Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Sleeping with the Enemy ❯ Jealousy ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter 16: Jealous?

 

“Oh how strong can you be
With matters of the heart?
Life is much too short
To while away with tears,
If only you could see just what you do to me.”
-Queen “Jealousy”

 

It was mid November, and Amaya Edogawa walked the length of the boardwalk that stretched out over the pristine water of Division Thirteen's pond as she made her way to its office. In her hand was not only paperwork to be returned concerning the transfer of someone from there to Division Seven, but she also held in her hand a pair of small slips of paper.

She stopped at the door of the small building and raised her hand to knock politely.

“Come on in!” a cheerful voice called out.

She pushed aside the door and stepped in where she found Captain Ukitake working at his desk. “Hello, Captain Ukitake.”

Ukitake put down his brush next to the document on which he was working and turned to smile up at the redhead. “Howdy, what can I do for you, Edogawa-san?”

She smiled. “Captain Komamura asked me to bring this paperwork to you to complete concerning the transfer of one of your division members.”

He nodded, his bright, cheerful smile never leaving his face as he took the documents from her. “Ah, I see. Thank you for bringing this all the way over. Was Lieutenant Iba busy or something?”

Amaya shook her head. “Well, no…he could have brought them, but…” She flicked her long hair back nervously. “I have something I want to give you.”

The captain's black eyebrows went up with interest. “You do? What is it?”

Amaya held out the small slips of paper to him. “Tickets for the Seiretei Philharmonic concert coming up during the New Year's Festival in January - if you want to attend, that is.”

Ukitake's eyes widened happily and his smile grew even bigger. “Really?! Of course I want to attend!” He took the tickets from her and placed them on his desk in an area where they wouldn't get lost. “I take it you're playing in that?”

Amaya placed her hands behind her back and toed at one of the floorboards of his office. “Yeah. Members of the orchestra get four tickets to hand out to friends and family, and…I thought since you were the one who suggested I join, I should at least let you see me perform. I gave you two so you can bring a date.”

His face softened and he chuckled. “Well, I doubt I'd be able to get a `date', but I'm sure Captain Kyouraku wouldn't mind tagging along.” He gestured toward a mat on the floor. “Where are my manners? Why don't you sit and talk for a spell?”

Amaya complied and removed her zanpakuto from her obi before folding her knees beneath her as she sat on the mat closest to him. She laid her zanpakuto on the floor at her side. “Captain Kyouraku? Division Eight's captain?”

He nodded. “Yes, he and I have been good friends since we were in the academy - which was quite a long time ago.”

Amaya giggled softly. “That's how far back Nina-chan and I go.”

Juushiro thought for a moment. “Nina…oh, Seito-san! I know who you're talking about now! I hear she is quite an artist.”

Amaya nodded. “Yes, she is very talented. I've modeled for her a time or two.”

The man suddenly blushed, his face contrasting sharply with his platinum head. “M-modeled?”

Amaya laughed, knowing what kind of modeling he had in mind. “No! Not that kind! I was fully clothed, I promise.”

“Oh,” he responded, some of the redness draining. “Well, I bet she had great practice, then.” He paused. “So what kind of pieces are you going to play at the concert?”

“We're doing Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, though I think it would have more of an effect if we had a ballet company in Soul Society.”

He blinked. “It's a ballet?”

“Yeah, I've never seen it, but I've heard it has dancing candy in it, and from what I've played already, the musical score is amazing.”

His face brightened. “Really?! Dancing candy?! That sounds like something I'd like to see! Speaking of candy…” He paused and opened his haori, drawing out a small box of chocolate and handing it to her. “Have some chocolate.”

“Uh…the whole thing?” Amaya asked, baffled.

He nodded happily. “Yes, take it, take it.”

Amaya smiled and took the box of chocolate from Captain Ukitake, and after eyeing it for a moment, she opened the lid and ate one of the squares inside; that one had been filled with caramel and nuts and covered in dark chocolate.

“Was that a good one?” he asked.

Amaya giggled amusedly. “Depends on your personal definition of `good', Captain, but by my definition, yes, that was a good one.”

Ukitake looked utterly pleased. “A chocolate lover, I see?” He leaned in and winked. “The man I buy these from has absolutely the best confections in Soul Society. I bet I could get a good stash built up for you.”

Another male's voice suddenly chuckled from the doorway. “Now, Juu, don't you think it's a little creepy to be offering to buy chocolate for a girl you barely know?”

Amaya looked up to see that another captain had entered their presence, except this one looked a bit different; he wore his long, brown, wavy hair tied back with a pair of small red flower pins sticking out, a pink flowered haori over his white captain's robe, and a sugegasa atop his head. He was tall and wore not one, but two zanpakuto tied up in a long, blue, expensive-looking silk sash.

