Mori Pov
when we arrived back at the warehouse Shinji walked me up to my room. As I opened the door and started to walk in a hand grabbed my wrist stopping me. He pulled me around and held me close against him burying his face in my hair. I put my arms around his waist and breathed in his smell, it was like pine wood and sunshine.
He let me go and looked down on my face. I smiled at him feeling so completely happy. He leaned down and put his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me enjoying the way he moaned when I did.
''WHAT ARE YOU DOING!'' we broke apart in surprise to see Hiyori had just come upstairs. Busted.
''I'm corrupting Shinji's youthful innocents, what are you doing?'' she ignored my question and continued to stare at us. After a minute that felt like an hour she turned and walked away to stunned to do anything else.
''Goodnight Princess,'' with that he kissed my cheek and started in the direction of his room.
I smiled as I walked into my room Shinji liked me the thought made me feel warm all over.
'He loves you master.' Rikatori spoke in my mind.
'No just like, but it's enough since I don't love him.' I don't think I'll ever be able to love again.
'You do. You just haven't realized it yet. The nightmares will return tonight Hime.' I shuddered at his prediction as I changed into sleep clothes. A small pair of black shorts and a blue camisole.
'Why, I haven't had any since I came here.' I thought something about this place stopped them.
'I have a theory. When you were training you slept so heavy it was more like being knocked unconscious. And last night when training finally stopped Shinji stayed with you, I think he has a calming effect on you.' '
'No master, you love him, you will know soon sleep little Hime.' I obeyed the order pulling the covers up around me and closing my eyes. Within seconds I was asleep. Then the nightmares came.
I was a child again lying on the floor in a room in a small manor. There was a man with long black hair pulled into a ponytail kicking me, he had green eyes filled with hate. The door to the room was thrown open and a man came in, he screamed for the man beating me to stop. My protector's eyes that were normally so kind were angry, furious at the man who was hurting me. the cruel man only laughed at him, until my protector pulled out a dagger, he threw it with deadly accuracy, I watched as the knife was embedded into the black haired man's chest his green eyes flew open, and my father fell to the floor dead. I had watched the life leave my father's cruel eyes. I looked up to see my brother, my protector standing over me. 'Come on Mori we have to go.' I followed him he went first to my room and packed some of my clothes in a pack, we were a minor noble family so we had plenty. He went to his own room and did the same before going and getting a sack of food from the kitchen. I still numbly followed him. We walked out into the night and I still followed him I didn't know where we were going only that if my brother was there we were safe. The scene change. Now I was standing with my brother. He was standing protectively in front of me as the group of bandits closed in. I was no longer a child I appeared 16. The men all rushed at once he tried to fight but there were too many. I watched unable to help as a blade sank into my brother and he fell to his knees. ''Who are you, what's going on?'' a voice shouted but I ignored it, I was cradling my brother Kyo's head in my lap. ''RUN, it's a soul reaper!'' the bandits scattered and a white haired man came into the clearing. He rushed to our side. ''Mori…'' my brother's voice was faint. ''I'm here kyo, you saved me.'' He smiled slightly.
A woman coward in the corner, she had long brown hair and brown eyes filled with terror. She wouldn't stop the beating for fear of bringing the rage onto herself.
''promise me, I was too weak, go and become a soul reaper in my place, swear it.'' I was shocked that's what he wanted. ''yes brother anything you want.'' ''Swear it.'' I held his hand and looked him in the eyes. ''I, Moritaki Akiki, swear to you Kyo Akiki I will become a soul reaper.'' He smiled and closed his eyes. Now I was sitting to Renko's right Minho was shouting and Renko stood about to draw his blade.
My brother the one had protected me was dead. Once again the world shifted and morphed.
''what's wrong Mori? I felt your reitsu wavering,'' he was worried it was clear in his face.
''nightmare, I have it every night, its ok.'' I lied smoothly, I never got used to watching my father, brother and friend die, every night I woke from this dream I cried myself back to sleep and hoped it wouldn't come again. It always did.
''every night huh? Well explain why this is the first time I've seen this happen.'' He gestured to the tangled sheets and the way I was gasping for breath.
''Rikatori says I was training so hard I slept too heavy to dream.'' He raised an eye brow; apparently Shinji sleeps in a pair of sweat pants and no shirt.
''what about last night?'' I was really hoping he wouldn't ask that.
''you were here, you calm me down.'' he stared at me for a moment.
''scoot over,'' he was being serious.
