Linake awoke to the sensation of Kenpachi's rough hand rubbing down her bare back. She didn't even remember him taking her to bed and figured she must have fallen asleep on him after their intense bout of lovemaking.

"What time is it?" Lianke asked.

Kenpachi cleared his throat before he answered, his voice husky from sleep.

"Almost four in the morning." He answered.

Linake tightened her arm around his ribs rubbing her face against his chest.

"I'm sorry I passed out on you." She replied.

Kenpachi chuckled.

"Its fine, woman." He stated.

Linake pulled back from him, propping herself up on her elbow so she could look at him. Both of his light green eyes met her gaze, and she smiled when she realized he'd left his eye patch off again.

"Everything okay?" She asked, sensing something was bothering him.

"Just been thinkin'" he answered.

"Want to talk about it?" Linake offered.

Kenpachi sighed as he averted his gaze.

"So much is happening between us, I feel like you deserve some explanations." Kenpachi admitted.

Linake's brow furrowed at his statement.

"Explanations?" She repeated.

"A lot happened to me during the Quincy war, I want you to know about it." He continued.

Linake's lips parted as realization hit her—was he about to confide in her about his battle with the former Kenpachi?

Linake had to admit she had had questions about a lot of things, but always felt it was not her place to ask them. All the information she had gotten had been from a third party, Isane Kotetsu.

The Captain of Squad 4 had taken it upon herself to explain what she had been told by her previous captain, and Linake almost felt that Isane had been trying to reassure Linake that Kenpachi was still a good man, even if he had killed the previous captain of Squad 4, the first Kenpachi, Yachiru Unohana.

Linake inhaled a deep breath before she sat up in the bed, pulling the blanket over her exposed breasts.

"I'm willing to listen if you want to tell me." Linake stated.

"How much do you know about it?" Kenpachi asked her.

Linake sighed.

"Probably more than you realize." She admitted.

"Tch, is there anything about me you haven't been told about by someone else?" Kenpachi growled.

Linake pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, not wanting this to turn into some kind of unnecessary argument.

"Who did you talk to?" Kenpachi asked.

"Isane." Linake answered simply.

Kenpachi sighed heavily.

"So you already knew I killed Unohana?" Kenpachi asked.

Linake couldn't help the emotions that took her over as she watched him stare up at the ceiling, she knew it wasn't going to be easy for Kenpachi to let her in, but, he was trying, even though she feared he was only making himself angry in the process.

"I have known. Isane could only tell me what she had been told by Unohana, but, from what I understand, she wanted you to win." Linake whispered.

"Yeah…she killed me many times, then brought me back, so I could finally hear Nozarashi." Kenpachi revealed.

"Did she feel responsible for you not being able to hear Nozarashi?" Linake asked.

Kenpachi shrugged his shoulder.

"Yeah. She said fighting me the way she did the first time was her sin. That she had caused me to make myself weaker than I really was." He answered.

Linake turned her head away from him as the first tears she couldn't hold back fell down her cheeks. It was one thing to hear things from someone else, but to see the man she loved dealing with such pain on his own for so long tore at her heart. Linake knew about the first battle between Kenpachi and Unohana, she'd been told about it, it seemed that everyone around her had wanted to either warn her about Kenpachi, or ease her.

Unohana had wanted to make things right between them, she had freely done so on her own terms, and Linake would always respect the woman for that.

"I got pissed at her after she died for a while, I cared about her, I idolized her strength for so long, tried to be like her, once I surpassed her I begged her not to die. I wanted to keep fighting her, she was the only opponent who could ever make me feel fear. Made me feel truly alive." Kenpachi continued.

Linake didn't know how to respond to what he was telling her, she tried to understand from his perspective, but, the human part of her would never be able to. Why would two people who respected each other feel the need to fight to the death?—there are parts of this world I will never truly understand!

"You not gonna say anything?" Kenpachi snapped.

Linake inhaled a deep breath, trying to hide her tears from him before she replied.

