The early rays of sunlight poured in past the dark blue curtain that covered the window inside Mayuri's bedroom as he adjusted his position on the bed. He rolled over and brushed up against Ayumi's soft skin causing him to open his eyes. The two of them had fallen asleep holding one another and he could only guess that during sleep they had parted. Mayuri glanced at the clock on his bedside table noting the time. It was only half past seven in the morning and even though he'd gotten more sleep then the previous night, he still felt the urge to keep resting.
Mayuri allowed himself to reach out for the woman who lay on her stomach still fast asleep. Her dark hair splayed across one of his pillows. He lifted his hand and began to trace his fingertips down the small of her back and across her hip. She laid with her leg extended out towards him, bent at the knee.
Ayumi stirred as she felt his light caress but she didn't open her eyes. Mayuri studied the woman for a couple minutes, admiring her soft feminine features before lifting the leg that was extended placing it across his hips as he slid himself closer to her. Her eyes opened and he was greeted with what looked like a shy smile.
"Is it time to get up?" She asked him.
"We can stay in bed for a while longer, but, unfortunately, I'll have to get ready soon." He answered.
Ayumi's brow rose in question.
"Ready for what?" She replied.
Mayuri let out an exasperated sigh before he continued. He wasn't sure how the woman would take him being sent off to Hueco Mundo right after what they had just shared together. He still felt confused himself as to what it all really meant, he supposed the two of them could now be considered an item, although the thought still boggled his mind, he found himself pleased with the idea.
"I've been given orders to accompany the Espada to Hueco Mundo." Mayuri explained.
Ayumi's brow furrowed as she looked at him with concern filled eyes.
"Can I come with you?" Ayumi whispered.
Mayuri allowed himself to laugh softly at the absurdity of her question.
"I'm afraid not. Hueco Mundo is no place for you, I fear you would only end up distracting me from what I needed to accomplish." He admitted.
"Besides, I need you here to continue the research I have already started. I intend to have Akon run the samples that were successfully collected last night and I wish for you to help him compare them with the ones taken from your old roommates." Mayuri continued.
"What happened in Kusajishi? Akon didn't want to tell me when I asked him." Ayumi pressed.
"Yes, well, I can see his hesitation on the matter, but since you are in fact assisting, you have the right to know. Three men in the district perished from an unknown cause. One of the men was in some form of relationship with that "Mikka" woman you used to live with." Mayuri answered.
"I see. I think I know who you're talking about. I never did catch his name myself, and if I'm being honest I didn't pry in any of Mikka's personal affairs." Ayumi stated.
"Those women didn't accept you, did they?"
Ayumi shrugged her shoulder at him as she met his gaze.
"Not really. I wasn't interested in the same things as them, I liked to study and keep to myself most of the time." She admitted.
"Ah…well, it was their loss." Mayuri replied.
Ayumi smiled at him wondering if he even realized he had just given her another compliment. The situation felt surreal to her, as if she were currently living some kind of fantasy. She had wanted to wake up to him like this. She thought about how it would feel to lay with him in his bed and listen to him speak about one of his projects and now that it had come true, she didn't know what to think.
"How do you feel?" Mayuri asked, bringing her back outside of her thoughts.
"I feel fine, why?" She replied.
He nodded his head as he averted his gaze.
"I simply wanted to make sure you were not in any pain, after what took place last night."Mayuri admitted.
Ayumi's smile turned into a full on grin as she watched him. She never would have suspected that the man could be this charming under all his normal angst. While she had liked him from day one, she had realized quickly, his personality was one of a kind. He demanded order and control and could be quick to aggravate, but she still found him cute, even when he was brooding.
"What? Why are you smiling at me in such a way?" He asked her as his brow lifted.
Ayumi leaned forward, her lips only inches away from his.
"Because I think you're cute." She whispered, hoping her flirtation wouldn't upset him.
Mayuri leaned in closer to her as he heard the woman call him cute. If he had known taking the woman to bed was all it would take for her to find a spark of confidence, he would have done it sooner. He couldn't deny that he liked the playful look in her eyes as she leaned her naked body against him. He didn't think he would ever get used to such intimacy, but, he was willing to put aside his confusion for now.
"Is that so? Just remember that I am still your captain outside of this room, I cannot allow you to undermine me in any way." He warned her.
"I understand, Mayuri." She whispered right before she pressed her lips against his, succeeding in turning his rational mind into a lust filled ball of mush.
