"Mashiro!" I said sharply. I glared at my vice captain, fighting my urge to strangle her. She looked down at her rice cake remains that were scattered upon my lap. I brought a hand to my face and squeezed my eyes shut. Calm down, it's fine. It was an accident. I casually brushed the crumbs off my black hakama. We had decided to take a break during one of our weekly perimeter patrols and sat cross-legged in a circle within the clearing. Coincidently, this was the very clearing that I used to train with Sakura. I think she appreciated the fact that although we no longer trained here, we made regular visits to this area. From the look of her face, I would guess that it brought a sense of nostalgia. When we first entered the clearing, I noted how Sakura's eyes seem to light up dramatically. It reminded me of the time we met. For some reason, I felt myself secretly hoping that she'd appreciate my gesture. When I saw the look on her face, I knew I had done the right thing.
I had picked the clearing as a destination because I believed that my division would be in need of some rest and relaxation before finishing our patrol. Unfortunately, the only one who seemed to be gaining nothing from this break was me.
"Why do you have to be so sensitive, Kensei? It was an accident. You get worked up over nothing. Some captain you are." Mashiro babbled on. I clenched my teeth. Count to three. One….two…."You should man up. It's not very reassuring to see you getting angry at the smallest things. You are such a baby." That's it. I lurched forward but an arm reached out and gripped my shoulder, pulling me back. I looked over to see Sakura looking at me with a single raised eyebrow. I narrowed my eyes at my green haired vice captain before reclining back to my cross-legged position. "Oh, now you're narrowing your eyes at me. Is that supposed to be intimidating? Why are you so mean to your vice captain? Why don't you take a walk and cool off? I'm sure the rest of the division would like a break from seeing your face." Her words were said in a manner that reflected a child angry at his parents. Her voice was whining and grating. I found myself asking what I had done to deserve such an immature vice captain on my division. I couldn't understand it, it was as though they ran out of all the competent vice captains and gave me whatever they had left.
"My division couldn't handle five minutes with you monitoring them." I said, my voice laced with venom. "If you were in charge, I have no doubt that I would be forced to resign my position for putting a child in charge."
"At least I would give them regular food breaks and not go on pointless tasks all the time." She spouted. My team turned their heads to face me, awaiting a reply to her comment.
"My 'pointless tasks' are assigned to me directly and they often have to do with the safety of the Soul Society." I said through gritted teeth. "Perhaps the reason that you are a lieutenant and I am a captain is solely due to the fact that you are unable to realize that fact."
Mashiro crossed her arms and continued to speak in that irritating voice of hers. "Why are you such a meanie towards me, Kensei? At first I thought it was because I was a girl but you don't bother Sakura at all." She pointed at Sakura who now wore an expression of shock at the realization that she'd become part of the conversation. "Why do you pick on me?" Mashiro dragged the last word out. I hated her so much right now.
"For one, Sakura doesn't act like an infant when I address her." I said. "Secondly, she actually has developed leadership abilities and has my respect as captain." Mashiro rolled her eyes and plugged her ears with her fingers. "Thirdly, her personality isn't nearly as annoying as yours!" Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sakura blushing a deep shade of red. I wasn't sure why she was so embarrassed. I was paying her a compliment after all. She should be proud.
"Sorry Kensei. I can't hear you." Mashiro singsonged while swaying back and forth, ears still plugged. I made another lunge forward, arms outstretched. This time, it took both Sakura and Kasaki's strength to hold me back. They exchanged a glance and with some effort, forced me back.
"She's like this all the time. You mustn't let it get to you." Kasaki said. The other four seats nodded in agreement. I looked back down at Mashiro who was now rolling on the ground making unidentifiable noises. They were right, of course. I looked to my right at Sakura who was looking at me with a worried expression although her face was still red from my comment. "Maybe it's best if you do go for a walk." I opened my mouth to object but he held a hand up. "I'll watch over Mashiro. I think we can manage for a few minutes without you." He gave me a friendly smile and motioned behind me.
After quick consideration I concluded that it would be best if I took a walk. If I had a few moments to myself, perhaps I'd be able to refrain from murdering Mashiro on the spot when the time came to finish our patrol. I had enormous amounts of faith in my division, much more than I had in my vice captain. "I won't be more than a few metres away from the clearing. If anything happens, I'll know." I said firmly. I stood up to go and Sakura mimicked me.
There was a small silence as we turned to face Sakura, unsure of what she was doing. She appeared to be stunned for a second but recovered quickly. "I'm going to go for a walk too. I need to stretch my legs." She said awkwardly. The group seemed to accept that as a legitimate excuse and went back to their individual activities and I started to walk away from the clearing. Sakura started to walk in my direction before seemingly switching paths.
"You're not coming with me?" I asked. I looked at her questionably. Her green eyes looked up.
"I'm sorry. I thought that when you said you wanted to go for a walk, you implied that you didn't want any company."
