Sorry this update took so long. First off, my family strong-armed me into taking a vacation with them, so that forced me to put things on hold. Aside from all that, I'm not sure how to respond to the fact that no one responded to to the first Interlude. I thought the idea of Byakuya being 'interrogated' by Adam Adamant would garner more of a response from the readers, but oh well...

Anyway, aside from all that, I want to say thanks to Shoma, MLJCoyoteStarrk, Starscape91, Kain101, taity, Iris,Tohru,Sohma, Gorge on Life, "Guest" and "Curfew", as well as everyone else for their continued reviews and feedback.

Warning: Sexual Content, including slightly rough consensual sex and some mild FemDom.

TO FORGE A
BETTER TOMORROW

Chapter XVIII:
"We, The Officers, Part 1"

Soul Society...

With the construction of the new Fourteenth Division Outpost in Huecco Mundo still a ways off, the small number of individuals serving in it presently found themselves working out of a few small rooms inside of one of the buildings left empty in the wake of the war. At the moment, there were only three recognized members of the Fourteenth...

One of them, Blue Lieutenant Lisa Yadomaru, was currently making her way down a hall, carrying a large stack of files and books in her arms- steadying them with her chin. When she arrived at the door, the bespectacled woman suddenly found herself confronted by an impasse- facing a closed door, while her hands were full. Her brow furrowed, as she struggled to open the door with her shoulder and then with her knee. She stepped back, realizing that she might have to set her files down...

Before that happened, a shadow fell over her as Onigiri appeared at her side. She turned to him, and the Arrancar seemed to instantly understand her dilemma. He reached over and opened the door, giving the woman a broad smile as he ushered her in a wave of his hand. In Lisa's estimation, the man had reddest hair she'd ever seen, more so than even Lieutenant Abarai's distinctive mane!

That out of the way, she walked unobstructed into the office, where Nelliel was seated at the head of the table as she diligently looked over a number of open files. The Arrancar swordsman closed the door as the two of them joined the former Espada, down the table (at either side). Onigiri hiked up the lower half of his kimono to free up his legs to get into a sitting position.

The large 'eyes' of the woman's ram-horned skull mask gazed up to the roof as she looked up from the spread of files to her two Lieutenants. She observed that Onigiri was now wearing tight black leggings, tucked into white cloth leg guards- the Arrancar was still wearing his sandals barefoot, without tabi.

Expressive gray-brown eyes widened momentarily as she registered Lisa. "Wow, it really is uncanny, just how closely you resemble Ise-san." Nelliel remarked aloud to herself. "Even after having met both of you, it's still rather startling..." She added. "Anyway, I'm glad that both of you could make it."

The handle and squared hilt of Lisa's Zanpakuto ("Haguro Tonbo") was visible, peeking out over the sash around her waist, as she sat cross-legged. By comparison, Onigiri sat with his elbows propped up on his bent knees. The varying handles and sheaths of the Arrancar's multiple swords were jutting out from the thick red sash doubled-up around his waist.

They both nodded formally as she continued. "And now that you're here, I think it's only appropriate that I present you with your Badges of Offices..." Nelliel announced in a formal tone, as she reached into a satchel to produced two Lieutenant Badges- sporting the additional characters for "Red" and "Blue" below their ranks, respectively- and handed them to them.

Lisa affixed her badge to her obi, while Onigiri tucked his inside his kimono. Nelliel leaned forward with her arms folded, resting on her elbows. "As I mentioned, the two of you will be responsible for the hands-on operation of your respective branches. The mission teams will be mixed, but they will report to one of you as their Branch Commander... Now, with the exception of the Seated Officers, of which I will need to approve, you'll have carte-blanche in choosing the rest."

The Espada slid folders over to each of them. "These contain dossiers for potential Division members, pooled from the forthcoming graduate class from the Academy. Their psychological profiling tags them as being of a certain mindset that might make them open to serving alongside Arrancar."

"Captain Obberschank," Lisa began. "Given the limited pool of Hollow candidates, what will the actual ratio of Shinigami-to-Arrancar be?" The bespectacled woman asked.

