If time is but a chalice,
If it's the poor man's wish to drink the dredges,
Then let them clog in his throat,
And let him wish for life.
I sighed, gathering my fanciful clothes around me, pulling myself up. Running my fingers through my hair, I teased the knots from it gently before running a brush through it. I left my hair down but tucked my hair stick into my breast pocket.
Today's the day, I thought firmly, trying to wrangle my black spirit ribbons under my kimono.
I stood, my knees popping as I stretched exaggeratedly. I sauntered to the door of my humble abode and pushed the hanging straw out of the way. Wincing at the light as if I was afraid, I reached back around the door frame and grabbed my traditional sun hat. This one was simple, the previous hat having been lifted by one of my customers.
But those were the early days, and that won't happen again, I assured myself, trying to settle my anger back down.
My saunter became a quick stroll as I headed towards the nearest village, conscious of the hour. The sun dappled against my hat through the trees as I breathed in the clear air, thoughts wrapping around me loose as a breeze.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
I had come here to the Soul Society some time ago. How long exactly, I wasn't sure. It seemed as though time had stopped in this world, frozen in place as a beauty who had seen her knight slay a dragon. The trees did seem to grow steadily, but they neither withered from winter nor bore the fruits that twisted the minds of swine into drunken haphazardness. The grass itself, while dry in some areas and completely absent in others, remained lush seemingly year-round in the small valley my shack resided in comfortably.
I was sure it was more than a decade. It had to be.
After a good while, as I kept my home safely nestled far away from civilization, I entered the outskirts of Rukongai. This village was dreary, the children feral, and the booze cheap.
I kept walking.
Hokutan, the third district, was my goal. I had been asked today to lunch by two close friends of mine.
Well, maybe more than friends, I decided. I had ambushed them, covertly looking for an entrance to the Seireitei to kill Aizen Sosuke, and nature had taken its course between us.
The closer I got to the shop, the more I saw Soul Reapers here and there, casually talking with friends and families, shopping, or milling about. The streets cleaned up nicely as well, and I no longer had to watch my feet as carefully.
However, I mentally shook my head, men will always be men. A lone Soul Reaper, a man of average build with short black hair, eyed me as I walked along. His eyes raked over my bare shoulder, over my neck, and down the deep slit in my passionately blue kimono.
He did not follow as I passed him. Perhaps I should get a parasol? My eyes followed the vivid window display, discreetly glancing at the man as he trudged away. A children's book caught my eye: "Sogyo's Refusal! Issue #36!" by Jushiro Ukitake. I smiled softly at the two happy children on the cover.
Approaching the shop, my eyes flicked up to check the name out of habitual nervousness. The Chipped Apple was a well-known tea shop in the upper five districts. There was even a rumor of a second location opening closer to the Seireitei.
"Hey!" A man's panicked yell made me pause and look over. He was rushing a younger boy, grabbing a sack from him and all but throwing it the opposite direction. "This line is sekkiseki!" The older man yelled at the frightened young boy, pointing at the crisp barrier between us and the Seireitei. "Sulfur and sekkiseki explode together!" he admonished.
Shaking my head at his aggression, I made my way into the shop.
This diner was busy, the shop having set up outside dining due to overwhelming demand. Navigating my way through the tables, I began my classic saunter once more as my brown eyes flicked this way and that, looking for the duo.
"Ah, they're in the back." A confident woman saw me looking and gestured to the back with a thumb.
"Thank you, Cindy." I waived, happy to see her.
She smiled at me. "Don't thank me yet! They've already had two bottles."
My eyes shot up at this. "Looks like they'll be needing me then," I mumbled to myself quietly.
Cindy laughed, closing her small notebook full of orders before ushering me inside. "The usual?" she asked, helping me navigate the packed tea house to the back room.
"Yes, please. Thank you," I added quickly. She nodded as she opened the door and let me inside the private room.
"Your guest has arrived, Captain Ukitake, Captain Kyoraku." Cindy bowed as I stepped into the room, a small smile on my face.
"Ah, you're here!" Shunsui's yell overshadowed Jushiro thanking Cindy and gently greeting me. With a small snap of the door behind me, Shunsui attempted to rise only to fall back into Jushiro's lap. "How are you? I hope you don't mind that we already got started." He smiled pleasantly, eyes already closing as Jushiro continued to fan him.
