Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Seer ❯ She Who Reveals ( Chapter 6 )

I woke in the morning to bright streams of sunlight passing over my face. The sensation was unusual because I normally kept my shutters closed until mid-morning. I moved to cover my face with my arm and came across the odd sensation of silk sliding across my skin. I snuggled into my elbow, not understanding that something was out of the ordinary. I was still so tired. Drinking all that sake had been such a bad idea. It was a wonder that I even made it back to my room.

My room…

I wasn't in my room…

Slowly uncovering my eyes, I stared up at the foreign ceiling. The back of the couch I was lying across blocked part of my line of sight, but it just proved to remind me of just where I was. Last night slowly replayed in my mind, all the ugly details playing with such detail. But, it didn't bother me as much as I expected it to. The sense memories were still there. The pain, the feel of that man's hand connecting with my cheek, his teeth… Captain Hitsugaya catching me as I fell. His arms wrapped around me, holding me as I cried.

I let my arm fall from where it had been covering my face, and my hand bopped into something. I didn't need to look to feel my captain's spiritual pressure just beside me and know that my hand was resting on his arm. I didn't know how long he had been there. It didn't really matter though. He was here when I woke. Knowing that, a glowing warmth filled my chest. Lightly I grasped the fabric of his sleeve and held it, feeling comfort in the touch. I closed my eyes and let out a soft sigh.

A hand closed over mine, squeezing my hand lightly. I smiled to myself at his touch. His hand was warm against mine, something that I had never really expected from him. Even after handling that ice last night his touch had been warm. I relaxed my grip on his sleeve, but didn't pull my hand away from his. His fingers wrapped around my palm and held my hand against his arm.

We didn't say anything for a long moment. I spent the time committing to memory what if felt like for him to hold my hand like he was. His skin so warm, his grip firm but gentle… If we never touched again I wanted to remember this feeling.

"How are you feeling?" He said, breaking the silence.

I rolled over onto my side, making sure to leave my hand where it was. For the first time this morning I looked at him. He was sitting with his back propped against the seat of the sofa, his body about at my hips. He was still dressed in just his shihakusho, the stiffness of the fabric over his chest telling me he hadn't changed after I fell asleep. His gaze was concentrated on the coffee table, giving me the perfect view of his profile as I curled my body so my head was resting on the edge of the seat cushion.

"Tired, but okay." I answered him. "Have you been here all night?"

"Mostly," he replied. "Your nightmares seemed to go away when I stayed near."

A blush tinted my cheeks, knowing he had stayed to make sure I slept. I really had to be such a bother to him. I started to pull my hand from his so I could sit up, but his grasp tightened. His gaze turned to me then, his aquamarine eyes meeting my own. His expression was soft and caring, something I was starting to not be surprised by when I saw it on his face. His eyes told me that he had stayed because he wanted to, not because it was just something he should have done.

"Thank you," I murmured.

He nodded and turned his gaze back to the coffee table. "Your room was wrecked after last night. I didn't think you should go back there today, so I retrieved your zanpakuto for you."

I followed his gaze to the coffee table and saw my zanpakuto laying across the table next to his Hyorinmaru. She seemed so much smaller than Hyorinmaru, her blade only about three-quarters of the length of his. Her hilt gleamed in the light, like she was happy to be where she was. Most of the time she was dull and looked unpolished, but at this moment the silvers and golds in her metal work looked like they had just been forged. Was she showing off, or had something changed?

"I can just fix my room, you know," I commented as I stared at my zanpakuto.

"You can do it tomorrow then," he countered, looking back at me. "I don't want you being that far away from me today."

The blush I was already sporting darkened at his words and I quickly looked away to hide it. "A-Alright."

His hand left mine and I felt him move. His fingers caressed my cheek and gently coaxed me to look up to him. He had turned his body so his side was pressed to the couch cushions, his elbow resting on the seat beside my body. When he turned, he had pressed closer to my upper body so as he cradled my cheek he was almost looming over me. Looking up at him I met his steady gaze.

"Someone is after you Ria," his tone was serious as he spoke. "I don't think that man last night was the one who was pulling the strings. Because of that, I am not letting you go back into harm's way. Not if I can prevent it."

"I just don't understand why," I started to say. Pulling the hand I had left on his arm back, I propped myself up on my elbow so I was almost at his eye level. His hand had fallen from my cheek when I moved, leaving my skin feeling tingly where he had touched. "I personally feel that I don't deserve the 3rd seat in the squad because of how weak I am compared to Amagi and the other seated officers. That part of what he said last night made sense to me. But, that part about the Ise Clan and about you…" I had to let my words trail off. I couldn't remember exactly what I had said last night.

The look in his eyes didn't change, but his expression became slightly curious. I looked down at my hand where it was resting on the edge of the couch cushion. The elbow that he had rested on the couch was almost touching my hip, his hand only a few inches from my own.

"He said that not even the Ise Clan would want me after he was done with me," I said, my voice shaking ever so slightly. "A-and nor would you."

"Stop that," he said abruptly.

"Stop what?" I said looking up to him with surprise.