''what,'' I asked in confusion.
''make some room, I'm not letting you have any more nightmares.'' I scooted over and he got into the bed beside me pulling the covers up and putting his arms around my waist, I laid back against his warm chest.
''get some sleep Princess, we can do something fun tomorrow.'' He whispered softly.
''can we hunt hollows?'' I asked him.
''if that's what you want.'' I smiled and closed my eyes curling closer to Shinji. I still wasn't sure if Rikatori was right, but I did care about him.
Shinji's POV
when I woke Mori was still asleep just like the day before. The bed was filled with the smell of raspberry and vanilla, just like her hair. I was starting to doubt that she was a morning person. I smiled at her sleeping face, her hair was slightly messy and she had a small smile on her lips. I chuckled lightly when she snuggled closer to me in her sleep. She looked so cute.
''Princess we need to get up, its morning.'' She groaned.
'' I don't wanna, five more minutes.'' I grinned she was so funny when she first woke.
''don't you want to hunt hallows?'' I asked her.
''what, are they all going to drop dead at noon or something?'' she still hadn't opened her eyes.
''No, but if you don't get up I'm going to tickle you.'' I was just joking but to my surprise her eyes flew open.
''you wouldn't.'' she acutely thought I was serious, she must be ticklish.
''I was joking, don't tell me the princess is ticklish.'' She frowned at me cutely.
''no, I'm not.'' I raised an eyebrow at the hasty reply.
''really, how about we test that?'' she began to frantically shake her head, but that soon dissolved into giggles as I began to tickle her waist.
''no….stop it… can't. Breath…stop….Shinji! she was trying to talk but was laughing too hard to get a full sentence out.
I finally stopped after a minute or two, she was panting. When she caught her breath she sat up in the bed and pouted at me.
''that wasn't very nice.'' I grinned at her.
''come on princess, let's get the day going.'' She got out of the bed and stretched. I noticed she was wearing a blue shirt that only went to about her waist and black shorts that hugged around her hip leaving a band of exposed flesh in between.
''you know how sexy you look?'' she turned and glared at me.
''do you always have to be a perv?'' she asked me.
''yep, how else would I start conversations?'' she put her hands on her hips.
''say the weathers nice like a normal person. Go get ready were going to kill hollows.'' I smiled at the way her mind changed track so fast.
''how about breakfast first?'' she tilted her head in thought.
''ok, there's a really good coffee shop on third street.'' I chuckled as I left her room and she hurried to get ready.
We met out front again. I was dressed like normal long sleeve shirt tie and slacks, she was wearing a skirt which surprised me, it was a short denim skirt and she wore it with a tight fitting green t-shirt and converse.
''come on slow poke lets go eat, then we can finally fight something were allowed to kill.'' Girls got spunk.
I held her hand on the walk to the coffee shop, once we placed our order we sat in a small corner both. I watched as she propped her chin up on her hands and looked out the window. She smiled when a small boy ran by chasing a dog that was dragging a leash.
''Here's your order,'' I looked up to see the waiter had brought over out food. I gave him the money and we started to eat. Mori had ordered one jelly doughnut (do they have those in japan?) and a coffee, I got the same only with a glazed.
''so where would a hollow show up?'' she asked.
''don't know let's just wander around till we find some.'' She nodded and went back to drinking her coffee. She took a bite and a small bit of jelly dribbled onto her chin, before I could stop myself I had reached across the tabled and wiped it off with a napkin.
she smiled at me and out of some sort of reflex I smiled back. What the H*lls wrong with me, I thought. I just cleaned her face, what the H*ll! I need to kill something.
''Hurry up princess, I feel the need to kill something.'' She didn't seem to find this odd; if she did she hid it well.
''if you really want to kill something lets go visit Ichigo.'' I chuckled in response to that.
''I was thinking hollows hurry up.'' She nodded and resumed eating.
20 minutes later we were wandering the streets looking for hallows, she was gazing around and smiling at little things like kids and animals. It was weird the way things like that made her happy.
''Hey Shinji, why don't you ever leave your gigia?,'' I glanced at her she was looking at me curiously.
''cause, it hides my spirit pressure, plus I don't need to, I can summon my zanpactou from here, so can you if you try.''
''maybe I will, there two over that way, let's go.'' We flash stepped in the direction of the hollows. They were on an old abandoned roof top; one looked like some sort of lizard while the other resembled a frog with wings.
