Lethal Hornet, Timid Healer

Disclaimer:

I don't own the rights to anything related to the anime Bleach

The rights to that anime belong to…other people…


Chapter 8: Just let things go their Course

"You…okay, HanataBro?"

Hanataro let out a small groan, his head throbbing slightly as he awoke from his unexpected nap. He slowly opened his eyes, his vision taking a bit to un-blur itself, and gazed up at the ceiling above him. He stared at it for a bit, blinking a few times, before finally realizing that those boards should be stars!

The boy began to panic, sitting up quickly and frantically scanning the room he was in. It was not his own, he could tell that much, but how he got here was still a mystery to him.

"…Oh no, I must've been sleepwalking!"

"You've never sleepwalked, Hanataroooo…"

"H-how do you know? I…wait, where are you," Hanataro panicked, squinting his eyes as he tried to spot Hisagomaru in the moonlight lit room. He calmed down when he spotted his zanpakuto's outline on the nightstand next to the bed he was lying in, "There you are…that's a relief…But, how'd I end up here if I wasn't sleepwalking?"

"Beats me, HanataBro, maybe some creepy girl drugged you and dragged you here, to her lair! Or maybe…it's a guy!"

"He's just teasing, Hanatarooo," Hisagomaru assured the boy, though it did no good. Hanataro shook his head and covered his ears, hoping that the voice would just fade away with a good night's rest.

"I-It doesn't matter how I got here, I have to leave before anyone barges in looking for me or finds me trespassing," Hanataro nodded to himself, reaching for Hisagomaru. He let out a small, muffled with his hands, yelp when he heard the rattling of a doorknob. He stared at the door it was attached to, light squeezing in through the tiny space between it and the floor, and watched anxiously as it opened.

"…Looks like you're screwed, Bro…"

Hanataro agreed with the voice, seeing as the person who had opened the door was none other than Captain Soifon. He wondered what kind of funeral he'd get; maybe he'd get a small one and be buried next to the obelisk his father had placed?

Or maybe Soifon would just stuff him in an unmarked grave while he was still alive.

The light she brought in, however, caused Hanataro to realize just how much more trouble he was actually in as it illuminatedthe few cat posters on her bedroom's wall (which were, admittedly, adorable).

He probably won't even get an unmarked grave now; she'll probably just use his empty husk of a body as a scarecrow.

His nose twitched as it picked up the scent of dumplings and tea, both being on a plate Soifon was carrying. "Now I'm going to die hungry," Hanataro joked, rubbing his stomach and cringing slightly as he pictured Soifon running him through should he even dare ask for a last meal.

It didn't take long for her to spot him, his eyes timidly staring at her as he pulled the covers over his nose.

"Oh, you're awake? Good."

Hanataro was, to say the least, shocked by this. He waited for at least 30 seconds, watching Soifon set down the food and tea on a mat she had brought in, waiting for the woman to finish her sentence with "Now I can see the fear in your eyes as I run you through, you perverted weakling!"

He trembled under the sheets as thoughts of pain and suffering swirled in his mind. "Maybe I can outrun her…" he wondered, shaking the thought away once he remembered exactly who he was thinking about outrunning. A few seconds passed with Soifon now preoccupied with tidying up her room a bit while Hanataro nervously watched, swallowing the lump in his throat, "Uh, C-C-C-Captain S-Soifon?"

"Hmmmm?"

She turned to look at Hanataro with oddly cheerful eyes and waited for him to ask whatever he wanted to ask.

"P-pl-ple-please…" he stammered, body shaking as Soifon cocked an eyebrow, "Please don't kill me!"

Soifon was impressed by how fast Hanataro had gotten out of bed and to her feet, begging for his life. "Hanataro," she began, causing the boy to go silent, "I have no intention of killing you." That only made him shrink back, prompting Soifon to wonder if he thought she had something worse in store for him. She smiled slightly and walked over to her balcony door, opening it to allow more of the moon's light in.

"Come sit with me, I imagine you must be hungry after all your training," Soifon gently commanded the young healer, raising the teapot to fill the cups she had brought in.

"Y-you knew I was training out in the forest," Hanataro asked as he sat where Soifon wanted him to, though he already knew the answer.

"No."

Or maybe he didn't.

"I only figured out you were there after I followed the energy you released casting Byakurai," Soifon replied, taking a sip of her tea, "You were exhausted, barely conscious, and I did not want to leave you out there by yourself so I brought you here."

"O-oh, thank you, Captain Soifon," Hanataro bowed, taking a sip of his tea, "I'm sorry for burdening you…"

"Don't be, you're not a burden, Hanataro," Soifon replied, frowning slightly, "…Is there something wrong?"

Hanataro, his eyes wide and staring out at the pale moon, didn't respond. Soifon tilted her head to the side, curious and a bit worried, "Hanataro!"

He blinked several times, his ears perking up, before slowly setting his eyes on Soifon. They were, to Soifon's surprise, yellow and dimly glowing as he stared blankly at her. She stared back at him before tossing tea in his face, receiving a pained yelp from the boy as the relatively hot liquid hit his face.

"O-ow, wh-what was that," he whined, wiping his face as he looked around, spotting Soifon looking at him.

"You were, I believe the term is, 'spacing out' so I threw tea at you to 'space' you in," Soifon answered, pouring herself some more tea, "Are you hungry? I made these in case you were."

"Oh, uh, yes-but, I should probably go…I-I don't want to impose-"

"Hanataro…" Soifon interrupted, her eyes softening, "Please stay for the night…I would feel better knowing you were somewhere I could keep an eye on you, especially after what happened in the Human World."

