A/N: Wow, it has been awhile. I can only say that life has been pretty busy lately, but now that training for work is over I'm hoping to have more time to focus on writing. As always I hope you enjoy, please read and review!

Walking along the wooded path to their training area he heard a frustrated scream fill the air. Pausing in his steps for a moment he waited for her to let it all out before approaching with their lunch. Another year had come and gone, she still hadn't attained her bankai, and her frustration was slowly growing closer to anger and defeat. She'd come a long way from when they'd first started training together, her Haineko's shikai now able to stand toe to toe with Senbonzakura's, but that shiny golden ring still eluded her.

It wasn't that it was surprising, most shinigami spent a decade or more working to unleash bankai, but he felt bad watching her struggle regardless. He knew she was pushing herself to do it in half that time so that she would be ready when it came time to face Aizen and he admired her tenacity, but there were very few who could claim they had accomplished such a thing. He was one of them, but he had the advantage of being of born a noble, so his spiritual pressure had been higher from the start.

Most of the population wasn't born in Soul Society or the soul kings realm, their souls arrived from the world of the living or through konso. In fact, outside of the royal family and noble ones like his own the birth of a new soul was extremely rare, so those born within the realm were naturally stronger as they had the benefit of being surrounded by reishi while in the womb. That was why his family frowned so heavily on him marrying a commoner, besides the obvious class difference, they were afraid that the two of them would not be able to conceive a child. In the end they were right, but not for the reasons they thought. He was sure they would have been successful if only they'd had more time. Alas though, it was not the time to be thinking about his late wife. That would just make him want to retreat and be alone and there was no time for that.

"Lunch." He called as he got close enough for her to hear. She nodded without looking at him, concentrating on controlling the cloud of ash around her.

He always enjoyed getting a glimpse of what she was working on, so he sat and put out the food as he watched her intently. Over the years he'd had the chance to see her evolve in the use of her weapon. The forms it took had gone from abstract clouds and walls to defined shapes, each with their own purpose. Waves, spheres, cyclones...not to mention the projectiles idea that he'd adopted and adapted for use with his own blade. Yes, she'd grown in leaps and bounds right before his very eyes and he felt a sense of pride, knowing he'd helped her develop along the way..

That wasn't to say that he hadn't developed any new tricks himself though, he'd also grown much stronger in the years that had passed by. In fact, he was now able to direct and control Senbonzakura at a much faster speed and with far greater accuracy than before. So much so that he'd narrowed his "safe zone" to almost half of what it once was. Which reminded him,...

"Mmm this looks good, thanks." She smiled, joining him and digging in without hesitation.

"Of course."

He was glad he'd made extra as he watched her decimate the food in front of her. It was no wonder that their food budget had increased again, she was definitely eating more than before in response to the growth of her power. Add to that his own increased appetite and one of them may need to get a job soon just to pay for food.

"Matsumoto...can I ask you something?"

"Sure...what's on your mind?" She replied as she reached for her second helping.

"This might be too personal but...I have been curious for awhile now...to know if Haineko has a 'safe zone?" It wasn't really appropriate to discuss the abilities of one's zanpaktou at length, particularly something that could be seen as giving away a weakness. But he'd never encountered someone who's shikai was so similar to his...until her.

"A safe zone? You mean like...a limit on the distance she can reach an enemy?"

"No. I mean an area where her ashes cannot go. Senbonzakura has one...a small area around the user that the blades never enter, in order to protect the wielder from damage." If he was asking about hers, it was only fair that he share details of his own.

"Hmmm...guess I never really thought about it...but now that you mention it...yeah. I would say she does. Do you think it would be important to focus on?" Her mind still on training.

"In time it may be worth it, but I asked because...well, surely you've noticed how similar our shikai are. I wanted to see if their base functions were the same."

"Well...maybe later we can spar and you can satisfy a little more of your curiosity." Winking before laying back and stretching out on the blanket they were sitting on.

