Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Letting Go ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: broken_angel 
Axel keeps Renji from his duties. Byakuya drops by to find out why. Chaos ensues.
Anime/Manga: Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 02.26.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 186 | Status: Work In Progress
Axel keeps Renji from his duties. Byakuya drops by to find out why. Chaos ensues.
Anime/Manga: Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 02.26.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 186 | Status: Work In Progress
Axel woke up with warm arms holding him tight against a muscled body, laying on a hard floor, and someone knocking loudly on a nearby door. He groaned, rolling towards the body to his left, and nuzzled into the chest he found there, trying to block out the noise. It wasn't working.
Renji cracked open an eye when he felt the body in his arms shift. The sun was up, light glaring bright shining in through the windows and someone was knocking on his front door. He looked at the man lying snuggled in his arms and didn't want to move, not wanting to disturb the sleeping beauty that he held so close to his heart. But he had to answer the door. As a vice captain, he had a responsibility to his subordinates, and the possibility that it was a fellow officer outside was pretty good.
"Axel, I have to answer the door," Renji said, moving to remove himself from the other man's arms. He sat up, started to stand, when Axel wrapped his arms around his waist.
"I'm comfy," Axel muttered.
"Too bad. It might be someone important at the door. I have to see who it is," Renji said, wiggling out of Axel's arms. "Have a pillow," he said, letting the other man wrap his arms around a cushion.
"Not as warm, but mkay," Axel said, snuggling down into the pillow.
Renji shook his head at the other man and opened the door. And promptly muttered, "oh, shit." He squared his shoulders and stood up straight. "Captain Kuchiki," he said, formality slipping back into his person. He invited his captain inside, offering him a seat at the table. He went about making tea, setting out tea for himself and his captain, and then sat down himself. As soon as he'd sat down, Axel wrapped his arms back around Renji's waist, pillowing his head in his lap.
Byakuya raised an eyebrow at that as he looked his second in command up and down, taking in his rumpled, slept-in clothing and his unkempt hair. "Is there a good reason you're extremely late for work? So much so, that I had to come fetch you myself?" Byakuya asked, his eyes roving about the room.
"Does not waking up count as a good reason?" Renji asked. At the shake of his captain's head, Renji's shoulders drooped a little. "I took Axel out drinking last night and we did not return home until quite late. I guess I just overslept," Renji explained.
"I see. I also heard about the fight last night between Axel and the third seat from the Eleventh Division," Byakuya said. "Have an explanation for that as well?"
"Do you want a good explanation or would any old one do?" Renji asked, trying to make a joke. The scathing look from Byakuya stopped any further joking commentary from the red head. "All I can offer is that they were drinking and were only sparring for practice," he said with a shrug. "It wasn't all fighting. Axel summoned a zanpakto in it's shikai released form and was able to reseal it into a sword form that stayed with him," he added.
Axel sat up with a sigh. "You know, you really shouldn't talk about me like I'm not right here," he said, laying his newly acquired sword across his lap.
"Sorry," Byakuya murmured, his eyes on the sword in the other man's lap. "Though, I believe you also owe me an apology for keeping my vice captain from work this morning," he said, his eyes moving over the length of the sword.
"Sorry 'bout that," Axel muttered, studying the sword. He'd been a little too drunk last night to really pay attention to the detail of the sword, but now, in the light of day, he could see that it was beautifully made. The sheath was lacquered a crimson so dark it looked black if you weren't looking at it in bright light. The handle was wrapped in red material, giving the sword a good grip. The gaurd was made of black metal, an intricate design woven into the metal, consisting mostly of circles, crosses, and throwing knives. The design made him smile. He could definitely see his chakram in the sword, even with it safely tucked away in the sheath.
"It is your weapon. But, more than that, you will learn, that your sword is your closest friend," Byakuya said, his hand tracing over Senbonzakura. "You will learn that it is not some outside strength that you borrow, but your true inner strength that you will learn to draw out, making yourself stronger." Byakuya finished his tea and stood. "Renji, I expect you to take Axel to the training hall today and get him to be able to freely release his shikai before you leave," he said as he headed for the door to the small apartment.
After the Sixth Division captain had left, Axel looked to Renji. "What's he mean about being able to release my shikai?" he asked, his mind trying to pull the word from the alcohol clouded memories from the previous night.
"Transforming your sword into your chakram wheels you pulled out of nowhere last night," Renji said, getting up to make ther other red head a cup of tea and to make both of them some breakfast.
