It took Ayumi another ten minutes to fix the mess their kiss had made out of Mayuri's face, but it had been worth it. She could see that although he wasn't in any hurry to admit or speak about what he was feeling out loud, she had definitely woken up new emotions in him. Ayumi was finally beginning to understand his actions and what he had been trying to explain to her. Mayuri didn't like her lack of self-confidence, he wanted to see her spread her wings and apply the knowledge she had worked so hard to obtain, and to be confident in her findings and theories.
The fact that he trusted her enough to help Akon with the research while he was away had warmed her heart, and then he'd gone even further asking her to look after Nemuri for him. It made her see how much trust he really had in her, and for the first time she felt as if someone truly cared for her.
Ayumi kept her gaze on Mayuri as he stepped out of the bathing area and back into his bedroom. She hopped down from the counter and bent to pick up her panties and the bottoms to her Shihakusho. Even though her top was marred with dried patches of white, it would have to do until she could make it to her room. She figured she would just have to wear her old academy uniform while she waited for her Shihakusho to wash and dry later on.
She stepped into her panties and pulled the bottoms to her Shihakusho up over her hips tucking the top inside, securing it to her waist by tying the band in a knot. She turned and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and smiled. Her mouth was covered with smudged black concealer. She laughed at the thought of almost walking out of the room with it still on her face.
Ayumi made her way over to the sink and turned on the tap, bending down she tried to rub the dried paint from her lips and chin but it wasn't wanting to come off. She paused as she remembered it wouldn't come off until she used the soap Mayuri had created.
Ayumi sighed before she quickly walked over to the tub and leaned over grabbing the bottle of soap, squeezing a small amount into her hand and then made her way back over to the sink where she washed the concealer from both her face and forearms. She snatched a clean hand towel from the rack and dried herself before she stepped back out into Mayuri's bedroom.
Mayuri turned and faced the woman and grinned as he saw what had been taking her so long, she had washed her face and had dressed. He couldn't deny the wave of disappointment that washed over him. He rather liked having her walk around the room with little to nothing covering her. It had taken all of his self-control to only kiss the woman after her show of affection for him, he'd almost given into the urge to pull her from the counter and take her back to bed-but he had a job to do.
Ayumi leaned against the doorway of the bathroom as she took him in. While she had been getting dressed, he had done the same. He stood looking rather handsome wearing a clean Shihakusho under his captain's haori. She felt the sudden rush of reality setting in as she realized he would be gone soon and it dawned on her she hadn't asked him how long his trip would be.
"Do you know how long you will be gone?" Ayumi asked him.
Mayuri turned and faced her, his eyes met hers.
"Unfortunately, I have no idea how long this will take. I could be gone a day or maybe even up to a week, it all depends on what I find, if anything." He answered honestly.
Ayumi frowned at the thought of not being able to see him again for a whole week as she watched him lean down in front of his desk. He seemed to be looking for something inside one of the desk's drawers. He stood to his full height once he'd found what he was looking for, it looked like some form of journal, a brown bound book with the Squad 12's insignia burned into the leather.
Ayumi's brow lifted in curiosity as he turned to face her.
"I have made the decision to give this to you. It will be helpful to you during the investigation and in more ways than one, it is a token of my trust in you. With that in mind, I do not wish for the book to ever be taken out of this room." Mayuri explained.
Ayumi stepped forward and reached her hand out for the mysterious book and he placed it into her hand. She dropped her gaze, flipping the book open and took in its contents. Her jaw fell as she looked back up at his intense golden gaze.
"A…Are you really sure about this, Mayuri?" Ayumi asked him, trying her hardest to hold back the welling of tears in her eyes.
To others this was just a leather bound book filled with foreign symbols, but to her, he'd pretty much placed his heart in her hands with one simple gesture.
Mayuri stared at her intently before he replied.
"Just be sure that my trust in you is not something that I come to regret."
Ayumi lifted the leather bound book that was filled with the codes and translations to his computer program to her chest, hugging it tightly, like she had with her transcripts when she had first found out she had been placed in Mayuri's division.
"I'll never make you regret it, I promise." She whispered, blinking back tears.
"It should not take you very long to learn, you have my permission to run as many tests that you feel are necessary, and if you come across anything that you suspect could possibly help the women under Captain Kotetsu's care, feel free to try it." Mayuri encouraged her.
