa...? Masaki? Puke hair?
After a pause, he opened his mouth to say more, but stopped, thinking better of it. Instead, he simply got the folded futon out of the corner and started to lay it out, getting his blankets and pillow from a mostly empty shelf.
I'm going to bed. She's here and the ticking is gone so I can sleep.
That was the whole reason he had let her in, wasn't it?
I don't care where she's been. I don't care if she's been drinking. I don't care what the hell puke hair has to do with anything or if he's treating her right like a lady or if he's being mean or if he said something that....
He cut off his own thoughts with a deeper frown than his normal expression, and angrily flopped down a pillow onto the futon.
---------------------
"You're not going to bed now, are you?" Kiyone turned the empty glass over in her hands as she watched him prepare his bed for the night.
There was a part of her that wanted him to stay up and talk to her about what had happened between her and Masaki. As much as the two third seats fought, only Isane knew her better than Sentarou did. She thought that hearing the other third seat agree with her on how stupid and unreasonable Masaki had been would make her feel better. The other part would sooner confide in him as surrender their personal competition for taichou's attention.
It's not like I need to give him another reason to hate Masaki, anyways.
"You're such a bad host."
---------------------
"It's my room I can sleep if I want to," he retorted, grabbing the futon's blankets and tossing them on the pile of things that made up where Sentarou slept. "I have to go to work in the morning."
I wonder if I should shut off the lights?
Part of him said it was his room, and he could turn out the lights if he wanted too...but Kiyone was still here, and he wanted her to stay. To stop the ticking, of course, no other reason.
I can't take off my clothes, either...
Maybe it wouldn't be as comfortable a sleep as he thought, but it was worth a shot. He flopped down to the futon, smashing his face against the pillow and pulling the blanket he was using up to his bearded chin.
"I'm sleeping," he said with finality. "Do what you want."
---------------------
Kiyone pulled herself up from the couch and moved to stand over him, considering a well placed kick to his ribs. Thinking better of it (his monkey-like howls of pain would more likely than not wake taichou), she opted for stealing the blanket he was using.
She dropped back down onto the couch, stretching her legs out with her back turned to the other third seat, covering herself with the stolen blanket.
"Fine," she said, voice muffled by the cushions on the back of the couch. "I'm sleeping, too."
---------------------
Finding the warmth and comfort of his usual blanket snatched away, Sentarou snapped his eyes open.
"WHAT THE HELL, KIYONE?!" he shouted, getting up and trying to take the blanket back. "Use a spare, this one's mine!"
In retrospect, he probably could have let her keep the blanket...but years of instinct and hostility told him to lash out at her and keep what was his. Possessions were few and far between in the Rukongai, after all, and that habit had stuck, even after so long in the Gotei Thirteen.
---------------------
Kiyone pulled the blanket around her as tight as she could, burying her face deeper into the back of the couch.
"Take my blanket and I swear to you, I will burn your cactus and make it look like an accident." All she needed was a match or two, and even if she couldn't make it look like an accident, she'd still burn the damn thing.
"Do it," she mumbled into the couch. "I dare you."
---------------------
He paused, blanket firmly in hand but no longer tugging. Screwing his face up a bit, he thought about the situation...somewhat defective gears turning around in his head.
I got others... he thought, glancing back at the folded ones on the shelf. And I don't want to have Richard get burned...
Sentarou had no doubts that Kiyone could and would burn his only company to ashes, so he let go, grabbed a different blanket from the shelf and turned off the lights.
I'll put the lights out if I want the lights out.
He went back to the futon, getting similarly situated as before, and closed his eyes. Then a moment later, in a voice a bit softer than he was used to, he muttered; "'Night, Kiyone."