As Shuuhei saw things, every day he woke up next to Ai started as a great day. Today however, was not going to stay that way. He let out a heavy sigh. It wasn't even noon and so many things had gone wrong that he wasn't sure he wanted to work for the rest of the day. His mood was low and Shuuhei thought that maybe just a glimpse of Ai would help turn his day around. He flash stepped to a building near the Academy. From where he stood, he had a view of the courtyard where the students ate lunch. They wouldn't have many nice days left to sit out in the courtyard. Autumn was fast approaching bringing cooler weather with it.

He saw her walk out. Shuuhei knew that this was what he needed. Just seeing her shifted his mood. He looked at the person Ai was talking to and he would have mistaken the blue haired man for a woman if it hadn't been for his uniform. Shuuhei watched and wished he could hear what they were talking about. He couldn't remember Ai mentioning a man she had lunch with. Had she told him about her friends at the Academy? Shuuhei couldn't remember.

Ai playfully shoved him and the man laughed at her. Shuuhei's mood fell as he watched her flirt with the man. There was no other way to describe the way she touched him. The thing that sent him back into his dark mood was when the man kissed Ai's hand lavishly as she sat down for lunch. She made no attempt to stop him. It was as if she welcomed it and wanted him to do it. Shuuhei flash stepped back to the ninth division offices and locked himself inside, drowning in his foul mood, his work and a bottle or two of sake.

...

Rin had been the top student in his class since he had started at the Academy. Since Ai started at the Academy, he had become the second best student. He didn't mind. Ai was a smart woman and beautiful. Maybe if he had been interested in women, he would have asked her out. Rin had dark green eyes and long blue hair that he kept tied back. When Ai had joined their class, he had taken it upon himself to befriend her. They had lunch together that day and he learned a little about her. She had mentioned a boyfriend who was a shinigami and he could tell by the way she talked about him that she loved her boyfriend.

As they reached their lunch table, he took Ai's hand and kissed it with flourish. This was nothing unusual for Rin. He kissed all the girls' hands as they sat down for lunch. He tried to kiss the guys' hands but they were too quick for him and he rarely succeeded.

Ai laughed at him. Rin could always make her laugh. He was a great friend and he helped tutor her per the Captain Commander's orders. She had lectures she needed to catch up and she'd spend time with him after classes going over what she needed to know.

As their study session ended, Ai said goodbye to Rin and made her way to Shuuhei's quarters. She was surprised that he was not home already. He was usually always home before her. While she waited for him, she read through her books, absorbing information about the shinigami.

...

"You could be doing something better than drowning your sorrows," the dark figure said to the half drunk man who was his master. It was dark outside and in the ninth division office.

"Yeah like what?" Shuuhei asked as he poured more sake.

"Hurt the bastard that hurt you."

"How do you expect me to do that?"

"Come on Shuuhei. Make him bleed. Attack him. You can't lose. Not with me. And not against a student." Kazeshini loved a good fight.

"That's not my style."

"I don't care about your style. You're in more turmoil now than when that traitor left."

"What do you know about anything?"

"More than you give me credit for. I'm part of you, remember?" Kazeshini studied the shinigami. "Go ahead and drink yourself into oblivion. Save him the trouble of fighting you. Save yourself the trouble of having to use me. We both know that is something you avoid at all costs. What do I care?" With that, Kazeshini disappeared.

...

Ai had nothing to hold on to as the small wooden raft was tossed and pulled by the stormy waters of the river. The water and the sky were restless. Rain poured down on her while thunder and lightning raced across the sky. Ai couldn't see where she was headed or where she had come from. The rain made it impossible to see what was around her. She was scared but the raft did not throw her into the turbulent water. Lightning lit up the sky and she thought she saw a silhouette. The sky was dark again and Ai was alone on the wooden raft. She thought someone called her name but all was quiet except for the rumble of the thunder overhead.

Ai woke feeling groggy. It had not been a pleasant night's sleep. The dream of the river left her upset and she was disappointed to see she was alone in bed. She got up and searched for signs that Shuuhei had come home last night but she saw none. With a sigh, she began to get ready for her classes, wondering what had prevented him from coming home.

Ai walked toward the Academy in a daze. As she approached the entrance, someone grabbed her shoulder. "Ai, are you okay? I've been calling your name and you didn't answer."

Ai shook her head. "I'm sorry, Rin. I didn't sleep well last night."

"Oh? Problems with your boyfriend?"

Ai shrugged. "He never came home last night and I have no idea why." She fought tears. "I would have thought he would have at least let me know if he had to go on a mission or work late."

"You can always skip class and go find out. Surely his captain would know where he was."

"He wouldn't want me to skip class. I'll see if I can find him after classes."

...

The day went by slowly for Ai. She walked out of the Academy with Rin at the end of the day.