"Stop believing what he said," his expression was annoyed. "Do you really think that Nanao would reject you just because you were assaulted?" He leaned in closer to me, his eyes narrowed. "Do you think that I would reject you?"

I…

I didn't know what to say.

Up until last night I would have been convinced that I was just his subordinate. I had thought that I had feelings towards him just because he was… well, because he was him. But the way he held me last night, how he had always known what to say to calm me down, how he had kissed my forehead…

"No," I whispered. His hand slid behind my neck and pulled me towards him. I closed my eyes as his forehead pressed to mine, the tips of our noses barely touching.

"Good," he said, his breath ghosting across my lips.

"Captain!" Rangiku's voice said from outside, her fist pounding on the door frame.

His hand tightened on the back of my neck as he let out a string of grumbled curses. I opened my eyes as he pulled away slightly. He was only inches away now, his gaze intent on mine. "I meant it when I said that you were mine, Ria. Mine to protect."

I gave him a small nod. He stared down at me for a moment longer before he withdrew his hand and stood. I watched him as he passed through one of the open doors in the room before he closed it behind him.

"I can hear you in there Captain," Rangiku accused as she pounded on a door again.

"Shut it will you. I'm coming," his voice was back to the terminally annoyed sound that he seemed to typically use with her.

I shook my head and worked my way up to standing. If Rangiku came in here I needed to make sure I was presentable. After last night's incident, I had no idea what state my kimono was in other than it still on my body. One of the first things I did notice was the distinct lack of a sock on my right foot. When had that happened?

"Captain, I can't find Ria anywhere." Rangiku confessed. "I went to go check on her, but her room had been trashed!"

"It's because you went and drank yourself stupid last night, isn't it?" He asked, sounding pissed.

"It was a celebration last night! You can't blame me for drinking when we have today off!" She whined back.

Looking down, I decided it wasn't too bad. Both my obi age and my obi jime were gone making my actual obi feel loose like it was ready to start unraveling. The collar of my kimono had slid apart by a few inches, revealing more of my chest than it was supposed to so I slid it back into place and adjusted the shoulders. I reached behind me, feeling for the ends of the obi. It was still tied in the back, but the ends had fallen out of the otaiko when the pillow had been removed. I would have to ask Captain Hitsugaya to tighten the knot when he came back, or it would eventually fall off and I would be left only with the ties underneath.

I walked over to the coffee table and picked up my zanpakuto. Unsheathing her I used my reflection in her blade to look at my face. I was relieved to see that during my fits of tears all my makeup had come off my face leaving it mostly blank instead of streaked with black lines. I touched my lips, remembering the pain from the night before. Other than the faint stain of color from my lipstick making them look extra pink, they looked like nothing had happened.

"But I'm really worried about Ria, Captain!" Rangiku said changing the subject from her drinking habits. "Her room was trashed! Not a 'I got drunk and knocked some things over', trashed. This was fighting aftermath trashed!"

"She's fine," he said flatly.

There was a pause in their conversation.

"Some of the squad members said that you had carried her off. She was just as drunk as I was last night you know! If you took advantage of her-"

"Rangiku," he growled. "What the hell makes you think I would do that?"

Her voice lowered into the tone she used to tease him with as she said, "I saw the way you looked at her at her last night, Captain."

I slid my zanpakuto back into her sheath and set her back on the coffee table next to Hyorinmaru. It still amazed me how Rangiku was able to get under his skin after all these years. I made my way over to the door that he had vanished through and opened it. It led into a hallway that seemed to lead to the front door. Apparently, he had stepped out onto the deck with Rangiku.

"Are you still drunk?" He asked her, clearly rejecting what she had said.

"No!" She denied. "Well, maybe a little." She then corrected herself. "The best way to cure a hangover is to drink more."

He let out an exasperated sigh.

I quietly stuck my head around the door frame to see them standing facing each other. Rangiku was still in her kimono from the night before but she had let her hair down. There was a light pink tint to her cheeks clearly displaying just how buzzed she still was. Her eyes flicked over to me and her face lit up with relief.

"There you are!" She half shouted as she stepped towards me. I didn't try to dodge her a she pulled me into hug. She didn't try smothering me with her boobs this time, so I didn't fight it. "Are you okay? You look," She pulled back, looking down at me. "Actually, you look better than normal."

"I'm fine Rangiku," I assured her.

"Rangiku, can you go get a shihakusho for Ria to borrow."

Rangiku looked from me to Captain Hitsugaya and back a few times. "Sure, I don't mind," her voice had gotten serious with her words.

"Thank you," I said while bowing my head slightly in her direction.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"We will explain when you get back," he replied.

"Alright," she said before turning to walk out. I watched as she stepped off the porch and walked across the grass towards her own home across the area. Captain Hitsugaya passed in front of me interrupting my view of her. He pulled the door closed behind him and walked behind me as he returned to the room we had been in. I followed him, walking quietly.

He was at the coffee table, reaching for Hyorinmaru when I passed the door frame. His hand had hesitated over his zanpakuto though, like he was caught mid thought. I stood and waited for him to do something. He turned his head to me, his eyes full of his thoughts.

