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: 4718

Rating: M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older) SMUT WARNING!

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: 16/09/13

Completed on: 21/09/13

Chapter Last Revised on: 18/05/14

Love Never Fails – Part I

Shinji stared at her for a good, long while. She looked back at him with those big, feline eyes that he could never quite say 'no' to.

She was being perfectly serious.

"Are ya sure?" he blurted out then. "Ya really wanna do it now?"

He sounded somewhat flabbergasted, not that he could be blamed. Just a mere minute ago she had been crying all over the place and she had also looked to be on the verge of an anxiety attack – and he still had no clue what had suddenly set her off. A short while before that, she had been all agitated and yelling at him over her imaginary love rival, but now she had quieted, and she also seemed to be expecting his attention. Shinji was more than happy to give it to her if that was what she wanted, but she didn't seem all too stable right now, and so he hesitated.

Hiyori nodded though, and she pressed closer to him. "I want ya," she muttered unabashedly, and he studied the earnest expression on her face.

"Aren't ya in pain?" he asked slowly. "Won't that hurt yer body even more?" He wasn't going to consent to doing anything that would make her feel even worse than she already was right now, that was for sure.

Hiyori shook her head. "Don't know," she mumbled in response to his second question. "Don't care."

And she clearly didn't, for her hands were already restlessly running over his chest, slipping under his haori and trying to unbutton the white robe he had on beneath it. She was obviously desirous of him, craving direct skin contact with him, but he quickly grabbed her roving hands before she could get too far. Somebody had to remain clearheaded enough to act as the voice of reason, and as usual, that somebody was him.

"Alright," he told her. "I'll make love 'ta ya. But first," he quickly untangled himself from her hold, placed his hands on her shoulders, and swiveled her around. He gently frog marched her across the room. "Go and take that bath. Wind down and relax your muscles. Meanwhile, I'll go pick up what ya need – I'll be back real quick, I promise."

He all but stuffed her through the door of the adjoining bathroom and then he swiftly shut it behind her before she could voice out any protest of his plan. Then, the almighty and powerful Gobantai Taichou swiftly hightailed it out of his living quarters like he was being chased by the hounds of hell.

While Shinji wasn't completely ignorant when it came to the inner workings of a woman's body, he also wouldn't claim to be an expert on the subject either. He wasn't entirely out of his element when it came to dealing with a moody Hiyori, but he was still lacking enough information that he felt like he was cautiously tiptoeing through a minefield now that she was being so sensitive and vulnerable during her time of the month – one wrong move on his part and she was going to explode right in his face.

It was time to get an expert opinion.

Lisa looked blankly at Shinji over the edge of her manga after he had finished regaling the situation.

"So, basically, Hiyori's feeling emotional and horny, and you have no idea how to handle her," the bespectacled female summarized calmly. The golden-haired man nodded.

"She's waitin' for me back in my rooms," Shinji muttered, and then he looked at Lisa for her input. The ebony-haired Vizard turned a page of her book before shrugging.

"I'm not seeing the problem here, Shinji," Lisa remarked calmly at last, even though her ex-leader gave her an exasperated glower.

"Were ya listenin'? She wants me 'ta make love 'ta her," he pointed out more obviously this time. "What am I s'posed 'ta do? I can't just say no."

"Then don't," Lisa replied sedately. She eyed the agitated male curiously then, and realization abruptly occurred to her. "You've never had sex with her before on her period, have you?"

Shinji turned a dull red at her remark. "She's uncomfortable and in pain," he uttered stiffly, indirectly affirming her suspicion. "How am I s'posed 'ta touch her like that?"

"It depends on the situation," Lisa answered then. "Does she want your attention?"

"Her wantin' 'ta make love was the whole reason why I'm here in the first place. I won't be askin' ya 'bout this matter otherwise," Shinji stated. Lisa ignored him and continued.

"Then, do you want to have sex with her?"

The fine-haired blonde shot the female Vizard a disgruntled look. "What kinda question is that?" he demanded.

Lisa looked at him flatly, as if he was a complete moron. "It's a simple yes or no question. I'm sure you can put together an appropriate answer if you think hard enough," she deadpanned, though Shinji was unamused by her dry wit.

