Title: Lily and Thistle

Author: paws_bells

Beta-ed by: MelissaRose85

Characters/Pairing: Sarugaki Hiyori and Hirako Shinji

Type: One-shot Collection (InComplete)

Genre: Romance/Humor

Word Count: 3084

Rating: T (Contains content not suitable for children)

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite.

Summary: 'Say Please'-verse. The language of flowers. The devoted and passionate Lily. The brave and loyal Thistle. A bouquet of love. One-shot series.

Created on: 15/08/13

Completed on: 16/08/13

Chapter Last Revised on: 19/09/13

Date Night – Part I

Lisa took a step back and surveyed the painstaking results of her handiwork, her turquoise eyes intently studying the visibly irritated figure of the young woman standing in front of her, critically taking in everything from the latter's hair to her face and, last but not least, her clothes. There was an entire minute of unbearable tension as she took her time to pass judgment, but at last, the ebony-haired Vizard nodded subtly.

"This'll do," she remarked, calm as ever, though her unwilling dress up doll and clotheshorse for the entire afternoon did not look or feel anywhere near as composed.

Hiyori glowered at the other female. "Fuckin' great," she muttered disgruntledly. "This must be what a car fresh outta a fuckin' carwash feels like."

She felt somewhat violated, raw and more than a bit sore over the entire experience – she had been thoroughly washed, scrubbed and waxed earlier, until she was squeaky clean and her skin so soft and silky that it felt like a baby's bottom. Her face had also been accordingly masked, exfoliated and moisturized, her jagged, uneven nails carefully trimmed and manicured (no nail polish though – she had nearly flipped her lid when Lisa tried to apply it on her), and even her light blonde hair gleamed with luster as it fell obediently around her small face in soft waves for once.

Lisa ignored her griping.

Despite how Hiyori was complaining, the young woman looked rather pretty and feminine at the moment, the result of an entire afternoon's worth of personal grooming and beauty care. Her silky hair was let out of the standard pigtails, and together with her healthy, glowing complexion, served to soften the usually defensive and hardnosed attitude that she seemed to wear around herself like some sort of armor, effectively altering her appearance from that of a feisty, upstart brat to a lovely young woman. It was simply astounding what a simple change of hairstyle and clothes could do, and combined with the light makeup that Lisa had helped the other female Vizard apply, Hiyori looked incredibly cute and eye catching at the moment – even though she was also scowling grumpily at the same time.

"The hell do I have 'ta look like this anyway?" she mumbled, still feeling a bit annoyed by all the unnecessary procedures she had been made to suffer through earlier.

"Most people dress up to impress their dates. Don't you want to knock Shinji's socks off?" Lisa asked flatly. Hiyori just looked down skeptically at the sundress that she was wearing and rolled her eyes.

"Tch. The baldy has already seen me in much less. Just puttin' me in a dress isn't gonna make that much of a difference."

The ebony-haired ex-Lieutenant glanced briefly at Hiyori once more. The younger woman had never been too good at grasping her own physical attractiveness – she certainly liked to play it up in front of others and pretend to boast about it, but in reality, she didn't seemed to be all too aware of just how unconsciously sexy that edgy wildness of hers could be to some men, now further emphasized by her contrasting groomed and feminized appearance.

"I think you'll be surprised, Hiyori. Something tells me that Shinji's the type to pay attention to the packaging."

Knowing Hiyori like he did, Shinji had chosen to arrive at the warehouse a good fifteen minutes ahead of the arranged meeting time. His impatient little firebrand hated to wait on people the most, but for some strange reason or another, she also possessed the most bemusing tendency of turning up early on scheduled appointments and then going around to beat up anybody who arrived after her for being tardy, even though they hadn't even been technically late for said appointments in the first place.

Since he could already tell that she was going to be more than a bit recalcitrant (at least at the beginning) over this date that he had so abruptly sprung on her, in the interest of placating her undoubtedly irritable nature, he had taken care to be present slightly ahead of her, and had even brought along something that would hopefully sweeten her volatile temper.

