Dragon Guests

Juushiro Ukitake tiredly slouched on his horse. His shoulders were draped with three blankets to keep him warm in the cold weather, and his legs were protected by two pairs of pants and his only boots. The black horse beneath him whinnied and snorted. Juushiro pat the horse on the neck and revisited the conversation he'd had only minutes ago.

"You should leave today," Kisuke Urahara, town doctor, had said to Juushiro Ukitake. He had been wearing his green robe and blue pants. His blond hair had been messily arranged just like his unshaven chin.

"I don't understand," Juushiro had replied. He had moved a stray strand of white hair from his face and had clutched at his blue robe. He had been staring at his old friend and had been studying his face to trace any kind of humor. However, his friend had remained serious with his furrowed brow and tight lips. "How will drinking water solve my problem? We've got plenty here, and I still feel the way I do. Are you trying to be funny, Kisuke?"

Urahara had shaken his head. "No, that's not it. This water is special." He had pulled out a map from a pile of papers sitting on a nearby table. He had laid the paper out neatly on his desk, being careful to avoid snagging the paper on the uneven surface. Urahara had pulled a quill from its inkwell and circled their village. "We're here, and this is where the water is." He had circled another location.

With his eyes slightly widened, Juushiro had peered at the water's location and had searched around it for other villages or towns. The map had appeared bare except for more trees and mountains. He had traced the distance from his village to the location with his finger, barely touching the thin paper under. The ink had glossed when Juushiro set his gaze upon the lonely blue blob of a lake.

"Five days," he'd said.

Juushiro had looked at his friend. "Five days," he'd said again. He had pulled the robe tighter around himself. "The trip would last five days to get there, and there are no towns or villages nearby. I'd die within two to three days in this cold." He had quickly covered his mouth and had coughed, the strain inside his throat feeling like claws scraping down. With an uneasy swallow, Juushiro had looked Kisuke in his eyes. "I'd be dead by the time I get there. My chest can't take it; this cold would worsen my symptoms and surely stop my heart. I was lucky last time; you said so yourself."

"I know," Kisuke had replied. "You'll die within the month, Juushiro." He rubbed at his forehead. "I'd rather you try this than lie in bed and wait for your end. I'd never recommend this if I didn't think you could do it."

Juushiro had rubbed at his own forehead, feeling an annoying pounding beginning to rock him from his patience. "My body is falling apart," he'd said as he cradled his head in both hands. "Even my own mind can't stay put. I can't make this journey. I'd rather keep trying your medicines."

Kisuke had placed a hand on Juushiro's shoulder as he had knelt down in front of his friend. "This water would heal everything in your body," he'd stated. "This water was blessed, and its magical power is potent."

"How do you know?"

"Only one person I know has come back with complete success," Kisuke had answered. "I came back with the water after healing myself. You remember I took a long vacation to myself. However, when I tried having another patient drink the water, the entire bottle had to be used. Whereas I only needed a sip from the water itself." He'd put both hands on Juushiro's shoulders. "The best way to beat this is to get you to the source."

"If I go, who will go with me?"

"I have someone who can guide you."

Juushiro tried to sit up on his horse again, but he failed. "I swear," he said, "if I don't come back, I'll haunt Kisuke."

"Urahara said not to strain yourself," advised Juushiro's guide. She pulled her horse next to Juushiro's and helped him sit up.

"Rukia," said Juushiro as he sat up, "thank you. I'm just trying to keep myself together." He looked at his smaller, younger companion, observing that she wore her black hair down like Kisuke did. Her violet eyes were narrowed in concern as she looked him over. "You're a blessing here."

"Thanks," replied Rukia with a small smile. She pointed forward. "You and I will continue that way. We have a long way to go before we're even close. Hold on as best as you can." She glanced at him. "If your body can't take the ride any longer, only say so, and we'll stop to rest."

Juushiro nodded.

Two days into their journey, Juushiro asked, "How did you come to serve Kisuke? Are you going to be doctor, as well?"

Rukia wiped her mouth after drinking some of her water, and she quickly slipped the water into her pouch. "Actually," she replied, "Urahara saved my life with the water you seek." She pursed her lips. "My sister and I were plagued with an illness that no other doctor could cure, so my brother sought Urahara for help." Rukia looked ahead as she wiped at her face. "Unfortunately, my sister passed within the two days that it took my brother to return with Urahara. As my brother wept over my sister, Urahara gave me a water that instantly took away the shivers."