Axel concentrated on his opponent, his eyes never leaving the other man, his attention never wavering. Except for the quiet voice whispering in his ear. He'd been ignoring the voice for some time now, trying to keep his mind on the fight. But, this female had been muttering for at least an hour, nonsense murmurs, half heard breaths on the wind. Pausing, he shook his head, trying to shake the soft voice away.
"Why do you try to rid yourself of me so thoroughly when you grip me so tightly in your hands?" the voice questioned.
Axel paused, looking down at the sword in his hands. "What the hell," he whispered, confusion evident in his voice.
"Repeat after me," the voice whispered. "Kaika, Moeru no Sharin."
Axel closed his eyes, bowing his head. "Kaika."
"What did you say?" Renji asked, pausing in his next attack when he noticed that Axel had stopped moving.
"Moeru no Sharin," Axel finished, opening his eyes to see his chakram in his hands again.
Renji stopped. "Impressive," he said with a grin. "Mean's I don't have to hold back quite so much anymore." He swung his sword over his head once. "Howl, Zabimaru," he screamed as he released his zanpakto.
"I take it training is going well," Byakuya said, taking in, not only Renji's released zanpakto, but also, what could only be, Axel's shikai.
Renji greeted his captain and grinned. "Only took a couple hours to get him to listen," he said, still smiling like a fool.
Byakuya nodded. "It is late and I am heading home for the night. I suggest you two do the same. I doubt even Ikkaku would let you in to drink this late, so I expect you to be to work on time tomorrow, Abarai" he said, leaving the training hall.
"Well, you heard the captain. Time to go home," Renji said as he slung Zabimaru over his shoulder, a cocky grin plastered on his face.
Axel concentrated for a moment, and he was no longer holding his chakram. He tucked his sword into his belt and headed for the door. "Sounds like you have to go back to work tomorrow," he said as they walked down the road. "Guess you don't have to babysit me, then."
Renji nodded. "You should spend the day meditating. Talk to your sword. Get to know him better," he said, returning Zabimaru to his side and slinging an arm around Axel's shoulders.
"Her."
"What?"
"The voice was female," Axel explained.
Renji sniggered. "Your sword is a part of you. So that means you have an inner female. Guess you don't have to work hard to get in touch with your feminine side," he said, fighting not to laugh as he spoke.
"I'm so going to kick his ass," whispered past Axel's ear, which caused him to smirk.
"She didn't like that very much," Axel said, elbowing Renji in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him and ducked out from underneath his arm. "And neither did I," he said, turning down a road, leaving Renji behind.
"Hey," Renji called, jogging to catch up once he got his breath back. "I was joking. Geez. Have a sense of humor, wouldja?" he said, placing a companionable hand on his shoulder.
"You know, you keep putting yourself in easy attack range," Axel said, backhanding Renji in the stomach.
"Meanie," Renji said, distancing himself a little. "You can sleep in the living room by yourself tonight."
"Now who's the meanie?" Axel said as they approached the front door.
Renji snorted as he opened the front door. "Thought you had someone you loved," he said as he went about making them a simple dinner.
"I do. I love him dearly, but he hasn't loved me for a long time. Not that it was his fault that he forgot about me, but I think it's kinda hard for someone to love you when they don't even know you exist. In turn, it's kinda hard to love someone when they don't even know you exist. The confusion on their face as they try to figure out who you are 'cause they think they should know you, but they don't. And they never will again." Axel shook his head, dispelling the depressing thoughts, and plopped himself down on a cushion around the low table.
"Besides, I'll get cold if I sleep out here alone," Axel said, getting comfortable on his cushion.
"I wouldn't really make you sleep out here. I have a spare futon, you can sleep in the bedroom," Renji called from the kitchen. He came out of the kitchen carrying some heated up rice and miso soup for the two of them. It took him multiple trips, but he soon had everything they would need for dinner out on the table.
Dinner was a rather quite affair, exhaustion catching up with both the men after their long day of training, the long day of jumping and dodging and running and being thrown back by forceful blows. Axel had made good progress in the hours that they had been training, being able to release his shikai and restore it to its sword form. That was pretty good, considering that yesterday, he didn't have a sword. Dinner was finished soon, the spare futon was made up and they curled into bed, exhaustion taking them off to the land of dreams.