Fortunately, he had indeed arrived before she was ready, for the main area of the warehouse was devoid of her presence when he entered the building.

Unfortunately, the first thing he saw of her was her slipper when she emerged from the barracks a scant five minutes later. The sheer force of her disgruntled greeting was significant as always; it would have sent him flying across the length of the Vizards' residence had he not possessed the quickness of mind to deflect the majority of the blow with his reiatsu, and as such, her footwear only bounced off of his forehead with an audible thwack, hard enough to leave a faint mark on his face (the sight of which would possibly mollify her temper), but didn't do much damage otherwise.

"Damn ya, hage Shinji! I hope you're happy now!" she was growling at the edge of the main area, standing right in front of the doorway that led to the Vizards' sleeping quarters.

He caught her slipper before it could fall to the floor, and then he belatedly realized that it wasn't the usual dollar store footwear she typically favored. This one was white in color, platformed, and boasted intricate, beaded details on its straps. It was startlingly feminine in its design, and the dainty size ensured that it sat perfectly within the span of his large but narrow hand, though it still had been every bit as devastating a weapon as the normal version when in Hiyori's grasp. Shinji turned his attention to its violent, irritable owner.

"Well, brat, I'm always happy 'ta see ya-" the male broke off abruptly when he finally took his first good look at his lover. He paused, his mouth parted slightly in surprise, his eyes widening imperceptibly as he took in the sight of her.

Hiyori was wearing a white sundress that bared her shoulders and settled lightly over her slight, lithe figure, ending just above her knees and showcasing the rest of her lean, slender legs. The thin, cottony material was rather fitted around her small bust and emphasized her tiny waist before flowing down her girlish hips in a slightly flared skirt, and she looked exquisitely lovely in it. Her hair was also let out of its customary pigtails, falling slightly past her shoulders, the light golden strands brushed out till they shone, and even the pins that usually parted her fringe had been taken out for the occasion; the only decoration she wore was a bright red ribbon that had been very loosely woven into her flaxen gold strands.

Most captivating was her glowing features, the skillful application of black eyeliner accentuating the exotic catlike tilt of her large, ochre eyes, her already long lashes further emphasized by the use of a mascara brush. He was glad to see that nothing had been done to conceal her adorable freckles, and her small, pink mouth glistened most temptingly from the transparent gloss that had been spread over her lips, the only other hint of makeup that she wore. Something in his gut tightened, and his pupils dilated with masculine pleasure at the sight of his lover.

Dressed and looking the way she did now, nobody in their right mind would ever mistake her for a child ever again.

"Hiyori," he breathed, simply unable to take his eyes off of her, and that one word said everything. Hiyori, who had been simmering with agitation for the last few hours at least, was immediately caught by that expression on his face, her fiery anger quickly subsiding when she saw how he was staring at her. Suddenly, all those hours she had squandered on preparing for this stupid date didn't seem like such a complete waste anymore, not when they made him look at her like she was the most desirable creature he had ever met.

His acute attention also made her feel strangely flustered and incredibly aware of her own femininity, and Hiyori did not know how to deal with that. She felt most disconcertingly like a defenseless lamb being caught under the paralyzing stare of a starving wolf, and it was both weird and extremely exhilarating at the same time. Her heart started to pound in her chest, and the earlier irritation in her eyes shifted to wariness and reluctant interest as she watched him back.

"Shinji…" she drew out his name slowly, and that seemed to snap him out of his daze. In three long strides he was standing right in front of her, and then he wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her up against him, forcing her on her tiptoes to accommodate his action. Before she could react, he was already bending down and kissing her hungrily. Hiyori's knees went slightly weak at his lustful, dominating assault – she liked it a lot when he was a bit rough with her – and she opened her mouth to kiss him back eagerly, straining against him with reciprocating desire, a pitched little moan escaping her as her tongue swiftly darted past her lips to stroke his desirously.