All the woman had to do was look at him with those mesmerizing eyes and he was lost to her, now that they had become lovers he understood what he had been missing and even though he could admit he had a new found understanding, he couldn't allow it to take him over, he still had a job to do.
Mayuri pulled away from the woman's kiss before she sent him too far over the edge, he wanted nothing more than to lay her back down and enjoy her again, but he hadn't the time and he needed to stay focused on the task at hand.
Ayumi stared up at him as she licked the taste of his kiss from her lips. She could feel his hesitancy, and she didn't want to pressure him, so she backed away.
"I think it's time I get ready, if you still wish to paint me, come along." He offered before rolling away from her and pushing himself up from the futon.
Ayumi caught a glimpse of him as he stood and she smiled in silent triumph when she noticed his arousal. She understood that a man like Mayuri wasn't going to fall into the role of a lover very easily. His scientific mind would probably tell him it was nothing more than just chemicals in his brain causing his attraction to her.
Ayumi knew because she'd had had the same argument, but after last night she didn't see any more reason to fight with herself, the internal battle didn't change the fact that when she looked at him her heart filled with joy. It wouldn't change that when the man touched her he sent her into another world filled with such passion-Love is madness, and I'm about to ride the wave.
Isane Kotetsu let out a sigh as she stared down at the young women laying in beds next to one another. She had moved Rei into the same room as the other women in an effort to keep the area controlled. When Isane had heard the news from the Squad 9 captain that someone may have died from the illness, she had made the harsh decision to close the medical unit completely. In doing so she had managed to upset some people in the process, the head captain, the captain of squad 2 and Sosuke Aizen.
While the head captain understood her reasoning, he hadn't liked the fact she refused even him reentrance. She had stood in front of one of the windows to the unit arguing with the man for almost half an hour. It seemed that Shunsui had convinced himself that since he hadn't come down with anything yet, that he never would, but Isane wasn't so sure about his logic. While she hadn't succumbed to any symptoms either, she wasn't so full of herself to think it wasn't a possibility.
Soifon and Sosuke had been so upset by her demand that Amaya stayed inside since she had taken it upon herself to assist in the care of the women. Amaya had made her choice and Isane's hands were now tied. It had taken almost an hour of Amaya talking to her husband through the window to appease him even slightly. Isane had refused him entrance when he had demanded he be able to come inside with his wife. She knew that he was immortal, but still, she didn't want to take any chances with people entering and leaving the building.
Aizen had only put his argument on hold when a messenger had walked up to both him and the captain of Squad 2 informing them that Captain Kurotsuchi requested Sosuke's assistance.
Isane and her staff were diligent, taking precautions to wear masks when in the presence of the women. Whenever someone came inside the room they would be required to dress down and once they left the room the clothing would be removed and an automatic shower was mandatory. She knew that her efforts may just be a vain attempt at appeasing her own mind, but she was determined to keep whatever virus had taken these women over from seeking out any other victims.
Isane feared her only hope now was Mayuri Kurotsuchi. If anyone would be able to come through for the three women by finding a treatment, it would be him. She knew that it would take time for the squad 12 captain to figure out the answer, and she would just have to be patient and do her best to keep the women as comfortable as possible.
Isane turned her head as the door opened and her 3rd seat peeked his masked head into the room.
"Captain, you have a visitor at the window." Hanataro stated.
Isane sighed heavily.
"Who is it this time?" She asked him.
Hanataro looked up at her with a bewildered expression.
"The head captain and a guest." He replied.
"A guest?" she questioned as she stepped forward out of the room and pulled the door closed before removing the mask from her face.
"Tell them I will be moment, I must wash quickly." She insisted.
Hanataro nodded before stepping back out into the main room of the medical unit and back over to the window. The head captain stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest and a man in all black with blue hair and eyes stared up at him through the window with a bored expression on his face.
The 3rd seat sighed to himself as he witnessed another walk up to the window and stand next to the head captain. Hanataro turned and looked over at Amaya who was sleeping on one of the empty medical beds. He walked over to her and gingerly rubbed her shoulder. Amaya's eyes opened and she looked up at him.
"Is something wrong?" she asked him.
"Your husband is at the window." He informed her.
Amaya wiped the sleep from her eyes before sitting up on the medical bed. She could hear the thoughts of three men outside, as well as Hanataro's. She focused her mind and willed her ability to silence by concentrating only on her husband.