"You said that your Zanpakuto had given you a name yesterday. Why did she start again?"

"She didn't say." I replied quietly.

His gaze shifted back to the coffee table. "You should ask her."

I let my gaze trail down to rest on my zanpakuto. Every time I asked her a question, she either gave me some smart ass reply or disappeared. She truly thought I was an idiot. But, she seemed to answer questions for him…

I started to walk towards the table to unsheathe her, but he stepped between me and the table. His hand lifted and he tapped his temple, "Ask her in here."

"She won't-"

"If you assume she won't," he interrupted me. "Then she won't. Have more faith and listen for her. Soul Reapers and their Zanpakuto are two parts of the same soul. Trust your other half."

I pursed my lips, wanting to argue with him but forcing myself not to. He had been a captain longer than I had even been a soul reaper and from my understanding he had been able to hear his zanpakuto since he was just a little kid. Arguing with him about mine was just stupid.

Letting out a sigh I stepped to the side so I could look at my zanpakuto. I needed to focus my thoughts at her, and listen. That's all I had to do. She was listening when I thought the most random things, so why wouldn't she hear me now?

"You're really dense, ya know?" my zanpakuto's voice said from the other side of the room. I startled and turned faster than a freaked-out cat.

She was sitting at the chabudai table on the other side of the room. Her teal eyes were visible under her gold and silver mask today, her mouth also visible beneath the sculpted metal. She watched us with half lidded eyes, a smug smirk turning her lips. Her hair was up in an elegant shimada with gold and silver ornaments laced through her hair. I couldn't see the rest of her because the other couch was blocking my view, but it looked like her shoulders were… bare?

"I am not dense," I defended. "You are just stubborn!"

"Ria," Captain Hitsugaya interrupted me. "In your head."

"But she's right there," I said pointing around him at my zanpakuto. "Why do I need to talk to her in my head when she's manifested?"

His eyes followed my pointing finger and he stared at my zanpakuto for a moment. His gaze traveled back to me, one eye brow lifted in an amused expression. "I can't see her." He said.

I blinked and glanced back to my zanpakuto. "He can't?"

"I don't think you want him to see me like this," She said, her voice sounding sly.

"Don't tell me," I started to say. "Are you-"

"Ria," Captain Hitsugaya said, interrupting me. "In your head."

I bit my lip in annoyance, but did as he said.

'Are you naked?' I asked her.

Her smile widened. "It's your fault," she teased.

'How in the hell is it my fault that you're naked?'

"It's your name today. Haven't you noticed how my appearance changes with your names?"

My cheeks flushed scarlet. 'My freaking name is She Who Gets Naked? What kind of name is that?' I shot back at her.

"She Who Reveals," she mused. "I like the freedom," She said as she stood.

I couldn't help but gape at her. She was completely nude. One-hundred percent wearing no clothing and posing like it was the best thing ever.

"I can't believe you," I said out loud as I slapped my hand over my eyes.

"Should I make myself visible?" She asked in a completely innocent voice.

"No!"

"Ria," Captain Hitsugaya's voice said quietly.

"Sorry," I quickly apologized.

"Work with her, don't get irritated," his voice was in my ear. I uncovered my eyes to see he had moved around stand behind me. I met his gaze for a moment before turning back to my zanpakuto. He was right, getting mad wasn't how to work with her. But, he couldn't see her and her clear lack of decency.

"Go ahead, ask your questions," She said as she walked around the couch and sat. At least she had the decency to keep her damn legs closed. "If you're nice enough I might actually answer."

Geeze, all I had to do was be nice… yeah right. 'You already know what I want to know. Why don't you just tell me?'

Her mouth set in a serious line as she watched me. She crossed her legs and her arms over her chest and let out a sigh. "Ask."

I bit my lip. Where did I even start? I had so many questions that I had never asked her. But… 'Why did you stop talking to me?'

"Your names do not change. Some are more prominent than others, but they do not change. One week ago, your name changed only minutes before the event was to occur. This breaks the rules. Fate changes, but it does not change like that. It takes days or even weeks for events to create a new future unless the event is so startling that it upsets things. But, even an event such as that is written as a turning point in your fate." She lifted a hand as she continued explaining, using her fingers to tick of events. "A turning point in your fate was when you were attacked by that hollow one week ago. If you had been a coward and not accepted the mission, you would have been safe but lost respect and faded as a person. If you had asked for help, you would have bled and nothing would have changed in your life. But, you chose to go to the Human World alone. It should have killed you, but you left a note behind. This was the turning point in your fate."

'That doesn't explain why you stopped talking to me,' I thought quietly. This was the most that she had ever explained her power to me, so I didn't want to push her into silence. But, I wanted to know.

"I was waiting to see if your fate would change again," She said simply. "Your names were not important ones, so I didn't bother telling you. If knowing your name influenced your fate, I was going to stop telling you what your name was. But, your fate hasn't changed since then. Your fate last night was only days in the making, but it didn't break the rules. No matter the scenario that was possible, you were still caught off guard. So, I decided to tell you your name once more, to see if you were changing your own fate."

