1Chapter Seven - So Far, So Good

We find ourselves in

The ones we love most.

The ones we long to be with,

To make a life with and to hold.

-Dear My Love by Amaya Arashi-

Tai jumped on Byakuya's back as he gritted his teeth.

Will she ever leave me alone? He wondered.

"Beee-yakuuu-yyyyaaaa!" She put her chin on his shoulder. "Where's my puppy, Bya-kun?"

"Tai-dono, I haven't gotten the chance to get it yet." He said through his teeth.

"Awww..." She pouted. "Well, I'm gonna go with you to your Division! I wanna say hi to everybody!"

"Tai-dono, that's really not necessary..." He said as she dropped off his back and put her arm through his.

"Come on, Bya-dono, escort me to the 6th Division!" She smiled up at him.

He sighed. Why me?

He walked forward, ignoring the glances everyone was giving him. At least, he tried to. His teeth were grinding and his hands were balled up into fists as she danced along beside him.

Come to think of it, she was pretty cute walking like that...

Shut up, fool. He told himself.

"So, Byakuya-dono." She said as she looked up at him. "How's life?"

"Fine." He answered shortly.

"What's wrong?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing."

She looked around, noticing all the people staring at them. She sighed.

And then released Byakuya's arm to jump up and down.

"HEY!!!!" She called. "What in the world are you people lookin' at?!"

They all kind of got wide eyes before slowly looking away.

She crossed her arms with a satisfied smile. "Better?"

She looked over her shoulder at where Byakuya was quickly walking the other way. She narrowed her eyes before she used Shunpo to get right in front of him.

"I just humiliated myself so they would stop staring at you." She said flatly. "The least you can do is quit being a stuck-up, prude, foolish little brat for five seconds."

He was taken aback, his eyes widening. He took a step back as she glared him down.

What is with this woman? He thought.

"Uhh..." He stuttered.

"Come on." She took his arm and pulled him towards the 6th Division.

They walked into headquarters, and Tai twirled around to get a better look.

"Where's your Lieutenant?" She asked him.

"I don't know." He said.

"Hmm...I have a feeling Oko is occupying him right now..." Tai smirked.

(*-*)

Oko walked down the streets, her eyes keen on finding that one mop of bright red hair. She bit her cheek before rounding a corner and running right smack into someone.

"Itai..." She rubbed her head before looking up.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Her eyes brightened when she saw it was him, Renji Abarai.

"That's okay." She smiled brightly.

"I thought I might run into you again." He smiled nervously.

She looked up at him questioningly as he pulled a couple of the reddest, most beautiful lilies from behind his back. He held them out to her and she gasped.

"Aww..." She smiled. "For me?"

He nodded, turning a little red.

"You are so sweet!" She took the flowers, petting the soft petals.

"Yeah, it wasn't really my idea..." He muttered. "So, don't give me all the credit."

"Who gave you the idea?" She asked as she admired the flowers.

"Um, Rangiku. Rangiku Matsumoto." He said. "I don't know if you know her..."

"Oh, I haven't met her yet." Oko looked up at him with that smile still on her face. "It was nice of you to get them for me."

"I...yeah...thanks." He turned even redder.

Oko wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He was surprised at first, and then relaxed enough to where he hugged her back. He liked the way her head fit perfectly against his chest, and the smell of her hair, which was similar in color to his own.

"Hey." She pulled back and looked up at him.

Was he the only one that noticed their faces were dangerously close?

"You should come over to our house next Tuesday." She said. "We're having a nice little pool-party. Everyone's coming."

He nodded, sort of unable to breathe/speak at the moment.

She took one of her arms from around him and reached up to touch his face. She grinned when he gulped.

"You're awful cute, Renji-san." She sighed.

She took a step back and looked up at him with melted eyes.

"You're making my knees weak with that look on your face." She laughed. "Well, Renji, 'til we meet again."

She turned around and blew a kiss over her shoulder.

"Thanks for the flowers."

And then she disappeared, leaving him standing there, holding onto the wall for support.

And she thought her knees were weak.

(*-*)

Mikoi stepped in front of Yumichika lithely, that curious look back in her eyes. He sort of froze in his spot, too shocked to move.

"Yumichika, right?" She asked him.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Come on, Yumichika-kun." She grabbed his hand, twining her fingers with his before she walked forward.

As they walked, she felt the people watching her. She was the most beautiful of her sisters, but she never really paid attention to it. Now that she'd gotten used to it, she barely even noticed it anymore.

"What Division are you in, Yumichika-kun?" She asked as they walked.

Yumichika had been kind of stunned, staring at the way her hair waved fully down her shoulders. He hadn't expected her to speak, so when she did, he kind of let out a little gasp.

"11th." He said quickly. "11th Division."

"11th?" She giggled. "Aren't they the hard-core fighting Division?"

"Yes." He said.

"Well, you don't look like the fighting type." She shrugged. "And it seems...I do believe I just fought your Captain."

"Yes." He repeated. "You did quite well, by the way. No one has ever beat Captain so easily before."

"Hmm." She smiled to herself. "He had few openings in his defense, but if you make him mad enough, they seem to multiply rapidly. It was quite an amusing battle, really."

"I doubt he'll think so." Yumichika bit his lip.

"I know he'll try to fight me again." She looked over her shoulder and grinned at him. "I could see it in his eyes. But I don't mind. He'll just have to wait a while...a long, long while. What, has no one ever fought him before?"