Nelliel nodded. "As an Arrancar myself, simply as a matter of fairness, I would certainly prefer to have it divided up equally." She replied. "However, given the reality of the situation, I've planned for there to be at least one Arrancar for every two-to-three Shinigami..." She continued. "Specifically, I'd like for at least three of the top eight seated officers, after yourselves, to be Arrancar... So Yadomaru-san, please select five of your officers, but prioritize them in case we only need four."

Lisa nodded, as the former Tercera went on. "The Fourteenth will be based in Huecco Mundo, meaning that for the Shinigami, it's 'the frontier'- in effect, they'll be operating in Terra Incognita." She informed them with an intent look. "This means that in addition to skills normally considered, there should be an emphasis on those with an aptitude for tracking and scouting, healing and practical field medicine, and combat proficiency with either weapons or some similarly applicable reiki technique."

She paused, allowing them time to nod in understanding. "Now, it's of course going to be some time before the Division will be active in any real sense. So, your main responsibilities for the moment will be choosing who will be serving under you." Nelliel continued. "In the mean time, however, you might want to know there's a semi-formal gathering and orientation of the Captains and Lieutenants later this week, and I hope I'll see you both there." She finished with a bright smile.

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

Division Twelve HQ...

Szayel reclined in his chair, watching as multiple mineralogical scans were carried out on the various ore samples collected from Huecco Mundo during the recent expedition. Balancing a pen in his gloved hand, he jotted down notes onto a clipboard, the digital data reflected in his lenses.

He turned around in his chair as he sensed Nemu approaching, meeting his demure assistant and mate with one of his usual smiles. The purple-haired Shinigami favored the Arrancar with a polite nod and a small smile as she moved in closer, till she stood at his side. "Szayel-sama," she began. "What is it that you expect to discover with these tests?" The woman asked calmly.

"Hmm, a very good question, my dear." The Octavio replied chipperly. "Given the presence of useful stones and metallic ores here in the Soul Realm, it stands to reason that some equivalent resource exists in Huecco Mundo." Szayel elaborated. "While my native realm may be largely desolate, it is awash with the spiritual energy of countless wayward souls... Constantly forming and reforming as Hollows take shape, consume one another, grow and evolve." The pink-haired Arrancar remarked.

"This process is as old as existence," he continued. "It's part of what distinguishes Huecco Mundo... There's energy there, it lingers in the very sand and stone, giving the realm a flavor all its own." Szayel added, pivoting to the side in his chair, smirking to himself. "Imagine the possibilities... It might just hold the key to creating a substance that absorbs or deflects energy, or a metal as strong as hierro that never dulls and can cut through any substance, or can serve as a 'focus' for projecting abilities."

Szayel turned back to her, golden eyes looking into dark jade ones. "Or, perhaps," he resumed, his tone softer as he extended a gloved hand to her, capturing her hand in his. "Something valuable, something beautiful, waiting to be found where you least expect it." He added softly, gently massaging her hand with his gingers as he held it, all the while the Espada looking directly up at her as he spoke. "After all, a priceless treasure can be found in the most unlikely of places, waiting for the person to come along, who can determine its true worth."

Nemu felt her chest grow warm at his words, as well as the warmth in her cheeks that meant her pale flesh had become tinged with pink as she blushed...

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

The Living Realm, Karakura...

Ulquiorra regarded the sleek rectangular object in his hand. The body was composed a combination of lightweight alloys and plastics, with a decently sized touch screen set within it. He fiddled momentarily with it in his pale hands, until the screen changed, the graphical interface effortlessly reorientating itself as a small key-pad appeared to occupy part of the screen.

Having worked with Urahara- both in his research and in the convenience store- for several months by this point- Ulquiorra recognized this new configuration as something akin to a miniaturized version of the computers he used in both ventures. Orihime had explained to him that the keypad was for sending messages to other phones, via the digital network they utilized. He then restored the interface back to its default setting and turned the device over, taking note of the tiny lens fixed into back, which he was told by the clerk was the "eye" to a digital camera built into it.

Silently, the disguised Espada wondered to himself- as he stood there, inspecting the silver and black device in his hand- if his attempts to better understand the woman and her human culture were becoming more a means of 'domesticating' him for the humans around him. The thought didn't sit with him, as he still very much thought of himself as a Hollow. He might have to abide by Human rules and customs, but this didn't make him obligated to change himself to adapt to their ways and views...

