Summary: A simple quiet dinner with pleasant conversation.
"This is more than room." Uryuu said as he looked around the 'hotel room' Nemu had rented.
It was actually a cottage, separate from the main hotel building. The innkeeper had guided them with an old fashioned lantern through the gardens to the path leading to the house and was showing them the amenities.
"We have your dinner all laid out on the table for you." He said. "Please eat it quickly before it gets cold."
He waved his hand to indicate the table set before the open sliding doors leading to the outside porch.
Uryuu walked past the table to look outside.
"Is that a hot spring?" He asked.
"You are most perceptive young sir." The innkeeper replied. "Yes, this cottage has its own bathing area, fenced off for maximum privacy. The bedroom is over here, with extra futons and blankets in this closet. The toilet facilities are here, already stocked with sundries. If you need anything, our facility guide with the room service menu is right here next to the phone."
"Everything looks fine, thank you." Nemu said.
The innkeeper put his shoes on in the entryway and picked up his lantern.
"I'll leave you to your dinner then. Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything, anything at all."
With a smile and a bow, he backed out of the door, closing it behind him. His footsteps echoed in the night as he walked back to the main building.
Uryuu looked at Nemu. She looked back at him. She smiled.
"We should probably do as he says." She said as she gestured towards the table.
The food did look great. It was a kaiseki style meal with many small dishes of various kinds. They knelt down on the cushions next to the low table sitting opposite from each other.
"Itadaki-masu." Uryuu said as he picked up his chopsticks.
The food was piping hot having been cooked fresh only minutes before. Nemu had called ahead to have it prepared before their arrival. Traditionally, in the real world, a dinner like this cost a lot.
"Nemu, isn't all of this expensive?" He asked.
"I have some money saved up." She replied. "Mayuri-sama has to pay me in accordance with my rank as required by the Gotei 13. I never know what to do with it."
Uryuu frowned when she mentioned Captain Mayuri.
"The last time I saw your father, he didn't seem too upset by your capture."
Nemu seemed to take the news in stride.
"We're not getting along well lately." She said. "After he was censured by the Captain-Commander, he became very tense. He would hardly speak to me. He would be civil when we did talk, but there was always this undercurrent that made me very uncomfortable. It's another reason I began to volunteer for away missions."
"What's going to happen now?" Uryuu said. "Is he going to keep sending you into harm's way until you don't come back?"
"Don't put it that way." Nemu said. "They are legitimate assignments. Besides, it has given me some time to think."
"Oh?" Uryuu said. "About what?"
"About what I do. Who I am." She replied. "Lately, I've come to question my life. For as long as I can remember, I've always done whatever I was told. I started to wonder what I would rather be doing. No matter how I look at it, I can't see doing anything else. It's not that I can't picture myself in another division or pursuing another specialty. It's just that I've come to realize I actually enjoy what I do."
Uryuu looked shocked. Nemu saw she had to clarify quickly.
"No, no. Not what you are thinking. Not…hurting people. No, I mean making new discoveries. Inventing new things. We study a lot of things in the twelfth division. Computers, plants, microorganisms. There are so many things to learn and to try. It makes me feel useful and fulfilled."
"Not everything you do is positive." Uryuu said. "Captain Mayuri seems to have no regard for how his research is conducted. How can you reconcile your enjoying your work with the very real harm you do?"
"That's a good question." Nemu replied. "I've given that a lot of thought as well. Take a look around you."
She waved her hand to indicate the room. "What do you see?"
Uryuu gave it some thought.
"I t looks like a traditional ryokan." He said.
"But there are some concessions to modernity." Nemu said. "Like this one."
She got up and retrieved a remote from a nearby shelf. Punching a button, music from a stereo he hadn't noticed filled the room with slow-tempo samisen music.
"Soul Society is much like this room." Nemu continued. "We do things the same as we have for centuries. We make a few changes, like using cell phones and computers when we can see a clear advantage. The problem as I can see it is we are importing tools, new ways to do things, but not the new ways of thinking."
She sat back down to the table. "There is something the real world has that we desperately need, only we didn't know it. We need to import modern ethics. Researchers in the real world weigh the possibility of what can be gained against what it will cost. If it is likely to cause needless pain and suffering, they look for alternatives, like computer simulations or sometimes abandon the research altogether. Mayuri-sama has to be made to understand that facts are not always more important than lives."
"How are you going to do that?" Uryuu asked. "He doesn't strike me as the type to listen to other people."
"I may not succeed." Nemu said. "That doesn't mean I shouldn't try. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't"
"If you don't succeed, what will you do then?" Uryuu asked.
Nemu sat quietly as she turned the question over in her mind. "I don't know." She said. "I'll have to deal with that when it happens."
She clapped her hands. "Enough! Tonight is for relaxing and celebrating our good fortune."
She set two cups before her and picked up the bottle of sake from the table.
"Oh, none for me thanks. I'm underage." Uryuu said as she poured out the wine.
