A/N: Welcome back! I mean me, not the readers...this one's for you guys. Welcome back! I'm writing on more than one fanfiction at a time and working...which is lame in comparison but necessary...here we go this fic isn't just about Love and Rose, there's this stuff...it all goes together.
DISCLAIMER: Don't own Bleach or any of the characters, I just lock myself in my room & make them bend 2 my muse's will.
Kuchiki Sōjun's restless reiatsu was driving his father mad.
To be honest he wasn't far from it before his young son's uncontrolled spiritual pressure had meandered over to brush his, since Ginrei had somehow gotten himself into a discussion with Yamamoto and only one of the most skilled social conversationalist could get out of one before the soutaichō was finished talking. Ginrei knew Yamamoto wouldn't even have to stretch to feel the melancholy intent of Sōjun's reiatsu, and while the boy had long ago learned to be noble on the outside his attempts had so far been only exceedingly shoddy on the inside. His rebellious teenage years had continued in more subtle-yet no less rebellious-ways.
"Sōjun-kun," Ginrei saw almost imperceptible movement of his son's head, barely a fraction of an inch in his taichō's direction, and the equally imperceptible upward tilt of one sculpted brow, which said 'I'm listening,' and rather rudely in Noble. "Keep your reiatsu to yourself boy."
"Hai Taichō," Sōjun crooned, violet-blue eyes sliding to the newly blossoming cherry trees, the light pink calling to him from the nearby courtyard. He focused on his reiatsu as his eyes lazily enjoyed the fluffy pink trees.
There were plenty of flowering trees on the Academy grounds, but this particular courtyard had been claimed by Sōjun as his place, where he attempted to attain the silence so hard to find anywhere else at Shinō. It was in this small space alone that the Kuchiki house allowed the finest cultivar previously created and grown only on the palace grounds.
The first had been transplanted the weeks following the dream where Sōjun had first spoken to his zanpakutō. In the very center there were two, one symbolizing Sōjun, the other his zanpakutō. Then circled around the outside two more when he learned his zanpakutō's name and achieved shikai (the tree signifying his mastering of his zanpakutō had been planted in the courtyard outside his quarters at the Kuchiki estate where he had finally found success over a holiday), the other when he figured out the nuances of kidō, one for hakuda and even zanjutsu.
Yamamoto went on about the dumb things captain's worried about. Sōjun had some of those himself-third seat's duties-but he'd be damned if he carried them outside the sixth division, not when his damned title clung to his back like a desperate ape as well.
As he thought about the strangling weight hanging on his shoulders his gaze flickered to the two older shinigami still going on at the mouth, especially his father.
Since he was suppressing his reiatsu at Ginrei's request (and it was the trees that had really prompted him to accompany his father on this outing) Sōjun didn't hesitate to shunpo toward his courtyard. Eyes and heart intent on the trees he ignored his father's call. The sweet scent enveloped him as he stopped on the opposite side of the courtyard, just outside the ring of trees. He turned cool eyes on the trees nestled inside the ring one in particular, moving past the others as he broke the circle, still small. The rough bark of the tree positioned nearest to the central one-his tree, the first planted-scraped along his noble's hands, soft but calloused from decades of swordplay.
Sōjun's eyes lifted to study the branches noticing how they tended to grow reaching toward the central tree as if it were somehow a source of nutrition, a sun. The outer trees' blossoms appeared akin to the blades of his shikai-the palest pink-but the third tree found in the center, when it bloomed, grew the purest white flowers.
The woman it symbolized lived in his heart even if he'd been promised to someone else…just as noble but with a better reputation. It grew here beside Sōjun and zanpakutō's trees because his father had forbid her a symbolic tree on the Kuchiki grounds, even if all the gossipmongers had them already secretly married.
The young noble's sigh was loud enough to break the tranquil silence around the tree. Best not let Ginrei see, Sōjun shunpoed back just as Yamamoto lifted a hand up to catch the attention of the shinigami at the outer door that lead into the classroom commonly used for the entrance exams.
