Aftershocks

Aoi hurried out of the portal behind Rin's house. Worried, she was so worried. Barely able to call for more than a moment for the past day or so, Aoi had needed to see Rin but couldn't do more than text him that she was okay and alive. The Vanguards were too important, too busy... She had a few hours break though and begging Masaru, she had taken the time she might have been sleeping to get permission to head to the human world briefly.

She'd sent a text ahead of time, telling him to get ready, she was taking him with her when she went back, Aoi wondered how he would react... She'd been in one of those bubbles but it hadn't been too bad. Others had varying stories though...

Stepping through the front door in her full shinigami uniform, Aoi called out as she practically ran through the house looking for him. "Rin?! Riiiin! I'm here."

"R...Ruka..." Rin let out a sigh as a pillow hit his back for the umpteenth time while he finished up preparations for lunch. "You've kept this up all night..."

"Hmph." Ruka stuck her tongue out him, though it had been the most lighthearted she'd been considering the earful he'd gotten upon his return. "You were gone hours! I know it wasn't your fault, but don't scare me like that!"

Again she hit him with the pillow, though this time hitting his head.

When he'd gotten back he'd been promptly smothered, once Ruka had gotten out her worries she'd turned to light-beatings with pillows instead as payback. He hadn't really described what he'd seen, just vague things about being in the Soul Society, but...

While they'd talked things out...this was still happening.

At least he was preparing simple sandwiches and not something pillow-hitting could mess up.

Just as he finished up there was a noise, well, a voice, and both of the twins turned their heads towards the direction.

"In the kitche-gh-"

"Aoi-chaaan, in the kitchen!" Before Rin had finished he'd once again been hit with the pillow.

As Rin was hit with a pillow, it was nothing to the hit that was bullet Aoi. Hearing both of their voices, okay and happy it seemed on Ruka's part, Aoi gave a sharp worried cry as she tore through the house. As soon as she skidded around the corner to the kitchen, tears welled up in her eyes and she rushed for the man. Diving at him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tackled him as her Haori floated behind her. "Shiro-Usaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

He was snuggled, snuggled and hugged tightly as she cried softly against him. No... No her Rin...

Before Rin or Ruka could give Aoi a proper greeting she had already tackled Rin; luckily he kept his balance, only falling back a few steps before his back hit a wall. His arms went around her, able to tell how upset and worried she was as she cried.

One of his hands went to her hair while Ruka went to get Aoi a box of tissues, as well as a piece of one of the sandwiches Rin had made before returning.

"We're both alright, Aoi; we're both right here..." Rin stated, letting his hand run softly through her hair in attempts to calm her.

"I-I know but it was... I can't stay long... You have to come back with me. I'm needed... Th-There's... uproars and things going on..." Aoi rubbed her face against his chest, glad Ruka was okay too but needing her Rin as she choked out a reply. He was holding her and keeping her feeling secure and her crying slowed after a few moments due to his hair pettings. Turning her head to the side, she looked to see Ruka with a box of tissues and nodded at her as one hand moved from Rin's neck to reach for it. She wiped her nose and eyes, sniffling just a bit.

"S-Sorry... I was so worried... I wanted to come earlier but I just... was too busy..." Work... even right now...had to come first... "You both... are okay, right?"

He needed to come back with her? Rin wasn't expecting to hear that, and his eyes went to Ruka who gave a small nod and smile. He supposed she understood, as long as he was with Aoi he would be fine and Ruka trusted that... He would be gone like he had been before.

"We're both alright, right?" Rin reassured, and then glanced to Ruka to further prove his point.

"Right, I've given Rin his proper beating already~" She laughed, lightly throwing up the pillow she had before catching it between her hands and patting it.

Rin's response to that was a simple, sheepish laugh.

"You're alright?" Aoi had said she had been caught up with work, due to the bubbles he presumed...but that said nothing about her own state...

Aoi noticed the look and shook her head, explaining her selfish reasonings... "I can't stay, so you have to go with me or else I'd be staying here. And get in trouble..."

At least it was all right and she gave a sigh of relief before nodding, smiling as they both agreed they were all right... But then Ruka mentioned beatings and had a pillow and it left Aoi confused.

"Why's he getting a beating? Whats wrong?" Aoi stared between the twins, looking back and forth in worry. She didn't even answer the question about her all rightness, the worry over Rin overriding her ability to think about anything else.