"Hiyori's the woman I love – of course I'm always gonna want her," he grumbled. "That's not even an issue at all."

"So you're just concerned that you'll hurt her?" Lisa concluded in questioning confirmation. "And here I thought that you were just being unreasonably squeamish over a bit of menstrual blood – you shouldn't be anyway; it's great lube, you know."

That was definitely not what Shinji wanted to discuss with Lisa. "I'm not squeamish," he quickly interrupted before she could say any more. "I just wanna know if it's okay 'ta give in 'ta her desires."

"Well, if you both want it, I don't see why not," the ex-Lieutenant of the Eight Division shrugged. "Some women become hornier when they're having their period, and intercourse during that time isn't going to hurt her in any way – in fact, sexual stimulation and orgasms can help to relieve her cramps, so you're actually helping her, not harming her."

He was not aware of that. "So, it's okay then?"

Lisa shrugged again. "If you're both fine with it, then go ahead and go wild." The bespectacled female studied her friend briefly. The man was, as always, incredibly attentive towards his lover. Lisa could only imagine what he'd be like if the couple ever had children. "Is that all you're here for?"

Shinji shook his head and simply held up a plastic bag of feminine hygiene products. "I picked up some stuff for Hiyori on the way – she needed them." And really, that was all that mattered. He was pretty calm and matter-of-fact – there wasn't even a single trace of embarrassment on his face. "I think I got the right ones, but the promoter was advertising another brand that looked really effective as well. Do ya think I should go back and get those too?"

He started to launch unabashedly into the pros and cons of the product that he had just mentioned, now seemingly the leading expert on womanly hygiene after only a single trip to the feminine needs aisle of the supermarket. Lisa eyed the blonde warily.

"…you really are completely whipped, aren't you?"

Hiyori was still in the bath when Shinji returned from his very quick visit to the Living Realm and the Vizard Warehouse. The fine-haired blonde put away the items that he had brought back with him and then, after a brief pause of consideration, he shed his haori as well as the white robe he wore directly under it, hanging them up on the coat stand in his bedroom instead. He also undid his cravat and set it aside with the accompanying silver slide on the dresser before slowly approaching the adjoining bathroom in his plain black shihakusho. Knocking once, he slid open the door and let himself into the modest chamber; Hiyori was already hunched over in the steaming waters of the ofuro, and she watched him hazily – lulled to a tranquil and semi-drowsy state by the comforting heat of the bath, her body now quietly relaxed.

Her ochre eyes sharpened at the sight of him though, and she slowly grew alert with interest. Their gazes met.

"I got ya yer things," he told her then. "I bought us lunch too. Ya wanna have at it first?"

She just continued to stare at him. Then, she slowly shook her head. It was pretty obvious what she wanted – she hadn't changed her mind at all from earlier and her craving for him was still as strong as ever.

Shinji regarded her steadily for a while. She was calm and clear minded now, no longer as agitated as before and completely lucid and in control of her rationality. Still, he asked, "Are ya sure?"

He obviously wasn't only enquiring about the food. Neither was she. She nodded, her catlike eyes glowing softly with expectation and feminine desire.

As always, he could not quite deny her wishes when she was looking at him like that. "Alright, then."

He started to undress himself, his hands going to his hakama-himo and undoing the ties with long fingers, and she watched him attentively as he stepped out of his hakama and fundoshi and calmly shrugged off his kosode and shitagi, revealing his rangy, whipcord lean frame and graceful, masculine figure. Resting her arms on the edge of the ofuro, Hiyori shamelessly admired her lover's body with blatant appreciation, from the broadness of his shoulders to his narrow hips and long lanky legs, enjoying the subtle play of his elegant form, the ripple of his sleek abdomen and the way his sinewy thigh muscles bunched slightly as he moved.

Shinji tossed his discarded clothes in the laundry basket in the corner of the bathroom, and then, instead of joining her straightaway, he opted for a quick rinse in the adjacent shower stall, habitually washing away any perspiration and grime of the day before he finally approached the ofuro. Having her full, focused attention on him was both extremely flattering and arousing, and he especially enjoyed the way her beautiful eyes darkened with hungry passion as their gazes met.

