~FIREFLY KNIGHTS~

Bleach Copyright Tite Kubo

Firefly Knights Copyright Illand Girl

'For those that need a Guardian.'

Chapter 24: Together

The swing squeaked as its chains were swung back and forth.

Snow fell like cotton, littering the ground with its fluff as the darkened sky stretched on for miles. An emptiness filled the air. Something was missing. A void that could not be filled.

I sat in the swing, dragging my toe through the patch of snow just under my foot as I slowly rocked back and forth. A pendulum following the eb and flow. My eyes stared at the red hidden by the freshly fallen snowflakes. Lips parted, I let out a shaky breath. My indigo eyes stared at place that had just been coated with red, a shiver running through my shoulders.

Small hands came into view then.

"Found you!"

In shock I almost flung myself off the swing, but the tiny hands held me by my shoulders, grasping at the fabric of my favourite jacket. Looking up, I met honey brown eyes, bright and mirthful.

Ichigo...

That's right. I was supposed to be hiding. Tears welled in my eyes as I realized it had only been a few minutes since we parted ways. I sniffled once before the tears fledged out and dribbled down my cheeks. Ichigo's glee turned to worry; his smile shrunk as his eyes widened.

"Naomi?" he asked in a softer tone, as if unsure of what was happening. I was shaking, so confused and yet so certain.

"They're gone."

"Who?" Ichigo asked, looking around. My eyes fell to the red hidden in the snow. He was standing on it, like it wasn't even there. How could he not see it?

"I-" My words halted when I realized, I didn't know what their name was. "He called for me... and I..."

I looked at my hands, feeling this deep, unsettling feeling inside of my gut.

Something was wrong, I did this.

How did I do this?

Who are you?

What's happening?

I'm scared.

I cried again. Ichigo made a nervous noise, then wrapped his arms around me. I cried into his shoulder, but he was so small compared to me. So fragile, but I clung to him tightly.

"I-I-It's okay Nao! I got you!" He assured me, pulling me up from the swing. "What happened? Are you okay?"

I was taller than him, but I clung to that boy like he was a lifeline. It would be the first time, but certainly not the last time that Ichigo would be the person I leaned on. Slowly, I lifted my left hand, staring at it. There was nothing on my skin, and yet-

"I don't know."

I cried again.

The first morning waking up in my own bed was weird.

Since we arrived home quite late last night, I hadn't had a chance to really look around and see how my apartment was holding up. I woke to the blaring of my alarm and the faintest scent of rotting food. Everything in my little fridge had turned, some green and white mold covering the surface of several dishes I had been saving away. It was a sad moment when I tipped the food into the garbage, especially the dishes Yuzu had made for me. The rest of my apartment looked normal at least since I had the sense to turn off anything that wasn't the fridge.

The apartment was hot upon entry, thanks to the large window letting in the hot summer sun every day, so I slept with the windows open and a fan running. Sleeping itself was such a bizarre thing, lying in a soft bed, it felt... weird. Like I needed to be up and moving, doing anything at all. After a week of almost non-stop movement and barely any rest, and then another in a foreign place with none of the scents of the human world, I felt out of place in my body. Smells were wafting into my apartment from around the city, though everything seemed to be at rest right now. School didn't start for another two weeks, and it was a Sunday. It meant I could sleep in, but I had forgotten to turn off my alarm anyway.

Yesterday I bit my tongue when Urahara apologized to us. He bowed, looking humble. Ichigo fell for it, but there was no doubt in my mind that man wasn't genuinely sorry. I didn't trust him, not even a little bit, especially after he chucked us to the wolves in Soul Society. Exactly how was this going to go if Aizen had decided to steal Rukia away a day early? But Ichigo had forgiven him, and so I said nothing. Besides, burning that bridge would mean I'd lose the only training grounds available to us. That could wait, everything could wait, for now.

But that meant there was... nothing to do.

My apartment felt oddly empty. It hadn't felt this way since the moment I moved in. Even with its minimal furniture and space, I hadn't felt like this before. My eyes drifted over the empty walls, to the tiny kitchenette, the coffee table, the privacy screen I used to separate my bed from the rest of the flat. It was always a small space, I didn't need a lot, but oddly enough it felt horribly lonely. Which was odd, since I never noticed that loneliness before. My phone vibrated, startling me. A smile lit up my face when I saw it was from Ichigo.

Ichigo: Wanna go for a walk?

Me: Yes! Where should we meet?

Ichigo: I'll come get you.