Ginrei didn't hesitate when Sōjun appeared a few steps behind him; he turned and aimed a glare of reproach at his son. Sōjun, although young and untried in the eyes of the Kuchiki household, knew how to avoid things like that since plenty of his relatives had glowered at him whenever they'd chanced to see him in her company. As they moved together into the classroom he lifted a hand to arrange the hair in his kenseikan, successfully blocking his father from view.
Like most of the inner classrooms of the Academy the lecture space was at the base of the tiered seating, the top level of which he now stood just inside the door leading to the freedom of the outdoors. He was surprised to feel the need to flee, much like he had when things had gotten to be too much in his youth, the stress of his noble position on top of that of a student's worries.
He forced himself to take a deep, centering breath, eyes haughtily sweeping the room to see that there were a handful of shinigami and nobles interested in the next generation of Academy alumni. One of the men grabbed his attention with a vigorous wave of his hand, and it only took him a moment to recognize current fifth seat Shirogane Ginjirō, and another moment to resist making a rude face at the sycophant, especially when Ginrei returned the gesture with a much more restrained lift of his wrinkled hand.
Face a stoic mask, Sōjun said nothing as Ginrei followed Yamamoto down the central stairs until he reached Ginjirō's level then he gave his superior a bow of his head and parted ways. Thankfully Ginrei put himself between his son and fifth seat, knowing that something about his subordinate somehow rubbed Sōjun the wrong way (although no one should have noticed the minute tells his heir couldn't quite control).
As they started to talk in hushed murmurs Sōjun wondered if his father would notice if he entertained himself with meditation. A few levels below them Yamamoto found his designated seat at a long table with five large pillows, his the only one unoccupied, centered between the other four.
Only those lucky enough to have a hold of noble purse-strings didn't bother with proving they deserved a place at the Academy, to be noble was to have spiritual pressure. No questions asked.
Yamamoto and the others seated with him couldn't deny anyone of noble birth initially, they couldn't say no to funds for the Academy's coffers. Even with such constraints the soutaichō kept a keen eye on all the students, made sure none were treated special, and if it became obvious that they weren't Gotei material, even nobles weren't allowed to waste space.
After a few months any noble that was still left was acutely aware that they weren't to take their free rides for granted.
Today were the less fortunate, the surprising amount from Rukongai and members of lesser noble families that didn't have deep enough purses. Some of these applicants had sponsors (someone that had already proven themselves) current Academy students; even shinigami.
Before Yamamoto could call forth the sponsorship hopefuls a familiar laughter peeled through the curtain into the hallway. As it carried to Ginrei's refined reiatsu-enhanced ears a thrill of irritation ran up his ramrod straight spine, Sōjun noticed both the sound and his father's suddenly rigid posture (the difference between a noble's proper posture and a warrior on guard again one of the things only another noble could catch).
It wasn't as if they disliked Yoruichi Shihōin (nothing so rude) she had even spent her childhood betrothed to Sōjun before she had become enamored with…another. She wasn't too much of a problem in private, when alone in her company one could play her informal word games.
Sometimes Ginrei wished she acted like the noblewoman he had seen take action both in court and more recently the Gotei, he knew she could behave, but then she and his son might be able to stand one another. Ginrei wasn't sure if he could handle such a daughter-in-law, although he would never admit it aloud his son's current distraction would be better, what little of the grey-eyed girl he'd seen seemed calm and quiet.
Unfortunately Ginrei knew Yoruichi Shihōin had been allowed to grow up almost rule-less. Ginrei's eyes narrowed as a messy blond head complete with shoulders thrust out of the curtain that led to the outer hall.
Urahara.
If his son couldn't stand Yoruichi Teasing today, there was no way he'd stay his sword with that…uncouth…shamelessly flirtatious…Ginrei agreed with his son that letting Yoruichi spend even an iota of time with Kisuke Urahara had been sheer folly.
I don't get paid enough for this, Ginrei turned to Sōjun who would no doubt soon sense Yoruichi's reiatsu, he was already a master of the spiritual pressure he had developed since birth.
Unless she provoked him, as was norm. "Sōjun-kun I know it is not your wish to stay. That you would do your duty still makes me proud," Ginrei glanced to the curtained door. "If you wish, you may leave for the day."
