Satomi stood in the now empty field on the edge of town and stared into space, her mind as numb as her body felt, and it felt lifeless. The large gate that had once stood open before her was now closed and gone, leaving no trace of it behind. She kept staring at that spot, as if expecting to see her sister Hinako walking back up that hill... but she knew she wouldn't. Hinako had passed through the gates with Jushiro Ukitake Captain of Squad 13, and entered the Soul Society to follow the path she had chosen for her life. She was happy for her sister, glad she had finally found someone she loved and more importantly, someone who loved her back- but it still hurt to say goodbye.

She was so close to Hinako and Satomi knew she would miss her sister dearly. Satomi stood there, lost in her thoughts and memories of her sister and all they had been through. Her sister was very much the older one of the two, Hinako was in her late 30's while Satomi had just turned 23. Despite the age difference the two of them had been inseparable and the closest of friends their entire lives. Satomi could not remember a time her sister's smiling face and comforting arms were not there for her. Their parents loved them of course, but it seemed neither of their daughters were what they had wanted and expected in their children. Hinako was a bit absent minded at times and very much a dreamer. Satomi was more level headed but was still a dreamer and didn't see her path going the way her parents, particularly their mother, wanted it to go. That was what had drove Satomi to leave home four years ago and move in with Hinako. Together they paid the bills, Hinako worked full time while Satomi went to college full time and worked a part time job on the side. Through all they had seen and experienced one thing in Satomi's life had remained the same, her sister was always there for her. But now… now she was gone. It was chance that had brought Hinako and Captain Ukitake together but it was true love and Satomi was happy for her sister.

It had been a tearful goodbye for both of them as the hugged each other, promising to visit each other whenever they could. It had been a drinking night between Hinako and Renji that had brought Captain Ukitake into the world of the living, and it was chance that landed Hinako in his arms as he lead her back to her apartment that night. Chance or not, Satomi knew what was between the two was love and she was happy for her sister. She took a deep breath and tried to calm the churning feeling in her stomach. As she stood there, her cheeks still wet with tears, Satomi heard someone walk up softly behind her. Quickly she wiped her eyes with her sleeve and tried to calm her breathing as she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Uryuu had stood back with Captain Ukitake while the sisters said their goodbyes. The two men watched the crying women with sad smiles on their faces. They each knew how much the other man loved the women who had come into their lives. For so many years Captain Jushiro Ukitake had pushed down all desires and feelings, telling himself he was too ill to ever think of starting a family. He would never be able to find someone to love, and even if he did, it would not be fair to for her to watch him suffer and die the draw out death he was going through. So, he had resigned himself form all feelings and desires beyond that of performing his duty. When Hinako had come into his life, things had changed- and he was grateful. It had much been the same with Uryuu for many long years. Judged and shunned for his looks and mannerisms he was very much the loner through all his school years. He found it hard to trust others and let anyone close. The last person to ever hold a place in his heart was his grandfather and sempai. When he was murdered the last shred of tenderness faded and Uryuu became what he was now. It took the tender patient touch of Satomi to break him out of his shell. She admired the young man witht eh jet black hair, square frame glasses, and aloof personality. She thought it was amazing that he was skilled at needle work as well as cooking. Over time Uryuu began to open up to this timid sweet blonde hair blue eyed girl who actually looked at him like he was something special, rather than a freak of nature. Uryuu and Satomi grew close and spent almost all of their free time together. They both finished school and enrolled in the same college, Uryuu to be a teacher and Satomi was studying to be a journalist. It was obvious to most that there was more than a friendship going on between the two, yet it had never gone any farther than stolen kisses in secret places and long hours cuddled in each others arms. Uryuu respected Satomi too much to push her, he was truly falling in love with her and he wanted her to know he loved her for who she was. As he stood there beside Jushiro and watched at the two sisters said their tearful goodbyes, Uryuu knew that Satomi would need him now, more than ever before in the years he had known her.

Now that Hinako and Jushiro Ukitake were gone, Uryuu went up behind Satomi and put his arms around her, crossing them over her stomach. He laid his head on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Satomi nodded slowly, not trusting herself to speak just yet. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.

"I'm going to miss her... but, but I am happy for her. I just hope their happiness lasts for many, many years to come."