Hanataro was taken aback by Soifon's genuine concern, so much so that he could only give her a slight nod. He didn't really mind being here with Soifon, but he was a bit curious as to why she'd want to even be around him. He wasn't outwardly remarkable, having been told by Kon and a few others that he was a bit 'plain', and he wasn't a great fighter, which he thought would be the type of guy Soifon would be more interested in.

Hanataro absentmindedly reached for a dumpling, his mind still preoccupied with what Soifon saw in him. He's submissive, that's for sure; he never talks back to her and always does what she tells him to do. Maybe she likes that in a guy, someone she can dominate?

"Hanataro…my hand is not for eating…"

Hanataro paused, his eyes moving to stare at his raised hand. In it was Soifon's.

"Hmm, you're very absentminded at the moment, aren't you," Soifon asked, ignoring Hanataro's many apologies, "Perhaps you should rest for tonight?"

"Oh! Yes, that sounds good," Hanataro nodded.

Soifon nodded back, getting to her feet and motioning for Hanataro to follow her as she headed out into the hallways. "This is a room that a high ranking guest would stay in, were one to come visit; you may sleep here tonight, if you wish," Soifon said, opening the door in front of her, "My room is only three doors down so come and get me if there is a problem."

"O-okay…"

"Good night, Hanataro…" Soifon nodded, turning to leave for her room.

"Good night, Captain Soifon."

Soifon paused, glancing back at Hanataro. He gave her a look of confusion that asked her 'did I do something wrong?' She gave him an approving nod before continuing on to her room.

"Captain," she thought, frowning slightly as she turned the word over and over in her mind. She whispered it, a bad taste being left in her mouth as a result, "I'll have to fix that…"

-0-

"We need more power…what else do you have lying around in these old memories, Bro?"

-0-

(April 4th, Day 3)

"It's no trouble," Soifon told Hanataro for the eleventh time as they walked past the 2nd Squad HQ, "The 4th Squad barracks are only a few minutes walking distance away."

"But, I-I don't want to make you late for your job," Hanataro stammered.

"I'm already late, to be honest, as I go to work an hour before your shift begins," Soifon accidently mumbled aloud.

"Y-you waited for me?"

"Ye…yes…I merely did not want you wandering around without my guidance, as my relatives would have probably done unpleasant things to you had I not been around to see you out," Soifon lied, though she could tell Hanataro did not buy it.

"Thank you, Captain Soifon."

"…Captain…" Soifon absentmindedly groaned out loud, quickly covering her mouth when she realized her mistake, "I-I mean, you are welcome, Hanataro." She glanced over at the boy, his eyes wandering from passerby to passerby. They, apparently, made him nervous, what with their whispering and staring at the supposed 'couple'. Yes, she'd heard that rumors about her and Hanataro were spreading at an increasing pace, not that she cared anymore.

Or maybe she did, but not in the way she thought she should?

She actually felt a bit sad when they finally arrived at the 4th Squad HQ.

"Just talk with him a bit and get to know him. Ask him what he likes and things like that."

"I heard that you're usually supposed to spend a lot of time with someone you like."

As much as she'd like to follow Rukia's and Orihime's advices, Soifon was far too busy to spend time with Hanataro. Then again, Yoruichi did point out the possibility that Hanataro would understand the dilemma she was in.

Hanataro, glancing over his shoulder, noticed Soifon was still there. She was staring at the ground, a slight frown on her face as she continued to contemplate what she should do next. "…Captain Soifon," he softly began, turning around, "Is something wrong?"

"…I'll make time…" Soifon grumbled, her eyes setting themselves on Hanataro before she casually approached the mildly confused healer. "Hanataro…" she slowly began, her eyes shifting from him to the ground and back again, "…I…um…"

"Yes?"

"After your shift is over, or sometime after it is over, I would appreciate it if you would come see me either at the 2nd Squad barracks or my home…In fact, please come to the 2nd Squad barracks at around 6:30pm. If you can't, that's fine, but…"

"I'll come, don't worry," Hanataro nodded, smiling slightly.

"Oh, g-good, I'll see you later then…" Soifon nodded, flash-stepping away before Hanataro could say anything.

-0-

May was, to say the least, irritated at the moment, having watched Soifon and Hanataro for some time now. The way Soifon led Hanataro around, as if he were on some leash she was holding, made her sick.

"I should've killed her when I had the chance," she growled, reaching for the hilt of her zanpakuto. She paused, an idea forming in her head. Why kill Soifon when she could beat the Captain at her own 'game'?

"…Hanataro belongs to me, so I'll make sure she knows that," May smiled, letting out a small giggle, "After all, all's fair in love and war, right? If she wants Hanataro she'll have to work to get him!"

She hopped off the wall she'd been sitting on for awhile now, gracefully landing on the tiled ground below. "Good morning, Hanataro," she beamed, charging and tackling the unsuspecting boy with a hug.

-0-

Nothing special happened that day, no harassment from other Squads or any 'Hollow Hunting Sprees'. There was the occasional injured patient who'd fallen off their roof or fell down a flight of stairs, but nothing truly serious. Most of the time May and Hanataro spent was in the halls, sweeping them from top to bottom.

"It's nice to be out and about, don't you think, Hanataro," May asked, stretching her arms as she yawned.

"Uh-huh…work was a bit boring today…"

"Even me," May asked, playfully pouting, "That's not very nice, Hanataro!"

"N-no, of course not you," Hanataro laughed, smiling, "You're always…"

Hanataro paused, his eyes darkening and narrowing as he slowly scanned his surroundings. Someone was following them, watching from afar somewhere. Or was it just his imagination, a paranoia that manifested itself from the foreign substance that squirms through his veins?

