Wow. Long delay between updates. All I can say is that I'm sorry and hope it doesn't happen again. I haven't been writing as much recently, and upon getting my motivation back decided, somehow, that it would be a good idea to start yet another story. Long story short, having five fanfics on the go at once is a bad idea.
As a reminder, I own nothing.
Grey eyes fluttered open come morning, as Soi Fon sighed her content. She had had a good night's sleep, which was a rarity for the captain of Second Division. Not after what she had been forced to do and, truthfully, the betrayal she had faced at the hands of Yoruichi.
The black haired girl cuddled into her covers, and frowned as she found them shorter than usual. For some reason, it did not even cover her calves, and so the captain pulled her feet up underneath.
She would just sleep for five more minutes. This wonderful feeling of contentment… of safety should not be wasted, after all.
Her eyes closed, and Soi Fon fell into her slumber once again.
When she woke for the second time, Soi Fon forced her eyes to the clock on the furthest wall. 8:30. She would have to get up, then, and check that her pathetic Lieutenant wasn't slacking off and infecting the rest of her squad with his idiocy and laziness.
Soi Fon maintained her hold on these strange new covers with the enticing scent as she softly placed her feet on the ground. It wasn't until she stood that the Captain realised.
Realised that she had fallen asleep outside the night before. Soi Fon's eyes widened, as she realised that someone would have had to have carried her here. How could she fail to wake in that case? How well they must have masked their identities for her to have no idea of their presence!
Soif Fon fell into a fighting stance, as she assumed that the enemy was still present. That she had fallen into a trap by the simple act of waking. The blanket fell to the floor, and Soi Fon's eyes flicked to it. It was the top of a shihakusho… what?
She found her sword leant against her nightstand, and Soi Fon's confusion grew. Why would someone set a trap for her and intentionally leave her armed? Were they trying to lull her into a false sense of security?
The Wakizashi was drawn within moments of the Captain hearing breathing, and the tip was pointed to the foot of her bed as she adopted a fighting stance.
"Ichigo?" The fighting stance was replaced by a look of confusion, and a matching mindset. What was he doing here? "Why are you in my chambers?"
Ichigo stayed silent as he slumbered, and Soi Fon realised his unconscious state. "Why is he in my room?" She looked to the discarded top, and to Ichigo's bare torso. "I… fell asleep outside. Did he carry me back?" Somehow, Soi Fon knew this was the case; as though confirmation came from inside her mind. She reddened, then; both for the fact that Ichigo was half naked and because he carried her back while she was dreaming of the two of them in an intimate situation.
Kami, she hoped that she hadn't spoken in her sleep. She raised a hand to her own cheek, and felt the warmth radiating as she stared at the unconscious male.
How long she was stood there would be a mystery to Soi Fon. The Captain stared at Ichigo, and wondered what this meant.
She thought that maybe, just maybe, he had come looking for her. To talk about the two of them. Then, she crushed that hope. She already knew that Ichigo didn't feel the same way, so why bother thinking of what ifs? Ichigo wouldn't want her; not when he had Yoruichi. Who could possibly want Soi Fon over a goddess?
The Captain had no idea, at this point, that her Reiryoku was fluctuating as her Zanpakuto screamed her frustration inside her head.
As she expressed her emotions vocally, though it was silent to her wielder, Suzumebachi gripped her head and fumed.
Stupid Soi Fon.
Stupid Yoruichi.
They would not stop interfering in her love life! IDIOTS! Even Ichigo would not get his act together and wake up!
Suzumebachi's form flickered as she tried to travel to Ichigo's mindscape. She met a wall of resistance, and screamed yet again. What was going on?! How was she stuck here, when she had spoken to Ichigo just last night?!
"Zangetsu!" She roared, and sent a mental kick at Ichigo's soul.
Ichigo jerked awake with a gasp in the real world, and Soi Fon stumbled back, taken by surprise at the sudden unexplained movement. Her right foot fell onto the discarded, torn material and the Captain just had the time to realise her left foot had somehow gotten tangled in Ichigo's top before she was falling backwards with an expression of shock.