He wasn't sure why he'd been expecting her to try and side step the question. Matsumoto was a very open person, happy to share her thoughts or details of her life. And really he shouldn't have been surprised that she answered without hesitation, she was never one for rules or constricting social constructs that existed in their society. She always seemed to be following the beat of her own drum, no matter who or what she was up against.

"While that sounds tempting, I was actually thinking about a visit to the hot spring. You've been working really hard and I think an evening of rest and relaxation would benefit you greatly."

In fact, she'd been working a little too hard and bringing up the hot spring was the equivalent to dangling something shiny in front of a child when you wanted to distract them. In his defense, he was only doing it because he was starting to worry about her. Training was all she thought about, all she talked about, all she did...and he truly felt it was time to get her one track mind onto something else. Even if only for one night, he was sure it would help.

"That sounds great and all… but it's too early to stop training for the day. I don't want to waste a minute of daylight, I'll need them all at this rate." She said with a sarcastic laugh, standing and dusting herself off.

"Well, I didn't mean right this minute. I thought you would be pleased by the idea."

"Byakuya, I thought you of all people would understand that I don't have time for frivolous things right now. So come on, let's spar against each other, I could use an actual opponent." Picking up Haineko and motioning for him to follow.

"I really think you should consider it nonetheless, a chance to clear your head can only help you." Getting up and grabbing Senbonzakura.

"Why are you pushing this? I already told you I don't have time for that. So if you aren't going to help me, just leave me the hell alone." Letting out a frustrated sigh, her body language and her stance challenging.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" His annoyance that she wouldn't even think about it coming through in his tone.

"It certainly doesn't seem that way to me! Spending half the day in the hot spring is not on my agenda right now. I don't need to rest, I need to train! And why do you care anyway? If you want to go, go!" Stepping close to him, as if challenging him further.

He knew her anger wasn't really his fault, she was merely directing it at him. Still, it caused his hot headed nature, the part of himself he worked so hard to keep down, to boil to the surface. She somehow managed to push his buttons without trying. Maybe it was the way she confronted him so easily, as if she wasn't intimidated at all. Or maybe it was something else entirely. But whatever it was, she was infuriating, and he couldn't stop himself from grabbing her and pulling her against him as he shouted.

"Because I'm worried about you! Because I care about you! I hate seeing you struggle and I hate even more that I can't do anything to help you! That's why I care...that's why I want you to take a break before you burn yourself out." The volume and intensity of his voice decreasing at the end as he realized what he was doing. Despite the realization he couldn't seem to let her go, continuing to hold her close instead of apologizing and walking away.

Wow, that was so much more than he'd meant to say. Once again she'd caused him to lose himself in his emotions, even when he knew she wasn't trying to. She blinked up at him, eyes wide in shock, and he felt bad for yelling as he watched her wrestle with how to respond. For the first time in awhile he couldn't tell what she was thinking, there were too many emotions fighting for dominance in her gaze, and he worried that he'd just ruined much more than their evening.

Even more humiliating...he could feel his body reacting to the feel of her breasts pressed against his chest, more and more with every heaving breath she took. Thankfully after a few beats passed, she recovered from her shock pushing him away and shaking him off. It was as though a spell had been broken and he knew he needed to apologize.

"Matsumoto…I'm sorry...I didn't mean to…" Attempting to explain himself. He'd never understand how she could make him so emotional and outspoken one moment, and practically speechless the next.

"It's fine…" She bit out with a huff.

"Let's just go."

Without waiting for a response she started walking back to the campsite to change and collect things for their hotspring visit. She couldn't bring herself to look at him after what had just transpired. Not because she was upset or angry with him, but because she was afraid he would see how much he'd just turned her on. She hadn't been expecting it and it made her feel a little embarrassed.

He was right (of course he was) and she knew it. Rest would only help her, but she was so close to finally attaining her bankai that stopping seemed like it would be a setback. And that was the last thing she wanted. So naturally she responded with a rebellious attitude when he brought it up. She was just being stubborn about it, she never dreamed he would react so intensely.

