Standard disclaimers apply to the fictional characters of BLEACH used in this story. They are the property of the esteemed Kubo Tite-sensei, and I have no claim over them. Please don't sue.
-.-
It was strange, Katagiri thought, as she pretended to examine the stitches she made on her latest sewing project. Normally at the Ishida residence, she was busy with chores—from washing, to cleaning, to serving—and had very downtime. Yet after moving to Tokyo, she found more time on her hands and was sometimes at a lost with nothing to do. This new life of hers was enlightening yet daunting as well.
She peered at the man sitting on the couch, hovering over the coffee table of books, from her position on the floor at the other edge of the table. It seemed that Ryuuken transitioned into his new life as a university student rather well, especially being away from home.
"What is it?" Ryuuken asked without taking his eyes away from his reading.
She hesitated but didn't stop from speaking her mind. "Do you enjoy living in Tokyo, Young Master?"
"Are you unhappy living here, Katagiri?" He countered as he turned the page.
Kanae became flustered but shook her head. "Please don't think that, Ryuuken-sama. I'm happy to be at your service."
He looked over at her now, with his blue eyes inquisitive yet non-invasive. "Is it strange for you to be here with me then?"
"Is it truly appropriate for me to be here with you?" She focused her gaze at her sewing and tucked the needle through the cloth. Though Souken's warning left a deep impression, her heightened awareness of her surroundings overwhelmed it. It was strange to see his toothbrush next to hers on the bathroom sink, to see their shoes lined up next to each other at the doorway, to cook for just the two of them, to dine together at the table, to sit with him in the living room.
Noiselessly, Ryuuken shuffled from his seat so that he was leaning over her. Her attention was forced away when he reached out and tilted her chin at an angle with his fingers. Though she felt her cheeks heat up, she didn't pull away as he bent his head forward and pressed their lips together.
No, perhaps strangeness wasn't the reason, she thought as her eyes slid shut. It was the unbidden excitement that she felt from knowing that there were no eyes of judgment or words of reprimand for being with him in this new home of theirs and for unlocking the feelings between them long suppressed.
Breathless, Kanae kept her eyes closed as he pulled away. She almost smiled shyly when he whispered. "I have no reason to think otherwise."
-.-
AN: August is half way done—I don't want my summer to end! But anyway, who saw this coming?
Thank you my dear readers and reviewers, especially to Amulet Misty, Isame Kuroda, Nessie910, Stresses, Anna Riza Kurosaki, and DrkSpphrGT.