You'll Know…
By: Side's Sunshine
Warning: death…
"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't." – Mark Twain
Shinji stared at the woman in his arms, her small fragile body wracking with wet coughs. He was shaking he vaguely realized, tears cascading down his face and the only word that really came to mind was, "Why?"
"Because for some unexplainable reason I love you idiot." The woman rasped and he realized that he must have asked the question aloud. He froze as the words processed and he held the woman tighter, the dead hollow, Menos Grande was slowly fading into particles and then away, just like the light in her eyes.
She was beautiful, he noticed, dark turquoise eyes and sandy blonde hair, a shade lighter than his own but darker than his friend Kisuke's. She wore altered shinigami grab, sleeveless, with the hakama's shortened to shorts. She had flawless skin only marred by the freckles decorating her cheeks and nose, like stars in the sky.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Shinji asked lightly.
"Would you have cared? You don't even know my name and-" she was cut off with a harsh cough, wet, as the red liquid spilled from her pale lips, her brows scrunched together in pain.
"I would have, I swear I would have-" Shinji tried to plead with the woman hoping it kept her with him just a bit longer.
"Would have what? Smiled your chesire grin, charm me even more, bed me, and then run away when you thought I would want more? You weren't ready, but one day-" She stopped talking taking in several deep shallow breaths. She was fading fast and Shinji looked up hoping the medical squad would arrive finally and save the young woman.
"One day," She whispered and Shinji looked down at her, his entire attention on everything that spilled from her mouth, the ruby liquid as well, "I'll be back here in soul society and I'll have your attention every day even if I have to hit you about the head with one of my geta…and you'll know…you'll know."
Shinji stared waiting for more only to see the light completely gone from the woman's eyes, that damnable smirk still twisting her lips.
Shinji was drinking alone, in his office one person on his mind, that woman, who he had found out to be eleventh's seventh seat, the one and only Shiori Misaki. He was sipping away at his hot saki when Kisuke, his old friend, and finally fellow captain was kicked through his doors and into his office, he blinked owlishly. Looking towards the hole he froze at the sight of her.
A small girl, same shade of hair as Shiori, same freckles, and same damnable smirk stood with furrowed brows at Kisuke. But her eyes were golden, completely different from Shiori's eyes. She took of her geta and sent it flying at Kisuke smacking him in the head and having fall flat on his back in a daze.
"Well hello there…" Shinji greeted with his wide smile, similar yet different from the young Gin Ichimaru's.
"What the hell are you smiling at baldy?" The girl groused and Shinji felt his eye twitch.
"What did you just call me you little pipsqueak!?" Shinji raved and Kisuke watched as the two began yelling and arguing at each other. He then watched as Shinji froze after being hit with one of Hiyori's geta, his nose bleeding as he stared at Hiyori. Hiyori herself looked confused looking from her geta to his face before she smacked him again and again. Finally she stormed off, confusing, anger, and affection in her eyes that confused poor Kisuke.
"Who was that?" Shinji asked him dazedly as he stared after her, not staunching the blood from his nose.
"My Lieutenant, Hiyori Sarugaki…" Kisuke supplied and he watched as Shinji flinched.
"You'll know…" Shinji whispered as he gazed sadly at Kisuke and then towards a picture, a girl the mirror image of his lieutenant only her eyes were different, not quiet teal yet not quiet blue or green either, turquoise.
He put that away for later in his mind and he picked himself off and left Shinji staring out of his broken paper doors in the direction his lieutenant stormed off in.
"I don't get why you let that pipsqueak boss you around." Ichigo finally stated eyeing Shinji and Hiyori on the couch as the two fought.
"Pipsqueak?!" Hiyori raged and she moved on to beating Ichigo with her flip flop like it was weapon of mass destruction.
"Oi, midget, I was just about to tell a good story." Shinji called with a drawl and Hiyori glared, smacked Shinji with her flip flop and marched off. Ichigo raised an eyebrow and Shinji began to spin his tale.
Ichigo stared at Shinji with tears hidden in his brown eyes, he couldn't think of having Orihime or Rukia dying and then later on being reminded of them by someone who didn't even know.
"Kuchiki-yarou, knows the feeling well seeing as Rukia is a spitting image of her sister, Byakuya's late wife." Shinji replied seeming to read Ichigo's mind, he was good at that.
"Do you think she knows?" Ichigo finally asked and Shinji stared Ichigo down, his normal mega-watt grin dimming to a fond smile.
"She saw the photo of Shiori once and accused me of being a perverted stalker…never mind her not seeing the noticeable eyes color change in the pictures." Shinji stated and Ichigo snorted while his heart ached for the poor man.
"She told me I'd know…and I do…Hiyori was my Shiori…and I could never raise a hand to really hurt her…ever." Shinji stated firmly for once very serious as he stared at Ichigo.
"You'll know…" Ichigo stated looking at Shinji and Shinji nodded.
"I know…" Shinji said firmly and then ducked a red flip flop that was sent towards his head.
"You damn baldy! You forgot to get dinner again!" Hiyori screeched and Ichigo smiled as the two went right back to arguing.
Shinji only smiled as Hiyori swung her other flip flop at him, a whisper caressing his mind's ear.
"Even if I have to hit you about the head with one of my geta…"
"You'll know….You'll know."
"I know Shiori...I know..." He thought as he felt the stinging slap of the rubber flip flop smacking his cheek, he smiled at Hiyori in fondness, ruffling her hair as she blushed and spluttered at him.