Juushiro coughed, cutting off the story. He sipped at his water. "I'm sorry," he said as he glanced at Rukia, who was holding up her water to Juushiro. "I didn't mean to worry you. I have enough water here." When Rukia withdrew her offering, she continued to glance at him. "Please, continue. I'd like to hear the rest."

With a nod, Rukia continued, "After the second sip of water, the heat went away, and after the third, the aches went away. I continued to drink and drink, and soon my body was feeling much better. I was able to sit up within seconds after the last of my illness went away, and I was able to stomach food within the hour. If the water did that for me, then I know that you'll benefit immediately from the water.

"When I was cured, I mourned for my sister along with my brother, and we buried her that night. My brother paid Kisuke half of what we owed, and I decided to pay out the rest of my fee in service. When Kisuke told me of your situation, I wanted to go along with you before he even asked. I may not have had any strength to keep my sister alive, but I have strength now to keep you alive. We will succeed."

Hearing those last three words uttered with determination, Juushiro smiled. "I've only had this illness for two months," he said. "Friends didn't know how to help me, and only Kisuke didn't give up on finding answers for me. I thought I'd be dead by this time, but you've made a difference. I thank you for that. I thank you for your strength." He recalled waking up in the middle of the night and seeing Rukia watching over him, patting his head with a rag and giving him water. Juushiro was grateful.

"Do you have family waiting at home for you?" asked Rukia.

Juushiro shook his head. "My family lives days away," he replied. "I recently separated from my partner, Shunsui, the businessman. He was always away from home, and he didn't pay me much mind when he did come back. Three weeks before we officially separated, I knew he didn't love me anymore, and I knew our relationship was going to end." He gave a small smile. "Even so, Shunsui has managed to be a friend since then, even through Kisuke's diagnosis of my illness."

"It's great to see you're both still connected and supportive," said Rukia.

"I think so, too," replied Juushiro. He took drink of his water again upon feeling another cough coming up. "Well, the animals are waiting for me, and I've left them in the care of Shuhei, my neighbor. Such a sweet boy."

On the fifth day, Juushiro and Rukia stopped outside of a dense part of the forest they'd entered the previous day; Rukia dismounted her horse and guided Juushiro in to the trees. Rukia's horse was tied behind Juushiro's, so Rukia could walk ahead of the group. Juushiro watched her read the path and the trees, observing her touching and sniffing about. When she sniffed in a specific direction, Juushiro sniffed, too, catching a sweet scent that was coated in smokiness.

"Considering that we're here early in the day," whispered Rukia to Juushiro from her perch next to him, "we should be safe to go in and get out." He noticed in the corner of his eye Rukia putting her hand on her hip, where a sword rested. Rukia's hand was still on Juushiro's horse when she paused the party.

Juushiro recalled his conversation with Kisuke again as he looked ahead through the trees. According to Kisuke, two dragons were resting within the water, one as blue as the sky and one as bright as the sun itself. With the sun up, both dragons should be resting beneath the water. Kisuke hoped for that: dragons were notorious for their ferocity, and these dragons weren't so nice to random visitors without any type of payment.

Rukia pressed forward, eyeing the area even more closely. "If I tell you to do so," instructed Rukia, "you must run away from here."

"We should be safe with the sun so high," protested Juushiro. He held back a cough with his hand. "Please, don't overwork yourself so early."

"I wouldn't dare take your safety so lightly," rebutted Rukia. "I plan to keep you out of harm as much as possible." She took in a long whiff. "We're close." She led them farther in until they reached a clearing with a lake in the center. "Come!" Rukia pulled at Juushiro's horse to move faster toward the water. Then, she stopped them and pulled out her canteen, which she quickly emptied. "I'll bring it to you." With that, she ran toward the water.

Just as Rukia was going to dip her canteen into the lake, two dragons burst from beneath the surface, spraying water all about the area. She staggered back and pulled out her sword. Like Rukia, Juushiro stared up at the dragons, gaping at the sheer size. When both roared at them, Rukia shook her head and glanced at Juushiro.

"Run!" she screamed at Juushiro.

"But!"

"Go!"

Looking at Rukia with wide eyes and worry, Juushiro clenched his teeth as he tore himself away and directed his horse in the opposite direction. From there, the horses took off at high speed, making Juushiro's blankets fly off one by one. Juushiro could feel the panic emanating from his steed as the horses noisily galloped between the trees. He glanced back, but he couldn't see anything. Suddenly, he felt himself floating in the air. He looked about himself to see that a mass number of trees were missing from their spots, and he noticed that the horses were whinnying madly as they also flew through the air.