Hiyori started to rise as he neared, but he reached her first and leaned over to kiss her, stilling her movements and then nudging her to sit back down. She tasted like the fresh mint toothpaste she had used to brush her teeth earlier, and her pupils were dilated when he pulled back, staring at him needily. He moved to step into the tub, but she made a sound of protest.

"Don't come in," she quickly tried to deter him. She looked somewhat embarrassed at the same time. "The water's all dirty."

It wasn't difficult to guess the reason behind her unusual reticence, and suddenly, she seemed rather insecure. Just to soothe her, he gave the clear water that she was in a brief, cursory glance before drawling. "It looks clean enough 'ta me."

She looked like she wanted to say something in the negative, but he simply continued. "Gimme a bit of credit here, brat. If I can handle bein' splattered by the blood of my enemies during battles, then this is nothin'."

"It's not the same," she muttered, and he agreed, taking advantage of her preoccupation with him to slip fully into the warm water.

"Of course it's not the same," he concurred, reaching out to frame her face with his hands and tilting it up to his so that he could establish eye contact with her. "Yer my woman, Hiyori – I'm not gonna be disgusted with ya just 'cause yere havin' yer monthly bleed. That's just ridiculous. If yer really so worried 'bout this, then we'll clean up later."

Besides, it wasn't even as if she hadn't bled on him before, though she probably didn't remember much of the experience. A fleeting, considerably traumatic memory of her dying in his arms after being brutally bisected by Ichimaru Gin's Shinsou briefly crossed his mind before Shinji resolutely banished it from his thoughts. Drawing his face down to hers, he kissed her again, taking his time to thoroughly explore the warm cavern of her mouth, coaxing her into play with him. It didn't take long before she slowly started to react, distracted from her unease by his unhesitating affection, kissing him back with increasing fervor and moving her mouth eagerly against his.

She was such a passionate little thing, and she swiftly got over her initial hesitation once she realized that he honestly did not give a hoot about her current, less-than-immaculate self. After all, if he obviously did not mind, then neither should she. Hiyori's confidence was quickly restored, and she was very soon pressing up against Shinji once more – her increasing need for him overriding any apprehension she might have had felt in the beginning. He had barely settled into the ofuro and already she was all over him, crawling onto his lap and rubbing her lithe, slick body up against his larger form. She stroked his chest restlessly and pulled away from his mouth to nip lightly at his jaw, straddling his hips as she ducked her head and licked away the tiny droplets of water at the side of his throat. Then, she latched her mouth over the spot where his neck and shoulder met, suckling slowly but insistently, her touch growing more sensual and deliberate as her hands slipped under the bathwater, drifting lower down his torso.

Shinji groaned at her enthusiastic response, and he curled an arm around her middle to tug her closer, his fingertips caressing the bare skin on the side of her waist and her hip with reciprocating affection and want even as his other hand lightly massaged her thigh. She was nibbling at his clavicle by then, purring softly with pleasure, arching slightly into him, basking in their shared physical contact with each other. Her fingers drew restless patterns over his lower abdomen before they finally closed around his erection – he was already turgid and heavy with desire, and she fondled and squeezed him with her small hands, dragging a husky moan from his lips.

He wanted to feel her as well, and he leisurely moved his hand higher up her leg, rubbing her slender limb with amorous intent as he went. She tensed slightly as he neared the apex of her thighs, still feeling slightly skittish, before relaxing after a bit and allowing him to touch her as he pleased, showing her trust in him in the only way that she knew how. He turned his head and kissed her cheek softly, and she trembled as the callused pad of his thumb brushed slowly against her clitoris, and her breath hitched at how very sensitive he made her feel. Her face instantly suffused with color, and potent arousal thrummed through her veins, heady and powerful.

She buried her face into his neck and simply gave in to the pleasure of his ministrations, and he was so incredibly gentle that she was quickly reduced to a quivering mass in his strong, reassuring arms. She was extremely responsive to his stimulation, and little whimpers and pants escaped her as he continued to touch her intimately, using his expert knowledge of her body to drive her wild. Hiyori quickly felt like she was about to go utterly mad with sexual tension, her hips twitching helplessly into his hand as she bit lightly into his shoulder and squirmed against him – gasping when she felt the increasing, pleasurable tingles radiating from the pit of her belly.

