Kumiko stood on the edge of the lake. Looking out the the gently rippling water, sun shining on its surface. Soft breeze playing with her hair, cooling the exposed skin of her neck.
A tall serious man stood next to her, looking out at the scenery. Brown eyes glancing down to the woman next to him
"you ever think about running away kumi?" His deep voice broke the silence
Kumiko glanced up at him. His normally strong features softened by his wonderings.
"what do you mean? Where would I go?" She questioned him
"anywhere. Somewhere there isn't any hidoi. Start a family. see the world" he told her, mind escaping to that fantasy world
"do you?" Kumiko asked him softly
"sometimes. I just feel there's more to life. Than just this ." He told her, gesturing behind them to the forest
"I like it here. With you guys" Kumiko said truthfully, looking back to the lake
"you're going to die you know"
the strange remark confused Kumiko
'that isn't how this conversation went' she thought confused
"kage? What are you on about?" Kumiko asked him, looking to meet his eye, jumping back at what she saw
kage stood facing her . Zanpakuto drawn pointing at her neck, crimson eyes staring through her. Kumiko backed up, reaching blindly for her own zanpakuto, not finding it at her waist
"you should have ran away Kumiko, started your life somewhere else" he told her, voice void of any emotion. Raising his zanpakuto to suddenly bring it down towards her head.
Kumiko dodged the blade, turning to run away before a strong hand grabbed her and span her back to face him. Grabbing her body and pulling her towards his own, Kumiko struggled in his grasp , nails swiping harshly at his chest, causing him to loosen his hold . Kumikos broke out of it, running as fast as she could back towards the cabin. Back to the rest of her team.
The Forrest plunged into darkness as she broke through the trees. Branches reaching out to whip at her skin. Shadows moving and changing form, reaching out to grab her ankles
Kumikos heavy breathing loud in her ears. Desperately trying to hear if she was being pursued. Kumiko pushed herself faster seeing the flickering fire in the distance.
Kumiko skidded to a halt, seeing the massacre there. Lifeless bodies of her friends, torn and bloody, thrown broken to the floor. A scream ripped from her throat, hands coming up to try and catch it too late
Kumiko turned quick to run to the cabin, tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision. Throwing herself into the wooden cabin door, familiar creak welcoming her. Slamming it shut and leaning against it, Kumiko tried to control her breathing, tears wetting her face. Looking around for her zanpakuto quickly, her eyes were pulled to an unexpected sight
Sat on the table, where they had shared their meals and nights of games, Kumiko spotted the familiar form of her friend from behind. Usual hat perched on his head, writing something she couldn't see on the table he leaned over
"Kiske" Kumiko breathed, his name sounding like a prayer
"Kiske, somethings wrong" Kumiko started, walking to her friend "I don't understand what's happening " reaching him, Kumiko put a hand on his shoulder
Urahara shot up from the table startling her. Whipping round to grab both of kumikos wrists in a deadly grip. Kumiko screamed seeing his face. His usually friendly grey eyes were death black, blood running from both, staining his cheeks
his top was wide open, Revealing three jagged cuts down his chest onto his stomach. The rotting smell of flesh escaping the oozing wounds. The same wounds mangling her friends bodies by the fire
panicked eyes stared into the face of her friend, Kumiko struggled in his grasp trying to escape.
"Kumiko" his raspy voice sounded, leaning in close to her face, Kumiko screaming right back, moving her head back as far as she could , stuck in his iron grasp. Tugging herself away from him with all her might
teeth showing in a sinister snarl, inching closer and closer to the flesh on her neck
"Kumiko! Wake up!"
Kumikos eyes shot open, struggling against the person holding her arms, screaming wildly
"GET OFF! GET OFF!" Kumiko screamed, thrashing around the bed, trying to break the hold
"KUMIKO! Its me love! Look. Look it's just me" shunsui quickly tried to sooth the petrified woman. Getting her unseeing eyes to leave the nightmare she was trapped in and see where she was
Kumiko stopped thrashing. Eyes wildly looking around the room. Mouth gasping for air. Kumikos vision came back to where she was, sitting up in the bed she had climbed into that night with shunsui.
