dreamland ;; hirako shinji

go {五}

(content warning: bullying and mild lgbt slurs)

Friends.

His heart panged as her words repeated over and over in his mind. Were they ever just friends? Shinji closed his eyes as memories flooded back.

{ three hundred years ago }

"Ha! I have my mighty zanpakuto and ya can't stop me!" A young, middle school-aged Shinji held a stick in his hand as he faced Ayame, who was also holding a stick.

"We'll see about that!" Ayame said as she charged.

The two clashed sticks a few times before Ayame kicked Shinji's legs out from under him, pinning him on the ground with the stick to his throat.

"I win. Again. If you wanna be a Shinigami, you're gonna have to be able to beat me, silly." Ayame stood and helped the boy up.

"Thanks for always trainin' with me, Aya."

Ayame ruffled the boy's blond locks. "Of course, Rako."

The two walked through the forest back to their houses in Rukongai.

"Are you sure ya don't wanna be a Shinigami with me? We could be together always!" Shinji asked his friend.

"Maybe. I don't know if I'd enjoy fighting."

"But you're so good at it! Plus ya can make things move with yer mind!" Shinji said excitedly.

Ayame's eyes widened and she clapped a hand over Shinji's mouth. "Shhh! If people find out about that, I'll have to become a Shinigami."

{ two hundred and fifty years ago }

"Don't peek! You'll ruin the surprise," Shinji, in his late teens, said as he held his hand over Ayame's eyes. He left her through a field, filled with wild flowers of every kind.

"Where are you taking me?!" Ayame laughed. "I can hear running water, are we going to the river?"

Shinji took his hand off Ayame's face to reveal a picnic set up by the water, with the field of flowers painting a lovely background.

"Rako! You set all of this up?" Ayame asked, kneeling on the checkered blanket.

"Yes, ma'am!" Shinji grinned. He sat on the blanket beside her. "There's another surprise." He pulled a bottle of sake from behind his back.

"How did you get this?!" Ayame asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I, uh, have my ways," Shinji said, opening the bottle and pouring her a glass.

Ayame rolled her eyes. "So it was stolen. Not sure why I'm surprised," she laughed and snapped one of his suspenders. He was never one for traditional clothing.

"It was well worth the risk," Shinji replied, grabbing Ayame's hand and kissing it gently. Ayame's cheeks tinged pink as Shinji pulled her closer to him.

"So the queer can swing a lady with all his fairy antics. I'm shocked."

The pair tensed and looked towards the source of the voice.

"Can't ya just leave us alone for today, Niko? We're not botherin' anyone!" Shinji called to the older boy, who was smacking his hand with a club.

"But where's the fun in that? It's all about the element of surprise!" With that, four other boys dropped down from the trees.

"Ayame, run!" Shinji told the girl. "I can handle this."

Ayame grabbed as much as she could from the picnic and ran towards the field. She turned back to see Shinji fighting his best but still being restrained by one of the boys. Niko was winding up a punch.