Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ For The Love of a Friend ❯ Friendship's Mercy ( Chapter 15 )

Tite Kubo owns Bleach and the characters depicted therein. The characters in this story are not mine.

 

Friendship's Mercy

 

After the meeting with Yamamoto, Soi walked unwillingly back to her quarters. The news had come as a shock on top of the other setbacks she had received recently. Revulsion beset her as she accepted that the Commander had guessed that Ichimaru would remain after the unsuccessful abduction and had not mentioned it to any of them. He'd known much more than he'd told anyone and Soi believed he knew even more which he wouldn't disclose. Lives had been foolishly destroyed on the whim of two men. Manipulating Kenpachi and the rest of them to complete the gate more quickly had been clever, but the reasons were suspect.

 

To add to the mix there was the question of her pregnancy and her irrepressible reaction to Toshiro's kiss. Now she knew the situation and admitted that she needed to make a decision, it became less important that she decide quickly. Instead of her usual rash judgments, she would take care and examine how either decision would affect her. This time she would use logic rather than allow emotion to shape her decision.

 

Arriving at her office, she was met at the door by her lieutenant who seemed unusually agitated. “Sir, I mean Commander, I mean Ma'am, she insists on seeing you,” he complained, nervously. “I told her you were busy, but she said she had to talk to you immediately.”

 

Soi arched her left eyebrow. It seemed to take little to upset this man and she wondered which female had brought him to this pass. “Get out of my way. I think I may recommend you return to the Academy as you seem unable to follow even the simplest orders; for example keeping people out of my office,” was her disgusted reply. The man was useless.

 

Entering her office, the culprit was revealed sitting disconsolately in the visitor's chair. Her shoulders were hunched and she dabbed at her face with her sleeve, drying the tears that were falling from her half shut eyes. She then wiped her gloved hand over her skin again, as if to blot her face dry. The visitor's face was pale, her eyes rimmed red, the skin on her cheeks and forehead blotchy with emotion and her bottom lip was trembling; but she jumped to her feet as Soi entered the office and bowed slightly.

 

“I'm sorry to bother you, Captain Fong. My Captain asked me to bring some matters to your attention and gave me this note,” she blubbed waving a bedraggled note.

 

“Compose yourself. You are a Shinigami, not a waterfall. Presenting yourself in this manner to a superior is a sign of extreme disrespect,” Soi felt the hard won peace desert her as she surveyed the soggy female fiasco in front of her and her voice was correspondingly harsh.

 

Her visitor, pulled out of her emotional introspection by the callous tone, wavered and then straightened her shoulders, trying to stand straight. The attempt lasted seconds before Kiyone burst into loud sobs and mopped at her eyes with her already drenched sleeve. Her gloves were saturated also.

 

“Oh, sit down. Here, take this and dry your eyes,” Soi handed her some cloth as she tried to make her tone insensitive, fearing that if she showed any compassion, the sobs would redouble. “For Heaven's sake, cease the weeping. It sounds like the sobbing I heard...” Soi stopped. The sobbing was familiar; she had heard it that night, after her doomed encounter with Toshiro. “It was you,” the words were little more than a whisper.

 

Kiyone, after sitting down, had wiped her face and blown her nose; she seemed slightly calmer. Her wet eyes looked at Soi for a moment in confusion. “What was me?”

 

“You were sobbing, near 3rd Division a few nights ago.” Soi explained as she watched the girl thoughtfully.

 

She watched as Kiyone's face turned white, then red and then it paled again as her eyes darted away from Soi's looking furtively around the room. “I don't know what you mean. I wasn't anywhere near the place you describe, nor was anyone else. It wasn't me.”

 

She didn't want to force the issue, but felt impelled to ask, yet if she asked she was certain that Kiyone would start bawling again. Instead she decided to find out the reason Captain Ukitake had sent his 3rd seat to see her. “What is it your Captain wishes to know?”