"Are you okay, Hanataro? You seem tense."

"Oh, I'm fine, I was just lost in thought," Hanataro replied, smiling slightly, "So, um, what do you want to do now?"

-0-

Grassy plains by the river

The two souls watched as a tiny leaf gently swam down the clear blue stream before them. "This is nice, don't you think," May asked Hanataro, hugging her knees to her chest as she continued to watch the tiny leaf. It bumped into another leaf, their stems hooking together as they continued down the lonely stream together.

Hanataro had not answered her question, something May found to be irritating. He was thinking about her, she could tell by that perplexed look in his eyes. "Why did she choose me?" she believed he was wondering, "Does she like me?"

May hugged her knees tighter, frowning as she clenched her fists. It wasn't fair, she thought, how difficult this was. Hanataro wasn't supposed to be distracted by another woman; his attention was to be focused solely on her!

"Hanataro…" May quietly began, gazing at him with her deep blue eyes. He blinked a few times before looking at her, "Are we…friends…just friends?"

Hanataro's eyes widened slightly, holding the timid blue glean she'd not seen in awhile, and he blushed. "O-of course we're friends…otherwise I wouldn't be here with you," Hanataro replied, staring at the grass as his blush persisted.

"…Just friends," May asked again, her voice a bit colder as she placed her hand on Hanataro's chin and gently forced him to look at her. He trembled slightly as he stared into her eyes, big and blue like an ocean that was ready to consume him should he wrong it, and his lips parted a bit as if he were about to say something.

She pulled him closer, her eyes halfway open as his closed.

"Well, look what we have here, two love birds!"

One 11th and two 12th Squad members had made their presence know, laughing as May glared at them. "What's the matter, sweetheart," one of the 12th ones grinned, sheathing the Hollow blood bathed sword he held, "Tired of the 4th Squad welp and hungrin' for some real men?"

"As if," May growled, trying to contain the rage in her voice, "Let's go, Hanataro…" She quickly grabbed the boy's hand as she got up from the grass, leading him away from the bothersome Soul Reapers. She glared at the 12th Squad member who had flash-stepped in front of them, an arrogant grin on his face.

"I thought he looked familiar," the 11th Squad member laughed as he and the other 12th member crept up behind May and Hanataro, "Don't you already have a girlfriend, huh?"

"Yeah, the Captain won't like the fact that you're screwin' around with some other chick!"

Hanataro remained quiet, a sense of guilt washing over him as he clenched his fists. He felt as if he was wronging Soifon by almost kissing May, then again he felt he was wronging May too.

"Don't touch me," May growled, slapping away the 12th Squad member's hand as he reached for her chin "Or I'll break your arm…"

"Oh, she's got some bite in her," the 12th Squad member in front of her growled, rubbing his pained hand, "Maybe someone should beat some respect into you?"

Hanataro's eyes flashed yellow and he attempted to lunge at the man only to be held back by his two associates. "Don't touch her" Hanataro warned them, his voice calm and collected as his eyes held a yellow tint. They laughed at him, unfortunately for them as that was the only warning he would give them.

The 12th Squad member slapped May, only to reel back in surprise as she caught his hand and then reel back in pain as she broke his wrist…then his jaw with a well placed punched.

The others weren't so lucky…

-0-

May smiled at Hanataro as she led him to a nice and shady tree. He could hardly believe her attitude had changed so quickly, from unbridled rage to child-like bubbly-ness.

"Maybe she was just relieving stress? She seemed pretty irritated when those guys showed up, right?"

Hanataro nodded.

"Finally, all alone again," May smiled as she sat next to Hanataro, resting her head on the tree, "…I'm really sorry you had to see that, Hanataro…I-I don't really know what came over me…I guess I was just frustrated…"

There was truth in that. May was, of course, frustrated and she did wish she didn't need to resort to such violence in front of Hanataro, but her actions were, in her mind, necessary. They helped to establish her, in the eyes of Hanataro, as someone who could help and protect him should the need arise.

This was important as she believed one of the reasons Hanataro was drawn to Soifon was her status as a Captain, meaning she'd have more than enough strength (not to mention political pull) to make sure Hanataro's enemies are kept at bay.

Subconsciously, however, she wanted to show him (or maybe 'remind' is more accurate) that she was not to be trifled with and that she is perfectly willing to use violence whenever it suits her fancy. It would suit her fine if he was afraid of her since she could use that fear to keep him wrapped around her fingers.

"That…that's horrible…I…I'm not like that, am I,"" May gasped, self-loathing washing over her as these thoughts of controlling Hanataro bounced around her head.

"Like what?"

She stared sadly at Hanataro, frowning slightly as she reached out to him. He blushed as she gently held his chin in her hand, a slight smile on her face. "Nothing," she nodded, letting his chin go, "…Do you remember when we saw those fireworks together, Hanataro?"

"How could I forget?"

May returned Hanataro's grin with one of her own.

"Thank you, Hanataroooo," May giggled as she hugged the boy, surprising him.

Those thoughts earlier were just thoughts; what she was feeling now was all that mattered. Hanataro was her friend, for now, and she'd do whatever she could to make him happy and keep him safe.

A smile stretched across her face as she let him go, though a look of guilt was on his.

-0-

"Mixed emotions, right?"

"Riiiight…"

-0-

"Just try to make him feel comfortable. For example, don't keep such a stern face on all the time," Yoruichi scolded Soifon, frowning to illustrate her point.

"I don't do that," Soifon frowned, causing Yoruichi to laugh. The 2nd Squad Captain merely sighed in defeat, absentmindedly twirling the pen she held as she stared out of her window. She wondered if Hanataro would come, after all he didn't actually have to.