Pain enveloped his body when Juushiro landed harshly on the ground, having hit some branches on the way down. He vaguely heard the horses galloping away. With shaky limbs, he rose to his knees, only to cough and lean against the tree behind him. He looked up when he heard a growl and felt the heat around him increase. In front of him, stood a dragon with blue scales, blue eyes, and green marks under the eyes. Its horns branched out toward the sky, and its claws pierced the earth, smashing trees with a loud snap.

Juushiro clawed at the tree behind him, the bark roughly pressing against Juushiro's back. His lip quivered, his dark eyes bulged, and his heart beat with fervor to escape. He stared past the strands of white hair that dangled in his face and in to the eyes of the dragon that stared right back at him. For a moment, those eyes appeared to glint before darkening, as if trying to stare through Juushiro. Juushiro's heart jumped when the dragon growled, shaking him to his core.

His clothes felt sticky; the constant stream of heat coming from the dragon's blue maw surrounded Juushiro like a thick layer of mist. He inhaled slowly as he reached into his pocket; his hand curled around the rare purple jewel that Kisuke had given to him in case of such an emergency. "Pull this out when you're in trouble," Kisuke had directed. Juushiro slipped the jewel from his pants and held it up. His hand shook as it neared the dragon's line of sight.

"No!" Juushiro's and the dragon's attention were caught when Rukia's cries rang out.

"Rukia!" cried Juushiro as the golden dragon came in to sight with Rukia hanging from its teeth. Rukia's sword was missing, and her body was bloody and nearly completely visible from her clothes being torn and burnt. The golden dragon flung Rukia at Juushiro, who caught her with a loud gasp and groan.

"Juushiro!" yelped Rukia as she scrambled to her hands and knees. "Are you alright?" She looked him over.

"I'm fine," replied Juushiro with a gulp as he sat himself up. He held on to Rukia, who changed their positions and shielded him with her body.

"You shouldn't be awake," Rukia said aloud as she eyed the two dragons, which were staring down at both Rukia and Juushiro. Both stared wide eyed at the dragons, which pushed and nipped at each other to gain more room in the area.

"We have to propose a trade," Juushiro quickly said.

"A trade?" replied Rukia. "I don't know if these two will settle for a trade. They look angry. I also stabbed the gold one."

"What!"

"He almost bit my head off."

"W-Well, dragons may be fierce," stated Juushiro as he rose to his feet. Rukia helped him, both shaking and leaning on the tree. "But they're noble creatures. A dragon can't resist a trade. If we trade, we're safe for two days. Such is dragon custom."

"How do we propose a trade with the two bickering like siblings?" asked Rukia. She felt at her hip, but she growled upon feeling the empty remains of her sheath. "We won't be able to get their attention, and if we fail, I can't defend us."

Juushiro picked up the jewel, which he'd dropped to catch Rukia. "We have to try," he declared. He attempted to step forward, but his strength gave out. He grunted when Rukia caught him and supported him on her shoulder. "You're a true blessing." He took a deep breath and held up his hand, jewel sparkling in the light. He cleared his throat to yell: "I propose a trade!"

His voice rang up to the dragons. After one last snap from the golden dragon, both beasts set their sights on Juushiro and Rukia. The dragons lowered their heads, each staring from a different angle.

"A trade you say?" came the blue dragon. "What makes you think you're in any position to propose a trade, thief?"

"We are guardians of this water," came the golden one. "We don't trade with those who seek to steal from us, especially those who stab us." It eyed Rukia, who gulped.

Juushiro looked the blue dragon in the eyes. "I wish to trade this rare jewel," he declared, "not as a thief but as a guest in your honorable presence."

"We have many jewels," rebutted the golden dragon. "What makes yours so special?"

"We could just kill you and take it anyway," added the blue dragon.

"You're dragons," piped up Rukia. "More than that. You're dragons personally appointed by the gods. You don't steal or kill without reason."

With a lick of his lips, Juushiro proposed, "I ask to trade this jewel, the only one of its kind to be handcrafted by the god of riches and blessed by the god of good health, with both noble dragons, Grimmjow the blue and Ichigo the gold, in exchange for two nights as your guests under your protection."

The dragons glanced at each other. Juushiro bit his bottom lip; he looked down at Rukia, who was shaking and still bleeding from multiple wounds. He looked up expectantly at the dragons, hoping for the sought answer.

"We agree," said the golden dragon.

"Two nights," added the blue dragon. "Water and protection. No more."

The dragons glowed as their forms shrunk and transformed. The golden dragon was a tall, muscular man with long strawberry gold hair and light brown eyes. The blue dragon was a slightly taller and muscular man with long sky-blue hair and ocean blue eyes. Their teeth were still sharp, and their hair glinted like their scales in the sunshine.