 

“He wants me to say, I hope I get this right, `I'm sorry for the loss of your men in protecting my friend.' He said he's very grateful that you tried.” Kiyone said interspersed with a few sobs. “He gave me this note,” she repeated, but this time she handed over the piece of paper. Soi took it reluctantly as it had been soaking up the moisture in the girl's glove.

 

The explanation did not make a lot of sense but Kiyone's words reminded her of the recent revelation and she again felt a surge or rage at Yamamoto at the needless loss of life. It was better to feel that, than deal with her other disquieting ideas.

 

Calming herself she wondered why Ukitake had ordered the girl to visit her. He could have sent a note by ordinary messenger, or just mentioned at the end of a Captain's meeting, he didn't need to send his 3rd seat unless… She opened the soggy envelope, took out the note and read it quickly. It contained one word: `Help!!' That gave her at least a hint of the issue he wanted her to address. “Have you been crying long?”

 

Kiyone nodded and began to sob again. “On and off for a few days. The Captain suggested that some fresh air would do me good and might take my mind off whatever was bothering me.”

 

“But why send her to me? Why not her sis….. Oh. Because sympathy makes her worse. He could have sent her to Nanao, but Captain Kyoraku would be sympathetic,” Soi figured it out while staring at her visitor. “Terrific. Typical man. Can't solve the problem so sends the problem elsewhere; to me.”

 

Raising her voice she commanded, “Stop crying, damn you!”

 

Kiyone gasped and then began to cough and then sneeze. Sneeze after sneeze exploded from her mouth and Soi tried to get out of range.

 

“Stop sneezing, Koutestu! Get a grip on yourself. You're out of order and disruptive. Blow your nose, take a deep breath and stop weeping,” she made her voice as strident as she could to be heard over the noise of the sneezing.

 

Shocked, Kiyone did as ordered. She blew her nose and tried to stop the sneezing. Her eyes watered slightly from the strength of the sneezes, but she took a few deep breaths.

 

“Now, relax your shoulders,” Soi said as she poured some water. “Drink this completely and then we will talk. You have got yourself into some kind of trouble and your Captain sent you to me for advice. He's a fool, but you're a bigger one.”

 

Not even debating the point, Kiyone nodded. “Yes, Captain. I've done something stupid.”

 

“Can't you tell your sister?” Soi asked with faint hope.

 

“She'll be so angry with me. She's always told me I shouldn't drink so much and if I hadn't then this wouldn't have happened. She's going to be humiliated by me, I know she is, and there's nothing I can do. I've been such an idiot,” Kiyone said sadly.

 

Believing she knew what Kiyone was going to say, but reluctant to ask, Soi shook her head. This could not be happening. It was verging on ridiculous. “What did you do?”

 

Kiyone took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, but started crying again, the words blurred as she uttered them, making it hard to understand. “I didn't really mean it”, (indistinguishable phrase) “and he was so” (another word Soi couldn't understand). It only got worse with the words, “black; Captain; you; cold; threat; sorry,” emerging clearly while the rest was lost in the sobs, gurgles and sighs emerging from the girl.

 

The garbled explanation only served to infuriate Soi and she slammed her hand down on the desk causing Kiyone to jump and look at her through tear drenched eyes. “I have no idea of half of what you've said. If you want me to listen you have to be coherent. Did your Captain send you to me for a particular reason?”

 

The girl nodded and looked very uneasy. “Yes.”

 

“Why?” The word shot out of Soi's mouth.

 

There was a pause before she received a reply and she watched a play of different expressions cross her visitors face. “Because of what I did. I asked him to send me to you,” Kiyone's mumble was almost unintelligible.

 

“Does he know what you did?” the anger was increasing at the difficulty in holding this conversation and it made Soi feel edgy.

 

“No. I couldn't tell him, but Captain Hitsugaya will. Can you ask Captain Hitsugaya not to tell him, please Captain Fong? Please?” was the heartrending wail that came from her visitor.

