I'm Kubo, sue me C:


It would hurt.

Sarugaki Hiyori, as well known as the loud obnoxious brat with no feelings, knew this for a fact. But it didn't lessen the urge inside her heart. The same urge she gets to kick the living hell out of the dumbass leader who was the source of her inner turmoil. And thinking of him didn't make it any better.

She was mentally sandal-scolding herself for even thinking it. But her heart said otherwise.

'What the hell?! Since when did I start having you?' she was arguing with her heart. Who only happened to beat faster with each step she took closer to the 5th's barracks.

'Since the day you opened your eyes and smelt his blood that you shed' he would tell her. Harshly. But she couldn't fight it. Afterall it was her heart, and it was she who told herself that as a last thought before slipping into slumber every night.

And as her legs kept dragging her to the inevitable, she kept reminding her stupid self how much it would hurt, probably enough to cause her heart to be gone again, as it did the night her former capta-

'No!' Hiyori clenched her fists tightly as she avoided the memory. She had promised herself not to think about it; it being categorized as self pity. And hell did she not do pity. Not for anyone, not for her self. Especially not for her self.

That was probably why Hiyori kept going towards the destined place. Her thoughts occupied suddenly with the last thought. Shinji Hirako. The bastard had somehow managed to do it, slowly and painfully; he had her heart reborn again, in the grasp of his own chest.

Step, step,

'It will hurt', but even if it will, having a died pity would help her get over it. right?

Step,

'I'm not backing off now',

Step, step, step-

Her feet had led her to his doors. She cracked the sliding door slightly opened to ensure his presence, and there she saw him indeed.

Though, she had to have a doubletake to make sure it was him. At the first glimpse all she could tell herself was that this was in no way the Shinji, their Shinji, her Shinji…

He was sitting in his old room, head in hands, and knees on floor. A state of a man who had just had it all coming down at once. To him, it was just a sanctuary of time to regret his previous loss.

Right; he had never shown a sign of losing control. And right; he had always been in temper, even when everyone just couldn't find it. But damn it all, darn it all to the pits of hell; when the reason to stay sane was at stake!

'Hiyori, not you, too..' his mind kept the torture.

He. Had. Lost. Her..

Funny how Shinji never thought it would hurt this much just not having the daily portion of slaps, but he imagined it was because he never even pondered the incomprehensible image of half the woman in such a helpless, heartbreaking position in his arms.

And that's where his brain killed that line of thinking before it got any uglier.

Little did he know she was just behind the door; guilt was too busy messing him up to feel any presence.

Seeing him like this.. a scene off the scenery. The scenery Hiyori would always picture with a pansy looking long-haired claimed captain who had less than a childish idol to offer. A place she would always have shoes slamming satisfyingly into his skin. A shelter she would always be found the next morning she woke up from a bad, bad dream.. or even a self-proclaimed nightmare…

'No…' she sounded broken for a moment, 'not like this.. no, not Shinji!'.

He had always been her source of strength, her well of life, her air.

'Shinjis don't crack! Not the ones I own! Not the ones made of steel!!' she gasped suddenly, anger taking over as she stomped inside onto the wooden floor.

Taken aback, shinji lifted his head with a startle; only to have it pulled back harshly by the hair, and to have an all too familiar wooden sandal slam right into his unwelcoming skin.

A blur of thoughts and What-the-fucks in his mind, a throbbing cheek, and a massive mixed up bomb of feelings had lit before his eyes.

The first thought he came to was that he officially went insane, now the game of senses from his latest war had taken a liking to fucking up his already trashed-out life.

But not until he saw that look that he had awakened. Hiyori doesn't know how to cry, for crying out loud!

Reaching out he made sure not to move too much; in case this was all his imagination. He slowly touched his fingertips to the flowing wet drops on her face, and he could feel them burning through his chest. Eyes widening, he gasped;

"What… are you doing?" she asked, voice almost trembling.

