A/N: Lime in the middle. Consider yourself warned ;)
Chapter 7:
Momo lay in her bed, trying in vain to read, but to no avail. She snapped her book shut and placed it beside her bed. It had been a peculiar few days. Aizen had been nothing but polite to Momo, even though he occasionally made a few thinly veiled inappropriate remarks. He always offered to help her to bed, redress her wound, even bathe her under the guise of nursing her back to health. Of course, she refused, but she could feel old sensations bubbling up that she didn't want. Her heart raced when he casually brushed his shoulder against hers when he was passing a dish at dinner or when he let his gaze linger on her for more than normal.
She detested these feelings. He tried to kill her twice, yet she still wanted him physically. When he would tuck Emiko into bed or make them dinner, she wanted to hope again. Then, a nauseous feeling would seize her. The man she loved never existed. It was another lie. It's what he always did. When he got whatever he wanted, he would stab her in the back and leave her to pick up the pieces.
Thankfully, today was the last day he'd stay with them. Shunsui contacted her to let her know that he and Toshiro would pick Aizen up and escort him to his home later that evening. While she was relieved to see him go, her daughter was distraught. She had been on cloud nine the whole duration of his stay. The father daughter pair would read, cook together, play outside, and paint. Emiko originally had wanted her mother to join in, but she was still healing from her injuries. Momo was glad for the excuse because she didn't have the heart to dim Emiko's joy. She couldn't get sucked into the enticing illusion of Aizen again. The less time they spent together, the better. That's why she had begrudgingly agreed to a visitation schedule with him.
Emiko could sleepover at his house one night a week to start. Initially, he pushed to have her three nights a week, but Momo argued that it would disrupt her routine too much. He reluctantly agreed with the stipulation that they could revisit the schedule in a month. She didn't like the idea of Emiko being with Aizen unsupervised, but she had been reassured by many that he was monitored at all times, so nothing would happen. She had her doubts, but she would make peace with it for now.
Familiar voices echoed in the halls, so the lieutenant pulled herself out of bed and put on a navy robe. When she reached the living room, she saw Toshiro, Shunsei, and oddly enough Aizen deep in conversation in one corner of the room while Emiko sat on the couch.
Brown eyes flashed towards her figure and stayed on her form.
"Shiro-chan, Captain-commander," she offered with a slight bow, ignoring the criminal.
"What are you doing out of bed?" the white haired shinigami asked in a pointed tone.
"I can walk perfectly fine. I'm recovering, not an invalid!" she argued.
Shunsei chuckled at the sibling-like pair. "Regardless, it's good to see you up and about Lieutenant Hinamori."
She thanked him before giving the three of them a suspicious gaze.
"We were discussing Emiko's training," Aizen informed her with a sly smile. She glared at him. He had tried to broach the topic during his stay with her, but she had given a noncommittal answer on whether Emiko could be trained or attend the Soul Reaper academy.
"Excuse me? What do you mean by training?" Her glare turned to her childhood best friend who merely crossed his arms.
"For once, I agree with Aizen. Emiko needs to be trained or she could hurt someone or herself," he explained.
"You come into my home and start making decisions about my child without consulting me," she stated angrily.
"We don't think sending her to the academy is a good idea," Shunsei began, "but we think someone should train her on the basics."
Momo became visibly more comfortable. "I could be ok with that, but who would train her? I don't have time since I have my own training and lieutenant duties."
"I will train her everyday after school," Aizen answered smoothly. "My schedule is fairly flexible, and I am the best suited to teach her." He briefly glanced at Emiko and then back at her mother.
If her eyes could have popped out of her head, they would have. "I don't think that's a good idea," she said carefully, trying not to start arguing with him in front of Emiko.
"Why not?" he asked. "Do you think I'd hurt her?" he teased.
"Yes I do," she replied quietly, stepping closer to him. She pulled the front of his grey kimono, so he bent towards her. "I can accept what you did to me, but if you ever hurt Emiko, I will find some way to kill you," she whispered harshly.
His hand pulled her arm so she was pressed up against his chest. "I know my pet. If you're so worried about her being alone with me, we could all live together. You could watch me, and I could watch you," he suggested. She nearly shivered, hearing his old nickname for her.