"I suppose I don't mind," I said, humor curling my lips up. I stepped over him, my kimono scraping my gracefulness somewhat. I knelt by Jushiro, who smiled tenderly at me. "I'll take over. You have a break and enjoy yourself," I told him, taking the fan.
"Ah, I don't mind. You should enjoy yourself," he told me, trying to take the fan back.
"You're the one with the busier job," I told him resolutely, shooing him away. Taking Shunsui, I carefully rested his head on my lap and fanned him lazily.
"Thank you." Jushiro relented, taking a long drink from his tea.
"You're the best. Juu has been talking about wanting to see you all week," Shunsui told me, sweeter than a berry. The alcohol had stained his cheeks red at this point, but I knew there'd be several more bottles to go before we were done here.
This made said captain turn red. "Shunsui!" he stressed, embarrassed.
"Don't be embarrassed! She deserves to know how much you praise her." Shunsui looked up at me, and I suddenly wondered if I had tightened my obiage enough to give my chest that classic look to it from the odd angle he had.
I laughed, my cheeks pinging a little red themselves. "And I could say the same about him." I smiled warmly at Jushiro as I said this, enjoying how he suddenly seemed to become a little balmy.
"What about me?" Shunsui asked teasingly, reaching up to brush his fingers against my cheeks.
"Why, you're the star of the show, Shu," I told him honestly.
"Ah, you're so sweet!" he cooed to me, reaching up to tangle his fingers in my long, brown hair. "What are you doing today?" he asked slyly, becoming more heated.
I laughed. "I intend to enjoy the weather today, though I feel the two of you might have other plans for me." I giggled, sliding my sun hat off and placing it on the ground as I started to fan myself, or more accurately, my chest.
Why in the world are kimonos this warm? I wondered discreetly at the small buildup of sweat at the back of my neck.
Twirling his finger in his hair, Shunsui watched me as Jushiro came closer, pulling me into his side.
"It's good to see you again." Jushiro placed a small kiss on the top of my head.
I had been "skimpily" dressed in a red velvet kimono, my shoulder bare and a small love bruise at the base of my neck, my hair tied up with my hair stick, when I had first seen the duo wandering Rukongai. I had recognized them immediately.
They really haven't changed in more than 100 years, I realized as I observed them. Ukitake had his hair back in a low pony tail, but that was the only difference.
I had caught myself unconsciously backing away into the deeper alley I had just emerged from, my previous customer likely having left another way.
What should I do? I wondered tensely, feeling time run out as they approached, simply walking down the street.
It was when Ukitake's eyes had by chance flicked over to me, their warm depths taking in my bare legs, loose kimono, and open shoulder that I felt something swell in me almost desperately. I felt that I absolutely had to take this chance now.
I smiled coyly at him, fluttering my fan about my neck as I tipped my head to expose my neck submissively. "Hello." It rolled off my tongue unbidden as I made a show of looking them both up and down.
"Hello," Kyoraku greeted, tipping his sun hat cordially as he continued on. Ukitake smiled at me politely and moved on as well.
Shit. I felt jilted. That had worked on all the previous men. How do I get their attention? Frowning, I could only think of one thing to get their attention. I hope this works.
Releasing my extreme hold on my powers, I let them slowly reach out to the two captains. The tendrils and cobwebs curled around them, making them pause with their backs to me. I watched their shoulders tense.
Wanting to show I was no threat, I slowly brought the shadows up, tracing the outside of their clothes lusciously up to the knees before I pulled them back. At this, they turned around. Ukitake wore a face of worried surprise while Kyoraku watched me thoughtfully. The two had not exchanged a single glance, and yet I felt I had watched a whole conversation before me.
"What was that?" Kyoraku asked, still holding his sun hat. "Was that you?" He played dumb.
Ukitake remained silent.
I would have totally fallen for that if I hadn't known him from before, I realized. "Yes," I answered shortly, honestly.
"Are we in some kind of trouble?" Kyoraku asked, his voice trying to lull me with its calm tones and dull words.
"No. I just want a little attention is all," I said placatingly.