And yet, Orihime- his mate, as she herself had been quite emphatic that he think of her as such- had said that she didn't expect him to ever try to be something that he wasn't. In fact, the human female had even gone so far as to tell him that she liked- nay, was even excited by- the idea that what he felt for her went beyond simple human attachment, to something far more visceral and instinctive.

For the moment, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Turning to the nearby clerk, a woman looking to be about ten years older than Orihime, he held up the device. "I'll take this phone."

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

Soul Society, Division Six Barracks...

Renji entered his quarters, situated in the officers' wing of the barracks. As the second-in-command, he had his own room. Technically, he was living in what normally would have been the Captain's quarters, but Byakuya Kuchiki's residence was situated within the sprawling mansion of his family's estate. Not that he was complaining, especially since this meant that he had his own bathroom...

This meant, in turn, that the Division's female Third Seat Officer Kaede Itsuko resided in the actual Lieutenant's quarters, in turn leaving the male Fourth Seat Officer Shigeru Kimura with his own room. In the end, this arrangement meant that only the remaining six Seated officers had to double up, so there was a bit less congestion within the Senior Officers' Wing they all shared.

Renji had only just returned from a mission in the Living Realm- gathering info on the current state of the balance between the three realms. Though, to be honest, his excursions to the mortal plane weren't the same since Ichigo had been removed from the picture, and he could tell just by watching, that Rukia clearly didn't anticipate the missions in the same way she once had either...

He shook off the depressing thought, then set about shrugging off his mission equipment and hung his Zanpakuto Zabimaru up on the wall beside his heavy cloak. He'd just reached down to loosen his black outer kimono, when he heard the sound of a door sliding open. Renji turned to the bathroom, where he was met by the sight of Arachne, standing in the open doorway.

The crimson-haired Shinigami swallowed hard. She was out of her usual attire, and was presently clad in nothing but one of his house robes, with the much larger garment hanging off of her narrower figure in such a way that the front of the kimono hung open- giving Renji a particularly arresting view of her cleavage and her firm flat stomach. ...And suddenly, his throat felt dry.

"What perfect timing." She intoned softly, before sauntering across the room, closing the gap between them as she appeared at his side. "I returned the other day, late in the evening, from my own excursion into Huecco Mundo..." Arachne explained in a silky voice. "I've missed you, these last few days." The Arrancar admitted, even as she nuzzled his neck- the tip of her nose and lips brushing against his pulse and the curve of his jaw. "Did you miss me?" She asked cutely.

His pulse sped up in reaction to their proximity. "Y-Yes." Came Renji's strained reply after a moment, his arms out and hands hovering in the air, before grasping her shoulders and pulling her body against his in an embrace. It wasn't fair! His Shinigami training hadn't prepared him for a situation like the one he found himself in. Hollows weren't supposed to be this soft and inviting, and you weren't supposed to want to hold them against you! No, the flesh of a 'monster' wasn't supposed to to feel this unbelievably supple and warm and giving to the touch! You weren't supposed to find them desirable...

But the brutal and honest truth of the matter was that all those 'rules' went out the window- they'd been tossed out that proverbial window some time ago. Further, the truth was that Renji was fully and totally under the spell of this woman. The first time they'd been intimate- his first time in a while- Arachne had taken his hand and guided it to down between her thighs, and then told him what to do in a series of breathy whispers that tickled the shell of his ear. The sound of her soft panting and the sensation of her warmth around his fingers had been enough to make him flush a deep crimson- and rock hard as she clung to his shoulders and pressed her warm body needfully against his.

It took him a little while, as he settled upon the right method, but Renji was able to tease her to climax, thanks to her guidance. After that, she'd smiled at him as she came down. Then, she gone down on him, with a degree of skill and diligence that he couldn't bring himself to care about the details of how she'd learned to be so good at this or the amount of 'experience' it had taken. Frankly, after the Arrancar had made him cum- first with her mouth, and then as the culmination of when she'd mounted him- the red-haired Soul Reaper wasn't about to complain!