At her surprised exclamation, Ichigo shot to his feet. It was reasonable to assume that he was under duress after being woken by the strange jolt, and so Ichigo had Zangetsu's smaller sealed form in his hand even as he twisted to find the source of the noise.
"Soi Fon?" He saw the captain, now lying in a tangle of bedsheets after grabbing the cover in a desperate attempt to stop her fall, and was surprised.
"Ichigo…" Soi Fon returned, with a wince, as she rubbed her sore rear.
"Err… are you okay?" The orange haired hybrid asked.
"I'm fine." The Captain frowned, and Ichigo noticed.
"You don't feel fine," Ichigo said, as he felt the reiryoku-soaked air around him. It told of a bad mood. "What's wrong?"
Soi Fon didn't answer, so the male asked again.
"You aren't hurt, are you?" Ichigo's eyes flicked over her form, but couldn't see much of it as it was covered by her duvet.
"No, I am uninjured."
"Is everything okay with Suzumebachi?"
"Everything is fine."
"Did you have a nightmare?" Ichigo asked, worried and confused. He didn't know what could possibly be distressing Soi Fon so much.
"No! I'm fine!" Soi Fon barked at him, with red cheeks. "I fell over because you made me jump you moron!"
"Oh… good." Ichigo blinked. "But why was your Reiryoku so… angry? That can't have been because I made you jump."
Soi Fon mumbled something.
"I'm sorry, I missed that."
"It isn't any of your business, Ichigo. Please leave it alone."
"I don't think I can…" Ichigo said hesitantly.
"And why not?" Soi Fon asked in return, with narrowed eyes.
"Suzumebachi'll bug me until I help you and… uh, do something else." Ichigo felt heat creep up his neck and suppressed the thought.
"How will my Zanpakuto bug you?"
Ichigo sighed. "Well, after the confrontation I had with Muramasa Zanpakuto have been able to come and go to my Mindscape. It… feels like Zangetsu has made progress in blocking them out, but I think he just sealed off the biggest entrance. I'm pretty sure that they'll still be able to get inside." How he knew this, Ichigo had no idea. Maybe he was just getting some clarity on the newest aspect of his life. Annoying an aspect as it might be.
"So my Zanpakuto visited you?" Soi Fon asked. Ichigo didn't like how flat her tone was.
"Yeah…"
"And blackmailed you into coming to visit me?" Was it just him or did Soi Fon's voice waver slightly? "Of course she did. Why else would you come?"
Ichigo opened his mouth to correct her, only to find that Soi Fon vanished in a flicker of Shunpo and his words fell short.
"No! That's not why…" Ichigo frowned. "What the fuck is going on here?" He muttered, rubbing his jaw. A voice answered him.
'My idiot Wielder is insecure!' It said. Ichigo realised, a few beats later, that it must be Suzumebachi.
'Why?' He thought, in a frustrated tone. 'She's confident in every other aspect of life, why on earth would she be insecure here?'
'Um…' Inside his own head, it was not difficult for the orange-haired teen to hear the Zanpakuto's hesitance.
'What is it? Why are you hesitating now?'
'It'sYoruichi'sfault!' Suzumebachi blurted.
'How is it Yoruichi's fault?'
'She abandoned us- her! She… that was the only time Soi Fon cared. At least in that way. You must know that she grew obsessed with her mentor; we fell for her, and then Yoruichi abandoned us.'
'And that's responsible for ehr insecurity?' Ichigo frowned. Then, it was replaced by a look of realisation. 'Ah. She doesn't think she's... unworthy, does she?
'I don't know about unworthy, but she doesn't think anyone could or would care about her like that. You could have anyone, and she thinks it would ridiculous for you to pick her when you could have Yoruichi.'
Ichigo frowned; he didn't know how to respond to that. It was a state of being that was foreign to him. 'Can you tell me where your wielder is, Suzumebachi?' He asked, instead.
'She's… training her subordinates.' Suzumebachi answered, with a hint of amusement.
'Right. To Second Division's grounds, then.' Ichigo vanished in a blur of movement and a blink of light.
-()()-
When he arrived at the division, Ichigo's eyes widened minutely as he discovered the reason for Suzumebachi's pause.