Satomi smiled softly, as Uryuu held her close. Slowly her hands went up and rested on his arms lightly as they stood there on the hill top as the sun was slowly starting its decent in the western sky. Uryuu was a quiet man and Satomi took comfort in their silence. She always enjoyed being with him and felt better with Uryuu near- whether they were talking, laughing, or just sitting quietly together. As he held her close, Uryuu leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" Satomi nodded as she thought back.

She had just finished high school back where her parents lived. She was 19 years old and was tired of being treated like a child by her overbearing parents. So she had moved out and went to live with her sister in her small apartment. After finding a decent part time job, Satomi had started searching for a place to attend college. Hinako had told her of the local college where many of the area's students ended up going after greaduation. Satomi too ended up there and it was the first day of class she ran into Uryuu, literally. She giggled slightly as Uryuu held her close and whispered to her.

"You were wandering down the halls, your nose inches from the piece of paper with your new class schedule. I was late for my class and wasn't watching where I was going. As we turned the corner by the cafeteria we ran into each other."

He smiled and kissed Satomi softly. That was what started their relationship, and now here they were. Satomi smiled and sighed softly. Uryuu's wonderful voice was quiet in her ear. He took her hand and led her to a huge tree, sat down against the tree, and pulled her down to his lap. Satomi got comfortable in the circle of Uryuu's arms and laid her head on his chest. Satomi finally realized what Hinako felt the first time she'd met Jushiro. There really was something about the sound of a heartbeat in a quiet night. Hinako had told her the sound of Jushiro's heartbeat was what first attracted her to him; Satomi scoffed at it at first but the first time Uryuu had held her and kissed her, Satomi realized exactly what Hinako had meant. Uryuu's heartbeat was like the man himself, strong and steady.

Satomi closed her eyes and relaxed in Uryuu's strong arms, listening to the steady sound of his heartbeat. A smile spread across her lips as she thought back to the first time the two of them had really spoken to each other. She remembered the time she realized there was something special about Uryuu and learned of his gift. Satomi remembered the way they use to look at each other and turn red when the other caught them in the act. And she also remember just a little under a year ago, when they had finally confessed their true feelings for each other. Even after making their true feelings known, they both had agreed to wait till they were finished with their school before getting serious about their future together. They both loved each other and they knew nothing was going to changed that, so the one remaining semester they both had before graduation would not be that long of a wait. A lot had happened, and though it would be hard getting use to life without her dependable older sister around, Satomi knew she would be alright, as long as Uryuu was there with her. They sat there for a while in silence, watching the sun set as the sky grew days and the stars began to shine in the black expanse over their heads. A cool breeze began to blow and Satomi shivered slightly and snuggled closer against Uryuu's chest.

"You know, you never really did tell me how you knew I was a Quincy."

Uryuu sat up a bit, jostling Satomi while he pulled his Quincy cape out of his bag and wrapped it around them. He settled back against the tree again. With his cape around her shoulders and Uryuu's body heat, Satomi grew warm quickly.

"Does it bother you that you don't know the whole story?"

Uryuu smiled at the teasing tone in Satomi's voice. What a long way they have come from their first tentative glances to sitting under a tree together.

"I don't know if I should tell you the story or not." Satomi looked up at Uryuu's blue eyes. "I might need some convincing."

No matter how long they had been together, Satomi still blushed when she flirted with him. She glanced up at him, feeling her cheeks flush slightly. Uryuu smiled playfully and gently stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. Satomi leaned her head into his touch and smiled.

"I've always had this... I guess you could call it, gift- for almost as long as I can remember. Much like Ichigo can see ghosts and spirits, and how my sister can see Hollows, I can in a way see people's spiritual strengths. It's like an aura around them, the larger and brighter it is the more powerful it usually is. Yours and Ichigo's are the largest I have ever seen... yet.. While his is a little larger, yours is by far the brightest I have seen. That was the first clue. The second was this" she said as she fingered the small silver cross that dangled from the bracelet Uryuu always wore. I've read about Quincy's and i recognized it as the Quincy cross..." her voice trailed off as she looked up at Uryuu. "Are you upset that I didn't tell you about this sooner, Uryuu?"

He had grimaced when she had casually compared him to Ichigo. The hatred for shinigami ran deep in his blood. Even though he and Ichigo had worked together to save Rukia from death, Uryuu still had to overcome his hatred for the shinigami.