"Though, a Captain requesting to see you isn't exactly something most people would choose to turn down," Soifon smiled slightly, "I wonder if he'd come just because he's afraid of what I'd do if he didn't…"

Her smile disappeared.

She had always used it to keep her subordinates in-line and on their toes, but Hanataro wasn't someone she felt she needed to use fear against. He was sensitive and soft spoken, not a cocky recruit who believed he was invincible and needed to be taught otherwise or else he'd end up the victim of some knee-high Hollow. He also wasn't in her Squad so there wasn't much point in treating him like he was.

"Soifon, are you okay?"

Yoruichi was standing next to her, squinting her eyes as she looked out of the window as well, "Is there something out there?"

"No, I was just keeping an eye out for Hanataro…" Soifon replied, a little bit embarrassed, "I asked him to come by here at 6:30…"

"Oooohhhh," Yoruichi grinned, poking Soifon.

"Wh-what? What's so grin wor-st-stop poking me!"

"You're goin' on a date with Hanataro, aren't you," Yoruichi asked, her grin widening.

"N-no, I…yes…" Soifon meekly replied, though her courage quickly returned, "But, it's not a 'date'! It's a, um, meeting, I guess…"

"And what will you two be doing at this 'meeting'?"

"…Discussing things…?"

"Like what?"

"…I don't know," Soifon frowned, almost sounding worried as she continued to stare out the window, "I feel as though I'd only end up wasting his time…I-I don't know what I'd do…"

"What do you mean?"

"Ah…I just mean that I'm not sure how to further my relationship with Ta-uh-Hanataro," Soifon corrected herself with a cough, though Yoruichi caught her slip-up.

"Soifon, you've been doing fine so far! Just talk to him, what does he like to do, what's his favorite type of music?"

"It's that simple…" Soifon asked, receiving a nod from Yoruichi. She looked doubtful for a moment before turning her attention to the few papers stacked on her desk as she placed her index finger on her lips and let what Yoruichi had said roll around her mind. Her usual, stern countenance returned as she got out of her seat and approached the window.

"Of course," she frowned, "It's that simple…How silly of me to make such a child's act into some sort of archaic code that only the most brilliant of minds could deci…pher…?"

He was here, walking down the street. She accidentally called out to him, prompting him to gaze up at her as she stared down at him. Hanataro gave her a timid wave, receiving a nod from the Captain.

"Wait there, I'll be down in a minute or so," Soifon informed Hanataro, receiving a nod from him before she left his view. She sighed, taking a deep breath and exhaling, "O-okay…just act natu…ral?"

Yoruichi was grinning at her.

Soifon attempted to say something, a jumbled mess of words coming out instead as her face reddened a bit, before she let out a frustrated sigh and left.

-0-

"…Um…so…did you, um, have a nice day at work," Soifon asked Hanataro as she walked beside him, attempting to be as casual about the question as possible.

"It was good…a bit boring, though," Hanataro responded, some timidity in his voice.

"Good," Soifon nodded.

She felt out of place walking directly next to Hanataro, as she had been trained to take point when dealing with someone like him (as in a Stealth Force rookie).

"Don't let them take point until their tenth mission, at least," Yoruichi lazily instructed her one day, yawning a little, "Chances are they'll A) end up dead B) end up in the hospital or C) end up blowing the mission…Take note: 'C' has a tendency to stick with 'A' or 'B'. It doesn't really like being by itself."

Soifon glanced over at Hanataro, an image of him wearing the Stealth Force uniform forming in her mind. Her eye twitched as she imagined the many ways he'd manage to blow a mission and the memory of him spilling an entire tray of food (and a hot cup of tea) on her resurfaced.

"I almost forgot that," Soifon angrily smiled at an oblivious Hanataro, though she sighed as soon as she realized how childish she was being, "And I already did get you back for it…"

Hanataro, sensing her stare, looked over at Soifon at just the right time to catch a glimpse of her smile.

They arrived at the Fon estate a minute or so later.

Hanataro was surprised by how huge the estate was, seeing as he'd never really been to the house of a noble family before.

Or maybe he did and was just too young to remember it?

"Hello, Lady Fon," a young man greeted the woman as he opened the estate's grand front door. Hanataro examined him for a moment; based on his light gray eyes and jet black hair he guessed that the man was a relative of 'Lady Fon' instead of just some hired hand.

"Who is he" the man asked Soifon, pointing to Hanataro.

"A guest," Soifon bluntly replied.

"Hmmm, no name," the young man asked, leaning against the doorframe as his face held a lighthearted smile.

Soifon returned a smaller smile, frowning slightly as she folded her arms. "Hanataro Yamada," she finally answered, causing the young man to cock an eyebrow.

"Ahhh…I thought they were just rumors, but it is true," the young man exclaimed, pointing accusingly at Soifon, "Little Soifon has gotten a boyfriend!"

"Wh-what," the 'couple' exclaimed, caught off-guard by the man's outburst.

"Mizutani, you idiot, get out of the way before I use you for Hamonka practice," Soifon growled, blushing along with Hanataro.

"I'm just joking with you, Soi," Mizutani nervously laughed, scratching the back of his head as he moved out of the 'couple's' way. He gave Hanataro a quick pat on the back as he passed by, "Enjoy your stay!"

-0-

It was a bit past 7pm when they arrived in Soifon's room and Hanataro began to feel bashful, something he couldn't help (even though he'd been here last night). The fact that he was in a girl's room had finally dawned on him.

Now that he had more light to see it better, he was also amazed by how big Soifon's room was compared to his. Actually, it was huge compared to his entire apartment!

