Chapter 6
They came into Karakura town and Aoi looked around, biting her lip. "I think the count was off." She counted at least twenty. "Kira, you keep an eye on me. If I drop, please just put me somewhere out of the way so I don't get trampled, please." He nodded. "Please try not to drop."
"I'll have to handle at least ten. I can't guarantee I won't lose steam like yesterday. I apologize now."
She didn't wait for a response, and Kira could hear her shouts as she flew away. "Senbon Hikari! Senbon Ai!"
The rainbow trailed behind her as she ran at the closest one.
Kira turned to Renji, who just stared as the first one shattered like glass. "Let's head out."
Byakuya nodded, but watched for a second longer, till she'd impaled the second one.
Byakuya had taken down about six when he looked around. The last one was currently in the final stages of battle with Zabimaru and he looked over, not finding Aoi anywhere. He frowned and walked over by where she'd last seen her, not surprised to find her laid out on top of one of the buildings. He bent down and tried to wake her, to no response. Kira was there in a second. "Yesterday she took all six down herself. If you took out six and we took out four, that means she took out ten herself before dropping. That's pretty good." Kira smiled at her and bent down to pick her up, surprised when Byakuya did so instead. He held her easily in one arm and Kira looked up, a want to protest jumped into him, but he knew better, not against Byakuya. "You're wrong."
Kira looked at him, confused. "The initial count was wrong. There weren't twenty, there were twenty-three. She handled thirteen Menos Grande in ten minutes." Byakuya looked at her and nodded. "We need to get back. She needs rest."
"She'll be fine in about half an hour. She heals quickly." Byakuya nodded. "That doesn't surprise me. With her stamina, she'd need to." Kira nodded, sighing. "Let's go back."
He headed to the gate, Renji and Byakuya in tow.
They got back to the third squad area just in time for her to wake up. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes before realizing she was being held. "Kira, sorry for being a bother again..." she looked up and nearly screamed, all the blood rushing into her cheeks. "Byakuya-Taicho! I'm so sorry!" He let her down as she bowed low, trying to hide her blush and keep what little dignity she had left. "I didn't mean to burden you!" He shook his head. "You need to go rest. There will probably be another group tomorrow, and the new captain almost always gets the mission." She nodded. "Thank you for the advice. I'll do that." She turned and walked away, fighting down the blush. "Oh, I feel so stupid!" She gasped as Kira caught up to her. "Are you alright?" She nodded.
"I'm embarrassed as hell, but I'm fine." She sighed and they kept walking.
True to her word, they got back to the third squad area and she went to her room. "If I'm not out in an hour, can you come get me?" She looked over at Kira who nodded, flipping through a few papers that had come in since they'd been gone.
She walked into her room and laid down, feeling hands on herself. She was stuck with this odd feeling of sadness, but she couldn't figure out why.
An hour later Kira knocked at her door and got no answer. He frowned as he entered her quarters, surprised by the blue furniture that adorned the honey colored wood tables and floors and paper walls. He actually liked it. He walked through to her kitchen, finding the red also interesting. He reached the bedroom and knocked at the door. "Aoi-Taicho?" He waited and sighed, knocking again before groaning. He was going to have to go in. He opened the door and entered, oddly liking the purple bedroom. It was a lighter purple, like a periwinkle and he nodded. He looked over at the futon and recognized the form on the bed. He walked over and knelt down, gently shaking her.
"Aoi-Taicho?" He spoke softly and he was sure that at some level he didn't really want to wake her. She seemed so peaceful. She turned so she was facing up, as her back had been to him and her laid out around her. Her hand gently reached up to her lip and she bit her finger as her eyes clenched.
Kira found himself just watching her for a moment before trying to rouse her again. "Aoi-Taicho?"
She reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling her into the bed with him in her sleep and he gasped as she rolled over, his arm stuck under her head. She pulled his arm to her chest and Kira laid there, now too terrified to allow her to wake. She would eventually, though. What would he do then?
She rolled back over, her face now in his chest and he looked down at her, her hand resting on his hip and he had to do everything in his power to keep from bleeding profusely from his nose.
This was so wrong! The new captain was passed out in his arms and all he could do was stare, his arm stuck under her head. "Aoi?"
"Please..." She whimpered, causing Kira to freeze. Was she awake? Did she know that she'd done this to him?
"Are you awake?" He asked but she didn't answer, she just nuzzled her face against his chest and he sighed, resigning to this.
It was about an hour later that he woke, her still against his chest, her cheek against the skin just under his neck and he had to keep from moaning at the sensation.