 

Trying to cover the rush of sensation that was aroused by hearing the girl utter Toshiro's name, Soi spoke quickly hoping her voice was steady. “Why is he involved? What makes you think Captain Hitsugaya will listen to me?”

 

There was a pause as she waited for a reply. “I know, you know,” was all Kiyone retorted, her eyes looking anywhere but at Soi.

 

The ambiguity of the comment did not assist Soi's tenuous hold on her temper and she had a bad feeling what might be revealed. “I know, you know, what? Am I meant to understand what you are saying? Explain now, or feel pain.”

 

She could see that Kiyone wanted to tell her, but feared her reaction. Finally, sitting in a hunched position she said very quietly, as she plucked at the collar of her shirt, “You've had sex with Captain Hitsugaya.”

 

With much effort Soi did not say a word or allow a frown to form, while her thoughts ran riot. “She knows or suspects? Did she tell Toshiro she knew?” were the first ideas to flash through her mind and more questions and fears raged through her as she tried to remain impassive, fixing her hard stare on this person who threatened her privacy. It seemed so wrong that this should happen today after all the other crises. The main problem was she did not want to think about Toshiro. Not now.

 

“You're not trying to deny it,” Kiyone sounded surprised. Her forehead wrinkled and her mouth drooped in disappointment at the lack of reaction.

 

“Why should I deny or confirm anything to you? I am your superior and my private life is none of your concern. If you mention this to anyone else you might find that angering me is a dangerous and stupid past time.” Soi forced the words from her mouth, not bothering to hide the anger she was feeling at this person who dared to state the truth.

 

The girl cringed and began to cry again. “I know you don't care about him.”

 

That statement made Soi recoil. How could the girl know anything, or even guess and why was this occurring today when all she really wanted to do was sleep? Too much had happened and this was another unwelcome complication. “Explain!”

 

“I saw you enter that place and he arrived afterwards. You stayed together for a time and then he left, looking annoyed, but satisfied. I guessed you'd done `it' with him and you didn't care about him. Why would you meet there away from everyone else if it wasn't for sex? You don't care about anyone except Yo…” thinking better of saying the name the girl paused and then continued. “You didn't try to reassure him when his lieutenant was abducted. That's how I know you don't care. You talked to Retsu but not Captain Hitsugaya. When I was having a little drinkie this morning, I found a letter in my pocket, telling me that Captain Hitsugaya liked me and I thought I'd check. It seemed like a good idea, or maybe it was the alcohol that made it seem like a good idea.”

 

“Where is this letter? Did it mention me? Was it signed?” Soi asked urgently. Too many unexplained events were occurring together. If she could see the note maybe she would have an idea who was behind this.

 

Kiyone shrugged indifferently. “I can't remember if it mentioned you and I don't know where the letter is and it wasn't signed. That's not important? I wanted to find out if it was right, so I talked to Captain Hitsugaya. I told him I knew about you and said I'd tell people if he kept seeing you. I tried to kiss him, but he wouldn't let me and now I'm in a bigger mess and I can't tell my sister about either problem and I don't know what to do.” The last sentence finished in a wail that jarred on Soi's ears.

 

Spending some time rocking back and forth in the chair hugging herself, Kiyone sobbed quietly. Soi didn't feel like saying anything, except asking her to leave and never return. As she was about to do so Kiyone, after glancing at her angry face, continued.

 

“He won't talk to me and I'm scared. I don't want to go through this by myself and I thought Captain Hitsugaya might protect me the way he always protects Momo, if he liked me. The letter seemed so convincing. He told me it was all over, but it can't be because of what's happened. Then he said I was an embarrassment and he should not have lowered himself to consort with me and….” Kiyone stopped talking and buried her face in her hands.

 

Soi tried to sort out what she said in her mind. It seemed muddled and very confusing. “What is she talking about? Over, with Toshiro? Did she fuck Toshiro?” Without really considering the consequences she asked, “Have you slept with Captain Hitsugaya?”