'And I'm guessing that I didn't?'

"No."

'Do you know why my fate changed last week?'

Her eyes narrowed as she shifted her gaze down to the coffee table. "I am a zanpakuto. As far I am aware, the only possible force that could change my predictions is another zanpakuto."

"So, another soul reaper?" I asked out loud with surprise.

"Or an Arrancar, but I cannot foresee interactions between you and an Arrancar in your near future."

'Why do you keep giving me these names instead of telling me what is actually going to happen?'

She laughed at me. "If I told you, 'Hey Soul Reaper, you're going to get attacked by some guy in your room and he might rape you.' do you think you would have ever taken that option?"

'Of course not.'

"This is why I give you names. I will not provide you the tools to avoid your own fate. You haven't earned that privilege."

I blinked at her. Earned that privilege… 'You mean that I will be able to one day?'

Her gaze turned into a glare. "When you are mature enough not to abuse it."

She stood and briskly walked over to me. I took several steps back as she came into my personal space, but I ran into Captain Hitsugaya and had to stop. She came up to me, her face looming close to mine. "My name is…" her voice just faded out as I watched her lips move. "Learn to use my power correctly, little soul reaper." I was frozen with shock when she vanished.

"W-wait," I whispered. What had she said? I reached out to where she had been.

"Ria?"

"I couldn't hear her," I said quietly. "She said her name and I couldn't hear it."

"Has she ever-"

"No, that was the first time she ever said it. Ever."

He reached around me and covered my out stretched hand with his own, pulling it back to press against my obi. "Do you know why?"

I looked down at his hand where it still covered my own. The familiar way he touched me made my heart race. Part of me was still shy to the idea that he could be so close to me. If the elders ever found out that I had stayed the night in a man's house… I pushed the thought away and turned my gaze to my zanpakuto. "To earn the privilege of using her power."

I explained to him what my zanpakuto had said in brief detail. Just as I was getting to the part about another zanpakuto being able to effect mine he removed his hand from over my own and moved from where he had been standing at my back.

"Rangiku is back," he said quietly when I turned to look up to him.

I hummed in understanding. I had requested last week that he not tell her what was happening during our training, but after last night… My zanpakuto had said that no matter what happened I would have still been trapped by that man. But, if Rangiku had known that something could have happened last night maybe she would have been with me. Or maybe she would have still been three sheets to the wind.

"Ria," She said as she walked into the room. She hadn't even bothered to knock at the front door. "Aw, and here I was hoping to find you two in some sort of compromising position."

My face ignited with a fierce blush that I turned away to hide. My first instinct was to deny it, but that would just lead to Rangiku teasing me even worse. It was then that the knot in my obi decided to give way and I had to quickly catch it before it slipped from my waist. What perfect timing…

Endless amounts of teasing later and I was finally changed into the shihakusho that Rangiku had brought over. Getting out of my kimono was easy when the hard to reach ties had been removed the previous night. I had changed in Captain Hitsugaya's room which made the whole affair a bit awkward. He didn't bother maintaining a spare bedroom, so I could change in his bedroom or his office that had a very, very big window. I choose the bedroom for obvious reasons. I tried my best while I was in there to not look around. It felt like I was invading his privacy by being in here, so I had done my best to stay focused on changing as quickly as I could.

I was kneeling on the floor folding my kimono when a knock at the door drew my attention.

"Do you need any help?" Rangiku asked.

"No, I'm fine." I said quickly. "Though I really don't know how you manage to fit in this size top."

The pants were a bit long for my legs, but that was to be expected with our height difference. She was a good four or five inches taller than me. Then there was the top… I had known that she wore her shihakusho top a few sizes to small, but I hadn't realized just how small they were. My breasts weren't nearly as big as hers, but even I had a hard time keeping the edges of my shihakusho together with the top she had provided. It was ridiculous. I was showing just as much cleavage as some humans did with their deep v-neck shirts.

"I fit perfectly fine," She said with pride. I could just imagine her looking down at her large assets as she spoke.

I shook my head as I finished folding the kimono and started on the obi. I needed to return them to my sister eventually. Technically the kimono was mine, but keeping such a formal kimono here in the barracks had never been an ideal situation for me.

"I went and got a box for your kimono. I figured you wouldn't be able to properly store it until you room is put back together."

I perked up at her words. "Thank you, please come in. I'm decent."

Rangiku slid the door open and walked over to me. She had a long and thin woven box under her arm that she set beside my folded kimono. "Wow, you know how to fold these without the box." She said as she slipped the top off the box and placed the kimono inside. The fabric fit perfectly inside the box.

I smiled at her. "You learn a lot of things growing up inside the Seireitei."

"So I see," she replied. I handed her the obi as I finished folding it and she placed it in the box. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

I lifted my gaze to see her looking at me with a serious expression. I let out a breath I had held for a moment and played with the remaining ties I had to still put in the box. "I was assaulted last night when I got back to my room." I said quietly.

"Who was it?"