She slowly looked up at him and he looked down at her, scared out of his mind, but oddly calm. "I came to wake you up and you pulled me into bed. You were asleep on my arm." She nodded, but it took her a second to sit up and free the appendage. "Why do I feel that I should be more responsive to this?" She yawned, stretching and reached up, her hair stick forming in her hand. She twisted her hair up in about a second before standing and looking down.
She was in the normal shinigami outfit, as she didn't want to damage her obi or Taicho's haori in her sleep. "I'm sorry to have pulled you from your duties like that."
Kira sat up and yawned, stretching. "I came to wake you up about an hour ago. After you wouldn't release my arm I ended up sleeping." He looked up to see her response and was surprised to see her smiling at him, now on her knees on the bed. "I hope you slept well." He nodded, completely surprised by her.
It dawned on him.
Like getting hit in the back of the head by a Kempachi, like being struck by lightening three times in a row.
He didn't want Byakuya to hold her.
He didn't want her to like Byakuya.
He didn't like that Kyouraku and Ukitake were telling her everyone had a crush on her.
He couldn't stand to see her upset.
He wanted her to lay back down.
He wanted her to be near him.
He really did have a crush on her.
He stood, eyes wide, and stepped back."I should go." She looked up, curious. "Why?"
"It's inappropriate. I apologize." He bowed lightly before backing out of her room.
He got to the door and froze. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't do this every day. He couldn't just pretend he didn't feel something.
He was doomed.
He turned back to her door and called in. ""I'm headed out for a bit. Can you handle things here without me?"
"I think I can. You've taught me well." He could hear the smile in her voice and it made him cringe.
He took off as fast as he could.
"MATSUMOTO!!" He burst into the office, seeing both Hitsugaya and Matsumoto staring at him. "What?! What's happened?!?"
"Switch me squads!!" Hitsugaya's eyes widened at the thought. "I accept!"
"I don't! Kira, what's happened?" He looked over at Hitsugaya and walked over, falling to his knees before the captain. "Please, Hitsugaya-Taicho, tell me, what are your feelings about Aoi-Taicho?!"
Matsumoto burst into laughter as the young captain frowned. "She's like a little sister. Is there something wrong with her?" Kira bowed his head, starting to shake. "She doesn't like to be lifted. She's always smiling, even if the world around her cracked and fell to pieces, she would smile. She doesn't always understand people's thoughts or actions, but she's so curious about this world that she notices everything. That's the problem, she'll notice! I can't do this! I can't pretend like this! What am I supposed to do?!?"
He looked over at Matsumoto, eyes wide.
"So, you've fallen for her." Matsumoto grinned and Kira nodded. "She has a crush on Byakuya. I'm totally outdone by him! I'm not one to have this happen to! The last time I had a crush on someone it was just a little thing and I gave it up to come here!"
"Have you ever really had a girlfriend?" Matsumoto asked, leaning against the corner of the desk and Kira shook his head. "I haven't. The one crush I had was unrequited. I became a shinigami to get away from that. Now what do I do?"
He looked over at Hitsugaya. "Can you just kill me now, get it over with?" Hitsugaya frowned. "Kira, stop acting like a drama queen. So you have a crush, get over it. If she has a thing for Byakuya, there's only two things you can do." Kira looked up, hopeful. "You can get over it and leave it be, or you can confess to her and have faith that she'll realize you like her and Byakuya doesn't."
"He does..." Kira groaned, hitting his head on the table. "What?!" Matsumoto jumped up. "We had a mission earlier. She passed out." Hitsugaya's eyes widened. "What?"
"After taking out thirteen Menos Grande herself she was spent. She asked me to take care of her if that happened, but Byakuya beat me to her. He carried her back. When I told her she was being too formal he told me she was just formal enough for herself. I thought I was about to die! How do I compete with him? How could I stand any chance against him?"
"You can't." Kira turned, seeing Renji in the doorway. "Byakuya can barely pay attention to what he's doing right now. I've had to take over the paperwork as he keeps assigning everyone to take over for the fourth squad. He tried to tell me earlier I could handle the fifteen Menos by myself. He only went after discovering Aoi-Taicho was going as well."
Kira's head hit the table again. "As a matter of fact, I was supposed to go ask her something, but I can't find her. Do you know where she is?" Kira nodded.
"Either in the office, or in her room next to it." Renji shook his head. "She's not there. I already looked." Kira's eyes widened. "What?" He took off at light speed out the door, leaving Matsumoto grinning like an idiot and Hitsugaya thinking that Kira's become a total nutcase. "Was that all true?"
"It is." Renji frowned. "Byakuya wanted to invite her to dinner tonight, but we can't find her."
