Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Harry Potter characters mentioned in the story but as stated before, Ishida Ryūken is one of my favorite characters out of the entire series
Chapter One
"Ehhhh? Nani? The boy isn't Harry's son?"
Oh no, did I get too close?
Oh, did I almost see what's really on the inside?
All your insecurities
All the dirty laundry
Never made me blink one time
The tall, fair-skinned male wearing thin and frameless glasses with narrow blue eyes and silver white hair, dressed in a plain grey suit with a light blue shirt and a tie adorned with Quincy crosses, ran a hand through his hair tiredly, wondering exactly how his workplace had become the stomping grounds for Isshin and Kisuke.
"Mm, apparently we jumped the gun on this one. Technically, Harry was going to claim the boy as a ward until the girl's fiance woke up from his coma, so that he didn't face any discrimination and be called a bastard, at least, that's the story I received directly from the source himself." Kisuke nodded his blonde head, waving his fan energetically. Isshin eyed him a bit doubtfully and the eldest Quincy couldn't blame him, the man had a habit of twisting the truth to fit his agenda. "Don't look at me like that, I'm being serious~"
"It's true. He jumped to conclusions and I let everyone think what they wanted." That familiar voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, it was the same voice of the man he'd been in almost continuous conversation on the phone with over the last six months. Harry Potter gave the stunned trio a little two finger wave, those unusual viridian eyes shining with mirth and something deeper, softer. Swallowing dryly, he tried his hardest not to jump to conclusions, that look was intensely familiar...
"Aiieeeee, Harry-chan!?" The exclamation rocked the hospital and the shocked Shinigami rushed to hug the man.
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally
In the end, they'd gone out drinking and played their Drinking Karaoke game, they were quickly running out of bars that they could go to in the area due to the life bans. But it had been...entertaining. Like a phantom limb one never forgot, Harry's presence was a healing balm for the trio of spiritually aware adults. "You haven't said a word to me all evening. Are you shocked, disappointed?" Harry queried, looking out at the scenery as Ryūken drove through the quiet streets of the rural Karakura Town.
"I don't think you mentioned you'd be coming back in our recent phone calls." Blue eyes slid over to his passenger, trailing over his strong jaw, his lean frame, and perhaps absence did make the heart fonder, because if anything, Harry was even more attractive sitting there so calmly, almost nonchalantly. The Quincy returned his gaze back to the road before his thoughts took an even more salacious turn and he accidentally got them in an accident.
"Did I not?" His tone had a contemplative sound to it, with an undertone of amusement. "To think it was you who once knew me so well. We're not children anymore, let's not play such childish games. I didn't call everyday just for idle chatter, nor do you have the temperament to listen to inane conversation." And in a bold move, Harry placed his hand on the older man's knee, dangerously high to where he wanted him most, it was embarrassing how readily he responded to that familiar touch.
Come just as you are to me
Don't need apologies
Know that you are worthy
I'll take your bad days with your good
Walk through the storm I would
I do it all because I love you, I love you
"You're right. We aren't children anymore." Ryūken murmured, miraculously managing to keep his voice normal, though there was a splash of heat barely noticeable in his words. "I'm too old for games. If I'm going to have sex with you tonight, I want you to come to me without reservations, be my lover and eventually, if you desire the same thing as I, be my partner. My husband." Some would argue that it was too soon, they were rushing and he was making a mistake revealing his intentions so easily. But those people didn't know any better.
True, he had come to love Kanae (or Ai-chan) with time, but their union had been a necessity in the end. With he and his son being the last Quincy, Gemischt and Echt principles no longer mattered, duty, honor, true, they were guidelines, but overall, they had no place in his affairs now, he was free to be with whom he wanted. There was nothing restricting him. Except Harry's possible rejection, which he had every right to do so, he'd wronged him in the worst possible way and it still cut at him how foolish he'd been, how self-entitled and arrogant.
"You're serious." Harry muttered, sounding shocked and his companion only nodded once. "I—" Retrieving his hand, he covered his face, feeling it burn with mortification. "I suspected you might want me to stick around for a little while but it seems you've put a lot of thought into this." There was no confirmation or denial this time. "To be honest, I was only after the sex because I didn't think...it doesn't matter. I...I would really like to try this time."