At this, I heard Ukitake softly mutter, "Attention?" His eyes drifted yet again down to my legs, this particular kimono short enough to bare them.
"Well, you've got it," Kyoraku answered evenly, his eyes watching me with deceptive calmness.
At this, I slowly sauntered over. I made my moves clear, my hands staying far away from my zanpakutou which was tied up in the back of my Ohashori, though I doubted they knew it was there.
Ukitake took an unsure step towards Kyoraku as I slowly sashayed over. Kyoraku raised a hand to calm him as I approached.
Standing in front of Kyoraku, I made a show of reaching up and wrapping my arms around his neck while I tried to meld our bodies together.
"Why would a young lady like you be interested in an old guy like me?" he questioned, and I could feel him slightly relaxing as he realized I wasn't going to hurt him. Or maybe he was forcing himself to relax to somehow trick me. He was a hard one to read.
"My love doesn't know such bounds. Rules don't apply to me," I told him, looking up and into his eyes. There was quite a height difference.
"Someone as young and beautiful as you shouldn't be doing work like this." Ukitake brought up next to us, cheeks tinting pink as I wrapped my hands around Kyoraku's lower back and started to rub him suggestively.
"You and I, we're in the same business." I told him, turning my head to look at him as I rested it on Kyoraku. "You sell your body to the Seireitei. You'd die for them, wouldn't you?" I asked rhetorically.
"Yes, but at least we—" he started.
"I can't name all my customers, and I'm doubting you can name all of Central 46," I interrupted him. His mouth slowly closed at this. "Relax," I told him, stepping away from Kyoraku to press myself up against Ukitake in much the same way. He stiffened under me.
"Well, what does a young lady like you have in mind?" Kyoraku asked.
I had been escorted inside the Seireitei, secreted by the men's flash steps after our day drinking. The captain's chambers that belonged to Shunsui were surprisingly large, although you wouldn't know it with how tightly the two men wound around one another.
Jushiro was in Shunsui's lap, his legs spread around the man as Shunsui worked him through his clothes.
I tipped back my glass, eyes stuck on them. Watching them was always my favorite part.
Jushiro moaned quietly, gasps and hitches in his breath giving the pleasure away as he rocked into Shunsui. Shunsui's head dipped into Jushiro's neck, and I saw the barest of movements while he whispered to him.
I could only guess at the lewd secrets passing between them.
Shunsui looked at me then, smiling as he saw how invested I was. He gently directed Jushiro out of his lap and made him lay on his back.
"Jushiro wants you on top." Shunsui beckoned me with two fingers, and I was eager to comply. Stripping off the last of my clothes, I settled in the now-blushing Jushiro's lap.
Shunsui's firm, unwavering hand on my back pushed me down.
Jushiro nipped at my neck, his strong hands gripping my hips as I shook. I could feel him with every twitch and jolt of my lower body, heated and ready underneath me.
Shunsui, ever the devil, shifted behind me and ran my labia through his mouth as he kissed and lovingly tugged at me. The floor under my knees held me to reality as I caged in Jushiro beneath me with my arms.
I gasped as Jushiro's teeth came down harder, holding on for a moment. As if they were somehow linked, Shunsui took the opportunity to tease my entrance with his fingers, tracing me. Keeping up the oral ministrations, Shunsui slowly pushed two fingers into me.
I gasped, my velvet walls squeezing at the dual sensations.
One of Jushiro's hands ran over my back soothingly as I all but vibrated, panting heavily. Jushiro kissed my neck up and down gently, warmly, before he moved on to pant in my ear as he thrusted up.
A wet sound reached my ears as he groaned, and I suddenly knew what Shunsui was doing with his free hand. The thought had me growing wetter, and I couldn't help but collapse onto Jushiro more as Shunsui loudly pleased me.
Wiping at his mouth, Shunsui relented from teasing Jushiro and instead gripped one of Jushiro's hands on my hips and slid down his arm.
Jushiro panted in my ear as I swayed backwards into Shunsui's expert hand. He chuckled at my enthusiasm before I heard his clothing shift.
"Hey, Juu, should we?" he asked the pale, flushed man.
