Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Bleach Franchise. Only the Shihouin Siblings and Avaya and Asa... and Era and Geri and Zenai. And whoever else that you aren't familair with.

Hello! I've been working for FIVE hours on this thing.. you better review. Why name is Five Frights? Because if you count it like I did, there are five things that bring fright to the characters... Please we have Five more days til the wedding, so I'm being coolish here and naming them with the numbers of the days till teh wedding. Be ready for more chatpers to come soon... REAL soon.

WARNING: Bits of fluff, sap, and tears in this... maybe bits of Sue-ish too...

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK~!

Five Days

It was a peaceful morning. Only silence filled the air, but not for a certain captain. Coughs racked at his lungs. His lieutenant had gone to get the 4th Squad's captain, but it seemed like forever since he had left. A coppery tasting liquid hit his tongue, and his hand subconsciously went to cover his mouth.

He couldn't hear anything over the rough sound of his lungs trying to get rid of the nasty blood and get oxygen into them. He couldn't even hear when his old friend came in with just the right herbs to hopefully get him better soon. They knew there was no cure, but they kept trying, just for the sake of him.

"Easy, Juushiro, here, drink this," a cup was brought to his lips, and he grabbed at it, chugging what he could down. He coughed more, the taste was horrible, but he knew it would help. After the racks of coughing began to disappear into dry heaves, Juushiro took a few deep breaths, and looked up at the doctor.

"Thank you, old friend, I'm in your debt," his hazel-brown eyes fluttered close as he lay back down. Exhaustion had taken over his body the moment he began to cough. A cold wet rag was placed above his brows, and a soft hand brushed back a few pieces of his ash-white hair.

"Do not worry, Juushiro, just rest. You need it," the hand was pulled back, and the dark haired woman stood from beside his futon. She waved away the other squad members, and his lieutenant, telling them not to bother him. She left only moments later, giving orders to the young lieutenant of the 13th squad, and back to her office to finish paperwork.

What a wonderful way to start of a lovely morning like this one, don't you say?

The only thing seen from under a large black blanket was a head full of tangled dark violet hair. The head tossed and turned, trying to find a position where the sun wouldn't be in his amber colored eyes. His find was still fuzzy, but he already knew this day was important. But why was it important?

"Shit!" the Shihouin sibling quickly jumped from his bed and ran to pull on his uniform.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit…" he mumbled over and over again as he began looking through his drawers for the small box that he had gotten for this certain occasion. "Where is it?!" it was already mid-afternoon, and he knew that a certain blonde would be angry at him, but once seeing his present, he knew that look would be slapped right off.

"It's her birthday, and you're late! Aren't you the prefect lover, ne, Ryu?" he grumbled to himself, before sighing with relief at finding the small square box that had his present in. "Okay, come down, you can do this."

"You can do what? Whose birthday is it?" Ryu quickly turned in surprise at hearing his captain's voice. He was tall, full of muscle, and had a large sake bottle at hand. His black hair lay in strands as they covered his dark eyes.

"Taichou! I'm sorry if I awoke you, please forgive me-"

"You didn't answer my question, boy. So, ya gonna answer 'em?"

Ryu gulped down the knot in his throat and hung his head. "Today is a special someone's birthday, and I'm late meeting her. I have to hurry, or I'll lose her. I've already been late for many things, but this is my last chance."

The large captain stood in his lieutenant's doorway, one hand under his chin as he thought.

"Well, Ryu, it seems ya gotta haul ass if ya want the girl. Go ahead; I'll fill in for ya. Just don't make this a habit."

The noble grinned and disappeared out the door, and through the hidden gate that let him into the Rukongai.

After finding the right building, the same bar he had been to not but a few weeks ago, and stepped inside and was met by a hard slap.

"You're late!" was yelled in his face. He sighed and rubbed at the reddening skin before bringing the blonde into a deep embrace.