"Wait, here, hopefully dinner won't take too long to prepare," Soifon instructed the oblivious boy, "Hanataro?" She tapped his shoulder, receiving an absentminded nod before she decided to leave, sighing as she flipped on the lights.

It was getting dark out now, the time being around 8pm, yet Hanataro was still marveling at the sight of Soifon's room. Contrary to his expectations, meaning despite being a girl, Soifon's room wasn't that different from his own.

He especially liked the posters she had on her walls (four of cats, one of a movie titled 'Buzz' with a smiling woman on it, and another titled 'A Taste Of Silence' with a long haired woman holding a bloody knife) and the cat figurines she had on display in a case mounted on the wall in front of her bed, positioned above her relatively huge flat screen TV.

Soifon had returned by 8:27pm and found Hanataro in the same daze he was in last time. Not even the smell of the food she was bringing in could take his attention away from the figurines on her wall, something that filled her with a bit of pride.

"At least he likes cats," Soifon smiled slightly, shrugging as she set the food on a table out on her balcony. He was still dazed when she came back in, a sigh escaping her as she walked over to him.

"Let's go out onto the balcony," she suggested, gently placing her hand on Hanataro's shoulder as she directed his attention to the food filled table on the balcony, "…I prepared dinner for us."

"Wow, that was really fast! You made all of that in ten minutes," Hanataro asked as he took a seat at table.

"It took about an hour or so to make, Hanataro…" Soifon sighed, tapping the embarrassed boy on his noggin before taking a seat at the table, "Did you even notice I was gone?"

"…Yes?"

Soifon playfully frowned, causing Hanataro to smile, before she immediately 'corrected' herself, "Ahem…anyways, I hope you'll enjoy the meal I've made. My cooking skills are a bit rusty…"

Hanataro soon found out that that last statement of Soifon's was just modesty.

"Th-this is really good," he proclaimed, taking another bite of his food, "How'd you become such a great cook?"

"It's part of Stealth Force training," Soifon shrugged, blushing at Hanataro's compliment, "Some missions require long treks that may go on for hours or days. It's important to keep one's Squad well fed with healthy cooking in order to increase the chances of a successful mission, so all Stealth Force members must be at least adequate cookers. Otherwise…"

Soifon dragged her thumb across her throat, causing Hanataro to nervously nod.

"I am kidding, of course. Did you really believe we would kill a skilled fighter if he didn't have any cooking skills," she asked, a small smile on her face.

"O-of course not…" Hanataro nervously laughed, though Soifon obviously didn't buy it, "But, really, everything tastes great, Captain Soifon."

"…Thank you," she hesitantly nodded, looking away from him, "Compliments often go unsaid in the Stealth Force, so I'm glad you told me that…but…"

Her voice trailed off and Hanataro straightened himself, his heart thumping in his chest as he wondered if he had done something wrong. She got up and walked over to the balcony's railing, her hands interlocked on the small of her back as she stared out into the nearby forest. After what seemed like an eternity, Soifon sighed and removed her Captain's coat before heading back inside to hang it on a rack.

"Hanataro…when we're by ourselves, off duty, I would like it if you just called me 'Soifon', okay," she said, her voice a little quieter than usual, as she returned to her seat.

"O-okay…Soifon…" Hanataro reluctantly nodded. It made him nervous, referring to Captains and Lieutenants by their names alone instead of with their titles; in fact Yachiru was the only 'titled' person he referred to by first name, as she had told him how "un-fun" Lieutenant Kusajishi sounded and insisted he call her Yachiru.

"Thank you," Soifon nodded, trying to fight back her smile. One 'wall' had been taken down, but she still had a long way to go and now she had to figure out how to go from here. Soifon tapped the table impatiently as she tried to recall the advice Yoruichi had given her earlier.

"You've been doing great so far, Soifon, just talk with him a bit! Ask him what he likes!"

Soifon nodded, growing determined as she drew strength from the words of her mentor, "Her words are so strong and powerful…Ha, I feel as though she's always close by, ready to lend me a helping…hand…hmm?"

She looked down at her leg, a tickly feeling gathering there as something furry brushed against her. Her eyes widened immediately as she stared at the black cat grinning up at her, giving her a few waves of its paw.

An 'Eep' would have escaped her lips had she not quickly covered her mouth.

"Are you okay, Ca-I mean, Soifon," Hanataro asked, a bit confused by the Captain's actions.

Soifon, having quickly regained her composure, shook her head. "I'm fine, I just…I was just distracted by something," she replied, briefly frowning at the cat before returning her attention to Hanataro, "Will you excuse me for a moment?"

She quickly knelt down and grabbed the cat, flash-stepping into her bathroom and quickly shutting the door behind her.

"Huh, when you gotta go, you gotta go, right, Bro?"

"…Right…" Hanataro nodded.

-0-

"What are you doing here," Soifon questioned Yoruichi, turning the bath water on so its noise would drown out their conversation (just in case Hanataro had enough gall to try and eavesdrop, though that would be gross).

"Meow, I'm just a regular cat," Yoruichi innocently replied, only to receive a frown from Soifon, "Meow!"

"Regular cats don't talk!"

"Nyaaahh!"

Soifon let out a frustrated sigh, causing Yoruichi to laugh, "What are you doing here, I'm trying to have a conversation with Hanataro…"

"Oh, don't be that way, Soifon," Yoruichi laughed again, hopping onto the sink, "I'm just here to make sure everything goes well on your date!"

Soifon was about to respond to that, though she stopped herself midsentence. "Oh, I don't have time for this…" she sighed, turning off the bath water and making her way towards the bathroom door, "Now, you stay in here for about an hour, or two, while I-hey!"