Cracking an eye open, Jushiro looked over my shoulder to connect with Shunsui. Something passed between the two, and Shunsui's firm hand pressed down on my lower half.
Obeying, I lowered myself as I casted a look to him over my shoulder. His mouth was quirked up, and I giggled at the heated look in his eyes.
Jushiro shifted under me, and I raised my chest to let his arm go in between us. "Can we try something…?" he asked tentatively.
I nodded, eager to fall into their plot.
Jushiro smiled at me as I felt something prod against me. Automatically adjusting, I sighed as he caught on the edge, slipping out. I went to reach around to help before Shunsui was grasping my hips and Jushiro, guiding us to meet in the middle.
I sighed deeply as I slowly sank down on Jushiro, straightening up and enjoying the sensation of him sliding inside. Shunsui, usually the guiding force, pressed his hand against my upper back.
"Lean down," he directed me again. Coyly looking back, I smiled as I obeyed.
Jushiro chuckled at my antics, his hand warming my shoulders and rubbing across my back as I squeezed around him.
I blinked as something else equally dull pressed against me. Cocking my head to the side, I went to look back before Jushiro's hands held my face forward.
"Trust us," he enticed me, kissing me deeply as I felt the almost painful press of Shunsui. I could feel the blossom of his head seeking entry, pressing tightly between Jushiro and me. Shunsui gripped my hips with bruising force as he slowly, unrelentingly pushed forward.
I leaned forward somewhat, the stretch getting a tad too tight, before I felt Shunsui's index finger reach around to toy with my clit. Unconsciously grinding into the digit, my face tightened at the dual impressions of pain and pleasure.
Jushiro let out a throaty noise beneath me as I felt their heads slowly meet and shift inside me. Shunsui wasn't quite as long as Jushiro, but he made up for it in curl and width.
Panting heavily, the two paused to give me a moment. Slowly, Jushiro rubbed my arms up and down as Shunsui continued to dance with my clit. I slowly relaxed around them, my muscles loosening despite the hot pleasure building inside me.
"I can't—I won't last like this," I pleaded to them both.
A strong hand wrapped up my loose hair, forcing my head back to show my throat, my most vulnerable area, to Jushiro's greedy mouth.
"Just enjoy it. Relax," Shunsui ordered me, and I felt my legs start to tremble again. Poised between the two of them, debauched and taken, their twin flames of reiatsu swimming over my skin…
I gasped loudly with Jushiro as Shunsui gave a small, experimental thrust.
"It's so tight," Jushiro all but mewled under me, face drawn to an almost painful point. He didn't thrust up into me, rather acted as an anchor as Shunsui thrusted against him inside me.
"It's fantastic. Amazing." Compliments spilled from Shunsui's mouth as he slowly picked up the pace, my wet mixing with the yam lubricant he had procured earlier. I couldn't help but cry out, my eyes watering from the intense feelings and emotions they caused in me.
A pale hand found my face and wiped at my eyes.
"Are you okay?" Jushiro asked me.
Shunsui slowed at this, instead shifting to lighter thrusts.
"Please. Please," I begged.
Jushiro responded with a groan, petting my face as Shunsui sped up even further. The sensations were getting to be too much. The impossible tightness of them both inside, the guttural sounds they gave off with every poignant thrust, the heady smell of sex around us—
I cried out loudly as I clamped down, spilling out my passion.
Jushiro's toes curled at the sensation, one of his hands gripping at my shoulder painfully while the other formed a fist to smack the floor next to us.
Shunsui stuttered, losing control, and I felt the dual heat of them both spill inside me. They gasped, sweat running down freely.
The night sky had hung itself out to bleed, dripping onto the trees, the chilled cut stone paths, and the soft luminescent lanterns that dotted the Seireitei. The moon was a gentle reprieve tonight, swaddling the stars closest to it out of sight.
Shunsui and I sat on the edge of his balcony, my bare feet scraping the grass as I occasionally kicked them back and forth. Jushiro slept quietly behind us, a purple blanket draped carefully over him. I glanced back every so often, making sure his feet remained covered and he wasn't chilled.
Pouring himself another glass, Shunsui gazed into the stars with me. My name rolled off his lips easily, and I looked over. I felt something tighten in my chest at the way he looked into the sky.