Through the courtyard, there were masked members of the Second Division lying and clutching various parts of their bodies. Their groans told Ichigo that the pain was real, but the absence of any blood or serious injury told him that they weren't under attack. And, so, he dismissed the Shinigami and looked at the only standing person in the immediate vicinity. Who happened to be the person Ichigo was here to see.
Soi Fon stood over the still form of Omaeda, with her shoulders rising and falling rapidly as her lungs contracted. In her hand, the Captain held a training sword that was roughly the shape necessary to inflict the red welts on her irritating Lieutenant's face.
Ichigo hesitated, before stepping forwards. Soi Fon's head snapped around, and grey eyes found him in a moment as her hand tightened around the not-sword in her hand. Ichigo raised his hand in the universal gesture of a non-threat, and the petite female winced ever so slightly as her eyes darted around the yard.
That was curious. Ichigo didn't expect her to be remorseful for kicking their asses. He would have thought she'd pin the blame on their weakness, instead.
Soi Fon hung her head for a moment, before apparently deciding on a course of action. She vanished in a flash of Shunpo, and Ichigo's hands fell to his side once again as he heard a grumble of annoyance come from inside his skull. Externally, he echoed his Zanpakutos' sentiment before his Reiryoku gathered around his feet and he, too, moved faster than the eye can see. He didn't have any trouble finding Soi Fon's reiatsu signature, oddly, and followed as it appeared in the woods quite far from their location.
Ichigo wondered why she had headed there in the half-second it took him to appear next to her. The hybrid landed smoothly on his feet, and opened his mouth to speak as he raised a hand to tap Soi Fon on the shoulder.
Then, she vanished again.
Ichigo followed, and found himself stood on the roof of one of the civilian shopping district's; Soi Fon fled a heartbeat later, and Ichigo followed without hesitation this time.
He was vaguely aware of the fact that the rooftop cracked as he was propelled towards Soi Fon's destination. That she had not stopped before he started meant the pair arrived within a millisecond of each other. And Ichigo had time to get out a word.
"Wait-" Soi Fon vanished, and Ichigo couldn't tell if she had heard him or not. Ichigo followed her progress in his mind, and Shunpo'd after the fleeing female with confusion in his mind.
"Why are-" Ichigo was speaking before he had touched the floor, yet Soi Fon ignored.
"You refusing-" He appeared next to her again, but Soi Fon was already moving away.
"Oh, fuck this." Ichigo drew a blade, spun the Katana in his hand and followed Soi Fon once again. She had Flashed twice in the time it took him to retrieve Nejibana and activate her Shika, and so Ichigo covered the larger distance while bumping up the power of his Shikai's effect.
Ichigo arrived and had time to see Soi Fon preparing to jump again before the wave of icy water crashed into her. The shocked gasp told him he had succeeded in taking her off guard, and that she was now on her rear told him that the wave had knocked her off her feet.
"Will you stop running?!" He exclaimed. "How the fuck am I meant to tell you that I like you if you don't listen to me?!"
"You… you…" Soi Fon stood, breathing in quick short breaths, and levelled a glare on Ichigo. "BASTARD!" In a burst of Reiryoku, the captain appeared next to him. And a leg swept his feet out from under him.
Ichigo made a noise of confusion at suddenly being on the ground; he didn't have time to phrase it more eloquently before finding a blade pressed against his chin.
"WHAT WAS THAT- for…" Soi Fon's temperament changed rather suddenly, and Ichigo found himself concerned at the suddenly blank expression where seconds before had been outrage. "D-Did… did you just say…
"Soi Fon?" Ichigo voiced his worry. "Are you okay?"
The Captain's voice was small when she finally answered. "Did you just say you like me?" Her blade was trembling, and the girl did not seem to notice that that fact was concerning Ichigo.
"I did… but that's no reason to slit my throat…" He swallowed nervously as she suddenly glared at the blade pressed against him. Then, she seemed to realise it was hers, and her hand was holding it there and moved it away with a slightly sheepish expression.
Ichigo watched her get over the embarrassment and steel herself. From her place crouched at his side, Soi Fon looked at his lips and wet her own. Ichigo stayed still; moving seemed like a bad plan of action right now.
Soi Fon slowly began to lean towards him. Ichigo raised his head to meet her part-way. Their lips neared.