Getting him worked up enough to actually raise his voice at her had always given her a little thrill, one she'd enjoyed many times in her private thoughts. But this time it was different. He'd reached out and grabbed her, pulling her close against himself, holding her there so that he could get his message across, clearly and unmistakably. And she liked it...a lot.

Normally that would have made her angry and indignant, no man was going to put his hands on her and get away with it. But as she listened to the words that came out of his mouth and read the expression in his eyes, there was a rush of wetness between her thighs and she suddenly felt flush all over. Not to mention the butterflies that swarmed in her stomach at hearing him say that he cared for her. But when she wondered if he made love as passionately as he argued, her mind conjuring images that would stay with her for life, she had to turn away from him.

She was vaguely aware of his voice as he was again trying to apologize and the sound of his footsteps as he followed a few paces behind her, but she was too caught up in her own thoughts to bother responding to him. So what if he thought she was mad at him for a little bit, she needed a moment to collect herself and calm the beating of her heart. Then maybe she could manage to smile and look him in the eye as if nothing had happened...maybe.

There was a sense of relief when he didn't enter their shared tent right behind her. He'd obviously picked up on the fact that she was in need of some alone time, and for that she was grateful. In fact, now that she thought about it, in the last year or so he'd become really adept at knowing what she needed and it was amazing to her how well he seemed to know her. Even better than herself sometimes. It was strange, to think that this man who was notorious for being cold and callous, was actually warm and caring underneath all of that. And even stranger to think that she was falling for him, that she wanted to continue to spend her days with him when this whole mess was finally over. That would never happen of course, he was out of her league- especially once he got back to his noble life, but a girl could dream couldn't she?

Hiding her attraction to him was hard, but not impossible. She was more than capable of going out there, putting on a smile, and pretending that she hadn't just been thinking dirty thoughts about him. But just when she thought she'd shaken it off, she remembered that they were going to the hotspring. And while they'd long ago picked up suitable swimwear, to avoid the awkwardness of being naked together, the image of him in what basically amounted to a speedo had her pulse racing all over again. So of course that was the moment he chose to come in and gather his own things.

"Matsumoto, are you alright? Please forgive me for my outburst, I sincerely hope I didn't frighten you." He said quietly, avoiding eye contact.

"No...you didn't frighten me, and yes I'm fine. You just caught me off guard is all...but it's ok. You're right, I need some rest, so thank you for making me see that." Exiting their tent and waiting outside for him. She didn't want to keep talking about it, his apology wasn't necessary but she would accept it nonetheless.

Their walk to the hot spring was uneventful and full of awkwardness, neither of them having anything to say. Or maybe it was that they didn't know what to say. Either way, it was as if her whole body sighed in relief when she finally sunk down into the soothing waters she'd discovered years back. It had been quite some time since they'd been there, her bankai training taking over the bulk of their days, and she realized how much she missed their regular visits.

Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back and let the tension of the day drain away. This was exactly what she was needing and she would have to thank him later for making her take the time to relax and recharge. She honestly hadn't realized how tense and knotted her muscles had become from constant sparring and swordwork, nor had she noticed how tired she'd been feeling. So tired in fact, that the next thing she knew she was awaken to the sound of Byakuya calling to her, gently prodding her to stir.

"Matsumoto...wake up. It's time to go back to camp for the night." He said softly.

"Hmm? Byakuya? What happened...did I fall asleep?" Her eyes still heavy as she tried to blink away the cobwebs in her mind.

Turning her head she could see a hint of a smile on his lips as he gazed down at her. She'd never seen such a soft, relaxed look on his face before and she felt her heart do a little flutter at the sight. She might have stayed there and enjoyed it a little longer, getting lost in those gorgeous gray orbs, if she hadn't realized that she was leaning against him, her head on his chest and his arm wrapped around her.