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally
Abruptly, the car was pulled to a stop and Harry braced his hands on the dashboard as he lurched forward. Opening his mouth, he was about to ask what in the hell, when Ryūken made this frustrated sound and turned his chin to face him directly, claiming his lips in a searing kiss that made Harry's pants tighten and he fumbled with the seat-belt, the damned contraption giving him trouble as the older man did illegally sexy, distracting things with his tongue and once free, his hands wound around Ryūken's broad shoulders, trailing down his back, holding him close to him almost desperately. "I love you." Harry's heart skipped a beat, cliché as it was. "I love you, truly, Harry Potter and I will spend the rest of our lives proving it, making up for my mistakes that cost us so much time."
Never, never ever had the Ishida used the word love before. He'd made other statements that could be misconstrued and were roundabout but he'd never said them, and when he'd been young and foolish, with even lower self-esteem, he'd believed that maybe Ryūken didn't deem him worthy enough, time had shown him that he'd wanted to say them.
It'd been obvious to the raven haired man every time the conversation regarding Ginny's son had come into play or he mentioned a woman who'd made bedroom eyes at him instead of doing her job, etc. Ryūken wanted to make things work between them and he'd been too afraid to take the leap six months ago, too fearful that maybe he was wrong and reading the signals wrong over the phone.
So open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart
But the verbal confirmation was more than enough to let him know this was serious. That this was always serious and he was playing for keeps. There was no deliberate joke, he wasn't being duped.
"I love you too." Harry whispered. Ryūken's eyes searched his for hesitation and deceit but he found none and kissed him again, tenderly, this time. When he started the car and began driving again, there was a lightness in the car that wasn't there previously, and there was still most definitely sexual tension, but there wasn't a frantic feeling to it, just a finality, a 'This is going to happen but I'm going to enjoy the build-up', a...a seduction.
Ryūken's house was impressive but sterile, a lot like a bachelor pad and hospital combined, there were sparse photos of a young man that he assumed was his son, and one or two of his late wife, but Harry did not feel threatened and he stopped the Quincy from placing the photo down when he stared at it too long. Unable to put into words that it was okay, that he could still love her, because in a distant way, he loved her too, for loving Ryūken, he wasn't someone that many could understand, to the world, he was harsh, unfeeling and cold. Luckily, his soon to be lover seemed to get what he was incapable of communicating, gently tugging him along, distracting him with kisses and touches every few steps, taking off an item of clothing here and there, dropping it untidily on the floor.
Acceptance is the key to be
To be truly free
Will you do the same for me?
Harry woke the next morning, feeling a bit sore but wonderful overall. It was an added bonus that Ryūken had his arms wrapped around him tightly, making him smile happily, but he couldn't just sit there indefinitely like he wanted to, he had to use the bathroom and maybe he could surprise his lover with breakfast in bed. So with a bit of maneuvering, he managed to extract himself from his embrace and snagged his boxers, tugging them on.
Once he used the loo, he went about making use of the kitchen, deciding he was deep in slumber enough to use a little magic to speed along the breakfast making progress. Dancing to an invisible tune as he worked, he didn't notice anything amiss until the quiet clearing of a throat. His heart nearly stopped as he turned and realized that Ryūken was leaning in the doorway, watching, the wizard's heart sped up and he felt terrified, this is what he never wanted to bring up, things were going so well, Ryūken wouldn't want-
He felt a pressure on his fingers and opened his eyes. The normally stoic man was kissing his fingers with aching tenderness, his normally light blue eyes slightly darker with reprimands, for doubting him, and joy, he was still here, but love most of all. "Tell me later. I haven't had a good home cooked meal in years. Maybe you will teach me, koibito?" Harry was so happy and relieved, he would've cried. As it was, a single tear slid down his cheek, but it wasn't of sadness. Not anymore. From now on, it was only of happiness.
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
And there is no fear now
Let go and just be free
'Cause I will love you unconditionally (oh yeah)
I will love you (unconditionally)
I will love you
I will love you unconditionally
And that is the sequel to Someone Like You. Had lots of fun with this one admittedly. Recently saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier, so I might be writing a story for that crossover rather soon with Harry/Bucky. Hermione/Steve. Brock/Luna. Tell me what you all thought of this in a review. Ciao!