Ok, we'll try this again. Formatting issues came up, thanks to everyone who let me know! Please enjoy!

Ch 26

Kensei

Even when sparring with practice swords, Naoko was ferocious. Never the one to try and end a fight quickly, she played the long game. Her strategy was good, Kensei had to admit. She had the advantage of range with her katana, but he had power. Naoko struck, feinted, and parried his attacks with precision. He noticed her shunpo improved as well, her speed increasing so much that it was hard to discern which was her real body, and which was the afterimage.

Kensei noticed how Naoko was falling into a pattern, a feint, and then an attack from the opposite direction. He smirked. "Getting sloppy," he thought to himself. He parried the tip of her sword on the left easily and pushed it aside. "Now she'll come from the right," he thought, readying himself for the real attack coming. Nothing. Naoko had disappeared.

"Ah shit," he cursed. A heavy blow landed on his back, enough to make him stumble forward. Another blow to his leg kicked his base of support out from under him, and then his arm jerked down with incredible strength. In an instant, Kensei had flipped forward and landed on his back, staring at the dimming sky in a shocked daze.

Naoko sat on his stomach, her bokken pointed down onto his chest. A mischevious grin danced on her lips. "I fooled you, didn't I?" she asked. Kensei could see her chest rising and falling as she tried to even out her breathing, forehead glistening with sweat.

"You're just asking for the next session to be harder," he grunted, knocking the wooden sword away and sitting up. The captain rubbed his shoulder lightly.

"I haven't forgotten how to fight, you know," Naoko said. She had shifted down to Kensei's lap to allow her captain to assume a sitting position. "So you don't have to go easy on me."

"For zanjutsu, sure," Kensei replied. "But how about hand to hand?" He grinned devilishly as he grabbed Naoko, and rolled over so he was hovering over her. An undignified yelp filled the clearing. Naoko looked up at him from the grass, hair disheveled and pouting. Blades of grass stuck to their clothing and hair from the roll.

"Cheater," she grumbled good naturedly. Kensei could feel her legs sliding up his sides slowly as he watched her hands trace the muscles of his forearms. He reveled in her touch as he watched her mismatched eyes darken with desire. He stifled a low groan as he pressed Naoko into the ground with his hips. "I thought I was the sneaky one," Naoko purred. She lifted her head up, lips inviting him to meet hers. He shifted forward, leaning down to kiss those red petals. A low exhale enticed him further as Kensei felt Naoko's slim fingers tighten on his arms.

Suddenly, Naoko bucked her hips hard against Kensei's and immediately followed it with a strong kick that sent him sailing upwards and over, and Kensei was staring at the sky again.

"Naoko!" he growled. He rolled over, only to find the dark haired perpetrator already at the tree line, chuckling cheekily. "Come back here, you!" Kensei shot up and sped over to her. Her eyes widened and snatched up both their zanpakutous. She let out a delighted giggle and flash stepped away, inviting him into a game of tag. He followed her, using shunpo to cut her off. Naoko jerked away quickly with a laugh, moving out of reach of Kensei's outstretched arms. She led him through the forest in a blur of black and white until she stopped abruptly at a small lake with a waterfall. Kensei barreled into her, eager to stop the game. His momentum carried the two into the middle of the lake with a loud splash. Large waves lapped the shore with the force of their entry into the water.

"Agh!" Naoko yelled out as soon as they surfaced.

"Fuck it's cold!" Kensei chattered, still holding his lover to his chest. She shivered violently against him as they kicked in sync, keeping their heads above the surface.

"I-i-idiot," Naoko stuttered angrily. "W-w-hy d-did you p-push me in? I c-c-can't swim!" Her body trembled as cold water continued to flow around her. Kensei swam his way back to the shoreline, one arm tight around her waist and another outstretched.

"How w-would I k-know that!?" he growled in response. Kensei felt her shudder violently against him just as his feet found the pebbled ground. He lurched out of the water, their soaked uniforms now sticking uncomfortably to their bodies and weighing them down. The silver haired captain let Naoko down onto the ground, where he started to wring out his clothes.

Kensei watched in horror his third seat crumpled to the ground gasping for air. Dry coughs wracked her body, followed by a rattling heave. Naoko's body trembled violently continuously in a seizure like manner. He could make out a faint "not now" in between Naoko's fits as she attempted to breathe evenly.

"Naoko!" he cried out, placing a large hand on her back. "Naoko, what's wrong?" His eyes widened with fear and concern.

"No-no-*cough*-nothing," she choked out. She shook as coughs continually wracked her body.

"Bullshit!" he shouted. "I'm taking you back to the barracks." Kensei gathered Naoko in his arms before she could protest, training equipment abandoned as he flash stepped towards the 9th division's medical unit.

