Bleach Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Desires ❯ Never Weak: Jushiro ( Chapter 13 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Bleach x Inuyasha

These are one shots - possibly more shots, depending on how favoured the story is - involving various characters in Devil Within

Trying to figure out what is the most favoured pairing with "captions" of what could be.

Intro: She would never refer to him as weak

A part of her muttered that she shouldn't be here. By all rights she should be banished from Soul Society along with Kisuke and Yoruichi and yet despite that particular knowledge here she was. Here… in Soul Society. Playing babysitter to the upstart Kuchiki female, Rukia, and the would-be healer, Orihime Inoue, as her nephew played at been hero. A tiresome nephew though they weren't related through blood, no other Ichigo's father had had the gale of adopting her into the Kurosaki household… so what if she and Isshin had been close friends, it didn't mean she had wanted to become the godmother and then aunt of his insufferable brats.

Her breathe escaping in something of a low toned sigh Kagome shifted her weight slightly, reeling in her energy as the pair of youngsters play fighting or maybe it was sparring came closer to where she had positioned herself. Orihime did not mind Kagome's presence after all the orange haired girl had come to believe that Kagome was indeed Ichigo's aunt, despite the fact that Kagome herself was barely someone who could be considered to have reached their mid twenties. Rukia had not been so accepting for as a graduate of the Shinigami Academy certainly the Kuchiki had become aware over the years of all the juicy gossip that surrounded Gotei 13.

Between fighting Hollows and intruders and… other things such as rebellion and insolent behavior… one would have thought that amongst the Gotei 13 there was no time to pursue a romantic venture. Such ventures that ultimately led to rumours.

Running her fingers irritably through black hair, the strands were in sore need of been cut sooner rather than later, Kagome allowed her eyes to drift towards the reason why she had positioned herself away from the training pair. There was one side of a particular rumour that Kagome knew had been circulating through the Academy since she had graduated. Oh she wouldn't be mistaken in saying that it literally took two to tango, and that she herself had eventually only come to fuel the rumours, however he had started the gossip mill going.

And it was because there was some truth to the claims she was avoiding the 13th Captain.

FLASHBACK

He was feeling miserable.

The cold that had afflicted him beforehand and kept him limited to the bed and his own chambers for close to most of the Academy schooling had more or less essentially made it so that Jushiro could not complete his role as one of the instructors. He had asked for the position for he had thought that maybe the less strenuous activity would lessen the persistent aching of his chest and maybe give him enough time of teaching he would begin to recover. But the few days he had attended he had found himself growing weaker, not stronger, and was seriously beginning to wonder if he should accept Retsu's offer. The 4th Captain could easily find someone to fill his role… Retsu was scary the why that the gentle soft spoken woman could make people jump through hoops.

But then who wanted to anger a woman whose skill was at many times the only thing keeping them from preverbal death.

So caught up was he in his thoughts that the 13th Captain didn't notice the tiny black streak until the small female more or less crashed right into him. There was a surprised squeak and despite himself, despite the pain in his chest, Jushiro moved so that his right arm was wrapped around the tiny woman's waist and his left pressing against the opposite wall as a means of keeping himself balanced rather than crush the small woman. Small, she was tiny, the feminine creature just came to his chest and possessed such a lightly structured frame that it was almost like at nothing.

And yet this woman was too adorable to be nothing.

A part of Jushiro couldn't help but thank his luck that his bout of sickness had had him leaving the classroom when by all rights everyone else should be at their classrooms learning, for that gave him a chance to observe the tiny woman. The tiny woman that had instinctively pulled herself away but seemed as shell shocked by his presence, or appearance Jushiro wasn't quite sure which, that she had yet to skirt underneath his supporting around and leave. She was five feet and five inches if that, much smaller than himself, and though her slender frame possessed lithe muscling that he could feel through the thick blanket of the black Shinigami outfit she was narrow of both shoulder and waist… with wide but not overly fat hips. Hips that were meant to be gripped quite comfortably.

She was of his complete opposite in the color spectrum too. His hair was white, she wore a thick tangled mess of pure ebony black hair into a ponytail that could only be distinguished from the darkening shadows of the lengthening night and her outfit by the white ribbon that had been worked into the thick tresses. From beneath that thick mane a pair of blue eyes, Jushiro himself had been partially expecting the more commonly found brown like his own orbs, met his gaze steadily… a hint of frustrated anger there within the azure gaze. But where he was wearing the white hoari of the Captain status, despite the fact that the heat made the fabric feel as if it was trying to burn him alive, she was dressed in nothing but the simple all black Shinigami outfit.

And yet there was no denying the spiritual pressure that rippled from the woman in currents, slow and subdued yes but still very powerful. No unseated Shinigami, or even a lieutenant for that matter possessed such strength.

Jushiro would be the last to admit that he was up to date with respect to what was going on within the ranks of Gotei 13 however he would have thought that if a new Captain would have been appointed to a position he would have heard about it by now. This petite woman wasn't wearing the captain's haori but there was no denying the fact that she was indeed Captain class… a vague part of him remembered that the ancient 10th Captain had retired and that that position had needed to be filled.

But that was the last thing on Jushiro's mind as he kept the woman's gaze.

She was stunning. Jushiro himself had never been one easily swayed, watching Shunsui getting snubbed over and over again was more than enough to make anyone consider that the female within the Gotei 13 ranks were strange creatures… and yet there was something about the black haired and blue eyed woman that appealed to Jushiro.

END FLASHBACK

Her lips twitching Kagome settled herself further against the back of the tree… remembering what had happened after that initial encounter. The 13th Captain had been boyishly cute when he had come to realize that she was no weakling Shinigami, that she held the same position as him in filling the vacancy of the 10th Captain's role. She said boyishly cute for though the 13th Captain had lived many, many years within the depths of been a Captain and a Shinigami he had acted no better than a school aged boy taking his crush out for their first date.

