Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Sleeping with the Enemy ❯ Frienships and Attractions ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8: Friendships and Attractions

 

Ikkaku's zanpakuto clanged with Nina's, and she repelled back from her opponent still unshaken. Her opponent only grinned and came at her again. Nina blocked and dodged before firing off a kidou spell and nailing Ikkaku with it.

“Ow, dammit!” he complained. “Quit using that kidou shit on me!”

Nina shrugged. “Well what do you expect when I know it's your weakness?”

“Ouch,” Yumichika interjected.

Ikkaku frowned. “Brute strength is not a weakness and I'll prove it to ya!”

“Whoa, wait a minute, Ikkaku,” Yumichika interjected once more. He stood up and moved himself between the two. “You may be able to get serious like that with me, but you should take it easy on Nina-chan.”

Nina frowned. “I thank you for your concern, Yumichika-kun, but I think I can handle it. We're evenly matched.”

Yumichika moved closer to Nina. He glanced at Ikkaku before softly speaking to her. “You don't understand, Nina…I don't want him to hurt you.”

“No, if she thinks she can handle me then let her. Let her find out the hard way,” Ikkaku boasted.

Nina suddenly became infuriated, but she didn't let it show. “Step back Yumichika. I can do this on my own, but if I think I need help, I will gladly let you step in.” She readied Kiyohime and stared at Ikkaku hard as Yumichika scooted away with a defeated sigh. “Well, let's dance, shall we?”

“I'm liking the way you think already!”

Ikkaku threw himself at Nina who deftly blocked with Kiyohime. It was a hard hit, and she swore she could hear her zanpakuto wince under the force, but Nina stood her ground. Energy began to gather at her fingertips as she fired a kidou spell on Ikkaku, much to his absolute ire.

Ikkaku gritted his teeth and decided that this was the time to show his impetuous opponent who was boss. He slammed the butt of his sword with that of his scabbard and proudly shouted, “Grow, Hoozukimaru!”

Ikkaku's zanpakuto grew and became a spear similar to Nina's but with a wax wood shaft and a red horsehair tassel attached to the pommel.

“Now beat that!” he exclaimed proudly.

Yumichika suddenly looked alarmed as he started toward his two friends. He knew his friend had a tendency to get far too carried away when it came to fighting, and the bob-haired man feared that he would seriously injure Nina.

Surprised but undaunted by this revelation, Nina resolved herself to the scuffle more, knowing that Kiyohime was just itching for release. She scowled and poised her own weapon in front of her, dropping the hold on her reiryoku.

“Slither, Kiyohime!”

Yumichika and Ikkaku's eyes went wide as her reiatsu suddenly exploded and her zanpakuto reformed into a naginata. She held it gracefully poised in front of her as she stared at Ikkaku with icy blue eyes.

“Holy shit…” Yumichika trailed. “Wasn't expecting that…”

“Well?” Nina offered Ikkaku.

“Damn!” her opponent exclaimed. “That's some hella power, but I'm game!” His mouth stretched into a grin that bordered on sadism.

Nina sprang to life in the battle as Kiyohime collided with Hozukimaru. She gave Ikkaku everything she had, though she sensed that he was holding back on his own strength. Yet, the shiny-headed man was enjoying every second of his fight with her.

They engaged in short range combat until Nina decided she'd had enough of that. She darted away from Ikkaku and then unleashed the serpent-like links of her naginata's blade. Kiyohime wrapped around Ikkaku's leg, and with a quick flick and twist of her wrist, she managed to fling Ikkaku clear to the other side of the training grounds.

Yumichika's jaw dropped as Kiyohime retracted and Ikkaku managed to get to his feet once more. The latter glared at Nina awestruck before laughing.

“I don't know what the fuck that was, but damn it, that was great!” he managed to get out. He approached Nina, his released zanpakuto still in hand. “Why the hell aren't you in Division Eleven?”

Nina shrugged. “I don't know. I suppose because Captain Aizen chose me for his division.”

“I can't believe you're a third seat and have shikai!” Yumichika exclaimed. “That is so rare!”

“So I hear,” Nina responded. “Honestly, I was a bit surprised myself at seeing Madarame-san with that ability.”

“How long have you had yours?” Ikkaku asked.

“Not long.”

“So that's how you defeated the Hollow, isn't it?” Yumichika questioned. “You used shikai. Have you told anyone yet?”

“You are the only two that know. Not even Captain Aizen or Lieutenant Hinamori know, but I'd rather it stay a secret,” Nina admitted.

“Same here with mine,” Ikkaku told her. “Let me guess. You don't want the added responsibility?”

Nina shrugged. “That and I simply don't want anyone to know. I want to refine it and get to where I can better control it.”

Ikkaku came over and slapped Nina on the back so hard that it made her take a step forward. “I can keep a secret if you can. Keep workin' on it. You're pretty talented for a girl.”

Nina scowled. “For a girl?”

Yumichika suddenly came in between the two and smiled. “Now, now…don't be so rude to her, Ikkaku.” He turned to Nina. “It's almost time for our duty at the library. We better go.”

“So like what, are you two an item or something?” Ikkaku demanded to know.

Nina and Yumichika's faces turned unsightly shades of scarlet, and the latter arched his eyebrow. “We're just friends, Ikkaku!”