"No, I'm not upset you didn't tell me sooner. In fact, if you had told me what your gift was, I probably would have hated you, writing you off as a person similar to a shinigami." His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "And we wouldn't be here now, together like this."

Satomi looked up at him and gently ran her fingers across his cheek and slipping her hand to the back of his head as she whispered softly.

"I'm glad I didn't say anything then..." Slowly she pulled her closer and closed her eyes as their lips brushed against each other's softly, sending a tingling sensation down her spine- even now, the simple act of him kissing her made her melt. She couldn't deny it, she loved this young man.

Uryuu threaded his fingers through Satomi's long blonde hair. He loved the silken feel of it on his fingers. Being a Quincy, his fingers were more sensitive than a normal human's were, but that feeling was nothing compared to the feel of Satomi's soft lips on his. He could feel her body becoming limp as the kiss grew deeper. Slipping his tongue past her lips, he could feel the rush of Satomi's breath across his cheek. She was so responsive and Uryuu had to hold himself back from moving his hands out of her hair and exploring her body. They had kissed before, yes, but it had been nothing like this. Her hands moved from the back of his head to his upper arms, gripping them tightly. For a man as thin as he, Uryuu was surprisingly muscular in his arms and chest. He tilted Satomi's head and brought her body closer to his. Uryuu captured her lush lips with his. Sucking her bottom lip into his mouth, he captured her groan in his mouth. Deepening the kiss, his tongue mated with hers. Without breaking the kiss, Uryuu shifted positions so Satomi was straddling his lap cuddling her against his chest. She was sitting on his lap and he was holding her, like he would a child. Pulling back slowly, her eyes locked with his, Satomi slowly slipped her hands up under his shirt, her fingers tracing along the lean tight muscles of his stomach and chest. Uryuu was thin but well built and solid. She had never met someone who had made her feel this way, and she knew she would be content to just stay with Uryuu forever. Uryuu kissed down her throat slowly, nipping the soft sensitive skin gently as he heard her groan. Satomi ran her hands once more up Uryuu's arms slowly and across his chest, feeling the tight muscles under the think black shirt he was wearing. The thought crossed her mind that it made sense he was built that way. To use the Quincy bow had to take more than just spiritual strength and energy, it had to take its toll on the physical body as well. Satomi groaned softly as he kissed her a littler harder. She felt his tongue along her lips and as she groaned he slipped in between her lips as she nipped at his lip teasingly. She felt a strange feeling come over her as she felt Uryuu's hands untangle themselves from her hair and run down her back slowly sending every nerve of her spine into overdrive.

"Mmmm Uryuu..." she groaned softly as she pulled away from his kiss briefly.

Erotic thoughts were running through his mind. He had to stop before he tossed her to the ground and made her his. He broke the kiss, panting and cursing himself for acting like this. His hands still roamed her back, sending shivers of pleasure all throughout Satomi.

"I'm sorry, Satomi. I didn't mean for things to go this far."

His hands still itched to tear open her shirt. Part of him wanted to push her off of his lap, putting some distance between them. He was sure she could feel how aroused he was and he didn't want her to think he was the type of man that just took his pleasure wherever he felt like. He loved her, but hadn't truly shown her just how much he did love her, and he wanted their first time together to be special, not under a tree with millions of stars overhead, a full moon lighting up Satomi's skin until it shone like porcelain...

"Damnit," he thought to himself. "Maybe if I hit my head hard enough against the tree, these erotic thoughts will leave..."

Satomi pulled back slightly and looked up into his eyes, partially hidden behind his square frame glasses which reflected the moonlight back at her. She searched his face, as if she could read his thoughts and she smiled.

"It's alright Uryuu..." she said softly, the look in her eyes telling him that she felt the same way as he did but that she too didn't want him to think poorly of her. They sat there, staring into each other's eyes for a moment and then Satomi stood and held out her hand to Uryuu.

"I think we should head back" she said softly. Uryuu stood and slipping his hand into hers, like a timid school boy almost, they made their way towards the apartment Satomi and Hinako use to share.

Satomi's mind was a mess. She had just said goodbye to her older sister and she knew she should be sad about that but all she could think of was that kiss under the tree. Her heart and breathing hadn't slow down at all. In fact, her pulse was racing, thinking of how to ask Uryuu if he wanted to come in for a drink. No, that was too obvious. Maybe she should say she didn't want to be alone tonight. Sheesh, if that was the best she could come up with, she was pathetic.