“Shunsui! I was just being friendly!” Ukitake protested.

The other man chuckled and took a seat next on a mat across from Amaya and Ukitake. He took a moment to look over Amaya before he spoke again. “And who is this very lovely redhead in your company?”

Amaya blinked, and she looked at the man's face to see that his lazy grin held quite an element of flirtation. “A-Amaya Edogawa…sir.”

“Amaya is it?” he cooed. “My, what a lovely name for such a divine woman.” He looked at Ukitake amusedly. “I'm jealous, Juu.”

“Who's being creepy now, I wonder,” Ukitake remarked. He smiled at Amaya. “Don't pay any attention to him. He flirts with everyone.”

“Shunsui Kyouraku,” the other man introduced, removing his hat. “I captain Division Eight. And where might you be from? I haven't seen you before.”

“Uhm…Division Seven, Third Seat,” Amaya answered, now blushing slightly.

“Third Seat? Are you one of the talented graduates from the Academy I've been hearing so much about?”

She blushed harder. “Well, I wouldn't say talented, but a recent graduate, yes.”

“Not talented?” Kyouraku questioned. “I would say that you're mighty talented if you managed to land such a high seat right after graduation. It takes people years sometimes to become a high-seated officer.”

Amaya scratched her head nervously. “W-well, I'm just lucky, I guess.”

Kyouraku's lazy grin stretched. “So modest! I love that in a woman!” He glanced slyly over at his white-headed friend. “Unless you were planning on chasing her, which in that case, I'll leave her alone.”

“Shunsui!” Ukitake interjected. He rolled his eyes and looked over at Amaya. “Please forgive my friend. He can't control himself sometimes.”

Amaya shook her red head. “Oh, it's alright. It's not like he has a chance in hell with me anyway.” She grinned over at Kyouraku, clearly teasing him.

Shunsui laughed. “Oh! I love a little feistiness in a woman!”

“And I hate an over persistent man,” Amaya shot back.

“Me? Over persistent?” he asked innocently. “Never.” He grinned mischievously. “But you, on the other hand, how about I show you what you're missing. We could go back to my quarters and…”

“Sh-ShunsuiI!” Ukitake almost screamed.

Captain Kyouraku laughed heartily, slapping his knee. “I was only teasing. You get so riled up, Juu! Calm down.”

Amaya giggled a little, having actually enjoyed the innocent bantering with Captain Kyouraku. “I suppose that would be our cue to engage in more appropriate conversation.”

He shrugged and sighed. “Too bad. Inappropriate conversation is so much better.”

 

 

Nina sat on the large tree stump out in the Division Five forest around midday sketching out another nature scene when she heard someone approach her from behind. She turned, expecting to see Sousuke, but it was Yumichika instead.

She smiled at him. “Yumichika-san, what brings you here?”

He was holding two bento boxes in his hand; one was purple and the other goldenrod. “Well, I really wanted to hang out for a little while, and I thought maybe you'd be hungry, so…” He smiled. “…I brought you lunch.”

He sat down on the tree stump with her and handed the purple box to Nina. She opened the lid to find dividers filled with neatly prepared food items: surimi, brown and white rice logs mixed with yukari goma, datemaki, spicy pickled shallots, and kamaboko.

“Your timing was perfect as I was about to head out for lunch myself,” Nina remarked. She took out the chopsticks the box came with and began to eat. She smiled amusedly at Yumichika. “I take it you can't find Ikkaku?”

He frowned. “What would make you think that?”

“Because you came to find me,” Nina said, with a soft chortle. “You two are inseparable, after all.”

“Well, he is my best friend, but I do have other friends that I spend time with.” He nudged her playfully. “Like you.”

She bit her lip impishly. “So I am truly worthy of your company?”

“You're beautiful, so that makes you worthy,” he responded lightly. “Well, and you're pretty smart and cool. Ikkaku likes you a lot, so you have his seal of approval as well.”

Nina laughed. “Like I need it!”

“Oh, yeah, it's not like he's important or anything,” Yumichika joked. He gave her a nudge as she took a bite of one of her rice logs causing it to fall from her chopsticks and barely make it back into her bento box.

“Yumichika!” Nina protested as she turned and lightly slapped his arm. “Stop that!”

The bob-haired man laughed, lifting his arms slightly in defense as his dark violet eyes held a roguish gleam. “Clumsy.”

Nina slapped at him again, and this time, he leaned away so that she would miss.

“Missed me,” he teased.

