Yay! I've been waiting all week to type out this story! Sorry for not updating too much, I had a lot of tests and quizzes and assignments due in high school. Life of an eleventh grader.

Anyway, if you didn't read the note I wrote in chapter nine, it is pretty important to the plot of the play. Even though I say that Hisana is twenty one, and the Shinigami physical aging duration is longer, which makes the whole plot inconsistent, FROM NOW ON PLEASE NOTE THAT HISANA SAKAMOTO IS THE SAME AGE AS 15 YEAR OLD ICHIGO KUROSAKI, ORIHIME INOUE, and every one in Ichigo's grade!

I had nothing to do but wait for Taicho to finish dressing. No matter how bored I was, I would rather let it rot me up before seeing my Captain again after that...unfortunate incident.

It wouldn't have been a problem if I was wearing the black outer coating of my Shinigami uniform. But I had left it up on the wooden fence to dry up, and only clothed my upper body with the white undershirt. And we all knew what happens to pure white fabric when it gets wet. If I was expecting it to get soaked up in water again, I would have never taken off the black shirt. But I didn't, so the nice moment Byakuya and I shared was totally destroyed when he looked...

I blushed and shook my head. The fact of what he could have seen just wouldn't get out of my mind. I tried slapping my cheeks and hugging my now fully clothed body closer, but it didn't work. I was going to have trouble talking and looking at him for the next few weeks, maybe even months.

"I assure you that I halted my eye movements before I saw anything, Sakamoto.", he sat opposite of the campfire.

I jumped a bit when I heard his voice out of nowhere. He was one of, if not the fastest shunpo user in the Seireitei, so I wouldn't be surprised that I didn't hear him walk to the campfire. All I did was sit back into the tree and blush even more.

"Really?", I squeaked out.

He nodded, "You have my word."

"That's good then...", I mumbled, feeling better by a lot but still a little freaked out.

Nothing was spoken between the two of us, and I excused myself to go to the hot spring and properly clean up.

"I'm still surprised that I can still think of bathing after that.", I said to myself when I jumped into the water. I looked up at the blue moon in the night sky. There were many stars out, and I cooed looking up at them. It was breathtaking.

Back at the campfire...

Tying my sash tightly around my waist, I walked back to Taicho, where I saw him frown while closing his eyes, his hand balled into fists against his temples.

"Taicho?", I sat down to his level, "Are the Hollow burns doing something?

He sighed, and dropped them onto his crossed lap, as he looked here and there a bit hesitant to answer, "Um...they are irritable...I suppose."

I tilted my head to the side, yet another thing that I've never seen him do: contemplate and feel nervous.

I stood up and looked around the field of snow. Miraculously I found what I needed and ran to it.

"I will be back Taicho!"

"What?"

I stared up at the big mountain in front of me and started climbing up it. Those always grow here.

"Sakamoto. What are you doing?"

I didn't turn back to look at him, afraid of losing my grip. "Wait! I'm almost there!"

Half an hour of crawling on the the slippery rocks later, I tried my best to go down the hill without slamming my head on pointed rocks and avoid any more tears appearing on my uniform. However, due to my lack of knowledge of climbing mountains, the new rips were inevitable.

I looked around for my Captain, the last time hearing him was at the base of the rocky hill. I lightly punched my back getting the knots out, and figured that the raven haired man went back to the only source of warmth in this forest. I grabbed a smooth round rock on the ground before running, eager to get back to the fire myself.

I quietly sat on the ground again, and took my now dry white undershirt. Folding it up into a thick fabric, I placed the things I found back up on the mountain on top of the fabric and began tearing it into shreds.

"Sakamoto, what are you doing?"

I stopped and looked at him, "Hold on Taicho...", I smiled and looked down once more. He didn't say anything else, instead looking at the fire.

I reached over to get two handfuls of clean snow, and shuffled over to the fire. As I held the snow in my hands right above the flames, I winced a few times at how the unbearable heat licked at my red skin. Melting it to the desired state, I quickly poured the water into the things I picked. I tore at the side of my white shirt and placed it on my lap. The final step was to take the rock, heat it up, and grind the ingredients.

I wiped my forehead, and stretched once the consistency was perfect. I took everything and carefully walked over to a resting Taicho. Sitting down in the formal sitting position, I spoke.

"Taicho, can you give me your arm?"

His eyes were still closed and he raised an eyebrow. In any case of his curiosity, he was much to exhausted to protest as he threw his right arm over to the side. I shyly took it and lifted the large black coloured sleeve up to show his muscles.

With the palm sized piece of fabric I tore, I rubbed some of the goo looking substance in it and smeared it across his biceps.

I felt his muscles relax as I continued to put some more of the barely moist substance on his wrist. He did not say anything at all during the first few minutes. I held his hands on top of my smaller palm and coaxed his calloused fingers with the medicine.