She released him and narrowed her eyes into her slits. "You disgust me."
He nearly laughed. "You can come by my house anytime Momo. I really don't have anything to hide, and I certainly won't teach Emiko anything dangerous."
Toshiro rolled his eyes. He didn't understand why Aizen felt the need to pick at her this way. However, if Momo could ignore him, he'd be less likely to tease her.
Before Momo could retort, Emiko got up and hugged her father. "Tou-san, do you have to go?" He bent down and scooped her up into his arms.
"Yes, but I'll see you soon," he reassured her. She buried her face in his chest and began to sniffle.
Her mother frowned. She didn't like that Emiko was sad and sighed. "You can visit your father whenever you want."
"Can we have dinner tomorrow, all three of us?" Emiko asked, turning to look at her mother with wide eyes.
She bit her lip, weighing her options. She could say no and upset Emiko even more or she could say yes and endure another awkward evening with Aizen.
"Alright." Emiko immediately lit up.
"Yay! Thanks kaa-chan." She urged her father to let her down and ran to her mom to give her a hug.
Her frown curled into a small smile. "It's time to get ready for bed now Emi-chan."
"Good night tou-san. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Sleep well." He gave her a gentle smile and ruffled her hair affectionately.
The next evening, Momo took Emiko to her father's house. She steeled herself for the inevitable rush of memories she'd get upon entering the house. As expected, she recalled the many nights she had spent there making love, talking about art, doing paperwork together.
Dinner itself was uneventful until Emiko fell asleep.
"I'm working with Mayuri to restore your sword. It should be done tomorrow, so you'll need to come by the lab to test it out." He sipped some of his drink and laid it down.
"Ok." She wasn't sure how to feel about him working on her sword, but he was experienced with Tobiume. It's not like he could worsen the damage to her weapon.
His gaze suddenly fixed on her, making her squirm. "You and Emiko are welcome to spend the night."
"Thank you, but we should be getting home," she replied politely.
He nodded. "I'm glad you two came over."
"I think Emiko enjoyed herself." She put a hand on the small head laying in her lap.
"We should do this every week," he suggested.
"I… don't know if that's a good idea," she revealed. She looked around the space. She felt stifled by all of the feelings the place evoked.
"I understand. This isn't easy for me either." She looked at him, confused by his statement.
"We used to spend a lot of time here," he started. "I'm tempted to pick up where we left off." His hand found hers from across the table.
"Pick up from where? When you stabbed me and left me to die?" She snatched her hand away from him, offended at the suggestion. "Or when you tricked Toshiro into stabbing me?"
"It was never my intention to hurt you." It was an unfortunate decision he had to make since his original plan didn't go as he wanted.
"No, it wasn't. You wanted Toshiro to do your dirty work for you," she answered. "You could have killed Emiko," she whisperred in a low, but menacing tone.
"I know. If I had known about her, I would have -" Aizen began until Momo cut him off.
"What would you have done? Kidnapped her? Experimented on her?" came her infuriated response.
"I'd never hurt her, and I'd never take her from you. I would have taken you both with me," he revealed.
Imagining her and Emiko holed up in Heco Mundo while Aizen played king made her stomach churn. "You're crazy, and I'm not having dinner with you every week," she said in a tone of finality. She gently lifted Emiko into her arms and stood up.
"Wait." Aizen put a hand on her shoulder. "Stay."
"Why?" she asked flatly.
"Because I miss seeing you." His hand glided down from her shoulder to the small of her back. "I should have done things differently Momo."
She stayed silent for a minute, trying to form a response. "I want to believe you, but I can't." She stepped forward out of his grasp and returned home.
He released a frustrated sigh and decided to sit on his porch for some fresh air. He was close to getting her back. He could feel it. The way her breath hitched when he touched her and her pulse quickened told him that he still had the same effect on her as he did years ago. Patience was a virtue. He could wait. She wasn't immune to him, so it was only a matter of time before she fell back into his arms.
He sat down and leaned back on his forearms, enjoying the cool breeze that rustled his clothing. Closing his eyes, he remembered one of his favorite times playing with her. It had been a few months before his escape from Soul Society.