Since Sōjun knew there was a stack of paperwork growing at the sixth division and a sweet-faced lady secretly in wait, the dark-headed noble nodded and couldn't escape fast enough.
#
"We're the youngest here you know," A familiar voice behind him caught Aikawa's attention. He turned to see the blond of before, sitting not two feet from him. He was wearing different clothes today, hakama with a kimono tucked into the pants, but they still looked too fine for Rukongai.
"Dunno, wasn't payin' much attention." Aikawa admitted.
"That's how I snuck up on you. What were you distracted by then?" His golden eyebrows arched upwards.
"Reiatsu," He peered over with narrowed brown eyes. "You were the first person I ever met with it," He noticed the lack of it now, and wondered at why he might miss it.
"Ah, I'm not so lucky, even most of the staff have to have some of it to work for…" He trailed off as he realized how rude and odd he was coming across. "Gomen…I'm Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō, third in succession for the title of twentieth Head of the Ōtoribashi clan -"
"That's alotta words; you don't have a shorter version?" Aikawa interrupted when it looked like Rōjūrō might not stop.
In truth it was the teasing grin that came with the other man's interrupting words that broke the noble's vocal and mental stride. "Um…M-most people stick with Rōjūrō," He supplied. "What about you Aikawa-san?"
With a shrug, "Aikawa's fine."
"Well, I was curious as to how much it would cost me to get a tour?" Rōjūrō told himself not to flirt but those eyes…they had hit him when they'd first clicked together in that Rukongai alley, and the reaction of his body had been similar only moments ago when Aikawa'd turned to see the blond behind him.
One dark eyebrow lifted higher than the other. "Tour'a what?"
Really? He hadn't thought there'd be much brain with such rippling muscle but seriously? "The district."
"Hn. Which one?" Although he knew any district about as good as he knew the Seireitei there was a part of him that was curious about the long-named noble. He hadn't met one that seemed so…not noble. Not that he'd met many nobles. Honestly up until meeting Ōtoribashi, having just met one had been one noble too many.
"The 38th obviously," Came out a little exasperated.
"I was only passin' through, I don't really have a place of my own," Aikawa shrugged.
"Then why…" Purple eyes narrowed fractionally and suddenly he stood. "Who are you?"
Some of the other applicants looked over and Aikawa pushed to his feet and was confronted with an oppressive wall of reiatsu. "Don't remember my name. I showed up here couple'a years ago." Having noticed a difference in the intensity of Rōjūrō's spiritual pressure Aikawa focused on whatever sense told him, all his skin could feel was pressure, something else told him this rich boy was two seconds from violence. "Was waitin' for a district with a name I liked."
"Y-you weren't born…I mean what district did you arrive in? Woke up in?" Rōjūrō felt the spill of Aikawa's reiatsu, and noticed those dark eyes were unfocused as he tried to grasp this extra sense. Rōjūrō reached out after calming himself and his reiatsu and touched Aikawa's shoulder. "Sit."
They both sat, backs pressed to the wall beside each other and Rōjūrō didn't interrupt Aikawa's concentration. There was again – however – no reiatsu against Aikawa's and he turned his eyes to meet Rōjūrō's, his expression perplexed. "How do you do that?"
"You do it," Rōjūrō answered with a grin, knowing exactly what the man was asking about. "You totally snuck up ninja-style in the bordello when you knocked that brut out that tried ambushing me."
A few things clicked in Aikawa's brain at those words, the least important that he could indeed hide his reiatsu. "Bordello?"
"Not enough naked ass for it to be obvious?" A pout curled the blond's lips. "Well I got in deep shit with my bodyguard…Ito the one that knocked you out – SorrySorrySorry – and now… Shinōreijutsuin."
Aikawa nodded as the blond spoke, "You gotta long word for everything don't you?"
Rōjūrō grinned, "Probably."
"I assume y'meant the Academy. Comin' here was a punishment?" Aikawa murmured.