Shunsui was always nigh unreadable when he wanted to be, and that caused me reoccurring anxiety.
"Juu and I, we really like you," he started, and my eyes widened a bit. While I had worked as a whore and escort since I came here, and I have had men and women confess their feelings to me before, this felt different.
This struck a note in me that the world's most beautiful flute never could, and my heart hesitantly began to whisper on tandem with the unheard music.
"We would like you to stay here, in the Seireitei." My eyes widened at this. Silence hung between us, it's few friends the sound of Shunsui's throat working around the sake, the quiet hushing of the moon on all our ears, and the gentle rustle of the grass in the occasional breeze.
"If you don't want to—" he started, making my heart clench.
No, I want to! The Seireitei was a second home. I had never dreamed of ever being able to come back. I had so many good memories here.
"—then we understand," he finished simply, not looking over at me. He might be feeling exposed… I quietly thought to myself.
Pulling my legs up, I brushed the blanket over them as the ideas started to bloom in my mind. "Where would I stay?" I finally asked.
"You would stay with one of us, or if you should make new friends, you could stay with them. Both of our doors are open to you, always." The deeper meaning of new friends was not lost on me.
"My profession…" I started slowly. It had been a tumultuous point in the beginning. They had assumed that I didn't enjoy my work, that I was trapped by it. And while I knew that many women felt that way, I had to tell them over and over that I didn't.
"We won't stop you from working. We know you're independent," he told me reassuringly, looking over at me before cleaning off his drink. He began to pour himself another. "Stay here tonight. I know you haven't been to the Seireitei before, but at least try it before you make your choice," he told me.
I nodded, feeling the fresh bite marks dance tightly with the motion.
"I will." I accepted another glass from him, my flushed face betraying my drunken state.
Overhead, rain clouds began to form.
"Shall we?" He offered a hand as he stood, and I accepted it.
I slept tucked in between the two that night, quite similar to our fornication earlier. Shunsui's arms wrapped around me from behind while my head curled into Jushiro's chest, listening to his quiet breathing.
For the first time in a long time, I could feel myself relax completely as I drifted off into a deep sleep.
I woke up to pounding on the door, a shrill voice yelling, "Captain! You're late!"
Blinking blearily, I was rubbing my eyes when the doors slammed open and let in the midday sun.
I heard a gasp. Shaking my head, I looked up at a young woman with short, black hair, a lieutenant badge on her left arm. Oh, Lisa, I thought blankly for a second as my mind tried to catch up with everything.
"I'm already up!" I heard Shunsui's voice echo from the restroom. I rolled onto my side and rubbed my hand over Jushiro's chest as he sat up. I switched to his back before I realized my kimono was hanging open. Tightening it, I greeted her, "Good morning."
She looked at me briefly, stunned, before she recovered. "Good morning," she responded, adjusting her glasses. "I didn't realize he had guests over," she admitted.
I smiled at her genially. "You're fine, doll. Don't worry about me."
"Good morning, Lisa-chan!" Shunsui greeted his lieutenant happily, emerging from his bedroom. Ah, that bed last night would have been nice, I thought wistfully of my destroyed knees.
"You have a meeting you're late to. Let's go," Lisa told him, no nonsense, and walked a few paces before flash stepping away.
"You'll have to excuse my lieutenant. She is actually quite kind when you get to know her," Shunsui told me, and I nodded and hummed pleasantly.
"Should I wait here for you?" I asked, my brain having finally caught up.
"Oh, no. I'm sure Juu-chan can get everything taken care of. I won't be able to come back until late tonight. Don't worry about me." He winked before flash stepping away, the doors closing behind him.
Jushiro sighed at his antics before he stood, his shihakusho unkept. "I'll get ready, and then we can go to my barracks," he told me, putting a hand on my head before going to the restroom.
Shunsui had large quarters befitting his rank. He had a large, open deck, which fit the also large yet minimal living room. Branching off his living room, there was what I could only presume to be an equally luxurious bedroom.
Humming again quietly to myself, I wanted to look put together as well. Spotting a mirror in Shunsui's room, I went to stand in front of it but faltered at the door. Am I allowed in here? I suddenly wondered, unsure.