"Ai, everything will be ok. Go home. Maybe he's there. If not, check his division. If you still can't find him after that, you know where to find me. I'll keep you company."

"Thanks Rin." Ai turned and began her walk to Shuuhei's quarters. When she arrived, she saw that he wasn't there and she didn't think he had been there at all that day. She flash stepped to the ninth division offices. She tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. Ai closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could feel that there was a barrier around the office. She knocked, giving Shuuhei the opportunity to answer. He didn't. She tried a few kido spells to see if she could break through the barrier. Nothing worked.

She felt his reiatsu and knew he was in there but she wasn't sure why he had placed a barrier around the office. Ai looked around. "I need something to break down the door."

"Use me," a voice whispered.

"Who said that?" Ai asked, looking behind her.

"Use me. Call my name."

"I don't understand."

"Ai, call my name."

Ai closed her eyes. 'I can't do this on my own. I need help,' she thought.

"I can help you."

"Will you?"

"Of course, Ai. All you have to do is ask."

There was silence for a moment before Ai spoke. "Will you help me get through this barrier, Kanazuchi?"

"Yes, Ai."

Ai took her zanpakuto in her hands. "Smash, Kanazuchi." The sword glowed and when the light disappeared, Ai was holding a hammer with a long silver handle. She pulled back and swung at the door. It bowed under the force of her swing but it did not open. Ai swung again. She saw a crack appear in the barrier. Ai swung a third time but this time she coupled her attack with a kido spell. The barrier shattered. The door broke and opened.

"There was a barrier around the door for a reason," Shuuhei stated as she walked in. "It means I didn't want anyone in here. That includes you." He was hard to see in the dark in the shadows but Ai felt the quiet anger in his voice.

"Why did you want to keep me out?"

"I have my reasons."

"Shuuhei, I was worried when you didn't come home last night."

"You didn't come looking for me last night. You waited until now."

"I thought maybe you were working late. When you weren't there this morning, I was concerned."

"Ai, you can't be concerned if it's taken you this long to come looking for me." His words stung as much as the tone of his voice.

"You're the one who told me not to miss my classes. Would you have wanted me to miss them to come looking for you?" She felt like he was toying with her and her anger began to rise.

"So you weren't concerned enough to skip class? Why Ai? Is that the only time you have to see your blue-haired girly-looking boyfriend? You can only be with him when you're at the Academy?"

"No. That's not...Rin likes men. He's not my boyfriend." Anger and hurt grabbed onto her as she realized he was accusing her of being unfaithful. "I thought you were!" she shouted. Ai threw something toward him. "But I guess I was wrong." She flash stepped out of the office and Shuuhei stood where he was. All was quiet for a while.

"That was impressive, Shuuhei." Kazeshini smirked at his master's controlled rage. "I didn't think you'd actually take it that far. You totally crushed her."

"Shut up," Shuuhei commanded. He looked down at the object she had thrown at him. It was his choker. He ran his thumb over one of the silver studs and wondered why he suddenly felt so hollow.

...

Ai leaned against the door to Shuuhei's quarters. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hit someone or if she wanted to cry. Gathering her courage, she walked into the bathroom and began to clear her things off the shelf. She tried to block her mind from recalling memories of Shuuhei. She didn't want to think about him. Piling her belongings on the kotatsu, she held onto her anger. She tried not to let the pain in.

As Ai sat more stuff on the kotatsu, she realized she had nowhere else to go. She didn't have a dorm at the Academy and she couldn't easily go to her friends on Earth. She fell to her knees and began to cry.

Shuuhei flash stepped home to talk to her. As he thought about what she had said, he saw that he shouldn't have jumped to conclusions earlier. He was greeted by her cries and each one cut through his already wounded heart. He felt another stab when he saw some of her possessions on the kotatsu. Knowing this wasn't what he wanted, Shuuhei knelt down beside her and reached out to her.

"Don't touch me," Ai told him. She wiped her tears and then straightened up to look at him. "Don't you dare break my heart and then try to fix it." He was taken aback by her words but he thought he deserved them.

Unsure of what else to say, he looked at the pile on the kotatsu. "Where are you going?" Shuuhei asked quietly.

"I don't know. I have nowhere else to go but I'll find somewhere."

Shuuhei laid the choker he was holding on the kotatsu. "Take this with you. They won't recognize you at the Academy without it." He wanted her to have something of his. Even if she never wore it again. Ai nodded. Shuuhei reached into his uniform. If they were going to part ways, he didn't want to part with the photo but he felt that it was her decision. Shuuhei laid it on the table.

Ai picked it up and handed it back to him. "Keep it. It's a photo of me and not the model. You always saw me for me."

