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Chapter 17: Comfort

Jushiro had been in the process of going after Miya when he had suddenly been stopped by the head captain. Although he had tried to avoid being engaged by the long winded captain, the old man had not taken the hint. As a result, Jushiro had been obligated to stand there for a few minutes and listen to him speak. Or, at least he pretended to be listening to him. In actuality, he wasn't paying attention at all. All he could think about was Miya.

He had never seen Miya look so upset before. As she had ran out of the room, she had had the look of a china doll sitting on the edge of a table who knew that she was about to be knocked off the edge and shattered to pieces. Thinking about that look, Jushiro couldn't suppress the feeling of unease and apprehension it stirred in him. What on earth could have upset her so much?

"Head Captain, I'm sorry but I have to go," he finally abruptly interrupted the old man. Jushiro saw the head captain's jaw hang open slightly and his eyes widen in surprise. He quickly turned and headed towards the exit not even caring to apologize for his rudeness. He knew he'd be in trouble for it later.

But at that moment, he couldn't have cared less.

Once he was outside he searched the area for Miya's reitsau, but she was hiding it like she usually did and he found no trace of it. Anxious, he began to shunpo back towards the Thirteenth Division to look for her. His anxiety grew measure by measure as he passed each division. By the time he reached the Tenth Division grounds, he had a sinking feeling in his stomach knowing full well that she couldn't have made it that far yet on foot. Convincing himself that someone might have shunpoed her home, he continued heading to the Thirteenth Division. When he got to the Thirteenth Division barracks, he could see from downstairs that her light was off but decided to check if she was there anyways. He went upstairs and knocked on her door.

There was no answer.

He reached up and knocked again, this time more forcefully. Still there was no answer. The sinking pit in his stomach grew deeper still and he knocked once again even louder than before.

"Captain Ukitake?" Jushiro turned to see two of his female division members who he had hadn't even noticed before standing in the otherwise empty hallway.

"Good evening," he said, "Have either of you seen Miss Miya recently?" he asked, too worried to care that his voice sounded a little desperate.

"No, I haven't," said the first tall blonde shinigami.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"We've both been standing out here for a while. We would have seen her if she had come in recently. Is everything—"

Jushiro never heard the end of the sentence because he immediately shunpoed back outside and began heading back towards the First.

He couldn't understand why in the world he was so anxious, although she looked upset, he had no reason to believe that she was in any immediate danger. But still, he couldn't stop the knot that was rapidly forming in his throat or deny the impending sense of doom that filled his thoughts making his pulse race and his throat become dry.

He began shunpoing through the Seireitei blindly, checking for her reitsau every few seconds but still he found nothing. His anxiety kept building until a few moments later when he felt something that made him stop dead in his tracks.

Somewhere in the woods nearby, he felt Miya's reitsau flare.

His initial reaction was one of relief. He was relieved that she was close by, that fact allowing him to dispel the terrible scenarios that had formed in his mind involving her being abducted and taken out of the Seireitei and far, far away.

His relief however was short lived.

A few moments after the reitsau flare, Miya's reitsau spiked violently, as it had the first night they had met and she had been injured.

He was headed through the woods and towards her before he even knew that he was moving. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw her green dress shimmering in the light of the moon through the trees up ahead, but as he broke through the tree line and caught sight of her, his heart stopped for a moment and his blood ran cold.

Miya lay sprawled with her back pressed to the cold ground with a yellow glowing kido blocking bar pinning each one of her hands to the ground. Three shinigami stood around her and a fourth lay on top of her pinning her down. .

"Stupid bitch," said one of the shinigami who was standing over her before he abruptly pulled the one who was pinning her down out of the way. "This was my favorite pair of pants. You're going to pay for ruining it." Miya's head lolled to the side and her eyes closed. The shinigami who had been pinning her down began to pull Miya's dress up as the lanky one who had just spoken went to kneel between her legs.

His knees never made it to the ground. Jushiro yanked the lanky shinigami away from Miya and delivered a hard punch to his face that sent the shinigami stumbling backwards. Jushiro quickly turned to check on Miya.

"Miya? Miya?" he called as he went to bend down to check on her. A surge of relief ran through him when he felt the drum of her pulse in her neck against his fingers. She had been knocked unconscious, but she was alive. A sudden flare of foreign reitsau made him turn around.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" yelled the lanky shinigami as he roughly wiped a trail of blood that had dribbled from his split lip with his right hand. In his other hand he clutched tightly onto the handle of a zanpakuto..