"I'm sorry, Ava-chan. I got caught up last night with paperwork and woke up not but half an hour ago. I had to get away from my captain. I am truly sorry," the tense bar mistress relaxed at hearing her lover's soft words, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"It is alright, Ryu-kun. I'll forgive you this last time, but next you may not be so lucky," he nodded into the crook of her neck, and placed small kisses on it.

The bar had been closed for the day, since Avaya's father had to go on a small trip to get more business, and he could not leave his defenseless daughter in a bar full of drunken perverts. That meant leaving the day for the two, alone without any interruptions.

"Is this my present? An embrace?" Ava said with a bit of playfulness in her voice. Ryu smiled against her neck, and brought out the small wooden box.

"I was going to wait a bit longer, but it seems the thought of you being with me for eternity just wouldn't go away," Ryu handed it to her, and listened to the small squeal it gave when being opened. A gasp soon followed, and her arms desperately clung to everything she could grab.

"Oh please don't be telling me that you really want to court me," she whispered. The noble could already feel the wetness of her eyes fall onto his uniform.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Please accept it, it belonged to my mother before she died," he said back in a hushed voice, just enjoying the moment.

"Then you wouldn't mind the fact that I'm going to birth your child…"

Ryu's eyes suddenly widened with surprised and he pushed Ava back to an arm's length apart.

"W-what? What did you say, Ava?" she smiled back at him, and placed his left hand on her lower abdomen.

"I've missed my last three cycles," she said, her teal eyes sparkling when a sudden glow went over Ryu's face.

"Oh, Ava, that's the best thing anyone could ever tell me," he picked her up by her waist and spun her around, a soft laugh coming from her throat before she was sat on the counter and lips connected.

A tan body slipped between the steam of the bathhouse, and into the mineral soothing waters. Her hair was pulled up atop her head, and golden eyes were closed together as she sighed out a bit of relief. Maybe the waters could wash away all her worries. Maybe she could just stay there forever and never come out so she would be safe from the world that was trying to make her life a living Hell.

What had she ever done to deserve such a fate in this second chance at life? She could never remember a single thing that happened in her pervious life, and she was beginning to wonder what had happened. Maybe she had killed someone… or stolen from someone… What had possibly happened?

"Tally-chan?" Tale opened her eyes at the sound of her best friend's voice, and smiled at the fully clothed lieutenant.

"Hello there, Asa, what can I do for you?" her grin soon faded when she noticed the look in her friend's eyes. If couldn't mean anything good. The girl was in the 4th squad… that meant she knew about the many patients that came in and out. This meant…

"No…" her golden eyes widened and she jumped from the water and into the changing rooms where her clothing was. She had her uniform on, and was pulling on the wrinkled haori as she ran from the bathhouse. It was particularly close to her new destination, but it still felt like forever until she got there.

Tale was able to sneak past the lieutenant and other lower seats before coming to the familiar wooden bridge tha led to the small home in the middle of a small lake in the 13th Squad's borders. She quickly made her way across the boards, also being as quiet as she could, before sliding open the wooden door softly and stepping in.

It smelt much like herbs that were used for the medicine that the poor, sickly captain had to take. Tale pushed down the small latch that locked the door, and she stepped softly through the house. She passed the small kitchen and den, then coming to the door that led into the bedroom and connecting washroom.

She slithered the door open, and slipped in without a sound, also not waking the resting man. Tale knelt down and took the drying rag from his forehead before rinsing it with more cool water and placed it back. The noble sat there, her hands folded in her lap, and her golden-yellow eyes moved across his face's features.

"It's not polite to stare, Tale-chan," she jumped slightly at the sound of his rough, dry voice when a hazel eye opened lazily, and Juushiro smiled up at her.

"I'm sorry if I awoke you, Jyuu. Please, keep resting; I'm just here to look after you."

"Did someone tell you, or are you here on your own concern?" The weak man sat up, showing only a small wince, and he propped his back against the near wall.

