Chapter Five - Out of Nowhere

Nova had missed her more than he thought he would. He had expected the feeling to fade with time, and nearly two months had passed since thier last visit to the Soul Society.

He did admit, he was a bit disappointed when Captain Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Yumichika, Ikkaku, Renji and Rukia had shown up. Not because it meant that they were too weak to hold off the Arrancar thierselves, but because Aira wasn't with them.

He had dreamt about her. He didn't even know he could dream until he saw her face in his head as he slept. She had called out to him and held him. She had made those smartass comments and told him to take off his mask, but it still wasn't her. He wanted to touch her hair like he had back in the Soul Society. It was so soft and warm, just like her.

Nova didn't think it was possible to feel this way for him. He certainly didn't expect it since he was a Modified Soul. He wasn't like all the other souls. He was basically immortal.

In fact, he had spoken with Urahara a month after they had returned about it. He had said that it was very possible for a Modified Soul to fall in love and that he really wasn't much different than normal souls.

He hadn't known what to do then. Because appearantly he was in love with her, and needed her with him or he would go insane, and she was still up in the Soul Society, carrying out her duty as a Captain.

At night, he sometimes wondered if she thought about him, too. If it was possible she felt the same way or if she only thought of him as a friend. It was mortifying to think of himself telling her how he felt and her laughing at him...

Nova always pushed those thoughts out of his head. He instead filled his mind with images of her smiling and laughing, pulling his head out of his shirt or unzipping his mask.

And that always gave him good dreams.

~^.^~

Aira ran though the gate as fast as she could, alone. Her orders were to assist in the battle against the numerous Espada Arrancar that had currently invaded Karakura Town. Captain Hitsugaya and his advanced team were already there, fighting, but no one was sure if they could hold up, even with thier limiters released.

There was just too many of them.

As soon as she entered the world of the living, Aira haulted and searched for the nearest Arrancar spiritual pressure.

She felt it and began running before she even knew where she was going.

Then, she remembered she didn't have to run here. She immediantly launched herself into the air and jumped from roof to roof towards her destination.

She was surprised when she saw that her supposed destination was Urahara's Shop. She saw one of the Arrancars and picked up her speed.

And then he was there.

Her eyes had caught Ririn and Kurodo without a thought, but now she saw him...

"N...Nova."

~^.^~

Nova ran towards Ririn and Kurodo as the Arrancar was about to strike them again. He whipped out his shield and intercepted the oncoming strikes.

"Good." Patros, the attacking Arrancar commented. "But how long will you be able to hold against my attack?"

Nova held as best as he could, but he soon crumbled under Patros' attack, falling unconcious to the ground.

"Nova!"

The voice pulled him back. There was a loud cracking sound as Renji and the Arrancar sunk under the street and into Urahara's training grounds.

"Nova, are you okay?" The voice called again.

He opened his eyes slightly and saw her. His hand immediantly reached out and grabbed her haori.

"Aira?" He whispered.

"Yes, it's me." She had tears in her eyes, why was she crying? "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He said, attempting to sit up.

He looked back at Ririn and Kurodo, seeing that his friends weren't so lucky. They laid unconcious on the ground.

Before he had the chance to look back at her, Aira had her arms around Nova, embracing him in a tight hug. He was shocked at first, but quickly wrapped his arms around her.

"Told you you'd miss me." She choked.

"I did." He sighed.

She pulled back and he reached up to wipe her tears away. Her breathing stopped as his cool fingers touched her face.

"A lot." He finished.

She smiled at him as she heard the crashing sound again.

Her head snapped back and he was snapped out of his daze.

"I have to help Renji." She said as she stood.

"No." He said as he caught her hand.

She looked down at him and smiled.

"It's okay." She promised as she slipped her hand out of his. "I'll be fine."

Then she was gone.

As Nova scrambled to stand, Ririn and Kurodo woke up.

"What's wrong, Nova?" Ririn asked as he raced towards the hole in the ground that she had disappeared in.

The two of them raced after thier friend as he jumped into the hole. Ririn caught his arm just before he raced into the battle raging between the Lieutenant and Arrancar.

"Nova! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" She asked.

"I...I..." He looked over his shoulder.

She pulled him and shoved him against a rock. "We have to figure out a way to help Renji..."

That's when Aira made herself known.

She jumped between Renji and the Arrancar, smiling like she had just seen two long-lost friends.

" 'Sup guys?" She smiled.

"Captain Shikyo?" Renji breathed heavily.

"Sorry to crash the party but you look a little beat up, Abarai." She commented.

"Who are you?" The Arrancar demanded.

"Well, love, I'm Captain Airashii Shikyo of the 9th Division." She grinned over her shoulder at him. "And I do believe I'm here to kill you."

The Arrancar laughed. "We'll see about that."

He drew and sheathed his sword, sending a whitish-yellow sort of lightning out of it. Aira simply drew her Zanpaktou and deflected the hit easily.