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Jushiro, black rage in his voice.

"Us?" replied the lanky shinigami with a laugh, "We were just about to have a good old time till you decided to bust on in here." Jushiro heard a rustling sound and turned around to see that the three other shinigami had also pulled their zanpakutos out and had assumed defensive stances. "Now mind your own business and fuck off," spat the lanky shinigami.

"No," said Jushiro as his hand went to reach for his zanpakuto, only to realize the next moment that it wasn't there, it had been left at home with his shinigami uniform and his captain's haori.

"Suit yourself. You can stay and watch, I don't care," the shinigami took a step closer to him "If you shut your trap and stay out of the way, we might even let you have a go once we're done with her." The right corner of the shinigami's bloody mouth turned up into an ugly smirk. "Now get the fuck out of my way."

"I'm not going to do that," replied Jushiro through his teeth.

"Suit yourself." With that, the shinigami came charging towards him. Jushiro easily side stepped his forward attack before launching a kido ball towards the shinigami's stomach. The air was knocked out of the shinigami's stomach as he was blasted backwards fifteen feet before he crashed onto the ground. A second shinigami then came charging towards him. Jushiro effectively caught the shinigami's wrist as he was about to come down in an over the head attach and gripped it hard causing the shinigami to drop his zanpakuto. The shinigami then launched a punch towards Jushiro's face, but he was able to intersect it and caught his fist before quickly twisting his arm and then locking it behind his back. So caught up in what was going on, Jushiro failed to notice a third shinigami headed up right behind him until he was merely feet away. Jushiro turned and realizing that it was too late to move, he braced himself for the attack. A fraction of a second before the shinigami's zanpakuto was to make made contact with his back, large kido blocking bars appeared around his hands and feet effectively stopping him dead in his tracks. Confused, Jushiro turned around to see who had cast the kido spell that had stopped him from being run through.

A little ways down the path stood Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Captain Kuchiki?" asked Jushiro in disbelief as Byakuya slowly walked over to where he was. "What are you doing out here?" Byakuya didn't answer. He stopped walking and stood a few feet in front of him. His gaze shifted from the ground in front of him to where Miya lay behind him.

"Is she okay?" he asked. Although his face was expressionless, his voice was laced with anger. Jushiro quickly went back over to Miya and dispelled the kido blocking bars and did a more thorough check on her before answering.

"Yeah, she's fine," he said with a sigh of relief. "She's got a nasty bump on her head. But she'll be just fine," he said as he checked her head. "I got here before…well, in time." Jushiro saw Byakuya's jaw tighten a notch.

Ever so gently, Jushiro slid one arm under her knees and one arm under her back and lifted her up off the ground. She winced a little when her head made contact with his shoulder, but other than that, she didn't stir.

A chorus of groans escaped from the shinigami who had been injured. Looking to his right, Jushiro noticed for the first time the fourth shinigami with blonde hair standing near the tree line. He had apparently been in the process of running away before Byakuya had kido blocked him as well. Jushiro looked back at Miya who still lay unconscious in his arms.

" Byakuya, could you please take care of these four? I'm going to take Miss Miya home." Byakuya nodded solemnly and with that, Jushiro turned around and headed back towards the Thirteenth Division.

He shunpoed slowly, not wanting to jostle her injured head too much. When he arrived at her apartment, he found a key on the top of her door frame and used it to open the door. Once inside, he placed the key on her table before laying her down gently on the faded yellow couch in her living room.

He sat on the edge of her low wooden coffee table in front of the couch. On seeing her shiver slightly, he removed his coat and draped it over her. She began to stir and he held his breath and froze in place. After a few moments, a deep frown marred her face and her eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked around the room for a moment before her eyes finally focused in on him.

"Captain Ukitake?" she asked, confusion on her face and in her voice. "What are—How did—" And then the events that had just happened came back to her all at once and her eyes widened with fear and horror before she quickly sat up.

"Owww!" she exclaimed as she clutched the sides of her head in pain.

"Easy, easy," said Jushiro as he tried to soothe her. "Please lay back down."

"But—" she began to protest.

