Chapter 52: Let the Heart Heal

*WARNING: THIS CHAPTER MAY CONTAIN HAZORDUS AMOUNTS OF ROMANTIC FLUFF. READ WITH CAUTION, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Me: Gin was that warning necessary?

Gin: Of course, have you seen what happens to some people when they read that level of fluff?

Me: Give me some credit this chapter isn't completely fluffy. You know I can't do 100 percent fluff and that there must be a plot or point to the chapter.

*Gin shrugs* Better safe the sorry.

Me: Speaking of that I need to hire some sitters because I'm going out of town again. And I will not have a repeat of the last two times I went out of town.

Seirin: When are you leaving?

Me: Tomorrow.

Everyone: Tomorrow? !

Me: Yeah and I won't be back until late Thursday night. So I have no idea if or when the next chapter will get done. I might end up posting two chapters Dec. 14th. But... we'll see what happens.

Some songs I listened to while writing this (and I recommend you listen to while reading this):

Let Me Love You by Ne-Yo

Give Your Heart a Break by Demi Lovato

I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz

Finally Found You by Enrique Iglesias

Shake It Out by Florence and The Machine

Jar of Hearts and A Thousand Years both by Christina Perri

Please review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Ayame or Seirin, just lots of OCs.*


"Alright young man I want you lie on that bed sewing a split limb back together is not going to be easy." Captain Robbinsdale ordered Uryu. He turned to his lieutenant next, "Amanda, I'm sure you can attend to both Miss Kurotsuchi and Mr. Ayasegawa."

It hadn't taken the medical captain and his Lolita dressed lieutenant to arrive after Naoko had called. Once he had arrived he ushered everyone inside. They were milling between Uryu's bedroom and the hallway. Zola and Min were busy guarding Mary and Colette was still with Reginald.

Naoko didn't give a damn about whatever they may be doing. All she carried about was her friends and brother getting the medical help they needed.

"Captain Robbinsdale I can take care of Yumichika," Naoko volunteered.

The bespectacled Englishman blinked and studied her for a few moments. He then turned to his black bag and pulled out a few rolls of gauze, creams and a packet of dried beads. He handed her the items.

"If you're sure about it then very well. Follow the instructions on the packet and I trust you know how to dry and bind injuries?" The princess nodded. "If you need any help do not hesitate to ask."

"Don't worry I won't," Naoko assured him as she gently ushered Yumichika into his room and then bathroom.


"Deposit contents into warm water and wait for fizzing to subside and bubbles to appear. Keep patient submerged for 20-30 minutes. Remove patient from bath and gently dry and bind wounds." Naoko read aloud, "Seems simple enough."

She twisted the handle and water began pouring out of the silver faucet into the large marble bath.

"So what exactly is it supposed to do?" Yumichika asked. He was sitting on a chair by the sink, his legs and feet were killing him and he couldn't bear standing any longer.

"It's supposed to clean, disinfect, and help heal any and all wounds on the person in the bath. Pretty handy," the princess explained.

She shut the water off and poured the dried beads into the water. It immediately started to fizzle and Naoko turned her attention to Yumichika. He looked nothing short of awful, covered in dirt, grim and blood. His uniform torn, patches of discolored skin could be seen. And yet... his natural beauty still showed through.

"Would you rather have you're uniform removed or do you want to hop in the bath fully clothed?" She asked. Part of her hoped he would agree to the former and those prayers were answered.

"Personally I'd prefer not to bathe with this dirtied and torn uniform," he replied. Right now he cared very little about propriety and just wanted to get in the bath and wash all this grim and blood off.

Naoko tried to hide her blush and nodded mutely. She knelt down and gently slipped his sandals and socks off. When she did she noticed how swollen and discolored his ankles were, a sure sign they were both sprained. Naoko swallowed the rising anger at Reginald and Mary for doing this to him.

The princess straightened up on her knees and was about to take off his collar but noticed it was gone and so was his sleeve.

"I'm so used to seeing you with the collar and sleeve that I didn't really realize you weren't wearing it until now," Naoko said with a soft forced laugh.

She then noticed something. The princess touched his hair and gently combed through the locks until she got to the ends.

"What is it?" Yumichika asked. Normally he did not like anyone touching his hair but he couldn't bring himself to feel a twinge of anger at her.

"Your hair is longer."

He blinked at her and noticed she was right. His hair was just over two inches past his chin.

He smiled, "It's been a while since I've had it cut so of course it's going to get longer."

"You should leave it a little long; it looks very nice on you," Naoko said before returning to her task.