Juushiro was blushing, and Rukia was blushing. "Why do they have to be naked?" Juushiro whispered to himself. He gulped audibly as the two men approached and took the jewel from Juushiro's shaking hand. They marveled at the purple glow and slowly started to bicker over who'd hold the jewel.

"Let's get going," Rukia suggested. When Juushiro agreed, both slowly limped toward the lake. Rukia picked up her nearly smashed canteen on the way. When they made it back to the water, Rukia walked with Juushiro into the water itself.

Juushiro admired the deep and clear blue that made up the water. He could clearly see the lakebed, and he could see the plants and rocks scattered about. Juushiro noticed small fish swimming about. Toward the deeper end, he could see a mountain of gold and jewels lying about on the lakebed.

"Whoa," Juushiro said to himself. He was brought from his observations when Rukia presented him with her dented canteen. Juushiro took the canteen and drank the water. Instantly, he felt his entire body melting and suddenly filling with energy. He stood on his own: the pain, cough, aches, everything was gone. He smiled widely and looked down at his companion, who was clear of her cuts and bruises. They smiled at each other and continued to drink until they felt they'd burst.

"He was right," said Juushiro as he started to walk out of the water. Rukia followed. "This is amazing." He laughed.

"You know," said Rukia, "you talk about me being so brave, but you're the brave one here." She pat Juushiro on the shoulder. "You actually held up your arm to two raving dragons and yelled your proposal. You're amazing!"

Juushiro inhaled the air and sighed. "We're amazing," he corrected. Juushiro and Rukia walked out of the water and looked about. Rukia walked in to the trees and came back out.

"Horses are completely gone," concluded Rukia. She crossed her arms. "We have no dry clothes."

Picking at his wet pants, Juushiro nodded in agreement. "Let's build a fire," he suggested, shivering. "It'll dry us up, and we can worry about new clothes later."

Rukia chuckled and stated, "Easy for you to say. I'm almost naked." She gestured to her exposed belly and shredded pants, returning to crossing her arms as she shook from the cold, too. "Well, I'll have a breeze when I carry wood."

"I'll help," said Juushiro with smile.

They walked and looked for dry branches, piling and lighting them. Because his shirt wasn't so wet, Juushiro gave Rukia his shirt, and they dried their wet clothing by the fire. Rukia had found one of the pouches on her walk through another part of the trees, and luckily the pouch had food and the map in it. Juushiro found the blankets he'd dropped, and he took those back with him to wrap them around himself and Rukia.

As they ate, Juushiro asked, "Where did the dragons go?"

Rukia glanced about herself. "They're probably doing dragon stuff," she wondered aloud. She looked up at her companion. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like the sun rose up for the first time," said Juushiro. He touched at his pants, which weren't completely dry yet. He shivered at the cool air touching him; he pulled his blanket tight around him. "I don't know what to do with myself. I feel like I'm a teenager again. I know the cows will be happy to see me again. They usually worry about me."

"The cows?"

Juushiro nodded. "The pigs, too," he added. "They insisted I stay with them, but I've told them that I was too sick to stay with them. The chickens ran whenever I sneezed."

"You can befriend animals," observed Rukia as she fingered her blanket. "I wish I had that talent. The rabbits keep running away from me."

They laughed, and as they did so, the two dragon men emerged from the trees. Both men were scratched up and bleeding. Juushiro and Rukia looked up at them. Rukia covered her face. The dragons only glanced in their direction, Grimmjow's stare lingering on Juushiro, before walking to the water and diving in, disappearing completely.

Perplexed at the dragon-man's stare, Juushiro wondered why the other had such an odd stare. He shook it off. "I think we should get some sleep," said Juushiro as he noticed the darkening day.

"Yeah," agreed Rukia as she peeked through her fingers. She put her hands down. "We should do that."

When the morning came, Juushiro sat up and stretched his arms, smiling up at the lack of pain in any part of his body. He noticed that Rukia wasn't in her spot, only her folded blanket, so he looked around from his spot. He caught sight of Rukia bathing in a shallow end of the water. Her clothes were folded neatly away from the water. Juushiro rose to his feet and relieved himself in the trees. When he came back, Rukia's sudden scream rang out. Juushiro looked toward his comrade and saw Ichigo standing right next to her, perplexed at her yelping and sputtering.

Juushiro rushed over. "Rukia," he said. Rukia hid behind him, hiding her face in his shirt. "You frightened her."

