I've loved you

Before we even met

Track Two: The Pallid Maiden

Kazui woke up in the infirmary the next day. He spent way too much time in the Fourth Division barracks growing up, doubly so when it came to his days in the Academy. He was still trying to piece together what happened last night. Festival, Ichika yelling at him, and then that shit-eating… oh yeah, he had been left with a significant hole in his abdomen.

He heard someone humming a tune nearby. The curtain was pulled aside to reveal a woman wearing a modified shihakushou. Unlike the other members she had a full obi on. Her auburn hair was thrown over her shoulder as a plait and silver pins in the shape of flowers were in her bangs.

"Well, you're finally up, Sleepy Head." She smiled, her auburn hair looking fiery in the afternoon light.

"Hey, Mom." Kurosaki Orihime, Special Member of the Fourth Division. Of course she'd be the first to see him.

"It's been awhile since you've been taken to the infirmary." She pulled a chair up and began peeling an apple.

"Don't you have other patients you could be looking after?"

"Everyone has checked out alright. Besides I'm on break for now and Shun'o and Ayame can treat anyone without my input. Kazui, what happened out there?"

"I dunno, I thought I was being careful and the next thing I know I have hole in my gut."

"Ichika-chan said as much. It must have been one nasty Hollow to get you."

"Not a Hollow." Orihime stopped peeling the apple she had.

"Not a Hollow. What was it then?"

"Some-"

"Mama."

The mother and son pair looked to the nearby door. Peeking in was a little girl in a floral kimono with her orange hair tied into pigtails.

"What, Tat-chan?"

"Is Oniichan alright?"

"I'm fine, Tatsuka, it's not baAAD!" The girl hopped onto the bed and into her brother's lap. Crap, even if the hole in him was filled in that still hurt.

"Tat-chan, Oniichan needs to rest." Orihime sighed, though her daughter refused to be separated from her brother. She clung to his hospital gown like a limpet.

"Tatsuka…" He patted her head. "I'm fine, okay? It wasn't anything serious. I just got knocked around a little."

"Hmph…" Her cheeks puffed out as she pouted. She was always so stubborn.

"Tatsuka! What are you doing running around?" And now another member of the family had entered. And the Fourth Division Captain on top of it. Were his aunts going to show up next? "I'm sorry, Orihime, I take my eyes off her for one second and then she seemed to use Shunpo."

"It's fine, Mother, she's just worried."

"Hey, Grandma Retsu. Aunt Isane isn't hiding around the corner is she?"

"No, but she was bawling her eyes out when you were brought in." She managed to remove Tatsuka from her brother, cradling the little girl in her arms. "Come, Tatsuka, I have some almond sweets fresh from the shop."

"Really!?"

"Mm-hm, just for you and me." She gave Orihime and Kazui a wink before closing the door behind her. Too many relatives in the first ten minutes of him being awake. Orihime handed him a dish with apple slices.

"Here, you should be well enough to have your appetite back." Ah, honey crisp, his favorite. It could have used some spicy caramel though. "Anyway, back to what we were talking about from before, you weren't attacked by a Hollow?"

"No, some guy picked a fight with me. It seemed like he even attracted the Hollows to the town just so he could puncture me."

"What did he look like?"

"He was little taller than me, but really, really thin, like he was made of just skin and bone. And he always kept grinning."

"I see. You should notify Byakuya-san and Shinpachi-kun the first chance you get. This is definitely going to change the follow up inquiry."

Kazui didn't like it when his mother became serious like that.

"There's also one other thing that you'll be asked a lot over the next few days." Orihime walked over to the next bed and pulled aside the curtain.

On the bed lay another patient, a girl about Kazui's age. She was tall, almost as tall as Kazui, but slender and wispy. Every inch of her from head to toe was pure white, even her short hair which was done in pixie cut. She rolled over in her sleep.

"Who is that?"

"We thought you could answer that. According to Ichika-chan she found her wearing nothing but her birthday suit alongside you. I wondered if you'd finally gotten to that age, though I would prefer it if you didn't pick up random girls."

"Mom, I've never seen her in my entire life, I don't even remember seeing her last night. What were you doing dragging her into the Seireitei?"