"It's alright, Aoi-chan; if Rin needs to go with you that's just fine. He's an adult, and I know where he's going so I won't be worried." Ruka offered Aoi another smile, noticing her worry especially as she asked what had happened, but that wasn't her place to explain.

"Ah, well... I was caught up in one of the bubbles for a few hours; I'm alright though! I'm not hurt, or anything..." It'd...been hard, but... He'd been able to make it through what he experienced. He had needed to stick around in that bubble... even if there hadn't been a way out to begin with.

"Thanks Ruka..." She appreciated the woman's trust and sniffled a little, the tiniest smile reappearing on her lips. The woman was entrusting her brother to her, Aoi would never let her down! Especially because it was her Rin.

"N-No!" At those words though Aoi clung tighter to Rin, arms wrapping around him and refusing to let go now as she spider monkey'd the man. Her face was buried against his chest and she rubbed it against him, worried out of her mind. "No... I-I heard bad things. I just ended up on a ship? And built it..."

Awful awful things...

Ruka smiled, giving a small nod before she walked over to the counter where the sandwiches were. She was hungry herself, and Rin had finished making them already so it was time for food.

She did glance back though as Aoi reacted to Rin's words, frowning; Rin hadn't explain what he'd seen exactly, so she had no idea what had happened to him... All she knew was that he'd been in the Soul Society.

"I'm alright..." Rin attempted to reassure, never stopping with the hair petting. "You were caught up in one?" That worried him, but... "You...built a ship?"

Ruka was getting food and not worried so things...must be okay right? She wouldn't be upset if Rin was hurt right?

"It was nice and relaxing... I don't know... I heard there were really bad ones, from others. Like... bad things that made people upset? Mia saw her uncle's murder... Her dad saw some stuff too I know... I don't know about many others but yeah, they were...were miserable for most..." The only reason Aoi wasn't panicking more was due to Rin's hair petting and she clung to him still, her voice muffled by his chest. "What did you see? It wasn't that bad right?"

What kinds of horrors had the man lived through...?

Nice and relaxing... That was good, he was relieved she hadn't been put through anything bad. She'd just been on a ship, and helped build it.

The things she explained others saw though... Mia had been that woman with Aoi's old captain, she'd seen her uncle's murder...and her father had seen things? This...

"Eh? What...I saw, ah well..." Rin blinked, knowing the question was coming, but... "It wasn't anything much, I was just in Rukon..."

Rin hoped she understood...not what he'd seen, he didn't expect her to read his mind, but...perhaps...get the idea that this was something to discuss...not right now.

"Just in the Rukon?" Aoi didn't take the hint, but seemed immensely relieved as her hold loosened just a bit. "That's good..."

Something simple and nice, not terrifying... Aoi sighed softly and let go more, intending to slip back to the floor for now. It was good, he was perfectly okay... Might even be embarrassing! That might be why he was reluctant to speak about it.

Smiling sweetly, she nodded again up at Rin in utter acceptance. "Okay! I should help you get packed! Or at least dressed. We should pick up some changes of clothing for you too while we're there."

"A-Ah, yes..." Aoi was relieved, much more relieved than she'd been before and he wanted to keep it that way. It...didn't appear she'd gotten his hint, but she'd not asked for details overall...which for now was a relief.

He gave a nod to her following words, "Alright, sounds good."

Both of the yukata's he had that he'd had last time with him were clean; they could bring those, and if Aoi wanted to pick up some other changes of clothes they could.

Aoi let go of Rin and slid down to the ground before bounding over to Ruka, wrapping her in a soft and quick hug from behind. Then the woman bouncing her feet all the way out of the kitchen to the stairs, before calling to him.

"Hurry hurry! Shiro-usa is too slow~" In much better spirits after hearing Rin had not been traumatized and too distracted herself to really even attempt to see if he was lying, Aoi waited impatiently for the man while standing on the railing.

Ruka gave a light laugh as Aoi suddenly hugged her from behind, offering her and Rin a smile once she'd swallowed her bite of sandwich. Rin returned the smile before following after Aoi, his first steps quick to catch up with her.

"Coming, coming." He stated, smiling as he moved up the stairs and towards his room with Aoi so he could get his clothes together.

"Slow, slow more like! You should learn how do to this." Aoi teased as she ran up the railing to the second floor, balancing on her tippy toes on one foot. She bent and pulled down an eyelid before sticking out her tongue at the slower man.