"Thank you, Mayuri." Ayumi whispered as she stepped closer to him.
Mayuri averted his gaze before he replied.
"You're welcome." He spoke softly.
"I don't think you understand how much this means to me." Ayumi continued, hoping that he wouldn't push her away.
"Yes, well, it's really nothing to get so emotional over, I merely want you to be on the same wavelength as I am, and if you are to keep assisting me in the future it will be beneficial." Mayuri replied.
Ayumi decided to drop the subject as he turned away from her and walked over to the table that held his headdress. He was so unaccustomed to having someone in his personal space trying to be intimate with him that it almost made her feel sad to see how uncomfortable he really was. She figured it would only be a matter of time before he allowed himself to open up to her completely, he was well on his way already-I just have to be patient.
Mayuri reached out and lifted his headdress from the table and placed it on his head, making sure to tuck his hair underneath. He turned and reached out grabbing his zanpakuto, then secured it in front of him to the band at his waist. He wasn't entirely sure why the woman would have such an emotional response to his wanting to educate her. If he had to guess, she was taking the meaning in another context, and if he were being truly honest with himself, she was hitting the right mark.
Mayuri sighed before he turned and faced her, the woman was making him feel in ways he had never imagined possible, and he wanted to see her happy, like he'd just made her, but he had no idea how to deal with her tears. While a part of him wanted to embrace it and pull her against him, another was desperately trying to fight it, to fight the change in him, and he was finding himself conflicted-Maybe this trip to Hueco Mundo had come at the right time, it would give them both time to think, and to adjust.
"Mayuri, if you don't want this to leave the room, how am I supposed to study it while you are gone?" Ayumi asked.
Mayuri half-smiled as he walked back over to her.
"I give you my permission to come inside my quarters while I am away, you may move your belongings in with you if you wish to. I will leave it up to you, for now." He answered.
Ayumi didn't know how to respond at the amount of trust he was showing her with his actions. One night together and he was already welcoming her into his room, giving her the translations to his secrets. She may not understand what it felt like to be in love with someone, or how a relationship even worked, but she had a feeling that when it came to her and Mayuri, it wasn't going to be slow and simple-more like fast and chaotic. Like two magnets flipped over searching for one another, once they shifted positions and clung together, it would take a tremendous force to spread them apart again.
Akon sat at his computer station overlooking the data that his Captain had sent to him in a personal file. He had his own copies of the microscopic images of the virus now downloaded and he was in the process of reading through Mayuri's notes when he heard the sound of footsteps entering the room taking his attention away from the task.
"Good morning, Akon." Nemuri greeted him as she walked into the lab.
"Good Morning, Nemuri. I'm afraid Captain Kurotsuchi has not arrived yet, so I am not sure what you will be assigned to today." Akon explained.
Nemuri nodded to the Lieutenant and decided to make her way into the back of the lab space and wait for her father figure to show up and instruct her on her daily chores. She usually helped him by labeling and categorizing his specimens from various different experiments or she would help by keeping things clean and tidy. The pre-teen decided to take it upon herself to look around the room and noticed the station still set up by the medical bed from the morning before.
Nemuri walked over the side table and started to clear the contents. She placed the remaining sedative back into the medicine cabinet and disposed of the used syringe and dropper in the trash can. Nemuri paused in hesitation at what to do with the remaining serum from Miss Otsuka's procedure. After thinking about it for a couple minutes she made sure the cork was tight on its top before making her way to a small station tucked into the corner of the back that she would normally work at. Nemuri looked up at the clock noting the time, it was almost nine in the morning. Master Mayuri would normally be here by now, and his absence made Nemuri feel a bit anxious. The girl turned her attention back to her task as she pulled a label free from the stack on her small desk and walked back over to the serum. She pressed the label against the beaker and carefully lifted the glass in her hand taking the time to write on the label-Miss Ostuka, Raishi Serum, 9:01am, August 3rd.
Nemuri decided that the best thing would be to save the remainder of the serum, so she walked back over to the medicine cabinet and placed the glass beaker to the back of the shelf, making sure it would not fall once the door had been reopened.
"Nemuri, come here!"
