Blowing Things Out of Proportion

Rin finally arrived home by the time the sun began to set, and, much to his relief, Ruka had yet to arrive home. He wasn't confident about putting on a mask for her, hiding his emotions behind it and smiling everything off as if he were fine.

He managed to distract himself with housework, temporarily, but upon entering his room, the days events replayed within his mind.

I'm sorry I worried.

How the hell could he think that!?

He hadn't said it out loud, had even banished the thought as soon as it come along, but the fact that he'd still thought it...

Just as that one thought entered his mind, it'd opened the gate some for his self loathing to leak out within in his mind. Just how could he of...

He'd wanted to talk to her about it, talk things out, explain himself and why he felt he couldn't of told her anything...

Aoi was alright though, which was good. She seemed alright, angry at him, but alright nonetheless...

She didn't want to talk about it...

That...

Upon being told to go home...just like that, an empty feeling he'd become familiar with in the past had momentarily enveloped him, toxic thoughts had went through his mind that had passed on occasion before, and he desperately pushed them back to the best of his ability, because he knew they weren't true. That weren't true to how he felt now at all...

Rin shook his head, pushing those thoughts away as that too replayed in his mind before running a hand through his hair. With a heavy sigh, he headed to the bathroom for a shower, and after that he...didn't really have any other means of distraction. Perhaps nap.

He hadn't felt this exhausted in awhile.

Flopping onto her futon, Aoi felt miserably tired and exhausted. That was what she got for the events of the day, bankai and hollow powers pushed beyond her limit... Followed up by that fight, if you could call it that, with Rin.

Groaning, she buried her face under her pillow. What had he wanted to say? Had she been too harsh?

Given time to cool down, doing the boat load of paperwork that cropped up, she felt... maybe she was too harsh on him. She knew what the hollow had threatened him with.

The loss of her memories of him.

For someone like Rin, who had been through what he had, it was a fate worse than death. He loved her and for her to forget him... It would destroy him. Hypoxis had known where to hit him to keep him quiet, threatening her would make no sense or him. He didn't care about his own well being enough for it to stick.

But that?

And she had just yelled at him. Told him to go home like a child...

He probably hated her now. Pulling the pillow down over her head more, she felt the lowest she had in a long time.

You are a messed up person.

You deserve all this and more...

"Rinnnn..."

Ruka was pouting the time dinner came, having gone and woken Rin up when she found him napping after she'd finished cooking, though when it came to seeing him sleep, he looked anything but peaceful when she saw him.

He looked tired now, like he used to, and she couldn't figure out what was up.

"Rin..."

"Mn?" Rin glanced up at her after taking a bite from his plate, blinking a moment before swallowing what he had. "Something wrong?"

"I know you well enough Rin-Rin." His sister replied, still slightly pouting. He was acting as if everything was fine when she could clearly see it wasn't. He was putting on an act, fake smiles and all ever since she'd woken him up.

"Ruka..." Rin gave a sigh before, just as Ruka had thought he would, giving her a smile that could only be described as fake-ly reassuring. "Everything's fine, I stayed out a bit too long, running around, and exhausted myself. I'm just tired."

"..."

The rest of dinner went on quietly, aside from idle small talk, before Ruka finished and left Rin to his usual chore of cleaning.

Once in her room, Ruka plopped down on her bed and took out her phone.

[Aoi-chan~ Rin-Rin's being dumb! ｡゜(｀Д´)゜｡]

Aoi groaned and reached for the pinging thing in her pocket, rolling to her back from her stomach as she tried to stop the noise that woke her from her restless sleep.

"Ah!" In the dark the light from the phone as she flipped it open was miserably bright, her eyes closing as her hand futiley attempted to stop its shine from bothering her. A few minutes later, one eye peeked open to see... Ruka.

Rin was being dumb? She figured he'd be upset... he still hated her at least.

[Sorry Ruka. I made him upset and now he hates me. Take care of him please?]

Hated her?

Ruka stared at the message for a good few moments before her cheek puffed out again. These two were so dramatic...

[Rin Rin doesn't hate you, Aoi-chan; he wouldn't hate you over a fight or something!! He's just being dumb, not angry or anything, he's just faking EVERYTHING. (((p(>o<)q))) He acts like nothing's wrong!! Maybe you two should talk? Nothing good will come out of sitting around and thinking the other hates you!! It just leads to more hurting. ( ≧Д≦)]

Ruka sighed and sent the message; she didn't mean to jump into their business, but these two...they were sitting around and moping thinking one hated the other and ghah!