“Oh!” she growled, throwing up a white flag. “You're impossible, but you just wait until my division trains with yours. Then you'll be sorry.”

“Oh, I'm scared,” he responded mockingly.

The pair of them had not noticed someone else approaching them as they joked around while eating their lunch. Aizen, who had arrived to do some training with Nina before having to attend an afternoon long captain's meeting, had been watching the two of them from afar. The fact that Ayasegawa was flirting around with his girlfriend was making him rather unsettled and oddly upset, to say the least. Yet, there was nothing he could say to the young man considering the nature of his relationship with Nina, and one slip of the tongue would blow it all. Still, he wanted this ridiculous and infuriating flirting to stop, for Aizen had found out through the grapevine that Ayasegawa had quite an infatuation with Nina.

He approached the pair, putting on a smile over his irritation and waving at the two. “Ah, Seito-kun, there you are.” He nodded toward Yumichika. “Ayasegawa-san.”

Yumichika stood and smiled respectfully. “Hello, Captain Aizen.”

Nina glanced over. “Hello, Captain. Is it already time for our training session?”

He nodded. “Indeed it is, Seito-kun. Are you ready to begin?”

“As soon as I finish my lunch. Haven't you eaten, yet?” she asked.

He nodded. “I ate about an hour ago, actually.” He looked over at Yumichika. “How are things in Eleventh Division, Ayasegawa-san?”

“Not too bad,” he responded. “Lieutenant Kusajishi has been running us ragged as always. I had to hide from her, so I decided to bring Nina-san lunch.”

“Well that was very thoughtful of you,” he said pleasantly. “Thank you for doing that.”

“Oh, it's not a problem. Besides, we've both been so busy that we haven't been able to hang out as much during our downtime,” Yumichika explained.

“What a shame. Perhaps I won't keep her so busy next week, in that case.”

Yumichika chuckled. “Oh, it's fine. We both have jobs to do, is all. Being a seated officer keeps you busy.”

“That it does,” Aizen agreed.

Nina finished her lunch and closed her bento box. “I believe I am ready, Captain. Thank you for waiting.”

“You're welcome. A good meal is a must if you want to do your best.”

Yumichika gathered up the boxes. “Well, I won't keep her anymore.” He smiled at Nina. “See you in the library tomorrow.”

She nodded. “Yes, and thank you for lunch.”

Yumichika left, and both were silent for a moment, making sure that he was out of earshot and out of range.

As soon as the top of his head disappeared over the hill, Aizen turned to Nina. “Well, that was thoughtful of him.”

Nina nodded, smiling. “Yes, it was. He really is a good friend.”

"Hmm…he is a good friend, isn't he?"

"What do you mean by that, Sousuke?"

"You seem to be hanging around with him quite often," he replied.

Nina frowned a little. "Well, yes. He's my friend - the first friend I ever made here since joining the Protection Squads." She glanced at him suspiciously. "Is that...a problem for you?"

Aizen remained silent for a while then held his brown eyed gaze at her. "A friend…" he repeated as if talking to himself.

"Hnn. If I didn't know any better I would say you're just a tad jealous, Sousuke," Nina told him smirking.

"Jealous?" he echoed turning away. "What led you to that conclusion?"

“Well, your current body language, for one,” Nina pointed out. “And your tone of voice always changes to that of mild annoyance any time he's around me. Like now, for instance.”

Aizen gave her a small smile, amused at the way she was able to read him so accurately. "I see…”

Nina's face softened. "Sousuke..." she began, coming around to face him. She took his hand into hers. "You needn't be like that. I have no intention of running off with him or anyone else when I have you. Understand?"

"I never said anything of you running away to his arms now did I?" he replied defensively, not wanting to fully admit his feelings.

Nina shook her head. "No, but jealousy is sometimes a clear indicator of distrust, and I don't want that between us, Sousuke. I can't have a relationship where there is no trust because without it, our relationship is meaningless."

"I trust you," Sousuke replied after a long pause. He turned up his eyes to meet with hers. “I trust you. I promise.”

"Then act like it," Nina told him. She smiled at him reassuringly and reached up to push a strand of his dark brown hair out of his eyes. "You have my trust as well, so please, let's not argue over something so trivial now that we're both clear on where we stand. It wastes time, and neither of us is here to fight."

He looked down at her, surprised at how she could speak so calmly and so…wisely. Though Nina was young, he could tell after that last remark that she possessed a wisdom that was far beyond her years.

“O-oh…” he stammered, still stunned. "I apologize."

"There's no need to apologize, Sousuke. I'm not angry," she told him honestly. She reached up and pulled him down to her so she could kiss him. "Now, let's salvage what we can of our training, shall we?"