I raised my eyebrow. "I didn't mean that at all." Strange girl…
"Oh…" She said quietly. There was a pause between us before she finally continued. "So, would you want some company?"
I chuckled softly. "Sure. I don't mind." Her eyes lit up the same way they did when we entered the clearing. She sped up to join me at my brisk pace. She moved her bangs out of her eyes and gazed in admiration at the cherry blossom trees. It was nearing the end of the season and it was only a matter of time before this wondrous time passed for another year.
"They're beautiful." She said those words so quietly that if I hadn't been looking at her, I wouldn't have noticed that she said anything at all. "It's a shame this magical time happens once a year. It's my favourite season, you know."
"Why's that?" I asked, a curious tone lingering in my words.
"I can't quite place my finger on it but it's just the way it makes me feel. It makes you feel as though you know that everything's going to be alright. Sorry," she shook her head and closed her eyes. "I can't imagine that made any sense."
While I agreed that the meaning of her words was unclear, I could understand how she felt. "I figured that you would like the season for the pink tone within the blossoms."
"Why? Because I'm a girl?" She asked with mock anger. She stopped walking and crossed her arms. "That is quite shallow of you to say, captain." I stopped as well and turned to face her, crossing my arms as well.
"Give me a real reason then." I challenged. She rolled her eyes at me and leaned against a nearby tree. "Just as I thought, you can't think of a good reason." I grinned at my victory.
"I thought my previous reason was satisfactory." She stated.
"Or maybe you've finally accepted the fact that I'm correct." I moved closer to her, arms still crossed. My eyes focused on her slightly flustered face. "You joined my division this season. I'm surprised you didn't mention that as your reason."
She shrugged and looked back up at the sky. "I suppose that's true." I couldn't describe to you how she looked at that given moment with any justice. With the cherry blossoms falling around her, it became the perfect frame for the scene before me. Her hair swayed gently in the breeze and she took deep breaths, truly emerging herself in her surroundings. The way she was positioned against the tree seemed to represent a work of art. It was strange. Since Sakura joined my division, I realized what an asset she really was, both in fighting style and personality. While Mashiro constantly tried my nerves and annoyed the hell out of me, Sakura was my grounding point. Until she joined, I had thought that all women were as annoying as Mashiro. Sakura brought a feminine air to the group but also displayed leadership and a fighting style that couldn't be overlooked. She wasn't afraid of a fight or getting her hands dirty. She quickly gained my respect and admiration. There were times when I was alone with her that I felt the need to thank her for everything she's done for me. While she constantly told me how fortunate she was to be in my division, I never told her how fortunate it was for me to have found her. In the past weeks, I found it difficult to remember my division without her. She seemed to fit in perfectly with my group and had no trouble befriending everyone. One or two times I caught sight of her and Hiyori laughing about something Shinji did. She seemed to be compatible with everyone she met. It wasn't uncommon for me to hear compliments about her fighting style and immersion into my division. She kept me motivated each day and I knew that I would be totally lost without her. I must've been looking at her too intently because she caught me staring. "What?" she asked, giving me a look. Embarrassed, I shook myself out of my trance and quickly pretended to be interested in something else. Needless to say, I ultimately failed. She released the breath she was holding in and turned her attention away from me. Damn it. I've officially made it clear to her what a creeper I am. Smooth, Kensei. "Kensei?" At the mention of my name, I feebly looked back to her. "Did you really mean all those things you said earlier?" I furrowed my brow in confusion. She sighed. "Remember? When you were speaking to Mashiro?" A flood of memories returned and I nodded.
"Of course I meant them. Why would I say something I didn't mean?"
"Kensei, I want you to understand that I am the one who is being given the privilege of serving under your leadership. You can't expect me to accept those compliments easily." She blushed and bit her lip. "The best day of my life was when I met you. Naturally, I don't expect you to feel the same way. I just wanted you to know how I feel." I was touched by her words. I could tell by her tone of voice that they came straight from her heart. I could only imagine how difficult it must've been to say those words to her captain, her superior. I moved in closer to her, my body only a few inches away from hers.
"Sakura…" I said softly. I was unsure of what to say. The look on her face told me that she instantly regretted telling me how she felt.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-" I cut her off as my lips touched hers. I knew how risky I was being by kissing her. I was scared that she would pull away or flat-out reject my advance. Her lips felt soft against mine. My arms slowly wrapped around her waist and pulled her against me. Our kiss was far from heated; it instead was soft and cautious. Neither of us knew what to expect from the other. We were both scared of a negative reaction from the other. We broke apart at the same time, looking into each other's eyes. To my relief, she leaned in again and captured my lips once more. Her arms wrapped around my neck and immersed her fingers in my silver hair. I started to kiss with a little more force and she instantly responded. It was the perfect setting for our first kiss. We met at the beginning of the season and we ended the season with a kiss. Absolutely breathtaking. After a few heavenly moments, we pulled away. She was blushing again, but a wide smile was on her face. I took a moment to come back to reality and quickly fixed myself up. "We should probably get back to the division." She said, holding back a giggle. "They'll be wondering where we are." I nodded silently, trying to resume my role as captain. Although I walked back with a stoic air about me, I could feel her eyes on me. Right before we re-entered the clearing, I turned my head and gave her a hint of a smile before approaching my division.