"Because we don't know what she is. Putting aside that she's a witness, she's not a normal spiritual entity. If she were a vagrant spirit she would have been konso'd, but since she didn't have a chain on her she couldn't be that. No name, a reiki signature we can't identify, no one in the current databases that fits her description, a complete unknown."

This day kept getting stranger by the minute.

XXXXX

Ichika sighed as she was finally able to punch out for the day. They'd kept her overtime pestering her questions about what happened back in the human world. There were only so many ways she could describe how she screwed up a Hollow's face before finding a bleeding Kazui alongside a butt-naked girl. She could not get away from the barracks fast enough to blow off some steam.

"And where are you going?" Ichika stopped in mid-stride as she was headed down the street. Her uncle was right behind her, having traded in his haori for a cloak.

"To the ikezaya like always?"

"Not tonight young lady, you've run over the clock. Come, we're late for dinner as it is."

She didn't argue as she'd inevitably lose. Despite her surname she was still part of the Kuchiki Clan and she was expected to conduct herself accordingly. Takeko was going to have to have fun with Ryuuhai-senpai and Munashii-san without her.

"You did well considering the circumstances, Ichika." Her uncle said as they walked along the river to the estate. The sun was beginning its descent in the hours before twilight.

"All I did was take out one Hollow and get to Kazui. It's pretty bad when your captain has to bail you out."

"A unique exception, I assure you. A Hollow convergence like that is very rare in the human world."

"And I'll be glad not to see another for awhile."

They arrived at the estate after about thirty minutes. The place was so huge there were separate houses on the grounds, her family specifically taking one of the branch manors while her uncle was at the main house. At the entrance were servants who came to greet them and head towards the dining hall.

"Ah! How's my baby girl?" She felt a pair of arms hold her tightly just as she entered the room.

"Dad! I'm not five anymore!" Her father could never get enough of that. It was obvious Ichika got her flaming red hair from him, though his was even wilder, worn down and the elaborate tattoos etched onto his face and arms only made him look fiercer. Abarai Renji, Fifth Division Captain and her father.

"C'mon, I heard ya had a busy day and wanted to hear it. Your mother was freaking out about what happened."

"As she should have, Renji." Byakuya tossed his hair at his brother-in-law. "Ten wounded, three were in severe condition until a few hours ago, and we have an unexpected complication."

"Well, that can wait for after dinner, because I'm starving." And in stepped her mother, the Thirteenth Division's Captain. It was little wonder people called Ichika "Princess" to this day. Her mother wore a simple blue kimono, her long black hair tied back. "Are you okay, Ichika? Are you sure you're not hurt?"

"I'm fine, Mom, all I had to deal with was some shmuck and Ojisama did most of the heavy lifting."

"I heard from Orihime that Kazui was discharged just a few minutes ago, if you were wondering."

"I would bother him with what happened in the human world, but I'm going to agree with Rukia that dinner should come first." Byakuya never liked being late to a meal, though whether that was due to ceremony or appetite was up to interpretation. Ichika's own hunger was flaring up upon smelling that yakiniku was on the menu tonight.

Before the family could dine hoever, one of the servants came up to Byakuya and whispered into his ear.

"…What do you mean the witness has vanished from the infirmary?"

XXXXX

"We're home!" Orihime said as she walked in alongside Kazui who was holding Tatsuka with one arm while holding a bag with the other. They went to the market after her shift was over.

"Oh, he's still in one piece." Over at the nearby table was a girl, older than Tatsuka, but barely half Kazui's age, with orange hair cut into a bob. She was munching on a rice cracker while reading.

"You're not getting my room anytime soon, Kiku." He sat Tatsuka next to her sister who was curious as to the book she was looking over.

"I should get started on dinner. I'll make something special."

"Want some help?"

"Don't worry, you should just rest in your room for now."

Jeez, I'm not that invalid, Kazui thought. Kiku took Tatsuka outside to play while Orihime began preparing dinner. That sounded nice, maybe some of her leek and miso sauce spaghetti or spicy roasted pork with sakura.

Kazui sat on his bed. His room was plastered with stuff from the human world, typically foreign bands his father had gotten him into and even had a collection of vinyl. A bass guitar lay in the corner though he'd been so busy he hadn't got a chance to play it. Hell, he was officially on sick leave, so he might as well catch up.

