Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Beneath You ❯ Leave ( Chapter 10 )

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

AN: What did Ukitake do? Well, you are about to find out! Review if you like and enjoy!

Rukia stood outside of her Captain's office door, contemplating whether or not she should go in. She knew that he was on the other side, but based on what he did yesterday with those forms, she might not want to see him. Worry and uneasy anticipation rushed through her as she reached for the doorknob. A quick pull slid the door open, and Jyuushiro's deep brown eyes lifted to look at her. "Good morning."

"Morning," she replied, closing the door behind her. She ventured to the middle of the room, but did not sit in the chair across from his desk. "Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?"

"In a minute," he said, writing a few lines on the document he was examining. "Can you please get me some hot tea? I've been up since dawn and I'm already drained. Look, it's not even noon yet."

She nodded at him and almost stormed from his office. She was growing tired from the lack of communication between them, and she wanted answers. His secretive ways weren't getting them anywhere, especially since their problem involved a third person. As she power-walked down the hallways toward the dining hall, she began to formulate questions she would ask when she returned. She would not be put off anymore.

Entering the dining hall and side-stepping chairs that were failed to be pushed in under the table, she navigated her way to the drink station. "Good morning, Lieutenant," the attendant greeting. "What can I get for you?"

"I need some hot tea for the Captain. He wants green tea with two orange and lemon slices. Also, add four packets of sugar and two on the side."

The attendant nodded and turned away from the front counter to fill the order. Rukia looked over her shoulder and scanned around the near-full hall, and somehow found herself searching for someone in particular. Once she starting thinking about it, she hadn't seen him in a few days. Where could he be? Was he hiding from her? She didn't know; nothing seemed to make sense to her anymore anyway. "Lieutenant, do you have a minute?"

Rukia's gaze settled on one of the lower-ranked shinigami in her squad. "What is it?"

"I was wondering if you can tell me why Junichi got transferred."

"Huh?"

"Why did Junichi get transferred?"

Her eyes grew wide at his question. She was shocked and bewildered, unsure of how to answer. Thinking quickly, she replied, "I don't think that Captain Ukitake would want me to release that information so soon. When did you hear this happened?"

He glanced down for a moment to think. "I think the transfer went through last night."

She nodded at him, everything coming together. Those colored forms were transfer requests. And what Captain Kyouraku said... it all made sense. "Thanks for letting me know the word got out," she told him, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll ask the Captain and find out what information he's willing to release."

"Oh, no problem Lieutenant," the shinigami said. "I'm always glad to help the higher-ups."

She smiled at him, grabbed the hot tea and sugar from the counter behind her, and hurried from the dining hall. She needed to get back to Jyuushiro as soon as she could. It was time to tell him what she now knew, and to get some information on what she did not. After a moment or two of frantic walking and praying for not spilling the tea, she finally reached his office. She opened the door with her less-full hand and set the hot beverage down on the occupied desk. "Here's your tea."

"Thank you Rukia," he mumbled, taking a sip without looking up from his work.

She decided to sit down this time and stare at him as he worked. Her eyes never deviated from him, yet her inactivity didn't seem to bother him. She could tell he was aware that she was looking at him, and eventually he raised his head. "Oh, don't mind me," she said, shrugging carelessly. "I'm just sitting here... wondering why you transferred Junichi."

"What?"

"Why did you transfer Junichi?"

He set his pen down and sat up from his hunched posture. "Who told you that?"

"It doesn't matter who told me. Why did you do it?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "If he's not here, then he can't interfere with us. I don't want him anywhere near you, trying to take you away from me."

Rukia chuckled under her breath, disbelief seeping through the grunts. "What is going on with you? Something has to be wrong; you aren't the Jyuushiro that I know."

"How have I changed?"

"Well... lately, it seems like you've started being... different. You stopped going to the squad training sessions, you are being secretive, I bet you haven't talked to Captain Kyouraku in a while; what's going on?"

"Nothing. Do you need anything else?"

Standing up abruptly, she balled her hands into fists and spat, "I don't need anything from you. Nothing at all!" She then spun over her shoulder and stormed out.




"Are you mad at him?"

"Not really. I actually kind of saw this coming. I wasn't surprised when I was told I was being moved."

"That's terrible," Rukia said, pushing a shirt aside and sitting on his bed. "I would be furious."

Junichi smiled at her as he tossed a folded garment into a bag. "You're furious for me?"

She smiled back. "Something like that."

He reached across the bed and clamped the full bag shut then dropped it to the floor. "I like how that sounds."

