CH 3
It had been a long day for Umeko. She sat under a sakura tree; it had been a year since she started the Shinigami Academy. Katsu, Kira and Renji were graduating this year and she would be alone, and since Shuuhei had finished a few months ago she hadn't seen him too much. It was Friday night, Umeko and the group always went out to get some drinks.
As Umeko stood up she saw newly appointed captain Ichimaru and her father taking a walk together, she new that her father would love for her to marry him but she did not love him, it was not him that she wanted.
"Hey Umeko are you gonna sit there all day, or you gonna come and get some drinks with us?" Renji yelled from across the garden.
"Yeah lazy ass I plan on training you! I mean you finally got your sword and you don't even know the name yet!" Katsu yelled teasing Umeko.
"Yeah Umeko come on, Shuuhei's paying!" Kira jested smirking at Shuuhei.
"Hurry up tomboy," Shuuhei said as he stood over Umeko and held put his hand.
As Umeko stood up she refused his hand, got up, and walked past him. "Guess that's the last time I help you up, tomboy." Shuuhei yelled at her rudeness.
"Oh yeah? You think I need help from a drunk like you?!?!" Umeko yelled as she prepared to attack Shuuhei.
"Come on you guys, Matsumoto's not gonna pay for free drinks if we're late." Renji yelled at the two.
"Just give it up Renji, they're in a lovers quarrel," Katsu said as she started walking to the office of Matsumoto.
"I don't like him! He's a drunk!" Umeko yelled as she ran to catch up with the group.
As they all walked to Matsumoto's office Kira, Katsu and Renji talked about graduating and what divisions they wanted to be on.
"Umeko what's wrong?" Katsu asked as she looked back at her cousin.
"Hmm? Nothing Katsu, I'm fine really." Umeko said lightly.
"Ok," Katsu said even though she didn't believe it. Shuuhei looked back to see Umeko walk a ways behind the group, he stopped walking and turned around and walked towards Umeko.
"Look here tomboy, you don't gotta be all sad and stuff just cause the others are graduating, besides in all likely hood Kira will fail." He said as he put his hand on her head. "And if you really want I can meet you every day for lunch."
Umeko looked up and smiled "Yeah right, if I meet you for lunch I would have to pay every day." She said as she cheered up and ran to catch up with the rest of the group.
"Hey wait for me!!" Shuuhei yelled as they kept walking.
"I'll tell you what you drunk, you come and I'll pay!" Umeko yelled she smiled as she though to herself how much she like Shuuhei.
As they opened the door to Matsumoto's she had already began drinking, they all took a spot around the table and grabbed a drink Umeko was the only one not drinking. They spent hours talking about times they had fought hollows, how Shuuhei got his scar, how Matsumoto's rather large chest always seemed to either almost pop out or suffocate her, and as usual how Katsu planed to dismember Kira.
It was ten at night when everyone was drunk but Umeko.
"Ha, ha! Katsu's drunk!!" A rather drunk Renji jeered.
"I'm not drunk," Katsu said looking evilly at Renji.
"Hey you umm… Umeko you're not drinking, so go get us some more sake…" Matsumoto demanded.
Umeko stood up and walked out the room. She walked down the
long halls of the tenth division barracks thinking about what she would do for the next five years.
"Well, well, well… What's a trouble maker like you doing I'm my squad's barracks?" Asked the all to familiar voice of Gin. Umeko looked around as she realized she had left division ten and gone right into the snake's lair. He had gotten more bold and suggestive since he became captain.
"Oh captain Ichimaru, I was just heading to my room…" Umeko said never feeling safe around him anymore.
"Now, now a lovely lady like you could at least join me for a drink before heading off…" Ichimaru said gesturing down a hall.
"Umm… I should probably be going. I need to go to sleep." Umeko said hoping that would be the excuse that would let her get out of his presence.
"Hmm? Lady Umeko, it's not very polite to say no." Gin said with a look that made her shiver.
They were interrupted by footsteps running down the hall. "Lady Nakamura, your father needs you right away!!" One of her father's servants called barely able to breath as he stopped in front of the pair.
The next morning...
Shuuhei was waiting under the sakura tree for Umeko, when he saw Kira.
"Hey Kira, where's Umeko and Katsu?" Shuuhei asked as he caught up to Kira.
Kira looked up. "You did not hear then." He said softly as he stopped and looked down. "Both of Umeko's brothers were killed while in the human world." When Kira looked up Shuuhei was already gone.
"Umeko… Umeko! UMEKO!!! Open the door!" Shuuhei yelled as he banged on Umeko's door at her father's house, he heard no response. "Umeko please open the door…" He begged.
"Shuuhei, she's not in there. She's in the study with her father," Katsu said calmly. He started to walk to the study when he was stopped by Katsu. "Wait 'til she gets out, they need their space."
Just as Katsu finished speaking Umeko walked out, she looked up and put on a smile. "I'm sorry I was late to meet you Shuuhei, but I don't have time now." Umeko said as she walked away.
Katsu looked at Shuuhei. "You wanna handle this or should I… Never mind I got it…" Katsu mumbled as she walked after Umeko.
Katsu stood in front of Umeko's room wondering what she was doing. She thought back to when they were young and her mom died....
*Flash Back*
Katsu could hear Umeko fight with the wooden dummy. As Katsu peeked past the door she saw here cousin's face so full of tears that she could hardly see the dummy she was fighting...
*End Flashback*
As Katsu opened the door she was surprised to see Umeko in some kind of meditation. "Umeko… Umeko are you there?" Katsu asked a little scared of her cousin.