Lifting her head to meet his gaze, she strained upwards to kiss him, licking the seam of his lips wetly before sliding her tongue past to engage his. She stroked his pierced appendage with fervent passion and increasing sexual excitement, sucking sensuously at his mouth with infectious, unrestrained zeal even as her hands continued to touch and massage his arousal, eager to drive him to the same feverish pitch that she was reaching due to his skilled, familiar ministrations.

As always, Hiyori was so damn openly wholehearted and transparent about her emotions and desires that it was downright impossible for him not to be affected by her ardent want of him. The lustful way she caressed him with her knowing fingers, the scent of her, the intent glow in her catlike eyes as she looked at him, the feel of her body pressed against him, even the taste of her – they all teased him and lingered in his senses and just made him crave her even more. Apparently, she must have felt the same, for she suddenly pulled away from his mouth to look at him, an incredibly sexy expression of need sitting on her small, beloved face.

"Shinji, now," she whispered, her bright, passion-glazed gaze fixed raptly on his. "Make love 'ta me now."

She was requesting so sweetly that he could not quite deny her – did not even want to deny her, for that matter. "Ya sure ya really want this?" he asked one last time, obviously still concerned by her physical condition despite the desire already lacing his low tenor, and she simply responded by kneeling astride him and rising up slightly from his lap, knocking his hand aside as she positioned herself over his rigid arousal. She looked at him.

"Do ya want me 'ta beg?" she asked bluntly. Before he could respond to that, she continued. "Because I will. I need ya so damn bad. Please. Love me."

She was both matter-of-fact and earnest at the same time; her large ochre eyes locked with his own golden ones, her voice quavering with the strength of her passion for him, this fierce and proud little rebel of his – his brat – and just like that, he was completely captivated by her all over again.

"Silly girl," he replied huskily, lowering his face to her upturned one to brush an affectionate kiss across her reddened lips. "I'm already all yers."

Shinji leaned over closer and kissed her once again, this time more intimately, parting her mouth and delving into the soft, moist warmth with his tongue, even as his large but narrow hands spanned her tiny waist and he gently eased her down upon himself. She shuddered when she felt the tip of his erection brush against the slick folds between her legs, and then he started to penetrate her carefully, the wide, mushroomed head of his hard length parting her taut, inner walls inch by painstaking inch as he slowly sheathed himself inside of her.

Hiyori emitted a quiet little keen as she arched slightly, trying to adjust to his presence. He filled her out wholly, and the sensation was exquisite. Her body felt extremely sensitive at the moment and her inner muscles twitched helplessly all around him as he remained completely hilted within her. Hiyori could not seem to stop quivering; he made her womb ache slightly, but the mild twinge was nothing compared to the stark pleasure and the intimacy that she was also experiencing at the same time.

Everything felt amplified to her at that moment, from the hot water lapping against her skin to the feel of Shinji's pierced tongue rubbing against hers as he kissed her languidly. Hiyori was quickly overcome by her own feelings and desire. She pulled herself even closer to her lover on instinct, curling her arms around his neck and wrapping her legs around his lean hips, her movements simply serving to sit him even deeper in her, and she whimpered at the knee weakening sensation. Flushed and incredibly restless with growing lust and sexual excitement, Hiyori broke their kiss to hide her face against his neck instead, nuzzling him blindly at the same time.

"Ya okay?" Shinji asked in a low murmur by her ear. She simply nodded, and then she occupied herself by kissing the side of his throat with amorous affection, wordlessly giving him her permission to continue. He anchored her to him with a strong arm around her waist, and, after pressing a chaste kiss to the side of her head, he began to move, making love to her with such gentle thoroughness that it took her breath away.

He was being so utterly tender towards her, touching her like she was the most precious, cherished being in the world, and keeping his head low, he whispered words to her even as he continued to rock slowly against her, words that let her know how much he adored her, words that were specifically meant to sooth her hidden insecurities, words that firmly pledged himself to her. The experience shook Hiyori, and in her highly charged state, the smaller blonde slowly came to the sobering realization that there was no man whom she would ever come to love as much as this one, and the sheer depth of her affection for him, her powerful urge to return his intimate avowals with her own, quietly overwhelmed her.