"ICHIGO!" A voice interrupted. Both Captain-level fighters were taken off guard and quickly rectified the fact by pulling away from the near kiss. Ichigo's eyes found the source of the noise, and found Rukia staring at him.
"Yeah?" He asked, in what was hopefully a nonchalant tone but that he suspected had a distinctly higher pitch than normal.
Rukia frowned at him. Her eyes moved to Soi Fon, then back to Ichigo. They returned to Soi Fon, and the Captain returned the dirty look before speaking.
"What is it, Kuchiki?"
"Nii-san!" Rukia was pulled back to the pleasant by some thought, and Ichigo sat up as she elaborated the thought. "He's being attacked! At Eleventh Division!"
Ichigo took a moment before replying. "Yeah? So?"
Rukia looked shocked. "He's- They're- He was taken off guard! It isn't honourable! Captain Zaraki is trying to kill him!"
"Huh. Fine, I'll head over there." Ichigo sighed, and found Soi Fon stood next to him.
"If the issue is as serious as you say, Kuchiki, I should be in attendance. As head of the Punishment Corps, I will have the authority to deal with Zaraki if he has stepped out of line." Soi Fon nodded as if to herself before taking hold of Ichigo's arm. "Come."
The hybrid human was dragged along side Soi Fon as she Shunpo'd to the Eleventh Division barracks, and found that it was very uncomfortable. As in felt-like-his-arm-was-being-dislocated uncomfortable.
As a result, Ichigo rubbed his shoulder when they arrived to alleviate the soreness. And, so, it took a moment for him to register the scene before his eyes.
Byakuya Kuchiki was stood with the hilt of his Zanpakuto in hand, and a cloud of rose petals swirling in front of him in a cutting tornado. Below the cloud, a pair of calves protruded. From inside the Shikai, a voice laughed.
"You'll have to better than that!" Ichigo recognised the voice as belonging to Kenpachi moments before the man swept his sword in an arc, opened a hole in the technique, and lunged through at Byakuya with his sword raised to strike.
"Hado #33: Sokatsui." Byakuya spoke in his monotonous voice, with his hand extended in front of him. A jet of blue energy leapt from his hand, and engulfed the charging captain as Byakuya's petals returned to his side ready to defend him.
When the blue fire receded, Kenpachi Zaraki was unmarked and grinning. He didn't bother to speak again and instead leapt forwards with his sword gripped in his right hand. He brought the unnamed Zanpakuto down in a savage blow, attempting to cleave Byakuya in two, and his grin did not subside when the cloud of petals came from the side and knocked his blade off course. Instead, the Captain just laughed again and did something Ichigo was sure Byakuya considered unthinkable; his unarmed hand clenched into a fist, swung out, and connected with the other Shinigami's nose.
As Byakuya stumbled back, taken off guard, Kenpachi raised his sword. Ichigo believed that he would have ended the fight then and there had Soi Fon not interrupted.
"Captain Zaraki!" The man turned his head to get a look at who had spoken and Soi Fon continued. "What are you doing?!"
"Eh? What's it look like?" Zaraki leant his blade on his shoulder and turned to face Ichigo and Soi Fon.
"It looks like you are attacking a fellow captain without provocation!" Soi Fon answered.
"Yeah, that sounds about right." Zaraki shrugged. "'S part of the punishment your boyfriend gave him."
Soi Fon turned ever so slightly pink, and Ichigo wondered if the others present would notice. "That punishment was to take place in a controlled environment! Under the supervision of at least three other captains! How dare you ignore the Captain Commander's orders?!"
"I got bored." Zaraki answered promptly. "Why should I have to wait, when we're gonna fight some time?!"
"Because it's against the law to just attack a fellow Shinigami, especially a Captain!" Soi Fon returned. "You are fortunate that we're preparing for war, or you would be disciplined for attacking Captain Kuchiki!"
"Pff. The old man would just make me do some paperwork. No-one'll care that the traitor got attacked." Kenpachi waved off her anger, and scratched the back of his head with his Zanpakuto.
Soi Fon fumed silently, but the confrontation was prevented from continuing as she and Ichigo both sensed incoming Reiatsu signatures beyond Rukia who had apparently gone to alert others to the current situation; Ichigo wondered briefly why she had gone to him first.