"You're alright," said Jushiro. "You hit you're head pretty hard, but you're going to be alright." Miya hesitated for a moment before she finally let her hands drop and laid back down.

"How did I get here?" she asked after a few moments.

"I found you out there and brought you back."

"Oh," was all she said. "How did you get in?"

"Well, I used the key you had on the doorframe outside."

"Oh, right," she said, only now remembering that she had left it there.

"You know you should probably think of a better place to hide your key. Since that was the first place I looked, I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to think that anyone who wanted to get in would eventually think to look there too. You could always get a fake rock or a potted plant to hide your it in."

"I'll put that on my list of things to do," she replied, her voice apprehensive. She looked away from him and then nervously began fidgeting with the fringe on one of the couch cushions.

"Um, is something wrong?" he asked, concerned. She didn't answer and the increasing look of worry that filled her face made him anxious. "What is it?"

"Uh, well, it's just that, when you found me," she said in a soft slightly shaky voice, "Did…." she trailed off, unable to finish. It took him a moment before he realized what she was referring to.

"Oh, no. Nothing like that." She let out a sigh and relief flooded her face. She turned back to look at him and winced from the movement. "Does it hurt a lot?" he asked.

"If you consider feeling like your head's been trampled by a heard of hollows bad, then yes," she said with a weak smile.

"Do you have any medicine here?" he asked.

"No. I don't keep any on hand considering how I hardly ever get sick."

"In that case," he said, "Try to hold still." He reached his left hand out towards her head.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked, her voice a little panicked.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said before he placed his hand on the right side of her head. At the initial contact, he saw her body tense, but it only lasted for a second. As soon as the healing kido passed through his hand, she relaxed and leaned into his palm. "Does that feel better?" he asked after a couple of minutes.

"Yes. Thank you," she said with a small smile. "I didn't realize that shinigami outside of the fourth division did healing kido."

"Most don't. I've always thought that it was an important thing to know though. It comes very handy in battle if you can heal your own minor injuries without having to rely on someone else to do it for you."

"I guess I should probably learn some more kido," she said with a sigh.

"It could definitely come in handy."

"I'll put that on my list of things to do too." Several minutes passed before Jushiro broke the silence.

"What were you doing all the way out in the woods anyways?" He asked, unable to wipe the pained expression she had on earlier that evening from his mind.

"Well, I saw Kazuma at the party and he said some things that shook me up a little. I was on my way home and thinking about the things he said and I guess I really wasn't paying too much attention to where I was going because before I knew it, I had no idea where I was."

"You must have been doing some intense thinking to have wandered up in the woods without even realizing it." She didn't reply and Jushiro took her silence as a confirmation.

"I was worried when I saw you leave."

"You were worried about me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Of course I was. How could you even think that I wouldn't be?" She didn't answer but merely looked away and began fidgeting with the cushion again.

"What Kazuma said," said Jushiro after a minute, "Is that what had you so upset when you left the party?" She nodded. "What did he say?"

"He said a lot of things that were complete crap, but then he said something that really got me thinking." She looked back and met his eyes with her own. "Captain Ukitake, do you think I've changed since I've been here?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Really?" she questioned, "How so?"

"You smile a lot more," he said with a smile.

"What? No I don't," she said her face becoming serious.

"Yes, you do," he replied. She gave him a skeptical look. "It's true. You might not realize it, but you do." She looked away and let out a short laugh which left a smile on her face. "See, there it is," he said as his thumb on the hand that cradled the side of her face ghosted over her cheekbone. She turned back to look at him with her dark brown eyes and for the longest moment, they stayed that way, neither one speaking or moving.

"I think my head's healed now," she finally said breaking the silence. She brought her hand up and gently removed the hand that had long ago stopped administering healing kido away from her head.

"Oh, right." He said and sat back. He looked around the room nervously before standing up. "It's late. I should go. He and began walking towards the front door.

"Wait!" he heard her exclaim before he felt her hand wrap around his right wrist. Stunned, he turned around to look at her. "Could, could you stay?" she asked, her cheeks turning a light pink. "Until I fall asleep?" Still stunned, he was unable to find his voice and merely nodded in response.

He sat down on floor between the couch and coffee table and leaned his back against the couch. Still clutching his hand, Miya laced her fingers through his and then held the back of his hand to her cheek. "Thank you," she said before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.