"I don't know what to say." She admitted.

"Tch. I'm trying to be honest with you, Linake. So we don't have anything between us." Kenpachi countered.

Linake nodded.

"I understand that. I…I just don't know how to respond, Kenpachi." She replied.

"Why are you crying?" Kenpachi demanded.

"Because you never will…I can sense how much sadness you feel right now, I always saw the sadness behind your eyes and now I understand why it was there." Linake answered.

"I just don't dwell on what I can't change." Kenpachi retorted.

Linake gave up trying to hide her face from him and turned her gaze.

His brow furrowed and his eyes softened when he got a good look at her. Kenpachi propped himself up on his elbow and faced her.

"What we have together helps me with that sadness, Linake. I've never felt like I do when I'm around you, you make me want things I never would have thought about in the past. You're the only woman I have ever been in love with." Kenpachi admitted.

Linake sniffled as she brought her hand up to wipe at her face.

"Damn it, woman, I didn't bring this up to make you cry for me!" Kenpachi growled.

Linake met his gaze, her eyes the most serious he had ever saw them.

"Am I just supposed to ignore how I feel? Do you want me to sit here and be fake with you as you confide in me?" Linake asked with a little bit of her own bite behind her words.

Kenpachi's lips parted as he realized just how much the woman really did love him. His fear had been that she wouldn't want him after knowing about his battle with Unohana, but she had known all along, she'd already accepted it, accepted all of him, a long time ago.

"You really love me, don't you?" Kenpachi asked her.

Linake half-laughed as she rolled her eyes at him.

"No, I gave up the human world just because I like the scenery." She replied sarcastically.

"Hey! Don't turn this into an argument!" Kenpachi countered as he gripped her by the chin.

Linake met his gaze as fresh tears of frustration fell down her cheeks.

"You don't talk about Yachiru, why is that? Ikkaku and Yumichika talk about her all the time when you're not around. They tell me stories about how she would run around and terrorize everyone." Linake asked, deciding that if he wanted to bring up things from the past, she might as well force him to lay it all out on the table now.

Kenpachi closed his eyes briefly and Linake felt the wave of loss that oozed from him.

"Yachiru went back into the blade, she's a part of Nozarashi, I haven't seen her since I achieved Bankai and I probably never will." Kenpachi explained.

Linake's shoulders slumped at his admission. The way Ikkaku and Yumichika talked about her, she understood that Kenpachi had been a guardian for the girl, a father figure that had decided to protect her.

"Have you tried to communicate with her again? Like how I've been trying to communicate with my swords spirit?" Linake asked him.

Kenpachi snorted.

"I've never been very good at that kind of thing, Linake, I don't even understand all of what happened, it was all so fast, all I know is she's not around anymore and dwelling over it, being pissed off about it, crying about it, will never make it change." Kenpachi answered.

"I want to help you, Kenpachi, but, I don't think you'll allow me to." Linake replied as she looked away from him.

"You do help me, woman. I've felt more happiness in the last six months with you then I have in almost fourteen years. Do you know how fucking boring it is wanting to fight, but never having anyone worth fighting?" Kenpachi countered.

Linake shook her head.

"I know I wasn't any match for you, all you did was humor me." Linake countered.

Kenpachi allowed himself to laugh.

"I just wanted to see what you had up your sleeve, I regret hurting you, but not fighting you, I'll never regret fighting you, cause then I never would have found out that you wanted me." Kenpachi replied.

Linake sighed before meeting his gaze again.

"You're right. I would have kept my mouth shut." She admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me before that night? If you wanted me before the fight, why not just tell me?" Kenpachi asked.

It was Linake's turn to snort at him.

"Like you would have cared or even listened to me." Linake countered.

Kenpachi shook his head at her before he leaned in closer, lifting his hand to the side of her face he brushed her cheekbone with the back of his hand.

