Finally, an update!
I changed the rating to M...let me know what you think. I would really appreciate some reviews on this! :)
Fenikkusu jōshō to tatakau: Phoenix Rise and Fight (or something like that...)
The sounds of conventional Christmas music mingling with laughter and conversation drifted out from the Kuchiki household. The manor itself was illuminated by the soft glow of thousands of tiny multi-colored lights and the railings leading up the stairs to the front door were coiled with deep green pine-needle garlands. Rukia's nose was greeted with the faint smell of pine as well as whatever culinary delights were being cooked and baked within. It made her smile to know that all of her friends and fellow shinigami were, for once, joined together for a relaxing, worry-free evening. Nights such as this were a rarity. Looking at the welcoming scene, she had a strong feeling that Byakuya had had little, if anything, to do with it. More than likely, the decorations and wonderful smells were courtesy of Yachiru and the Shinigami Women's Association.
Rukia stood in front of the house in silence, taking everything in. Although she had spent many of her Shinigami years in this very home, she now hesitated to go inside. Among the various reiatsus emanating from within, she could, without question, detect one very clearly: that of Kaien-dono. She hesitated not out of fear, but out of nervousness and excitement. Earlier that very day Rukia had made up her mind to finally stop running from her fuku-taicho and her feelings for him. Her cheeks flushed pink as she thought of the brief meeting of their lips and the whispered promise of Kaien to wait for her.
Taking a deep breath, Rukia ran her hands down the front of her lavender dress, suddenly feelings somewhat self-conscious. The invitation had stated in no uncertain terms that casual dress was mandatory; anyone who dared to show up in the standard-issue Shinigami robes would be escorted out, thanyouverymuch. Still, she had never been around all of her fellow Shinigami in such casual attire. After much internal debate, she'd decided to heed the warning of the invitation; although small, Yachiru could be very powerful and intimidating when she wanted to be and Rukia had no intentions of crossing the little fuku-taicho. She straightened up, brushed the stray bang out of her eyes and prepared to go inside.
"Oi, Rukia!"
Startled, Rukia turned her head towards the voice behind her. She'd been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed Ichigo approaching. She mentally scolded herself. You've got to stop doing that, baka!
"Ichigo! I thought you'd be inside by now." Rukia looked Ichigo over, always forgetting how good he looked in his regular, non-Shinigami clothing. Not that he looked bad in uniform either... Heat quickly spread across her cheeks at the thought.
Raising an eyebrow, Ichigo replied. "Nah. I had to run home to get some 'casual' clothes. Y'know, didn't want to piss off Yachiru." He lowered his voice. "She's really scary sometimes. Plus, if I piss her off, Kenpachi'll probably wanna come kick my ass." Ichigo shuddered at the thought of having to fight the powerful taicho again.
"Anyway, you look nice, pipsqueak!" He reached out a hand and ruffled Rukia's hair. She swatted him away, trying her hardest to look irritated and failing miserably before smoothing out her dark tresses once again.
"Thanks... so do you. Are those tight clothes really comfortable?" She reached out a hand and plucked at his dark t-shirt, seeing if it was as tight as it looked. The soft material surprisingly gave easily. It was Ichigo's turn to brush her hand playfully away.
"You obviously know nothing of style, Rukia. And yes, these clothes are comfortable. Cotton...it breathes well you know."
Rukia's eyes widened. "Your shirt...breathes...?!" She leaned in closer to inspect it. Ichigo just laughed.
"I just mean that it's...comfortable. It's not...constricting, y'know?" He sighed affectionately, slinging his arm around her slim shoulders. "You really amuse me sometimes, Rukia. Let's go inside and see everyone." And with that, they headed up the stairs and through the door.
The scene inside was something out of a movie, the kind of movie Ichigo used to make her watch in an attempt to culture her to the ways of the real world. A fire burned brightly in the fireplace against one wall illuminating and warming the room pleasantly. Candles were placed strategically throughout the room casting friendly shadows while Christmas music played softly in the background. Since Christmas wasn't much of a tradition of Seireitei, Rukia wondered who had supplied the music.