 

“I offered, but he said no. I told him I loved him, but I was lying because I love someone else. I thought I might believe it if I said it aloud, but it didn't work. It was a silly idea, but I'm so scared and thought because of the letter and he's younger than the other Captains he might….. I don't know what I was thinking. It started as one thing and then I kept saying dumb things and he got angry with me and then he said he'd tell my Captain.”

 

The relief she felt when she heard that Kiyone has not slept with Toshiro she supressed immediately. Now was not the time to think of him and the explanation did not help much. Soi tried to clarify the situation. “You told Captain Hitsugaya you loved him, but you don't. You want his protection for some reason and he told you it was over and won't talk to you. Is that correct?”

 

Her visitor nodded and then shook her head. “He never told me it was over. How can it be over? Nothing happened. He rejected me.”

 

“Did you even think about this before you acted?” Soi was certain she knew the answer even before Kiyone shook her head.

 

Slowly it was becoming clear and her level of relief increased again. Toshiro had rejected Kiyone for whatever reason. “Someone else told you it was over and won't talk to you and because of him you're in a mess.” The last part was beginning to sound too familiar. Kiyone was in a mess because of a man. A man had caused the tangle and Soi could only think of one thing that might cause this amount of distress. “You're pregnant,” she said bluntly, looking at the girl and watched her face flush violently as she reacted to the accusation.

 

“How; how did you know? It's not showing or anything is it? I'm not really sure. I can't go to 4th Division because my Isane would find out but I think I am and I can't tell the father because he made it clear that he wants nothing more to do with me,” the words dribbled out of Kiyone's mouth as she tried not to cry again.

 

Rolling her eyes upwards, Soi wondered about the men of the Seireitei. Their brains seem to have slipped from their skulls to an area much lower down, not that they had ever hovered much above their waistlines. The women weren't any better, sleeping with the first convenient male they saw after Aizen left. She wasn't any better, allowing her desires to dictate her actions. It would be easy to blame only the males, but they had willing accomplices in the women.

 

Had the Seireitei always been so sexually active? Until recently she had preferred to remain ignorant of the relationships between people and she had formed one, except it was destroyed, wasn't it? Had some of the liaisons formed beforehand remained, or had people formed new ones since the departure of the traitors? What was the catalyst?

 

Retsu had mentioned how strange it was that both of them had fallen pregnant so close to each other and remarked how it seemed to coincide with Aizen's departure. She had to talk to Retsu as soon as possible. This increase in the number of pregnancies wasn't natural. So far Retsu, this soggy female and Soi had formed unusual alliances and it was possible there might be more. Maybe Kenpachi had been truthful when he claimed that the 10th Division lieutenant was pregnant with his child.

 

She froze for a moment. If the lieutenant was pregnant, what would happen to her when Gin found out? The woman was in peril and she fervently hoped that she would be saved before anyone caused her harm. The problems faced by the inane female in front of her seemed minor in comparison.

 

Reluctantly she asked “Have you talked to him?”

 

“I asked him to meet me, but he refused. I followed him that night, trying to talk to him, but he made an effort to ignore me. He was so cold and aloof. He told me to leave him alone, that I meant nothing to him and it was a mistake. I didn't get the chance to tell him anything and I cried” Kiyone divulged, more confident now that someone had guessed her secret.

 

Mindful of her earlier conversation with Captain Ukitake, Soi probed further. “The `he' you mention is not Captain Hitsugaya?” The way the girl spoke, it was hard to keep track of which person she meant. Kiyone nodded in response. “Your Captain is not the father,” Soi stated, certain of this.

 

In response, Kiyone shook her head. “No. Captain Ukitake would never look at me like that. He always treats me with respect and care.”

 

“Then who is the father?” She may as well find out the worst now. Once she knew, a solution might present itself, or complicate matters further.