He groaned and had to struggle to clear his mind. Her scent inundated his head, the smell of bright sunshine and fresh linen, together with the faintest hint of baby powder that she always put on after her bath, and it took immense effort for him to finally pull away from her addictive mouth. If he didn't stop now, they weren't going anywhere but straight back to her bedroom, and the idea was starting to hold more and more merit the longer he considered it.

"Goddammit," he muttered huskily, looking down at her pretty, passion flushed face and kiss swollen lips. Hiyori had always been beautiful to him, but Lisa had really outdone herself this time. "You're absolutely breathtaking tonight, luv."

The genuine, masculine admiration in his intimate tone made her turn a shade redder, and surprisingly enough, she made no mention of his endearment for her. Instead, she quickly turned her eyes away from his, her small hands coming up to his chest to push away from him.

"S-Shut up," she stuttered slightly. "I'm still pissed at ya; don't distract me!"

He had to hide his smile even as he let her sidle nervously out of his loose hold.

"Careful there," he drawled teasingly in response. "Your tsundere side is showing."

She bristled.

"I don't have a tsundere side!" she denied, and then she quickly stuck out her hand. "And gimme back my slipper already, dumbass! How long are ya gonna keep holdin' it like that?"

The footwear that she had thrown at his head just now was still in his hand, but he refused to return it to her when she tried to reach for it. A frustrated frown started to knit on her brow.

"Damn baldy! What're ya doin'?!" she blustered indignantly when he folded his lean frame and lowered himself before her in a crouch instead.

"What does it look like I'm doin'?" he retorted dryly even as he reached out for her shoeless foot and wrapped an elegant hand around her dainty ankle. She was so small and delicate despite that touchy and aggressive temperament of hers, and she reminded him of a prickly little puffer fish, blowing itself up just to look bigger and more intimidating. It was kind of cute.

Despite his tone, he was gentle as he lifted her leg to slip her footwear back on for her, his long fingers warm and steady against her skin, and she was acutely aware of his touch. The whole thing made her feel like some kind of fairytale princess, at least until he slowly slid his hand higher up to her bare calf, caressing her pale, smooth skin the entire way, and then he bent his golden head to press a kiss on the inner side of her leg, on the spot just slightly above her knee.

She jerked in surprise. "S-Shinji!"

He proceeded to mark the sensitive flesh there with a playful lave of his tongue, and something inside of her just clenched at the exquisite sensation. A small, breathless squeak escaped her, and chuckling slightly, he finally withdrew. She quickly tried to kick him in the face then, but he still had a firm hold on her leg and he was not stupid enough to release her until she had calmed down.

"Aren't ya feisty tonight," he remarked amusedly. "Be good, or I won't give ya your present."

That got her attention. "What present?" she demanded, and now that she was sufficiently distracted, he finally let go of her and straightened to stand in front of her once more.

He was in a Gigai for the occasion, and he was dressed in modern clothes, in the style that he favored. Tailored charcoal grey slacks adorned his long legs and his feet were encased in his favorite designer loafers. His crisp, fitting dark turquoise dress shirt was tucked in neatly but left deliberately unbuttoned at the collar, teasingly revealing the column of his throat and the hint of his clavicles. A casual black blazer completed the entire ensemble, and as always, his appearance was both sharp and flawless.

Smirking lazily at her interested expression, her lover reached into the side pocket of his jacket and withdrew a flat box roughly the size of his hand, and her eyes quickly lit up when she recognized the packaging label of her favorite chocolatier.

"Truffles?" she asked hopefully, her eyes starting to glimmer with excitement. "All the way from Hokkaido?! Gimme!"

It was not often that she got to eat the confections from that particular candy confectionary that could only be found exclusively in the northern region of Japan, and to say that she was eager would be an understatement. He held the tray of handmade chocolates out of her reach.