"Hiyo..!", and that's all it took for her to start sobbing, or as far as Hiyori could sob.

"Shinji! You fuckin' bastard! I had to be sorry; I had to hold on for you! You can't just freakin' drown in like that! The hell am I supposed to do then?!" she yelled between sobs, small fists colliding with his chest as he drew her closer and closer.

She kept rambling feebly with muffled noises as he rocked them back and forth.

Shinji was too busy sniffing off the smell of her alive, and in his arms. He had his time processing the whole deal. Why the shit did the 4th medics say it was too late? And what on Seireitei was he thinking when he left her side?

His hands kept caressing her, soothing and making sure it was not his mind playing tricks on him, even not his own sakanade being confused.

She pulled away, looking somewhere around his eyes; but not straight at them.

"Tell me you're okay, I know you killed that bastard, but tell me you have every bone in place, dickface, or I swear to God I-", something just clicked in him as his grasp on her forearms tightened horribly, and a dark shade blocked his glaring eyes,

"Fuckin' retard are you INSANE?!! 'THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YA? Why, oh WHY HAD YOU NOT LISTENED TO ME? Don't EVER lose it like that again!!" he yelled at her face, almost pushing her away, as his body was shaking uncontrollably.

Hiyori was freaked out; Shinji never lost his temper before. It scared her sickeningly that she felt forced to agree with him for the first time ever.

He softened at her obvious shiver; settling her on his lap and settling his head on top of hers as he took deep pants to calm his raging self at the memory.

"Gosh, Hiyori; I almost fucking lost ya… do you understand how that feels?" he whispered, causing her to bury her face in the crook of his neck, seeking safety and security.

In this set of place and time, Hiyori decided to drop her mask for a while; at least the one she could drop. That was what she reasoned her Out-Of-Character manners, and promised herself to fold this page, just not now; when everything was too much, and Shinji was being an over-all jerk… which reminded her;

"Asshole, don't you go yelling at me for good!" she looked up at him angered, " you should thank goodness I'm not kicking your ass to death for being like this… it's not my fault that I have a short-temper, and you've always been nothing but shortening it the more." she shifted her gaze to the ground.

"I know, it's all my fault," he said, "it's my fault I let you fall, it's my fault to have not tied you down and bid you to fight, my fault to have caused that pain to everyone, to yo-"

SLAP!

"Shut the fuck up, asshole, the shit you're saying doesn't make any sense" she glared up at him, before grasping his face and violently slamming her dry pair of lips against his own bloodied ones from all the biting he had to do to keep the tears in a while ago.

It had taken him a minute to comprehend, and just about all his strength not to crush her down with his arms and break her jaw with his.

And it had taken her a bite from him to give up on the knot in her stomach and dare to finally pull away and stare him square in the eyes, but it wasn't for long before she shifted it and leaned her forehead on his shoulder

He smiled. With each breath she took; a small piece of his heart combined with the remainders of it, and as soon as it started beating again –rather racing with his forming thoughts and questions- he soon started containing her being.

"Hiyori.." he sighed, voice matching his joyous soul; the woman he had come to love through the worlds and pasts and deaths and years was alive, or as alive as a vizard would be. Not a shinigami; they had decided on that the night before the slaughter began.

Hiyori's breaths started steadying, and then she looked at him again.

And as soon as his eyes met hers, all the previous fear of getting hurt was gone. Vanished. Just like the daggers that had strike down her chest the moment she saw him a few minutes ago.

There was something in his eyes, the light brown of his irises was almost alive and dancing a fire through her soul. Something beyond words, but something that she was sure was the reason why she could oh-so welcome having a heart again if it meant she could see it everyday.

And there was something in her smile, the potion to happiness. When Hiyori smiles; it feels to Shinji that the sky is his and he owns the universe of the both worlds; they're all in the curve of her lips, and the way she was so beautiful alive.