"I don't know," I replied. "When Captain Hitsugaya fought him, he tried to light an explosion in the middle of the barracks. He died when the captain contained his blast around him."

Rangiku reached out to me and rested her hand on my wrist. "Did he do anything to you?"

I started to reach up to touch my lips but stopped. I didn't need to be recalling the memories right now. "No, he just scared the bejesus out of me and untied a few parts of my obi."

She pulled her hand back but kept her eyes on me. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone. I didn't know-"

"Its fine. How could you have known? My zanpakuto warned me, but I didn't say anything so it's really my own fault."

I reached over and placed the ties in the box. She didn't say anything as she slid the top back over the box, but her eyes watched me. I gave her a small smile and stood. She followed me and came to her feet.

"Ria, I know the captain is looking out for you, but you should know that I am here for you as well." She said. "I can tell that you two are growing close, but please don't hesitate to come to me if you need something."

"Thank you Rangiku," I said with a small bow of my head.

She nodded and picked up the box with my kimono in it. "I'll keep this at my house until you get your room situated again." She headed for the door to the room, but paused on her way out. "And you know, if you're trying to catch the Captain's eye you should wear my clothes more often," She winked at me and darted out the door.

I glanced down to see that my shihakusho had fallen open exposing most of my upper chest. I quickly grabbed the fabric and held it closed. This was going to get really annoying.

Leaving the captain's bedroom, I entered back into the living room and looked around. The room was empty which led me to wonder where the captain had gone. I opened myself to feeling his spiritual pressure and wandered off to the other side of his house. Sliding open a door I was greeted with the back porch. I spotted Captain Hitsugaya sitting a little ways down on the edge of the porch, much like he had been when he was at the Squad 4 barracks. It occurred to me that he had been there waiting for me to wake up, just like he had been today…

I made my way over to him and took a seat on the edge of the porch at his side. My legs weren't quite long enough to reach the ground so I let my feet swing. The back of his house looked out on a small pond and several plum trees that sat on its edge. It was a nice view, something that a person could sit and stare at for hours.

I heard him shift beside me, but I kept my gaze on the pond. "What else were you going to say before Rangiku returned?"

I recalled back to our conversation, trying to figure out where I had left off. "She said that only another zanpakuto could mess with her power." I let him mull over that for a minute before I continued. "She also said that she didn't see any arrancars in my near future."

It didn't take him long to put two and two together. "Is there anyone in the soul society that has a grudge against you?"

"Not that I can think of," I said quietly. "Yamamoto is a common name where I came from, but it is the same last name as the former head captain, and as far as I know I'm the only soul reaper with the last name now. People often assume that I was related to him somehow, but I'm pretty sure I'm not." I paused and thought over my words for a moment. "I'm part of the Ise Clan, but not really. So, I don't know why anyone would target me for that reason." I couldn't help but to squirm as I thought over the words that guy had said to me.

"Hey," he said as he leaned closer to me.

"I'm fine," I said quickly. "I just get the sense memory..." Even as I was talking I could hear his joyous humming as he pulled at the knots of my obi. I shook my head, trying to get the sound to stop.

"Come on," he said standing up. I looked up to him with a quirked eyebrow.

"What?" I asked as I started to get up.

"You need a distraction," he said, offering me his hand. I took it with only a little hesitation.

"What sort of distraction?" I asked as he pulled me to my feet.

"You'll see."

A twenty minutes later Captain Hitsugaya lead me through the doors into the indoor training area that our squad maintained. I had only been in here a few times, mostly to fix the damage from random training mishaps. What we were doing here, I couldn't even begin to guess. The squad members that came here were here to practice zanjutsu, their sword art. I hadn't bothered practicing it since I was able to use my shikai… So like, five years ago. Wow, when I thought of it like that it had been a really long time since I had practiced my sword skills at all.

Watching Captain Hitsugaya walk over to a rack of wooden practice swords a sense of nervousness overtook me. He was a master swordsmen. Even if I had maintained my skills over the years I would barely be an expert swordsman. He could kick my ass any day of the week and not break a sweat doing it.

"Um, sir," I started to say. I hesitated when he removed Hyorinmaru from his back and placed it against the wall beside the rack. He grabbed two of the wooden swords off the rack and turned to me, tossing one to me. I caught it and looked down at it like it was a foreign object.

"Put your zanpakuto over there," he said as he gestured towards where he had put his. Reluctantly I did as he said and set my zanpakuto beside his. I eyed the practice sword in my hand as I turned to face him.

"I should warn you," I said as I moved out into the middle of the floor where he had moved off to. "I haven't practiced in a long time."

"You have to hold your zanpakuto when you are using your shikai, right?" He asked as he took a basic stance. Standing there in the middle of the room he seemed like an impossible opponent. He had donned his captain's haori before leading me here, which made him look even more intimidating.

"It has to touch my body in some way, yes. Whether I stab myself or hold it in my hand is irrelevant." I nodded.

He gave me an odd look.