 

“I can't tell you! I can't tell anyone. He'll hate me if he found out anyone knew about that night. I don't want him to hate me, or hate me more than he already does,” the tears tumbled down Kiyone's face as the words trickled from her mouth. Her hands went to her mouth and she began to chew on the fingers of her gloves.

 

Running through a list of the possibilities Soi wondered aloud who could possibly be the father, while trying to ignore Kiyone's busy mouth. That glove had to be insanitary. “Obviously not Captain Zaraki, he wouldn't have time and I wouldn't like to be the focus of Lieutenant Matsumoto's anger; nor would it be Lieutenant Shuhei. He doesn't have a death wish, nor does Lieutenant Abarai. Captain? Lieutenant? Obviously someone ranked higher than you.” The gasp from the person opposite her showed that she had guessed correctly, so she continued. “Not one of the traitors. That leave 8 possibilities, no make that 7 as I am sure it is not my subordinate.”

 

“Please, don't go any further. Please, I'm sorry about what I said about Captain Hitsugaya. You must care about him otherwise you would have denied any feeling for him.” It was obvious she was trying to distract Soi who ignored her words and the swell of feeling it brought to her. Her mouth moved faster as she continued to chew on the glove, a small hole appearing under her gnawing teeth.

 

Implacably Soi continued to winnow down the list. “I don't think your taste is too peculiar so I will omit Captain Kurotsuchi,” the girl nodded slightly and unwillingly.

 

Some phrases that the 13th Division joint 3rd seat had uttered earlier suddenly made sense. `Embarrassment; lowered himself to consort; cold and aloof'. Neither Captain Komamura or Kyoraku spoke that way and there was one Captain very careful of his honour, and his position.

 

“I wonder how Captain Kuchiki will feel to hear that you're carrying the heir to the Kuchiki clan,” Soi said casually, watching for the reaction to her suggestion.

 

Kiyone fainted.

 

Soi managed to move fast enough to support her as she slid to the floor. This would not be easy to resolve. “Thanks very much, Captain Ukitake. We will have our reckoning later, once this is finished,” she said aloud. Once she was certain that Kiyone was settled on the floor, she made her comfortable and went to sit on her chair as she thought things through. It would have been pleasant to discuss this with Retsu, but she was assisting in the rescue mission. She sat bolt upright as something else struck her. How many female Shinigami were pregnant? How many of them were lying and denying their condition? Could pregnancy become an epidemic? What would be the purpose?

 

Pushing that thought aside, Soi decided to concentrate on the challenge lying unconscious on the floor. Captain Kuchiki had married previously, a woman very different to the one carrying his child, but she had been a commoner. If he knew Kiyone was pregnant, would honour demand that he marry her, or would he deny that the child was his? It was difficult to predict how the man would react, but he should be told. It was only fair…..

 

Screw this. Why was she thinking this way? If every man had the right to know he'd impregnated a woman, then they should send a message to Aizen about Momo. Her personal situation she refused to consider. She was the exception and Toshiro didn't need to know. No one else would know until she had decided. Retsu hadn't told the father of her child. The only reason she thought Captain Kuchiki should be told was because Kiyone obviously wanted him to know. All her reactions seemed to indicate a deep infatuation with the man, difficult though it was to believe.

 

She'd also have to talk to Toshiro about the girl and ask him to forget their conversation. That made her pause, trying to work out if she was pleased or unhappy about the idea. They had spent so much time together this day and she had almost felt a connection grow between them when they had argued with Yamamoto. The tension that she normally experienced near him had begun to fade a little and a slight feeling of admiration had begun to creep into her assessment of him when he had challenged the Captain-General about his inaction.

 

Thinking about the Captain-General made her again feel the outrage that had consumed her when she had realised the way he had used all of them. It was better to think about her anger at that man instead of her increasingly alarming reactions to the mention of Toshiro's name. As she thought, some idea or memory moved at the back of her mind, a way of reminding the Captain-General that he was not the only power within the Seireitei or the hierarchy. Before she could recapture the thought, and follow it through to the memory that had been roused, she spotted movement on the floor.