"That explains why Yachiru was asking for a list of popular Christmas songs from my world." Ichigo muttered under his breath.
"Oi, Ichigo! Where the hell 'ya been? Get over here and get yourself some sake! You too, Rukia!" By the boisterous sound of his voice, Renji had already had a sake or two himself.
Ichigo patted Rukia on the back as he left her side to join Renji, Yumichika, and Ikkaku on the other side of the room, all of whom were in similar casual dress. She noted that Renji must have had someone with more taste pick out his clothes for the evening: jeans slightly looser than the pair Ichigo was wearing and a dark crimson colored button up shirt. He'd purposely left the top two buttons undone and the shirt untucked. His hair, as always, was pulled high in a pony tail and a bandana was wrapped securely around his forehead, keeping any wayward locks at bay. All things considered, she had to admit he looked pretty sleek lounging on the couch there with his friends. He looked carefree and relaxed; Rukia didn't know how long it'd been since she'd seen him look that way. She couldn't ignore the slight ache in her heart, wondering what could have been.
He chose that exact moment to look back over at Rukia and caught her staring. He raised his glass of sake at her in acknowledgement and flashed her a huge grin. He patted the space next to him on the couch indicating that there was plenty of room for her to squeeze in between himself and Yumichika. Rukia couldn't help by smile back and waved lamely at him. She was just about to head over and see what the boys were talking about when a small, pink ball of excitement jumped onto her back. Childlike arms wrapped around her neck in a hug and her cheek was assaulted with exuberant kisses.
"Rukia, you made it! You've got to come to the kitchen! Rangiku and Ken-chan are doing shots of sake! I've never seen Ken-chan act so silly! He keeps asking for Ichi-chan! I think he wants to fight!" All of this came out in a one excited breath as Yachiru prattled on about the drunken goings-on of the party.
Rukia felt a little overwhelmed but had to admit it looked to be a fun night. Just then she noticed the two men sitting together and having a quite conversation on the futon to her right. Her eyes locked with Kaien's as he chatted idly with Ukitake. He smiled at her, his happiness at seeing her obvious. Rukia's heart sang at the beautiful expression on his face; she knew it was mirrored by her own.
"Ran-gi-ku!" The loud shout came from the kitchen distracting Yachiru from her one-sided conversation with Rukia. She jumped down excitedly and ran in the direction of Kenpachi's raised voice to see what all the commotion was about.
Before the raven haired Shinigami could make a move to get herself a drink and join one of the groups standing around the spacious living room, Kaien excused himself from his conversation with Ukitake and joined her by the door. She searched her memory but could not think of a time when she had seen Kaien in anything but his Shinigami uniform. He looked very nice in loose fitting jeans and black t-shirt. What is it with guys and tight fitting shirts? Although...it does show off his muscles nicely. I wonder what it would feel like to run my hands over his chest.... With that thought Rukia's cheeks heated and she had to look away momentarily, steadying her breathing. She had admired Ichigo and Renji's appearances already tonight but looking at Kaien was different....looking at him made her feel very differently than when she looked at Ichigo or Renji.
Kaien raised a hand and gently fingered the pendants that hung around her neck, a smile forming on his beautiful lips.
"You're wearing it..."
"Of course I'm wearing it, baka." She cursed at him affectionately, unable to meet his eyes. "It's...beautiful. I didn't get to tell you earlier, but I love it." She wanted to thank him, too, for the poem but could not get up the courage to mention it just yet. Baby steps, she told herself.
"Thank you, Rukia-chan." It was the first time he'd ever used such an honorific when addressing her and it caused the blush on her cheeks to deepen. He reached out tentatively and trailed his fingertips along Rukia's open palm. She instinctively closed her fingers around his. "You look beautiful."
"Oy! Rukia and Kaien are standing under the mistletoe! That means they have to kiss!" It was a drunken Yumichika shouting from his seat next to Renji. Rukia looked up, flustered, and saw that it was true; she and Kaien were indeed standing beneath a branch of mistletoe. Yumichika howled with laughter and Ikkaku joined in rambunctiously.
