Fly Away

Chapter 29: Serizawa's an asshole again ...

Rin pulled the sky blue garment over her shoulders, it was several sizes too big and cut to fit a man. She sighed; it hadn't been unexpected. After all, Serizawa had been the one to order them and he was no stranger to dick-moves like this one. It was comfortable as all hell though; the fabric was thick and soft, the seams, well sewn.

Unsurprisingly, Heisuke seemed to be having the same problem. His also hung awkwardly off one shoulder, falling far past his knees. Leaning back, Rin gave a sharp tug on the boy's unruly ponytail.

"I'll be going to a tailor, to get mine fixed. I can take yours." Heisuke gave a grateful smile.

"Thanks Rin! You're the best!"

"Don't get too exited boyo. You can help do the cooking tonight." His shoulders drooped a bit. "What? you expected me to do you a favor and not ask one in return?" The boy sighed and gave her an unsurprised grin:

"I dared to hope."

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"I maintain that you shouldn't go out alone." Rin loved her vice-commander, she really did ... but right now she wanted to kick his ass. Not that she could, even if she'd been at full strength.

"Toshi ... If I have to stay with these Morons any longer ... I'm going to kill something. Probably them."

"Why not take Souji? You seem closer than ever." She struggled to keep herself from flushing red. Time to play a card she hadn't expected to have to use for such a simple thing. She lowered her head, angling it off to the side. She forced her ghosts to appear in her eyes and curled her shoulders inwards. Quietly, she said:

"Toshi, I need to prove to myself that I can do this ... getting stabbed like that ... it kinda destroyed my confidence." Not a lie, a half-truth. It had affected her more than physically and it had shaken her confidence, but it was mostly intact. "I'll be careful. Besides, if I'm always walking around with a hulking pile of muscles and sharp, stabbie things, people might start to think I'm important or something. And worth robbing." The man scuffed her hair and gave a pained smile.

"Alright. Just stay out of trouble, for once?" A cheeky grin slipped over her previous mask.

"As much a I can." She gathered the ill-fitting garments in her arms and trotted off.

Toshi sighed. Why was it that that girl could get him to agree with pretty much anything she wanted? She was a demon with an angel's face. He worried for her. His lips pulled into a smile; Rin would have told him that it was his job and, it seemed that it was hers to blatantly disregard his concerns. Speaking of concerns, what concerned him most, more than her injury, was her mental state. She'd always prided herself on her deadliness, if not her skill. The conversation they'd had earlier that week had not faded from his mind. And what if I hadn't been able to use it anymore? The simple fact she'd worried about that was unacceptable. He never wanted her to face something like that. She'd already seen enough suffering.

A/N: I've been having trouble writing for Hijikata. My writing style seems to hinge on the character's inner thoughts and for that boi, it's been a real struggle. If you guys have any insight into his unreadable mood, plz share ;)