"Ito told Otousan about my mischief…" Amethyst eyes crinkled at the corners and Aikawa froze as he saw tears glisten in them. "He broke my favorite harp!" Came out rushed and indignant before he pressed his lips together a beat than, "Then started in on the rest of them before I could bargain this…taming my rebellious reiatsu at Shinōreijutsuin."
"Harp?"
"Yes. You play?"
"Hell no, just…You said 'rest of 'em' s'that mean you gotta harp collection?"
"I have a few but I also have a few guitars, a piano…" He gave a sniffle and blinked his eyes dry. "I've had my eye on this beautiful sitar but I'm still learning the harp."
"Shit," Aikawa nodded with a smile. "You learn to play on each one, no wonder ya keep 'em…They got your blood'n'sweat all over 'em."
Rōjūrō's face scrunched up in a odd cute combination of a smile and grimace at the mental imagery even as he nodded, "They're each important. You get it…Could you try explaining that to Otousan," He snorted and rolled his eyes knowing his father wouldn't understand. "Anyway…I already have a fair bit of control over my spiritual pressure…there are several areas I'm lacking in discipline according to Otousan."
"Discipline?"
"Well," Rōjūrō suddenly blushed and Aikawa noticed easily on his pale skin. "I don't use the abilities I do have wisely…not my words!"
Just what he might use such things for Aikawa had no clue, although the blush said a lot.
"Shinōreijutsuin trains their students' reiatsu in all ways. I need more discipline is the general consensus in the Ōtoribashi household. I never would have agreed if he hadn't been so…cruel…barbaric…"
Aikawa's snort of laughter wasn't as dainty and it brought sharp purple eyes to his. There was a moment of silence before Rōjūrō opened his mouth to indignantly ask what the noise had been for…
"Mrow."
Swinging his eyes back to Rōjūrō Aikawa watched his long tapered fingers reach out for sniffing inspection from a black cat. Most animals in Rukongai learned to steer clear of humans, but he'd never seen one react like this one was to those pale wiggling fingers.
"Aw, Neko-chan," Rōjūrō crooned, peering over at Aikawa as the feline tilted her head up to admit the noble's scratching fingertips. "Look."
Knowing he didn't hold whatever magic power Rōjūrō possessed Aikawa made sure to move slowly. "Ohayou Neko-chan," He let his hand dangle over his bent knee, near the cat's pointed ears. The cat angled her head and sniffed a nearby finger.
"She's too pretty to be a stray," Rōjūrō murmured, feeling a chill as her golden eyes seemed to glow at the compliment. "Not many strays in the Seireitei either."
"What are ya getting' at?"
"Pet her already," Rōjūrō made a face at him and with a shake of his head Aikawa chuckled and reached forward to scratch gently.
"Koneko-chan!"
After years of getting shouted and chased it took only that one to drive Aikawa to his feet. He hesitated when Rōjūrō lost his balance and fell backwards onto his ass, shoulder blades meeting the wall they'd been leaning against.
"Mrow!"
"Now, now!" A shinigami with blond disheveled hair suddenly appeared and swooped on the feline.
Rōjūrō shook his head, trying to get back his wits and feet as the cat escaped the newcomer's clutches. Even with Aikawa's warm hand enveloping his to pull him to his feet and making the wit-gathering problematical Rōjūrō noticed just how fast the blond shinigami was. As Rōjūrō reached his feet he had mind enough to wonder how much faster the cat had to be to escape the quick shinigami's hands. So fast she seemed to just vanish, he froze as the shinigami's green eyes sought his.
"Gomen," The shinigami gave Rōjūrō and Aikawa a bow of his blond head before rushing off after the cat.
"Did you see how fast he was?" One of the applicants asked another in sotto voce.
"Shunpo," Came the reply. "If you don't even know what it is you should leave."
The youngest there shared a glance. Aikawa released the blond's hand when he realized he still held it. "I can't move that fast."
"I learned a while ago but…None of my guard can so I don't get to utilize it much," Rōjūrō admitted. "I'm horribly out of practice…Like the lute…"
Aikawa's eyebrows shot up at the abrupt topic change. "Lute?"