"Kiss, kiss, kiss!"
The chant was picked up by others in the room who did not know all that had transpired in Kukaku's hut that day so many months ago. Even Yachiru and Rangiku stumbled out of the kitchen, squealing with excitement to watch the spectacle.
Renji and Ichigo exchanged an awkward glance. Renji brought his arm forward and then back in one swift movement, jabbing his elbow sharply into Yumichika's stomach, cutting off his chant. Yumichika threw Renji a wounded look before quickly recovering.
"Ahhh Renji's jealous!" He squealed in delight, throwing his arms around Ikkaku in a fit of laughter.
"Would you shut yer drunken mouth you ass?" Renji gave Yumichika a look of daggers which finally shut him up. However, the damage was done and several people were still chanting and looking at Rukia and Kaien expecantly.
Kaien looked down at Rukia apologetically, not knowing what to do. It seemed the only way to get everyone to shut up would be for them to kiss. Not that Rukia minded, but this wasn't how she pictured her first real kiss with Kaien.
At that moment, a very drunk Kenpachi stumbled out of the kitchen apparently looking for a fight. He pointed at Ichigo and let out a howl that was somewhere between a shriek and a laugh. The bells in his hair jingling in a very menacing fashion.
"Ichigo! There you are! It's time we finished what we started! Get ready!"
Kenpachi prepared to leap towards Ichigo and said substitute-Shinigami jumped to his feet, readying himself for the attack. Rukia silently noticed that even Kenpachi had obeyed the dress code for the evening.
As several people jumped up to restrain the feisty taicho, Kaien saw his chance. He tightened his grip on Rukia's hand and pulled her out the front door, closing it gently behind them.
"That was close." His eyes were alive with excitement and there was a mischievous air about him. "I have something I want to show you, Rukia."
He led her around to the back of the mansion and along a path that led into the woods. It was a beautiful winter night; chilly but not cold. It had not snowed at all since the phenomenon earlier that day. The moon shone brightly overhead, lighting their way. Rukia did not miss the fact that Kaien still held her hand, their fingers now intertwined. After a few minutes of walking hand-in-hand they came to a clearing that Rukia knew well. She often came out here to train with her zanpakuto or if she wanted to be alone to think. She suddenly felt somewhat nervous. She and Kaien were finally alone.
Without saying a word, Kaien pulled out his zanpakuto, surprising Rukia. She hadn't even known he'd brought it with him. Seeing her surprised look, the tall Shinigami smiled.
"I grabbed it as we were leaving. I have something I've been wanting to show you."
Stepping into the clearing, Kaien raised the blade and spoke his next words deliberately.
"Suiten sakamake!" Nejibana instantly transformed into it's shikai form. The trident staff was as beautiful as Rukia remembered it to be, the brilliant blue horsehair tassel waving gently in the breeze. She drew a breath at the site of it; it was so familiar and yet she felt as if she was seeing it for the first time again. She met Kaien's eyes questioningly, wondering why he'd chosen to bring her out here to show her this. His eyes sparkled as he focused his attention back on Nejibana.
"Fenikkusu jōshō to tatakau!" With those unfamiliar words Nejibana quivered in the moonlight. For a moment, nothing happened; Rukia held her breath wondering what she was waiting for. Then, in a brilliant flash of blue light, it happened: Nejibana once again transformed, this time into a form Rukia had never before seen: it grew and spread until it looked like a large, sleek blue bird. It's blue feathered wings spread out over their heads and in place of the trident was the head of a phoenix. The end of the sword, which extended past Kaien's grip, was now the graceful tail of the phoenix which replaced the sharp spear of his shikai.
Rukia's violet eyes widened as she understood what she was seeing. "Kaien...is that...?"
"It's my bankai." He stated proudly. He then added, "I didn't want to yell 'bankai' because I wanted you to be surprised. So I learned another way to call it out." When Rukia remained speechless, Kaien's smile faltered a little bit. "Well? What do you think?" He asked quietly.