But that was the past. And presently, Renji had far more urgent concerns to address, such as the warm and very willing woman pressed against him, and his own building arousal. He tilted her chin upward so that he was looking directly into her crimson eyes, before moving in to capture her lips in a heated kiss, eliciting a small moan the dark-haired female. For one searing moment, they remained like that, until Arachne broke off the kiss and drew back a bit from him. She looked at him through half-lidded eyes, but he saw something in here dark crimson gaze, something urgent and hungry...

And familiar!

Before he could finish processing what he'd seen, she pressed both her hands (palms-down) upon his chest and promptly shoved him backward, against the wall with a thud. As soon as the Shinigami and the Arrancar made contact against the hard surface, she wasted no time in fixing him with a predatory smile and a glint in her eyes that would have sapped the wills of less determined men.

He could hardly say he was shocked by this development. After all, Arachne had always been forward (even aggressive) with her affections. And so far, he'd been largely content to allow her to take the lead during sex... Not that it was every totally one-sides, as he always had some degree of choice and (to a lesser extent) control in their bedroom trysts. He still vividly recalled an instance when she'd practically ordered him (in a criminally erotic tone) to "fuck her like their lived depended on it!"

So Renji offered no protests when she dug her hands into the layers of his robes and pulled at the hem in the front, freeing him of the black outer kimono and loosening his white under robe. The heavy black garment slid from his shoulders and his down his arms, before spilling on the floor in a pool of fabric, as she slipped her hands under the material of the white under-kimono. He shivered momentarily as he felt her hands brush across his chest, muscles tensing reflexively at her touch. Her hands moved toward his neck, gripping his collar and pulling the front open, exposing more of his hard flesh- inhuman eyes lingering briefly on intricate tattoos now visible- before leaning in to capture his lips in a rough kiss.

Renji grunted into her mouth as she bit down with just enough strength, as her sharper teeth nicked the supple flesh of his lower lip, and finally the coppery taste on his tongue that invariably followed. It was then, that Arachne frustratingly chose to draw back from him, leaving the tattooed Soul Reaper in a bit of a state... He reached up to touch his mouth, noting the tiny drop of blood on his the tip of his finger, fixing Arachne with an incredulous look. "You're insatiable."

The Arrancar smiled seductively. "Only for you." She replied seductively, leaning in to kiss him again- savoring the coppery flavor of the man's own blood on his lips- as she loosed the sash around his waist. Understanding, he reached up to pull the white robe free from the black hakama and sash it was tucked into, and tossed it aside to join his heavy outer robe on the floor. Arachne smiled, thoroughly enjoying the extensive network of lines- the way they all came together in forming the intricate matrix of tattoos adorning his shoulders, upper arms, and the majority of his upper body and neck.

"Hmm," the Arrancar purred. "Oh Renji, you have such wonderful markings." She cooed, tracing her fingers over the dark lines of his tattoos and the musculature they complemented. "So sexy... Aww, it's making me hot just looking at them." Arachne purred, making Renji wonder if it was even possible for him to be any more turned on that he felt at the moment, as the exotic female gushed over his tattoos (which embodied so much of himself) with a mix reverence and lust.

This time, Renji could feel pride swelling within him, as he allowed himself to bask in the woman's appreciative words and her tactile affection. Arachne had always been quite vocal regarding his tattoos- or rather, his "markings" as she called them- and maintained that they were one of his most attractive features. He was used to people viewing his ink with curiosity (at best) or apprehension (at worst), but for someone to look at them with such unfiltered admiration was all a bit strange to him. For him, they were a personal form of expression, while for her, they were an unwavering source of fascination and attraction. And with that in mind, it was rather hard to say to whom they meant more...

Truly, fate had smiled upon him, that he should cross paths with a woman like Arachne!

But his primary focus remained on the woman standing before him. And he watched, curious as she took a step back from him, flashing a devious smile as she reached down to undo the sash around her waist that held the oversized (for her anyway) robe in place. Once the sash came undone, Arachne was able to easily cast off the garment with a shrug of her shoulders, causing it fluidly slide down her arms in a flourish of cotton as it pooled about her feet. Her immaculate figure was now bared to him, flushed slightly and taking on a slightly rosy hue. He full breasts were capped off by dark rouge nipples, while her torso featured a firm flat stomach and wonderfully rounded hips. In the center of her figure, was the glistening lips of her sex, framed by a forest of ultra-fine dark curls.