"The first time I activated my shikai I had been fooling around and stabbed myself in my thigh," I said shamelessly. "Total accident, I swear." Rukia still gave me a hard time about it when the subject came up…

"I wasn't told that when you transferred into the squad." He shook his head. "Either way, you have to stay in contact with your zanpakuto to maintain shikai." He shifted his stance, suddenly looking aggressive.

"Yeah," I said slowly as I took hold of my practice sword properly.

"Then what do you suppose your greatest weakness is?"

Oh boy, I knew where this was going. "Getting disarmed."

He came at me, closing the distance between us in a second. I blocked his first swing with pure luck, but I wasn't ready for just how hard he was going to hit and ended up stumbling off to the side. Recovering I resumed my stance and took his next hit like a champ, falling to one knee under the force of his downward swing but managing to keep from completely falling. Mercilessly he swung again, catching my sword before I could recover. It flew from my hands and clattered across the floor on the other side of the room. My palms throbbed slightly from the force of the hilt being torn from my hands despite my desperate grip on it.

"Wow," I breathed out. I knew he was strong, but I had never actually seen him fight without using his Hyorinmaru. Being on the receiving end of his strength would have been terrifying if he had meant to actually hurt me. He lowered his sword to his side and offered me his hand which I graciously took.

"Keep me from disarming you, and we will stop," he said before stepping to the side to allow me to retrieve my sword.

"We're gonna be here a while," I said laughing to myself as I walked over and picked up the wooden sword.

"The way your zanpakuto's hilt is formed, if you get disarmed it could end up breaking your hand on top of breaking your shikai," he said as he resumed his stance.

I glanced over to my zanpakuto against the wall and understood what he was saying. My zanpakuto's hilt was built a lot like a fencing sword, the hand guard wrapping over my hand and connecting to the bottom of the hilt in several elegant arcs. If I was disarmed and the blade decided to spin it could easily break my fingers.

I turned towards him and sank into my rusty stance. This was gonna hurt…

For the next two hours, I tried and failed to fend off his attacks. It felt like I was a house cat trying to fend off a lion. The most blows I managed to hold onto my sword for was six, but that was before my grip started to tire. I was surprised the swords weren't breaking with the power of his attacks. It was absolutely exhausting, but it made me realize just how weak I was with my swordsmanship.

"Getting tired?" he asked me as I picked up my sword for the hundredth time.

"Only if you are," I huffed as I twirled my wrist and turned back to him. We took our stances and I watched him for a moment. Maybe if I tried something different I'd actually get somewhere…

He came at me, using the same movements that he had started out with every time. I knew he was being predictable to give me a chance at not getting disarmed. I jumped back, dodging his first strike. I raised my sword above my head, preparing for a downward strike instead of moving to block his second swing. He moved faster than I could react and was blocking my swing before I could bring it down. His face was so close to mine as he held me off.

Fear paralyzed me so suddenly that I didn't know what happened. One second I was in the training room, the next I was back in my bed room and frozen by the Bakudo. My spiritual energy slapped me hard enough to steal my breath away. My assailant was holding the manacles around my wrists, his sinister smile eating away at me. The heat from training for hours was instantly gone, replaced by the cold sweat of fear. I felt the sword I knew I had been holding fall down my back, but the sensation was barely noticed. All I could do was stare into that grey, crazy eyed stare.

"Ria, come back me." The words coming from his mouth weren't right. I knew they were my captain's, but I couldn't comprehend why. Tears trailed from my eyes as I tried to fight against the Bakudo. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. And he was… he was going to…

"Ria!"

His mouth smashed into mine. I knew my lips should have hurt from the force of his kiss, I should have tasted blood as his teeth cut into me… but instead it was soft and gentle. Instead of coppery blood I tasted the crisp cool of the mountains in the winter. Even the hand that should have been pulling my hair as he gripped the back of my head was gentle but firm. What I was experiencing in my head versus what I was feeling were at odds. I fought with what I was seeing, trying to push it back and fight my way towards what I should have known was really happening.

I closed my eyes, forcing what I was seeing to go away. Slowly I could move again, my arms shaking as I brought then down from over my head. Even with my eyes closed I could feel my captain's body in front of me. Only his lips and hand were touching me, but I could feel the tension in his touch. Shakily I pulled away from him and he let me go. We stood only inches from each other. I couldn't stop my breath from coming out in heavy pants as I worked on recovering from my flashback. I didn't let myself meet his gaze. He had kissed me, completely replaced the memory of pain in my head. Part of me wanted to fall into his arms and kiss him again while another part was hesitant, not believing what had happened.

"I'm sorry," he said abruptly. "I shouldn't have done that."

My eyes widened as I stared down at the floor. I couldn't seem to blurt out what I was thinking. I had to say something. "Why did you…?"

"He forced himself on you," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have done the same thing."

I hadn't thought of it that way… I looked up to him, the expression on my face making his own fall blank. "Why did you kiss me?"

"To break you free of the flashback," He answered. "Your spiritual pressure spiked and vanished just now. I had an idea of where you went."

"Is that… the only reason?" I asked, having to pause to swallow down a lump in my throat.

"Yes."