Hanataro walked back over to the window and called out to the head captain.
"Captain Kotetsu will be out in a few minutes, Head Captain."
"Alright then." Shunsui yelled back from the other side of the paned glass.
Amaya stood from the medical bed and made her way over to the window. Sosuke stepped forward and placed his palm on the glass and Amaya lifted her hand wishing she could touch him back, but she understood Isane's worry and wasn't going to argue with the squad 4 captain's precautions. If Amaya were being honest with herself, she felt them necessary. It wouldn't do anyone any good if more people fell ill, and she was the next best thing to a Squad 4 member having been in the middle of nursing school before she'd been brought to the Soul Society years ago.
"Are you alright?" She heard Aizen's voice push into her mind.
The couple didn't have to speak out loud in order to communicate.
"I Am. Don't worry so much Sosuke." She pleaded with his thoughts.
He shook his head as his gaze averted, looking over at the Espada.
Amaya didn't have to question who the blue haired man was standing on the other side of the Head Captain, she knew from Sosuke's memories who the Espada was, and when she turned her gaze to Grimmjow his brow lifted in question. She opened her mind to allow herself to hear his thoughts at her husband's request.
"What the hell is this woman looking at?"
Amaya turned her gaze back to Sosuke but continued to listen to the Espada's inner dialogue.
"That was fucking weird. It almost seemed like she was looking right though me…like she can read me."
"Who is that woman?" Grimmjow asked the head captain out loud.
Shunsui turned his attention to him and answered.
"Her name is Amaya Aizen, she would be Sosuke's wife."
"What the fuck!?"
Amaya heard Grimmjow's thoughts scatter from the shock of the information. She listened in on him seeking out what his intentions really were. Whether or not he really was here because of dying Hollows or if the few remaining Espada's had something up their sleeves. The man didn't know it yet, but the head captain didn't really want to speak with Captain Kotetsu, they were using that as an excuse so that Amaya could infiltrate his mind.
"How are things holding up in there, Amaya?" Shunsui asked her, knowing that she would be able to hold a small conversation with him and also listen to the Espada simultaneously.
"Things are as expected, the students still don't seem to be making any progress, even with our best efforts." Amaya replied.
"How the fuck is Aizen married to this woman? Does she even know who the hell she married? This is fucking crazy… Wait. Is that the change I sense in him then? Could the bastard have actually found something he cares about more than himself?"
Amaya held her temper as she listened to the Espada, she understood Aizen's past, and she had accepted it years ago. Grimmjow would never understand the connection that she shared with her husband, or that she was in fact the only thing Sosuke seemed to care about now. He was no longer the power hungry monster that everyone remembered, he was her immortal.
"Captain Kurotsuchi is about to take a trip to Hueco Mundo. It seems that this virus might be there as well, we are hoping it might point us to some answers, maybe even give us the source." Shunsui continued.
Amaya knew the head captain had brought up the trip in order for her to listen to the Espada's reaction.
Grimmjow turned his head abruptly seeming to lift his head in the direction of the room the students were being held in. Almost as if he were sniffing them out, like an animal.
"I smell it…that same scent…from before."
Amaya opened her mouth to speak but caught herself before she gave her ability away to the Espada.
"I see. It would be a good thing if Captain Kurotsuchi could find the source, then maybe he would be able to come up with a solution." Amaya replied to Shunsui.
Grimmjow turned his gaze over to her and stepped forward with his head lifted as if he were smelling her now.
"It's not coming from her…but it's definitely in there. I knew this shit had to be connected, but that arrogant squad 12 asshole isn't just going to take my sense of smell as word for it. I'll have to bring him through the Garganta now, the bastard might be our only chance at solving the problem."
Amaya sighed in relief. The Espada's intentions were true and from his perspective, it seemed that she wasn't infected with the virus, if his scent could be trusted, she herself had doubts with just taking his word for it.
Isane appeared next to Amaya just as she was about to inform the men it was safe to continue.
"An Espada?" Isane asked as her brow furrowed in confusion.
Sosuke stepped forward as the head captain began to explain the situation to the Squad 4 Captain.
Amaya pulled her concentration forward blocking out everyone but her husband.
"He's telling the truth. He seems to think Captain Kurotsuchi will be able to help solve it now. Also, he mentioned a scent, from what I can tell he thinks it's the same scent he smelled on the bodies of the Hollows. He thinks the students have the same thing." Amaya informed her husband.