"I haven't played one in years," Rōjūrō gave a nervous chuckle and pushed an escaped lock of golden hair back behind his ear.
"Maybe I should go," Aikawa frowned as his eyes scanned the hall, wondering how many students they were letting in.
"No!" Rōjūrō protested. "You're the only interesting person here, Love."
"And that gets me into this academy? That shinigami looked younger than me!" Aikawa shot back, he saw the spark of hurt in his wide purple eyes and he frowned as he felt guilt flood him.
"You two have eaten right?" Interrupted anything Rōjūrō might have countered with.
"Huh?" Aikawa leaned forward to see around Rōjūrō, prompting the noble to turn as well. The blond shinigami of before was sitting next to them.
"Food? Have you eaten any lately?" He asked again slowly, reclining against the wall sloppily, hair practically covering his eyes (maybe on purpose?).
"I had breakfast," Rōjūrō gave an elegant shrug of one shoulder. He glanced back in time to see Aikawa nod in agreement.
"Breakfast was hours ago," The shinigami chastised.
"Hey," Aikawa finally found his mouth, remembered how to speak. "You work here?"
"Kuso…m'so rude…" The blond mumbled then closed his eyes a moment. "Gomenasai," He chuckled. "Urahara Kisuke, fukutaichō of the second division."
Did everyone have such long titles? Aikawa looked over to Rōjūrō as he practically sang, "Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō, third in succession for the title of twentieth Head of the Ōtoribashi clan."
Both green and lavender eyes swiveled to Aikawa and he gave a nod of his head, "Aikawa."
"My turn?"
The three looked up in equal surprise to see a woman with mischievous golden eyes, reminiscent of the furry friend of earlier. Aikawa was surprised to notice he was now standing once those golden eyes released him from their grasp to find Kisuke's.
"Her Royal Highness, 26th head of the Shihōin clan, Sōshireikan of the Onmitsukidō…" Kisuke somehow managed to use the wall and his legs to slide up to his feet with hardly any effort. "I'm sure there's a haiku your father wanted in there Yoru-chan."
"Baka skip it I'm on Gotei business anyway!" The dark woman waved the haiku idea away with a well-manicured, long-nailed hand.
"But it was Otousan's dying wish that you should be properly honored -"
"Shihōin Yoruichi taichō of the second division," Yoruichi said decisively. "Oh…" Her hand shot out with lightening speed and crushing strength to punch and it seemed to land but Kisuke remained unfazed, leaning one shoulder nonchalantly against the wall to turn toward Rōjūrō. "And it doesn't fuckin' matter if they've eaten; they're going in to see Yama-jiji."
"I know," Kisuke yawned, eyes fastening on curious purple eyes. "I was just making conversation; these two aren't up for much."
"Really?" Yoruichi grinned as Kisuke's eyes darted to meet hers at the infliction of her voice. She knew Kisuke was a sucker for odd-colored eyes. Rōjūrō's were obvious, but she wondered if he'd notice the spectrum of emotions in Aikawa's soulful brown eyes.
"We were havin' a conversation fine before you showed up," Aikawa shrugged. "'Have you eaten?' Just ain't as interestin'."
Yoruichi turned to hide a grin and moved to open a nearby exit. Outside a handful of the Academy kitchen staff were waiting with tall stacks of trays filled with various proteins and vegetables.
"Domo arigatō," Yoruichi gave a bow to the staff as they entered and set up the food for all of the applicants.
"We're going to be late," Kisuke murmured to Yoruichi as they helped unstack and arrange the short-legged trays.
"Can't be," Yoruichi argued with a look that made Kisuke almost drop his tray.
"Sure we can," Kisuke insisted, now wanting to be late for a different reason, he curled his fingers tight around the tray so he could resist leaning in to breathe the words in her sensitive ear.
"I told Yama-jiji we needed a few minutes for reinforcing the recruits' spiritual pressure," She glanced over to see Aikawa commandeering two trays. "C'mon dig in everyone. Y'won't win a scholarship without every bit of your spiritual pressure behind you!"
The cluster of shabbily-dressed Rukongai didn't seem to trust the ready supply of so much food, but none stayed reluctant for long against the scent.