 

Kiyone stirred slightly and Soi watched, but she still seemed to be unconscious. She would talk to Toshiro. The situation was not entirely of Kiyone's making, just mostly, and it seemed unfair and very stupid of the girl to allow an anonymous letter to cause these problems. But then, could the girl be lying about the letter? Lying about the whole situation, trying to find out if she did have an affair with Toshiro? Did she want to….

 

At this point, Kiyone sat up and began to retch violently. Soi grabbed her and assisted her to the sink as the girl displayed the classic symptoms of morning sickness, even though it was well into the afternoon, nearing evening. After the girl had emptied her stomach of the water, Soi made her sit down and began to question her carefully.

 

“Captain Kuchiki is the father?”

 

Kiyone nodded reluctantly, as she examined the hem of her sleeve and pulled at a loose thread.

 

“How do I know that you're not lying? That this isn't some scheme you've come up with?” No matter what, Soi could not lose focus that she did not trust this person.

 

“Why would I lie about being pregnant? There's so point in lying anymore because you've guessed and I need your help. I'm not lying to you, I promise,” the heartfelt sincerity almost convinced Soi. Almost, but she wanted more information.

 

“When did it happen?”

 

“The night before the mission left for the human world. I'd had a few drinks,” Kiyone said and then pressed her lips tightly together as if she had decided to say nothing further.

 

“You've come to me for help and you should tell me what I need to know. What happened?” Soi demanded, her frustration increasing.

 

Kiyone gulped and her eyes welled with tears again. Seeing this made Soi heave a deep sigh. Where was all this liquid coming from? Did the girl have an inexhaustible supply of tears? Before she could demand that she stop crying, Kiyone began to explain.

 

“I was supposed to meet up with some friends, but none of them showed. I had a few drinks while I waited and after an hour decided that I may as well go home because I don't like drinking alone and I was drinking too fast,” she paused and drank some water that Soi had poured, choking slightly as she drank.

 

“Then what?”

 

Kiyone's voice sank further. “I was walking home and I passed Captain Kuchiki. He was alone and I've always been drawn by his aloofness. He's so handsome and manly and noble and perfect….”

 

“Enough about Captain Kuchiki. He's a man and thus imperfect like all men,” Soi didn't want to hear a half hour description of the glories of the 6th Division's Captain. The man was a cold fish who acted like he wouldn't know what to do with a woman even if she had an instruction manual printed on her skin, complete with diagrams.

 

“I greeted him and asked how he was, if he needed anything, because he was looking slightly annoyed. The Captain actually replied to me. I was amazed because he's rarely spoken to me. I asked what was wrong as he was frowning and he said it was nothing. He nodded and continued walking and I followed him. It was stupid, but I was worried about him. He noticed and told me I should return to my Division,” Kiyone said, her voice steady.

 

“Good advice. Why didn't you go along with it? He might have thought you were stalking him,” Soi observed. In the same position she would feel threatened if a person followed her after she indicated she did not want their company.

 

As if she had not heard the question, the 3rd seat continued to talk, her eyes shut as she relived the memories. “I told him I wanted to talk to him about his sister, privately, and he finally asked me back to his quarters.”

 

That still did not clarify why the man asked Kiyone back to the Kuchiki mansion. Soi wondered at that.

 

“Did you really wish to talk about Rukia?” Soi asked.

 

“No. I wanted to spend time with him; I just wished to look at him. We didn't go to his family home, just the accommodation he has in 6th Division,” Kiyone continued.

 

That at least explained one question Soi wanted to ask. But then it seemed very peculiar that Captain Kuchiki would even notice Kiyone, or wish to talk to her.