"I don't waste my time with people like you." She sneered at him. "Hidoi Shi, Denkihime."

Her Zanpaktou glowed with light blue light. As she released more reiatsu, the light grew darker, eventually darkening into purple.

"Shokku sukoshi!" She called.

Dark purple, almost black, electricity erupted from her sword and headed straight for the Arrancar. It hit him square in the shoulder, barely phasing him.

Again, he laughed. "So that's a Captains released Zanpaktou?"

He laughed. "This, young Captain, is my level three attack."

He unsheathed and sheathed his sword again. She had to hold on tighter to the hilt of Denkihime to block that attack from hitting both her and Renji, but she deflected it.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, lucky for you, my Shikai has levels as well. Hidoi no Shi, Denkihime!"

The blackest lightning was sent from the tip of her sword and into the Arrancars chest. This one blew him back, burrowing him deep into the desert ground.

"You okay, Abarai?" She called over her shoulder.

"Sort of, Captain." He said.

"It's Aira." She muttered as the Arrancar popped back up in front of them.

Without warning he swung his arm and sent Aira flying back, hitting Renji in the process. They both flew into a nearby cliff.

"Now you'll learn not to play games with me!" Patros called.

As he withdrew his sword, Aira tried to throw up her Zanpaktou, but she was suddenly somewhere else. Somewhere dark and sort of red.

Then she was back in the desert. Renji was beside her and Nova's arms were around her.

"What the..."

She remembered Nova's power and hit him on the head.

"Nova!" She cried. "You could've gotten yourself killed."

He looked down, remembering that promise he made to himself two months ago.

Aira limped to her feet and looked back at the Arrancar.

"Wait, Aira!" Ririn caught the Captains arm. "You're injured."

"Yeah. Again." Aira sighed, stretching. "Oh, well."

She began to walk back out there when Nova was suddenly in front of her.

"You got faster." She smirked at him.

"Wait." He said before pushing her back.

"I have a plan." Ririn said. "I've seen through his attacks."

~^.^~

Aira Urahara patch her up later that day.

"Thanks, Kisuke." She told him. "Even though you did get there a little late."

Urahara chuckled. "No problem. You guys got it taken care of though, didn't you?"

"Yeah." She sighed.

"So how long are you staying?" He asked her.

"I've been ordered to stay with Captain Hitsugaya and his team for a while." She informed him.

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" He said as he stepped back from her wounded arm.

"No, but-"

"Stay here." Urahara said.

"It already looks like you have a full house, Kisuke-" She began to refuse.

"Nonsense." He smiled at her as he tipped his hat. "You can stay in the room Ririn, Kurodo and Nova stay in. They don't take up much space and the room's a fairly descent size."

"Are you sure, Kisuke?" She sighed. "I don't wanna be a freeloader."

"We have a lot of those here." He grinned. "It's no problem to have another."

Aira looked up at him with gratitude before she stood. "You're great."

"I know." He waved a hand at her. "Now, come this way."

~^.^~

Nova was the only one still in his gigai. Ririn and Kurodo had gone out for a little bit in thier stuffed animal forms and the only ones there were him and Aira.

She was laying down, staring at the ceiling on the other side of the room as he sat leaning against the opposite wall. He knew that she knew he was staring at her, but she didn't seem to mind.

Aira sighed. "Nova, come here."

He smirked under his mask as he stood and walked over to her, sitting beside her.

She sat up, leaning on her hands as she looked at him.

"You know, you seem a little different." She told him.

He shrugged. "Just me."

She smiled. "I like you both ways."

She laid back down and patted the space beside her. Nova blushed before laying down beside her.

"Hey, you didn't zip the mask when you blushed." She commented as she touched his face.

At that, he reached up and zipped his mask shut.

She groaned before unzipping it again. "Stubborn."

He smiled, even though she couldn't see it. His eyes showed it though, and she noticed.

Aira sighed. She wished she could see his smile. Just once.

"Nova..." She whispered as she cuddled into his chest.

He was taken aback, that blood creeping up his face again. But he wrapped his arms around her.

"I missed you." She said. "And you smell good."

He laughed slightly before leaning his head on hers.

"I missed you, too." He admitted.

"How much?" She smiled as she lifted her head to look at him.

He blushed and she had to catch his hand before he could zip his mask.

"How much, Nova?" She asked before tickling his ribs playfully.

"Stop!" He laughed as he tried to roll away from her. But it was no use, because she just climbed on top of him and started tickling him again. "Aira! Stop!"

She sighed as she leaned her head on his chest and her hand reached up to touch his masked face.

He sat up with her ending up on his lap. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and he had his arms around her as well.

He looked down at her, mixed emotions in his eyes.

"You won't..." Aira bit her lip. "You won't show me, will you? Your face."

He looked down, away from her sad face.

"For you, I will." He said softly.

He reached back and paused as she stared wide-eyed at him. She had dreamt about seeing his face for two months.

She put her hands on his chest as he pulled the mask completely over his head.