"I thought you were beautiful the night you were brought here. I still remember the way you looked up at me during that first captains meeting. Those blue eyes of yours widened, but not in fear of me, it almost looked like I excited you, even back then." Kenpachi whispered.

"You did." Linake admitted.

Kenpachi leaned forward, pressing his lips over hers, demanding that she take his kiss. Now that he'd forced himself to be open, to lay things so personal out on the table, he had been forced to see just how much they meant to each other. His woman was sweet and full of compassion, she cried for him, because he didn't feel the need too, she nurtured him, trying to help him heal with her love unconditionally- I'm one lucky bastard…


Linake stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed. She and Kenpachi had shared an early breakfast together after getting up, they had agreed that Kenpachi would go ahead with leading the drills for the day, while Linake went and dropped off the paperwork needed for their marriage license.

Linake still felt pretty raw inside after her and Kenpachi's earlier conversation, but, she felt happy that he had finally felt comfortable enough to share things with her, things she knew he hadn't even bothered to talk about with his men, or anyone else for that matter. As far as emotions went, Kenpachi was pretty simple. He said what he meant and he didn't bullshit, beating around the bush had never been his style and it was a trait Linake had come to appreciate about him.

"You okay?" Kenpachi asked.

Linake looked up and smiled softly as she met his gaze.

"Yes, I'm just still trying to process everything." She admitted.

Kenpachi averted his gaze, seeming not to know what else to say to her.

Linake crossed the room, taking it upon herself to let him know that even though she knew more about his violent past, it still didn't change the fact that she was head over heels in love with the warrior. She reached out, wrapping her arms around his hips and she pressed her face into the middle of his chest. Kenpachi raised his arms wrapping them around her waist tightly.

"You still want me, woman?" He asked her.

Linake tightened her arms around him.

"I will always want you, Kenpachi Zaraki, I'm afraid you're stuck with me!" Linake replied.

"Good." He replied.

Linake tried to pull back from him, but he wouldn't let her go. She glanced up at him, her brow rising in question.

"I don't want you to be afraid of me…" Kenpachi admitted.

Linake's brow furrowed in what looked like agitation as she took in his admission.

"I would never be afraid of you, Kenpachi! How could you ever think that?" Linake countered.

Kenpachi sighed heavily.

"I just don't want us to lose what we've started because I opened my mouth about my past." Kenpachi admitted.

"I already knew about your past, nothing has changed, and it never will. Kenpachi, I'm human, I will never understand everything about this world, there are many practices and laws here that I find to be pretty harsh, but, I have done my best to adjust to this world, I gave up the world that I was born in so that I could stay here with you. I didn't want to go back to the human world because then I couldn't be with you, do you understand?" Linake stated.

"Tch. Now that you say it like that, it kinda makes me sound like an asshole." Kenpachi retorted.

Linake sighed as she tightened her arms around his hips pressing her body against him, trying to make him feel how much she loved him, she just wanted him to feel it!

"What are you doing, woman?" Kenpachi asked.

"I'm trying to make you understand that nothing is ever going to come between us!" Linake admitted as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Kenpachi's lips parted as he felt a sensation of intense heat coming from Linake's body. He kept his gaze focused on her and he noticed the golden hue of her skin as she clung to him, she looked as if she were being illuminated from within.

"I wish you could feel it…I wish there was a way for me to show you how much I love you!" Linake whispered.

Kenpachi's jaw fell as the glow within her turned even brighter.

"I think I can see it, woman." Kenpachi replied.

Linake opened her eyes and looked back up at him, not even noticing the glow of her skin herself.

"Damn, you're beautiful!" Kenpachi complimented her.

Linake's features gave away her confusion.

"You're glowing, Linake…is this a part of your powers?" Kenpachi asked.

Linake pulled her arms from around Kenpachi's hips and when she saw her hands she realized that she had somehow tapped into the sun's energy without being directly under its rays.

"I didn't burn you did I?" she asked abruptly as she looked back up at him.

