A/N: Based off an old sample I had written before with them, I just recycled the idea and improved on it. I really find this to be an unique couple in the sense that pretty much everything about them is different.
"The heart doesn't come with instructions."
She whispered to the empty room around her.
There was only silence…with the exception of the deep breathing that came from her partner, who laid next to her. Sighing quietly, she rolled over to one side so that she now faced him. He was so deep in sleep, she predicted that she could easily just pluck the feathers from his eyelashes and he wouldn't even twitch over it. She reached over and softly brushed aside several dark strands that had fallen into his face; running her fingertips along the curve of his jawline. He seemed to sigh contently at the motion and shifted just ever so slightly in his sleep.
Man, she would kill to be able to sleep like that.
The thought came fast and almost comically as she chuckled lightly to herself. She gave into a light stretch before she snuggled herself in closer to him; tugging at the dark blanket till it was pulled up to further conceal their bodies. At the least, she could attempt to get some rest even though sleep was not something she was familiar with. Just like this whole concept of being in love…no matter how simple he seemed to make it. The way he seemed to know everything she wanted to hear or the way he seemed to know exactly when to hug and kiss her. The word 'love' itself was so simple, just four small letters but the concept and thought of it…was so much more complicated. She remembered the nights where she stared at the ceiling and wondered if she even truly understood it at all. But now, with him right next to her, sleeping next to her, it all seemed so different. She could still feel his hands over her body and his lips against her neck and everywhere else.
Why did it all seem right and wrong at the same time?
He told her countless times that he loved her but she had always hesitated in saying it back. Why? So many nights she had sat there and wondered if she really, truly loved him back. What if she didn't? What if all of this was just some kind of wild, passionate fling? Maybe she just loved him for his body instead. But everything…it just seemed so much deeper…
"And neither does love."
She chuckled weakly as she pushed herself into a sitting position; holding the blanket to her naked chest. "Sometimes I wonder if I've just perfected my emotions to the point where even I can no longer tell if I'm faking them or not. But all of this…it can't be faked. I know I felt that emotion; I know I felt that passion. I know that everything here is everything that I want. But I just keep getting this feeling that I'm going to wake up from this dream and I'll have to go back to the reality of it; the reality that none of this really even exists. That way I could conceive reality as the true nightmare…"
She sighed and cover her face with her hands as a swirl of thoughts seemed to tangle themselves together in her head. Several moments passed before she slowly pushed the blanket away and got to her feet; pulling on her robe, she quietly walked across the wooden floor to the sliding doorway. She paused for a moment at the entry way; feeling the cool night breeze stir its way across her skin just like he had done hours before. Shaking her head, she carefully stepped out through the entrance without even looking back.
"What do I do?"
"Isane."
Slowly pulling her eyes away from the stack of reports in her arm, she looked up in time see her dark-haired Captain making her way down the hallway. "Is there something you need, Captain?"
"You have a patient." Unohana spoke as she slowly walked past her much taller Vice. Her lips lightly turned upward into a smile. "He made a request for you."
"A request?" Isane questioned; turning to further push the matter only to see the woman turn off into a hallway and disappear from sight. She sighed roughly and set the files down on the nearest surface before she started towards the medical station that inhabited quite a large wing of their barracks. But, being a member of Division Four meant nonstop action and movements, as well as very few breaks. She was, however, enjoying her quiet time so hopefully this 'request' wasn't too severely injured; or rather, wasn't severely injured at all. Not to mention she didn't get much sleep last night and…it was slowly starting to hinder her abilities to complete her tasks. Running a hand to ruffle her short, chopped locks of silver hair, she froze almost immediately upon stepping into the large medical station- which oddly enough was occupied by only one patient.
"Yumichika?" she spoke; watching as those Wisteria eyes lifted up to catch her own. "What…what are you doing here?"
"Well Ikkaku went a little overboard with training." he chuckled weakly; baring several deep gashes along his arms, which were left almost bare from ripped sleeves. A single split cut open his left cheek and allowed small streams of blood to course freely down his face. "And I decided that I should probably get these healed first before he wanted a second go."
"Let me see." she sighed as she easily cut the space between them. Kneeling down beside the place he was sitting, she carefully took his arms to examine the deep cuts and scrapes. They weren't deep nor severe, but they were spilling out blood all over the place. Luckily, it would only take a few simple, easy healing spells to close the wounds together.
Lucky for her.
"You look tired."
"Yeah, I…I didn't sleep well last night." she lied. "It seemed like every time I closed my eyes, another nightmare happened." she played it off with a nervous chuckle but it didn't seem to work as well as she had hoped. He didn't say anything, which is what got her. He wasn't even going to ask why she left last night. Or even ask why she wasn't excited or worried to see him here. She just hoped it would clear up or go away, at least then she wouldn't have to worry about it; or at least she wouldn't have to worry about them. "So how's the training going?"
"Painfully." he replied with a light chuckle. "But I've learned a lot about dealing with injuries."
"Like what?" she questioned for the sake of a conversation; this way he was still talking to her.
"Apply directly where it hurts; treat it unconditionally; and realize that things can be lost…but appreciate what you have."
All motions stopped at his words; her hands hovering over his injuries with a slight shake. The warm flesh of his fingers drifted lightly along the curve of her jawline as he softly brushed aside several bangs from her face. He leaned in so close to her, she could feel his breath right against her neck.
"You were right last night. There are no instructions on love and the heart isn't something you can play step by step…but it's all up to you on how you want to freestyle with it. The heart can be that pleasure before work but just remember it's nothing something to play around with. If your reality is the true nightmare, then I would want you to sleep in my arms for the rest of eternity. Isane, I…-"
"No, Yumichika…" she whispered; cutting him off. "Just…stop talking…" she carefully placed a hand against his chest before continuing to heal the small gashes there. "I have to finish healing your injuries."
For a moment, she thought she caught a light frown on his lips before she leaned forward and secured them against her own. Catching him off-guard, she felt his body jump slightly at the sudden attack as the two fell to the floor. Her hands gently cupped his face as he made a pass to deepen their embrace; he listened to her moan softly as his tongue slipped into her mouth and embraced her own. A flash of heat seemed to race through her veins as the memories from the night before flooded her mind; his hands running course over her body as they called out to the darkest peak of midnight. She could feel them now cupping her jawline before they moved to cradle the back of her skull; his fingertips pressing into every inch of flesh he touched as he softly massaged the tired nerves underneath. Her hands ran soft trails through his neatly styled hair; ruining the nicely brushed strands as she tangled them around her fingers.
The overpowering desire and passion between them had to take second to the dying need for oxygen that burned on their lips and in their lungs. Mouths peeled back for quick gasps but their hands never once stopped their own motions. She watched those Wisteria eyes slowly open up to her own; his expression half-caught in the tangled yearning between them and half-submissive to it.
"I love you Ayasegawa."