"Shinji, are you mad?" she asked, eyes full of a foreign glint... Fear? No, she abandoned that feeling a few moments ago. Her eyes said that she's not scared, not when he's here, not in his arms. And she would kick the fear outta him if she had to!

He stared at her a while longer, astonishing her voice again and again, before closing his eyes along with the gap between them.

"No, baka; I'm too happy fer that" he whispered smiling against her forehead, feeling her hands tighten around the collar of his shirt.

She sighed contently, grasping his head, determined eyes boring into his; she had been through enough Shinjiless times to keep ignoring(hiding?) her feelings towards the man.

Deep breath,

"Shinji, I love you" she confessed.

His eyes widened, and at that she started panicking,

"Not.. that I want anything from you; I was just determined to let ya know. And even though ya don' wan- feel the sa- erm, lets just… forget it. But let me say it once again, please! Shinji, I love you... and not as in that 'youre-my-bestfriend-and-brother-figure-and-i-love-you' way, either. And I'm sorry..."

In the last sentence; Hiyori had crossed the lines of characteristics. And I (the writer) surprised myself. Hiyori does not do begging and apologizing and stuttering if her life depended on it! And she did it all in one breath, too!

After that followed an awkward silence, a pair of eyes fixated ashamed on the ground, and an unnoticed amused smile on the other pair of lips.

"Now now, look who's embarrassed..." Shinji mused, lifting a finger to her chin; forcing her face to meet his. Still their eyes didn't meet.

"Hiyori, look at me; I want to be looking ya in the ey-"

"No, I'm sorry, I should have known. And this is so fucking cheesy; but ya never even as much as contemplated the thought of me like those full-out women. I- I didn't ruin us, though" she now looked at him, "Right, Shinji? If I hit ya; and beat the crap outta ya; you won't stop me from my comfort. And I will never mention this again. I will just walk outta here an-"

She was stopped by his lips fiercely pressed against hers. He kept intensifying their contact and bringing her closer to his chest. Now it was her turn to be shocked. But she couldn't help giving in to the overwhelming sensation; and eventually she closed her eyes and started moving her lips with his rhythmatically. It was just like the music Shinji liked; angry, heart-fastening, longing and furious.

Hiyori brought her hands to his hair, and he bit her lip harshly, drawing blood, but he could care about that later, not now, not when all his senses are screaming to just pry her head open and bash her with his feelings.

She gave him entrance instantly, almost forced to; but not quite. All she could think about was the feeling of him all over and around her. Her fingers caressed his scalp as she brought him deeper, breathing and eating and slaughtering all his being.

'The hell are ya doin' to me, Shinji? Ya better not be leadin' me on…' every time she started to think, he would take her mind and blow it away. He fixed her legs around his waist as his arms encircled her petite frame, wrapping all around her small waist; tightening with each pleased sigh that managed to escape her mouth. He groaned lowly at having her in this state, and with him, nonetheless. After all their infamous daily deeds for over a hundred years together, all the built up tension, the tease, the years, the jealousy –mostly from her part-, and the near-death experiences; what was happening now is an understatement of what should be. But he respected her more than his own wishes, and she had wanted to be a "Virgin Bride", then so be it; he had always vowed to keep her his virgin bride.

A few minutes later, he started pulling away unwillingly, ceasing the intensity to finally settle soft, feathery touches upon her swollen lips, and not breaking away. They panted hotly against each other, eyes opening slowly to a wholly new world, with equally new definitions of life and love; most of which had never really existed in their dictionaries before.

A wicked grin spread on Shinji's face, yet Hiyori couldn't complain about it at all. Seeing him… smiling, happy, grinning even that shit-eating grin, even at her expense; meant the world to her at that moment. It meant Shinji was okay; her world was okay.

"Not so shy, now, are we?" he teased caressing her cheek, causing her to scowl a little.

"Ya talk too much, little monkey, you shoulda heard yerself!" he smirked and it ticked her off.