Flashback
His lieutenant furiously scribbled on a piece of paper. She was hard at work filling out their latest mission report.
Aizen stood at the door and cleared his throat. She looked up, her full attention now on him.
"Lieutenant, can I see you in the clinic for a moment please?"
She nodded and obediently followed him. "Is something the matter Captain Aizen?" she questioned once they were alone in the room.
He gestured for her to sit on the examination table which she did. "I was notified today that you missed your annual physical since you were away on a mission. You can't go on any missions until you've had your physical since today is the deadline for completing it," he explained as he took a clipboard from a nearby table.
Her shock was evident, and she blushed, embarrassed that she had missed her appointment. In all her years on duty, she had never missed a physical. "I'm so sorry Captain. I completely forgot. Can I go to the quad four barracks after I finish my report?"
He waved his hand. "There's no need for that Momo. I can sign off on your physical."
Nervousness faded into relief. "Really? That would be great. Thank you!"
"However, I'll still have to perform the examination, an abbreviated version. If you're comfortable with it, of course," he offered with a genial smile.
"Are you sure that would be appropriate?" she asked with pink cheeks. "I don't want either of us to get in trouble."
"It's perfectly within my rights as a captain to sign off on my subordinates' physicals. You're welcome to check with Captain Unohana if you'd like," he offered calmly. Inwardly, he smirked. She was too innocent. It was cute that she was concerned they would get in trouble for this as opposed to their many trysts. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been looking forward to this all day. He had known for a week that she had missed her physical, but he only chose to tell her today since she'd be much more likely to take him up on his offer to examine her.
"Alright," she replied hesitantly. "Should I change?" She pointed at the blue garb on the hook of the door.
"Yes," he affirmed. She took the robe and looked at him, gulping slightly. He turned around, so she could change. It was utterly pointless since he had seen her naked many times, but he'd play along to preserve her modesty.
"I'm ready now." He instructed her to step on the scale, so he could take her height and weight. Afterwards, she sat back on the examination table while he asked her standard questions about her health like how much sleep she got and to describe her diet. Next, he tested her reflexes and sight.
Seeing how professional he was about the situation, she became much more relaxed.
He took out a stop watch and stethoscope from the cabinet and sat in the stool next to the table.
He put the medical instrument around his neck. "Could you loosen your robe please?"
She fumbled with the belted knot and let it slack until the garment barely covered her breasts.
He moved closer to her and put the metal circle on her back first. She almost gasped at the cold sensation. "Take a deep breath in and deep breath out." He pressed the medical tool against her and watched as her delicate rib cage expanded and contracted.
He instructed her to do the same exercise, but this time he pressed the stethoscope against her chest. Her heartbeat momentarily increased but then slowed when she exhaled.
He removed the metal object from her being and jotted down some notes on the clipboard.
"The last part of the physical is a pelvic exam," he informed her, his expression remaining blank. "Lay down and spread your legs for me."
Carefully, she lowered her body. The paper covering on the table crinkled as she moved. She assumed he would skip this part of the exam since he said it was going to be shorter than a typical physical. She tried to keep her breathing even since they were in such a compromising position. They had never fooled around at work before, so she didn't see any reason they would now.
Meanwhile, he got up and shuffled through a drawer for a pair of latex gloves and a tube of gel.
Gloved up, he sat down on the stool again and squeezed a dollop of the clear gel onto his index and pointer finger.
"Undo your robe," he ordered her as he took stock of her semi-naked form. She untiec the robe and let it fall off her body, revealing her cinched waist and petite but shapely breasts, and lastly her pink womanhood.
He moved the stool, so he was between her thighs. "The gel is a bit cold," he warned before he slowly coated her sex with the gel. She winced at the cold substance and his touch. His fingers parted her lowered lips and traced them gently from top to bottom.
"How often do you have sexual intercourse?" he asked, letting his eyes appreciate her in all her naked glory. He could tell she was incredibly aroused already by the musky scent of her pussy and puckered nipples.
"Once or twice a week," she answered nervously as she kept her gaze fixed on the white ceiling. She was too embarrassed to look at him right now. Why would he ask that? He already knew the answer?
