Finally More than Friends

Several days later

Ichigo landed next to Captain Ukitake, who looked up in surprise. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" Ichigo didn't finish his sentence. He looked over his shoulder, cursed, and flash stepped away.

A split second later Shuuhei landed almost in the exact same spot. He didn't say anything at all, just scanned the landscape with his eyes before sprinting away as well.

Ichigo was leaning against a tree, panting slightly. There was a steam with a waterfall leading into a deep pool below him. He wondered if he should go…

"Got you," Shuuhei said, pressing him into the tree. "You're too slow."

"I was just trying to figure out where to go next," Ichigo claimed.

"Hm…" Shuuhei said, thinking. He suddenly kissed Ichigo. Just as Ichigo relaxed into his embrace, Shuuhei picked him up and dashed over to the pool.

"Don't you dare!" Ichigo yelled even as Shuuhei was tossing him in.

He hit the water with a splash. "Damn it, it's cold!" he yelled at Shuuhei as he came up for breath.

Shuuhei laughed as he quickly removed his clothes.

"You know, if you wanted to go swimming you could have just asked," Ichigo called from the water.

"This was more fun," Shuuhei answered.

Ichigo began to strip off his water logged clothes and threw them onto some rocks. He turned and gave a wolf whistle as Shuuhei removed his fundoshi. Shuuhei laughed again and jumped into the pool in a ball, his spray drenching Ichigo again. The two swam in lazy circles for awhile. Ichigo was floating on his back, enjoying the warm feel of the sun when he felt himself being pulled into Shuuhei's arms. He turned around and Shuuhei kissed him passionately. Shuuhei continued to kiss Ichigo as he pulled him under the waterfall, into a small crevice that was behind it. As they pulled away Ichigo teased him. "I hope you're planning on doing more than just kiss me after that," he said.

"I'll have to think about it," Shuuhei joked as he leaned against a rock ledge under the water.

Ichigo pulled himself onto Shuuhei, straddling his thighs. "If you don't, I'll get mad," he threatened.

"Oh yeah? And what would you do if you were mad?"

"I think I'd bite you," Ichigo said, leaning forward and taking Shuuhei's bottom lip between his teeth, lightly tugging it.

"Hm, still thinking," Shuuhei said, even though his eyes were gleaming with lust.

Ichigo made a surprised noise as Shuuhei suddenly jumped up, dumping Ichigo back into the deeper water. Ichigo felt himself being propelled out, pushed onto the rocks around the pool.

"Ah! Cold rocks!" Ichigo complained. "What are you doing?" his feet where still in the water so he kicked them at Shuuhei, splashing water at him.

"Well, I was kind of planning on doing this before, but…well…you know."

Ichigo had no idea what he was talking about. All of a sudden Shuuhei was between his legs. "Oh my god," Ichigo moaned at Shuuhei began to lick up this inside of his thighs, coming to his now very much at attention penis and pausing before beginning to place small kisses along it, going up the bottom of the shaft. "Fuck, Shuuhei," Ichigo moaned.

Shuuhei licked him and laughed. "I almost forgot that you haven't done this before."

"You idiot, of course I haven't…" Ichigo stopped and leaned backward and Shuuhei suddenly went down on him, completely engulfing his erection with his hot mouth. "Shuuhei!" he moaned. He could feel Shuuhei laughing again, this time the vibrations running along his hardened length, striking the very core of him. "Oh my god," Ichigo groaned, wanting to press up into Shuuhei's mouth but being very firmly held down by Shuuhei's hands at his hips. He leaned backward into the cave wall in ecstasy, wondering desperately what to do with his hands that were clawing at the side of the pool. "Shuuhei, I can't take this, slow down!" he said. Shuuhei nodded his head "no". "Damn it," Ichigo said, burying his hands into Shuuhei's hair. "Fuck, Shuuhei."

Ichigo was actually having a hard time believing that Shuuhei was doing this at all. He had kind of expected Shuuhei to be a little, who knows, gun shy coming into the whole gay thing. He moaned again, pulling on Shuuhei's hair harder. "Shuuhei, I can't…I'm going to…" his head lolled back as he came, feeling Shuuhei gulping and continuing to suck on him.

Shuuhei came up, grinning at him goofily. Ichigo slipped back into the water, and wrapped himself around Shuuhei, still trembling from his orgasm. "Damn it, Shuuhei," Ichigo said, burying his head into Shuuhei's shoulder. After a moment he asked. "Um…so how was it?" curiously.

"I don't know, I think I liked it," Shuuhei said with a smile.

"Well thank god for that because I could really get used to it," Ichigo laughed. "Does it taste bad?"

"You can always find out for yourself," Shuuhei replied, nuzzling Ichigo's neck.