Yoruichi quickly made her escape as soon as Soifon opened the door. The frantic Captain couldn't catch her quick mentor and watched with shorror as the black cat jumped into Hanataro's lap.

"O-oh, haha," Hanataro chuckled as he gently stroked the meowing cat's fur, causing it to snuggle him, "I didn't know you owned a cat, Soifon…but, then again, I guess I should have expected at least one…"

"I…yes, but that one's just some stray that won't leave," Soifon replied, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice, "If you want me to make it leave…"

"Oh, no, it's fine."

"Meooowww," Yoruichi groaned as Hanataro scratched behind her ears, causing Soifon to blush.

"W-well…um…I was going to say som-oh! Okay," Soifon mumbled to herself, taking a deep breath, "Hanataro, we talked a bit about my cooking earlier…I was wondering: what's your cooking like?"

"Oh, well, I think I'm a pretty average cook," Hanataro answered, staring up at the dark blue sky as he thought about what to say next, "Ummm, Captain Unohana says she really likes the sugar bread I cook. Maybe I can bake you some, I-I mean, if you want me too?"

"Sure, if it's not a problem for you," Soifon smiled slightly, dropping it when Yoruichi poked her furry head up to grin at her, "But, I wanted to ask you something else…" She leaned forward a bit, resting her elbows on the table and interlocking her hands as she looked Hanataro over.

He was attentive; his eyes were locked on her while he patiently waited for her to continue, which was something that made her a bit nervous. Here he was, the timid and clumsy medic who'd tended to her for about a month, looking her confidently in the eyes while her knees were busy knocking together.

"…Okay…Hanataro, I want to get to, um, know you better," Soifon finally managed to spit out, her eyes darting around.

"W-what do you want to know," he asked, blushing as his confidence lost out to his timidity.

"Well…hmm…How did you become the seventh seat of Squad 4?"

She'd been wondering this ever since she found out that her rather clumsy medic was a seventh seat, a piece of information she'd almost laughed at before she realized Captain Unohana wasn't kidding.

"I'm not really sure why I was chosen for the Seventh Seat…Captain Unohana was pretty vague about that…" Hanataro timidly shrugged, hoping he didn't irritate Soifon with his answer, "But, a few years or so after I'd been brought to work in 4th Squad, Captain Unohana called me into her office and promoted me to seventh seat."

Soifon cocked an eyebrow, obviously impressed, "What was your rank before that promotion?"

"Uh, I think it was…13th?"

She wasn't sure how things worked in the 4th Squad, but a relatively new recruit taking a single digit seat in less than fifty years is practically unheard of in the 2nd Squad.

Soifon gave him a nod, pausing when she noticed Yoruichi nodding at her. She frowned slightly and her face grew a bit red before she cleared her throat and continued with her next question, "What made you decide to join the 4th Squad?"

Hanataro stared at her for a moment, his eyes shifting to his fiddling hands.

"I…I wasn't good at swordsmanship or hand to hand fighting, so I couldn't qualify to be in other Squads. My teachers told me that my Kido control was good, but I couldn't join the Kido Corps because I wasn't actually good at casting the spells…"

"You could gather the energy, but not release it properly?"

"Y-yes…but, that really didn't matter in the end," Hanataro smiled, cheering up, "I wanted to be a medic anyways! My dad was one and he made Lieutenant, s-so I always looked up to him and decided to become one myself…It's the least I could do to honor his memory…"

Yoruichi's ears perked up at this and she stared up at Hanataro, receiving another scratch behind her ears as he gave her a sad smile.

"…You're father was Seinosuke Yamada, right," Soifon gently asked after a minute or so of silence had passed between them, receiving a nod from the young healer, "I'm sorry for your loss…He was a good man and a great Lieutenant."

"Oh, did you two know each other," Hanataro asked, his melancholy being replaced with genuine curiosity.

Most memories he had of his father were blurry and incomplete so he was always interested to hear whatever stories he could about him, though his only source for most of those stories was Captain Unohana. It wasn't that she was a bad source, but she had a tendency to not answer most questions Hanataro had about his father.

"Hmmm? You must learn to speak a bit louder, Hanataro," she would say, tilting her head to the side a bit as she looked the boy over, "Have you gotten taller today? I swear, you'll be as tall as your father in a few more years if you keep this growing spree up."

She'd then give him a smile and walk away, chuckling as she began talking to herself about Seinosuke.

"Yes, when Lady Yoruichi was…" Soifon paused, silently cursing herself for her little slip-up while Yoruichi smirked at her, "When she was a Captain, she and Lieutenant Yamada were good friends. He used to come by 2nd Squad HQ everyday on his way to and from work, usually just to say 'Hi' or see how things were going. I remember one time when I was sent on one of my first few missions away from the Seireitei and Captain Yoruichi assigned Lieutenant Yamada to be my medic..."

Soifon let out a small chuckle and shook her head, "You know, your father was pretty clumsy for a Lieutenant. Ha, I remember when we were walking through the forest and he tripped over a pebble…"

"Really," Hanataro laughed along with Soifon.

"Ahhh, but I eventually found out that he was just being goofy…" Soifon continued growing quiet and serious as she leaned forward a bit, locking eyes with Hanataro, "…Your father saved my life once…A Hollow was getting the best of me after I'd gone off scouting on my own…"

Yoruichi's ears perked up and nodded slightly, as if to show that she remembered as well. Soifon leaned back in her chair, locking her hands together as a frown formed on her face.