"I think you're happier 'ta see this than me," he teased, and she growled at him.

"Duh! I see ya ugly mug all the time! Now gimme!"

"How rude. Shouldn't ya be askin' more nicely, brat?"

She puffed out her cheeks slightly and looked mutinously stubborn at first, but another glance at the sweets, so near but yet so far, immediately weakened her resolve. Those delicious chocolates really were to die for, and it wasn't long before Hiyori relented and mumbled reluctantly from the side of her pouting mouth. "…Please, Shinji."

Shinji's gaze was rife with affection for his petite lover. He lowered the box of chocolates, but instead of giving it to her, he pulled open the lid and picked out a piece with his graceful fingers.

"Open your mouth," he purred softly, and she looked straight at him, brow knitting slightly as she did so. Normally, she would have responded to his ridiculous demand with a punch to the head (his head, most specifically), but this time, the look in his golden eyes stilled her tongue, mesmerizing her with its languid, desirous brilliance, and an instinctual part of her stirred in response to it. Hiyori's wariness faded away. His acute attention was both extremely enthralling and breathtaking, and she found herself wordlessly obeying him instead, boldly locking her gaze with his even as she submitted to his request and opened her mouth, tilting her face slightly towards him.

He fed her slowly, pushing the candy past her pink lips, watching intently as the cocoa-dusted ball of creamy, soft, milk chocolate slowly disappeared into the slick cavern of her mouth.

The delicate, delicious confection all but melted on her tongue, the light, buttery texture and the utterly smooth taste of the chocolate bringing her so much enjoyment that she hummed lightly from it. Her eyes fluttered close with bliss, and a small smile threatened creep across her face. Hiyori's weakness for well-made sweets was an open secret amongst the Vizards – it was about the only thing guaranteed to raise her spirits and make her happy when everything else had failed.

"Was it good?" he asked, and she slowly opened her eyes to look at him. The sheer pleasure reflected in those ochre depths answered his question, though it also made him shake his head amusedly at her.

"I'm gonna be jealous if ya keep lookin' like that."

Her eyes gleamed slightly, and she slowly, deliberately, swallowed the decadent chocolate that he had just fed her. She caught his wrist with her hands and brought his chocolate stained fingers to her lips, first lapping at his thumb with her small pink tongue, and then sucking his index and middle digits into her mouth and slowly licking them clean as well, watching him the entire time.

Golden eyes quickly darkened.

She was deliberately teasing him, the little minx, and it was working. He pulled his damp fingers away and ducked his head down, catching her mouth with his own and kissing her hard and quick. Unsurprisingly, she tasted like chocolates. She leaned into him instinctively, enthusiastically showing her affection in the only way she knew how, and she was so eager for him that he had trouble keeping in mind that they still had a date to get to. Pulling away from that soft, addictive mouth of hers, he quickly reached over and swiped his thumb over her full, bottom lip, cleaning away the small smudge of cocoa powder there and then bringing his hand up to his own mouth and absently licking the digit clean. She growled softly, and he gave her a small, lazy smirk that did all sorts of strange things to her insides.

Shinji shut the lid of the box of chocolates still in his other hand and then gave it to his lover. She was more than happy to accept.

"Keep them for later," he told her, his voice husky with intent, and suddenly, she seemed more interested in him than in the special gift he had brought her, her feline eyes glowing with the stirrings of feminine desire as she watched him. Her attention made his blood heat up. She was giving him that particular look that was just asking for her to be ravished by him, and it was becoming increasingly difficult not to take her up on her unspoken offer.

"C'mon, let's get outta here."

He took her hand in his and led her out into the night.

::tsuzuku::

Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:

Uhm, nothing much to explain here, though I should probably warn that the next two chapters will also be of the fluffy/romantic/smutty variety, so please keep your Shoujo glasses on, ahaha.

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As always, thanks for reading!

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Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-paws