In a muted flash, the Captains of Divisions 7, 8 and 10 appeared in the vicinity, as well as their Lieutenants. Toshiro Hitsugaya had his hand on his blade's hilt and Sajin Komamura had his drawn and held aloft.
"What's goin' on here, Captain Soi Fon?" Shunsui asked the lawful captain, with an eyebrow raised and an easygoing smile on his face. Ichigo noted that the hilts of both his blades were uncovered by the pink Kimono the senior captain wore; he'd be able to draw them more quickly that way.
Yoruichi arrived as he finished talking, and Ichigo noted Soi Fon's stiffening at the Goddess of Flash's appearance. It wasn't all that surprising, and he couldn't blame Soi for her aggravation.
"Myself and Ichigo Kurosaki received word from Rukia Kuchiki that her brother, Byakuya Kuchiki, had been attacked by Captain Zaraki and came here immediately in an attempt to intervene. The two were engaged in a fight when we arrived, and I feel it is safe to say that Kenpachi Zaraki was both instigator and aggressor." She glared at the bell-wearing captain who now looked bored, and continued. "By all appearances he was attempting to engage Captain Kuchiki in a brawl to the death."
"Is this true, Captain Zaraki?" Shunsui asked, without any hint of worry in his tone.
"Yeah," Kenpachi answered, equally unconcerned with the subject matter.
"Hm." Kyoraku made a noise of acknowledgement, but Soi Fon apparently did not consider this adequate.
"How do you expect him to be punished, Captain Kyoraku?" She asked, with a frown.
"Punished?" Shunsui sounded surprised. "He probably won't be. No harm was done, and there's gonna be a fight between them soon anyway. Maybe Captain Zaraki'll get a slap on the wrist, but this ain't out of character. Yama-jii knows 'bout Captain Zaraki's tendencies." To be honest, Ichigo agreed with him on the point; one didn't hire a Kenpachi without knowing him to be psychotic. Obviously, he didn't voice this.
Soi Fon bristled, and would have spoken again if she wasn't interrupted. Ichigo hadn't realised how much the Second Division Captain hated Zaraki, but guessed it was the contrast between composure and bloodlust.
"Calm down, little Bee." Yoruichi said, in an almost reassuring tone. "The Captain Commander will weigh the situation, and isn't going to act rashly. Especially since he's in charge now, instead of being subservient to the Central 46. We need Captain Zaraki for the war to come, remember."
"I know that!" Soi Fon's composure slipped at her ex-mentor's words, though Ichigo couldn't say if it was the use of the nickname or the implication that she didn't understand that Kenpachi would be of use. "But attacking one's allies goes against the law of the Soul Society! It can't be excused! Especially not at a time like this, when our own are betraying us!"
"Oh, lighten up," Yoruichi berated softly. "Zaraki isn't betraying us. Byakuya owes him a fight anyway." Speaking of which, Ichigo noted that Kenpachi was eyeing the Kuchiki noble almost hungrily. Maybe the fight should take place sooner rather than later.
Soi Fon's jaw clenched, and everyone was silent as her hand twitched towards her sheathed Zanpakuto. Ichigo felt a twinge of worry at the idea of her attacking Yoruichi; neither came out of the first battle unscathed, and the ill-will that time had fallen away quite easily. It seemed as though Soi Fon was more affected by this betrayal of trust than the previous; he guessed because it was far more recent than Yoruichi's leaving.
Ichigo debated intervening, even as Soi Fon's eyes lit up, and she came up with a plan to get back at the shapeshifting goddess. Ichigo first noticed a frown appear on Yoruichi's face, as he was stood next to Soi Fon, and then followed her gaze to the black haired female. She had a wicked smirk on her face, and Ichigo found himself irrationally nervous as Soi Fon turned to face him.
Then, the smirk flickered into a genuine smile. She stood on her tiptoes, and raised her hands to take hold of Ichigo's face and pull him down to meet her.
His mind went blank, as she kissed him, and Ichigo vaguely noted the sound of a growl from the sidelines as he sank into the feeling of Soi Fon's soft lips against his.