"Does he smell it on you?" Sosuke asked.
Amya shook her head.
"No. He said it's not coming from me." She answered.
"Good. I'll be sure to give Shunsui the information, please be careful, Amaya, I don't know what I would do…" Sosuke paused at the thought of his wife becoming sick. It wasn't something he could even fathom, he knew that if he ever lost Amaya the light in his world would be burned out casting him into a void of utter darkness where nothing would ever be able to reach him again.
"Sosuke! Don't think like that! I will be fine, I promise you, and even if I did get sick, you know as well as I do that Captain Kurotsuchi would not let me die." She berated him.
"I know." He answered her as he lowered his gaze.
"Well, I hope that Captian Kurotsuchi can find what he is looking for then. We really don't want this to become an issue with other worlds as well. Head Captain, have you thought about the human world? If this virus in in fact here in the Soul Society and also in Hueco Mundo, couldn't there be a chance of it being there as well?" Isane asked.
"Aw, hell…I hadn't even thought about that possibility." Shunsui sighed.
Amaya turned her head towards Isane and admitted she hadn't even considered the possibility either. How would this virus effect the human world? Would humans even be strong enough hosts? It seemed to be almost parasitic in nature, yet, viral.
"I wouldn't even know where to begin to figure that out." Shunsui admitted with a frown.
"If there is an outbreak within the human world, it would be reported to the center for disease control, as a protocol. From there the area would be put in quarantine and then doctors and scientists would study it and try and come up with a vaccine to treat it." Amaya informed him.
"Tch. You seem to know a lot about the human world, for a soul reaper." Grimmjow commented.
"I should, considering I am human." She retorted.
"What!?"
"Amaya here is special…you see she's a substitute soul reaper, and I think you had the pleasure of meeting our other substitute last night, Captain Zaraki's wife, Linake." Shunsui explained.
"You gotta be fucking kidding me!" Grimmjow's shock continued.
"Well, since you seem to have the information we need, Amaya, It looks like I'll have to find someone with enough experience who can go investigate." Shunsui stated.
"Linake would be perfect for the job." Isane recommended.
Shunsui sighed as he contemplated the option.
"She would be given she wouldn't have any problems blending in, but there is one giant problem with that solution and he stands 6ft 7." Shunsui countered.
Isane nodded as a soft smile spread across her lips.
"Then maybe Lieutenant Abarai? Or even Lieutenant Madarame? They both have spent decent time in the human world." She suggested.
"Lieutenant Madarame, now he might be just the guy we're looking for." Shunsui smiled.
Ayumi sat propped up on top of the bathroom counter in front of the sink wearing nothing but the top to her Shihakusho. Mayuri stood between the woman's legs patiently allowing her to apply his concealer for him. Her fingers worked diligently as she concentrated on applying the white foundation to the front of his chest, arms and hands. She was almost completely done with the front half of his upper body, but had yet to apply anything to his face or back.
Mayuri tried to keep his attention to the task ahead of him but every time the woman leaned forward he would catch a glimpse of her breasts as the side of her top lifted giving him teasing peeks inside. He found himself feeling ill prepared to deal with the distractions and when he found himself thinking about taking her again up against the counter he'd only grown even more frustrated with himself, now was not the time for his mind to be wondering, he was about to embark on a journey with an enemy.
"What's wrong?" She asked him as she lifted his left hand and turned his arm over in order to cover the underside of his forearm.
"Nothing, why do you ask?" He replied as he met her gaze.
"You seem a little frustrated about something." Ayumi answered.
Mayuri let out a deep sigh as he met the woman's gaze.
"I'm not looking forward to what is ahead of me, I fear I will come back empty handed and this whole thing will just be a waste of time." He admitted.
Ayumi thought back to the night before when he had found her in the lab, he'd looked so angry.
"I understand, but what if this is all connected? You might be able to find the source of this there." Ayumi offered as she ran her hands down his left forearm.
"I wish you would let me come along." She whispered.
Mayuri snorted.
"I've already told you, Ayumi, I need you to stay here and assist Akon. I think between the two of you, you may be able to pick up on something useful while I am forced to run around the dessert with an Espada." Mayuri scowled.
Ayumi couldn't hold back the smile that spread across her lips at the sight of the man brooding about his assignment.
"What are you smiling about now? I really don't see anything humorous about my time being wasted." He countered seriously.