Kaika, Moeru no Sharin
Kaika = Bloom
Sharin = Wheel
Moeru = Flame
Renji cracked open an eye when he felt the body in his arms shift. The sun was up, light glaring bright shining in through the windows and someone was knocking on his front door. He looked at the man lying snuggled in his arms and didn't want to move, not wanting to disturb the sleeping beauty that he held so close to his heart. But he had to answer the door. As a vice captain, he had a responsibility to his subordinates, and the possibility that it was a fellow officer outside was pretty good.
"Axel, I have to answer the door," Renji said, moving to remove himself from the other man's arms. He sat up, started to stand, when Axel wrapped his arms around his waist.
"I'm comfy," Axel muttered.
"Too bad. It might be someone important at the door. I have to see who it is," Renji said, wiggling out of Axel's arms. "Have a pillow," he said, letting the other man wrap his arms around a cushion.
"Not as warm, but mkay," Axel said, snuggling down into the pillow.
Renji shook his head at the other man and opened the door. And promptly muttered, "oh, shit." He squared his shoulders and stood up straight. "Captain Kuchiki," he said, formality slipping back into his person. He invited his captain inside, offering him a seat at the table. He went about making tea, setting out tea for himself and his captain, and then sat down himself. As soon as he'd sat down, Axel wrapped his arms back around Renji's waist, pillowing his head in his lap.
Byakuya raised an eyebrow at that as he looked his second in command up and down, taking in his rumpled, slept-in clothing and his unkempt hair. "Is there a good reason you're extremely late for work? So much so, that I had to come fetch you myself?" Byakuya asked, his eyes roving about the room.
"Does not waking up count as a good reason?" Renji asked. At the shake of his captain's head, Renji's shoulders drooped a little. "I took Axel out drinking last night and we did not return home until quite late. I guess I just overslept," Renji explained.
"I see. I also heard about the fight last night between Axel and the third seat from the Eleventh Division," Byakuya said. "Have an explanation for that as well?"
"Do you want a good explanation or would any old one do?" Renji asked, trying to make a joke. The scathing look from Byakuya stopped any further joking commentary from the red head. "All I can offer is that they were drinking and were only sparring for practice," he said with a shrug. "It wasn't all fighting. Axel summoned a zanpakto in it's shikai released form and was able to reseal it into a sword form that stayed with him," he added.
Axel sat up with a sigh. "You know, you really shouldn't talk about me like I'm not right here," he said, laying his newly acquired sword across his lap.
"Sorry," Byakuya murmured, his eyes on the sword in the other man's lap. "Though, I believe you also owe me an apology for keeping my vice captain from work this morning," he said, his eyes moving over the length of the sword.
"Sorry 'bout that," Axel muttered, studying the sword. He'd been a little too drunk last night to really pay attention to the detail of the sword, but now, in the light of day, he could see that it was beautifully made. The sheath was lacquered a crimson so dark it looked black if you weren't looking at it in bright light. The handle was wrapped in red material, giving the sword a good grip. The gaurd was made of black metal, an intricate design woven into the metal, consisting mostly of circles, crosses, and throwing knives. The design made him smile. He could definitely see his chakram in the sword, even with it safely tucked away in the sheath.
"It is your weapon. But, more than that, you will learn, that your sword is your closest friend," Byakuya said, his hand tracing over Senbonzakura. "You will learn that it is not some outside strength that you borrow, but your true inner strength that you will learn to draw out, making yourself stronger." Byakuya finished his tea and stood. "Renji, I expect you to take Axel to the training hall today and get him to be able to freely release his shikai before you leave," he said as he headed for the door to the small apartment.
After the Sixth Division captain had left, Axel looked to Renji. "What's he mean about being able to release my shikai?" he asked, his mind trying to pull the word from the alcohol clouded memories from the previous night.
"Transforming your sword into your chakram wheels you pulled out of nowhere last night," Renji said, getting up to make ther other red head a cup of tea and to make both of them some breakfast.
~*~
Hours later found Renji and Axel in the training hall, both of them covered in sweat and breathing heavily. They started their training with a sparring session to get warmed up, but it turned into much more, neither of the men wanting to give in and call a halt to their fight, be it a friendly training exercise or not. Renji could hear Zabimaru whispering in his ear to be let loose, to be allowed to take out the man that refused to go down. He continued to deny release to his sword, reminding himself and Zabimaru that it wouldn't be fair to unleash his shikai on someone that couldn't freely release their own.Axel concentrated on his opponent, his eyes never leaving the other man, his attention never wavering. Except for the quiet voice whispering in his ear. He'd been ignoring the voice for some time now, trying to keep his mind on the fight. But, this female had been muttering for at least an hour, nonsense murmurs, half heard breaths on the wind. Pausing, he shook his head, trying to shake the soft voice away.