Though her skin was still in stark contrast to her long inky black hair. It hung down unimpeded around her shoulders and down her back. Arachne reached up, collecting the long strands together and drawing them to the front, so that her raven tresses hung down in front, on one side. The purpose of this became instantly clear as she turned around. With her back now facing him, she wiggled her bottom temptingly as she looked over her shoulder at him. He drank in the sight of her back... of her markings.

When they'd first met in Huecco Mundo, Renji had thought that her revealing outfit had left no detail to his imagination. But he'd been proven wrong the first night he'd glimpsed her back. Set in dark red, was an image that resembled the silhouette of a spider- as if some giant arachnid were perched in the center, with its eight limbs spread out across her back for purchase. Arachne had explained that when she had first transformed from an Adjuhas to Arrancar, the rest of her Hollow mask had resembled a bone-white spider on her back, with its limbs wrapped around her torso. As it receded to only cover her back, she'd removed it- leaving only the 'mandibles' on her jaw and neck- but it had left an imprint in her skin.

Following the Arrancar's lead, he quickly undid the knot to the sash holding his trousers up, kicking his black hakama off as he moved towards her. By now, Arachne had knelt down beside the large futon set up on the floor, the port window above the sliding rear door bathing her in moonlight. Renji advanced quickly, eager to join her and continue where they'd left off. They kissed, with her running her hands through his long dark red hair, and he grunted when he felt her tongue in his mouth. He reciprocated the gesture and began to explore her mouth, their tongues mingling as they kissed.

The Soul Reaper was so enthralled, that he failed to notice when she placed her hands on his shoulders, and gave a mild yelp of surprise when she pushed him onto the futon. She loosened his fundoshi, which he then slipped out of, just in time for her to straddle his waist. She began in earnest, grinding her hips against him, the lips of her sex brushing messily against his hard shaft. He bucked against her, and she let out a rare feminine cry of pleasure in reaction to this. Both of them were desperate, so she rose up enough to be able to reach down and position the head of his aching cock toward her slick folds.

She descended on him, taking his entire length inside her with ease. She placed her hands on his chest for balance, while his own hands moved to her hips. She slowly rocked against him, eliciting a groan of pleasure from Renji as she held him in the grip of her tight passage. After a moment, Arachne began to move, rising up and coming down on his length in slow languid motions. Taking the initiative, Renji bowed his hips upward, thrusting into her, drawing a ecstatic cry from her as he rocked her body. Her inner walls clamped down around him, telling that her body approved of the action. He gave a few more experimental thrusts, before settling on an ideal pace.

As he continued thrusting into her heated core, Renji was captivated by the sight of her- riding him, her breasts bouncing in time with him, punctuating the movement of their bodies. He reached up to capture one of her breasts in his hand, massaging the soft flesh and tweaking the stiff bud of her nipple between his thumb and finger. Her mouth was slightly agape and her face flushed as she panted, looking down into his eyes the entire time as she rode his member.

Arachne felt a familiar pressure building up in the pit of her stomach, and realized that it wouldn't be much longer before she reached her limit. With that in mind, she bore down on him with wild abandon, and Renji responded by stepped up his own efforts. The crimson-haired Shinigami gripped hard on her hips as he started thrusting harder and faster into her warmth. A few more moments passed, until Renji felt his loins tightening, followed by a shiver running through him. Arachne's back suddenly went rigid and her insides convulsed around him, and her vision was filled with little fireworks...

Renji swore as she came around him, her passage clamping down around his painfully stiff member for all he was worth (unknowingly raking red line across his chest as her nails dug in). The mix of pain and pleasure was enough to finally drive him over the edge, as he buried himself to hilt inside of her, just in time for his climax- spilling his seed into her as he came.

For about a minute of so, his mind was a blur, until he was sharply pulled back to reality by the feeling of her planting kisses on his chest and collarbone. "Oh, Renji..." She began in a sly, hungry tone.

Renji groaned inwardly, but managed to smile, knowing that he was in for a long night...