"There you are! I thought that you got lost. I wouldn't be surprised that a dummy like you would wind up lost in the woods. I think it would be an improvement." Mashiro started ranting. Same old, same old. With a quick glance to Sakura, I motioned for my team to rise.
"I hope everyone had a nice break because we'll be patrolling for three more hours."
~.~.~
After three hours of patrolling and a whining Mashiro, we reached the 9th division headquarters. Night began to fall and my division split up and went back to the designated barracks. I returned to my living quarters and sat on the side of my bed. I brought my head down and wrapped my hands around my neck. I still couldn't come to a decision on whether I should pursue a relationship with Sakura. I wasn't even sure what came over me during our walk but whatever it was, she seemed to go along with it. The attraction was always there but I sometimes still viewed her as that student I saw at the academy and whether I liked it or not, I still held authority over her as captain. If I did try and form a relationship, it would have to be secret, at least at the beginning. We'd both have to do a decent job acting to prevent any suspicion. I brought one of my hands down and leaned my head upon the open palm. Maybe she doesn't want a relationship? Maybe that kiss was supposed to be a one-time event? Perhaps she'd never want to mention it ever again. I knew I was overanalyzing the situation but it certainly didn't hurt to be careful. We'd also have to be sure that Mashiro wouldn't get wind of our relationship. She'd no doubt tell everyone who was willing to listen and I couldn't let Sakura face that kind of embarrassment. I stood up and strode across the room to the window. Crossing my arms, I scanned the area. My eyes caught sight to two Shinigami talking to each other a few metres away. I watched them for a few moments before losing interest. After some consideration, I figured that I would do a quick patrol of the hallways before calling it a day. I exited my room and slowly made my way down the seemingly endless hallway. I stole a few glances within some of the open rooms and recognized a few faces here and there. I rounded the corner and collided with someone. Recovering quickly, I knelt down to help the Shinigami up when I realized it was Sakura. Out of all the Shinigami here, I had to knock down her. It wasn't that I didn't want to see her but I was still unsure of the whole situation and I hated to address her so prematurely. She looked up at me and gently pushed my hand away.
"It's okay. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself." She grinned at me and stood up, brushing herself off. "You came around that corner quite suddenly, captain. Is something troubling you, this evening?" She said the words coolly and yet, I felt as though she were teasing me. We both knew what had happened today and it appeared that neither of us would address it directly.
"Nothing. I'm just doing a quick patrol before I call it a night." I said as a matter-of-factly. "What are you doing in the hallways this late at night?"
"Same as you." She said, still smiling. "Just monitoring the hallways for any suspicious activity." I knew that she was just toying with me and I decided to challenge her.
"Oh really? Have you any incidents to report?"
Laughing softly, she shook her head. "If I find something, you'll be the first to know." She made a motion towards a room three doors down. "I have yet to check that room. Would you like to accompany me?"
I turned my head in that direction and looked back at her with a smirk. "No one is ever in that room. The lights are always off and no one has used it in well over two years."
"It can't hurt to check." She said innocently. "I can check it by myself if you're too scared."
"Why does it appear to me that you have ulterior motives?" I asked her.
"What would make you think that?" She moved towards the door and opened it. As predicted, it was pitch black inside with no one residing within. She motioned for me to follow her inside. I knew where this was going. I would've liked to tell you that I ignored her advance, bid her goodnight and retreated to my room like a respectable captain of the Soul Society. Nothing's ever that simple, is it? As I entered the room, I heard the door close and darkness cloaked me. "Kensei? I'm scared of the dark." She said in a playful tone. My hands found the edges of her robe and with my sight rendered useless, I leaned in and kissed her passionately. She spontaneously reacted and wrapped her arms around my neck in a firm grasp. I moved forward until her back was against the wall. She let out a gasp of realization and made a slight jump, wrapping her legs around my waist. She was easy to lift and with my hands supporting her back, I was able to gain more accessibility to her body. I broke away from her lips and placed kisses down her neck. I heard a slight moan escape from her lips and a sense of lust overcame me.
Fuck the 'overanalyzing' of my situation. Fuck the constant wondering of where this relationship was going. There was only her and I. There wasn't anyone else.
~.~.~
AN: There WILL be smut next chapter onward. This is a warning for those who assumed that because there was little to no smut in the previous chapters, there will be minor sexual content in the story. This is not the case. The content will get graphic. This is my warning to you.