With the sleeve still rolled up to his shoulder, I reached over to take his other hand and continued the process. Still he did not say anything.

...And as I sort of leaned into his skin, I could smell his nice scent again, and smiled a bit as I worked on.

Finishing with his writing limbs I sat back and dunked my hands into the snow, allowing the cold to clear away the little pieces of crunched leaves. When I placed my hand in front of the fire to dry up, I caught movement in my Taicho's direction. Swiftly turning my neck to him, my cheeks flared up as he wormed his arms out of the haori and upper hakama. The fabric fell down his shoulders and uncovered his back. I backed away a little when he turned around to reveal his broad back to me.

"Um...", I whispered, and wiped my hands.

"Aren't you going to heal my back as well?", he stated in a non-questioning way.

"...Well...I wasn't actually planning to do that...only your arms.", I explained.

He paused, and I could only guess that he was embarrassed that I denied help. He began pulling back his haori, and I winced at how the big burns shifted about looking very gut wrenching.

I placed a hand on his spine and the other on his elbow, causing him to stop in his movements abruptly, like a game of frozen tag. I was the 'it' person, and Kuchiki Taicho had just been caught in my trap.

"Please hold still.", I spoke up and took up the ripped fabric again. He nodded and gently pulled his arm back, sitting comfortably.

As I moved across his shoulder blades, the feel of his strong flesh could be felt through the soaked fabric and on his fingers. I was amazed at how muscular Taicho actually was. Him being who he was, I knew that he would be macho like any other male Shinigami in Seireitei. But on top of his loose clothing he wore everyday, I couldn't see it. And now...to take in and study his back was really...

I closed my eyes and blushed. Picking up my speed, I managed to finish spreading the medicine over his entire back and placed my hand down.

He had been silent once again, and I spoke up, "Taicho, do you need it on your front...?"

He turned around and faced me. "I'll do that myself."

I nodded and gave him the cloth.

"You can sit here. I don't mind."

I halted in mid step and plopped down back to my seat beside him. I could feel my cheeks, once again, heating up again, and quickly turned ninety degrees to look at the fire, rather than directly at his body as he slowly smeared it across his torso.

'Doesn't he mind doing this right in front of a girl? Or maybe that just how all men act?' I thought to myself, reminding myself of Ikkaku's behaviour around anyone.

"Sakamoto."

"Yes Taicho?"

"I've seen this type of medicine before."

"Oh."

"It is used by the Fourth Company."

"Oh, yeah, I remember too."

"...How could you have known how to make it?"

I sighed and hugged my knees, "Back at the Academy, I had always considered applying to become a seated officer in the Fourth Division. So I did a considerable amount of research and forced myself to remember a few of the handmade medicine found in the wild."

"This is a medicinal herb that can always be found on the oldest mountains. It was the first recipe that I ever taught myself. So I remember it quite well."

"..."

Not wanting to go back into quietness, I continued talking, "It's really not hard to make. Just find these plants-they have flecked stems and a smooth legged leaf with blue flowers-and add water, just enough to grind it into a really dry paste thing."

"...What excellent choice of words...'thing'...", he replied, and I gave him a deadpanned look when he didn't see.

"...It just felt right to use that word..."

I took in a breath and clenched my toes.

"...If you show that much work to enter the Fourth Division, I think that you could have beat the current Lieutenant out of her spot."

I noted that this was the first time he complemented me, "Thanks."

"My question to you now is...why did you NOT apply for the Division?"

I turned to look at him again, as wiped his neck, and I stared at his Adam's apple.

"It's because of you."

He immediately stopped and looked at me incredulously. If I had to say anything, he looked moved with his eyes sparkling in the fire.

"...Me?"

I shook my head, "It's not like it was because of any sort of romantic attraction I spontaneously grew for you Taicho. I've heard the gigantic amount of females falling for you."

He blinked a few times and asked me to continue.

"Taicho, do you remember back around three years ago, in my fifth year at the Academy?" You and Ichimaru Taicho were helping out a class of advanced students when the rise of Hollows occurred.", I looked at his eyes.

"...Somewhat."

"...You had always seemed to be oddly strict against me compared to everyone else, it was like that since the first time you saved me six years ago."

"...You...can still remember all those things?"

I smiled and nodded, "It may not have been a big deal for a Captain like you, always with the duty to protect. But I could remember everything.

Anyway, yes, I up until my fifth year, I wanted to be in the Fourth Division. But that class you and I sparred, and it didn't really end up that smoothly."

He remained quite.

"Of course, you beat me up because you were much stronger than me, and then you called me a waste of skin. That got me really angry, and I yelled at you. So I'm sorry about that."

He shook his head, "Everyone would act like that."

"It was crazy of me to say that, I know. But I humiliation that I went through was very rough. When you left, I promised myself that no one would ever insult me like how you did. I guess the amount of devotion I forced on myself to beat you was far greater than my will to be a Fourth Company Shinigami.