The girl stepped out from the back and a small smile spread across her lips as she heard Mayuri call for her. Nemuri paused when she saw Miss Otsuka standing next to his side.
"What were you doing?" Mayuri asked her.
Nemuri looked up at him with a straight face and replied.
"I was cleaning up the station from Miss Otsuka's procedure." She explained.
Mayuri lifted his head and looked towards the back.
"I see. And what did you do with the remainder of the serum?" Mayuri asked.
"I labeled and dated it and then placed it in the medicine cabinet for possible future use." Nemuri answered.
"Excellent." Mayuri replied.
Nemuri allowed herself to smile softly again as she heard his praise.
Mayuri turned to the side before addressing his Lieutenant, he had called Nemuri forward so that she could be witness to the conversation and would understand what was about to take place. He lifted his hand and reached inside the internal pocket to his captain's haori and pulled three capped vials from inside.
"Here are the samples from the Kusajishi investigation, I expect you and Ayumi to work together in trying to decipher what the three men perished from. Compare them against the samples to the students as well." Mayuri instructed.
"Yes Sir. I take it you are going to head out now?" Akon asked, seeming to already know about his mandatory trip.
"I am. I take it word has spread about the Espada?"Mayuri asked.
"You could say that, some of the lower ranks said they saw him walking with the head captain earlier this morning, it looked like they were heading for squad 4 for some reason." Akon answered.
"Ah, well, that shouldn't be too much of a mystery since Amaya is locked inside the building. I am sure that would have been the head captain's motive." Mayuri replied with a wave of his hand.
"You don't seem very happy about this situation." Akon stated.
"My, aren't you the perceptive one. I think it's nothing but a waste of my time, but, orders are orders." Mayuri replied.
"Where are you going, Master Mayuri?" Nemuri asked him.
"I'll be going on a trip to Hueco Mundo and I am not sure for how long. I expect you to be on your best behavior while I am gone, Ayumi has agreed to look after you for me." Mayuri informed her.
He noticed the way the girl's gaze moved to Ayumi and he spotted the way her eyes seemed to light up at the idea of Ayumi looking after her.
"I understand." Nemuri replied.
"Well, I guess there is no sense putting this off any further." Mayuri stated as he turned to Ayumi.
"Do you wish to stay here or come and see me off?" He asked her.
Ayumi smiled.
"I will come and see you off." She answered.
"Very well. Akon, make sure that the main lab continues to run smoothly while I am gone." Mayuri added before he turned and took a hold of Ayumi's hand in his.
Akon and Nemuri both watched the two walk back out into the main hallway.
"Did you see that, Akon?" Nemuri asked.
Akon closed his mouth before he looked up at the girl.
"See what, Nemuri?" he asked.
"Miss Otsuka, she had white paint dried on her sleeves, and Master Mayuri held her hand, just like Lieutenant Abarai holds Captain Kuchiki's hand." Nemuri spoke softly as a smile spread across her face.
Akon swallowed hard, feeling a little uncomfortable talking about something so personal with the girl.
"I did see him hold her hand, why would this remind you of Ichika's parents?" Akon asked.
Nemuri shrugged her shoulders at him before she answered shyly.
"I've always wanted a mom, like Ichika, maybe Master Mayuri will allow Ayumi to be mine." Nemuri replied.
Akon leaned back in his chair taking in the other bit of information Nemuri had noticed. Ayumi had white paint on the sleeves of her Shihakusho, and the captain's face was painted differently than usual-come to think of it, Rin had mentioned that Ayumi hadn't come to her door this morning when he had knocked-I'll be damned, he actually did it.
"I guess we will have to wait and see, Nemuri." Akon replied as he smiled.
Mayuri and Ayumi continued to walk hand in hand even once outside the research and development building. Ayumi had half expected him to pull his hand away once outside, where more than just Squad 12 members could see them, but to her amazement he didn't, instead, he gripped her hand tighter, almost like he was saying he wanted their relationship to be known.
Ayumi squeezed his hand back as the pair walked down the pathway that would lead them to the Squad 1 barracks. As they walked Ayumi noticed the slack jawed reactions of the other soul reapers that they passed, everyone zeroing in on their joined hands. With her being a new recruit she figured that most would know of her arrival, but from the reactions nobody had ever expected to see Mayuri walking with her in such an intimate way.