His answer was so curt. No hesitation. No feeling behind it. Damn it, I was stupid to have fallen for him so easily. He didn't feel anything for me other than his duty. I shouldn't have read so much into the way he had cared for me.

He walked away from me towards the rack of wooden swords. I watched his back as he moved, wondering why on earth I had thought he would feel the same as I did. I was just someone he wanted to protect. Why had I thought it was more?

I followed him, picking up my dropped practice sword on the way and returning it to the rack. I gave him a little space as he picked up his Hyorinmaru and returned it to its spot across his back.

"Let's return. You should take it easy for a while," he said heading for the exit.

I nodded and retrieved my zanpakuto. Securing her at my hip I followed Captain Hitsugaya's path to the door. My thoughts were everywhere as we exited the building. It had grown overcast while we had been inside. The sky was completely blotted out by clouds while darker storm clouds were slowly crowding in from the east. It was going to rain soon…

I followed a short distance behind him, avoiding any conversation that would happen between us. I needed to let it go, to just forget whatever I had felt towards him. But… How do you forget someone like that? I just couldn't…

"Sir?" I asked quietly, stopping my progress.

He stopped and turned to look at me. "What's wrong?" He asked, seeing my expression.

'You are mine to protect,' his words rang in my head.

I shook my head, forcing the memory back. I needed to get this off my chest.

"What am I to you?" I asked him point blank.

He got this weird look on his face, like he didn't know what I was asking. "You're my subordinate."

"Is that really it?" I blurted out.

He hesitated before he nodded. "Yes."

My chest tightened with his words and I looked to the floor. This was a mistake, but I had to tell him. I couldn't take it. "You're more than just my captain. You became more than that the day you were there when I thought I was going to die. I thought I had become something more to you since then. Whenever I needed someone, you were there. When I didn't need you, you were still there. I'm sorry for misreading our interactions, but that kiss meant something to me even if it meant nothing to you. And when you held me last night as I cried…"

I looked up to him for a moment before bowing my head, "I'm sorry to have caused you any trouble."

I flash stepped away. I had to run or I wouldn't have been able to keep it together. I wanted to just vanish for a while. Wait for him to forget how silly I had been and for our interactions to become what they were. I would be fine if I didn't have to be reminded of how I had fallen for him when he didn't feel the same. Maybe it would just be easier if my sister found me an arranged marriage after all. Then my heart wouldn't ache like this.

When I finally stopped running I was somewhere in the Seireitei. I hadn't really been paying attention. There was no where I could hide from him, but his indifference… surely, he would just let me be for a while. I looked down the long and empty corridor and let out a long sigh. If I could just sort out my thoughts and cool my head I would be fine.

I looked down at myself and laughed lightly. Apparently Rangiku's suggestion that I wear more of her clothes hadn't worked. On her it ended up being a plunging neckline, on me it ended up being a very deep V neck. I quickly pulled the edges together, doing my best to make the fabric stay together. It would hold so long as I didn't do anything strenuous, like practice swordsmanship. I was just a subordinate…

I felt Captain Hitsugaya appear behind me. I spun around and took a few steps back. His expression was annoyed, something that I hadn't been expecting. Indifferent, bored, amused… but not annoyed.

"C-Captain," I stuttered out. I wasn't ready for this. Why did he follow me? How was I supposed to react to him? "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said all that. It just puts you in an awkward position and I didn't intend to do that to you. I won't bring it up again-"

He stepped towards me, his steps confident and sure. I took another step back, unsure of what he was doing. Was he going to yell at me? Had I done something else wrong?

"You really are a handful," He said, his voice filled with such annoyance. He stepped to me and his hands caught my hips. I squeaked as he lifted my feet off the ground and held me up in the air for a moment, his eyes watching my face. He threw me over his shoulder after a moment, his arm wrapping around the backs of my legs to secure me.

"What are you doing?" I squeaked out as he turned around and started walking.

"I don't like talking out in the open," He commented just before he took off in a flash step. I curled against his back, hiding my face in my arms and holding my loose hair still as he moved. Goddamn he was fast. I never felt his speed when he carried me in his arms. But this was just insane. It was like being attached to a damn hummingbird jacked up on caffeine as it zipped around.

When he finally stopped, I had to let out a sigh of relief. Looking around I recognized the pond and plum trees that had been on the back of the captain's house. The clouds had gotten darker, making it seem like it was on the verge of night time. He wanted to talk, but why did he have to take me back here? I felt his hands grasp my hips just before he knelt forward and deposited me on my feet. He stood back up, but his hands remained on my hips, pinning me in place.

"You're not going to try and run away again, are you?" He asked, his voice sounding irritated.

I avoided his gaze as I shook my head. Wasn't like running was going to do me any good when he was so stupid fast…

"Good," he released my hips and rested a hand on his waist. His posture said everything. I was in for a lecture, or maybe I was even going to get yelled at. It was a similar pose he had used when we were out in the forest with the other soul reapers before he had sent them away.

I shrank into myself, preparing for the emotional hits I knew I was about to take.

"If you had been more open with me, I never would have answered your questions earlier the way that I did," He chided. "You are always so formal," He let out a frustrated sigh. "I'll bet you even think of me as Captain, don't you?"

