Seeking Solace

Coming back to the barracks battered and bruised wasn’t exactly a way to start a glowing reputation for one’s self the first day on the job. Sore and more than a little testy, I plopped down (albeit gently) onto the lower bunk that I had claimed the night before. I buried my face into the soft pillow the bed had to offer at once and groaned. The person in the top bunk, directly above me, snorted.

Nice. Glad I could be a source of amusement to someone, I thought with a bit more venom than usual. Me, myself, and I don’t particularly find this enjoyable, though.

I heard the door open again, but I didn’t bother glancing up. I already knew who it was, anyway, thanks to the unrestrained reiatsu filling the air.

“Oi, Kisuke-chan, what’s with the blood? New fashion statement?” quipped an all too familiar voice. I couldn’t help but smile into my pillow even though it hurt like hell to make facial expressions right now.

“Something like that,” I shot back, voice muffled due to the fact I felt it was too much effort to lift my head up and look at him properly. “How’d your mission go, dumbass?”

Someone took a seat at the end of my bed and I could imagine Isshin sitting there, bent over slightly to avoid hitting his head against the top bunk. “It was all right. Didn’t get my ass kicked like you,” he teased mercilessly, a hand unexpectedly coming to rest on my shoulder and thumbing the exposed cut there. “Jeez, whatever it was really did a number on you, didn’t it?”

“You think?” I mumbled sarcastically. It was nice having him so close, though. Admittedly, Isshin had always been the touchy feely kind of person, but to have such attention directed solely at me was quite pleasant. It was certainly something I could get used to.

“So what happened?” And that was odd, too. When had Isshin ever saw fit to ask me how my day was? Perhaps he was just making conversation. Then again, it could have been he honestly wanted to laugh at me for getting my ass kicked, as he put it.

“False information,” I grumbled, not budging from my comfortable position face down in that lovely pillow of mine. Plus, if I moved, I knew Isshin would move, too – and I really didn’t want that. His presence was soothing, at least to me, and I didn’t want that to disappear just yet if I could help it. “Some idiot informant miscalculated the number of Hollows. Plus, there was a fucking menos, Isshin. My first fucking mission and I had to deal with one of those.” I knew I was ranting by now, but damn did it feel good. If I had ranted like this to Yoruichi, she would have gotten bored with me and changed the subject at once, but Isshin was listening to my tirade with a patience I hadn’t known him to possess. That in itself was strange, sure, but it was also nice.

“Now get this!” I went on heatedly. “Kyouraku-taichou told us all to fall back and took care of the stupid thing, right? Well, while everyone was watching him take down that behemoth, a stupid ass fucking Hollow decided to attack some of the imbeciles with their backs turned. So, you know what I did? I, being the noble, amazing person I am, helped their pathetic asses! Oh, but no can do, Mr. Hollow says! And beats the shit out of me. All because I was one second late and had to take the burnt of an attack to protect one of those idiots I mentioned earlier!” I took a deep breath, having said that all in one go. It must have been my best record to date.

“Finished?” And was that amusement I heard? Dammit! I just knew he was going to laugh at me … Hence why I was a bit caught off guard when all he did was playfully ruffle my hair - and the person actually laughing was the guy up in the top bunk, whoever he was, who had obviously been listening in to our conversation. Despite myself, I could feel a blush warming my cheeks.

I really loved this pillow, did I mention that? It’s pretty good at hiding things like this.

“Anyway, I only stopped in to make sure you were okay, I still have to go report in to taichou.” The hand was abruptly gone, having been lingering in my hair, and I could feel his weight shift off the bed as he stood. I was disappointed he had to leave so soon, but I didn’t protest.

“Then what the hell are you doing here?” I demanded tiredly, the complete opposite of what I really wanted to say. “Get lost.”

“Mou, so mean, Kisuke-chan!”

Just for that, I sat up - as stiff and painful as it was, I sat up. And, being the childish person I am, I stuck my tongue out at him, pulling down one eyelid.

I couldn’t help but miss his laughter already when he finally left. With a sigh, I sank back into my defeated pose on the bed and at last drifted off into a dreamless sleep. I could look forward to seeing Isshin again when I next opened my eyes, after all.