"I think I'll take you up on that," Ichigo grinned.

"Are you ok?" Shunsui asked.

Jushiro had a decided blush on his face. "Um, haha, yeah! It's just that Ichigo hasn't really learned how to control his spiritual pressure when um…in…high stress situations," he said with embarrassment.

"You know, you really at too cute when you blush and I don't remember the last time that it happened," Shunsui said, smiling.

Jushiro blushed even more at that. "Why are you here?" he asked his old friend.

Shunsui groaned and looked over his shoulder. He couldn't see them but he knew that they had to be there, watching him, making sure that he actually talked to Jushiro.

Earlier that day

Shunsui woke up with a start. He tried to move his hands forward to move the hair out of his face but found them restrained. He looked back, seeing that his hands were bound through the back of his chair. Looking up, his saw two figures.

"Well now, I think this is going to be a very good day after all," he said with a wide smile to Rukia and Nanao. With a frown he noticed the syringe in Nanao's hand. "And what is that?"

"This was to sober you up, because I don't want to wait for a week for the alcohol to trickle out of your system," Nanao said coldly.

"I suppose that's why I have such a terrible headache, but I can deal with that," Shunsui said. "So tell me, exactly what can I do for you?" he asked with a lecherous smile.

"You're going to tell us who it is that Captain Ukitake is in love with," Rukia stated.

Shunsui's smile faded. "I really don't think that's any of your business."

"At least we know that he knows now," Nanao pointed out.

"And now that we know, we're not letting you go until you tell us," Rukia said.

Shunsui groaned. "Fine, you've got me chained to the chair, which is very kinky I should mention, but even though you put spiritual cuffs on me I can still just walk out of here."

Nanao and Rukia flash stepped backward into the hall. "Actually, no you can't. Not after I bind this room with kido," Nanao said. "Don't get your hopes up, I removed all of your sake, even the stashes that you seem to think are secret," she added.

This is not good, Shunsui thought to himself. Should I just give up now or at least try to wait them out? He gave a quick analyzing look at the expressions of two women in the hallway and cussed to himself inwardly. Yeah, those two were not playing. He briefly considered lying but Nanao knew him a little too well for him to get away with it easily.

"It's…me," he said quietly.

"What?" Nanao asked.

"Louder!" Rukia yelled.

He groaned. "I said it's me!"

"Well, that makes this easy then," Nanao said.

Damn it, Shunsui thought. I guess I should have just held out after all.

"Weeeeeeell," Shunsui said, fidgeting a little. "You see…"

Jushiro was just looking at him.

"Um, can we maybe go back to your place and talk?" Shunsui asked.

"Of course," Jushiro replied.

The walk seemed to take only seconds to Shunsui. He had hoped he would've worked out something to say by the time that they got there, but his mind was still blank.

"Tea?" Jushiro offered as they sat on cushions in his living room.

"Tell me why you can't let it go," Shunsui blurted out.

"What?" Jushiro was understandably confused.

"Why do you still love me?"

Jushiro sat quietly. "What is this about?" he asked.

"Rukia and Nanao are crazy and sadistic is what's this is about," Shunsui said. "No…that's not it," he admitted. He really should have had this conversation a long time ago. "Look, I just want you to be happy. There's no reason for you to be still pining over me."

"It's not like I can help it."

"You have to be able to."

Jushiro remembered back to one of the many times he'd been hospitalized in Squad 4. He had had a very severe attacked and was lying barely conscious on a bed. Shunsui was crouched over him, holding his hand, his head bowed over Jushiro's chest. "Please, don't leave me, Jushiro," Shunsui was saying, his voice choked up with emotion. "I can't live without you."

"Even if you don't love me," Jushiro said, breaking from his memories, "I know that you need me. That's enough for me."

It's always been my fault, Shunsui thought. "I'm such a selfish person, Jushiro, you don't even know. I've never been able to…but I also could never…let you go…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I…can't stand to see you with someone else. I've held you captive, always at arm's length but never letting you get further than that," Shunsui tried to explain.

"Why would you do that?" Jushiro asked.

"…because…I do…," Shunsui still couldn't say it.

Jushiro definitely got the message though. His reaction wasn't one that Shunsui was expecting. His eyes blazed with anger. "You love me? But you've just been stringing me along for all the time? What's wrong with you? Why would you be so cruel to me?" he asked, shaking slightly.

"I…I told you, I'm selfish. I can't live without you," Shunsui said.

"Then why…"

"I'm an asshole, I know that. I always take offense when people call me old, but I swear sometimes I feel like the oldest person alive. In all of the years I've been around, I've never been able to maintain a healthy relationship. I'm just not built for it or something. And I can't lose you."

"You think you'd lose me if we were together as lovers?" Jushiro asked.