"No one has had the guts to." Yumichika shrugged.

He noticed they had arrived at the gate into Rukongai and raised an eyebrow.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"My house, just for a bit." She said as she practically danced through.

"Oh..." He muttered.

What exactly were they going to do at her house...?

Oh, dear, his mind was going into the gutter again. So much into the gutter that he had to shake his head to get it out. What was he going to do with himself?

When they arrived at her house, Yumichika noticed that she didn't even release his hand to open the door. When they walked through, she had a morose look on her face, not noticing any of the servants that walked about.

She lead him down a hall and stopped at a room close to the end of it.

She swung the door open, revealing the dark room within.

The room was kind of dark, in a slightly odd way. The curtains were black, but the walls of the room were a blue-black color. There was a huge bed covered in a black comforter with little light blue designs on it. The floor was the same soft-wood color the rest of the house was, but it was painted with little lines that resembled the ones on her eyes, swirling around their feet.

She lead him inside and closed the door. She finally released his hand to walk over to a dresser next to a door to the closet. She opened it, pulling out something and keeping it hidden in her hand.

She turned to Yumichika and grinned simply. He looked back at her with confused eyes.

Mikoi walked up to him slowly. "Give me your hand."

He held out his arm, almost automatically. She took his hand carefully in hers.

"Listen." She said quietly. "You are...interesting, Yumichika. And you seem like me, in some ways, even if they are few."

She placed something cool in his hand before stepping back. He looked down and marveled at the beautiful silver and diamond necklace in his hand. It had a long chain of silver, coming down to the simple diamond heart charm.

He looked up at her, more confused than before.

She half-smiled. "Hold onto this for me, Yumichika. It was my mothers before she passed away. She told me, to take care of it as if it were my own heart."

"But...why?" He asked.

"Well, I don't know." She shrugged. "Maybe someday I'll figure out why I'm doing this. But today, let's just...let it be. Okay?"

He nodded.

"Now, come on, I have to be in the 3rd Division in thirty minutes." She pulled him out the door.

(~-~)

Meanwhile...

Ukitake and Shitteiru walked through the 13th Division gardens, upon Ukitake's request. Of course, Shitteiru's heart had almost leapt out of her chest at that suggestion, but she wasn't about to let him know about that.

"That was an impressive display." He told her as they passed the now-blooming sakura.

"Hmm..." She nodded. "I tried to hold back, at least a little. She didn't look fragile, but I still didn't want to hurt her."

"You were holding back?" He laughed.

"Ahh..." She bit her lip. "It appears that sounded a little arrogant..."

"No, no." He shook his head. "Of course not. I like you, Shitteiru-san. Always worrying about simple things, when you make them seem bigger than they are. Yet, you always seem to think things through, just a little too much."

She blushed. "Oh...arigato, Ukitake-taichou."

"Why don't you just call me Juushiro." He patted her shoulder. "And you're welcome."

She nodded nervously. "Hai..."

"Why are you so quiet all of the sudden?" He asked.

"I'm not...quiet..." She sighed. "I don't know."

"Do you feel uncomfortable alone with me?" He asked seriously.

"Oh, no!" Her eyes went wide, blushing again. "That's not it...I'm actually quite comfortable alone with you."

"Thank you, but if it isn't that then what is it?" He asked.

"I...I don't know."

Damn it, why can't I form a complete sentence? She thought.

"Ah, well." He sighed. "I guess I don't either."

There was a slight pause and Shitteiru bit her lip, trying to keep herself from saying what she really wanted to.

And then she just burst.

"Ukitake..." She breathed heavily, unsure why she couldn't breathe.

"Yes?" He looked at her with those fathomlessly beautiful eyes.

"I know why." She blushed. "But...I'm not sure if it's...intelligent to tell you."

"Intelligent?" He chuckled. "You go for the intelligent way of looking at things a lot. Why don't you let that side of you slip past for just a bit?"

She gulped. "Well, the truth is...I think you're absolutely amazing. I think you are the most...interesting and caring man I have ever meant in my entire life. You look at me for me, not for what I look like or how much power I bare, but for me. You are the only one who sees right through me...And I like you...a lot. And I know this is awkward and everything, but...I hope you...um...like me, too."

She hid her face behind her eyes as they stood under that same sakura tree. They waited in the longest silence of their lives, wondering...

Finally, Shitteiru found the courage to look up, trying to find the reason for such a silence to be. She felt her heart lurch in her chest.

His face was confused, his eyes torn. His lips were slightly parted and his hands balled into fists at his sides.

She gulped. "I...I'm sorry, Ukitake-taichou."

She bowed. "Forgive me, I forgot the boundaries between 6th seat and Captain. Sumimasen...I must get back to my Division now."

Shitteiru turned with those tears in her eyes, feeling them slip down her face.

"Wai-..." Ukitake finally realized that she was leaving, but she was already gone. "Damn it."

He had been silent, yes. But not for the reasons she was thinking. He was wondering exactly why she was doing this, why she was telling him up-front with practically no warning...He had been confused.

He knew how he felt. He liked her, too, probably more than he should. It hurt him to see those tears in her eyes as she left, even if he was unable to move at the moment.

Ukitake coughed, doubling over and preventing himself from falling.

He knew one thing. He was going to have to see her again, soon, before he killed over or something.

He chuckled at the thought.