Standing awkwardly far away in the doorway so I didn't have to cross the threshold, I posed in the mirror as I redid my haneri and obijime. Straightening out my collar, I covered up my shoulder. I was fluffing my hair, trying to cover up the deep bite marks, when Jushiro found me.
"That looks painful. Would you like me to heal it?" he asked, concern in his voice as he moved my hair out of the way to look. He winced slightly. "Shu should be more careful."
"It doesn't hurt," I told him, watching as he brought his hand up. It glowed green as he healed me, the bite marks dissipating.
"Still," he argued, and I let it drop. Usually I don't allow clients to mark me. But these two were different. They were special to me.
Jushiro held my face, making me look up at him as my name slipped through his lips. His big, brown eyes looked into me, worried and concerned. "I heard you and Shunsui talking last night. Do you really wish to stay?" He was holding his breath, white hair framing his pale face as he looked down at me.
I was quiet for a moment, basking in his attention before I spoke. "I do," I admitted, eyes flicking down before I met his.
This seemed to relieve him, his shoulders falling as he relaxed. He brought me into a warm hug. "Oh, I'm so glad," he said simply as he pressed his lips into my hair.
We stayed like that for a time, enjoying each other before we parted. "Let's go to my barracks. Can you flash step?" he asked me, taking me by the hand and leading me out.
"Not well in these shoes," I admitted, looking down and slipping my low-rise geta.
"That's okay. Why don't we walk?" He offered his arm, and I took it unsurely.
"Jushiro…" I trailed off, stopping him before we got started. He looked down at me curiously. "Are you sure this is okay? I'm a civilian. And I'm willing to bet everyone knows what I do." I danced around the topic slightly, knowing it used to be a soft spot for him even if it might not be anymore. I couldn't tell.
He put his larger hand over mine. "You're not the only civilian that lives in the Seireitei. There are nobles and some servants that live here as well. As for your profession…" he trailed off. "Well, I doubt you're the first." A small, tense smile graced his features.
"I understand," I said, wanting to move on from the topic he didn't enjoy. "Why don't you tell me more about the Seireitei as we walk?" I inquired, squeezing his arm reassuringly as we began our stroll.
The Seireitei, as it turns out, was a lot brighter than I remembered. I cursed myself, having been distracted by Shunsui as we were leaving lunch and having left my hat there. I brought sunglasses when I first came here, I thought wistfully, remembering when things were simple and all I had to do was save Rukia.
Jushiro walked with me evenly, thoughtfully slowing his gait as he told me about the history of his squad and his squad members. He talked about Kaien Shiba, the new recruit Rukia Kuchiki, and the two third seats.
As he talked, I felt my mind wander. These are all people I know, I thought morosely. Knew, I corrected myself. Except for Kaien, of course.
Rukia…my thoughts drifted further, remembering her. We had been such close friends, bonding tightly in the short months we were together. I had been devastated when she had been kidnapped.
The Thirteenth Division, while not as grand as some others, had a homely feel to it. As we approached, a young, blonde woman looked up. "Captain!" she yelled, immediately coming over and bowing before him. What is her name again? Sentaro? I struggled to remember.
"We were awaiting your arrival! Captain Hirako of Squad Five is waiting for you in your office!" she yelled loudly. At this, a man that I hadn't noticed earlier perked up underneath a nearby tree.
"Kiyone! Don't yell at the captain!" he scolded her, rushing over as well. "My apologies, Captain!" he yelled as well.
A small giggle bubbled up in my throat at this, and I suddenly wished I had a fan to hide behind as they looked up at me curiously like a pair of children would.
"Captain, who is this?" Kiyone asked.
Jushiro once again put his hand over mine as he introduced me, smiling down warmly at me briefly before he addressed them. "This is my friend," he told them, his hand covering mine and the fact that our arms were interwoven not going unnoticed by the pair. "She'll be staying with us at the barracks from now on," he informed them. They blinked widely, obviously surprised at the news. "I'm sure you'll treat her kindly and welcome her with open arms," he ordered as we began to walk away.
"Yes, sir!" they answered in unison as we escaped.
Captain Hirako…I recalled what they had called Shinji. I knew I'd meet him eventually, but…I had had a huge crush on Shinji when I first met him, at least up until he left without notice to the Soul Society. Seeing him unconscious in a captain's haori on the battlefield had been a poor scene.