"I'm bound to mess things up sooner or later. Get too drunk, have wandering eyes or hands, god knows what I'd do to hurt you, but I absolutely won't do it."

"You don't think I've been hurting anyways?" Jushiro questioned, still slightly angry.

"I was hoping you'd find someone else, but evidentially I can't let you do that either. Even just as a friend I go out of my way to mess your life up."

Suddenly Jushiro was in his arms. "Please don't," Shunsui begged, looking into those warm eyes.

"I can make it work," Jushiro said. "You don't have to change. As long as I was number one in your heart I could deal with…others…"

"What?" Shunsui was incredulous. Then he smiled. "You would really do that too, wouldn't you?"

"I promise that no matter what happens I won't leave you."

"You are entirely too kind, Jushiro, and you always have been," Shunsui said, wrapping his arms around Jushiro's back tenderly. "But you are definitely worth more than you're offering."

"We can make it work."

"I don't want it that way," Shunsui said. "I'd rather just give it all up for you."

"What?" it was Jushiro's turn to be shocked.

"I've definitely run away from this for too long. All of that other crap doesn't really mean that much; it's all empty, all distraction. I can give it all up for you, and…and I want to," Shunsui continued. He ran his hand along Jushiro's jaw, tilting his face upward, leaning forward into a kiss.

In the morning, Jushiro was sitting outside in his garden drinking tea, his robe loosely tied around him. Shunsui came from behind and wrapped his arms around him. "You looked like you might be cold," he said into Jushiro's ear.

"You know, you can still take it back," Jushiro said.

"Like hell I can," Shunsui replied, kissing his cheek.

A couple of days later, Shunsui saw Jushiro and Ichigo talking in the distance. Ichigo was smiling and Jushiro laughed lightly. Shunsui frowned.

Jushiro put his hand out onto Ichigo's shoulder. "Thank you," he said.

"Hey, I didn't do anything," Ichigo grinned at him.

"Well, I suppose you didn't personally, but you did put the wheels in motion," Jushiro said with a smile.

"Hello, Lieutenant Kurosaki," Shunsui said coldly as he walked up.

Ichigo looked over at him, amused. He reached over and hugged Jushiro, surprising him. "I guess I'll see you later!" he said. He found his way blocked by Shunsui.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't touch Jushiro from now on," Shunsui said very firmly.

Ichigo smiled at him.

"HEY ICHIGO!" Shuuhei yelled from another deck. He saw immediately after yelling that Ichigo was talking to two captains and then winced. Whoops, he thought.

"I'm sorry, I have to go. My boyfriend is expecting me for lunch," Ichigo said, leaping over the railing and landing next to Shuuhei.

"Boyfriend?" Shunsui repeated.

"He hugged me just to make you jealous," Jushiro pointed out. "And I really can't believe that it worked."

"What about all those times that I walked in on you and him being all cutesy and flirty?"

"There was never anything between us. He came to me for advice because he felt that we were in similar situations; in love with our straight best friends," Jushiro explained. He decided to leave out the fact that he had deliberately toyed with Shunsui to try and make him jealous.

Shunsui still looked slightly skeptical. He pulled Jushiro into his arms.

"Are you sure we should be doing this in public?" Jushiro asked, pulling back slightly.

Shunsui ignored him, giving him a kiss on the lips. There was flash from nearby. Both looked up suddenly. The woman with the camera backed up quickly. "It's a digital camera that's linked to a computer! No matter what you do, I already have it!" she said, wincing slightly as they approached.

"You're probably from the Shinigami Women's Society, aren't you?" Shunsui asked.

"Um, yes," the woman answered.

"Excellent," Shunsui said. He took off his hat. "I'll give you a better one."

"Wait, what are you…" Jushiro sputtered as Shunsui kissed him passionately.

The woman obliged by snapping off several shots before sprinting off.

"Why in the world did you do that?" Jushiro asked.

"You might not be aware of it, but quite of few people have their eyes on you. Hell, you have fan clubs."

"What?" Jushiro asked, paling.

"You're so cute," Shunsui said, putting his thumb to Jushiro's chin.

"I still don't understand."

"This just gets the word out faster that you're mine," Shunsui explained.

"And I don't suppose you thought that we might have brought up the idea to Head Captain Yamamoto first?"

"Old man Yama?" Shunsui asked. "Why would he care if we're together?" He frowned. "He wouldn't care, would he?"

"You're what?" Yamamoto asked sternly.

"Well…uh…you know, together," Shunsui replied. Jushiro was standing awkwardly to the side.

There was a long silence.

Yamamoto gave Shunsui the stink eye. "If you hurt him, I'm going to turn you into ash," he said finally.

"Not planning on it," Shunsui said. "But you have succeeded in frightening me."

"Good."