-At the sick bay-

"Haruka!" Kensei bellowed. "Haruka, get your ass out here!" Naoko's coughing had subsided, but was still having difficulty catching her breath. A man slightly younger than Naoko emerged from an adjoining office, his straight black hair pulled back into a short ponytail. His blue eyes widened at Naoko's state. "We fell into the lake while training, she started coughing. She couldn't breathe…"Kensei rattled off quickly.

"Place her on the bed, taichou," he interrupted sternly. "We need to get her out of those clothes." To Kensei's discomfort, Haruka's deft hands started undoing the ties to Naoko's shihakusho, now stuck from the water. The knots free, Naoko placed a shaking hand on Haruka's wrist.

"H-haru," Naoko rasped. "I'll do it." Kensei met her eyes, she seemed to read his unease with Haruka's actions.

Haruka nodded, "I'll get you a set of dry clothes." Blue eyes scanned Kensei as well. "Both of you, I guess," the medic added. "Taichou, if you please, give Naoko some privacy." He grabbed a curtain and firmly pulled it between the captain and third seat. Kensei acquiesced, impressed with the medic assigned to his division. This one wasn't timid like the others. Naoko and Hisagi told him that Haruka had been assigned to the 11th division originally, and had grown a backbone and a pair in order to stand up to the pugnacious soldiers. His success was duly noted by Unohana-taichou and promoted to the 9th division, where he swiftly garnered the respect of everyone in the division.

Kensei listened to the sounds of rustling fabric on the other side of the curtain. The slap of wet cloth on the ground indicated that Naoko was now undressed. Her breathing was still ragged, but she no longer coughed. Haruka returned, handing Kensei a dry robe and instructing him to change in the office. His tone and facial expression indicated that he wanted Kensei nowhere near Naoko until his say so.

~Naoko~

What horrible timing. The shock of the cold water, combined with Ukitake-taichou's coughing fit, made for a doubly intense and painful reaction. What made it worse was that Kensei had seen it. Naoko had bundled herself into the sheets of the sick bay's bed, relieved that she was free of her wet uniform.

"Naoko-san?" Haruka's voice asked from the other side of the curtain. "I'm coming in, I have dry clothes for you."

"Alright," she replied. The medic opened the curtain enough to enter, handing her her new clothes. Naoko accepted the robes from Haruka with soft 'thank you', trying not to meet his eyes.

Haruka looked her over with a critical eye before leaving. "Let me know when you're done," he said. "You're still shaking. I want to make sure you aren't getting sick." The young man exited, the curtain closing behind him with a low rustle. Naoko stopped shaking, and let out an exhausted sigh.

She didn't shake because she was cold, it was out of effort. Without her eyepatch, Haruka had turned into a large spider Hollow. Naoko had focused intensely in an attempt to distinguish the Shinigami Haruka from what his Hollow depicted. Jorogumo Jou'ou was the name of Haruka's zanpakutou; how fitting that his hollow was a terrifying spider as well. She remembered the crafty look in his eyes when they trained, how he had managed to trap her in a web of reiatsu made specifically by his unique shikai.

Haruka returned once she finished dressing, and her focus returned. Naoko concentrated on how the warmth of the man's hands feeling her pulse and examining her body contrasted with the image of a bony, spindly leg touching her. Haruka always smelled clean, being a medic and all. Hollows did not. They were rancid and foul. And so, the image of stern faced, blue eyed Haruka returned, a shadow of his Hollow just threatening to return if Naoko did not maintain her attention.

"Muguruma-taichou mentioned you were coughing a lot," Haruka stated. "Has it happened before?"

"No," Naoko lied. Her mismatched eyes stared into Haruka's deep blue. Haruka stared back unflinchingly. He shrugged, and made a note on his clipboard.

"I don't appreciate lying," he said dismissively. "Your throat is inflamed and scarred, but your lungs are clear. I don't know what is wrong, and I hope you'll come to me if it acts up again." Haruka helped Naoko stand up from the bed. "You're free to go, Naoko-san. Come by for some tea if you're not too busy these days."

"Haruka," Naoko spoke softly. "You're not scared of me?"

"Why would I be?" he asked boredly. "Nearly half the captains of the Gotei 13 have Hollow powers, and you've been cleared by Unohana-taichou herself. Naoko is still Naoko, Hollow powers or not."

"You're too kind, Haruka," Naoko replied, a soft smile stretching her lips.

"Don't sell yourself short, the whole division feels the same way. We would've fallen apart if you hadn't helped Hisagi after Tousen betrayed us." Haruka pulled open the curtain, revealing a waiting Kensei leaning against the door frame.

Kensei's hulking frame turned around and confronted Haruka. "What's wrong? Is Naoko sick?"

Haruka shrugged. "Naoko-san isn't sick, I think it was just the sudden temperature change that caused the coughing fit. I suggest not training near bodies of water next time."

Kensei narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his medic and 3rd seat. Naoko looked back at him with innocent eyes, hoping he would accept the explanation. "Alright then," Kensei relented. "I'll take note of that. Thanks, Haruka."