Nemu raised an eyebrow at him. "Considering who we are and the things we do, how much older do you think you're likely to get?"
She held out a cup to him. With a rueful grin he took it. While he never actually drank before, he had tasted sake once or twice. It was warmed to perfection and had an excellent bouquet.
"Kampai." He said before taking a deep drink.
Nemu drank as well and refilled their cups when they put them back on the table. The conversation moved to more personal things. What had happened since they last saw each other. How things were going in the real world. It was surprising how pleasant and easy the conversation flowed.
Nemu related how the fourth division was surprised by her visit and request for help. She went there regularly now to talk to a counselor there. It had helped to reduce her nightmares.
Uryuu told stories about the things happening in Karakura. Recent festivals and events. School activities. Silly things Ichigo, Keigo and the rest of the guys did. The latest handicrafts club news.
Time seemed to fly by as they talked and ate their dinner. Moonlight poured in from outside, the sound of the garden's fountain blending well with the music playing quietly in the background. They both had things to say about their recent adventure. Nemu didn't want to talk to him about her losing her memory or the days of terrifying hallucinations. She didn't feel it was necessary for him to know that now. She might tell him someday. Instead she told him about what she had observed and how she has been treated. She had several funny stories about the healer Patecatl and his wife Mayahuel.
Uryuu filled her in on the events leading up to her rescue.
"So then he pulls out the suit, and can you believe it, Rukia had drawn all over it to make it look like an actual bunny suit!" He said.
Nemu laughed. "I'm sure the look on his face was priceless." She started to fill their cups again.
"No more for me, please." He said. "I'm starting to feel a little dizzy." He winced slightly and started to rub his neck.
"I've seen you do that a few times now." she said. "Do you feel alright?"
"I've been getting some cramps or something in the back of my neck." He replied. "It's nothing."
"Here, let me look at it." She said as she got up.
"Don't worry about it." He said, "It's nothing, really."
Nemu put her cushion down behind him. "I'll be the judge of that. Now let me see."
She loosened up his yukata to expose his neck and upper back. She ran her hands lightly over his skin. The sensation sent shocks like electricity up and down his spine. He was suddenly very aware of how near she was.
"Yes, your muscles are very tense here." She said. "Let me work this out."
She began to massage the area at the base of his neck. He could feel the tension leaving as her fingers kneaded and pressed against the knots along his spine.
"How's that?" She asked.
"A little lower." He said.
He couldn't help but to groan with pleasure as she worked the sore, stiff areas on his back. He noticed she seemed to be wearing a rather subtle perfume that mixed with her own scent in intriguing ways.
"Better?" She asked
"Much better." He sighed.
"You know Uryuu-kun, I never properly thanked you for saving me." She said.
"You don't have to." He said. "I was just part of a team."
"That may be so, but that's not the whole truth." She said. "You didn't have to come with them. You didn't have to take the lead."
"I couldn't pass up an opportunity to make the shinigami look bad." He joked. "Quincy honor was at stake. Besides, you did more than your fair share in the escape. I owe you just as much as you owe me. "
She stopped massaging his neck and drew him close in a hug. "Nonetheless, as far as I'm concerned, you're my hero. Thank you."
His heart was pounding in his ears. He wasn't sure what he should do. He reached up and squeezed her hand.
"You don't have to say that." He said. "I'm not really a hero, I just wanted to help."
He could feel her breath against his ear as she spoke. "I am glad you wanted to help. And now, I want to reward you."
Uryuu felt like his throat was closing up. "Rewar…?"
He coughed. "Reward me? Uh, that's…that's really not necessary."
"I insist." Nemu said.
To Uryuu's relief, she stood up. Her next words made him tense up again.
"There is something I want to do for you." She said as she moved towards her side of the table. "It's something I've never done for anyone else."
"Really." Uryuu croaked.
"Yes." She replied "This is something I usually do to make myself feel better. It's a very private thing. You'll be the first I show it to."
She picked up the remote for the stereo and looked for a certain song.
"I saw a dance troupe performing in the streets one day and I wished I could move like that. It was fascinating. I didn't dare try to take lessons, but I did get books from the library. When I have time to myself I practice in private. I don't think I'm very good. Still, I would like to perform for you."
Uryuu relaxed and chided himself for the bad things that had been going through his head . He felt absolutely foolish and he had only himself to blame. He tried to put his embarrassment out of his head and look forward to Nemu's dance.
She found the song she was looking for and strode out onto the porch carrying two fans. The song she had selected started to play. With the garden bathed in moonlight as her backdrop, she stood tall and graceful as she assumed the first form of her dance.
"Ishida Uryuu, great Quincy hero, here is my reward for you."