"It's beautiful." She replied just as quietly. At that moment, she noticed the snow falling gently around them. Rukia looked up and saw it was coming from the giant phoenix above their heads. She turned her palms upright and caught some of the falling crystals, examining the delicate shapes. She looked back, mystified, at Kaien.
"I've been training ever since I got back." He raised his free hand self-consciously to the back of her neck and scratched aimlessly. "I don't know why, but I felt like this was something I had to learn." They stood and simply looked at each other for what felt like an eternity, but couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Rukia was surprised at how quickly the snowfall from Kaien's bankai accumulated and how far it reached.
Their moment was interrupted by the shrieks of delight coming from back towards the house. Dozens of drunk and tipsy Shinigami had apparently noticed the mysterious snowfall and had moved the party outside to engage in what Ichigo had taught her about earlier that day: snow play. With a subtle flick of his wrist, Kaien called Nejibana back to it's original form. Shivering slightly from the snow-induced chill, Rukia reached out and took Kaien's hand.
"Let's go back inside now."
She silently led the way back up to the house where they were able to slip in unnoticed through the back door. She noticed Ichigo and Kenpachi engaged in a vicious yet somehow playful snow-ball fight. Ichigo seemed to have the upper hand for the moment. She smiled. It was nice to see that Kenpachi hadn't made good on his threat to fight Ichigo to the death...at least not yet.
They made their way through the now-quiet house. She pulled Kaien into her room and carefully closed the door behind her, making sure to engage the lock. It seemed privacy had a way of not being respected in this house. They sat down on her bed, side-by-side, close to one another without quite touching. The nervous tension in the room was palpable.
It was Rukia who finally broke the silence.
"Does anyone else know about your bankai?"
"No. I wanted you to be the first to see it."
She sat in thought for a moment.
"Are you planning on telling anyone?"
Kaien sighed deeply before responding. "I don't know. I mean, I know that I should....I know that I should. It's just that..."
"They'll want to make you a captain." She finished his sentence for him. Although probably one of the strongest Shinigami she knew, Kaien was also the most modest. He had hesitated for years before finally accepting the position of fukutaicho for the 13th Division. He wasn't ready to accept the responsibilities of being a taicho. Rukia herself had mixed feelings regarding Kaien becoming a division captain. She knew he would make a great captain for one of the leaderless divisions, but that would mean he would no longer be her fukutaicho.
She looked over and saw within him a mix of confusion, hesitancy, and sadness. She didn't want Kaien to hurt anymore. Slowly, she reached over and took his hand in her own. She pulled it onto her lap, turned it palm up and began tracing small patterns on his skin. After a few minutes of this, Rukia sensed that Kaien's body was starting to relax.
"Stand up." She said, suddenly. Confused, Kaien obeyed. He looked down at the small Shinigami. She spread her legs slightly and indicated for him to sit on the floor in front of her. When he blushed and looked away, Rukia clarified.
"Sit with your back to me. I'll massage your shoulders; you're too tense." Her cheeks were once again hot, this time with embarassment over whatever Kaien had thought she meant. She couldn't tell if the look on Kaien's face was one of relief or disappointment, but he turned around and complied with her request, relaxing his back against the side of the bed.
She began to rub his shoulders, using just the right amount of pressure to work out some of the kinks. She felt satisfaction each time she felt one 'pop' and heard Kaien sigh. She applied pressure on his neck, massaging the tired muscles there. Urging him to lean forward slightly, she was able to run her hands down the length of his back, spending some time kneading his lower back with the heels of her palms. His breathing was deepening and slowing down now; Rukia could feel his tension melting away as he relaxed his back against the bed again.
She let her hands travel back up to the nape of his neck and her fingers began to idly play with the hair there, entwining themselves in the dark, spiky mass. She massaged his scalp gently, using her nails lightly here and there. He sighed with pleasure, leaning his head back into her hands.
"It's been a long time since anyone's touched me like this." He murmured as her hands trailed back down his neck to rest on his shoulders. The seductive tone his voice had taken on stirred something inside Rukia, awoke desires she couldn't recall ever having felt so intensely before.
"Kaien..."
