Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or any of the Bleach characters used in this fic. They all belong to Tite Kubo: the genius behind the captivating manga that started it all. I only own any of my original characters that I choose to include, as well as any of my own original plot ideas.

Chapter 10: That Sinking Feeling

A/N: This is where the rating kicks in. The lemon section is the at the very end, but everything else is entirely safe. Skipping over the end section won't drastically affect the storyline, so you won't really be missing anything.

There was no surprise when he'd slipped through the door, caught in dark silence as Retsu shot him a disapproving glare. Although she'd done him a favor by getting rid of the Quincy boy, he still didn't appreciate her treating him like a child. Especially because she was starting to act like his mother. As if he needed that. It was irrational and stupid for her to cast the blame on him, as he'd been the one assaulted. But it didn't matter now. Although she was a healer, she had made no remark as to his aching shoulder and bruised jaw. But he knew better. Her healer's touch and undying compassion would show up again sooner or later.

Even if she were to ignore him for the next several hours, he would be able to easily amuse himself by catching her furious glances that were still flying across the room.

But Mayuri wasn't stupid. He knew when she was glowering at him and when she was staring with longing in her eyes. Now that there was a spark of interest, on both ends, no less, she wouldn't be able to resist. Practiced as she was when dealing with emotion, he doubted that her control, which had been put into practice long before his captaincy, would outlast his own. Eventually, she'd break, putting him back in control of the dangerous game they'd started playing.

He wouldn't once deny the rumors that he was obsessed with power, for they were true. It was far more interesting to be the one pulling the strings than to be the stupid little marionette. Even an idiot like Kisuke had figured out that much. But the shopkeeper wasn't the one involved here. Mayuri had been wondering, for several days now, how long it would take for this woman to crack, to show the new colors that she'd taken a shine to.

More than that, he wanted to be there when Ukitake discovered the change in her. The man had preached to him about decency, clearly refusing to believe that one as pure as Retsu could remain untainted. But he had failed to realize that one of Mayuri's specialties was weeding out secrets. He grinned, reveling in the expression that the sickly captain would be wearing upon discovering the plan Mayuri had brought to the table.

The end of this game was one thing that he was seriously looking forward to.

But, without all the players, the game couldn't very well progress. And that was a problem. He'd have to figure out a way to get Retsu to play along. Not knowingly, of course. Were she to discover his scheme, she would surely pull at the strings, unraveling that which had already been woven. But the question was how to get her involved without letting her know she was involved.

# - # - #

The omens were dark, indeed. A sure sign that something was amiss. It was strange that such a thought had passed through his head, as Jushiro wasn't usually one who believed in omens. But he desperately wanted to believe that Retsu wasn't going to take the fool's path, which he couldn't be sure of due to her insistent nature at breakfast. She had openly expressed her trust in Mayuri, which sincerely made the white-haired captain fret even more. After her departure from the restaurant, he had been unable to keep his mind from wandering, thinking about the train she was throwing herself in front of. Retsu was a strong woman, capable of holding her own, but that alone didn't make her immune to emotion and impulses.

Everything was telling him that this was wrong; that nothing good could come of this. Had he known that things would have turned out this way, he never would have allowed Retsu to leave the Soul Society. At least, not with a raging psychopath as her sole companion.

He grimaced, trying to assure himself that Retsu would be fine. Nothing that could happen would happen, for she was usually a no-nonsense person. Jushiro mentally kicked himself for having thought such things. About either of them. His friend was capable of handling herself, as she had easily handled several rowdy members of Kenpachi's division in the past. Fools and lunatics had no affect on a woman like Retsu. As for Kurotsuchi, Jushiro sincerely hated the man, but he didn't think that he'd go that far. It was strange, imagining something like that. Such actions didn't fit the persona of the introverted bastard.