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

Uryuu Ishida adjusted his glasses, leaning back against the park-style wooden bench- one of many set up in the first floor of the mall, in the large central commons. Beside him, sat Tatsuki Arisawa, giving a sigh that mirrored the Quincy's own resignation.

Tatsuki folded her arms. "This is ridiculous... What are we even doing, why are we here spending time spying on Orihime and Ulquiorra." She groused, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

Uryuu nodded. "I'd like to say that we're doing this with only Inoue-san's welfare in mind... But I doubt that either one of us really believes that." The bespectacled teen replied.

"I know why I'm here," Tatsuki began. "I'm still playing the pushy older sister role, after all these years, as if I can sort out her life when I barely have my own shit together!" The sporty girl lamented, as she cradled her face in her palms. "As for you," she resumed, still speaking into her hands, before lifting her head up to gaze out at nothing in particular. "I know why you're here... But, what's the point of twisting the knife, especially when I'm no better off."

The Quincy gave a wry smile. "I wish I knew how to move on..." He began, almost sadly, shaking his head at his own admission. "But thank you... all the same, Arisawa-san." Uryuu finished, turning to the girl beside him and giving a small smile in the process.

She gave a derisive chuckle. "Don't keep calling me 'Arisawa-san'." Tatsuki countered with a humorless chuckle as she slumped back against the bench. "Use my given name, Uryuu... After all, we've spent more than enough time together to need bother with formalities at this point."

He regarded her silently for a moment. "Alright," he replied, looking away from her. "Tatsuki."

This was enough to earn an actual genuine chuckle from her. "Yep, that's us- Tatsuki and Uryuu- two losers trying to tell their friend how to live her own life."

Uryuu smirked at the improvised monicker. "We're two of a kind, the overbearing childhood friend and the coward who let himself get friendzoned- two failures, unable to get on with their lives."

After a moment, Tatsuki looked to the young man next to her. "Hey, Uryuu."

Uryuu turned to look at her. "Hmm?"

"Since we're both already here, feeling sorry for ourselves," Tatsuki began, the tomboy's tone cautious as she addressed him. "You wanna go get something to eat?"

"Sure, Tatsuki." The Quincy answered evenly. "That sounds like a pretty good idea to me... After all, misery loves company right." Uryuu remarked, getting to his feet.

Tatsuki watched as he offered her hand, then gave a genuine smile as she accepted and followed suit, rising to her feet, then tucking her hands into her pockets as the two them headed to the food court...

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

Soul Society, Tenth Division HQ...

Toshiro Hitsugaya was seated out on the wooden deck of the small covered patio behind his personal quarters in the Officers' Wing, in the heart of the Tenth. As Captain, his quarters were single-berth, as were Matsumoto's, with the eight other Seated Officers paired into twos and occupying the remaining four accommodations- which resembled dorms rooms, except larger and more spacious that the actual dorm that the Non-Seated members were lodged in.

Aside from being larger, there was an open-air deck that spanned the length of the six quarters in the Officers' Wing, each with a wooden awning to provide shade, as well as dividing walls to separate each person's section into its own private deck. A rolled up layer mesh hung from the end of the awning, and could be drawn down to fully enclose the patios- meant to keep mosquitoes out in the summer time and help retain warmth from heating units deployed in the autumn (at least, until the respective occupants were finally driven inside by the encroaching chill of winter).

At the moment, the youthful Captain was clad in a sea-green kosode (the same color as his eyes) that Rangiku had given him for his previous birthday, and a pair of straw sandals. A portable electric lamp was set up, illuminating the deck. Hitsugaya was busy looking over a handful of official documents, a cup of tea in one hand as the other kept the scroll unfurled as he read. For the moment, the simple robe he wore was enough for him. The oppressive heat of the late summer had long since given way to the pleasant coolness typical of autumn in the Seireitei, with winter on the horizon.

It would still be some time before he would even need to consider breaking out his insulated overcoat when stepping outside. Though, given his natural affinity toward the cold that seemed to come with his mastery over ice (as well as the ease in which he wielded it)- to such an extent that it had even partially defined him in the eyes of others, ie. his nickname "The Ice Dragon". More simply put, it would take more than a mild chill in the air to affect him.