Aikawa noticed the noble was just sitting there, gaze on all the movement around them as one dish was swapped for another, from group to group. "Eat."
"Hm, Love?" Rōjūrō murmured turning to look at him.
"Eat," Aikawa pointed with his chopsticks at the tray he'd grabbed for him without thinking.
"I had breakfast."
"Me too…" Aikawa lifted one brown eyebrow curiously at the blond. "Noble belly too sensitive?"
Just as it looked like Rujuro was about to throw a punch Kisuke reappeared. "I would try to get used to it," He noticed Aikawa's half-empty tray. "If you get in real good with the Head of Mess Noboru you get whatever you want…She likes respect – all of the staff does – they don't tolerate cowards."
"Is that the uniform?" Rōjūrō nodded his head toward the Academy uniform on the staff collecting the empty trays, some in red and white and some in grey and white. "Thought it was what you've got on!"
"They are wearing the Academy uniform," Even Kisuke's reply sounded like it was said with a frown, like Rōjūrō as he looked at the Academy uniform. The shinigami made no secret his disappointment with the Academy uniforms, after first seeing the shinigami shihakushō.
"Do you know about the test?" Aikawa managed around a mouthful of rice, turning to glare at Rōjūrō until he started eating more earnestly.
Kisuke chuckled and he earned both their gazes, "Hoh, me?"
"You're a shinigami so you've gone through them?"
"He bought his way in," Yoruichi interrupted, taking Aikawa's empty tray. "Eat," She instructed Rōjūrō before departing with the tray as fast as she'd appeared.
"She bought my way in," Kisuke gave Aikawa a wicked grin and the soulful brown eyes widened and dropped the rice ball still in his hand. "Aikawa…" He chuckled softly at the embarrassed man. His brain usually shut-off when thinking about Yoruichi, the grin had been at his thoughts, not Aikawa.
The fukutaichō opened his mouth to try and explain when angry reiatsu marched along his own. He looked up in time to see Aikawa's eyes fly up to stare at Rōjūrō, the source of the reiatsu if the set of his blond eyebrows was any indication. "Gomen," Kisuke turned his head to hide his face and catch Yoruichi's eye, only to find her gone.
"Do you know exactly what they might ask of us?" Rōjūrō barked, his heart suddenly racing as he felt the rush of his own reiatsu, more specifically where it angrily rubbed along Kisuke and Aikawa's.
The blush was a wonderful accent to the man's pale face as Rōjūrō took a deep breath and focused on taming his reiatsu. He lowered his head and closed his eyes and Kisuke made sure to look his fill of the other blond's flushed face before turning to find Aikawa staring at Rōjūrō too.
"Did you see where Yoruichi went?" Kisuke asked instead of giving the modest noble pointers on the fine art of molesting someone effectively with one's reiatsu, he had already been tempted several times by those sharp lavender eyes. "Gomen I have to find her. Good luck." He started to turn, and then paused, "No matter what, don't fall asleep or pass out."
Before they could object Kisuke moved down the hall toward the classroom for today's entrance interviews. Just around the corner Yoruichi pounced, nails digging into the sturdy fabric of his shihakushō to lead him out of sight, his back slamming into the wall.
With a pleased purr Yoruichi attacked his unshaven throat, her tightly controlled reiatsu unfurling to press around his. "Oh admit it fukutaichō," The rumble of her purr came out as she spoke.
"And what should I – without decent torture by-the-by – divulge my taichō?" Vibrated along her lips as they kissed his neck.
"Which one turned you on?" She whispered.
"He totally cheated baby," Kisuke admitted in a breathless groan as Yoruichi's reiatsu did what Rōjūrō's had unintentionally, and with much less fury in her intent.
"Kisuke-dono," Came scathing and thunderous.
Yoruichi felt Kisuke go still and she sighed and pulled away to give any interloper second thoughts with a glare. "What are you doing here?" She laughed instead, the Look of Death dropping off her face as spectacled eyes swept the hall around them to make sure that it was indeed empty save the three of them.