"Do you feel any pain during sex?" he probed, as let his thumb brush against her clit. Her breath hitched.
"No."
He gave a satisfied hum and slowly slid two fingers into her. She was tight but clearly tensing up. Her walls clenched down on his digits, resisting his entrance.
"Do you have any difficulty achieving orgasm?"
Her brows knit together in confusion. She had never been asked anything so personal during an examination. "No… I don't think so."
"Hmm, well I'd like to see for myself," he remarked. His bespectacled eyes glimmered mischievously as he began to pump his fingers in and out of her.
"Captain," she moaned. This physical had taken an unexpected carnal turn for Momo. They were both very professional individuals, so she had never imagined doing anything like this at the barracks, let alone her dear captain instigating anything like this.
"Relax my pet. You're so tense," he murmured as one hand stroked her inner left thigh and pressed a kiss to her exposed flesh.
She let out a breathy sigh, and her walls lessened their tight hold on his fingers.
"Good." He increased the pace of the fingering and firmly pressed his thumb to her clit. Her reaction was instantaneous. She nearly leapt off the bed.
He chuckled, amused at her arousal.
He began scissoring his fingers, testing her girth. She began to pant, and her breasts jiggled with every inhale and exhale. It was a delicious sight from between her thighs. Her fingers were gripping the edge of the table so hard that her knuckles were turning white.
"Captain, please," she pleaded, finally gaining the courage to meet his gaze. He was intently fixed on the hand between her legs. Her entire body was throbbing, begging for release. Abruptly, he removed his fingers and heard a whine. "Don't worry. I'm not done," he promised with a half-smile.
He wanted to feel her flesh, not rubber. He discarded the latex glove in the trash can and returned to his place.
Momo groaned when his other hand cupped her right breast. His fingers teased her rosy nipple, before moving to stroke at the undersides of her breasts. She felt much more turned on by his strong warm hands than the dry latex.
"It feels much better now," he observed. She let out a yelp when he caressed her tiny nub. It was very slick from the gel and her own essence, so he had to press down hard to stimulate her. He felt her clit become swollen with arousal and felt it pulsing. With his other hand, he inserted two fingers and thrusted in and out. Her pussy clenched and unclenched around him, and her thighs began to quiver. She was close. He increased his rhythm and pressed as hard as he could on her clit without her hurting her.
Finally, she bore down on his fingers, shaking uncontrollably as she reached the apex of her pleasure. She covered her mouth with her hand to muffle her cry, lest anyone hear them.
He usually made her come when he was fucking her, but he liked feeling her orgasm with his fingers inside her. It was such an intriguing sensation to experience her muscles tighten and pulse uncontrollably since he could feel it much more distinctly with his hand than his own sex.
Slowly he removed his hands and started washing them at the sink. "Captain?"
He looked over his shoulder as she struggled to sit up. "Yes?"
"Did I pass my physical?" Her brown eyes met his, imploring him for praise.
"Of course. You passed with flying colors." He turned off the sink and wiped his hands with a hand towel.
He turned to leave until Momo stopped him. "Wait!" she exclaimed. She stood up and hugged him from behind. "Stay a little. Let me please you too."
A large hand covered hers. "I have a captain's meeting soon, but you may come by my house this evening if you feel so inclined to perform your own examination."
Her arms tightened around his midsection and let go. "I'll see you then," she said softly.
He stretched his body across the wooden slats, so he could look at the stars. Now that he pondered the matter more, if he had made her get a real physical, he might have known that she was pregnant. He clenched a fist. He'd never forgive himself for almost killing Emiko.
Killing Momo was necessary at the time. She was a distraction from his goals and made him feel strange emotions that he didn't like. When they were together, he was just a man, and she was just a woman. Yes, he had to do it. He couldn't afford to lose sight of his path to godhood. Momo was merely a footnote, a pit stop. Besides, he wasn't the man she thought he was, and he knew it would devastate her to see his true colors. It was a mercy killing.
