I'll Protect You

A/N: Yo, this is my first Bleach fic so please go easy on me. I made it on two of my favorite characters, Shinji and Hiyori. I can't help but love them =) But note this is set after the war and Aizen's capture. But like I said, this is my first fic, so please be nice ^^;

Note –As much as I want to I don't own Bleach-

Please forgive any grammar or spelling mistakes.

Rating: T ( Blood and Cursing)

Chapter One -Enjoy-

Hiyori walked back and forth in front of the broken windows of the warehouse lazily, looking outside as if something might interest her. However her face was annoyed while her eyes held a glint of worry in them. The short blond huffed, crossing her arms over her chest while a deep scowl painted itself onto her face. She stopped her pacing and just kept looking out of the broken windows, her blond hair moving softly from the gentle breeze coming through. The others watched silently, none having talked much that day. Some –such as Love, Rose, Hachi, and Mashiro- wore worried expressions while Kensei, Lisa, and Hiyori kept a stern face. They all watched Hiyori from the corner of their eyes, keeping a close watch so they could monitor her mood. Said mood had been drastically changing and never standing still, leaving the group in unease. And the discomfort was growing because this ritual had been going on for three days now. The others weren't sure how much more of it they could take before they all went mad from anxiety.

Shinji had been gone for three days and they hadn't even felt a flick of his spirit pressure in that time. The day he left Hiyori didn't seem to care, however on the second day, though she tried to hide it, she looked somewhat worried. And now on the third day, with still no sign of Shinji, everyone had begun to worry openly. All expect Hiyori, who was handling the situation like she did any other, letting her tempter get the best of her. To anyone who didn't know Hiyori well wouldn't have noticed the difference, but to the other Vizard's the change was all too obvious. She was upset Shinji was missing and she was even more upset because it was her fault. The others knew she'd never admit to it, but they didn't need her to. She'd already given them more than enough signs to know. Everyone knew how close Shinji and Hiyori were and everyone knew how much they meant to each other. And the fact that Hiyori herself had driven Shinji away seemed to be far too much for her to handle.

It had started with a silly argument, the light teasing and taunting had been taken up a notch. They were bickering about lunch, to which Hiyori had barked that she was sick of the human food. Shinji had just blown her off, his cheshire grin in place as he asked the others what they wanted, already knowing what Hiyori would get. The fact that Shinji had ignored her angered the little blond further, causing her ranting and raving to double.

"I may hate shinigami but at least their food didn't suck!" She snarled.

Shinji grinned wider. "Well, I'm pretty sure they don't do take out." He said going back to talking with the others.

Hiyori growled in frustration and Shinji only continued to smirk, offering up retort after retort to her insults. This in turn ended up with his nose bleeding and a sandal print on his face, but he and Hiyori just kept at it. The others had watched the exchanges with amused glances and empty bellies, the fight just seemed to keep going and going. However Hiyori finally blew her last fuse and her temper exploded, tired of being beat with Shinji's smart retorts and nonchalant attitude, she spoke before she thought.

"Well I wouldn't have to want good food if you hadn't given me this fuckin' mask, asshole." She sneered.

Shinji's eyes went wide and his face paled. It was as if he had just been stab, pain raking across his face and blooming in his eyes. The others had looked on in utter disbelief and Hiyori to looked shocked. She hadn't meant it the way it came out, but as soon as she thought about it, she shouldn't have said anything at all. Everyone knew how very fragile that topic was with Shinji, and they only ever talked about it if he mentioned it. Shinji blamed himself for what happened to them every waking moment and everyone knew that. However Hiyori had thrown it in his face and did so very bluntly.

Shinji's breath had come a little faster after that, his hands dangling lifelessly at his sides as he stared at the ground. Hiyori quickly covered her shock and stared at Shinji with an annoyed glance, hoping to help the situation, but only making it worse. The others watched as Shinji walked off, not saying a word. They'd never seen such a broken look on the Vizard's face before and they had never expected to.

Hiyori sighed, as much as she hated to admit it; she was worried sick about Shinji. She couldn't recall a time she had ever felt this bad before. She inwardly groaned; if she could, she would take back what she'd said in a heartbeat. But she had once again let her temper get the best of her and she had defiantly spoke without thinking. The small blond felt like beating her head off a wall, how could she have been so stupid! She had ripped open an already gaping wound just for the sake of winning an argument. Her heart gave a painful beat when Shinji's broken face appeared in her mind again. She was honestly ready to rip her brain out and stomp it into the ground, it wouldn't stop showing that picture inside her head.

'Stupid Shinji, stupid brain, stupid heart….stupid everything!' She yelled inside her head.

She knew the others were watching her and she knew that they were worried. But as much as she wanted to go and look for Shinji she knew they would never find him. No it wasn't rare for him to go missing for a few days but they could always feel his spirit pressure the entire time he was gone. But now they couldn't even tell if he was still on the planet. Hiyori sunk her fang into her bottom lip and began to softly chew on it. She had never been very good at waiting games and this was probably the worst one ever. Hiyori felt her insides twist, as much as she wanted to search for him; she knew it was a stupid idea. They'd never find him, because if Shinji Hirako didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be.

'Stupid touchy feelings, it's not my fault I can't think before I speak.' Hiyori thought to herself, trying to ease the guilt welling inside her.