He turned around to face her, kneeling before her. He took her hands in his and kissed both of her palms so lightly that she almost didn't feel the gentle touch. Looking up, intense aqua eyes met nervous and excited violet ones. Slowly, he reached up and cupped the side of her face with his hand, using his thumb to brush her bang out of her eyes. Because he was so much taller than her, this position put them practically face to face, with Kaien actually slightly looking down at her. Carefully examining those violet eyes, Kaien, for the first time, saw no hint of hesitation. He leaned forward, closing the short distance between them, and sealed his lips over hers.
Rukia let her eyes fall closed and, for a moment, simply relished in the feel of Kaien's lips against her own. Although they had kissed briefly earlier that day, this was completely different. Earlier, their lips had barely brushed together before Kaien pulled away. Now, he had his lips firmly pressed to hers with no intention of breaking the contact. His other hand had come up to cup her other cheek and he held her face to his.
Instead of pulling away from her, Kaien deepened this kiss, his tongue reaching out tentatively to run along her lower lip. Rukia didn't hesitate to part her lips for him, allowing his tongue to explore the cavern of her mouth, swirling around her own tongue encouragingly. She responded to his invitation, in turn exploring the heat of his mouth. Her arms came up to encircle his waist, pulling him even closer to her, her chest pressing against him, her legs coming up to squeeze his hips. She loved the feel of him against her, she wanted more. The excitement was quickly building within her. She allowed her hands to roam down his back, to the hem of his shirt. Without realizing what she was doing, she began to tug at the hem of the shirt, wanting nothing more than to get it off of him.
Kaien was the one to break off the kiss. Breathing heavily, he rested his forehead against hers. She hadn't even noticed that her breathing had increased as well and matched his. She brought her hands up and caressed his face, running them back through his hair. Now that she had started touching him she couldn't stop, didn't want to. She pulled him to her and kissed him again. He responded instantly, his hands moving down to her hips to hold her more tightly against him.
This was nothing like the times she and Renji had kissed. She had thought she'd known passion on those few occasions; she'd been wrong. Although she and Renji had done little beyond a few hot and heavy make out sessions with some over-the-clothes petting, she could already tell that no matter what they had done, it would never rival what she was feeling with Kaien. Nothing ever would.
As they kissed, Kaien's hand wandered down her thigh, past the hem of her dress and lingered there. The feel of his hand on her bare skin left her tingling pleasantly. He began to slid his hand up again, this time staying under the material of her dress, to rest on her bare hip. Rukia moaned in pleasure as she tried in vain to scoot even closer to him, wishing he would lean forward a little and put pressure in just the right place.
He did lean forward then, forcing her back. As he did this, he brought his free hand down to her knee and raised it up slightly so that it circled his waist. She knew the hem of her dress was pushed up wantonly but she didn't care. If she had it her way, she would have the pesky thing off and on the floor, along with his shirt and some other articles of, in her opinion, unncessary clothing. Following that train of thought, she once again reached down to the hem of his shirt, making her intentions clear. Rukia could feel him smile against her lips as he acquiesced to her silent demand, shifting his position so that she could pull the shirt over his head and off, tossing it to the floor where it was immediately forgotten.
As she began running her hands over his bare chest, he moaned into her mouth. She traced over the smooth planes of his stomach, the hard definition of his muscles exciting her even more. She grazed her palms over his nipples and felt his sharp intake of breath. She smiled to herself, making a mental note of that reaction.
"Rukia..."
Her body wanted more. She didn't necessarily know exactly what it wanted, but it told her what she needed to do. Pulling away from the kiss, Rukia scooted back, repositioning herself in proper orientation on the bed, her head laying on the pillow. Kaien looked at her, not sure what he should do. She raised herself up on one elbow and smiled at him invitingly. He slowly got up and joined her on the bed, lying down on his side next to her.
Their lips once again found each other and their tongues came together in a passionate dance. Rukia put her arms around Kaien and held him close to her. She understood in that moment that this was closer to what her body was yearning for: uninhibited contact with Kaien's body. There was still the barrier of clothing, but there was no need to rush things.