Uryuu was lost in his own thoughts as they made their way through the darkened streets. Holding her hand, Uryuu was trying to think up an excuse to stay with Satomi tonight. Maybe, he could suggest sleeping on her couch because he was worried about her being alone. Yeah, and have her think he thought of her as a simpering female that needed a man to protect her. Or, he could say he wasn't feeling well and could he stay until he felt better. Uryuu winced at that unromantic thought.

As they walked along, both lost in their own thoughts, they almost walked past Satomi's apartment. Fumbling with the keys, she finally got the door unlocked and turned to face Uryuu. "Would... you like to come in for a bit? Have something to drink? I have some leftover stir fry from earlier if you are hungry...

Satomi stopped talking, she was rambling again, she hated how she did that whenever she got nervous. She glanced up at Uryuu and saw a slight grin on his face as he nodded. "Something to drink would be great" he said as he followed her in.

The apartment was small, but it had been enough for the two sisters. There was a small den with a couch, a kitchen, and a simple bedroom and bathroom. Hinako and Satomi had always taken turns sleeping on the couch- neither of them minded the arrangement. Satomi showed Uryuu in and as he sat on the couch she went into the kitchen and got two glasses and poured some of the tea she had brewed up earlier that day. "Get a hold of yourself, Satomi" she scolded herself as she fought to stop her hands from shaking. "It's just Uryuu." She sighed and took a deep breath and then brought the glasses out, handing Uryuu's to him as she sat down on the couch beside him, glancing away as he caught her staring at him again.

Uryuu took a drink of his tea, watching Satomi out of the corner of his eye. He watched her throat as she swallowed some tea. What would that skin taste like under his mouth? Bringing the glass to his mouth, his hands shook as he took a drink, the glass clinking against his bottom teeth. Satomi tried to be calm as she set her glass down on the coffee table in front of them. The glass dropped the last little bit, spilling a bit on her fingers. Uryuu's mouth went dry as he watched her bring those delicate fingers to her mouth and lick the tea from them. Those damn erotic thoughts were back. Watching from under her long lashes, Satomi took in Uryuu's hands holding the glass. His fingers were long and the pads of his left fingertips were calloused. What would those strong fingers feel like brushing across her bare shoulders? Pushing her shirt open and exploring her skin...her breasts. Satomi could feel the blush race across her skin and her body was responding to her thoughts.

Satomi set the glass down and leaned back slightly, her hands unintentionally brushing against Uryuu's as it rested on the cushion between them. Neither pulled back from the touch, in fact, Uryuu gently closed his fingers around hers. Slowly they leaned in towards each other as their eyes closed and their lips met. The kiss was light at first and then harder and deeper. When they finally pulled back to breathe Uryuu looked at Satomi, a look of guilt in his eyes.

"I... I'm sorry Satomi, I shouldn't have done that..." he turned his head away and tried to pull his hand from hers but she held onto him. "Don't be sorry Uryuu..." she whispered softly. Don't be sorry because... its' what I wanted... this is what I want... you, are what I want." She looked at him, her voice trembling slightly, as she searched his face looking for what his response to her would be.

Was she joking with him? Toying with his feelings for her? He searched her eyes. He hated this suspicious nature of his, blaming his father for that, and the feeling of being unworthy enough for someone to love him. His grandfather had loved him but he had died when Uryuu was so young, that over the years, Uryuu had forgotten what it had felt like to have someone to love you just for being you. But, he realized, Satomi loved him, no matter what had happened in his past or the fact that he was different from other people. "I love you." Three simple words that freed him, gave him strength, opened his heart and life to this woman next to him. "I love you." Satomi knew she would never tire of hearing those words. Standing up, Satomi held up her trembling hand to Uryuu. He stood up and took it, brought it to his mouth and brushed the back of it with his lips. No words were needed as they stood there.

"Uryuu… will you stay with me please? I promise, nothing will happen… I, I just don't want to be alone tonight.."

Satomi hung her head. She just knew Uryuu would think this was a pathetic attempt to get him into her bed and she felt her cheeks flush slightly. Uryuu smiled and gently lifted her head and looked into her eyes.

"Of course I will stay Satomi, if you want me to. And do not think poorly of yourself."

Uryuu leaned over and kissed her softly and gently squeezed her hand as they turned and walked into the bedroom together.