Aizen might be here, I thought darkly. Shinji said he always kept him close. What should I do? Observing the lush grass and Soul Reapers going to and fro while looking out the various windows we passed, I contemplated my decision.
What I should do about Aizen had plagued me since I came here. It was like a wall I couldn't climb, a river that was too deep and long to swim. I should observe, I settled on it. See what I'm up against. There was no guarantee that I could beat him as we both currently are anyway, I told myself.
Unsure of what to say, I pursed my lips thoughtfully for a moment. "They're quite lively," I settled on, trying to recall if I had spent much time with Sentaro and Kiyone previously.
"Yes, they are. Those are the two third seats I was telling you about. They always seem to be up to trouble." He laughed as he told me this, his carefree attitude starting to affect me as it bounced off the walls.
"Don't you like trouble?" I asked slyly, mirth of my own showing through my eyes as I politely inquired.
"Some kinds," he admitted as we paused outside a door that seemed to be grander than the others we had passed. Is this his office? I can't remember. Realizing that I had forgotten so many details made me wary. I'll dwell on that later, I decided as I tried to maintain my alluring exterior.
"This is my office. There's another captain in there waiting for me. Would you like to come in or wait out here?" he asked me, and my chest constricted like barbed wire that had been suddenly pulled.
What do I do? I stressed. "Am I a secret?" I couldn't tell from our prior conversation. However, I was thankful that he was taking me into consideration by offering an out.
Jushiro looked at me reassuringly, rubbing my hand where he still held it. "Not at this point," he told me lightly. A small smile cracked unbidden onto my face at this.
"Then I'll come in," I decided. He nodded, patted my hand reassuringly, and then let go so that he could enter first. I followed behind, suddenly feeling out of my depth. What kind of facade should I go for? I worried as I stepped over the doorway.
"Hello, Captain Hirako. Thank you for waiting." Jushiro greeted him with a friendly look before going to his desk.
"No problem," Shinji replied.
My eyes, which had trailed down respectfully as I followed, came up as Jushiro greeted Shinji. Can I still call him that? I wondered distantly, watching as Shinji gave his classic sly smile back before turning his eyes on me.
My eyes subtly glanced around him, looking for his lieutenant. Seeing nothing, I felt the pressure lift somewhat.
"Hi!" he greeted me cheerily, surprising me. "You must be the one that Ukitake told me about. The whore; right?" he asked blatantly, making Jushiro blanch.
"Shinji!" he admonished.
"What? It's true!" Shinji complained, throwing his hands up dramatically.
I quietly closed the door as I nodded. "I am," I answered, looking back towards him.
"Interesting…" he responded thoughtfully, and I recognized the gears turning in his head.
"It's nice to meet you, Captain Hirako." I bowed my head respectfully, taking my kimono in my hands and fluttering it slightly as I did so. It slid down my shoulder unbidden, but Shinji's eyes did not dwell on my nakedness.
Jushiro's chair scraped slightly as he pulled it out from his desk.
"Trust me," Shinji laughed, "the pleasure is all mine." Looking up, I found myself not cowed by his crooked smile that pulled a little too tightly on the corners. I tipped my head questioningly at this, curious if he meant something further, or if he was just being himself.
Jushiro cleared his throat from his desk. "It's rare for you to come by so early, Captain Hirako." He started, glancing at the clock on the wall. It's 1:30 already, I thought, dismayed.
"It's 1:30, Ukitake," Hirako stated, glancing at the clock to affirm himself. "It's not early anymore. Besides, we were supposed to make plans for the training exercise tomorrow," he said.
"Hmm…" Jushiro mumbled thoughtfully as I realized I was hanging in the doorway awkwardly. Trying to appear casual, I lightly padded over to the dual couches that faced each other and curled up on the edge farthest from the two captains. "Make yourself at home," Jushiro told me, noticing.
"I already have," I assured him, smiling to myself as I waved him off. He gave a quiet laugh as Shinji looked between us curiously.
"Hey, Ukitake," he suddenly said, grabbing his attention.
"Yes?"