[I don't think he wants to talk to me. He didn't earlier... Ruka I'm sorry. I really upset him.] Aoi sent the message and tossed her phone into her clothing hamper, its lid shutting as it jolted. The clothes in there should muffle any sounds it made for now.

Mentally, emotionally and just plain old physically exhausted, Aoi fell back asleep. She'd...talk more tomorrow or not...

Ruka let her phone drop to her face after reading the message. These two were impossible! A heavy sigh of frustration escaped her as she lay there, just...

Impossible.

As soon as a fight happened, sure, it was likely the people involved wouldn't necessarily want to talk. She didn't know what'd happened, but just letting it sit wasn't going to cut it! These two...these two...

"Idiots!" Ruka shouted, a whine following after.

Those two better deal with this damn it...

Aoi wiped her eyes as the angry sun shone through her open window, waking up the sleeping woman way too early for her tastes. Normally she was fine in the mornings, waking up with ease... But today she felt sluggish and tired. Stumbling to the bathroom, the mirror showed a red rimmed and puffy eyed Aoi, dark circles around her eyes.

Filling her bath, she moved to wash herself of the dried blood and sweat she hadn't last night and didn't think about Rin. She pushed away any thoughts at least that popped up, just letting herself get clean and prepare for the day... She was due back in the human world again for a bit this afternoon right? She'd spend the morning getting any paperwork needed done then...

-----------

Apparently there were no hollows to be found today or souls for that matter. It was in the afternoon and Aoi leaned against a tree, up in a high branch as she twitched her foot. Her energy was muted, in stealth mode as much as she could be now, and she fought the urge to go see Rin.

She wanted to make sure he was okay.. A yawn broke through her thoughts, eyes blinking out the sleepy that was coming over her. Despite her wish to nap, she couldn't... Restless by far too much to even think about that.

Still, her eyes drooped and she dozed against her will as she sat there.

Nothing was getting done...

Rin sat, on a bench, completely focused on attempting to write...draw, sketch...anything, but nothing was coming of it. So instead of actually working, he sat completely focused on doing nothing but scribbling random lines on the paper.

He looked tired, and would have slept in had Ruka not told him to get out and go do something. No matter how hard he tried she could see directly through his acts, it was a bit frustrating but then again they were twins, she'd been able to see through him almost immediately.

Aoi startled awake and with a loud yelp fell from the tree branch she had been sleeping on. Tumbling to the ground, too sleepy and not awake to break her fall properly (an even that hadn't happened in many decades) she landed on her butt in a bush. Luckily that broke her fall but... really! How many times had that happened before, she slept so oddly that this sort of thing happened? She could count the number on her hand as she groaned lightly, rolling out of the bush and pulling twigs from her hair and clothes.

Her body froze immediately after, seeing a familiar sight on a bench across from her. Rin... He looked so worn out, like he used to... How had he snuck up on her without her realizing it? His energy had become that natural for her to feel that it didn't wake her up anymore?

She just stood there, more than a little upset and staring. What was he doing...

There was a late reaction to the yelp, and eventual crash, but after a few moments of the event, Rin glanced up, looking around for a visible, nearby cause. He'd been so focused on...well, scribbling, he'd hadn't had time to register the familiar sound of the voice that had yelped.

"Mn...?" Just when he was about to stand, take a glance behind him, the familiar ring of his phone sounded, signalling a text while surprising him at the same time.

[Rin Rin!! In the next few days I'm dragging you to karaoke! There will be drinking!! o(≧o≦)o]

Rin stared at the text for a few solid moments before his head drooped and a sigh escaped him. Was the karaoke thing punishment for faking his attitude? He knew Ruka was a bit upset at him for doing that rather than actually approaching the problem...

It could also be an attempt at cheering him up though, but he couldn't be entirely sure. Perhaps both. Still...Karaoke...

He'd rather not...

Rin hadn't noticed her...? His glances around at the sound was distracted by his text notification sound and Aoi took that moment to breathe a bit and think. Her mind had jumped to the obvious conclusion that he didn't care... but then she realized it was silly. Of course he did, he may be upset but he was Rin! Now she realized, that oh her energy was still muted.

This was stupid! He was right there. Say something... Do something! Apologize...