Her timing was impeccable. As soon as she finished speaking, the music struck a loud chord. In time with the music, she snapped open the first fan. Moving her arm in a graceful arc, she moved her arm upwards to the right swaying as she followed the fan first up, then down towards her side. The music struck another chord as she snapped the left fan, bringing her right hand back to her waist and following the arc of the fan towards her left side. Bringing her hand forward again in a slow arc, she brought it towards her body and held out the right fan. Placing her finger through the slats, she spun the fan in time to the music. Waiting for the correct musical cue, she then did the same with the left. With dream-like motions, she raised and lowered her arms, arcing and swaying her body in time with the music. With a snap, she tossed the spinning fans into the air and caught them. She closed the fans as the music's tempo picked up. Her dance now included steps as she opened and closed the fans, taking small steps that seemed to cover great distances as she interpreted the meaning of the music, conveying the feelings it created in her to her audience of one. Uryuu was enthralled by her elegance and dexterity. He couldn't have looked away if he tried. The tempo picked up once more, her steps still small and delicate, but faster. The fans snapped and whirled around her body as her movement became more pronounced. As the music built to its climax, she threw both fans into the air and knelt down to the floor. Without looking, she caught one behind her back and the other in the front covering her face except for her eyes. She held that pose as the music came to an abrupt stop. Uryuu was amazed. He was moved. It took him a few seconds before he could raise his hands to clap.
"Bravo Nemu!" he said as he applauded. "That was excellent."
Getting up from her pose, she broke out in a rare wide smile.
"You really think so?" she asked as she sat down next to him.
She was panting slightly from her performance. The heat from her body made her scent even more noticeable.
"Yes, that was absolutely beautiful." He said.
Nemu's face showed surprise.
"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked.
That's not exactly what he had said. Still, what he said next felt very natural.
"Yes. I think you're very beautiful."
Who can say which one started it? If you asked them, neither one could have told you who leaned in first. Their lips met and joined as the world shrank down to a small area within each other's arms. It seemed only natural to Uryuu to draw her close as he ran his hands down her back. Her arms entwined around his neck and her hands ran through his hair. Their lips parted and their tongues explored as the reveled in the new and exciting sensation of each other's touch and smell and taste.
Then Uryuu made a horrible mistake. He allowed himself to think.
Taking Nemu by the shoulders, he gently but firmly pushed her away.
"What are we doing?" he exclaimed.
"I should think it was obvious." Nemu said as she tried to lean forward again.
"No, stop. We shouldn't be doing this." He said.
Nemu was hurt. "You don't like me?" she asked. He could hear the quaver in her voice.
"Yes, I do." Uryuu replied. "That's why this is a problem. This…well, it just isn't right."
"I don't understand." Nemu said. The quaver in her voice was getting worse. "How are things not right? Is it me?"
Uryuu had to make his point fast. "No! No, there's nothing wrong with you."
He looked around the room. "It's just that things shouldn't happen this way. I mean, we should take more time to get to know one another. You should get flowers and candy and we should go on picnics and then later, over time, then maybe we would work up to, you know, this." He finished awkwardly.
Nemu sat back. She looked down towards the floor. She breathed deeply until she felt she was under control once more.
"I think I understand." She said. "I would like that too. A long courtship. Getting to know friends and relatives. Long days in the sun where we talk about our dreams. I really would like that. I wish I lived in that world."
She looked up at him. "We don't live in that world Uryuu. Less than a day ago, we nearly lost our lives. If we don't seize our happiness now, it may be too late tomorrow."
"Don't you see, that just makes it worse." Uryuu replied. "I don't want this just because our time may not last or for cheap physical reasons. This should be special for you, with someone who really cares about you."
She looked deep into his eyes. "Would being with me be only physical for you? Do you not care for me?"
"I do care for you Nemu." He said. "It's just that…"
His mouth opened and closed. It was just what? Why did he have such a hard time articulating his feelings.
"You're not sure?" Nemu said. "You think you may not care about me that way?"
Uryuu nodded sadly. "Everything's happening so fast. I feel confused. I don't know what my heart is saying."
"Then let me help you." Nemu said. "I'm not confused at all. You are a good man Ishida Uryuu. We have shared each other's world. We have shared each other's burdens. My heart tells me the right thing to do. I want to share it with you."
She placed his palm against her chest. He could feel her heart pounding strongly in her chest. "There is no confusion in my heart. Whatever happens, I know what I am feeling and those feelings are true. Share my heart with me Uryuu. Let it lead you to your truth. Find out what it is you truly feel."
They gazed at each other for a long time as her heart beat strong and steady against his palm.
"Tell me Uryuu." She said. "Do you feel you are ready to share your heart with me?"
Her pulse sped up as once again she leaned forward. It was a huge risk. If he pulled away, she didn't know what she would do. Slowly, hesitantly, she moved towards him. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Her breath sounded loud in her ears. She needn't have worried.
Again, their world was only as wide as their arms as they embraced, this time with no doubts and no misgivings. Nemu was the one to stop this time. She said not a word, but took Uryuu's hand and rose to her feet. He gave no resistance as he followed her. With a smile, she led him towards the bedroom.