Shuuhei tucked the photo back into his inside pocket. "There's one more thing I want you to have but it's broken and that's my fault. Take my heart, Ai. It's already yours and I don't need it without you." Tears blurred her vision as she reached out for him. Shuuhei pulled her into his arms. "I love you, Ai." A tear fell and traced the familiar line of his scar. He held her tighter, not wanting to ever let her go. "I don't want you to leave. You don't have to go."

"I love you. I don't want to be without you."

"I don't want to be without you either. Stay." He kissed her temple. "I need you, Ai." Shuuhei pulled her back so he could see her. He wiped at her tears with his thumb. "I said some things earlier that were out of line. I'm sorry, Ai." He kissed her tenderly, giving her everything he had to offer. Ai answered his gentleness with her own. They lost themselves in each other. Lost themselves in love and the need they had to be with each other.

"Shuuhei, what made you think I had a gay man as a boyfriend?"

"I saw him kiss you yesterday."

"That's just how Rin is. He kisses all his friends."

"Even the male ones?"

"Not usually. Unless he can get away with it." Ai laughed. "When did you see him kiss me?"

"When you went out to the courtyard for lunch yesterday."

"Are you spying on me?" she teased.

"No. That was the first time. I had a terrible morning and I wanted to see you." He kissed her. "Ai, when I look at you, everything just seems right in the world." Shuuhei picked Ai up and carried her to the bedroom.

"You've never carried me to bed before," Ai said as he put her down.

"I did once," he informed her. "You fell asleep in my lap." Shuuhei kissed her. "Ai, take your uniform off and I'll carry you to the bed."

"You just want me to take my clothes off," she grinned.

He pulled at her obi. "You say that like it's a bad thing." Shuuhei kissed her and slowly they began to undress each other. Ai giggled as he lifted her and carried her the short distance to the bed. He tried to lay her down gently but Ai wouldn't move her arms from around his neck. She pulled him down on top of her.

Shuuhei brought his lips down to hers softly. The underlying passion was slowly building between them. He rolled so she was on top. Shuuhei wanted to explore her. Taking his time, his hands roamed her body. The feel of her skin under his fingertips was pleasurable. None of his touches were sexual in nature but Ai found them arousing.

As her pale green eyes met his dark grey eyes, Ai felt the same intense feeling she had felt when their eyes had met for the first time. "I love you."

"I love you."

When they came together, it was out of love. They took their time making love. Shuuhei took her hands in his and linked their fingers together. As they reached climax, their eyes met and they held the gaze. It was most intimate release either of them had ever experienced.

...

Ai sat on the wooden raft with her feet dangling in the water. She was floating down a fiord with the steep sides of snow-capped mountains on either side of her. The water was much more calmer than it had been the previous night.

"I'm glad you are happy."

"I would do anything for Shuuhei. I had to open that door. I'm sorry I used you in such a manner."

The young Viking warrior sat next to Ai and shrugged. She wore leather armor and her horned helmet sat in the middle of the raft. Her long blonde braided pigtails trailed behind her in the light wind. Her deep blue eyes sparkled. "Ai, I would have given you anything you needed to get to him. My power is your power."

"Thank you, Kanazuchi."

"Kana," the Viking corrected.

"Kana." Ai stretched out on the raft. "It's so peaceful here."

Kana smiled. "It wasn't this peaceful a while ago. The fiord was stormy. Once you were at peace, the fiord returned to its normal tranquility."

"I was afraid it was going to toss me into the water."

"I wouldn't do that to you, Ai. You were so scared and worried that you couldn't hear me."

"I'm sorry, Kana."

She shrugged again. "You finally heard me and I was able to help you." Kana smiled. "I am here any time you need me. All you have to do is call for me."

...

When Ai woke, she realized that she was still laying on top of Shuuhei. He still held one of her hands but he had released the other and wrapped his arm around her. She started to move off him but he held her tighter.

"Who is Kanazuchi?" Shuuhei asked as he opened his eyes to look at her. Ai looked at him. "You said 'Thank you, Kanazuchi' while you were sleeping."

Ai smiled. "Kanazuchi is my zanpakuto."

"You learned the name of your zanpakuto?" he asked. Ai nodded. "When did you achieve that?" Despite the dim light, Shuuhei saw the sadness flicker in her eyes.

"Kana helped me get through your barrier," Ai explained quietly.

"Ai, I'm sorry." Shuuhei stroked her hair.

Ai lifted her head to look at him better. "No. Don't be. Something good always comes out of something bad. Out of this whole misunderstanding, I learned the name of my zanpakuto." She kissed him.

"Well at least you got something good out of my stupidity."

"Shuuhei, you had to get something good out of this."

He thought a moment. "I got a lot of paperwork done." Ai looked at him shocked. Completing paperwork wasn't good enough for her. Shuuhei couldn't help but smile. "I didn't lose you and that's good enough for me." He kissed her and Ai soon found herself beneath him. As he slid into her, Shuuhei knew he never wanted to lose her. She was better than good. She was the best thing in his life.