Ichigo looked at his hands. "This form is supposed to be less frightening," he stated. "Nonetheless, keep from entering our water so often. The ripples keep waking us up." He turned and disappeared under the water.

Rukia sneered and put on her clothes, swapping her ripped pants for the extra pair that Juushiro presented, which she thanked him for. She used her belt to tighten the loose pants on her small hips. "We should get some food," she said as she walked toward their dead fire. Juushiro followed, noticing that Rukia's sword was at her hip. "Do you want to come hunting?"

"I can stay here and put together another fire," said Juushiro quickly. Rukia tilted her head at him. "Sorry. I don't do well with the sight of blood, which is why I don't eat meat often-well, at all. Um, I can gather plants, as well."

Rukia gave him a smile. "Don't worry about it," she replied. "I don't mind hunting alone. I'll return shortly." With that, Rukia went off in to the forest.

After setting up a fire, Juushiro wandered in the forest, too, looking about for anything growing. He inspected and plucked plants that'd make decent teas, and he found a patch of wild berries that glowed a soft shade of blue, from which he picked a fair share. When he rose to his full height, cradling the plants and berries in a stretch of cloth he'd borrowed from the pouch Rukia found, he met the gaze of Grimmjow the blue.

Juushiro jumped with a quiet yelp. "Grimmjow," he said with a bow of his head, "you're not asleep. What are you doing here?" He couldn't help but glance down and blush a deep red. His heart was racing as he thought about the dragon-man's beauty and hips.

"You humans are weird," stated Grimmjow, "you both turn red every time." He traced Juushiro's glance downward, making a confused face in response.

Seeing the other with a redder face, Grimmjow replied, "We guardians don't sleep very long, especially when we have guests. You're under our protection, so we must do so. Ichigo is checking on your tiny friend, and I'm checking on you."

Looking away from the dragon man, Juushiro replied, "Sorry. I don't mean to be a burden. I'm just gathering some plants." When he spotted Grimmjow's massive dick again, he quickly looked elsewhere. "My friend and I are hungry."

"Green stuff," observed Grimmjow, who moved closer, looking at Juushiro's cloth. "How could you burden me with green stuff?"

Juushiro looked back at Grimmjow, feeling the other's body heat radiating like a full blast of sun. The dragon man stood taller than he did, so if Juushiro were to stand on his toes, he'd be closer to standing at Grimmjow's height. "Well, there are berries, too," Juushiro replied. "I don't mean to be a burden myself…" Quieting himself upon seeing Grimmjow's interest in his arms, he smoothed his hair out of his face and picked up a plump berry to show the dragon man. Juushiro offered it to Grimmjow, who sniffed at the berry and grimaced.

"This is supposed to be food?" asked Grimmjow.

"Yes," Juushiro simply replied. "Watch." He popped the berry in his mouth and chewed, the sweet juice moistening his lips and setting his taste buds aflame with sweet flavor. Juushiro carefully chewed, seeing that Grimmjow was watching his lips move. Juushiro hastily picked up another berry and held it out to Grimmjow. "It's good. I promise."

Grimmjow hesitated before taking the berry between his larger fingers, which brushed against Juushiro's own. While Juushiro quickly too his hand back, Grimmjow put the berry in his mouth and bit down. His eyes widened a bit.

Juushiro sucked at his lips, worried that Grimmjow may have hated the berry. "Are you okay?"

With a swallow, Grimmjow replied, "That was unpleasant."

"You could've spit it out," stated Juushiro. "No need to force yourself to swallow something you don't like." He spotted juice slipping down the corner of Grimmjow's mouth, so he wiped it away with his thumb. Grimmjow caught his wrist before Juushiro could withdraw. "Sorry!" There was sudden burn in the center of his hand. He glanced at the dragon man with worried eyes. "I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries!"

Chuckling, Grimmjow released the man's wrist. "You're a fun one." He laughed when Juushiro's face turned red again. "Why do you turn so red?" He touched Juushiro's cheek. As he did so, Juushiro could feel the intense heat coming from just the dragon-man's hand. It was soothing, and it sent a tingling chill down his spine. Juushiro touched at Grimmjow's hand, feeling that burning sensation in his palm again.

"Grimmjow, I—"

"—Hey!" came Rukia's voice. The two men looked toward the darker part of the forest. "Don't take all of the credit. I slew that boar!" Ichigo the gold emerged from the dark with a giant boar on his shoulder; he was smiling and laughing. Juushiro was taken aback at the display, gaping.

He's actually laughing, Juushiro thought. He's not completely serious all of the time?