''you take the lizard, I got the frog,'' she nodded and we shot off in separate directions. The hollow thrust it arm out at me but I dove under, with ease I leapt into the air and delivered a fatal blow to its mask using my fist, it was sad I didn't even have to draw my sword.
Mori was playing with hers; she jumped in and out of its reach inflicting small blows showing she could kill it if she wanted to. After a few minutes she dove around behind it and gave it the killing blow. She sheathed her sword as she fell to the ground and landed quite gracefully.
''that was fun, what now?'' she tilted her head as she asked.
''let's take a walk Princess.'' She only shrugged. I reached out and took her hand in mine and began to lead her away from where we had fought.
''we don't know each other very well do we?'' she was right we didn't.
''no, I guess we don't.'' that annoyed me, I wanted to know about her.
''Ok, I'll ask you a question and you ask me one, but we have to give our own answers with the question, ok?'' I nodded; I'll play along with her game.
''what's your favorite color, mines orange.'' I looked at her, her big green eyes were happy looking.
''Green, what's your favorite food, mines natto.'' She thought for a minute.
''peaches, favorite time of day, I like dusk.'' Figures, she's practically dead in the mornings
''Morning, what do you like to read, I like most manga.'' She bit her bottom lip as she thought.
''Adventure stories, do you like flowers, I like yellow tulips.'' Yellow, who likes yellow flowers?
''Not really, why do you stare at the moon sometimes, I don't.'' she just looked at me and smiled softly.
''it looks just like in the soul society, it reminds me of all my time with my family.'' She didn't ask a question just got a wistful look on her face. I was surprised I had assumed she was an orphan like most from the rugonki.
''you had a family?,'' she nodded.
''Me my mother, father, and brother. We were a minor noble clan, so minor we weren't normally acknowledged as nobility.'' Ok, not only did she have a family, she was a noble.
''why did you leave to become a soul reaper,'' a dark look crossed her face. We were now close to a small wooded are so I lead her to the trees. I sat pulling her into my lap; she leaned back against my chest.
''My brother, Kyo, he took me away, when my father got abusive, kyo killed him; we wandered around for a while. Everywhere we went he got someone to train him, so once we got there he could join the soul reapers. But we were attacked by bandits, '' her voice wavered for a moment.
''He was killed trying to protect me. Some soul reapers showed up, but they were too late, he died in my arms, he made me swear I would become a soul reaper in his place.''
I held her tighter; I had thought her life was bad before, now I felt awful. Her whole family was gone, the only one who had protected her was gone, and the man she loved had betrayed her. She started crying softly.
''I'm sorry Mori,'' she gave a short laugh through her sobs.
''Kyo came up with that nickname,'' I didn't know what she meant.
''what nickname, Mori's not your full name?'' she shook her head.
''Moritaki Akiki, heir to the Akiki clan, unless the sight of my father dying didn't give my Mother a miscarriage, then I suppose I have a younger brother or Sister I never met.'' Moritaki huh.
''Moritaki doesn't really suit you.'' Her sobs had stopped and she was leaned back against me eyes closed. A small smile crossed her lips.
''that's what he said, that it was too formal for his little sister.'' I squeezed her slightly to reassure her.
''I'll never leave you, I won't let anyone hurt you.'' I whispered in her ear.
''I trust you,'' she slid of my lap and turned so she faced me, putting a hand on my cheek. I placed my own larger hand over hers holding it there closing my eye enjoying her touch. She retracted her hand I opened my eyes. I was surprised but pleased when her gaze slipped to my lips and she stared to lean towards me.
Mori POV,
I leaned toward Shinji, and place my lips over his. He responded by putting his hands on my waist and pulling me back into his lap, I placed my arms around his neck and held tight to him. I toyed with his tongue ring and he hugged me tighter to him. After a moment we both pulled away breathless. He still held me and buried my face in his chest just wanting to stay with him.
''Let's go home, Princess.'' I nodded, Home I hadn't been able to call anywhere that for a while.
Once more figures watched the couple form the shadow, there were three, and the tallest was smirking at the scene. This confused the others but they knew better than to question it. He kept on smirking lost in his thoughts. So that was the ex-captain who thought he had a right to touch his pet. He was going to deal with Shinji Hirako soon, I'm coming my Pet, the man thought, I hope you missed me little wildcat.
sorry it took so long I just couldn't seem to get it right, I hope you liked it please review, but only if you have comments on the story, not my grammar. Spell check is there for a reason, you know who you are. lots of love,
broken flame.