She bounded off the railing once he was close though and rushed to his room, through the doorway and wall to toss herself on his bed face first. Snuggling his bedsheets, she could smell his house and him on it and it made her feel even better than his words had. Relief was an amazing thing...

So...So he hadn't really perfected using Bringer's Light yet... He would learn...eventually. He had gotten better at it, at least; he was controlling his stops better, and wasn't falling flat on his face anymore. There had been improvement!

Aoi was still much quicker than him, and he reached the door to his room just as she threw herself on the bed. He gave another smile, unable to help it before stepping over towards his closet. Those yukatas...those were what he needed...

Aoi heard Rin enter the room and head for the closet while she rolled lightly and made herself a bedding nest. It was nice and comforting and now that she had time to... She realized Rin was acting a bit off. He had just mentioned the Rukon, not what he'd done. Normally he'd give her a bit of detail on it...

Did... had he lied? Her happy mood started to fall, but... if he had seen something bad saying so in front of Ruka was also bad to do. Turning in the nest, she peeked out with wary eyes as she attempted to watch Rin carefully for any signs of just disturbance in his actions.

While Aoi busied herself with making a nest of his bed, Rin went through his closet and brought out the yukatas; he set them on the desk near by, looking at the both of them as he attempted to decide on which to wear.

The white and gold one was...fancier in a sense than the darker one...which...

Darker one it was.

With that decision made, he went about undressing. He would change into the yukata and pack up the other.

"A...Ah, Aoi...you'll need to wear my scarf again."

Aoi watched Rin carefully, no true signs yet of his discomfort or upsetness showing. Had he been lying then? How could she tell... Her nest quivered as she narrowed her eyes, watching him carry those yukatas over to the desk.

However as he decided on one, Aoi quickly slipped out of her hiding spot while he undressed. She ran over, took the darker yukata and then hopped away. "I'll take your scarf in a minute then. Let me help!"

It seemed she wanted him to wear the fancy one and her focus was on that while she smiled.

"Eh-?" Rin blinked as the darker yukata was taken from him, his eyes moving to Aoi as she hopped away. She...didn't want him to wear that one? His eyes went to the other, moving to take it into his grasp to slip it on.

Well... There wasn't really much cause for concern about how they dressed if they were going to remain in the Seireitei.

He'd wear the one Aoi wanted him to, he'd save the darker one for when he needed to change. He should...really think about getting another, just so when these trips came up he'd have more choices.

"Alright, ah..." It was...still embarrassing to admit this, but... "Think you could help with..."

He still wasn't good at securing the sash...

And that was how Rin was forced to dress up really fancy for Aoi's viewing pleasure. Smugly looking around for something to pack this in, Aoi grabbed a small cloth bag to carefully put his yukata in as he spoke up. "Sure! Just give me a moment and I'll be right over!"

She'd definitely help him and as the yukata was put away, she bounded back over to him with the happiest smile. Setting the bag near their feet, she waved her hands up at Rin, attempting to motion his arms up. "Hold out your arms, I'll get it done perfectly~ Everyone will be jealous of my super handsome, super fashionable sweetheart."

Aoi loved doing this and it showed on her face, helping Rin dress was an honor! Plus she could nab his scarf after...

"Alright, thank you." Rin waited until Aoi had gotten his other yukata packed, holding out his arms as she instructed him to so she could help him with his sash.

Her words earned a chuckle. Jealous? He wasn't entirely sure about that, but if that's what Aoi thought then she could definitely think that. He certainly felt more comfortable in the nicer looking one anyway... and since they were, as far as he knew, mostly staying in the Seireitei then there shouldn't be a problem with him wearing it.

Aoi seemed happy, really happy, and that made him happy in return. He was...a bit worried about telling her what he'd seen...knowing she may ask for details later...and...it did involve her... He was worried about her reaction though...

She hadn't known him back then, so he was worried about how she'd react towards her actions and to what all he'd seen... It was her past, after all...

"Welcome~" Aoi picked up his sash and carefully moved his yukata until it was placed just so, closing it with the sash after a few moments and getting it expertly tied. She could do it with her eyes closed... Though Rin had chuckled and that made the shinigami step back and raise an eyebrow.

Her arms crossed almost in a pout as she looked up. "Shiro-usa~ Is~ Handsome~ Super handsome. Especially handsome! And sexy. No laughing at that! I'm serious. Very serious!"

He wasn't allowed to not think he was handsome!