When she moved the sleeve on his right arm she was greeted with the sight of a long, wide scar.

"Did they do this to you?" She asked, almost accusingly.

"No, that... that is a very old scar. It's what happens when you don't pay attention. I was fighting against a Hollow and its claw came out of nowhere, it dug into my arm and threw me aside. I blacked out and woke up in the Fourth Division with a mild concussion, fractured ribs and my arm in a thick cast. Even with Unohana's healing there was still a scar left over," Yumichika recalled.

Naoko blinked. No wonder he wore that sleeve. And here she thought it was for some twisted fashion reason like everyone else. When it came to Yumichika still waters really did run deep.

She stood and when trying to remove the top half of his uniform she realized the back was stuck to his skin, dried coagulated blood acting like a painful adhesive.

"I'll need to dampen your back in order to get the fabric off," she explained when she reached for a wash cloth to run under the sink. "I'll be gentle, promise."

Yumichika leaned his front against the marble counter while Naoko gently and slowly pressed the damp cloth against his back. The warm water was slowly reawakening old wounds but not enough to make him make a sound. As Naoko cleaned away the blood and dirt his wounds didn't look all that bad, after a few dabs she was able to pull away the material. But she wished she hadn't.

Saying that the wound underneath looked bad would be an understatement.

Yumichika looked over his shoulder, "Naoko? What's wrong?"

"Th-They... branded you..." She whispered.

The Soul Reaper realized what she was talking about and smiled ruefully. "That was Reginald's doing."

Naoko stared at the hideous pentacle shaped burn. The burnt skin was a dark purplish red and the surrounding skin was a lighter red. It was hard to tell if it was infected or not. Nausea and disgust rolled around in her stomach and threatened to crawl up her throat. If she thought about it... it was a little ironic in a dark twisted way.

A Soul Reaper branded with a Quincy symbol.

She almost felt like laughing at the absurdity. But instead of that she felt guilt... shame... and remorse. If she hadn't tried to send him away, if she had taken the risk and kept him here...

If only I had done this...

If only I had done that...

If only I had kept him by my side...

Naoko unconsciously squeezed the washcloth still in her hand. Why in the hell didn't you kill him big Brother? ! Why? ! She swallowed the rage and set the washcloth on the counter.

"Let's... Let's get you in the bath," she murmured. Naoko gently helped him out of uniform and quickly averted her eyes when the bottom half of his uniform came off.

Yumichika chuckled when Naoko kept her eyes glued to the ceiling as she helped him stand up and hobble to the bathtub. "What's wrong Naoko? I thought you knew about male and female anatomy."

"There is a difference between seeing the male anatomy in a textbook and seeing it in real life," she hissed, her cheeks bright red. "Now just get in the water already!"

He chuckled again and slowly slid in the water. It was warm and it sent prickles of pain all over. His legs twitched uncontrollably for a few minutes, his muscles and nerves refusing to relax. Naoko gently held his shoulders until his limbs calmed down. She slowly lifted her hands off his shoulders.

"Better?"

Yumichika sighed slid a little deeper into the water, "Much better."

Naoko felt a little relief at seeing him comfortable. She grabbed a small towel, rolled it up and draped it around his neck to increase his comfort.

"You soak and I'll get you a fresh change of clothes and some more bandages," Naoko said as she rose and walked out the bathroom.

Yumichika lay in the tub and relished the feel of the warm comforting water. It was nothing short of heavenly aside from the pain that was arising from his wounds.

'So? Are you going to tell her?' Rui'iro Kujaku asked.

'Tell her wha—? Oh, I remember. How'd you know about that?'

'I'm a part of your soul and I know what is in your heart. I've known you for years and decades and I've never sensed this kind of love in your heart for another person. It's not friendship or familial, it's real hardcore love. So are you going to tell when she comes back?'

'I don't think confessing my feelings in a bathroom, no matter how nice it is, is romantic. If I'm going to bear my heart out I'd like to do it when it feels right.' Yumichika countered.

The sword spirit shrugged, 'Just do it soon before you lose your nerve.'


Naoko returned with folded clothes in one arm and a stack of towels and bandages in the other. Yumichika squeezed water out of his hair after rinsing it. He had to wash his hair twice to get all the dirt and grease out and boy did it feel good.

"I think you've been in there long enough. Let's get you out before you start to prune permanently," she said while handing him a towel.

After getting out Naoko ordered him to sit on a cushioned stool so she could dry and wrap his wounds. She dried his legs and arms first and then wrapped both his ankles with elastic compression wrappings.