"Why do you try to rid yourself of me so thoroughly when you grip me so tightly in your hands?" the voice questioned.
Axel paused, looking down at the sword in his hands. "What the hell," he whispered, confusion evident in his voice.
"Repeat after me," the voice whispered. "Kaika, Moeru no Sharin."
Axel closed his eyes, bowing his head. "Kaika."
"What did you say?" Renji asked, pausing in his next attack when he noticed that Axel had stopped moving.
"Moeru no Sharin," Axel finished, opening his eyes to see his chakram in his hands again.
Renji stopped. "Impressive," he said with a grin. "Mean's I don't have to hold back quite so much anymore." He swung his sword over his head once. "Howl, Zabimaru," he screamed as he released his zanpakto.
~*~
They fought for several more hours. Every time Axel would improve, which was quite often, Renji would step up his offense, pushing him even further. They hadn't even realized that the sun had gone down until Byakuya entered the training hall to check on their progress on his way home for the night. They hadn't stopped fighting until he scattered Senbonzakura about the room, making them stop."I take it training is going well," Byakuya said, taking in, not only Renji's released zanpakto, but also, what could only be, Axel's shikai.
Renji greeted his captain and grinned. "Only took a couple hours to get him to listen," he said, still smiling like a fool.
Byakuya nodded. "It is late and I am heading home for the night. I suggest you two do the same. I doubt even Ikkaku would let you in to drink this late, so I expect you to be to work on time tomorrow, Abarai" he said, leaving the training hall.
"Well, you heard the captain. Time to go home," Renji said as he slung Zabimaru over his shoulder, a cocky grin plastered on his face.
Axel concentrated for a moment, and he was no longer holding his chakram. He tucked his sword into his belt and headed for the door. "Sounds like you have to go back to work tomorrow," he said as they walked down the road. "Guess you don't have to babysit me, then."
Renji nodded. "You should spend the day meditating. Talk to your sword. Get to know him better," he said, returning Zabimaru to his side and slinging an arm around Axel's shoulders.
"Her."
"What?"
"The voice was female," Axel explained.
Renji sniggered. "Your sword is a part of you. So that means you have an inner female. Guess you don't have to work hard to get in touch with your feminine side," he said, fighting not to laugh as he spoke.
"I'm so going to kick his ass," whispered past Axel's ear, which caused him to smirk.
"She didn't like that very much," Axel said, elbowing Renji in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him and ducked out from underneath his arm. "And neither did I," he said, turning down a road, leaving Renji behind.
"Hey," Renji called, jogging to catch up once he got his breath back. "I was joking. Geez. Have a sense of humor, wouldja?" he said, placing a companionable hand on his shoulder.
"You know, you keep putting yourself in easy attack range," Axel said, backhanding Renji in the stomach.
"Meanie," Renji said, distancing himself a little. "You can sleep in the living room by yourself tonight."
"Now who's the meanie?" Axel said as they approached the front door.
Renji snorted as he opened the front door. "Thought you had someone you loved," he said as he went about making them a simple dinner.
"I do. I love him dearly, but he hasn't loved me for a long time. Not that it was his fault that he forgot about me, but I think it's kinda hard for someone to love you when they don't even know you exist. In turn, it's kinda hard to love someone when they don't even know you exist. The confusion on their face as they try to figure out who you are 'cause they think they should know you, but they don't. And they never will again." Axel shook his head, dispelling the depressing thoughts, and plopped himself down on a cushion around the low table.
"Besides, I'll get cold if I sleep out here alone," Axel said, getting comfortable on his cushion.
"I wouldn't really make you sleep out here. I have a spare futon, you can sleep in the bedroom," Renji called from the kitchen. He came out of the kitchen carrying some heated up rice and miso soup for the two of them. It took him multiple trips, but he soon had everything they would need for dinner out on the table.
Dinner was a rather quite affair, exhaustion catching up with both the men after their long day of training, the long day of jumping and dodging and running and being thrown back by forceful blows. Axel had made good progress in the hours that they had been training, being able to release his shikai and restore it to its sword form. That was pretty good, considering that yesterday, he didn't have a sword. Dinner was finished soon, the spare futon was made up and they curled into bed, exhaustion taking them off to the land of dreams.
Kaika, Moeru no Sharin
Kaika = Bloom
Sharin = Wheel
Moeru = Flame