It was becoming apparent to Ayumi that most did not see Mayuri in the same light as she did. She noticed the way most made it a point to avoid him out of some form of misguided fear. Ayumi had read countless papers regarding Mayuri's research and had also been told some stories concerning some of his previous battles and she guessed she could see how someone could find him unnerving. The man was quite intense at times, even she had felt overwhelmed in his presence before he had permitted her to see the softer side of him, and now he was no longer so intimidating.
The path they followed forked to the left and once they rounded a corner the Squad 1 barracks came into view. Ayumi saw the Head Captain and the Espada standing in the middle of courtyard with Sosuke Aizen and the Squad 11 Captain. As her and Mayuri closed the distance Ayumi noticed Linake standing next to her husband, the couple also had their hands intertwined.
"Ah, there you are, Captain Kurotsuchi, I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make me come and get you." Shunsui commented.
Mayuri snorted at the man's jab.
"I had to make sure that my squad was prepared for my absence, especially with my leaving being under such short notice." Mayuri countered as his gaze drifted to the Espada.
Ayumi noticed the way the head captain was looking at them, his gaze zoned in on their joined hands and his brow rose, leaving his expression one of confused astonishment. Ayumi lifted her gaze taking in the reactions of everyone around them, everyone's eyes seemed to be locked on the same place, her and Mayuri's joined hands, and their expressions all read differently.
Grimmjow looked to be indifferent, Sosuke Aizen actually smiled, seeming to have some sort of understanding coming from behind his brown eyes. Ayumi allowed herself a peek up at the Captain of Squad 11 and when she met the man's light green gaze she saw amusement as the side of his mouth lifted into a sly grin.
The giant couldn't help but feel the need to tease her she supposed because the man gave her a knowing wink. The action made Ayumi blush, and she realized in that moment that Captain Zaraki was a lot like Mayuri in some ways, while both of them were rather intense and intimidating, she had a sneaking suspicion that underneath it all, Captain Zaraki was just as sweet as Mayuri had showed her he could be.
"Are we just going to stand here all day, or can we get on with it? I would like to get this over with." Mayuri snapped, bringing everyone's attention to the important matter.
"Alright then, I've taken the liberty of ordering captain Zaraki to accompany you on your trip, I guess you could say it's a little insurance policy." Shunsui revealed.
"Ah, how exciting, not only am I being forced to play follow-the-leader with the beast, but now I also have the brute to add to my troubles." Mayuri replied sarcastically.
"Tch. You didn't think I was going to let you have all the fun, did you, Kurotsuchi?" Zaraki taunted.
Mayuri scowled at the remark.
"Yes, I can see it now…Just be sure it's an actual enemy before you go swinging that blade of yours, I can't have you flying off the handle attacking everything in sight while I look for a live specimen." Mayuri countered.
Kenpachi chuckled.
"Alright you two, play nice." Linake stated as she stepped forward and faced her husband.
"You try not to have too much fun, and be careful." Linake continued.
"You know better than to worry about me, Woman." Kenpachi countered before lowering his head and giving his wife a kiss farewell.
Ayumi turned her head and looked up at Mayuri's profile, he was brooding, deeply, and it took everything in her power not to smile at him.
"You be careful, too." Ayumi spoke softly to him.
Mayuri turned his head and absentmindedly leaned into her surprising her even further when he pressed his painted lips to hers, in front of everyone. She felt her heart skip a beat before she kissed him back.
She heard the Head captain clear his throat as if taken aback by what he was witnessing.
Mayuri pulled away from her and met her gaze.
"Quit fussing over me." He demanded before letting go of her hand and stepping forward.
Grimmjow turned away from the soul reapers and lifted his hand seeming to somehow conjure the giant black mass that was needed in order to travel to the other dimension. Linake walked over and stood next to Ayumi and the two women watched as the Garganta grew wide enough to walk through and one by one the three men walked inside.
Linake placed her hand on Ayumi's shoulder as the black mass closed over.
Ayumi felt her heart pounding as Mayuri's spiritual pressure vanished, she didn't think she'd ever felt so anxious in her life-don't fuss over him? The man may as well have instructed her to stop breathing entirely.
"Aw, come on now, try not to look so glum, I'm sure they'll both be just fine." Shunsui stated with a lazy smile.