Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine it is probably either from Bleach by Tite Kubo or Shinigami Lovers by Yuuki Ryou.

So yay! I found the manga name!

This was inspired by Bleach and this shoujo manga (Shinigami Lovers). I'll be using shinigami terms from Bleach which I will let you know of beforehand or incorporate it into the story. Such as the last wish thing. I will explain ideas taken as they show up in the story like author notes like this before it begins.

-An

Summary: "Hello, I am Tsukyomi Ikuto, shinigami, and I will be killing you. Any last wish?"

Bittersweet Blade

A Deal in the Dark

Maybe if I wasn't too shocked by what I heard in would have noticed how pretty his voice was or how soft his lips looked but I didn't. Not yet at least

I squeaked some undescript sound. I didn't remember how to speak. My voice was caught in my throat. I decided to shut up. With all the times I have seen death, you would think I would have gotten used to it. But I wasn't because facing death was a totally different thing.

He took a step closer, I remained frozen. He didn't smell like rot, decay or anything I would have associated with a shinigami. The only thing I smelled was only my sweat, beading down my forehead, sliding over my cheeks and down my neck. I looked up, he was tall. I felt my sweat rest on my collar bone for a second and then it dropped. He began speaking again.

"You're going to die." It was slow, smooth and monotone. Of course, I thought, I'm not the first person he has killed. But still the thought of being able to get used to doing this, this business was unnerving. Scary.

Fear was almost foreign to me until now.

I swallowed my spit, a horrible habit I noticed, and tried to get something coherent out of my mouth.
"Why?" my voice was just above a whisper but it was steady.

"It just is." As far as I was concerned, that was not a proper answer. I asked again, louder, stronger. Slightly angrier. I was getting back to myself.

"It just is." He too, spoke louder, stronger .I was about to ask again, my mouth opened.

"Stop would you?" he almost growled. "Honestly, this would have been much easier if you just stayed asleep" he put a hand through his hair, yanking it a bit.

I looked him over. He had a black robe with a band around his waist, the obi, as expected. His hair and eyes were the same as I remembered them. But the rest of him, physically he didn't age at all. He still the same age as years ago.

He looked over me and reached over to his back. I saw a glint of silver.

" Why?" I didn't want to die, but death is unavoidable. I could at least stall.

"No, why do you kill them if you don't want to?" I interrupted, rude but well needed.

"Orders. Now can we get this over or what?" he seemed to be getting annoyed with me.

"What happens if you disobey orders?" This was a no brainer but even if death is unavoidable, I could at least stall it.

"." he responded flatly. He still had his hand wrapped around a shiny blade, half unsheathed from its holder.

"How do you become a shinigami?" This one I was generally curios about.

"You die, got to the academy- graduate, take the test and well that's it." he pulled out his whole sword. It was a pure black katana glinting silver in the moon light. "Any more questions?" he smirked, he left side of his mouth twitching.

" Yes. Why did you become a shinigami?"

"It wasn't actually by choice. I'm from a family of nobles. We have to become one." He sighed. He looked over at my eyes silently asking if I had anything more to say. I did.

"How can I keep my life?" How can I ask this? Maybe I'm just getting my hopes up but I wish he'd say yes.

" You can't." he argued.

" Yes there is. You can't go killing around people just because, there's a reason. You're not telling."I jumped at him. I grabbed him by the neck. He looked surprised.

"How can you touch me?" He whispered.

"I could see shinigami for almost two years. Why is touching you so amazing?" He shook his head. Then there was roaring. His robe became a blur of black as he left the house. I followed him, though I was sure I shouldn't have.

When I stepped out of the door, I was pushed back by a gust of wind. There was a beast and he was fighting. It screamed again, its white tail with tribal markings slammed across the pavement, cracking it. No one in the neighborhood seemed to be disturbed by it.

A window lit up then, and the old lady across the street stuck her head out. I sighed in relief that I wasn't the only one, or that I wasn't crazy. It roared again, the wind amplifying it.

"Amu-chan, go back to bed." She hollered. My eyes widened. Couldn't she see this monster in front of her home? Couldn't she hear the ear-piercing shrieking? I know she's old but she's not deaf.

"Amu!" A hoarse voice screamed. I turned to see Ikuto's form running with his Katana unleashed and in a much bigger size than I imagined. I guess he finally took notice of me.

I also guess that this is where my life ends too, because all I saw was a skull mask. After that I blacked out.

Hey momma, what's heaven like?

I don't know, I've never been there before.

Can we go together?

Only if you're a good girl.

I woke up in darkness. I thought hell at least had fire. I got up, only to fall back again from pain in my abdomen. I put a hand up to feel bandaging across it. It turns out I wasn't dead.I turned my head to see Ikuto at my side.

"You," I hissed, partially from pain." Why didn't you kill me? "I narrowed my eyes at seeing him analyzing me. I shivered, crossing my arms to find thin straps at my shoulders, lacy ones…my night shirt was gone.

"And…What are you looking at!" I snapped blushing red.