Her hold on him tightened minutely, and she seemed to cling to him even more, as if trying to express her feelings for him through physical contact. Hiyori bit her lips until she nearly broke skin, and she felt so vulnerable and utterly aware of Shinji at that moment, exhilarated, and, at the same time, apprehensive as well. She lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him then, her ochre eyes glowing with the strength of her emotions as she stared at his aristocratic, angular features.

"Shinji," she whispered harshly, already breathing hard from their mutual sexual exertions. "I…"

The words were lodged in her throat for some reason, and refused to come out. Hiyori tried again. "I-"

She still could not say it. At last, frustrated, she just shook her head and leaned in to kiss him hungrily instead, and he reciprocated in kind, slanting his mouth against hers again and again in passion as they both continued to move together in this age old dance of Time.

There was something particularly endearing about the way Hiyori was responding to him today, that much Shinji could discern. She was typically fiery and demanding whenever they made love, but this time around, she was also being quite…docile and loving – if that was the correct way to describe her behavior – at least even more so than she usually was. Even though he was aware that her current behavior was likely influenced by the hormonal fluctuations that accompanied her monthly flow, he could not quite deny that he was very much enjoying sharing this intimacy with her all the same. It seemed that her period also made her even more sensitive to physical stimulation, and she greedily lapped up every single touch and caress he lavished on her.

He reached up to cup her breast with his hand and she pressed herself into his hand rather obligingly and eagerly. His fingers lightly teased her tender nipple, gently plucking at the rosy nub, and she shook like a leaf in his arms, her breath hitching sharply with pleasure even as she contracted hard around him in automatic reaction, her inner muscles rippling helplessly around his arousal and eliciting a low grunt from him. She was even more responsive and demonstrative than usual, her body so slick and warm and welcoming, and he was having trouble remembering just why he had even hesitated when she had wanted him to make love to her earlier. The way she rubbed up sinuously against him, the distracting snugness of her tight channel, clasping around him with such possessiveness whenever he separated from her, and then hungrily drawing him back deep inside of her with his every slow thrust; she was simply intoxicating.

Hiyori curled her arms tightly around her lover, breaking away from his mouth to lean her forehead against his shoulder instead, her lithe, slender body heaving helplessly as she sensed herself drawing nearer to her orgasm. Her thighs clung low around the sides of his narrow waist, squeezing him with restless urgency as her movements quickened against him, and he helped her along by slipping his hand down between their bodies, his index and middle fingers rubbing at little pink bud of hypersensitive nerves sitting between her legs, and she went increasingly stiff against him, a breathy cry of his name escaping her mouth.

"S-Shinji!"

A bead of perspiration rolled down his temple, but the golden-haired male simply kissed the crown of Hiyori's head and continued with his sensual ministrations. "It's alright, luv," he told her huskily. "Come for me."

She was shaking finely, her breathing coming harder and faster, her nails digging into the lean muscles of his back, her actions more frantic –instinctively straining for release – and then, quite abruptly, she simply came apart in his arms. She froze, her face pressed into the side of his neck, her eyes squeezed shut, her legs locking tight around his middle, and the fierce tide of her climax hit her so strongly that her vision went white for a few precious seconds. She clamped down on him hard, her sleek inner muscles working furiously to milk him of his essence, and his jaw muscles jumped as he purposely resisted the erotic persuasions of her small, incredibly taut body.

Moments later, Hiyori was still panting, her limbs weak and unsteady from her orgasm, when Shinji started to move anew, slow and deliberate strokes that sparked renewed slivers of lust through her highly sensitized body, sinful pleasure igniting once more across the nerve endings that lined her twitching inner passage. The smaller blonde moaned quietly; the mild ache of her insides further accentuating the decadent sensation that he was bringing her again.