"Mm."

What was that? Kazui patted the sheets and felt something big. Nervously he pulled them down…to reveal the white girl. This time she wore a white and black, knee-length dress that had no back, showing a pair of wing tattoos that covered her back from neck to hip. Its neckline was low and around her throat was a black, lace choker. Her eyes opened to reveal a pair of rose red orbs. She smiled lethargically.

"Welcome home, Kazui-san." A girl. In his bed. And it was the same girl from the infirmary. Three, two, one…

"HAAAAAAA!?" Downstairs his mother nearly dropped the knife she was using.

"Not so loud, you'll disturb the neighbors." She was rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes.

"How did you get into my house?! Why are you in my bed?!"

"Where you go, I go, simple as that. Also, are you sure you want your sisters to hear that?"

"Kazui, what is-" Of all the times for his mother to show up. She blinked once, twice, thrice, and then looked to her son. "Kazui, I'm fine with you bringing girls home, but please don't abduct patients from the infirmary."

"Mom, I was with you the entire time, there's no way I could have done that."

"Hello, Mother, it's a pleasure to meet you." This girl could not read the atmosphere, she was even yawning as she stretched her big….white…wings? What the hell was this woman?

After finally getting their thoughts straight, Kazui and his mother informed the proper authorities, Orihime telling the Fourth Division that their missing patient had somehow ended up in her house while Kazui informed the Sixth Division that the mysterious witness from before was awake. Lieutenant Maeda said they'd be over shortly, but considering his sense of urgency it would probably take him two hours.

She just sat at the table, sipping a cup of green tea. Kazui didn't even realize when he entered that her boots were at the entrance hall, the pair of white, high-heeled footwear standing out like a sore thumb. What the hell was going on?

"Wow, these are really pretty." Tatsuka couldn't help but tug the girl's wings, which were now about half as long as her arms.

"Ow! Careful there, it's okay to touch them, but pulling my feathers hurts."

"Okay, um, uh…?"

"Maki, but you can call me Oneechan if you want."

"Hey, I'm the Oneechan." Kiku pulled Maki's cheek.

"Okay, Maki-nee is fine. You two are just too adorable." She ruffled Kiku's hair.

"You're getting way too familiar with my sisters." Kazui sat opposite of her at the table.

"Oh? Am I being interrogated?"

"I'm off duty, but you'd best get used to it."

"Okay, my name is spelled with the kanji for 'spiral,' I'm an Aquarius, and my three sizes are 77-68-79. " Only one of those was relevant. Kazui sipped on a glass of Calpico he'd gotten the other day. He needed every treat he could think of to unwind.

"How did you know my name anyway? You were fast asleep at the infirmary."

"I've always known it. I've known you for a long, long time, Kazui-san."

"So you're a stalker?"

"Far from it. You called me after all, I merely answered."

"Who…are you?"

"Maki, nothing more."

The front door opened, ending their conversation for the time being. For a moment Kazui thought it was Lieutenant Maeda, but then he felt that familiar aura.

"I'm home." Said a gruff voice from the entrance hall. Both of Kazui's sisters leapt from the table and raced to the door.

"Papa!" Tatsuka beamed as she gave her father's leg a bear hug.

"Hey, how are my favorite girls?"

Kurosaki Ichigo, Captain of the Special Expeditionary Unit First Team. That was a title Kazui had never heard the end of growing up or when he was in the academy. He was a special case in the Seireitei, even down to his wardrobe. His garb was somewhere between East and West. Forgoing a traditional haori, he went for something more akin to a midnight blue duster jacket. Underneath was a of jinbe with the lotus insignia of his unit on the breast. It contrasted greatly against the shock of orange hair he had that couldn't remotely be called tamed and a few days' stubble of orange was on his face.

"So, this is the surprise guest we got." Ichigo cocked his eyebrow as Maki bowed before him.

"A pleasure, Father, pardon my intrusion."

"Your reputation is starting to precede you." Kazui rolled his eyes. "So, did Lieutenant Maeda ask you to escort her to the barracks?"

"Not for the moment. She clearly isn't going anywhere, so she'll be staying here under our custody for the night."