"Too tight?"

Yumichika shook his head, "No, it's fine. You're very good at that."

"Thanks," she muttered distractedly.

Something was off. "Naoko, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said curtly before rising up.

The princess grabbed a soft towel and started to gently pat his back dry. After being washed the cuts didn't look nearly as bad but the same couldn't be said for the brand wound. In fact it looked even worse like the dirt and dried blood had been covering up the worst of it.

Her pale trembling fingers hovered above the wound. I did this. This is my fault. I'm to blame.

"Naoko," Yumichika said firmly. Something was off with her and he wasn't going to wait this time for her to tell him.

She didn't respond so Yumichika did. He gripped her arm and dragged her away from behind him to his side. The girl kept her head stubbornly turned away, avoiding eye contact.

He then said gently, "Naoko please look at me."

She sighed reluctantly and did as told. The princess couldn't help but feel something warm stir in her heart at the sight of his face, the look of concern in his eyes.

This is no time to be getting besotted! You're the one who caused harm to this handsome, kind, strong man. You don't deserve any attention he gives you... just like you didn't deserve James and his affections! Remember James? The guy who died for you?

"Now please tell me what is bothering you."

"You want to know what is bothering me? You getting hurt because of me. Why do you think I tried to send you back home? I was trying to prevent this," she gestured to the wounds on his toned body, "from happening! You got hurt because of me! It's my fault!

"It was because of my ignorant, short-sighted naivety that you got hurt! If I hadn't tried to send you home—" She could feel tears balancing precariously in her eyes.

"Naoko."

"If I hadn't tried to push you away—"

"Naoko."

"If I hadn't—"

"Naoko, stop!" Yumichika finally interrupted.

He had stood up at that moment and took hold of her wrists. When he did Naoko stopped her loud ranting and lowered her head shamefully, her long hair curtaining her face.

Her hands were close enough that if she uncurled her fists she could lay her hands on his strapping chest. Who knew there was such a well toned body hidden under that baggy uniform of his?

I curse my teenage hormones, she said flatly in her mind.

Yumichika slowly removed one hand from her wrist and cupped the side of her face. He guided her head up and eventually her gaze. The raw emotion was clear and evident in her deep sapphire eyes. She was hurting. She had been hurting. It wasn't until now, when all her barriers had been unconsciously dropped could he see her pain clearly.

"Naoko, none of this is your fault. You did not hurt me. You did not inflict this pain on me." He said this gently but firmly. Carefully annunciating each word so she could hear it clearly and there would be no chance of miscommunication.

"I know that you wanted to protect me and for that I am honored and grateful. But you don't need to protect me from everything all the time. I can fight, have you forgotten what Division I'm in?" The last part he said with a slight tease before switching back to being sincere.

"I remember you saying that if we are ever going to fight against someone you want to do so with us standing side by side not one fighting for the other. Stop taking all these battles on your own and bearing the burden for everyone. You don't have to be strong all the time, you can lower your guard and let me do some of the fighting."

Naoko didn't respond but freed her other wrist and delicately wrapped her arms around him. Her fingers barely touching the edge of the burn on his back. She rested her chin on his thin shoulder and carefully pressed her body against him. After a few seconds Yumichika wrapped his arms around her too.

She didn't know what to say or even what to feel. The princess certainly hadn't expected him to say all that and he had meant all of it too, that she could tell. Do I... Do I even deserve his kindness and affection? I still remember James but... would he have wanted me to continue on like this? Blaming myself and not letting myself get over his death and allow myself to love again?

Naoko leaned back out of the embrace to look at him. Those soft finely carved features, stunning lilac eyes and understanding, patient smile. She could feel something warm and ancient stirring in her heart. A timeless connection that had been broken was now restored.

It was at that moment that the towel wrapped around his waist fell to the ground.

Naoko's face instantly turned red and she slapped her hand over her eyes.

"G—Get dressed already and we can talk about this!" She spluttered.

Yumichika chuckled and shook his head, "So innocent."


The princess finished wrapping the Soul Reaper's wounds and getting him into a fresh change of clothes. A white buttoned cotton shirt, long tan pants fit nicely on him and Naoko had to admit looked nice on him too. She walked beside him lending herself for support. Even with both his ankles wrapped Yumichika could only manage a slight hobbling walk. He had one arm draped over Naoko's shoulders and she had her arm hooked around his waist.

When they made it to the bed Naoko helped him sit down. She seized his legs and propped his feet up on a small stack of pillows while he made the rest of himself comfortable. The princess then grabbed a thin blanket and draped it over his legs and waist.