"Being the reasonable clear-headed man that I am I think I might be saving the fledgling careers of two of my dearest friends," Tessai's large-than-life voice was at odds with the heated gaze that peered over his slim glasses at the sight of them pressed together.
"Che," Yoruichi gave her dark-haired friend a sultry gaze as her hand traveled into the kimono of Kisuke's shihakushō. The blond loved any attention, when her hand slid across his chest to his nipple she found them already hard, not a big surprise considering it was matching the current situation in his hakama.
Since Yoruichi was personally privy to Tessai and Kisuke's fascination with signs of arousal – nipples especially – she knew what she was doing when she slid her hand deeper and pushed his loosened uniform showing half an areola topped with a rosy nub. She pressed her hand against his chest to hold the material out of the way so she could drag her rough tongue over the bared nipple.
She didn't bother stopping until both men moaned, then she straightened Kisuke's kimono and stepped back. She could feel the spiritual pressure of both men, sandwiching her purposefully between them while they considered her punishment.
Excitement sped the nibantai-taichō's heart and of course both of her men felt the difference in her reiatsu, could no doubt feel the thud of her heart and the arousal in her intent. She watched the two exchange a silent glance and not for the first time the princess thought the two must share some telepathic bond.
They had known each other long before Yoruichi met either of them, Tessai was the first – and only soul for a while – that Kisuke had known after he'd departed the World of the Living to arrive in Soul Society. They had been nakama, almost a decade before she'd come to know first Kisuke, then his shier, older counterpart Tessai.
"We'll be late," Kisuke said again as if discussing the weather, his reiatsu doing sinful things, not to her, but to her reiatsu, the thin shield she still hadn't dropped. Neither man had pushed past that casual barrier but feeling with their spiritual pressure was more than normal touch.
"Then later," Tessai turned and continued down the hall toward the designated room, his reiatsu still deviously rubbing along Yoruichi and Kisuke's. It slowly lessened as he walked away but even as he peeked over his shoulder at them there was enough to feel his parting sorrow, no matter how brief their separation.
It tugged the both of them from the wall, hand-in-hand to casually shunpo in tandem a few steps ahead of the quiet shinigami. While in the flash step Kisuke tried to adjust the spiritual pressure of his shunpo to match Yoruichi's on-the-fly, he knew from experience that his step was longer but Yoruichi's was faster.
There was a certain feline quality to Yoruichi's unrestrained laughter as Kisuke tripped as she stepped a fraction of a second before him physically and temporally. Her free hand caught the front of his kimono as she tried to keep him from falling into the exam hall head-first. She watched as his free hand shot out to brace on the threshold, his blond head darting out between the curtains to catch a glimpse of a room they had never been invited into.
Not physically, because this was one of the most used (being the largest-but-not-too-large room at the Academy) not a teacher didn't use it, but with the purse-strings of then-household-head, her father, neither of them had been subjected to the panel. They had spoken to Yamamoto, everyone that attended the Academy had to, but it had been at the soutaichō's personal quarters in his austere garden with tea.
As always Tessai tried to keep a straight face but his mirth was apparent in his voice, "I think I hear Yamamoto-soutaichō ordering someone about."
"So business as usual," Kisuke nodded after regaining his feet, his body subsequently and lasciviously pressed against his lady's.
Yoruichi opened her mouth to tease the blond when Tessai enclosed them both in a warm reiatsu-covered hug, pressing a kiss to first Kisuke's head, then Yoruichi's. Kisuke pressed his lips to Yoruichi's as their faces pressed close and whispered, "Sōjun's sitting in the fifth row, third seat - how apt – I think he's asleep with his eyes open."
Before the dark-headed man could push aside the curtain into the classroom Yoruichi made sure the bare minimum of professional space was between them all restraining her mirth to a soft snicker. Tessai double-checked the other two since they seldom stopped stretching those boundaries in front of sticklers for protocol like Yamamoto.
"We were just about to begin," Yamamoto's old voice crackled across the room and all three of them were instantly thrust back into their Academy days. Even Yamamoto's murmur was powerful enough to send them shunpoing into the audience with a gravely, "Take your seats."