"I was planning another get together tonight. Why don't you two come with us? Aoi will be there." Renji frowned. "You've already asked her?"
"I did. Last night, remember, Taicho?" She looked over at Hitsugaya who nodded. "You didn't ask, you told her. I don't think she was complaining, though." Renji nodded. "Time?"
"Ten, at the training grounds out of town." Renji nodded. "Alright. I'll let him know. Matsumoto, thanks." Renji turned and took off, but Matsumoto noticed he didn't go in the direction of his squad, instead headed out the other direction.
He was going to look for her.
"Taicho?" Hitsugaya waved his hand, dismissing her. She smiled and turned, headed out as well.
Kira was about to start panicking at the office by the time Matsumoto got there. "He was right, she's not in her room. She's not in the office. I can't think of where she'd go, though!"
"Go check town and see if she's anywhere that sells dango."
"What?" Kira looked over and Matsumoto nodded. "She loves dango."
"She loves all sweet things, but she's used to making them herself. Maybe she went to get some candies or something." He turned and headed out. He didn't find her in the shops. He thought. Maybe she'd gone to the training grounds. He checked there.
There was one more place he could think of.
It only took him a moment to get there, he knocked at the door a little harder than he'd expected and winced as his hand throbbed. "Come in."
Kira opened the door with wide eyes. "Please, tell me she's come here?" Kira's eyes were wide when he opened the door, but just looking at him was getting on poor Kira's nerves. "You'll have to be more specific." Byakuya's soft voice traveled the room, the scent from the tea was almost calming.
"Aoi-Taicho is missing. Renji and Matsumoto are looking for her, but I can't think of where she's gone to. Please, has she come here?" Byakuya's head was now fully looking over at the blond man in the doorway. "She hasn't. How long has she been missing?"
"No longer than twenty minutes." Byakuya frowned. "Maybe she wanted a little quiet time. She's strong and careful, I'm sure she's fine."
"Did you hear about two days ago? She got beaten up by one of the shinigami. She lied and said she'd been attacked by a hollow. I punished the one who did it, only to find out an hour later that she'd been stabbed. She may be strong, but she won't defend herself against other shinigami. She's afraid she'll kill them." Byakuya stood.
"That is a problem. Where was she last seen?"
It was about five minutes that Byakuya had sent out fifteen of his shinigami after her. Kira took off, running.
He eventually ran across an older area, one that he currently frequented. The third squad arena. He found her in the center, pulling weeds and such, grinning as she looked around. "Aoi!" He slid to the ground next to her and gasped for air. "Kira! Are you alright?!" She jumped up, wiping sweat from her forehead, smudging dirt across her brow. Her obi and haori weren't on her and for a second he wondered how he knew it was her. "We've been looking everywhere for you! We've all been so worried!" Kira raised his hand, throwing a kidou ball into the air to alert the others that she'd been found. "I wasn't gone that long! Has something happened?!"
He froze. Something did, but he didn't have the courage to tell her like this. "No..."
"Then why so worried? I can handle a few weeds, I promise you that." She smiled and he thudded to the ground, resting on his knees.
"Is everything alright?" Aoi turned to see Renji, Matsumoto and Hitsugaya behind her. "Everything is wonderful! I was just thinking that this old arena should be put to use! Wouldn't it be nice to clean it up?" She looked over at Kira who stared at her with wide eyes. His mind flashed back to Amagai, saying about the same thing and for a second he was terrified.
Matsumoto could sense the tension, and thinking it was something else asked. "What would you do with it?"
"I don't know, maybe a squad training ground, maybe we could hold some sort of show. We could do battles and give awards and prizes to the winners! What do you think, Kira?" She looked over, all excited and was surprised when she heard his whisper. "no..." He turned and ran, leaving the arena as quickly as possible. "Uh," Aoi waved around quickly before chasing after him.
Matsumoto looked over at Hitsugaya with a smile. "Did you notice? Both times she asked she was talking specifically to Kira." She smiled and was surprised when Byakuya responded. "He is the vice captain, and with her being a new captain she should ask about this, if nothing more than a formality."
"She likes him. I can tell." She smiled and Byakuya's eyes narrowed at her. "I best get back to work." He turned and was gone in an instant. Matsumoto looked over at Renji who was staring at her wide eyed. "Seriously? I thought us Fukutaicho had to stick together! You're making me deal with this..." He groaned before headed back to his squad's area.
Hitsugaya looked over at her with a half smile. "So, you're siding with Kira, then?"
"In your office he was on the verge of tears. He really cares about her. I don't know what's up with Kuchiki-Taicho, but I don't think that man truly has emotions." She frowned before headed back up to her bed/office.