Smiling softly, Aoi moved as quietly as she could and then hopped over the back of the bench, sitting herself as perfectly as she had the first time. Leaning down, she didn't want him to see her face for the moment as it was too tense and worried. "...Mm, I'm not sure I'd want to see the next page this time. These are um special drawings? Are you trying out a new style, art novae?"

Thanks to not paying attention, Rin hadn't even noticed Aoi's presence as she quietly approached him and sat down, so her words earned her a rather...shocked response; that response being Rin jolting slightly in surprise as he leaned away on instinct.

Upon noticing it was Aoi though, Rin's body relaxed itself some...but he remained surprise.

He forced his eyes down to the sketchbook in his hands, looking at the various scribbles scattered about the paper after she'd spoken.

"...I couldn't think so..." Rin gave a smile as he looked down at the book, but unintentionally he was doing the same thing he'd done with Ruka, hiding behind a happy looking facade to avoid his real emotions.

He couldn't think... He was smiling fakely. Those scribbles told more of his feelings than anything else, the tired eyes, the fake smiling... the words he said...

Aoi's hands clenched, her legs slipping under her body as she lifted herself up a bit. One hand rose to hold his chin, turning his head so she could lift her head and kiss him softly. Pulling her lips back after only a moment, she spoke rather softly. "I'm sorry Rin. I'm sorry. I...understand why you didn't. I know. It's okay..."

The ache in her chest must be her heart hurting, seeing Rin like this...her happy Rin. She had caused it. She was awful...

"M-" Before he could get much of a sound out, Aoi had taken his chin and captured his lips with hers. He was...surprised to say the least, not having expected the kiss, especially due to the circumstances, but...even if he was surprised and a bit confused by it, it wasn't unwelcome.

He didn't have time to respond though, as Aoi pulled away a moment later to speak.

At her apology his eyes had widened slightly again, and that facade he'd had earlier broke as a small frown appeared while he averted his eyes.

"I couldn't of..." He trailed off, knowing he was just repeating his words from yesterday. "Are...you sure that's alright..."

Leaning her forehead against Rin's, Aoi gave him a wry smile as he frowned and looked away. He might not see it, but it was there and she sighed after a moment. "She knew...what to say to make you be quiet. Memories are the most important to you. I know that."

"She knew that too, its why she warned...no more like threatened that." He was surprised from her apology and she shook her head very slightly, wondering why... Did he expect her to be so mad forever?

"I'm still upset I wasn't told by either of you... But I know it'd...it'd destroy you to have someone important to you forget you Rin." Her hand slid up to his cheek, cupping his face. Her voice cracked just slightly as she spoke, her eyes closing with a small wince. "So... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I snapped at you and...pushed you away."

"It wasn't...just the memories...If I said anything, anything at all..." Rin hand clenched around the pencil in his hand, squeezing it some as he remembered the things he'd been told, and through his words he voice began to crack on occasion. "You're mind...I was told it was at risk of breaking as well, not just losing memories of me...I couldn't risk that, I wasn't even going to think about risking it..."

If her mind had broken, if she'd found out earlier and hadn't been able to handle the weight of it all she could have...

"Every time you mentioned something being strange...or if those memories started returning to you...I was afraid, I hadn't said anything, but I was afraid. Acting like I knew nothing...I didn't want to do that, I hated keeping quiet but...but..."

Now it was Aoi's turn to be shocked, her eyes widening as she settled back on her legs. She had been...so wrong. So utterly wrong. That had been it all along... Rin was not selfish at all. How could she have thought that in the first place!?

He'd been afraid, worried that whole time over her mind breaking. Thinking about it, she couldn't say for sure whether she would have succumbed even if it had been only a few weeks earlier. A few days even. She almost had in fact...

Her eyes fell to her lap as her hand left Rin's face to land there with its twin. Clenching the pants of her uniform, she couldn't lie to the man and nodded first. "Yeah... it...was really possible."

Closing her eyes tightly she continued on as she curled around herself. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry Rin... I didn't think... you've been worried and hurting this whole time... And I just yelled and thought... I had no idea you were in pain and I was causing it..."

Rin's first instinct was to wrap his arms around Aoi, wanting to pull and hold her close to him but...he hesitated...she wasn't in a gigai and that meant to any non spiritual being he'd be hugging the air...

"Mmm..." Looking around, he noted that no one was really nearby enough or looking at them, so rather than hugging her, he placed his sketchbook in her lap and leaned forward to pick her up, gathering her curled figure into his arms before quickly stepping away from the bench and heading farther behind some nearby shrubbery that later led into a forest-y portion of the area.