When and how did they end up so close together? Was it before or after she fell asleep? And just how long had she been sleeping? Oh God, had she been drooling? She felt like she might have been drooling. She knew she needed to move away from him, but she was still weighed down by sleep, her body feeling sluggish. She felt tired to her very soul, but she knew she had to make the journey back to camp before she could close her eyes again, and she could only hope that getting out of the hotspring would help her in that endeavor.

"You fell asleep rather quickly, and I was worried that if I too nodded off you might inadvertently slump down into the water and drown. So I moved closer to support you just in case." He said, answering most of her unspoken questions.

How did he do that? It was like he was reading her mind sometimes. Neither Gin or Toshiro could ever tell what she was thinking as easily or often as he seemed to.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Finally gathering the strength to pull away from him and stretch.

"You're most welcome. Now, let's head back and get some dinner shall we?" Standing and climbing out of the spring.

"Yeah, that sounds good. And then I think I wanna retire a little early tonight." A yawn escaping her as she followed suit, drying herself off, putting her hakama back on and slinging her kosode over he shoulder. She was going to change when they got back anyway. Now if only she could manage the walk there.

"That's a fine idea. I'm glad you're taking my suggestion to rest seriously."

Complete and utter weariness seemed to emanate from her very core, and watching her stumble along it became clear that she had been pushing herself much harder than he realized. She was practically falling asleep on her feet right in front of him. He couldn't let her keep going that way, she might end up hurting herself. Not to mention that it was going to take twice as long to get back at her current pace, so he stopped her and offered to carry her on his back.

She accepted without a second thought and within a few minutes he heard the sound of gentle snoring. Fortuitously, he made it to camp before she ended up drooling on the back of his neck and he laid her in her cot before starting on dinner. She slept until it was ready and pretty much went right back to sleep after she ate. If he didn't know better he would have been worried when she spent most of the following day in bed as well. Instead he was glad to see that she was finally getting the rest she so desperately needed. And when she finally emerged from her near coma like state, she was bright and refreshed. The bags under her eyes were gone and she seemed to be approaching her training with a fresh perspective.

A few days later she approached him for help, asking him to spar with her, thinking that the intensity of a fight might push her over the proverbial hump. While it was highly out of the ordinary, bankai training was traditionally something a shinigami did alone, it didn't surprise him. Nothing about her was ordinary or traditional.

It was important to her that he not hold back, she wanted to feel the full threat of his power. And while it made sense it didn't make him feel any less nervous about the prospect of hurting her. She'd made him promise nonetheless and he was nothing if not a man of his word, so he obliged her request attacking and defending without hesitation.

She was quicker and more agile than before, and there was a lot more force behind her attacks now. Honestly, she was giving him a run for his money, making him work harder than he expected just to avoid a direct hit. Their match grew more and more intense as it went on and she had him on the ropes, or so she thought. He'd let her think that so he could find an opening in her defense, and when he found it, he went in with full force.

She didn't dodge however, and he almost has a heart attack thinking he'd just seriously injured her, but she was using a sphere of ash as a shield against his blades. It was spinning in constant movement around her, deflecting Senbonzakura's attack in all directions around her. He thought it was brilliant, but it only made him wonder how much she could take and how long she could keep her shield up, so he continued to assault it with a never ending stream of blades. And just when he thought he was about to break through her defense, she finally called out the name of her bankai.

"Shōkyaku suru Haineko!" She yelled, a ball of light exploding outward and blowing his attack apart.

Normally, one's bankai doubled their power, but in that moment it felt as though her reiatsu had gone well beyond that. Trying to see what her bankai looked like was more difficult than anticipated as there was now dark, thick smoke and ash surrounding her. But once his eyes adjusted it was quite the sight to behold. It only lasted a few seconds however, she didn't know how to control it yet and it drained her reiatsu almost completely. She let out a cry of pain and the next thing he knew she was crumbling to the ground.

*Rangiku's bankai command is "Incinerate"