"I don't' think it will be a waste of time, I have a feeling you'll find something, just…please…be careful." Ayumi replied, dropping the smile from her face.
Mayuri let out another exasperated sigh as he witnessed her mood change. She had been trying to lighten his and all he had accomplished was to darken hers by filling her mind with worry for him, a concept he still couldn't wrap his mind around, the fact that anyone would be worried about him was foreign to him. Even so, he shouldn't be taking his frustrations out on the woman, he would save that for the Espada.
"Well, let's hope that this feeling of yours is accurate, and stop fussing over me, I will be fine." He replied.
"There is another thing I wish for you to do for me." Mayuri continued.
Ayumi's brow rose as curiosity filled her.
"While I am gone, I would like for you to look after Nemuri for me. I am afraid she has not been around many women, and I think it would be best if the two of you started to bond, taking everything that has happened into consideration." He explained.
Ayumi's hands stilled as her chest tightened with a surge of raw emotion. She knew that Nemuri was the closest thing to family that Mayuri had and for him to request that she take care of her while he was gone filled her with a completely different sense of longing. Ayumi thought back to when she had witnessed Linake and her husband and their adorable son. She had wondered back then if Mayuri may have wanted the same thing for himself, a wife and a child of his own, a family.
"I would be happy to." Ayumi replied, averting her gaze from him so he wouldn't be able to see the tears that filled her eyes from her happiness.
"I'm ready to start on your back now." Ayumi informed him.
"Very well." Mayuri replied before turning around for her.
"You seem to have gotten quite emotional by my request. Is there something you are not telling me?" Mayuri asked her.
Ayumi paused, holding the bottle of concealer in her hand debating on what she should say to him. Everything was still so new between them she felt like she couldn't be honest with him. What would the man think of her if he knew she was already thinking about having a family with him?
"It just made me happy, that's all." She answered.
"I see. Is it safe to assume that you have been on your own all this time?" Mayuri continued.
"It would be." Ayumi admitted, even though she hated to.
Ayumi had been on her own forever, even when the accident happened so long ago, she had been alone. Ayumi tried to force the dark memories of lying between two houses on the dirt filled ground of the 79th district as she healed from the assault, but she couldn't. It had taken her another three months to realize that the pain she was feeling in her stomach and the weakening of her body had in fact been from hunger.
She had never been more happy then in that moment, hunger had meant that her Spiritual Pressure had started to rise, and that was when she took it upon herself to leave the 79th district and travel to another in search of knowledge, anyone who would be willing to teach her the simplest of things, such as how to read and write.
She had been lucky enough to find an older woman who had been willing to teach her the basics in Inuzuri, the 78th district. It had seemed less violent but was still just as impoverished, but to Ayumi's despair, three months after meeting her, the woman had passed away unexpectedly one night, once again, leaving her alone.
"I figured that would be the case, considering the district your personal file has on record. Is that by chance the reason you didn't feel the slightest bit of hesitation in running to my so-called aid?" Mayuri asked her.
Ayumi pulled herself back from the depths of her past and poured a large amount of the white concealer into the palm of her hand. She felt like she was taking too long with helping him get ready, so she focused her mind on the task as she began to run her hands across his back, painting his skin white.
She felt him respond to her touch by tensing a little and then relaxing again.
"That was part of it. I've lived there, so I guess in a way it doesn't seem as scary to me, but I didn't think about the fact I'm now a soul reaper, I didn't think about the target I would have on my back." Ayumi admitted.
Mayuri turned to the side to look at her seeming to be studying her expression.
"Did something happen that I am not aware of?" He asked.
Ayumi met his gaze, but hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should even tell him about the three men, it would probably just make him even angrier with her.
"Ayumi, it would be best not to keep things from me, if this is to work between us, I will require you to be honest with me at all times." Mayuri pressed, seeming to see her hesitation.
"I wasn't paying attention because I was in such a hurry to find you. I didn't even realize I was being followed until I paused to catch my breath." Ayumi began to explain.
She could feel the way his body tensed and noticed the almost sinister intent that filled his golden gaze as he looked back at her.
"Go on…" He encouraged her.
"Three men cornered me, I still don't know what their intentions were, but, from the things they said to me and the way they acted, I'm sure it would have been less than pleasant. Grimmjow scared them off when he came through the garganta and even though it makes me feel uncomfortable, I'm grateful that he came through when he did." Ayumi admitted.