Setting Aoi down, he moved to his knees to do what he'd wanted to do, pulling her into a rather secure embrace.

"Sorry...I wanted to...but we were out there and I didn't want it to be some quick hug that only lasted a second." He said, wanting to give a small chuckle at that, but it only came out halfway before he moved on to respond to Aoi's earlier words. "It...Everything's okay now though...right? That...that's all I want; you're going to be alright?"

Rin made a small thinking sound, which distracted Aoi from her self hate long enough that though he set his sketchbook on her lap she was still shocked as he grabbed her. Letting out a very soft 'oh', she held onto his precious pencil and sketchbook while he carried her past concealing shrubbery.

She barely had time to react, Rin's arms reaching out towards her... As Rin pulled her against his body and held her, Aoi clung to him tightly. Her hands held his coat as she laid her head against his chest as she smiled softly. "Mm, I understand... I don't like hugs from you that are too short either."

"Its...better now. I'm going to be fine Rin. I'm a Vizard, I know that now... Captain knew what I was, he covered up the incident for me for now. Also I have... I have a bankai now! Erm um... Whoops never explained any of that. That was what you saw before, the suit and my hair? It did that, allows me more power! The mask was... well its my hollow powers. I can use them now when I need to."

She was rambling, but she wanted him to know it was all okay. That she was fine, that she had been fine yesterday... That it really was all okay and all right.

Rin glanced at her, but didn't pull away from hug at all as Aoi spoke; he listened to what she had to say, about what had happened yesterday.

"Vizard...?" He suppose, using context he could figure out that that meant. Shinigami that also had the powers of a hollow? It was just an assumption, but from what Aoi was saying it felt like a correct one. Her bankai had been what'd caused her to look like that yesterday as well?

"I was...surprised...to say the least by your appearance yesterday; I wasn't quite sure what to think."

Aoi for one was glad Rin held her so nicely, she relaxed against him and nodded slightly at the question in his ton. "Its...some sort of mix between a shinigami and a hollow. I don't know anything else... But I'm going to carefully try to find out. I know with the mask on I heal very fast... Um, don't freak out but..."

Lifting herself just enough to reach over, she tugged the sleeves of both her uniform and her body suit down. The normally lightly scarred arm was...smooth. Perfectly. No hint or sign of any of those aging and faded scars anymore.

She laughed very softly at Rin's words, her hand going up past his neck and into his hair after showing him the lack of scarring. "Sorry... I bet it was, your face was very...strange when you saw it. Um, but zanpakuto. They have two powers, Shikai, which when I say a phrase it releases it to be used. Bankai is a much stronger version, you have to have one to be a Captain but its very rare to find someone who can unlock it."

"...You are the first person to see it." Aoi whispered softly, a bit awed. "I think...that makes me happy."

Rin held an expression of surprise as Aoi tugged her sleeves down, remembering the scars that had been there once before but were now completely gone. Her hollow abilities allowed her to heal...

He was pulled from his thoughts as he felt her hand move into his hair, where he leaned slightly into her touch as she continued speaking.

Bankai was that rare? He supposed if he thought about it, it would be...it seemed to take a lot of power to use it. When she brought up the fact that he'd been the first to see it, he couldn't help but gain a smile, a real one. "I'm...glad I was the first to see it."

"Later you should check my back other places I can't see very well. I want... to know how much it reversed with that." Aoi's voice was soft, those scars had bothered her for more than looks. They were reminders... Reminders of awful awful things.

As Rin leaned into her touch, she played with his hair lightly, burying her fingers in its soft light locks now. She still wasn't used to this...

Glancing up, she caught his real smile that she couldn't help returning. He was definitely feeling better, but she wasn't moving away from him yet. "Did you like the blue hair? Hehe. Your new clothes look nice too. Um when they aren't covered in dirt... Did you run the whole way to me? That was pretty far out..."

"I will." Rin gave a nod into her touch; he could check to see about the scars, maybe they'd healed all the way too?

When she brought up how her hair had looked his smile grew a little, "I definitely wasn't expecting it, I was confused for a moment, but it was nice." He blinked when she asked if he'd run the whole way there, and gave a small shrug. "I ah...ran most of the way, but Bringer's Light...I'm not exactly good at stopping yet, so I ended up tripping a lot, that's why I was so dirty." He added with a small, sheepish chuckle.