Shunsui himself kneeling next to her, her arms gently in his hold, preventing her from hurting herself or him. His eyes were wide with worry, adrenaline replacing his sleep quickly. Four angry red scratches ran down his bare chest.
Kumiko sagged slightly in his grasp, before a violent wave of sickness washed over her. Darting from the bed, Kumiko flung open the bathroom door, making it just in time to throw up into the toilet. Tears gently rolling down her face, Kumiko heaved painfully, her stomach emptying itself once more into the bowl
hands gently started scooping up her hair, holding it up out of the way. Shunsui gently started rubbing her back, muttering softly behind her " it's ok love, I got you"
heaving once more, Kumiko felt she had nothing left to give. Quickly flushing to toilet to get rid of the offensive evidence, Kumiko leaned back into the cool tiled wall, sighing at the sweet relief it gave her.
Shunsui got up and walked out the room, returning quickly with a bottle of cool water, opening the lid he placed it in her slightly shaking hand "here, love, take small sips" he told her before walking to the sink and wetting a cloth with cold water. Kumiko sipped at the water. The cool liquid soothing her sore throat
Sitting down next to her on the cool bathroom floor, he began to gently wipe her too hot face, sufficiently cleaning and cooling her skin. Bringing it down to her neck to give it the same treatment, he looked at her face with worry. She had closed her eyes, tired from the heavy heaving, head pounding gently
Shunsui continued caressing her skin, gently holding her hand to wipe her arms. Kumiko lifted her head to look at him, lip quivering slightly
"I need to see urahara" she told him, voice sounding raspy to her own ears
"is that what the nightmare was about?" He asked her, speaking softly. Continuing to graze her skin with the cool cloth
Kumiko nodded " I need to see something" she told him, getting her feet under him to stand up. Shunsui leaped up, holding her elbow steady
"it's the middle of the night love. You can see him in the morning" he told her softly, concerned about her.
Kumiko looked at him about to protest when her eyes caught the angry marks on his naked chest. Bringing her hand up to gently caress the skin around it, she whispered ashamed "did I do that?"
"don't give it a second thought. I'm fine" he told her, hand coming up to hold the one on his chest
"im sorry". She whispered, looking up at him. Shunsui wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his body
"nothing to be sorry for " he muttered into her hair "let's get you back to bed"
Kumiko shook her head, it began thumping in protest
"we can't go storming into the 4th right now love. It's half 3 in the morning. Unohana won't let us in now " he told her softly but firmly "I will take you first thing, I promise "
Kumiko nodded, exhaustion making itself known. Kumiko left his arms and walk to the skink, quickly grabbing her toothbrush and toothpaste and brushing her teeth again. Needing to get the bitter taste from her mouth.
When she had finished shunsui picked her up and held her to his chest, walking them back to his bedroom. Placing her on the bed, shunsui pulled up the blanket over her before walking round and climbing In next to her, pulling her to him.
Relieved when she cuddled into his chest, he wrapped his arms around her. Kumiko kissed his chest where she had scratched him, before resting her forehead against him. Heavy eyes closing.
Shunsui stared unseeing over her head. He had woken up to Kumiko screaming, he had never felt fear like it before. Seeing her that way,thrashing around and screaming as if in the worst pain. He had tried to wake her gently, not wanting to startle her. When she had fought against what ever she was seeing, sharply scratching his chest, he had gently held her wrists, worried she might accidentally hurt herself
probably not the best idea. He thought, seeing how hard she had struggled after. Feeling her breathing evening out in his hold. Shunsui kissed her forehead, before staring out into his dark room. Not being able to sleep again that night, too worried she would have another nightmare.
Kumiko woke several hours later, tiredness making her eyes heavy. yawning wide, she inched closer to the warm body holding her . Last night came flooding back to her, remembering everything Kumiko pulled herself up, seeing shunsui laying on his back, eyes open staring at the ceiling.