There was nothing exotic or particularly fancy about his lovemaking this time, but he made certain to love her so wholly and thoroughly, worshipping her with his hands and mouth and body, that she was left quickly undone once more, breathless and quivering in his arms. Hiyori gasped and reached up blindly to meet his mouth with her own in a wildly passionate kiss, and he finally allowed himself to succumb to her charms, his hips surging into hers and merging their loins together one last time, sliding home deeply before he finally spilled himself into her sore womb, muffling his low groan of release against her hair.

They were both breathing hard from their exertions, and Hiyori could not seem to stop trembling no matter how hard she tried, just as she could not seem to peel herself off of her lover. She was suddenly, amazingly, demonstrative and affectionate, and she was kissing his lips, his jaw, nose, cheeks, eyelids – just about everywhere on his face – until he stilled her with his hand on her chin and kissed her back deeply until her frenetic urges passed and she slowly calmed against him once more.

His narrow, half lidded golden eyes simply watched her steadily when he let her pull away from his mouth, and it made her feel as if he could see right through her and realize her most deeply guarded feelings and emotions. She felt extremely self-conscious then, but before she could separate from him and scramble out of the ofuro, his arm around her waist tightened slightly and he dropped a kiss on her forehead, this one completely chaste and lacking the carnality and previously frenzied, unfulfilled lust of their earlier exchanges, but still every bit as intimate as each and every one of his gestures to her.

"Ya feelin' alright there?" he asked quietly then, studying her face intently once more. She just looked rather well loved to him at that moment, her catlike eyes bright and her lips red and kiss swollen, her features glowing from their lovemaking, though she seemed unusually quiet and reticent today. She no longer appeared as tense or as uncomfortable as earlier; in fact, she was more relaxed and tranquil now, and her body leaned pliantly against his – she even seemed content to remain with him, at least for a little while.

In response to Shinji's question, Hiyori started to nod slowly after a moment's pause, but then, she ruined it midway by letting out a large yawn, clearly still wrung out by the unpleasant upheavals of her conflicted body. She blinked lazily at him, and he chuckled softly, taking advantage of her post-coital docility to quickly nuzzle her cheek with unbound affection.

"C'mon. Let's get outta here."

::tsuzuku::

Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:

For those who are wondering, yes, it is entirely possible to have sex during a woman's period, but of course this is up to individual preference. Obviously no one is going to force you to do it if you don't want to, but I'm just saying that there's nothing wrong at all with having penetrative sex during that time of the month. In fact, some women do get hornier during their monthlies, not to mention sexual stimulation and orgasms are also scientifically proven to help relieve menstrual cramps, FYI. Seriously guys, I'm not pulling these facts out of my ass this time. Go forth and Google, my fellow fascinated perverts!

xXxXxXxXxX

To be honest, I have actually been itching to write period!smut for a while now, but obviously this is a sensitive topic and not exactly everyone's cup of tea. Yes, the subject of menstruation is 'disgusting' and ''taboo' and not for the squeamish and fainthearted, but on the other hand, I've always believed that if you truly love somebody (as Shinji clearly does Hiyori and vice versa), then this type of issue is really completely insignificant and shouldn't matter at all. I hope that I have managed to portray that in this chapter at least, and I also dearly hope that I've managed to pull off this smut in a somewhat decent and tasteful fashion (hahaha, oxymoron). Whichever way, just tell me what you think!

xXxXxXxXxX

Also, I really don't believe that blood will faze Shinji very much, seeing that he sees plenty of that in his line of work. Can you imagine how disgusting it is to be drenched in the blood/gore/guts of your enemies? Following that line of thinking, a tiny bit of menstrual blood doesn't even compare, IMO. So there. At the same time, Hiyori, due to her small stature and scrawny form, is usually a very light bleeder (at least that is so for my headcanon of her), so it isn't as if she's gushing blood from between her legs, Jesus.

xXxXxXxXxX

And yes, Shinji really dotes on Hiyori. Can you tell? I think I mentioned this in passing before, but he probably is the most demonstrative lover out of all of my male muses, haha.

Oh, and I'm still looking for a Hiyori to play with my Shinji on tumblr RP - so many ShiYori plots, but no one to play them out with! Message in if interested!

xXxXxXxXxX

As always, thanks for reading! Until next time!

xXxXxXxXxX

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

-paws