"SHIROKAGE!!" Umeko yelled as she stood up making Katsu fall over.
"What?" Katsu asked as she stood up and rubbed her bottom.
"Shirokage…" Umeko said just before she ran outside and to the nearest garden.
Katsu followed the slightly stoic Umeko. Katsu just looked at Umeko, she could see Umeko was sad but there was something else.
"Umeko are you ok?" Katsu asked a little scared of what the reaction might be.
"Fight me." Umeko said out of the blue.
"What?" Katsu stopped and stared at Umeko as if she had just lost her mind.
"Fight me I need to you to fight me." Umeko said turning to face Katsu with a fierce look.
"Oh no… You're crazy! I can't! You're not thinking clearly!" Katsu said shaking her head quickly.
"But I know my zanpakuto's name, and I need to use it!" Umeko said almost crying.
"I can't Umeko." Katsu said as she walked over and hugged her cousin, Umeko could no longer hold her emotions in. Tears fell from her face like the summer rain. She fell no longer able to hold her own wait Katsu gently guided them both down, comforting her own cousin it was all she could do.
Shuuhei watched from behind a corner, just out of Katsu and Umeko's sight. He grabbed his chest as he watched Umeko cry. He wished he could be in Katsu's spot now, holding her wiping away every tear. He stopped and he though to himself could he really feel this way about Umeko, this short, orange haired girl that he would always make fun of… Could he really lov... His thoughts were interrupted, as Kira walked up behind him.
"Shh..." Shuuhei said as not to disturbed Katsu and Umeko.
"Oh," was all Kira said as he saw the two.
"Hey I got rice balls for everyone!" Renji yelled before he was tackled by Kira and Shuuhei hoping the two girls would not discover them.
"So who should I kill first?" Katsu said with a demonic look in her eyes as she stood over the boys.
"Oh?" Umeko said as she walked up to them. They all looked horrified and afraid of what she would do.
"Oyo... Look rice balls" Umeko said as she started to eat one looking totally normal. Katsu just began to eat also. "Well this is her way of telling you guys everything is fine so sit down before she kills you." Katsu said as she paused eating to look at the guys.
All of them sat down and began eating and laughing about old misadventures. The only person not really laughing was Shuuhei he was to deep in thought.
'Could I really love Umeko?' He thought to himself.
"Hey drunk, you dead?" Umeko said as she looked at Shuuhei. "Hey!" Umeko said a she leaned towards him she sat there right in front of his face their noses almost touching.
'Oh this is too perfect!' Katsu thought to herself as she raised her foot to Umeko's bottom. She kicked Umeko so that she fell on Shuuhei their lips touched as they fell. Shuuhei unconsciously putting his hands around Umeko's waist as they fell making the kiss more intense. They all sat in shock as Umeko and Shuuhei laid there for a good minute their eyes closed and lips touching. Katsu watched with a satisfied look on her face as she pulled a camera out of her sleeve and snapped several pictures. Umeko and Shuuhei's eyes opened and they quickly parted spitting and chocking.
"You perverted drunk!" Umeko yelled looking at Shuuhei.
"God that's like kissing a guy!" Shuuhei yelled as he grabbed his neck pretending to die.
Katsu fell on the ground laughing. Renji and Kira also started laughing as well. Shuuhei and Umeko continued yelling...
≈†Psychotic Episodes: Demon Flower Version 2†≈
In a completely darkened room a figure shifted under a sheet. Then all became perfectly still…
All at once the heavy curtains and sheet were torn off. "Wakie, wakie sleepy head!!!" Umeko yelled cheerfully smiling down with the noon day sun streaming in through the window behind her. "Come on Katsu! Get up! It's a beautiful day out! Perfect to kick your lazy butt!"
"Go to hell." Katsu mumbled into her pillows as she buried her face to block out the bright sunlight. "Close the damn curtains, and get out. I'll get up when I'm ready. It's my day off."
"No, I wanna train now!" Umeko said pouting angrily. "Come on you ass! You said you'd train with me."
"Leave me alone for another hour or you'll regret it." Katsu said as she ran a hand over her hair messed from sleep. "Last warning…"
"No up now. Training in five." Umeko said as she plopped down on one of the many cushions in Katsu's room.
"Gloves off then." Katsu mumbled before pulling out a picture from her pillowcase and tossing it to Umeko. "Leave me alone for another hour, and don't be so pushy today, or that gets made into huge posters and plastered all over your division. I'm sure your friends over there would love to see you locking lips with my Vice Captain, especially when Captain Zaraki and Captain Tousen get along oh so well."
Umeko paled when she saw the picture of her and Shuuhei. She slowly nodded. "I'll wait," she squeaked out. "And this picture?"
"You can keep it," Katsu said as she pulled the sheet back over her head. "And as far as my negative goes, no one else knows, and that is how it will stay. As far as anyone else knows the pic didn't come out right, and is only a memory between all of us." Upon hearing silence she uncovered her head and looked to Umeko. "Hey, how many people can say they have their first kiss on film?" Still seeing Umeko staring at the pic she sighed and got up. "Be ready to have your ass kicked in ten, your new shikai is nothing to mine, I've had it since I left the academy."
Umeko smiled brightly and stood up. "You are so on!" She yelled happily. "I'm gonna kick your creepy ass!" She smirked as Katsu disappeared into the bathroom. She looked back to the picture with a light smile.
"Let's go." Katsu said as she walked out of her room and grabbed her sword.
"Right behind ya." Umeko said as she tucked the picture into her top.