Originally, he thought he had devised a genius plan to dispose of her nosy best friend and herself. If it had worked, he would have killed two birds with one stone. Instead, it completely backfired. He almost killed his unborn daughter, and now he felt guilty. Guilty for almost orphaning Emiko, and somewhat guilty that Momo raised her alone for so long. He didn't know much about children since it was never a subject he thought he'd ever use. After living with her and Emiko for a week, he could see that parenthood was an arduous role.
Emiko was a precious little creature, but she was completely dependent on others. She needed someone to buy her clothes, to feed her, and to take her to school. Even though she liked to be independent, as much as a six year old could be, she needed someone to care for her. Single motherhood couldn't have been easy for Momo, but he was here now and had no intention of leaving or going back to prison.
The next day, Momo received a call from Nemuri, telling her to come into the lab sometime after lunch to try out her sword. She also asked if Emiko could join them, to which Momo agreed. Emiko's school was still undergoing repairs which thankfully coincided with Momo's medical leave. The school was slated to open next, but until then, Emiko was home with Momo.
Emiko was thrilled to go see her friend and her dad at work. She was also intrigued to see the lab. Nemuri told her crazy stories about mutating cells and working with dangerous chemicals. Yona and Emiko were skeptical about how much Nemuri actually did since she tended to exaggerate.
"Woooow," Emiko said as she stepped into the R&D division. The room was filled with test tubes, colorful liquids, and microscopes. She spotted her father hunched over a desk using a microscope. He shifted back and beckoned for her to come over.
She pulled herself up on his lap. "Look in here with one eye." She did as told and gasped when she saw deep purple ovals, shaped like eggs. They shifted from side to side as if they were alive.
There was a feminie cough, and the pair looked up. "What are you showing her?" she demanded with a hand on her hip.
"The substance we found on your sword," he informed her.
"It's weird kaa-chan. Looks like it's moving all on its own," Emiko commented.
She gave her a puzzled look. "It's because it's a live bacteria," Aizen added as he moved back from the desk and put Emiko down.
"A poisonous bacteria?" Momo asked.
"Correct. Neither Captain Kurotsuchi nor I have seen anything like it before. We've concluded that whoever is behind this must have a lab somewhere to have made it. This substance wouldn't be found naturally." Momo sighed internally.
Another mad scientist. Great, she thought.
"Ah Lieutenant. Come with me outside, so you can have a look at Tobiume," a male voice called from above. It looked like Mayuri was putting his intercom invention to good use.
Emiko, Momo, and Aizen ventured outside to the training grounds where the mad scientist and his daughter were waiting. Squad eight's training grounds were suspiciously normal. It was a large grassy field with several targets and dummy mannequins, very similar to the squad five training area.
"Nemuri-chan!" Emiko greeted with a friendly embrace.
"I heard you broke into Muken! You have to tell me all about it!" the small black haired girl exclaimed with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Before anyone else could respond. Mayuri spoke. "Nemuri, that can wait. Emiko and her mother came to test out the sword, " he reminded her.
Nemuri hmped. "Fine." Sometimes her dad could be so boring. All work and no play.
"The sword,"Mayuri stated, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. Nemuri bent down and handed it to Momo.
Momo thanked her and surveyed the sword. It looked the same as it always did, and there was no sign that it had been covered in the poisonous ooze.
"Lieutenant, if you'll activate your zanpakuto," Mayuri stated.
Momo held up the blade prepared to strike. "Tobiume snap!"
Flames engulfed the blade, and she smiled. She was relieved that her sword was back to normal. She deactivated it and lowered the hilt.
"Very curious," Mayuri commented.
He looked to his side. "Nemuri, I hope you're taking notes."
"Um.. yeah." She quickly took out a pen and pad from her pocket and scribbled something down.
Mayuri nodded, satisfied that she was finally helping. "Lieutenant, could you manifest Tobiume so we could speak with her? We'd like to get more information on the effects of the poison."
"It's been a while, so I'm not sure I can, but I'll try." She had difficulty manifesting Tobiume for extended amounts of time, and she had no idea if the poison would prevent her from doing so.
"I'll guide you," Aizen's voice said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Fine," she replied without looking back at him. He told her to sit down and focus her energy.
She placed her sword on the ground and sat cross legged behind it. Aizen knelt down beside her.