"I'm… trying to figure you out." He drawled out slowly, carefully choosing his words. I tried getting up again and decided against it resting my head on the floor again.

"So, what was that thing?" I said staring out to the ceiling.

"A hollow." He said, eyes never leaving my body, my face heated up. Calming down I raised a brow to him. He expanded."They are corrupt spirits born from human souls that for various reasons never were able to go to Soul Society, he place where most departed souls and the Shinigami are." He sighed out.

I nodded slowly taking it in before restating my previous question. "Why didn't you let me die?" For once he looked at me directly in the eye before responding.

"You are to die by at my hands, no one else." And then he left the room. I closed my eyes to sleep, before silently praying that I'd see a tomorrow.

Urg, Ami's so annoying. I wish I was an only child!

Now, now. Be careful about what you wish for.

Why? Wishes are good things, they make me happy.

But would others be happy? Like your Mama and Papa?

No, Sensei.

I did wake up, nearly sleeping most of my weekend off. I got up, just barely from my bed. Sitting up I slowly remembered I was last left on the floor. He must have put me here. I smiled learning that at least even shinigami have hearts or something like that.

I got dressed up headed into the kitchen, got some breakfast and went into the living room. Seating myself down on the sofa I watched the news, Mrs. Kuriko was reporting the weather.

"Hmm, today seems good." I commented shoveling down another spoon of yogurt down.

"Hmm, so it is." A velvet voice beside me answered. I froze, slowly I turned to its owner and nearly jumped, almost dropping my yogurt.

"Y- you- you, what are you doing here?" I pointed a finger at him; he raised a brow and smirked in return.

"Well, you're alive, aren't you?" I nodded. "And my job is…?" He gestured a hand.

"To kill me?" I squeaked. It was at this point I imagined epic chases in my house with him swinging his scythe around like a cat and mouse chase, but of course that's all in my head. Instead he turned to me and seriously said;

"Now what's the last wish you have before you die?" My wish was to meet you but after that I never knew what I wanted, I wanted to say, but I don't since that's just creepy. What teenager wants to meet the face of death?

So instead, I breathe out "I don't know. To live longer?" He chuckles at that.

"Sorry sweetheart but that's not going to work." He teases. "Well, it's Sunday, I've spent enough time in the living world, so you got to decide soon." I know he's serious because he reaching out behind his obi again and it's getting harder to breathe.

"Can I get till 7 tonight to tell you my response?" I plead. His hand retreats and now sits calmly in his lap. He looks at me like he thinks I can cheat death before he responds with a yes. I storm out of the house grabbing the nearest shoes.

At first, when I leave I try to do all the things I ever wanted. But everything is so lonely. It's not fun rushing things either. So then I walk around aimlessly for the most part, calculating. I've got 3 hours till my death. If I had to even write all I wanted to do its going to take more than 3 hours, and that's just writing.

I sighed there was only one I wanted right now and I was sure it wouldn't be possible. I decided to leave my decision.

The rest of the day,I spend it with my friends. Because after all, who knows when I last get to live a normal life or live at all.

10 minutes to seven I arrive home. Ikuto seems to be sitting in the exact same place he was when I left.

"So?" He asks. I take a deep breathe in and go on impulse.

"I want some time. As much time as you can give me. So I can leave without regrets," Ikuto seems to about to object, but I cut him off." I know this sounds selfish, but I wasted the life I've lived, and I want to make up for it now."

Suddenly I realize how stupid this is, and how this may be the biggest mistake ever, but I can't take back my words now so I try to stay strong as I can. I squeeze my eyes shut waiting to feel unimaginable pain but nothing ever comes.

Slowly I open an eye to see Ikuto with a look of anguish on his face. I want to go and hug him, ask him, pat his head or something but I don't know if I'm allowed to. I open both eyes now and open my mouth to respond until he breaks the silence.

"You're going to have to go to Hell though." He said solemnly. Was he actually sad?

"What?" I said. Outside I could hear a car parking and the familiar beeping. The family was home.

"For the price of elongating you're life you have to go to hell. Under circumstances it'll only be temporary but to figure out yours I'd have to go back to Soul Society and ask the Elder and I don't have time for that." He rushed it out.

"I have a time limit here and it's about to end. Are you absolutely sure about this?" He explained. I could faintly hear the sound of keys through the doorknob. My eyes flashed to it before I came to look at him again.

"Yes." And he was gone. Ami hugged me from behind, I shivered. I hadn't realized how hot it gotten. Mama's heels were clicking towards me, I ran to my room and into bed before she could see my face.

I probably looked dead, like I was supposed to be.

After all I just said yes to an unknown time in hell.

Next Chapter: A Walk with the Dead

TBC

Ugh, I suck I know. I was just…yeah. I'm not giving anymore promises, so bear with me, yeah?

So um, though I wasn't writing I got most of the plot in my head. So if I ever say chapters were delayed to to writers block, you guys are allowed to shoot me in your heads and tell me all the gory details.

And I hate how fanfiction changes my formatting.

-An