"you reckless…" the ex-captain let out a loud frustrated sigh. "…are you okay?" he asked in a calmer voice. Hiyori nodded avoiding his eyes. Their fellow vizards departed taking along with them their newest member, the strawberry boy looked on at the sight of the two in confusion.

"…is she going to be-

"she'll be fine, Hacchi's healing abilities are bar to none." Rose replied. The substitute shinigami inwardly disagreed but said nothing. He'd lost control once more and lashed out strong enough to come close to killing someone… not to mention a girl. His eyes gave away his inner turmoil, a look of self- hate and fear dimmed the light in his amber eyes. A strong hand woke him from his musings.

"don't be to hard on yourself, controlling it takes time, but if you wake up and see we're trying to help, maybe then you won't have to be so paranoid and guilt-ridden." Love advised. The young man nodded but stayed quiet.

"hacchi." A nonchalant voice called out from the distance. The old man looked on as their leader beckoned him. "mind takin' a look at this little midget?" shinji requested pointing to the grumbling girl next to him.

"yes of course." the old man replied rushing off to the aid his comrade meanwhile the other vizards tried to console Ichigo from his guilt.

Shinji, too concern with Hiyori to give a rat's ass about ichigo, leaned against the gray wall and silently observed as Hacchi's orange reaitsu surrounded hiyori's body, she was currently glancing at the floor whether in shame or in shock neither of the men knew. Her sandaled feet pressed against each other as she sat in a butterfly position her left arm prompted on her knee as she leaned her cheek on her left hand and held an empty look in her eyes. In the silence both blond's couldn't help but eventually glance at the other, though the minute they locked eyes they'd break contact.

"I'm done, how do you feel?" the pink haired man inquired. She looked up with a slightly grateful look.

"better, thanks." She mustered in a dry voice, as the words fell from her lips she casted her eyes back down to the concrete floor.

"good." The old man replied. "anything else?" he asked good naturedly. Shinji shook his head.

"nah thanks hacchi I can always count on you." The blond man replied smiling. Hacchi smiled back and left two blonds to themselves. Hiyori glance up at the vizard with her usual scowling disposition.

"it-

"save it!" shinji shouted startling her as her words died on her lips. "you are the most reckless, idiotic, impatient, and just downright retard person in the world!!!!" he exclaimed as the rage inside him seem vent off on every venom dripped word.

"damn it we couldn't just wait for the kid to slowly-

"why not!! Why not for once stick to the plan!!! why not just for once!! FOR FRICKIN' ONCE DO AS YOU'RE TOLD!!!!" he interrupted raising his voice. " you have always done things your own way and damn it hiyori you cannot say I haven't given you that freedom but for fucking!!- just that little bastard could have killed you!!!!

"you guys were right there!! You'd never let anything happen and damn it we fucking needed the kid to start NOW! WE DON'T HAVE TIME!!" she countered unable to take his reprimanding any longer.

"you think I'm an idiot or something, you think that that didn't come to mind, I knew exactly when to push him, I knew exactly how long I had to take and I knew exactly how long I had before we were too late but what I didn't calculate AS ALWAYS!! Was your stupid ass throwing me out of the building and forcing that kid to his mental limits and almost ripping the hollow out of him!!" Shinji retorted now only a foot from her.

"I did what I thought was right!!!" she countered raising her own voice further.

"no! you did what you wanted!! You did what you goddamned pleased AS FUCKING ALWAYS!! because god forbid you ever- EVER listen to me!! god forbid you think about others before yourself." He shouted his limit coming to an end, how could she be so selfish and stupid!

"others!!!, I was the only one in danger, fuck! For all you know that could've been you against that wall, I-

He forcefully grabbed her shoulders and pressed her against the mentioned wall. She grunted in pain as his shove had been quite forceful.

"I would rather be stabbed through my throat, then to ever have to watch some punk-ass, wannabe shinigami hold the woman I LOVE by the neck like a broken doll and crush the life out of her." he seethed in murderous rage grabbing her shoulders so tightly hiyori winced from the pain.

she looked away in shame, knowing that she'd put him through so much anxiety, but damn it all that's just who she was, she didn't wait! She didn't care! She wasn't a plan person ,she was a doer! She kicked! Punched! Sliced! But… she also loved and as wild and unpredictable as that love was, her life was not just hers, someone else very deeply cared for her, she looked up met his rage and sorrow filled eyes, he was hurt, he was angry… and it was her fault.

"I'm sorry… I just- you know me." was all she could muster to reply to his open confession. He his grip on her seem to wane as he tightened his arms around her, for a second she was startled but eased into the embrace as he began shaking, was…was he crying?

"shinji-

"boke… I can't believe you actually apologized… I don't think I've ever heard you say sorry." He chuckled in joy. "you actually listened…fuck… it's a miracle!"

She huffed, he wasn't crying he was laughing, the nerve of that asshole, she turned red and hit his stomach with her knee. "asshole that's the first and last time you'll hear it." knowing she was blantantly lying.

"you bitch! Owhh god." He wheezed from the pain.

"yeah be glad it was you're stomach not your balls!" she countered huffily.

"damn it woman yer gonna leave me sterile from all your abuse, then no kids!" he warned. She turned red and squirmed slightly at the idea of having children with Shinji… was she even allowed to be so optimistic.

"promise me you won't do something like that again." He begged redeeming his serious character, his eyes supplicating her to respond.

"I can't promise that, you know that." She replied in soft voice.

"can't you even try, please." He replied hoping his supplication would reach her ears. Though it did, it did not change who she was or how she was, her heart may have swoon over the ex-captain but her spirit was as free as ever.

"would you love me, if was anything but who I am?" she inquired searching his wounded eyes. Damn it all he couldn't escape that one, what made her so wonderful, so loveable, so her… was her reckless untamable spirit, he'd be fool to try to tame it… but still a man could dream. She smiled knowing he couldn't run away from the real answer.

"I love you the way you are, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like you to be more careful." He replied as gently as he could. Without any warning she pressed her lips chastely to his, to merely taste the reason she could ever in her life think about listening to her voice of reason. As quickly as she had kissed him, she had broken away. He taste like chocolate and whiskey… what a strange man she'd fallen for.

"I'll think about it." was her only response as she hugged him tightly.

"…wha…" he replied still dazed from the kiss, she tasted like honey and laughter. He was met with uncharacteristic giggle from the blond girl.

"You'll never change." He sighed tightening the embrace, he loved her, god knows why but he did. he merely kissed her formally bruised neck lightly and pressed her against his chest. Even if it was only a moment he'd hold her as tightly as possible trying to protect her from whatever life would throw at them, and reluctantly she would play the part of the guarded maiden waiting for her idiot in shining armor.