She opened her mouth to curse but a gasp came out instead, along with the others. Finally they felt Shinji's spirit pressure, but so could everyone else for that matter. It had just exploded and sent wave after wave of crushing reiatsu throughout the entire city. Hiyori was gone in a flash, rushing toward the explosion of spirit pressure that was now dwindling slowly away. The others quickly caught up, their faces showing the fear Hiyori still refused to show, but inside the girl was ready to scream. Hiyori let out a surprised gasp when she felt more spirit pressure belonging to others.

"Do you feel that?" She said, looking to Love.

"Yes," He said gravely. "But I thought they had all been exterminated." He said.

"Apparently not." Rose said, appearing beside Love.

"Still, Shinji wouldn't just let loose like that. Espada or not." Hiyori said, an irritated look on her face.

"Hiyori's right." Kensei said. "Something must have happened; Shinji's too good at masking his spirit pressure to just let it go off like that."

Hiyori only growled and moved faster, noting how Shinji's spirit pressure was fading. She leapt onto a building and then another, flash stepping faster than ever before. She jumped to the ground and took a sharp turn at an alleyway. Then she sprinted down it and veered right, her sword flopping against her back with every step. The others followed closely behind her, keeping an eye out for the Espadas they had felt earlier. However they noticed with worry that they had disappeared, now undetectable.

Hiyori felt like her chest was going to explode, Shinji's spirit pressure was fading and the Espadas had disappeared completely. What if this was an ambush, they were getting ready to walk blindly into it with no knowledge of the situation. However Hiyori pushed her fear and worry down, crushing it and making sure it wouldn't get back up. She didn't have time for those stupid emotions, they would only get in her way, make this possible fight all the more dangerous.

They went down another alleyway; following Shinji's almost completely dissipated spirit pressure. They stalled when they appeared in a large empty area surrounded by buildings on all four sides. It was almost like a box, only a few random oil drums and trashcans with litter scattered about. Hiyori looked around, there was a good chunk missing from one of the buildings and a few large rivets that had destroyed parts of the blacktop. Hiyori looked around, trying to find Shinji but nothing blond and tall coming into her vision. The worry she had squashed earlier was returning from the grave, creeping up her spine slowly and with chilling ferocity.

"Over there!" Kensei shouted, pointing to a far off and dark corner of the buildings.

Hiyori ran in that direction, relief flooding her system only to be shot down. She stumbled to a halt as she stared at the madness in front of her, unable to truly believe it. The others stopped a few feet back and the blond knew they all had the same expressions on their faces. With wide eyes and a gapping mouth Hiyori slowly approached the bazar, grizzly scene in front of her. She looked down to the little boy huddled on the ground with blood drenched, jaw length blond hair. His tiny body was draped with an orange, tattered, blood covered dress shirt that belonged to Shinji. His black dress pants and shoes were empty, the little body nowhere near big enough to fit in either. Shinji's sword lay a few feet away, lonely and neglected on the ground.

Hiyori slowly dropped down onto her knees, trying not to believe the spirit pressure coming from the little boy. She grimaced at the large gash that went over the child's head, splitting open his scalp and showing the cracked, indented bone of his skull. She slowly reached out a hand she refused to accept was shaking and ran her fingers through the blood encrusted hair. Then, as though she'd been burned, she jerked back her hand and watched as the little body moved. The child's face slowly came into view to relive big chocolate brown eyes, caked with blood that had covered a good portion of his face. His bangs were cut perfectly even and a set of straight, bloodstained teeth lay in his mouth. The little boy looked up to Hiyori with dull, pain clouded eyes, eyes pleading for someone, anyone to help. Hiyori swallowed hard.

"Ma head hurts…." The boy slurred, looking around. "Who you?"

"Shinji…." Hiyori mumbled, looking from the boy to her blood stained hand.

He cocked his head at the sound of his name. "Who you?" He asked again, his speech slurred horribly and impaired.

Hiyori felt as though a blade of ice had just been shoved into her chest.

"How did this happen?" Hachi said softly, taking a step forward.

Everyone watched as Shinji tried to crawl back, obviously intimated by Hachi's massive form. He only managed to slightly turn, not actually moving away.

"I…I don't know….." Hiyori mumbled, still staring at her bloody hand.

Lisa walked past everyone, having been at the back, and up to Hiyori. She dropped down in front of the tiny blond and looked to Hiyori.

"We have to get him help." She said, her voice flat, Hiyori didn't respond. "Hiyori, he needs help or else that wound is going to kill him."

Finally Hiyori looked up to Lisa, shock written all over her face. The small blond looked down to Shinji, watching as the tiny boy started drifting back into unconsciousness. Finally she kicked herself into gear. Her face returned to its normal aggravated expression as she reached out, gently picking Shinji up.

"Where are you going with him?" Love asked, watching as Hiyori secured the limp body in her arms.

Within seconds of him lying in her arms Hiyori's white tee-shirt started soaking up the blood, quickly turning red.

"Hachi, can you help him?" She asked, looking into Shinji's dull eyes, the chocolate orbs staring back at her.

The large frame shook his head. "I've never treated such a head wound before. I don't know a high enough healing kido to treat him." He said, his face sorrowful.

"Well we don't have a choice then, he's gotta go to someone who can help him." Hiyori said.

"And where would that be?" Lisa asked, picking up his extra cloths and sword.

"Urahara." Hiyori said, flash stepping away.

The others followed, disappearing in into thin air, leaving nothing of their presence behind apart from the large puddle of blood drying slowly with the chilly breeze of the late afternoon.