Mayuri turned his body to face her lifting his hands up gripping the outside of her bare thighs.
"I see…and if you were to ever see these three men again…could you point them out to me?" Mayuri asked.
Ayumi paused as she looked into Mayuri's eyes, they were filled with murderous intent and she knew if she ever could point the men out to him, Mayuri would make sure they paid for whatever was almost done to her.
"I…I don't know." She answered honestly.
"You must have seen something unique about them, anything at all that could pick them out from the crowd." He pressed.
Ayumi leaned back against the glass mirror behind her, the handle to the sink dug into her back. Mayuri leaned into her raising his hand to her chin he forced her to look into his eyes.
"I will not permit them to get away with whatever it was they intended. So if you remember anything you are to tell me and I will show them a level of fear they never knew existed." Mayuri promised.
Ayumi felt her body start to tremble from the intensity of Mayuri's outrage on her behalf. She had figured he would just be angry with her and berate her for not paying attention, she never imagined he would seek out revenge for her-Do I really mean that much to him?
"I'll think about it and try and remember something, but honestly, everything is such a blur for me right now." Ayumi admitted.
"Very well. I think it goes without saying that I never want to hear of you taking any such risks with your safety again. If you leave the Seireitei it is to be with me, or not at all." He continued.
"O…okay. I understand."
Mayuri lifted his hands placing them on her arms pulling her forward away from the mirror behind her before he leaned down and pressed his lips over hers. He could feel the way the woman's body was trembling, as if his intensity unnerved her. He felt the need to make it clear it was not her who had upset him to such an extent.
Ayumi allowed herself to lean into Mayuri's kiss as she willed her body to stop shaking. When he pulled back from her kiss, she noticed the way his gaze had softened.
"Stop trembling, woman. Understand that while your behavior did put you in that situation, I do not hold you completely accountable. Now, if you still wish to paint me, continue." Mayuri stated before turning his body away from her once again giving her his back.
Ayumi sucked in a deep breath before she reached her hands up and continued to spread the white concealer down the back of his neck, across his shoulders and down his back all the way to his tailbone. As she concentrated on her task of helping him get ready her mind wondered to what the future had in store for them.
It was more than apparent that Mayuri seemed to care for her more then she had realized, but she still wasn't sure if the man would ever admit to himself that love was even a possibility. Ayumi decided it really wasn't worth dwelling over, she would accept whatever it was the man was willing to give her and maybe as time passed, he would warm up to the idea.
"I'm finished with your back now." Anyumi whispered to him.
Mayuri turned and faced her, and she felt him lift his painted hands and grip her by the thighs once again.
"Would you care to give me something new?" He asked her.
Ayumi's jaw fell as she thought about what he was asking.
"Do you mean a new pattern for your face?" She asked.
"Yes, that it what I am referring to." He replied as his lips lifted into a smile.
"I'm not much of an artist, but, I think I might be able to come up with something." Ayumi replied as she smiled back at him.
"Alright then." He agreed.
Ayumi leaned back and allowed herself to study his features for a minute, she took into consideration how he had been painting himself and decided she wanted to go in a bit of a different direction by highlighting the features she liked the most, like his eyes. She took the bottle of white concealer and placed a decent amount in the palm of her left hand, setting the bottle aside she leaned into him covering his throat, the sides of his neck and his jawline.
Mayuri kept his gaze on her as she focused on applying the concealer, at first he found her request to paint him a bit odd, not understanding the appeal, but now as he watched her lips lift into a soft smile as she ran her soft fingers along the planes of his face, he could see that she enjoyed the intimacy of being able to touch him.
He also suspected that her help in his ritual made her feel useful and it was what had fueled his decision to allow her some freedom in coming up with another design for his face. Simply put, he found himself wanting to create a place for her in his daily life, a place where she could finally find a sense of belonging.
Ayumi smiled as she busied herself creating a base for her to work with spreading the white concealer across his face. Mayuri closed his eyes allowing her to gently brush her fingertips along the lids, covering them with the concealer. She was careful not to press to hard, or get any in his eyes. When he opened them again he found her thinking of what to do next and his gaze fell to her bottom lip. He didn't understand what pulled at him so much when he saw her tuck her plump lip between her teeth in such a way, but it seemed to catch his attention every time without fail.