"We should drink." Shinji suddenly produced three o-chokos and a full bottle of sake from his haori. Not waiting for a response, he sat himself down next to me and poured two cups. He offered the first to me. "For the kind lady." I let myself blush openly at this as I took the o-choko and sipped gingerly.
"Thank you," I said approvingly. "This is quite flowery…" I began as Jushiro seemed torn between the stack of papers on his desk and the bottle. "Is this plum sake?" I asked, knowing it was one of Jushiro's favorites. Said man perked up at this, sliding out from his desk and coming over.
"It is!" Shinji replied happily. "It's a new brew from The House," he told me.
I hummed. "I've been there a few times. Lovely place," I offered pleasantly as I sipped again.
"It is." Shinji poured Jushiro a cup as the older man sat.
Jushiro took a sip and swirled it in his mouth. "Oh, this is fine." He downed the rest of the cup, and I could see when the bitter aftertaste hit him. I chuckled sweetly.
"Captain Ukitake and I are having our squads do training exercises together tomorrow," Shinji said, trying to include me in the conversation. I nodded along, accepting a refill from him. Is he trying to get me drunk? I wondered briefly. Sake had been fun to experiment with when I first came back in time, at least until the hangovers struck.
"Ukitake, why don't we try…" Shinji's voice was filtered out as I felt my mind start to wander, knowing that they were going straight to business. I was, honestly, a cheap date. I couldn't hold my liquor that well. It was something that Jushiro found endearing about me which made me wonder if—is this a setup?
Trying to keep my cool, I looked between the two. A map had been produced, and they seemed to be trying to decide where all the teams should be placed. They both seemed very focused. No, probably not? I decided and looked back out the window.
It was somewhat of a trap. It was only after Sentaro had been sent by Shinji to collect the third bottle of sake from the Fifth's kitchen that I realized it had been a trap.
I was long gone, my kimono in disarray and my face tomato red. My long, brown hair, still yet unbrushed, was now moving as one from the knots that grew in it. It was then that Jushiro put his hands on my face, gently held it, and kissed me on the forehead. "You look far gone," he told me sweetly, sweeping some stray hairs over my shoulder.
"It's been a long two days," I replied easily, closing my eyes, pleased, while he kissed my forehead again.
"Too long for tonight?" Shinji asked, making my eyes pop open in surprise. My muddled brain struggled, feeling as if the rug had been grabbed from under me.
"She needs time to adjust, Hirako," Jushiro told him firmly. "I brought her here to introduce you two, not to give her away for the night." His protective voice registered inside me, and I leaned into him instinctively to try and comfort him.
Shinji hummed, looking a little debauched himself. His haori was off, dragging over the back of the couch, and his shihakusho showed more skin than usual. "Next time, then," he said, eyeing me almost thoughtfully.
I gave a small smile, trying to appear pleased despite the mixed emotions wrestling with my drunken state. "Next time," I agreed automatically.
"Captain, where have you been?" a calm voice asked, portraying curiosity.
Not that Shinji trusted it.
"Oh, out," he said, his haori swinging from where he held it over his shoulder. He stopped in front of his desk, putting a half-empty sake bottle down.
Aizen didn't say anything, but instead hovered by his own desk which resided a few feet from Shinji's. Shinji had wanted to bring him in closer in order to make the paperwork go faster.
Not that Aizen believed it.
"I met the cutest woman tonight," Shinji offered.
Aizen looked surprised. "Oh? What was she like, Captain?" he asked.
"She's a whore," Shinji said flatly, making Aizen balk slightly.
"A whore?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Mm-hmm." Shinji hummed contentedly before tipping his neck back and downing the last of the sake in one go. "But Ukitake thinks she's special."
It went unsaid that Shinji thought she was special too, Aizen noticed. His captain held Captain Ukitake in high regard. Anything the elder did, Captain Hirako was likely to reason with. Shinji likely had an interest in the woman as well.
Interesting…
Notes:Hello, everyone. Welcome to my fic. Updates will be Mondays after I feed my axolotl. This fic has been entirely completed including writing, art, and formatting. So don't worry about abandonment. It is already finished/exists. I was going to wait to publish until the new season came out, but now that we know it's just under a year away, I can't wait anymore!
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Thank you.