"With my help," jabbed Ichigo as he turned to look down at Rukia, who was cut up again and spotted with dirt. Rukia's legs were bare; a strip of her pants was tied around her waist. "He'd have crushed you."

Rukia attempted to give a rebuttal, but she closed her mouth instead, crossing her arms and marching forward toward Juushiro. "I slew a boar for us," she said, "with Ichigo's slight help."

Ichigo threw the carcass down. "Take that back, small witch," he demanded as he strode forward, coming to stop right in front of Rukia. He grinned. "Or would you like to explain your predicament when the boar was about to crush you." He quickly glanced downward and back at Rukia's reddening face.

Juushiro glanced at the boar and noticed that it was humanoid. "A boar man," he said to himself. He flinched when Ichigo's shining eyes were on him as if smiling along with the golden dragon's sharp grin.

"Indeed," said Ichigo. He looked back at Rukia. "So? What'll it be, small witch?"

Rukia put her face in Ichigo's, merely a hair away. "I don't have to explain myself," she growled. "Stop calling me small witch! My name is Rukia, and I've told you that before. Understand, fire breath?"

Smiling, Ichigo simply stood up and clapped a hand on Grimmjow's shoulder. He gave a loud laugh and said, "Look brother, we have lucked out with funny guests! I'll enjoy their short stay." He walked off with Grimmjow following and laughing, as well. "Good luck getting that carcass to the lake!"

With a growl, Rukia stabbed her sword into the carcass. "That, that-rrrrrrrah!" exclaimed Rukia. She panted as she looked from Ichigo's direction to the carcass and back.

Juushiro put a hand on Rukia's shoulder, and she looked at him with conflict clear in her violet eyes. "What happened?" he asked. The woman fumbled with her words, so Juushiro calmed her. "Come." He sat at the base of a tree and patted the ground next to him.

Sighing and rubbing at her face, Rukia took a seat next to Juushiro, moving slowly. "How do I even start," said Rukia. She leaned against the tree. "I had my sword out, and I was looking around for something to cut down. I thought I'd find a squirrel or something within the hour, but I found a boar-man. Of all creatures to find, I find a boar-man." She gestured to the massive carcass. "The beast was huge! I was going to leave him alone and find something else, but it saw me before I could move. Within that split second, I was on my back, and it was hovering over me and snorting. It tried to bite my face off. Damn thing nearly shredded my shoulders with its tusks. I managed to slip from under it, but during my escape, the damned beast ripped my pants!

"So there I am, pants-less. I get on my feet, and I think I sliced at it about ten times. The boar only got madder. It felled trees and nearly gored me a few times. Just then, I was pinned to the tree; it had me by my shirt. As I'm kicking at it, I hear a growl, and I see Ichigo. He slapped the boar away, sending it through more trees. I managed to get myself together in time to finish off the boar before it could get back up."

Rukia tried to shift herself to look at Juushiro but flinched with a groan. "I had to tie something around myself," she continued. "That damned Ichigo commented that my ass looked like a red peach. He stared straight at it! Pervert!"

Setting the plants and berries down, Juushiro took off shirt and used it to wipe up some of the blood still seeping from Rukia's wounds. "How noble," he said bitterly. "He should've taken you to the lake."

"He wanted to take me," replied Rukia, "but I told him that I'd rather find you. If there was another boar-man and it found you, I don't know how I'd face Urahara if you were hurt again or dead…" She saw the saddened look on Juushiro's face. "He said I must've been a small witch to keep pushing as I did. As if magic had anything to do with it." She pushed away Juushiro's shirt. "Let's get ourselves going here. We should have enough to last us another night and the trip back home."

With that, Rukia butchered the boar, opting to take the limbs and the head. When asked about the head, Rukia had replied that the head would make a great gag to leave for the dragons. They both made their way back to the lake, where Rukia bathed and was relieved of her wounds. Juushiro made a tea that he served in Rukia's dented canteen for them to share. They sat by their new fire with their blankets.

As they ate, Juushiro asked, "We shall go home on foot, then?"

Rukia swallowed her food. "Looks that way," she replied. "I know that walking doesn't seem appealing, but we have to. We should be able to make it to a town within less than two days on foot. We can get horses there."

"Honestly," replied Juushiro, "I haven't been able to walk comfortably for weeks. Walking doesn't sound so bad." He smiled at Rukia. "Though, I'm concerned as to how we'll acquire horses. We don't have any money. The horses are somewhere with it."

Rukia shook her head. "Boar meat is prized in a lot of towns," she explained. "There's a high chance we can get at least one horse with what we've got."