Kenpachi shook his head.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Sun energy, I normally can't use it unless I'm under its rays, I…I'm not sure why this happened?" She admitted.

"You wanted me to feel how much you love me, and I felt a shit load of warmth coming from you, but it didn't burn." Kenpachi replied.

Linake's expression turned wary.

"Are my emotions starting to affect my abilities now as well?" She asked aloud.

"Couldn't tell ya, hell, I still don't even understand your powers." Kenpachi replied honestly.

Linake sighed as she stared back down at her hand, the golden hue that had seemed to be lighting her up from within was now waning slowly, leaving her feeling full of energy, her body was no longer sore, her eyes no longer felt scratchy from her early morning tears.

"This still scares me…" Linake admitted.

Kenpachi reached his arms up and pulled her back against him.

"Don't let it scare ya! I know that you don't understand much about what it is to be a soul reaper, but, it will come. I think your fear will go away once you can hear your Zanpakuto." Kenpachi replied.

"I keep trying to listen for it, but, so far, I haven't heard anything. Tell me, Kenpachi, will it be like someone is talking to me in my head, or will I actually hear them like I can hear you?" Linake asked.

"It's in your head, woman. Nobody else will be able to hear them, unless they manifest." Kenpachi answered.

"Okay then, at least now I know what to expect, somewhat…" Linake sighed.

"Try not to overthink this, Linake, I can see that not knowing or understanding makes you scared, but, it's a part of you, and being scared of something that's a part of you is pointless, woman." Kenpachi replied.

Linake smiled softly as she decided to take his advice, if anyone knew what it was like to feel confusion over their own abilities, it would be him. At least she had a basic understanding of where her powers came from, even if they didn't make sense to her.

"I should head over to the registry office before it gets too busy." Linake stated as she tried to pull away from him again.

Kenpachi still wouldn't let go of her and when she looked up at him to see why, she could see more emotions in his gaze then she ever had before and it made her heart start to pound rapidly.

"What is it, Kenpachi?" Linake asked.

"I want everything from you, woman. Not just the pretty shit, I want you to be able to tell me anything, no matter what it is, I want to be the only one you run too when you need someone." Kenpachi stated.

Kenpachi watched as her lips lifted into a wide smile and without missing a beat, she replied.

"You are the only one I would ever run too, Kenpachi, in case you haven't noticed, you've become the reason my heart still beats."

Kenpachi's lips parted as he gazed into Linake's eyes.

"You have a way with words, woman." Kenpachi replied.

Linake smiled, sensing that her forwardness had caught him off guard, but she didn't care and she didn't see the point in trying to sugar coat how she felt, from now on she would take a cue from him and tell him straight up what was on her mind. Linake knew one thing, the man loved her, even if he didn't understand how, and she was bound and determined to love him back just as fiercely, Linake wanted to give him more than just her words, she wanted to give him her all.

"It's true. I could never imagine my life without you in it." Linake continued.

"You'll never have too, woman, I ain't going anywhere." Kenpachi replied as he adjusted his hold on her, lifting her up off her feet into his arms.

Her breasts brushed against his torso as he lifted his woman against him and the feel of her soft curves played with his senses, he loved feeling her, loved touching her. Kenpachi wasn't sure what it was about her, or why he felt the need to make sure she was happy all the time, but, he figured it would all fall into place as time went on—I love her, so, I guess that's what it means to be a man in love.

"I want to make you happy, Kenpachi." Linake whispered against his ear almost as if she could read his mind.

Kenpachi chuckled as he pressed his lips against the pulse point at the side of her neck, her soft scent surrounding him, making him forget about his responsibilities.

"You already do." Kenpachi replied as he turned his head catching her lips with his own, stealing another kiss from her before he had to put her down.

Linake held onto his shoulders as Kenpachi kissed her senseless, his firm lips so demanding as he claimed his kiss from her. If being claimed by this strong man was what she had to look forward to for the rest of her life, she hoped she lived forever!