Slowly I looked up at him, avoiding his gaze by looking at his mouth as he spoke. "Of course, it would be inappropriate to think of you any other way." I shifted from one foot to the other as I spoke. "It's inappropriate for me to have any feelings towards you because you are my captain and I am your subordinate. But… I misread our interactions. I'm sorry."

"Your zanpakuto may have been right about how clueless you can be," he commented with a shake of his head.

"Hey," I argued back, forgetting myself. "She's the one who is cryptic and unhelpful."

"Why can't you be like that more often?" He asked.

I hesitated. "Cryptic and unhelpful?"

"Open," he corrected. He reached out to me, cupping my face in his hands and forcing my eyes to meet his. I started to back up and pull away, but my back ran into one of the pillars supporting the porch. Had he put me here on purpose? Had he known that I would try to run?

"C-Captain," I started to say as I moved to shift around the pillar. His hands held me where I was though, his eyes demanding all of my attention.

"When it's just you and me, its Toshiro." He stepped into me, pressing my body against the pillar. "Not Captain." His mouth was hovering just over mine, teasing me with the caress of his hot breath.

"Captain I-"

"Toshiro," he interrupted. I started to call him captain again, but hesitated.

"Toshiro," I repeated him slowly. His mouth covered mine in a searing kiss. I lost any sense of myself as I was consumed by the feel of his lips on mine, the taste that was uniquely him. I couldn't even kiss him back for a moment because of how overwhelmed I was by his advance. When I finally realized that this, this kiss, was really happening I opened my mouth to him. Knotting my hands in his haori I pulled him closer to me, offering him full control of our kiss. He slipped one hand into my hair while his other slipped behind me and pulled me higher, forcing me to the tips of my toes and arching my back so the front of my body pressed tightly into his.

We kissed until I was gasping for breath against his mouth and shaking with the effort of standing on my tip toes. He let me rest back on the heels of my feet as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. In turn I nuzzled my nose into his chest as my gasps turned to pants.

Rain started to sprinkle us as we stood holding each other. He didn't make any movement to get out of the rain, so I cuddled into him more, hiding myself in the curve of his body. A few minutes passed and my breath was finally calm. His body sheltered me from the strengthening rain as he held me. I knew he had to be getting soaked, but I didn't think that either of us wanted this feeling to end. When I started to notice the rain soaking down to his chest, I lifted my head so I could look up at him.

His eyes were soft as he wiped a fresh drop of rain from my cheek. I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek into his palm, relishing the feel of his skin on mine.

"You should probably get changed into something dry," I said, my voice slow and dreamy.

"Will you still be here if I leave you alone for five minutes?" I could hear the hint of sarcasm in his voice. I smiled and turned my face into his palm, brushing his skin with my lips.

"Maybe," I teased. "I think my knees might still be too weak to run."

He chuckled and let his grip around my waist relax. I slipped around the pillar I had been pressed against and backed up a few steps. As he moved onto the porch his eyes looked me up and down like he was drinking in the sight of me. The corner of his mouth turned up as his eyes paused over my chest. "Rangiku has certainly had an effect on you."

I looked down and blushed crimson. My shihakusho top had slipped open like Rangiku's normally was, exposing a line of skin almost down to my belly button. I quickly pulled the edges together and held them closed with both hands. I heard him chuckle as he opened the back door and disappeared inside.

Quickly fixing my top I hesitated to follow him inside. I looked down to my zanpakuto and wondered for a moment if she had known how much of an idiot I was going to be today. I glanced back at the door and reached out to close it. I turned back to the view of the pond and the falling rain and sat down on the edge of the porch. The wind was blowing the rain away from the shelter of the roof, so where I sat was perfectly dry. I pulled my zanpakuto from her sheath and set her across my lap.

"Hey," I said quietly to her.

"Hey," she replied from right beside me. She was still naked, but she sat with her legs pulled up against her chest, her arms resting on her knees. Together we stared out at the pond, watching the rain tickle the leaves of the plum trees.

"So, you knew this would happen?" I asked her.

She hummed a note of agreeance. "This day has been in the making since he saved you that night."

"Even if last night had…" I hesitated. "Gone badly?"

"Yes."

"So, it was fated?" I asked her.

"Somewhat. This was the result of your turning point. Despite the strange events since then, you two have been drawn towards one another. I'm sure you feel it," she said as she drew one hand away from her knees and reached out into the rain.

"So, we didn't have a choice?"

She barked out a laugh. "Do any of us have a choice when it comes to falling in love?"

"I suppose not," I replied with a small smile.

"You are just dense. Like a rock." She made a face at me, like she was pretending to be stupid. I smacked her leg with the back of my hand and she splashed the water that had been collecting in her hand at me.

"You aren't very helpful in the clues department," I retorted as I wiped my face.

"Maybe if you hear my name the next time I say it, I'll be more helpful." She winked at me.

"Maybe if you speak up, I won't have an issue hearing it."

She laughed lightly at me and vanished. I stared at the spot she had been and I couldn't help but smile.