After a while, her breathing became even and Jushiro could tell that she had finally fallen asleep. Still, he couldn't bring himself to move from where he was. He had so anxious and worried earlier, and now it was such a pleasant feeling to know that she was sleeping safe and sound next to him.

Eventually, Jushiro's eyes drifted shut as well and he fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

Jushiro was once again pulled out of his sleep by a sudden reitsau spike. Being woken up so suddenly, he had been left dazed and confused. He opened his eyes and blinked the sleep form them as he took in his surroundings. The early morning light filtered in to the room past the open dark green curtains and it wasn't until he heard a ruffling sound behind him remembered where he was.

Turning around, he saw Miya shifted slightly for a moment before stilling and falling back into a peaceful sleep. She definitely was a sight to see. Her long black hair had become undone and now hang in loose curls that framed her face and cascaded down her shoulders. The early morning light illuminated her face giving it a soft golden glow and all the hard lines that normally crossed her face were gone.

She had changed so much over the past few months. Not only had she begun to smile more, but she had also become less guarded. In the beginning, she had always been on guard—afraid to let the emotions in her heart show on her face. But over time, her carefully crafted façade had begun to fall away. And now, here she was—completely vulnerable and unguarded yet comfortable enough to be so in his presence.

And somehow, over the past few months, he had changed as well. Over the past few years, Jushiro had come to terms with the idea that maybe he was meant to be alone. He hadn't been too thrilled about it, but at least he had accepted it. He had learned to live like a reanimated corpses—not completely alive, but also not completely dead. But after having met Miya, everything changed. Now, the idea of being alone seemed torturous and the thought of losing her was too terrible to bear.

The only sound in the room now was the soft even rhythm of Miya's breathing and the steady beat of his heart. She shifted in her sleep and he held his breath, afraid that the slightest bit of sound would wake her up. When she stopped shifting a few moments later, and he was confident that she wouldn't stir again, he resumed breathing. He went to stand up and that's when he realized that she was still holding his hand.

Her delicate thin fingers were intertwined with his own and laying near her face. A second later, as if his realization had triggered it, Miya sighed in her sleep and squeezed his hand. Suddenly, the sound of his heart beat became deafeningly loud in his ears as he realized what his heart had known all along.

He loved her.

The emotions had been there for a while now, sitting under the surface, waiting for him to realize what they were. And now, realizing how he felt, it didn't come as a great shock, just as an affirmation. He couldn't tell exactly how or when it had happened, but he had fallen in love with her. It was as simple as that.

Jushiro found himself wanting to stay where he was forever, but knowing that she would probably be waking up soon, he slowly pulled his hand out of hers. She frowned and stirred a little at the loss of the contact before finally turning to face the couch and continued sleeping. He walked to the front door and with one last glance back on her sleeping form, he stepped out into the hallway, shutting and locking the door behind him.

Having left his coat with Miya, he instantly felt a rush of cold air hit him. He began tucking the bottom of his shirt that had somehow come untucked during the night back into the top of his pants as he made his way towards the stairs.

A flare of reitsau form nearby made him look up.

"Byakuya," he said in surprise when he caught sight of the Sixth Division Captain. Byakuya also wore the same clothes he had on the night before and if this red nose was a good indicator, he had been standing out in the cold for a while no. "What are you doing here?" There was a pause before he answered.

"I was just in the area and decided to stop by and make sure that Miss Tanaka was alright."

"Yeah, she's fine. I took care of her head and she's sleeping now. You shouldn't bother her. She's tired and needs to rest." Jushiro finished tucking in his shirt. He saw Byakuya's hand clench for a few moments before he let it relax again.

"I see," said Byakuya before looking away. "I'm glad to hear that she's alright." And with that, Byakuya shunpoed away leaving Jushiro alone in the empty hallway.

A/N: Boor Byakuya! I think he might have gotten the wrong idea at the end of this chapter.

A million apologies that it took me so long to update! Please believe me when I say that I have a legitimate excuse for not doing so sooner.

It's not my style to not finish the things I begin, so I promise you that I will finish this story. How long it will take me though, I'm not completely sure. I'm about halfway through the next chapter and if I remained inspired, I might be able to crank out the next two chapters this weekend.

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. You guys are awesome!

Until next time!

-honkytonkangel1

Review Please :)