He picked up a cup of tea- from the hot plate it shared with a kettle- and took a drink, then set the cup back down as he idly ran a hand through his head of spiky snow-white hair. Hitsugaya paused, gauging the current length, to see just how soon he would need to get it trimmed. Before he could mull over the matter further, the sound of his front door sliding upon pulled him back to the present. He cast his gaze through the open patio door, into his room, to the source of light.

Right away, he recognized the outline of his Lieutenant, silhouetted in the doorway, watching with mild curiosity as she closed the door and ventured forth... Silently, and with impressive degree of familiarity, she navigated his darkened quarters toward the glow coming from the lamp next to him.

Normally, for a Lieutenant to enter their Captain's room- clad only in a simple sleeping yukata- would have been reason for more of a fuss. However, it was common knowledge that both of them were prone to insomnia, which regularly drove them to wondering the halls when they couldn't sleep (for different reasons in their two cases). And so the rest of the Division had long since stopped taking any notice of the nocturnal meanderings of it's two senior-most officers. In his case, he suspected they avoided him out of some unnecessary fear of upsetting him. While in the case of his Lieutenant, he could only guess that they didn't want to risk getting wrangled into whatever antics she might have in mind.

He leaned back against the support beam, wordlessly watching as she soon emerged from out of the darkness that was presently engulfing his quarters. He gestured for her to join him and she went about seating herself- legs folded to the side- between the two support beams that held up the awning above them. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap, and while Rangiku was facing his way, Toshiro noted to himself that she had yet to make eye contact with him.

In the low light, her lustrous flowing strawberry-blond tresses looked far more red than blond to him as he took in the sight of her. The yukata she was wearing was composed of a soft, powder blue material, and complemented her stormy gray-blue eyes, while contrasting nicely against her peach-colored locks, and like everything else she wore- it was all the front could do but conform to her impressive bust. Not that he had anything against the expansive valley of her cleavage (he was still very much a man) he just didn't approve of how free she was about showing it off in the presence of others... including men.

And that thought invariably led to the core problem... Toshiro hated the way other men were always gawking at her breasts, and he hated even more the fact that he had to stay silent in spite of his desire to personally confront them and tell them to stop undressing Rangiku with their eyes. It showed a distinct lack of respect for his Lieutenant... And on a more personal level, seeing them looking longingly at her gnawed at a part of his psyche he preferred not to acknowledge. The young Captain hated even the idea that he had a masculine ego to begin with, but the occasional stirrings of possessiveness he felt over his buxom Lieutenant in those moments proved it was very much a part of him.

Still not saying a word, Hitsugaya filled another cup with tea and slid it across the wooden slats of the patio deck, to serve as a gesture of encouragement. He flashed a smile, hoping to make clear to her that she was indeed welcome here and not intruding (as she might have worried, based on her silence).

Rangiku accepted the cup, reaching out to retrieve it. She took a drink, and it seemed to help sooth her nerve to an extent. Eventually, she finally broke the silence. "They keep happenings..."

Hitsugaya gave a mild quizzical look, arching a snowy eyebrow. "Hmm?"

Finally, she looked to him, at last meeting his gaze. Matsumoto then realized the he was wearing the robe she'd given him, and couldn't help but smile. And in that moment, the strawberry-blond observed her Captain and was struck by a thought... He was handsome. To most, he might be thought boyish or even cute, but as she looked at him, the female Shinigami was struck by the revelation that he was well on the way to becoming a stunningly handsome young man.

He had grown since the first time they'd met, and Rangiku had been with him long enough to perceive the changes: He was a bit taller now. She knew this personally, as their more intimate interactions were slightly less of a strain on them- he didn't have to pull her down by the shoulder as far as he once did whenever he was feeling impulsive and wanted to be the one to initiate a kiss. Also, his frame wasn't as thin and childlike as it had once been. This was obvious, as there was less slack in the robe he wore- and she'd purchased it for him only the previous year!

"They keep happening, the dreams, even after all this time..." She resumed. "I can't sleep... I- I don't want go back, not alone, not tonight." Rangiku explained unsteadily. "Captain... Toshiro, please, can I stay the night with you?" She asked, softly, uncertainly, her face reddening.