"Oh thank you, Father! Do you want me to fetch you some sake? Or maybe I could give you a massage. Your shoulders look so stiff!"

"Helping me with these dishes wouldn't hurt." Orihime poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Coming!" Maki was eager to please, too eager.

Dinner went as peacefully as one could expect in spite of the strange new guest they had under their roof. Like anyone partaking in a Kurosaki household meal, the dishes were unique. Cherry-honey glazed salmon, brown rice seasoned with red pepper, lemon butter, and a hint of cinnamon, and miso stew with crab meat and scallions.

"Say 'ah,' Kazui-san." Maki had been doing this all night and damned if she wasn't going to succeed at it.

"If I haven't done it five times before, I'm not going to do it now. And isn't it shameless to do that in front of my folks?"

"Nothing major, I'd have your father take a piece of sushi from between my teeth despite your aunts being around."

"Not helping, Mom."

"No arguing at the dinner table." He shot Kazui and Maki a glare which stopped them immediately. He just peacefully enjoyed Orihime's dishes while Tatsuka was in his lap.

Dinner went peacefully with Orihime taking the girls to the bath afterward. Maki said she was going to lie down for a bit after she washed the dishes

It was night out now, the moon hanging high in the sky. Kazui's father sat on the veranda relaxing with his uniform being replaced with sweat pants and a long-sleeved shirt.

"Ya gonna say anything to your old man or are ya gonna sit there all night?" He was reading the paper.

"I'm just trying to keep my brain from frying over sensory overload." Kazui was still finishing off the chocolate, orange, and anko bread pudding his mother had made. "What I wouldn't give to take out my frustrations on that snake-faced jackass."

"…What?"

"Oh right, you don't know. Well, the one who put a hole in me wasn't a Hollow, it was some guy with a flamboyant fashion sense and the most obnoxious grin in history."

"Did he have…silver hair? And did he ever say 'shoot to kill?'"

"Yeah, right when he punctured me. Why do you know?"

Kazui couldn't see his father's face from where he was sitting. If he had, he would have seen his brown eyes giving a piercing glare.

"Kazui, Honey, the bath's open!"

"Go right ahead, I'll take mine later." Ichigo said as he made his way upstairs. "Okay girls, time for bed."

"Only if you read me a story!" Tatsuka could never get to sleep without one.

"Alright, you got it."

Kazui finished off his dessert and made his way to the bath. After a long day he felt like he needed it. His long braid came undone since Kiku did it earlier and his hair flowed freely. He dunked a bucket over his head and started scrubbing his head. There was nothing he hated more than his hair feeling grimy after a long day. He really wanted to hit the sack after this and spend all of tomorrow vegetating.

The door into the room slid open slooooowly as not to make a noise and in came a visitor. Elegant feet tip-toed across the tiles until she was right behind Kazui.

"Want me to wash your back? "

Kazui's neck turned so fast he was in danger of suffering whiplash. Maki. Right behind him. In nothing but a towel. And he was in nothing but a towel. Shit!

Kazui went right for the door lest he repeat the bedroom incident from earlier. Though in his haste he didn't quite manage to stand and instead tumbled off the stool, with Maki following him. A clangor later and suddenly the girl was above him, her towel one quick mishap away from freeing every inch of her supple, alabaster body. She grinned.

"I was just going to scrub your back, but if you want to be that bold-"

"Shut. Up."

"Kazu-" Oh hell, the worst case scenario happened. His mother was standing over them. She blinked once, twice, thrice and slowly began to close the door.

"Wait, Mom, this isn't what it looks like!"

"Kazui," she said with her back to them "please remember to practice responsibly."

He hated his life.

XXXXX

Ichigo had put Tatsuka and Kiku to bed a few minutes ago. Despite her exuberance Tatsuka was clearly tired and was snoozing after a few pages. She curled against her sister who was soon out as well. He gave them a peck on the forehead before going to his study.

Over by his desk was a cage meant for personal jigoku-cho that every lieutenant, captain, and seated member had. He didn't really want to hear what Kazui had said earlier. Had he gone the rest of his life without hearing that description he would have been content. But he knew he'd see that man again after he vanished nearly thirty years ago.

"The past never dies, does it Nori-san?"