It wasn't as if Jushiro had not been on dates before. The white haired Shinigami, despite his weakened system, was still strong and rather handsome. There was a sense of nobleness about the 13th Captain that appealed to many females within the Gotei 13.

But he had gone over the top with some of the gifts… and his behavior. There was no denying that. For a woman who during most of her living years, till she had died at the age of twenty seven, who had been considered and viewed as little more than a failed replacement the attention had been nice. She had not resisted the 13th Captain's advances... which had only fueled the rumours that had begun on that faithful day within the Academy.

It was the sudden intrusion of spiritual energy that tore Kagome from her thoughts… azure eyes flickering open and drifting towards the man who had intruded upon her quiet time. He was still boyishly cute, large brown eyes and the curious tilt to the head inquiring what the taller Shinigami wouldn't say with words in her presence. She wasn't sure what it was but Jushiro always seemed nearly tongue tied in her presence… Shunsui had teased him mercilessly about that… and she was feeling incredibly awkward in knowing that even now she still had that influence on him.

And yet… "What are you doing? You should be resting… not venturing about like some scatter brained youngster."

There was a hint of accusation in her voice and the 13th Captain flinched. "Kagome."

She was annoyed, that much was obvious. Because he had intruded on her space? Her quiet? The thought wasn't quite unlikely… the former 10th Captain had liked her privacy. However as his lips parted to inform the black haired woman that he was sorry for intruding a sudden, the attacks were coming more and more without warning, pain ripped through his lungs and reached up to wrap an iron hand around his throat. Trying to muffle the sound, force the noise back down, only made it worst.

"Ju…" The black haired Shinigami turned around immediately at his cough, one quickly followed by the other. "Jushiro… oh gods…"

Gone was the woman's annoyance, replaced by concern, and he struggled to reassure her that this was nothing. He had grown used to the increasing attacks… his body weakened by the fact that since the upstart Kurosaki had come to Soul Society he had not quite gotten the time to relax like he had. But the coughing fit was one of the worst that he had experienced before, something that made the idea of moving any more than trying to keep his own feet underneath him daunting in Jushiro's mind. His lungs were on fire and his throat felt as if someone had grabbed hold of him in a choke hold and was slowly tightening.

Then there was nothing. No pain, no burning, no feel of his throat closing in on him. Just the feel of two hands pressing against his chest and a blanketing warmth that spread outwards from those hands despite the heavy weight of his haori and the rest of his Shinigami robes. If he looked Jushiro knew he would see a vague muted pinkish light, not the green energy that the 4th Division used… the remnants of Kagome's former life when she had been a miko. Normally when humans died their unique abilities vanished but she had been a miko for so long and been such a good miko that the trait had carried over.

She was a healer that could rival Retsu. But where the 4th Captain's abilities were limited really to combat wounds, things that were recent, Kagome had the capability of weaving her energy within the unfortunate victim and using that as a means of healing even very old wounds. The first time Jushiro had realized the difference had been when his weakness had plagued him all those years ago in the Academy… the woman forgetting her embarrassed state immediately when he had begun coughing back then.

And like before when her hands pulled away from his chest, Jushiro found his strength greatly sapped.

She yelped, she couldn't quite stop the surprised sound that escaped her lips, when the 13th Captain more or less collapsed on top of her. Again… again!

What was it with her that the white haired Shinigami seemed to think that she was his personal cushion for any collision with the ground? He was only sixty, he was terribly underweight, pounds heavier than her and so he wasn't quite crushing her… but. There was no moving the 13th Captain until he awoke, and then he would be a sputtering blushing mess, Kagome shook her head as her mind reminded her of the fact that this was what had happened at the Academy when she had run into Jushiro all those years ago. She had reacted on instinct in light of his coughing fit then… and had done the same this time too.

Normally when Kagome had been 10th Captain Kaien would retreive her to heal Jushiro. The 13th Captain, ever since he had learnt of her position and her abilities, had probably seen her many times during her time as the 10th Captain. Some fine and professional… and others, when Kaien had demanded she come for he thought that his captain was dying, where Kagome herself was wearing little more than a light weight kimono that barely came to her knees as her sleepwear. Jushiro she remembered had blushed then too, though he had seen much more flesh and less clothing on occasion… when the 13th Captain was feeling frisky that is.

But she hadn't been within Soul Society for close to a century and obviously, if the coughing fit that had racked the Shinigami male was any clue, he had been growing progressively worst.

Not weak…

Kagome would never call the white haired Shinigami weak for Jushiro clung stubbornly to life, an active life, where so many others would have simply curled into a ball somewhere and waited for death.

A sigh escaping her lips Kagome ran her fingers through white hair softly, making sure to not pull at the long strands and rouse the oblivious… unconscious and fast asleep… male. Yes he was asleep. The slow rise and fall of his chest, which she could see through the back of his haori, told her immediately that the strain of his fit and then having her heal him, her own energy wrapping around his and literally through his frame to repair the damage, had literally tired the man out. Another woman would have been embarrassed but… it was hard to be embarrassed by loved ones.

So what if in the fall his head had come to rest upon her breasts? And Jushiro wondered why the rumors had started from the time in the Academy.

Really he was so naïve sometimes.

Pairing: Jushiro Ukitake x Kagome Higurashi - current 13th Captain, former 10th Captain

AUTHOR'S NOTE

As Fanfiction seems to be fussy, the chapters are taking a while to show up

This series can be found on on MediaMinor - penname Mizu Ookami

and

Adult Fanfic - under the same name as here, OutofCompleteControl.