He then smiled upon seeing the small, almost invisible shade of pink across her cheeks, because hiyori didn't blush and that would be overdoing it if she did.

"Shut up, baldy! I swear if you're leading me on I'll personally castr-" she was forced to stop when he put a finger to her lips, shushing her.

"Hiyori, I don't love you." he started in a serious tone but instantly regretted it when he saw the look in her eyes. Daring to sound cheesy; he went on,

"..That would be a huge understatement. I haven't yet found a statement to describe it, but you could tentatively say I'm in love with you, deeper than the shit I would be getting' myself into if I wasn't" he finished seriously, a tone rarely heard from someone as comical as Shinji.

A smile started growing into a joyous grin on the gir- err, woman's face, and with it started its match on Shinji's face, when suddenly Hiyori engulfed him with an embrace; he could practically feel her heart beating inside his own chest. She had such a strong heart.

He encircled her with his strong arms, whispering to her confessions of all the times he should've told her he loved her, about ten, all he could remember right then.


*A few years later*

Hiyori was sitting on the front porch of their new house in Rukongai; waiting for Shinji to come back from work. She saw Rukia welcome her strawberry husband as he came back; they lived a few houses away. 'What the hell is taking him too long?' she was worried.

They had decided that Seireitei was no longer a place they could call home, even though they had been proposed to their former ranks –with a rather royal-class apology from Sou-Taichou and the others- especially after Aizen's defeat.

And so; Rukongai is where they should stay.

And having no reason to pretend to be a highschooler anymore; Shinji took up his dream job as a music manager/commenter, even though it was in a small town radio station. But hiyori didn't mind hearing his voice all the time, not that she'd tell him that, of course! He wouldn't leave her to it for as long as he worked there, which he intended was very long.

Today it has been raining nonstop, and Hiyori had tried to convince him to stay home, but he flipped it off as nothing, saying that "some water wouldn't hurt".

Though, there was something off today; no song was dedicated to her personally by him, he hadn't spoken much, and she could feel her chest tightening at the thought of Shinji being off like that.

She sighed, shifting at the entrance as she saw a blue mustang pull up at the garage.

She quickly ran over to him with an umbrella in hand; after the flu he had last time she didn't want to go through that again this soon.

"Shinji, here tak-" the rest of her sentence was muffled as he swallowed the words from her mouth. His kisses still had the same effect that never ceased to turn her into goo.

And forgetting about the cold she had shivered from a totally different reason as he backed her up against the wall and kept kissing her intensely, almost like he felt she was going to disappear any moment.

After a few longer moments they pulled away, only to have Shinji slip a cold metal something on what took her a moment longer than it should have to realize was her freakin' left finger… the finger!

"Hiyori, marry me. Today, now. I will make you happy for the rest of our lives" he proposed, seriously this time; unlike any other time they'd joke about it, and what made her so sure is the glimmer of diamond at the back of her sight and the feeling of it wrapped around the finger it had always belonged to.

All she could do was smile that smile he adored; said wanted to keep her smiling like that forever. And kiss him softly, gently, unlike their usual embraces, saying 'yes' over and over in his mouth as he lifted her up, feeling on top of the world and like the happiest man on face of this damned human planet.

And once he put her down, he was prepared for a perfect footprint on the face for getting them sick like that, but it never came,

"Dumbass, not today. Let's get sick together" she said, trying to hide her smile, but failing miserably.

And they kissed again. Let them be! He had the right to kiss however much he wanted of her as long as she'd stay his virgin bride. And that's what she had first come up with this dream for.


A/N:

There! Done at 4:03 am, the usual time of my writings.

That's in your face, Kubo! They killed Aizen and Shiyori is true and Inoue must die but I just couldn't spoil my story with mentioning her.

I believe whoever liked Shiyori must also like IchiRuki, eh? :o

Q. What do you do when your back hurts much and you're not sleepy?

A. Write a fiction.