"I'm here on my own accord, and you should be resting! Asa came to me in the middle of one of my bathes, and I came as quick as I could. Do not make me get Retsu in here and make her get you to rest more," she said as she leaned forward on her knees to catching the falling rag. "You will need it soon, I know you-" the violet haired noble was suddenly cut off when a cool grip went to her wrist.

She stared at the slightly pale hand, before looking up at the arm, then shoulder, than neck, than head that it was connected to. Juushiro leaned in, getting closer to the flushed noble and smiled at her faintly.

"My, aren't you talkative today? It seems I'll have to do something about it…" before the man could lean in any farther, lips connected with his own, and he was pushed back to the wall again. Well muscled legs straddled his own hips, and he wrapped an arm around Tale's waist.

The noble cared not for the coppery taste that was still on his lips, or the fact that he should be sleeping, instead of kissing her. She only cared that he had lived another day, and she was able to hold him once again.

"Please don't scare me like that, again…" she spoke when she pulled away, and rested her head under his chin. He nodded and brought his free hand up to stroke her dark violet hair. Time seemed to have just faded between the two, and all that mattered was the moment they spent together.

"Tale…?" the noble looked up with half lidded eyes and gave him a nod, telling Juushiro to continue.

"Do you love me…?"

Tale suddenly shot up and stared at him in disbelief.

"How could you ask such a thing?! Of course I love you; I love you more than anything else. You are the reason why I haven't killed myself for having to marry that pig of a man!" her voice was rushed, as if she was trying to prove that she truly did love him. Like she didn't want to lose him; he was stating the fact that he didn't love you anymore, was he?

"But, how can you love me? I'm a sick man that could die any day, now. Why do you love me, when I know you fear that I'll be gone at any second?" she didn't answer. Tale sucked in her bottom lip and began to chew on it. Her head was bowed and the dark violet strands of hair fell to cover her eyes.

"Tale?" her head lifted a bit, and Juushiro could just barely see the glistening of tears. "Oh Tale, please do not cry. I'm sorry if I brought it up. Please, do stop, it will be alright…" He placed her head in his hands, and began wiping away the tears.

If Tale was crying, then that couldn't mean anything good. She never cried, unless you brought up the topic of death. Her mother had died trying to give birth to Ryu and Her's little sibling, but both died. They lost their mother and baby brother or sister all in the same night. And then there was only a few nights ago where she just felt so sad that she was going to lose him because of the arranged marriage, that she cried then.

Juushiro had only seen the noble cry a hand full of times, but those times were decades apart. This time they were barley even a few days. Again, that couldn't mean anything good.

Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck and she pushed her body up to meet his lips. Juushiro let Tale do as she pleased, and placed his own arms around her waist, holding her small body to his own.

"Please, Jyuu just let me enjoy the moment," she whispered against his lips, and leaned forward again.

Time passed by as the couple stayed in each other's arms, trying to fade from the world. Surprisingly they weren't bothered either.

Day turned to night, and Tale had to make her leave, sadly, and she began to descend back to her office to finish the paperwork that still sat there. Although, before she stepped from the door, a hand grabbed her wrist and spun her back around. Warm lips met her own, and she smiled, her hands fisting balls into the front of Juushiro's robe, and didn't let go.

It wasn't until both pulled back for air that she finally let go.

"Good night, Juushiro. Please, you need to rest," he nodded and gently kissed Tale's forehead.

"Good night, Tale-chan. Have sweet dreams."

That was their final goodbye, other than the soft kiss left on her lover's lips, and she disappeared into the night.

Juushiro only sighed as he leaned against the inner wall of his small home, and he began to walk back to his bed. I have to figure out some way to show her I truly do love her, he thought to himself before lying down and drifting off into another night of peaceful sleep.

I do hope you enjoyed it.

REVIEW PLEASE~

Thank you ShioriHououEmaku for being my ONLY reviwer, and those out there who have faved/alerted/etc. this too.

-Ms.D