"A pleasure, Muguruma-taichou."

~Kensei~

Kensei walked alongside Naoko down the hallway. She seemed better, the trembling and coughing stopped, and her breathing was now even. The passed by the soldiers' quarters, where Naoko started to turn down a corner, away from where his room was. "Where are you going?" he asked, holding her hand and keeping her from walking further away.

"To my room, Kensei," she replied, eyebrow quirked. "I want to take a nice, hot shower, and rest." Kensei gave a slight frown, disappointed. Unmarried Shinigami were required to have their own quarters, after all. This rule applied to even romantic partners of Captains as well. Then again, there was no rule against sleep overs.

"It's late, come to my quarters instead," Kensei offered. He smirked, "Besides, why share the showers when I have my own bathroom now? There's an actual tub, you know." Kensei knew he won Naoko over with the word 'tub', a victorious smile gracing his strong features as he watched his lover bite her lip at the tempting idea.

"Fine," she said. "Just let me get a fresh uniform." Kensei nodded, and released her hand. He stood at the end of the hallway, thinking back on Naoko's condition. She was never the type to be sensitive to drastic changes in weather or temperature, something like that would've come up in her past medical history. Was it her mental condition? This past year and a half had been rough for her, was a weakening mental health affecting her body? Kensei shook his head, crossing out that thought. He watched Naoko become more vibrant and social, she even managed maintain her composure with Haruka. There was definitely improvement.

Naoko stepped back out into the hallway, a new uniform bundled under her arm. Her ebony hair streaked with white was twisted up into a bun, revealing the black markings that traveled from her face, down her neck, and disappearing under the fabric of the plain robe that was tied securely around her. A spare eyepatch covered her left eye, to Kensei's disapproval. Naoko ignored his look as she walked with him to his room. It wasn't a long walk until they reached the Captain's quarters. He entered the room, allowing Naoko in first so she could put her clothes down.

"Bathtime," she sighed contentedly. Naoko rushed into the bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar. Kensei heard the water run and watched steam billow out the door before following. His brown eyes followed Naoko's naked back as she went through the process of lathering soap over her skin before rinsing it off. He followed the black markings along her back, arms, and legs, perfectly straight lines except for the parts that ran over her scars.

"Enjoying the show?" Naoko asked teasingly, looking over her shoulder.

"I'd like it more if you'd turn around," Kensei replied with a smirk. He started to loosen the ties to his own robe and let the fabric drop to the floor. Bending slightly, he removed his boxers and tossed them aside as well.

"Shall I get your back, dear?" Naoko joked as Kensei pulled her into his arms. Her chest slid against his, her body warm and wet from the water. She grinned, holding up the soapy washcloth and running up and down his arm.

He scoffed at the stupidly cheesy question. Nevertheless, Kensei turned his back to her and sat on his heels, enjoying the sensation of Naoko's hands running over his back. He had fantasized about a "housewife" version of Naoko sometimes, and now he was positively living it. The washcloth made its way over his shoulders, circled slowly over his pecs, and trailed down his abdominals. Kensei groaned as Naoko abandoned the cloth to palm his member, which had been at half-staff. She pressed her ample breasts against his back as she continued to stroke him gently.

"Water's going to get cold," he reminded Naoko, watching the delicate hand work his manhood at a maddeningly slow pace.

"Hmm…" she hummed, leading him by the hand into the furo styled tub. Kensei sat and felt Naoko nestle behind him, her arms encircling him once again.

He was fully erect now, his dick pulsing with need. Naoko's hand found it once more and continued her tortuous pleasure. "You don't have to do this," Kensei grunted. He let out a quiet hiss and a curse when Naoko squeezed him tighter.

"I want to do it," Naoko replied in a seductive, mellow, alto. She placed a kiss against his shoulder as she continued. "You think I don't know you masturbate after you pleasure me?" His neck flushed with embarrassment, but groaned softly as he felt pressure building up in his lower abdomen. "My senses are heightened, remember? I can hear you, smell you…" she continued, occasionally running her thumb over the sensitive head. "And it makes me want you all the more."

"Naoko…," Kensei panted. "I didn't want to force you…aaaahh.." His eyes rolled back when he felt Naoko's pace quicken. The steaming hot water of the bath relaxed his muscles as he allowed Naoko to jerk him off, making the experience so much more pleasurable. Kensei gripped the edges of the tub tightly as Naoko pushed him over the edge into a long awaited orgasm. His hips bucked up, shooting his seed out of the water in an arc. Fire rushed through Kensei's veins and he panted hard, grunting as Naoko prolonged his pleasure with encouraging strokes. He grabbed her wrist. "Bed," he growled, lifting her out of the tub and carrying her into his room.

Jorogumo Jou'ou – literal translation is 'spider queen', jorogumos are golden orb web spiders, females are larger and prettier than males.