"did you get any sleep?" She asked him quietly. Shunsuis eyes moved to meet her own, offering her a small smile
"some". He told her, not wanting her to be concerned
"you're a terrible liar you know?" She told him with a small smile "why didn't you go back to sleep?"
"I wanted to stay awake incase you had another nightmare " he told her honestly that time
"you can't do that shun. You need your sleep too." She told him before looking toward the wall "maybe I should sleep in the other room?" She questioned absentmindedly
"no" shunsui said faster than he ment to. Sitting up with her "I don't want you to sleep alone. I don't want to sleep without you" he told her kissing her shoulder
"but if I'm keeping you up..?" She started, getting interrupted by him saying
"I'll sleep tonight, I promise" kissing her shoulder again "it just seemed like a really bad nightmare last night"
"it was" she said leaning into him, remembering what happened "I need to go see urahara. I need to check something"
"okay love, can you manage breakfast first?" He questioned her
Kumiko shook her head softly "not yet. My stomach is still In knots. I'll eat later, I can wait for you to have something though"
"I can wait too. I'll go have a quicker shower" he said kissing her on the head before getting out of bed
Kumiko laid back down for a few minutes, thinking back on what she dreamed about, head aching slightly. A cold chill up her body forced her to get up and get dressed
Pushing open the door the Uraharas room, Kumiko breathed out a sigh of relief seeing him sleeping, looking as he did when she last saw him.
Ukitake turned around in the seat he was occupying "shunsui, Kumiko? You're here early" he greeted them, standing up. Catching kumikos worried eyes and Shunsuis exhausted appearance for the first time
"what's wrong?"
Kumiko moved forward to Kiske, holding his hand, feeling very warm in hers and looking down to his face. She could hear shunsui softly explaining what had happened the previous night
"she said she needed to see him, that she needed to check something"
Kumiko straightened up and looked at them
"I need to see the wounds on his chest" she told them
"we should probably wait for Unohana love" shunsui started, but Kumiko shook her head
"I can't, I need to see it now. It's important " she told them with conviction
jushiro gave her a worried look, before looking to shunsui, he had the same expression on his face
"please" she asked them "I'll be careful "
shunsui looked to jushiro, silently asking his opinion, knowing he wouldn't be as swayed by kumikos pleading like he was
"so long as you're carful, and you bandage him back up". He allowed "Unohana should be back soon anyway"
Kumiko gently started to undo the bandage on his chest, careful not to knock him. Urahara started moving under her hands gently, eyes half opening
"miko? What's happening ?" He slurred. Medication still making him groggy and confused
"I just need to see something" she told him softly
"we having sex again?" He asked her confused, making her laugh suddenly "Kyoraku will kill me"
his hand came up to push his bandages slightly
"stay still, you'll hurt yourself" she told him, shunsui walked over to gently remove his hand away, keeping it at his side with a small laugh
"Kyoraku?" Urahara noticed the man for the first time, grinning down at him amused "you don't want to have sex too do you?" He mumbled, eyes closing, unable to stay open
shunsui laughed louder at that "not today my friend". He told him, throughly enjoying his high reasoning
"oh good" urahara breathed out "I don't think I could sleep with a man"
shunsui laughed, Kumikos hand went to her mouth to hide her giggle
"he's rather amusing on all these drugs" jushiro said from behind them, laugher in his voice
"I can't wait til he's with it enough to tease him about it" shunsui told his friend with a grin, hand remaining on Uraharas, keeping it away from Kumiko
Kumiko carefully as she could loosened the bandages enough to pull them down. A gasp caught in her throat at the sight. Wave of sickness creeping up on her again. She forced it back, breathing heavily through her nose.
She knew these marks. Knew what made them.
Having seen them on the disfigured corpses of her friends, seen the shadow Demons first hand
"Kumiko?" Jushiro questioned her, seeing how her back stiffened, colour draining from her face
"I know who did this" she told them softly, wrapping Urahara back up. Pulling the blanket back up to cover him, she turned to face them
"I know who's behind all this"