"There was a Hollow named 'Grand Fisher' that was plaguing the Soul Society for over a hundred years…though I heard that it's been killed recently…Anyways, long story short, while scouting by myself the Hollow lured me into a trap and overpowered me. Your father almost managed to kill it before it turned tail and ran away…In fact, he could have killed it had he not believed I deserved immediate medical attention…"

"You sound like you believe he made some sort of mistake in saving you," Hanataro pointed out, Yoruichi nodding to show that she thought Soifon believed that as well.

"It's…well, it's more that I believed the mission took priority over me," Soifon responded, her voice quiet as if she were embarrassed, "As a result of my mistake, Grand Fisher got away and continued to consume souls, if only at a significantly slower speed…"

"…But, everything worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"I'm…I'm not sure what you mean."

Hanataro blushed a little, "It's just that, um, I'm glad my dad chose you as a priority over the mission because, well, I think you're a really good Captain and the Soul Society needs people like you, especially when people like Aizen exist."

"…Thank you," Soifon smiled, a bit surprised that the young healer would tell her that.

Their meal lasted for about another hour, with more chatting than eating going on. Soifon felt more comfortable around the boy now, allowing herself to smile and laugh more than she'd previously done in his presence. Hanataro had grown more comfortable in her presence as well, speaking to her with more confidence and casualness.

"Were you okay," Soifon laughed, trying hard to suppress it, when Hanataro told her a story about him, Ichigo and Renji going to look for clay at the request of the pottery club.

"Yeah, but I think Renji is still carrying a few scars," Hanataro laughed, glad that he'd gotten Soifon to do so.

Yoruichi grinned as Hanataro stroked her back, glad to see everything going so well between the two Soul Reapers. Soifon was never much of a conversationalist since she didn't really see much point in talking about things like the weather or hobbies or how her day was, etc. Yoruichi guessed that was just part of who she was, or maybe a defense mechanism, though she did make attempts to get Soifon to be a little more open with people.

It never really worked since Soifon was usually afraid of offending or boring Yoruichi (though she did forget that fear from time to time), but the future Captain did open up a lot to Seinosuke. He saved her life, made her laugh against her will with his goofy personality, and looked after her like she was his daughter; it wasn't difficult for Yoruichi to figure out why Soifon opened up to the former 4th Squad Lieutenant so much.

They were laughing again, causing a smile to stretch across Yoruichi's fuzzy face.

-0-

"Look after him," Yoruichi remembered Soifon mouthing as the black cat followed Hanataro away from the estate. He had said he didn't want Soifon to waste time she could be using sleeping, or doing whatever she needed to do, just to walk him home.

"I'll be fine," he smiled, pausing when he noticed Yoruichi brushing against his legs as he turned to leave, "Oh, I think you're cat's trying to follow me."

Soifon, an idea forming in her head as Hanataro knelt down to pet the cat a few times, merely leaned against the grand front door's frame and shrugged, "She's a stray that makes a habit of hanging around my home; I really have no control over where she goes…"

Hanataro felt a bit sorry for the cat and decided to let her stay with him for the night, which gave Yoruichi an excuse to follow him.

It was a relatively quiet walk, with only a few Soul Reapers wandering about. Yoruichi felt a slight chill run up her spine as she sensed the faint spiritual pressure of a Hollow. The source, as she immediately found out, was Hanataro.

He was as still as a statue and his fists were clenched tight, as if he were extremely angry about something. Yoruichi cautiously maneuvered in front of him, letting out a small meow in hopes that she'd be able to calm him. His eyes were glowing yellow, narrowed on some Squad members (some 11th, most 8th, and the rest 13th) in the distance, something that sent another chill down Yoruichi's spine.

"11th Squad members…trying to get invited to the all girl drinking party the 8th Squad girls are going to. 13th Squad members, going home perhaps, one of them might be going with the 8th squad girls…" Hanataro mumbled to himself, his tone monotonous with a chilling ring to it, "Doesn't matter…I remember them all too well, save for the giant in the middle…But that doesn't matter either…"

His legs twitched before he started to slowly move forward, cracking his knuckles as he headed for the group of Soul Reapers. Yoruichi watched him, confused, before she realized what he probably intended to do and ran after him.

She tried to block his path, hold him back or slow him down at least, but he kept moving forward at the same, ominously slow speed. A rage had over taken him, quiet and collected as thoughts of how he'd break every one of those Soul Reapers in half crawled through his mind.

His hands twitched, small crackles of electricity crawling along his fingertips. He nodded to himself, a sadistic smile on his face as he contemplated how he'd kill his future victims. Dramatically, he reached for Hisagomaru, slowly unsheathing the blade as he took a step forward. Yoruichi wasted no time leaping at the boy and biting his hand before he even had the chance to unsheathe two inches of his sword.

He paused for a moment before looking down at Yoruichi hanging onto his hand by the skin of her teeth. "Ah," he yelped, clutching his pained hand when she finally let go.

"Hmmm, I think I broke some skin…But at least he's back to normal."

-0-

"You okay, Bro? That thing almost got the best of me…bad stuff, right?"

Hanataro was too busy trying to heal his wound to pay attention to the voice, something that made the Hollow sigh. He figured that Hanataro had no idea that he was about to kill those Soul Reapers, probably because whatever triggered that tranquil fury was a subconscious part of the young healer's mind unlike the Hollow, whose actions Hanataro tends to notice.

"I gotta crush that thing before it messes things up for HanataBro and me, right?"

The Hollow looked over at Hisagomaru, receiving a lazy yawn from the creature as he nodded in agreement, "I suppooossee…"

-0-

Hanataro smiled at the cat at his feet, her quiet meow taking his mind away from his pained hand. "I'm sorry I spaced out," he chuckled as he knelt down to pet the cat, receiving a contented purr, "Let's go…"

They continued along the path they were walking, passing by the group of Soul Reapers. The girls whispered to each other, smirking as their eyes followed Hanataro.