Ayumi turned and pulled a small hand towel from the rack on the wall and wiped away the excess white from her hands, she seemed to be doing a good job of painting herself as well she realized as she looked at the splotches of dried concealer on her arms and even on the sleeves of her Shihakusho-She was making a mess!
After wiping away the excess and taking the time to roll her sleeves up she reached over for the black concealer and uncapped it. She tipped the cap over and poured some of the thick black liquid inside it using it instead of just placing it in the palm of her hand. Ayumi dipped her index finger into the cap then lifted her hand to his face. She started by creating a line across his brow leaving a good portion of his forehead white, she wanted to bring the most attention to his eyes.
Mayuri stood patiently with his face still as the woman worked. He could feel the general areas that she was filling in with the black concealer and he had a suspicion what she was doing wouldn't look too different from one of his own past designs.
Ayumi created a band that framed his eyes starting back by his hairline next to his temple all the way to the other side of his face, she filled the band in black, even covering the bridge of his nose, something he hadn't done in the past. Ayumi asked him to close his eyes so that she could cover his eyelids and he complied. From there she leaned back and decided to make a "T" shape as she followed the contours of the sides of his nose, only filling in about half an inch from either side all the way down over his lips, stopping at the bottom of his chin.
She decided to leave the remainder of his nose white and to just fill in the bottom part of the "T" under his nose, over both of his lips and down his chin. Ayumi paused and leaned back to get a look at her handy work and felt a little disappointed in her creative ability.
"Have you finished?" Mayuri asked, his painted brow lifting in question.
"I think so, I probably did nothing but waste your time though." Ayumi answered showing her disappointment.
Mayuri stepped to the side and took in his appearance in the mirror and smiled.
While it really wasn't the most intricate of designs, his never really were, he kept them simple. What made him smile was the fact she had managed to take two styles from his past and merge them together with slight differences. While he would usually leave the bridge of his nose white, she had pained it black. He noticed the way the color of his eyes seemed to stand out against the black and he suspected that had been her motive.
While he usually covered his whole mouth either black or white, she left the sides of his lips white only filling in the middle that followed the line from the sides of his nose down his chin.
"It wasn't a waste of time at all, in fact, it's not too far away from one of my previous designs." Mayuri admitted.
Ayumi smiled softly at him but a part of her felt like he was just trying to humor her.
"Do you really lack in self-esteem to such a degree that you cannot accept that I am happy with it?" Mayuri asked.
Ayumi met his gaze feeling taken aback by his question.
"I…I don't know. It just doesn't seem that impressive to me." Ayumi answered honestly.
"I see. So since it does not impress you simply because you lack self-confidence, you automatically assumed that I would not like it. You shouldn't be so quick to assume, all it does is make an ass out of you." Mayuri smiled.
Ayumi allowed herself to laugh at the way he was teasing her.
"Ah…now I must say, that is an appealing sound." He continued.
Ayumi felt her face flush from his compliment which made her feel absurd considering everything that had happened between them the previous night, but she wasn't used to seeing this side of him. He was actually acting playful with her, like he was finally starting to get comfortable.
With that thought in mind, Ayumi decided she would take a cue from his earlier instructions about being bolder in her actions. She dipped her finger back into the lid of black concealer and began to paint a thick layer over her lips. Mayuri paused.
"Are you going to paint yourself now?" He asked, his confusion apparent.
Ayumi rubbed her lips together as she shook her head.
"Come here." She insisted.
Mayuri's brow rose as he stepped back in front of her.
"Since you won't actually let me come with you, take this with you instead." Ayumi stated right before she leaned her face down and pressed her painted lips to the left side of his chest, right above his heart.
Mayuri stilled at the woman's open affection for him. His heart rate increased at the placement of her kiss, right above his heart-is it my heart that you seek, woman?
He didn't feel comfortable asking the thought aloud, he wasn't sure if it was something he was willing to bring up under the current circumstances, but he knew he would have to address the foreign emotions inside him sooner or later.
Ayumi raised her head and looked up at him her painted lips lifting into a soft smile. He could see her own emotions swimming inside her green gaze. While he didn't wish to speak about it, he wasn't going to ignore her gesture. Mayuri raised his hands gripping her by the thighs once again and leaned his body into hers.
Ayumi pulled back from him as he leaned in to kiss her. His brow furrowed in question of her hesitance.
"If you kiss me, you'll mess up your paint." She explained.
Mayuri smiled at her.
"Then you'll just have to fix it for me." He countered as he claimed her lips with his.