Juushiro started eating the berries. "That's good to hear," he said. He handed some of the berries to Rukia. "We could also get another change of clothes. You could wear one of the blankets as a robe until then." Rukia nodded in response.

The next morning as Rukia remained asleep, Juushiro put together his and Rukia's belongings, and he was bathing when Grimmjow appeared. Juushiro quickly covered his chest and genitals. "You surprised me!" said Juushiro. His wet hair webbed over his shoulders and chest.

Grimmjow snickered, "You're too fun!" He ran a hand through his own hair, making it sparkle like the rippling lake water. "What did you say your name was again?"

"J-Juushiro."

"Little Juushiro, huh," said Grimmjow. He combed Juushiro's hair with his fingers and appeared to admire the color. "Your hair sparkles like jewels, little Juushiro. It's mesmerizing."

Juushiro quickly arranged his hair so that it was braided over his shoulder. "Sorry," he said avoiding contact with Grimmjow's eyes.

"You fidget," observed the dragon-man. "Why is that? You don't look at my eyes. Are you scared of me?" Grimmjow touched at Juushiro's chin and guided the man to look at him. "Do I scare you, little Juushiro?"

Feeling the heat crowding his face, Juushiro answered, "I'm terrified." Seeing the other frown, Juushiro felt his heart slam against his chest. "I'm terrified because you're stronger than me. I'm terrified because I don't want you to see me as some burden. I'm terrified that if I look into your eyes, I'll lose myself, and I wouldn't know how to come back."

I'm saying these things, thought Juushiro, and we're naked! Why am I saying these things while I'm naked? I should be running to put on my pants! With that last thought, Juushiro rushed to the edge and grabbed at his pants, pulling them on and buckling them.

"I'm sorry for saying weird things," Juushiro said. He watched as Grimmjow approached him with an intense focus etched on his face. "Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow looked at his hand and back at Juushiro. He reached out: "Take my hand." Seeing the other hesitate, Grimmjow came closer. "Take my hand, little Juushiro. I don't intend to harm you."

Confused and hesitant, Juushiro reached out and slipped his hand in to the other's. The other's palm was blazing hot, but he could feel a tingle in his own palm. He withdrew his hand and looked at his palm, noticing a symbol as old as the gods. "What is this?" he asked. He recalled his hand burning before. "What does it mean?" Juushiro looked to Grimmjow, seeing the other's beautiful face switch from bewildered to what appeared to be complete acceptance.

"No matter what I thought of," replied Grimmjow, "I felt drawn to you."

"I don't understand."

"There's a story," said Grimmjow. "A very old story." He gazed in to Juushiro's eyes. "Long ago when the gods created souls, the god of wisdom split each soul into two different pieces and dispersed them among different spaces of time and parts of the world."

Juushiro looked down at the symbol in his hand. "Our souls were once one."

"When the right halves met and realized that they're a part of each other," continued Grimmjow, "the god of wisdom's symbol would appear on the right hand, showing that the halves are complete again." He carefully took Juushiro's hand. "I'm drawn to you because you are meant to be my soulmate and I'm meant to share my life with you…"

Juushiro watched as the symbols on their hands burned a bright blue. He pressed his other hand on his belly to calm the fluttering there, but the fluttering turned into a burning that spread throughout his chest. Then, he gazed into Grimmjow's eyes, not tearing away this time. "I can feel it," he said as a smile was coming to his face. "I feel whole."

"May I hold you?" asked Grimmjow, whose cheeks turned a shade of red that Juushiro could understand as nervousness. When Juushiro nodded, Grimmjow slowly embraced him, gently pressing his face against the other's and cradling Juushiro's head against his own. "I've longed to do this since I first saw you, little Juushiro. Now that I am, I feel as if the world could crumble and all that'd be left is you and I in completion."

Suddenly, the sound of Rukia and Ichigo bickering appeared. "You're being overdramatic," came Ichigo's voice. Juushiro and Grimmjow sighed together as they looked over toward the noise.

"You touched my butt!" bit Rukia as she sat up, exposing her shoulders.

"I thought it was your head," rebutted Ichigo as he continued to kneel next to Rukia. "Why are you humans so touchy about your body parts?"

"What do you want?" hissed Rukia as she pulled her blanket tighter around her.

"I was making sure you weren't dead," replied Ichigo. He stood with his arms crossed. "You were bleeding pretty bad yesterday, so I wanted to make sure you didn't bleed to death."

"Oh."

"That's it?"

"What?"

"Just oh?"