"Yeah, that was fun…We should do it another time, maybe while…" Hanataro overheard one of them, the girls' smirks sending a chill down his spine.

The guys, composed of mostly 11th Squad members and one guy from the 13th Squad, cracked their knuckles at Hanataro and smirked, probably believing that would scare the healer. It didn't, in fact it made him laugh a little, obviously irritating the men.

However, one of them, a buff man that was about 6 feet and 8 inches tall and the only male 8th Squad member there, merely narrowed his eyes on Hanataro and placed a hand on his chin as he scrutinized the boy's looks.

"Weirdo, right?"

"Right," Hanataro nodded, glad he'd gotten past the group in one piece.

It didn't take him and Yoruichi long to reach his apartment after that.

"Ha…I made it back in one piece," Hanataro sighed, happy with himself as he unlocked the door, "And it's good to be back home…Hmm?" The door was already unlocked, something that struck Hanataro as odd since he always made sure he locked his door. Yoruichi could sense Hanataro's nervousness, brought on by his wondering if someone was in there.

Maybe it was the same person whose familiar presence he's felt for a few nights now?

No one was there, Yoruichi could tell that much, but she slipped in first just to be sure. Hanataro cautiously went in after her, opening the door as wide as he could in case he needed a quick escape. He scanned the dimly lit room, sensing that no one was there, and flipped on the lights.

Nothing was missing, as he later made sure, but someone or some people had broken in and messed up his home. They scattered a few articles of clothing on the floor, had looked through his DVD collection (opening a few cases and leaving them on his DVD player) among his closet and cabinets, ruined his bed (though it looked like someone had slept in it), and left food crumbs all over the place.

"Who would do all of this…" Hanataro nervously wondered, groaning as it occurred to him that it might've been some sort of prank. Yoruichi's meow drew his attention to a letter on his nightstand, something that made Hanataro more nervous. He reached for it, carefully unfolding it before reading it.

It slipped from his hand when he finished reading, his body trembling slightly as he read it over and over again in his mind. Yoruichi hopped onto the floor, reading the letter herself and felt disgusted when she did, even more so when she spotted the six lipstick marks at the bottom of the paper.

Hanataro was cleaning up by the time she was finished reading, a worried look on his face. Yoruichi, not wanting to frighten the boy by revealing her actual form, pawed his clothes into a pile and reorganized his DVDs.

"Thank you," Hanataro laughed, kneeling down to pet the cat.

"No problem, Hanataro," Yoruichi replied.

"…What did you say?"

"Meow!"

Hanataro stared at the cat, rubbing his eyes and squinting at her. She talked, he knew she said something!

"Hanataro, animals can't talk…" Hisagomaru reminded the boy, letting out a small yawn.

"The sloth has a point, Bro…right?"

"R-right…" Hanataro nodded, returning to cleaning up.

-0-

Hanataro and Yoruichi were asleep now. The young healer was resting at the foot of his bed, feeling uncomfortable sleeping in it after what had happened, with Yoruichi curled up next to him. She hadn't plan on staying for the night as she only came with Hanataro to make sure he didn't get beat up or worse on the way home.

But she'd feel bad leaving him by himself after his home had just been ransacked and he read that threatening letter. She was worried for the boy as someone could come by and try to hurt him if she left, something she'd never be able to forgive herself for.

A slight chill ran through the room, causing Hanataro to shiver slightly and Yoruichi to curl up tighter. She had thought to place a barrier on the door, preventing anyone without energy equal to a Captain from slipping in, but she forgot to do the same for the windows. It wasn't like she needed too, though, seeing as Hanataro's room was located on the building's fifth floor.

Despite the height and high chance of detection by patrolling Soul Reapers, someone had slipped into Hanataro's room through the window. The figure treaded softly towards Hanataro's room, their spiritual pressure 'synching' with his so as not to awaken Yoruichi prematurely.

"Adorable," the figure thought, smiling as they watched Hanataro and Yoruichi sleeping, "Thank you, Yoruichi…"

The figure knelt down and gently ran their fingers through Yoruichi's fur, receiving a drowsy purr, before turning their attention to Hanataro. The boy shifted slightly when the figure placed their hand on his face, gently grabbing his chin.

Their hand began to glow a dim red, a small yawn escaping Hanataro as the glow died and the figure stood up. Yoruichi shifted a bit, her eyes slowly opening as she felt a familiar presence. She looked up, her eyes widening as she caught a brief glimpse of the figure's grin before he disappeared into the shadows.

-0-

Report #3 of Hanataro Yamada:

There is not much to report today, Lord Aizen…Hanataro was behaving normally today, though he'd often become distracted and stare off into space while his eyes glowed a dim yellow…

"Hmm, and what about his training session?"

I can't believe that tramp Soifon, bringing Hanataro to her house so she could try and seduce him…

"Pardon me? Soifon brought the boy home?"

I mean, who does she think she is! It's not fair how she keeps pulling Hanataro away from me!

"You believe she has deep feelings for him?"

I hate this feeling, like she's beaten me and is spitting in my face, I hate her too!

"April, you must calm your-"

You're right, Lord Aizen! I shouldn't be standing here, whining about how much I hate Soifon, I should be focusing on how to show Hanataro how I feel!

"I wasn't going to say that, I-"

You're right, my Lord! I should just let things come naturally! Hanataro and I are friends, right? Right, so I'll just let things go their course and we'll, eventually become more than that, right. Right, I'm so glad I talked to you about this, Lord Aizen!

I'll see you later!

"…You're welcome…I suppose…"