Hitsugaya went wide-eyed for a moment, then smiled. "You know, even for you Matsumoto, don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself, asking that?"

What happened next would haunt him for a long time, burned into his memory. As soon as he'd spoken those words- meant only to tease her- he'd instantly regretted it. Rangiku had opened up to him, had revealed a vulnerable side of herself she could never show to anyone else, and had come to him in her time of need- when she felt scared and alone... And how had he responded? He'd casually dismissed it as just another one of her constant flirtatious overtures toward him. He'd hurt her.

He was the one person, the only person she felt comfortable enough to turn to, the person who would always be there for her- the lone constant presence in her life... And he had belittled this total faith she had placed in him, briefly lapsing into their old dynamic. Hitsugaya saw as she crumbled before him.

The cup fell to the floor and she was on her feet. Instantly, he was struck by one thought in that moment: of her, alone in her quarters, with the ugly red lines of tears marring her pretty face! He leapt to his feet and thrust out his arm with inhuman speed- capturing her wrist and stopping her in her tracks.

"Matsumoto." He barked, and she turned to him, eyes already welling up. "Ma- Rangiku," he corrected. "You can talk to me about anything, whether you're sad or scared- anything, anything at all." Hitsugaya implored.

The tension in her body eased. "It always plays out the same in the end... And its always the one same place that I keep coming back to, no matter how much time has passed." Rangiku spoke, her gray-blue eyes locked with his sea-green ones. "Some times, I start out as an adult, and sometimes I'm a little girl at the beginning... But in the end, I'm always the same frightened girl, back in that place- the one place I never wanna go back to, because it's my bad place."

"When I a was girl, barely older than you, it wasn't the hunger or cold that scared me..." She continued as they stood out on the patio. "It was the times when I'd wake up in the morning, and I'd look around and Gin wasn't there... Oh, he always came back, but no matter how quickly he returned... Every time, it felt like an eternity for me back then, and I'd always think 'I'm all alone now, no one is out there looking for me, because I'm just another street urchin... tha- that no one will ever want or need."

He smiled earnestly as he took both of her hands in his. "You don't have to be scared any more, because I'm not going any where... I will always be with you."

She started to tear up and her lip trembled. "Toshiro, I-"

He drew Rangiku to him. "Don't ever stop thinking of me as the one person you can turn to... I'm your Captain, but..." And for a moment, Hitsugaya faltered, realizing this was 'it', this was THE moment, and he knew that there couldn't be any more time wasted over either of them beating around the bush about whatever it was that had formed between the two of them and grown over the years.

This the was moment, the time to decide what it was going to be: Was he ready to commit, to become the man that Rangiku needed? Because if not, then he didn't deserve her...

"Rangiku, you're my Lieutenant." he began softly. "And I'm your Captain... But I'm ready and willing to become something more for you, for us to become something more." Toshiro added.

The last vestiges of her composure vanished and tears streamed freely down her cheeks, but the young Captain could see that his Lieutenant was smiling now even as the tears came. He smiled, letting go of her hands and cupped the sides of her face, brushing away the tears with his thumbs as he leaned in.

Rangiku looked into his eyes, but didn't get the chance to speak when he closed the gap between them, his lips brushing against her trembling ones.

(- End of Chapter XVIII -)

This chapter contains two scenes that I am particularly proud of. The first being the sex scene between Renji and Arachne. Part of what made it so interesting was the chance to get into the mind Renji, to try and show how he perceived Arachne: confident and free, an exotic beauty, yet also wild and untamed, and even dangerously seductive... And I personally think her dominance just makes her sexier.

The other key point in this chapter is the closing scene, between Toshiro and Rangiku. By design, the growth of their budding relationship has been slow and understated (or unspoken). Given who they are, I knew the logical next step for them would be subtle. Rather than sex or some cliched confession, they had to cross the respective final barriers... For Rangiku, it was opening up to another, that there someone who she could trust and be totally vulnerable before. While for Toshiro, it was finally voicing the unspoken sentiment between them, that he was ready and willing to be the man she needed.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. And if so, will let me know what you thought of it. Until next time, see you guys later!