Rukia blushed and rubbed at her face with both hands, making the blanket droop again. With a sigh, Rukia rose to her feet, holding her blanket tight. She looked him in the eyes and said, "Thank you, Ichigo. I appreciate you checking on me. Now, could you put some pants on?"

"What are pants?" asked Ichigo as he scratched his head.

Grimmjow sighed in to Juushiro's hair. Juushiro peered at Grimmjow, knowing well that the dragon-man was still without pants, too. "We should separate them before they fight again," suggested Juushiro.

With a small chuckle, Grimmjow said, "Ichigo has a liking for her." When Juushiro looked up completely confused, the dragon-man simply smiled back. "That brother of mine is easy to read, little Juushiro. Considering this is the last day, he'll likely ask for her."

"Ask for her?"

"Ask to court her," Grimmjow enlightened. He touched lightly at Juushiro's lips. "Now that I say that, little Juushiro, I must ask: will you allow me to court you?"

Juushiro smiled. "I'd be honored," he replied.

That night, Grimmjow brought Juushiro below the surface of the lake. Grimmjow was wearing a piece of tied cloth around his hips at Juushiro's suggestion: the dragon-man learned that some parts of the body needed to be covered for both guests' comfort. Juushiro's suggestion reflected in Ichigo's decision to wear a cloth around his hips, only at the strong suggestion of Grimmjow, who relayed Juushiro's reasoning with the extra reason that Rukia didn't like seeing Ichigo's dick all the time, either.

Juushiro gaped at the cave's shining beauty in the ray of moonlight that streamed in through holes in the top of the cave. Jewels were driven into the walls, gold plated the ground, and crystals pierced every corner. He spotted the rare purple jewel above another opening.

"You'll sleep warm tonight," stated Grimmjow as he led the other by the hand.

"The fire and blanket weren't so bad," said Juushiro. He closed his mouth when he spotted the pile of blankets and furs that was big enough to hold Grimmjow's entire dragon form. However, Juushiro noticed that the pile was the only pile in this section of the cave. "We'll sleep together?"

"I want you here with me," said Grimmjow, "before you go."

Juushiro shook his head. "But we—wait! What about Rukia?"

"Ichigo is bringing her down here," came the dragon-man's reply.

"How do you know that?"

"Listen."

At that, Juushiro could hear Rukia's and Ichigo's voices. They weren't bickering this time; they were laughing. The sound of wet feet grew louder as the two approached a different section of the cave, and they joked about the boar they slew.

"I'm glad to hear her laughing," commented Juushiro as he glanced toward the direction of the other voices. He yawned to himself. "Sorry."

"You're just tired," said Grimmjow. "I understand." He guided Juushiro to the blankets. "Sleep deeply tonight and worry only about your own comfort."

Juushiro laid on his side and closed his eyes; he felt that one night in the same bed-blanket pile wouldn't hurt. Before he could utter a good night, Juushiro felt Grimmjow's body against his back. At that, Juushiro rolled away. Seeing the other's confused face, Juushiro said, "I wish to lay in your arms, but not tonight. When I know you more, I'll be more comfortable laying in your arms." He held the other man's hand. "However, I would love to sleep holding your hand." The dragon-man nodded without any sign of protest.

"I won't force you," replied Grimmjow. He touched at Juushiro's face and paused to look into Juushiro's shining eyes. "I will only do as you see fit to your comfort."

Juushiro felt his heart jump. At that moment, he could only think of how chivalrous Grimmjow was. Compared to Grimmjow, his former lover was a heavy drinker and liked to party as much as he worked. Much had to be negotiated in his previous relationship, but with Grimmjow, Juushiro could see how the dragon-man cared deeply about his comfort from the looks of his eyes.

Grimmjow intertwined his fingers with Juushiro's, his hand noticeably larger than Juushiro's. "Good night, little Juushiro."

"Good night, Grimmjow."

Writer's Rambles

Hello all,

It's been a while since I've updated anything. Years if I want to be technical. However, I've updated my profile and had a long time to think about what I should do. I'm still here, and I'm still writing fanfiction. I've decided to write out this story. It's different from what I've written before, and I think it's a good different. I've also never written for a Grimmjow x Juushiro pairing or a Ichigo x Rukia pairing, so this was fun for me.

Let me know what you thought of this story. Suggestions for improvement are always welcome. I wasn't sure if I should make this a one-shot or add another chapter; let me know of your thoughts on that, as well.

Thank you to those who are sticking around with me and to those who check in on me. I appreciate you all a lot. :)

Thanks,

W