Momo closed her eyes and focused her spiritual energy. She called out to Tobiume several times, but there was no reply.
"Release a bit of your reiatsu into the sword," Aizen commanded. He watched as she placed a hand over the silver blade and let her energy leak out.
The sword glowed red and a blinding light burst forth to reveal a petite young woman with straight long brown hair pulled back with colorful clips. She donned a white kimono witha pink hem tied to her waist with yellow fabric above a long lilac colored skirt. Her most notable feature was her pink shawl that had a large bell attached to either side.
"Mitress, thank you for freeing me," she said with a bow.
"Tobiume, you should thank them," Momo replied, looking at Mayuri and Aizen. "They applied the antidote to the blade."
The regal zanpakuto nodded and thanked them, pausing when she saw Aizen. She wasn't surprised to see him since she knew he had saved Momo and Emiko. However, she didn't quite know what to think of him or his most recent actions, so she wouldn't say anything for now.
Her brown eyes found Emiko, and her lips curled up. "Emiko, look how grown up you are." She was a toddler that last time she saw her in person.
"Tobiume-san. Thank you!" She curtsied like her mother showed her.
The spirit hid a giggle with her sleeve. "What a sweet child you are."
"Tobiume. Would you be able recollect when happened once you implaled the beast?" the squad eight captain asked.
"Of course Captain." She knelt down on the grass, and the others followed suit forming a circle.
"When I stabbed that creature, purple lines started appearing on my body. It stung so badly I couldn't move, and not too long after, I couldn't see or hear." Hearing the scribbling pen of Nemuri, Tobiume paused.
"That sounds like what happened to you kaa-chan," Emiko noted in a whisper to her mother.
Tobiume released the pink fabric wrap around her, and the bells hit the ground with a dull thud. "After that, I felt my mitress calling to me, but I still couldn't do anything." She folded her hands in her lap and looked down, ashamed that she couldn't protect Momo or Emiko. "I apologize Momo."
Momo cast her a sympathetic glance. "Tobiume, you were hurt. You couldn't do anything. It's not your fault."
"Mhm, and then tou-san and Captian Hirako saved us. You shouldn't feel bad," Emiko added.
The spirit looked up and smiled at the mother daughter pair, thankful for their understanding.
"What happened when we administered the antidote?" Aizen questioned.
"I slowly regained my senses, and I could see that the purple marks receded," she answered in an even tone.
"Momo was affected similarly when she was poisioned, but I could still sense spiritual pressure. I couldn't sense Tobiume at all," he observed.
"Hmmm… very interesting," the blue faced shinigami noted, stroking his chin.
The females looked at him for explanation.
Catching on, Aizen surmised, "it seems that whoever manufactured the poision intended for it to seal a zanpakuto." Tobiume's eyes narrowed. Why would someone want to seal her spiritual pressure but not her master's reiatsu?
Mayuri nodded and smirked, pleased with his colleague's astute observation. "This is becoming more intriguing by the minute. It gives weigh to my theory that zanpakuto spiritual energy and shigigami energy have different uses. If someone only wanted to seal a zanpakuto's reiatsu, it must be able to do something that our reiatsu can't."
Momo and Tobiume looked on, slightly disturbed with how excited he seemed by a new enemy.
"If that's all Captain Kurotsuchi, may I return to my realm?" the small brunette asked.
"Yes. Yes, you can go," he replied with a wave of his hand.
She bowed and thanked the group before returning to the sword.
Meanwhile, Momo looked down at her sword, lightly touching the metal. She was so relieved to have Tobiume back. "Captain," she called. Oddly enough, both Aizen and Mayuri looked at her. "Thank you for bringing Tobiume back to me." She held the sword to her chest and smiled gently.
Mayuri shrugged while Aizen was silent.
"Lietenant, you're free to take your sword and go. I'll let you know if I require your assistance any further." He got up started walking towards the lab. "Nemuri," he called.
The girl sighed and hugged her friend goodbye, promising to visit her soon for all the details on her prison break.
"Emi-chan, say goodbye to your father." The young girl waved at him and took her mother's hand. "See you soon tou-san!"
They turned around and left the grounds while he watched their figures move further and further away until they were specks.