"What squad are you in now?"

"The Second Squad. I hope that Captain Soi isn't as scary as people tell me she is."

"She is," Rukia nodded, crossing her legs but not noticing his longing eyes. "Just ask her lieutenant. She beats him up all the time."

Junichi made a face and took a seat next to Rukia on the soft bed. "Well, I think I'll be alright. I'll just do whatever I can to stay on her good side."

"Good plan. Especially if you want your face to stay recognizable."

He laughed, "okay, I'm pretty sure she's not that bad!"

She began to giggle a little herself. "We'll see."

The joyous laughter ran its course and left them in silence, with him looking at her and her avoiding the eye contact. "I'll miss you Rukia."

Still averting her face from his, she nodded. "I know. I'll miss you too."

"I bet Captain Ukitake won't."

"Well, he's been a little... off lately."

"Did he make you mad by moving me?" His inquiry sparked something within her, and her tiny jump did not go unnoticed. He leaned over, trying to get a look of her face. All he saw were purposely closed eyes and blank features. "He did, didn't he?"

"Maybe a little."

"Why? I figured you wanted me gone too, since you and him are dying to be together, right?"

"Well... I don't know about all that. But I didn't tell him that I wanted you transferred. He did that on his own."

Junichi stood up and knelt before Rukia, taking her face into his palms and looking into her brown orbs. "I knew you didn't want me to leave. But why are you pretending that you and the Captain are on the same side? If he's doing things without telling you, where's the trust in that? How does that spell out that you two are on the same page?"

"We are, it's just that he..."

"He doesn't feel for you as strongly as I do," he said, sliding his thumbs across the smooth skin of her cheeks. Then he outlined the contours of her lips, slowly teasing them apart. "The same goes for you. If you feel so much for him, then why do you keep coming to see me?"

Rukia couldn't find an answer as she only stared at him. His vivid green eyes held her paralyzed, his probing fingers tingling across her lips, his deep voice resonating through her body. She realized he was right; why did she keep coming to see him? Deep down she knew why, and it wasn't for his cordial conversation. But should she tell him the real reason? He seemed to know already, and he knew she did too. "I shouldn't be feeling this way about you, and I don't know what to do about it."

He kept his gaze locked on hers as he drew closer. He lowered his voice as his lips hovered over hers. "Don't fight it," he whispered. "Just go with it." He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her gently, knowing full well that she wouldn't push him away. It was clear that she wanted him almost as much as he wanted her, and her actions told him that she wanted to be his. He couldn't deny; the actuality of the situation felt damned good, and he was determined to take things further.

He ran his tongue questioningly across her bottom lip, asking for entrance, and to his surprise, she complied. Her tongue met his halfway, and the two wrestled and massaged each other, deeping the embrace. Rukia knew that what she was doing was wrong, but she couldn't disprove her obvious attraction to Junichi. He awakened something within her, something Jyuushiro wasn't doing. It seemed like her Captain was doing all he could to separate her and Junichi instead of wooing her himself. He had her in the palm of his hand, she would have done anything for him, but he let Junichi get in the way. And now, the pair seemed to be getting closer everytime they met, the proof displaying itself as they now held each other.

Hesistantly pulling away from her to breathe, he used a finger to trace along her puffy lips and smiled at her. "I really don't want to leave," he whispered to her, continuing to let his finger play on her facial features. "But don't think this is the last time you'll see me. I'll find a way to get back here."

She nodded and placed her hand on top of his, guiding it to hold her cheek. "Just don't get yourself in trouble with Captain Soi. She's a beast."

'I'll endure her wrath for you, Rukia. Whatever it takes to see you again."

She closed her eyes and mentally laughed to herself. He sounded so... in love. But did she feel the same way for him? Her feelings swirled around inside of her, and an answer didn't result. But with Junichi gone for a while, or at least until he found a way to see her, she would have the time she needed to sort things out. Amid her thinking, he rose from the bed and picked up his bags from the floor. He gave her a smile and one last light kiss, and then he was gone. She ran to the window to watch him leave, and a slow sinking feeling came to her; like a piece of her soul just shrunk away to a tiny speck of nothing. She knew what it meant... she had an important decision to make, and it would be upon her very soon.

AN: Goodness. The story thickens, does it not? Oh, and for anyone who thinks they know what will happen... you don't. I have an idea that I hope will shock everyone, and it will be amazing if I can pull it off. Here's hoping. Chapter Eleven is on the way. Review if you like.