 

“When we got there he poured some sake for himself. He didn't offer me any and I asked what has disturbed him; was it because of the rumour about Captain Zaraki? I'd wondered if he liked Ran, because he seemed so upset, but it wasn't that. He told me he had visited Captain Zaraki to advise him against having a relationship with Ran. He was smarting from the way Captain Zaraki had treated him and threatened him with violence. I knew his concern had been for the dignity of all Captains.”

 

Soi fought to suppress a smirk. The man had such a narrow idea of correct behaviour. Yoruichi had always been amused by Byakuya and mocked him constantly. This had influenced Soi's view of the man

 

“Then he began to ask all these questions about Rukia: how she was progressing, had she made any friends, was she settling back in after everything that had happened. He wanted to know if she was seeing any males within the Division or had been receiving any visits from other people. There were lots of questions about Renji and Ichigo, some of them personal. I was a little shocked so I told him he'd have to drink with me before I'd answer,” she must have noticed Soi's raised eyebrows. “I was thirsty,” she said defensively.

 

Soi's lips twitched. “You were thirsty?”

 

Kiyone nodded. “Byakuya, I mean Captain Kuchiki agreed and we drank plum wine. It was really nice.”

 

Soi didn't want to hear any more. “You got drunk, had sex and fell pregnant,” she said shortly.

 

“He kissed me first,” Kiyone said defensively.

 

Shaking her head, Soi moved her hand in a motion indicating she didn't wish to hear any more. “Further details do not interest me. From your earlier comments you tried to blackmail Captain Hitsugaya. He would react badly to that.”

 

Kiyone nodded emphatically.

 

“You acted on the information provided in an anonymous letter which you have since lost and tried to manoeuvre Captain Hitsugaya into forming a liaison with you. When this didn't work you came to me to ask me to persuade him not to tell your Captain. And this occurred because you lost your reason and slept with Captain Kuchiki.”

 

“I didn't lose my mind. I've always been attracted to him. He's the most wonderful man I've ever met,” Kiyone offered in protest.

 

This female really had very little understanding of reality. Byakuya wonderful? Next she would be spouting some drivel about that annoying orange haired ryoka, or the irritating cockroach, Mayuri. She had no understanding of the nature of the men who dwelt in the Seireitei. “That's not important.” Soi sat there and thought a little more. She owed nothing to this woman; in fact she felt a strong impulse to hurt her for approaching Toshiro. `It not because I want him', she assured herself, `it's because he was going to ask Momo to marry him.' And she didn't give a damn about that pain Momo either. Sighing she shut her eyes.

 

“Come back tomorrow. I'll decide tonight if I'll help you, though I don't see why I should. If I do decide to help you, I will expect something in return. Possibly a promise that you will not involve me in any of your sordid problems in the future.”

 

Kiyone looked at her, her eyes wide in amazement. “You might help?”

 

“Maybe. I will tell you this: if you try to use another captain after today, you might experience a hornet's sting. Now get out, go home and sleep.”

 

“Can't you talk to him tonight?” Kiyone urged, her eyes hopeful. Her hands were clenched together and she raised them slightly in appeal.

 

Her mouth forming a thin line, Soi didn't bother to answer, and just stared at the girl sitting opposite her. Requesting a favour was one thing, but she was overstepping the line.

 

“Um. Sorry. Tomorrow would be great. My Captain wanted an early night anyway so I'll suggest he goes to bed early and doesn't accept any more visitors.” Kiyone scrambled inelegantly to her feet and bowing low with gratitude, she left the room.

 

“That's it. I refuse to talk to anyone else today,” Soi thought. “People only cause problems.”

 

A.N.

 

Did you think Kiyone really liked Toshiro? Hehehehe.

 

Poor Toshiro. How many other females will declare their love for him?

 

Review. I like reviews. Thanks to anhimals and Bastion for the reviews for the last chapter.

 

Soundtrack

 

`Get Misunderstood' Troublemakers

`Open Heart Zoo' Martin Grench

`Blame' Soul Coughing

`Watching Shadows' Endorphin