As their kiss deepened and her hands had once again taken up exploring Kaien's shirtless form, Rukia became aware of Kaien's hard length pressing against her. Although it was impeded by the offending pair of jeans, the extent of his desire was becoming quite obvious. Rukia moaned his name, pressing herself against him. Kaien groaned, once again pulling her leg up so it was wrapped around his hips. He held her hips steady and ground against her. Rukia turned her face into her pillow to stifle her cry of pleasure. She'd never felt anything so intense before and she wanted to feel it again. She pushed her hips forward experimentally. Kaien responded instantly, matching her movements and pace.
Rukia reached between them and tugged at the button of Kaien's jeans, hoping he'd get the hint and help her. He stilled, breathing heavily. Both of their chests were heaving and a fine sheen of sweat was covering his.
"Mate, Rukia."
"What is it, Kaien?"
"Are you okay with this? Don't you think we're going a little fast?"
"Kaien, I've waited years for you. Hundreds of years. I think if anything we've taken this excruciatingly slowly. I'm done waiting. I'm done making you wait." She smiled beautifully at him, erasing any doubt that may have lingered in his mind as to their current pace.
His decision made, Kaien allowed Rukia to push him onto his back. She placed a leg on either side of his legs, straddling him. His breath caught looking at her; he marveled at her beauty and at her resolve. Just this morning she had seemed so confused, so hesitant. There was no hint of either emotion in her eyes now. What he did see in those beautiful violet eyes was playfulness, determination, and love. She reached down and undid the button on his jeans, slowly pulling the zipper down. As she began to tug them off, he raised his hips to help her. In a matter of seconds, he was laid out in front of her, only a pair of boxers covering him.
"This doesn't seem entirely fair." He said, tugging at the hem of her dress to show his disapproval.
She frowned, pondering the situation.
"You're right." She crossed her arms in front of her and, in one swift yet seductively slow motion, pulled the dress over her head and discarded it on the floor with the other bits of clothing. For the first time in several long minutes, a deep scarlet rose to her cheeks. She had been so confident and now, suddenly, felt so self-conscious once again. No one had ever seen her in this state of undress before. Not even Renji. Beneath her dress she wore a lavender satin bra and matching underwear set. It was the epitome of Rukia: simple yet elegant.
"Rukia, you are so beautiful." Kaien sat up and placed his palms on Rukia's back, pulling her forward into a kiss that started out tender but quickly intensified. In this new position, their bodies came together in way that made Rukia gasp against Kaien's mouth. His stiff member was pressed against her most intimate region. Her body instinctively responded, grinding against his desire. She shuddered in pleasure at the sensation.
Just as Kaien's hands found the clasp of her bra, there came a sharp knock on her bedroom door. From outside came the emotionless voice of her brother.
"Rukia. The party is over. All guests need to leave. Now."
Although he didn't sound particularly angry or suspicious, he certainly did not sound happy. But, then again, he never did.
Rukia and Kaien sat in silence for several moments, their foreheads resting against one another's, using the opportunity to calm their breathing.
She smiled apologetically at him as she scooped their clothing from the floor and began to redress. She'd never been this hot and bothered in her entire existence and frustration was coursing hotly through her blood. She could see that Kaien was feeling the same way.
Rukia walked with Kaien to the front door and stood with him on the porch beneath the moonlight. She was surprised to see that the party had already been cleaned up and nearly everyone was gone. The exception being Yumichika and Ikkaku who had their arms drunkenly slung around each other's shoulders and were walking across the yard singing some unrecognizable song off key. They were most likely off to find whatever bar might be open at this hour to continue their carousing.
Kaien smiled down at Rukia and placed a chastise kiss upon her slightly swollen lips before turning to leave.
"Mate, Kaien! When will I see you again?"
He turned back to look at her again, his face lighting up brilliantly.
"How about tomorrow? Why don't you come over and I'll make you lunch?"
Her heart jumped at how gorgeous his smile was, especially when he looked so disheveled. And especially when she knew that she, herself, was the cause of that dishevelment.