“Well you could have fooled me,” the bald man responded lightly. “You're practically attached at the hip.”

Yumichika sniffed. “She can't help she's beautiful enough to be seen with me.”

At this, Nina couldn't help but venture a giggle. “Come on, Yumichika-kun. He's just jealous he can't be as gorgeous as we are.”

Honestly, Nina didn't think she was that great-looking, but she couldn't help but go along with Yumichika's joke for the sake of teasing Ikkaku.

“Well said, Nina-chan!”

Ikkaku simply rolled his eyes and waved his friends off.

Nina adjusted her messenger bag as Kiyohime quietly slept at her side. She walked quietly alongside Yumichika and glanced up at him.

“What on earth would possess Ikkaku to imply that we are a couple?” Nina finally said at length.

“I don't know why he says the stupid things he does, but honestly, I can see why he'd imply something like that. We have been hanging out a lot lately.”

Nina ventured a smile. “Yes, it seems we have. Going out to eat the other night was fun, too. I enjoyed that.”

“So did I,” he returned pleasantly. He nodded toward her bag. “So anything new on the art front?”

She pursed her lips. “I did a few sketches and a study on the anatomy of animals, but I haven't done any serious art in a few days. Honestly, I've just been busy lately, and wrapped up in this book I'm reading.”

“I see.” He paused. “You've never shown me any of your drawings, Nina-chan.”

“Oh, I'm really not that good,” she told him.

“Well, let me see one and I'll decide that.”

Nina hesitated.

“Come on. Please?”

“Well…alright. I'll show you one I did when I first got here. I hope you like it.”

Nina paused to open her bag and remove the leather bound sketchbook from her bag. She flipped to the page where she did the portrait of Yumichika when she'd first met him three weeks ago and handed the book to him.

“Nina…whoa. This is amazing!” Yumichika exclaimed. “When did you do this?”

“I did that one when I first began working in the library,” she explained.

“But I never modeled for you…” he trailed, confused.

She smiled. “I have a photographic memory.”

“Really?! You did this from memory?!” he exclaimed. “And it's so amazing! Nina-chan, truly you are talented!”

Nina blushed and softly laughed. “Captain Aizen made similar remarks when he saw one I did of him, among other drawings.”

“You did one of Captain Aizen? And he liked it?”

“He did, and I let him keep his. You may keep yours as well,” Nina told him, taking her sketchbook back. She tore out the page and handed it to Yumichika.

“Thank you very much!” he told her as he accepted the page.

They entered the library, and he walked her to the central desk. Nina relieved the other person on duty and then glanced at the full book cart. She picked up some logs that went down to the archives room and handed them to her friend.

“You might as well take these with you before you go down. If anything else comes in, I'll be sure to bring them to you.”

His fingertips brushed Nina's as he took a bundle of scrolls and manuscripts from her. The touch, subtle as it was, was enough to make the both of them blush. Yumichika slowly took the items from Nina and cleared his throat.

“Um, thanks. I'll…uh…I'll see you later.”

 

 

Nina sat at her desk deeply engrossed in the book she held open in her hands. She turned a page, becoming ever more fascinated with the plot the further she read. She didn't notice the figure that had approached her, or the fact that it was near closing time.

The figure placed a set of books atop the heavy wooden desktop with a soft thump, startling Nina from her reverie. She glanced up and found herself looking at the face of Captain Aizen.

“You seem quite engrossed with Great Expectations,” he told her softly.

“Er…yes. It really is quite good.” She placed a bookmark in between the pages and closed the cover. She took out the library log and began signing out Aizen's books. “Though I must admit I am not sure I like Estella very much.”

“She wasn't written to be liked, Seito-kun,” he told her. “After all, her aunt raised her to hate men.”

“Ah, yes,” Nina confirmed with a smile. “Miss Havisham. Now she's quite a memorable character. The rotting wedding cake, the fact that she saw jilted at the altar, and then spent the rest of her life in her wedding dress in a mansion that is nearly falling apart.”

Aizen chuckled. “Yes, she is quite a character indeed. Now, have you found out Pip's benefactor, yet?”

Nina shook her head and signed out the final book. “I have not, though I suspect that it isn't Miss Havisham, like Pip thinks.”

“Keep reading. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.” Aizen picked up his stack of books and paused to smile at Nina. “Let me know when you finish the book. I'm certain we could have a splendid conversation about it.”

He left the library leaving Nina blushing. The soothing calm of his voice and his suave manner penetrated her to the core, and she suddenly blushed. She wouldn't deny that Captain Aizen was attractive, but she had reprimanded herself a while ago over the dangers of attractions like that. Still, she couldn't help the fact that Aizen could get to her in a dangerous way without intending to do so.

She got out from behind the central desk and took her bag and book with her. It was Yumichika's turn to lock up tonight, and he would be along any moment. For now, Nina was content to leave the confines of the library and retreat to the Fifth Division forest to read and sketch. She would finish the book and have a conversation with her captain about it and perhaps even sketch the characters from the book. A conversation, she thought, would not hurt a thing, so long as she kept her confounding attraction in check.

Nina climbed into a tree and settled there, cracking her book open once more. She glanced up at the sky through the canopy of trees before allowing herself to become sucked into the pages and slip away into the world of nineteenth century England.