Jushiro shook his head, throwing himself onto a park bench as he continued lecturing himself. It was unsightly to think that way, not to mention horrid. They were polar opposites, but Jushiro didn't really believe that they would end up like that, no matter what the humans said about "opposites attract." He leaned his head back, breathing deeply. Rationality was slowly being drowned out by anxiety, which was unacceptable. It was crucial that he keep his head above the water, so as to avoid acting solely upon impulse.

You're over-complicating things, he told himself, catching onto the scent of freshly ground coffe. Nothing's going to happen. Even if he did go that far, Retsu wouldn't stand for it. She wouldn't sink to such a level. She's just too good for that...

# - # - #

Retsu couldn't very well say that she hadn't seen this coming. From the start, she should have known better than to house herself, alone, with a man. Especially when said man was the one who had created her gigai, which made disarming it child's play for him. In all honesty, she couldn't have anticipated that things would go so far. She had expected to be professional about the whole thing from the second the idea had struck her. Or, at least, as professional as one could be while treating the man she was suddenly attracted to. If someone had told her two weeks ago that she would end up in this situation, and with Mayuri, she would have believed that person to be seriously troubled.

A part of her wished that she hadn't proposed the idea of a vacation to him; that she'd gone on her own, or perhaps with Nanao and Isane. And yet, there was something that just felt right. She'd clearly done something that had altered his usually rash behavior. If anything, she supposed that she'd done at least one thing right.

At first, she'd been mad as hell at him for daring to jeopardize their situation by provoking the Quincy child. Had things taken a wrong turn, he could have ended up at the police station, mouthing off and creating more problems than she'd like to deal with. Had she stepped in sooner, before Uryu had gone so far as to catch Mayuri in the jaw, then perhaps she wouldn't be in this situation. But maybe it was for the best. If anything, she'd always believed that the man needed some serious social interaction, as he was rather reclusive. At least he had actually tried to communicate with her, even if it had, for the most part, been some game.

Now, she was all but screaming, almost melting into the floor as he stared down at her with those dark eyes. She hated it, this feeling of being caught on a string; this feeling of being under his control. But that was what he'd wanted. She could read it in his movements, his face, everything. It happened so fast, leaving no time for actions to be planned out. Blood pulsed through her veins at breakneck speed, forcing her heart to pound relentlessly against her chest. Somehow, their bodies had ended up tangled, all senses of rationality or propriety abandoned. She had closed her eyes, as if looking away would absolve her of such sins. A jolt shot through her as she found herself running her hands across him, tracing the self-inflicted scars that ran in every direction. She'd always thought that such disregard for one's body was sinful, but having been granted the chance to explore, she had withdrawn such opinions.

But now, she was clearly in no position to judge. She was now a sinner herself.

She flinched, nails piercing his sides as she felt hands at her throat, teeth nipping and biting until she could just shatter. Anticipation took over as her hair came undone, splaying itself across the carpet. Against all promptings in her head, Retsu ran a hand through his hair, pulling his face closer. She didn't want to look, but curiosity won over. He was now hesitant, the wicked gleam having vanished, leaving question in its wake.

Her eyes closed, skin cold and trembling even as his own body warmed her. She had already gone against everything she knew to be proper, as she had allowed him to defile her in more ways than one. Quietly, she moved, hand reaching up to pull his face closer to hers. Upon opening her eyes, Retsu noted the obvious discomfort reflected in his own. She smiled gently, planting her lips where the Quincy had struck him. Confusion, on his part, was understandable. She worked her lips closer to his own, placing a hand against his chest to steady him before. slipping her tongue between his teeth. At first, he taste in her mouth was sour, causing her to flinch. Perhaps this was what sin tasted like. And she was indulging herself in it.

Retsu felt herself smiling, soft vibrations from his chest reaching her cold fingers as he overpowered her, forcing her back to the floor. Although he was violent by nature, she never would have expected such ferocity at a time like this. Slowly, she was beginning to unravel the strings the tied this man together.

Onward!