A Dash of Chili Powder

62

"Her?" Scythe questioned the stricken Kazuki, following up with a comment on Rukia's beauty.

The poor boy was absolutely freaked. Panicked, even. His heart was racing and his mind was whirling every which way. He could not believe she was here. He still couldn't wrap his intelligent mind around it. No. Nope. Not at all. 

He hadn't had the privilege of being with Rukia since before his right eye was damaged to the point of blinding.  And here she was, bouncy and bubbly, two booths away, giggling with a few darkly dressed men. His heart decided to go a million miles faster. So fast he thought it might leap out of his rib cage.

"Did you want to go talk to her? She's with some shady guys...." Scythe grinned. "If you still want to then I can make sure they don't hurt you? I'm kind of a shinobi in my own right. ...You wanna go?"

The question brought him back from his frenzied surprise. "Are you crazy? She won't remember me! And those guys she's with...they have a weird aura about them. I wouldn't go near them even if I had a team of shinobi at my back. I'm already blind. They could paralyze me too," he whispered quickly and nervously in response.

Whimp, Kazuki thought bitterly. He frowned pensively, leaning back against the cushioned back of the booth, flinching when Rukia's giggle rang in the air.

"Dei-kun, why do you have mouths on your hands? That's so icky!" she questioned one of the strangers that sat across from her, absolutely adorable in doing so.

[Ah, sweet Roo-Roo. *dreamy happy face* Ah, no. ><]

Gracie

Scythe blinked at the sudden nervousness in Kazuki's tone and how his visible eye dropped to the table, as if to look away, even though that was completely unnecessary. She wouldn't remember him...? So he knows her.

He glanced once again at the three people with whom Kazuki was so preoccupied. The red-clad girl was giggling about something, and the sound of her laughter rang light and sweet between Scythe's ears. He observed the two men with her for another moment - then smiled back at Kazuki.

"One way to find out," Scythe said happily, standing up. "Wait here so they don't think I'm with you, in case things do get bad."

Scythe unabashedly walked up to their table, smiling as he did. "Ah, sumimasen! Sorry for interrupting you lunch, but I couldn't help but wonder..." He turned to the girl, who blinked at him in a cutely curious way. "Miss, do you happen to know anyone by the name of Kazuki?"

[Scythe has a little problem when it comes to shy people. He tends to throw them head first into what makes them nervous. XD]