I figured that if I worked directly under you, I would have more chance to pick a fight. But Renji always stopped in and challenged you instead.", I laughed a little, "So now, here I am."

"..."

"..."

"If you still want to spar with me again.", he wiped his hands on his hakama, "You can."

I smiled and shook my head, "No don't want to anymore. That goal I had has died away."

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Really? And when did that happen?"

"Today. Just two hours ago."

"...What?"

I giggled, "Yes. Just a hours ago, I saw how much you risked yourself into to help me out. You've done it so many times now. Today, in the Hollow's stomach was the most heroic and sacrificing."

"...It was nothing."

"Then I saw how you were nearly killed because of my fault...your burns.", I sighed, "Only you and one other person, have ever risked that much to help me."

"..."

"I felt really bad at how I felt hatred to you. And I was touched because of you. So from then on, my goal became to protect you and relieve as much work and stress off your shoulders as much as I can. One day, Taicho..."

I smiled at him, "I'm going to grow up to protect you."

He stared at me, "Then you would have to work day and night for that to ever happen."

Slowly, a second smirk developed on his mouth, "You have no clue as to how much longer that determination of yours will last. For all I know, I think you would give up on it soon."

I pouted, "No Taicho! This is now officially my Shinigami life dream!"

"Yeah...right...", his smirk grew wider.

I don't know why, but I began to smile again, "You'll see."

He pulled back the top of his uniform, and I detached my eyes from his Adam's apple and looked up to the moon and stars. Silence engulfed us again.

"The stars are very pretty in the Soul Society.", I said.

"Cherry blossoms are nicer."

"No. the stars are. No matter what world we are in, cherry blossoms are always cherished. But the stars are often ignored."

"What's that got to do with anything."

"In the Human World, the city lights in Tokyo always block out the stars. It was no fun at all."

"So?"

"So, I think that the things that most of us don't care about least are the most prettiest things in life if we looked at it. Like stars."

"...That's stupid thinking."

"Aren't cherry blossoms stupid too then?"

"Sakamoto.", he growled, going back to his normal Taicho mode. I winced and apologized.

Then, once more, we remained quite. This this the first time I've ever been able to talk so much to him. I wanted to talk again. But he beat me this time.

"What is that?", he pointed to my finger.

I smiled, "Oh this?"

He nodded.

"It's a ring."

"Is that some sort of precious value in the Human World?"

"Well...some of it is. This one is VERY special.", I confirmed.

"It must cost a lot of money than."

"Actually...its worth about a market price for two rice balls."

"Pf. In what world is that valuable?"

I frowned at him, "Yes it does! You can never find another one like it! No matter how much you look around!"

"And explain why to your Taicho why something so cheap can cost so much money."

"It's not money that makes it worth a lot. It's the memories that I have with it and the receiver."

He stared at me, "Memories...?"

"Yes."

"Who gave it to you then, and why is it so important?"

I wiped away some of the steam that was on the ring, located on my left second middle finger, "Do you recall how I said that there was one more person who would risk their life to save me/"

He nodded, "Of course."

"Well, they gave this to me. It says 'KISH'. Those are acronyms. Doesn't it sound like KISS?"

"What relationship? Did they have with you."

I blushed and played around with the ring. I took in a deep breath.

"My first love."

He looked at me.

"My boyfriend."

"..."

"And my self proclaimed husband to be when we graduate high school."

At this point of time, Byakuya had completely stopped moving.

"But I died."

'Hisana...died because of me. What was I doing?'

"But there will be no one who will ever replace him in my heart...", I sighed to myself, not paying attention to how Byakuya clutched at his stomach.

'Hisana...I had almost forgotten...what I promised to you...'

"Sakamoto."

I smiled at him.

"You are right.", he glared at me and my eyes widened at the harsh tone. It was the worst yet.

"I DO resent you and I DO hate you."

My smile slowly dropped.

"What?"

"I don't want to repeat myself to you anymore. Nor do I care about your life and thoughts."

"...But-"

"Shut up. I'm sick of hearing your childish and impossible fantasies. If I were you, I would tear them apart instantly."

He got up, and shot a glare back at me, "Don't bother trying to 'help' me as you put it. I don't give a DAMN. Move out, I'm heading to Seireitei. Just go back to the useless third seat captain. Waste of skin."

With just that, he flash stepped away. I could only look at the air that used to be filled with his presence.

'What just happened?', I cried in my thoughts.

And I waited for two more hours until he would come back. But Kuchiki Taicho never did.

With tears in my eyes, I realized that he won't be back to get me. I walked north, hugging my body tightly as I made my way to Seireitei.

-TBC-

I had originally planned the ending of this chapter to be more happy. But its better like this. Please comment! And thank you to the supportive viewers!