"There. Need anything else?" She asked.

"You're quite good at this, taking care of someone who's injured," the Soul Reaper admired.

Naoko smiled shyly, "I learned from watching my grandmother. So you can say I learned from the best. If you don't need anything I'll go and see how the others are doing."

The princess rose to leave when Yumichika remembered. If now was a good a time as any to confess. Naoko had just gotten something off her chest and looked better. Strike while the iron is hot, or so the saying goes.

"Naoko, wait." He removed the blanket and swung his feet off the edge of the bed. Naoko turned and was about to admonish him for getting out of bed when she stopped.

The way he stood in front of her with the sunlight streaming from the window, illuminating him from behind. He looked impossibly beautiful right then. Naoko walked away from the door and back to him in a few short strides.

Yumichika could feel his heart beating hard but at the same time he couldn't. It felt like what he was about to do, about to say, was meant to happen. It was like he was meant to say this to Naoko and her alone. His confession was meant for her ears and heart only.

When she was a breath apart from him he gently set his hands on her arms. He could feel the hint of muscle developed in her arms, they weren't just thin sticks like the arms of most girls. Naoko's strength could be physically felt. She looked at him, her dark blue eyes connecting with his light lilac eyes.

Focus! Remember what you promised you were going to say? Now is the time to say it, Kujaku pressed.

"Naoko, ever since I met you there have been very few moments in which you weren't in my thoughts or my heart. I have lived for over a hundred and seventy years and I have never felt like this about anyone before. I have never felt the warmth your smile, your voice, even your presence brings to me before.

"I know this is something you probably don't think you're ready to hear yet. But I want to say it. I want to make my feelings for you clear, so please listen. Even if you don't think you're ready I know I am and I will wait for as long as it takes until you feel ready to say it to me."

Now or never.

"Naoko, I love you."

A stunned apprehensive silence followed the confession. That was something Naoko clearly had not expected him to say. Yumichika waited and carefully studied her face. He was waiting for her reaction and so far she wasn't giving him one. The Soul Reaper didn't know if that was good or bad.

The princess of course felt stunned and her mind went blank but coherent thought slowly returned. She at least knew she didn't feel panicky or angry or upset. But she didn't know what she did feel. Slowly that warmth swelled and rolled around in her heart and desire almost took over. But ravaging his mouth with hers even in private wouldn't be befitting for a princess.

Oh screw it.

Naoko pressed her lips to his quickly but didn't pull away at first. Yumichika snapped out of his shock and returned the kiss. His hands fell from her arms and to her waist while hers rose up to grasp his shoulders and then slid to grasp the back of his neck. The warmth, now a fire, that had been welling up in her heart was streaming into her limbs. It made her head sway, skin burn and her heart burst.

The need for oxygen growing unbearable the two parted, panting. Now it was Yumichika's turn to be floored by the unexpectedness of the other. He had expected Naoko to hit him or become cross with him not... not kiss him. It was like someone had poured pure fire into him. His senses were fuzzy and cataleptic yet clear and hyperaware at the same time. It was like something long dormant had been awoken in him.

This went past love. This was something deeper, more intense, more... binding.

The look in Naoko's eyes told him that she felt the same thing. It was frightening but exhilarating too. Something in their souls bound them together. Naoko was the first to speak.

"Well that was... unexpected. I—uh feel honored that you feel that way about me but..." She grasped from the right words to convey her feelings. "I know I feel something for you and... I would like a few moments to... to figure all this out."

Yumichika smiled at her with patience and understanding. He hadn't expected her to say 'I love you' to him right away. Those three words were still difficult for her to say and he knew it would be a while. But that was fine with him. He had been waiting for someone like her for decades; he could wait a little longer.


"Empathic connection is an understanding of the heart in which we see the beauty in the other person, the divine energy in the other person, the life that's alive in them." ~~Marshall Rosenberg


*I swear I didn't mean for this chapter to be solely on Naoko and Yumichika fluff. I was planning on sticking Nemu and Uryu fluff in there too but... I'll put some fluff between those two in the next chapter, I promise.

In some parts of the story I wasn't able to go in depth of the characters feelings in some scenes, even though I really wanted to, because of the length. In this chapter I did not want to cut things out or hold back. This was a pivotal moment for Naoko and Yumichika and whatever future relationship they may have together.

I hope the chapter wasn't cheesy or cliché. I read over a lot of well-written romantic fanfics and reread some romance novels for ideas on how to do this chapter justice.

Please let me know what you think, tell me what you liked or what could've used some work.*