My eyes softened, thinking about how the last two days in Soul Society went. Other than an extremely awkward dinner with Byakuya, meeting the goddess that was Kūkaku Shiba, and finding out Yoruichi was not actually a god damn cat - I guess the rest was uneventful. I spent my days talking with Rangiku and Tōshirō, even when the little captain would kick me out his lieutenant would walk with me for a while and chat. She was so nice to me, and funny. Our sense of humour was matchable, even if she called me conservative and prudish in how I dressed. I had tea with Shunsui and Jūshirō once more while accompanied by Rukia, and even did a little bit of shopping in the Seireitei after Byakuya gave us a token that allowed us free purchases at any shops he owned. Ichigo immediately shared it with the rest of us, escorting me and all our friends to the shopping district in Rukongai. Rukia was gushing about it being the highest of honours, and even I thought it was adorable how she and Ichigo were arguing about it. Now that I wasn't staring at her with suspicion, she reminded me of Karin sometimes.

I snuck off with Ichigo a lot too, much to the amusement of Rukia. She seemed to be the only one that knew what was happening, as all our friends made zero comments. But she said nothing accusatory, and I made no commentary either on her sly remarks of almost implications. Though nothing happened like that time at the training grounds between Ichigo and I. We mostly just walked and spent quiet time together. Despite having his tongue in my mouth, the boy still seemed unsure what to do or say most of the time still. I understood that, having a difficult time feeling comfortable myself. It was because of this that I brought up keeping us dating under wraps. Just until we were comfortable with it of course. Ichigo was against it at first, insisting we'd figure it out slowly, but after mentioning Isshin to Ichigo he realized how horrible that first announcement was going to be. Not to mention Keigo would be so noisy about it too.

So, we decided that we're dating, but not saying it out loud. Just trying to get comfortable with it, figure out how this should go. No pressure, no questions. As certain as I was in this being a long-term thing, it was still new. And while I knew Ichigo like the back of my hand, I didn't know him the way a girlfriend should. It was different, right? Girlfriends were different, and so that meant I had to learn new things about Ichigo, and he'd learn new things about me too.

I dressed in the dress I found in Soul Society, putting my hair half up like Nana had the day I woke. Then I paused, looking at the other dresses I had. Maybe it would be good to wear something different? Something cute? I fussed for a while, throwing different clothing together, then realized I didn't have very nice things anyway. With a huff, I finally found a few things to put together that looked half decent. Then I realized, Ichigo and I were just going on a walk, and it shouldn't matter what I looked like. But part of me wanted to look good for him. A blush spread across my cheeks when I realized that. It was silly though, that boy never showed any interest in other's clothing. He was so traditional too, but I wanted to look cute to him anyway.

I settled on a fitted black tank top, tucked into some rolled up jean shorts, a brown belt, thigh high black socks that showed a small slip of skin between them and my jeans, an oversized jean jacket to have some coverage, and some ankle boots that I still had. They were old, probably in their last stretch of life, but I didn't want to part with them quite yet. I wore a necklace, one that had a little heart and rested above my shirt.

While dressing, I peaked at my back in the mirror. A long thin line sat diagonally across my back. It was a clean cut and healed relatively nicely, except for the tissue that turned shiny along the mend. It was a far cry from the original wound, but it would constantly remind me of that place. I shivered, trying to forget the feeling of being under hypnosis. Aizen was scary enough with his fascinations, but the idea that you didn't know what is real around you? I hated it.

My phone snapped me out of my thoughts. Ichigo texted me to say he was here. I stuffed my purse with the essentials and sprinted out the door. My carrot top was leaning against the entrance to my apartment, staring off into the distance. I moved silently out the door, appreciating the thoughtful look on his face. He was wearing a fitted black shirt, a navy button up that was completely open, and light beige pants. The accessories of a thick belt, a wristwatch, and his substitute soul reaper badge all hanging off him complimented his outfit. I smirked, thinking how much nicer his attire was than usual, stepping closer. Ichigo finally noticed me, looking down from the sky and smirking back.

"You're awfully dressed up for a walk." I teased. Ichigo gave a full glance at me, something I'd never seen him do, his eyes lingering on my neck, then they flickered up to meet my gaze.

"That's rich, coming from you." He pushed off the wall, eyes softening as he stood above me. "You look good."

I lightly bit my bottom lip, trying to fight the cheesy smile off my face.

"You don't look so bad yourself." I teased. Ichigo's smirk came back, cockiness on full force.

"Yeah? How long were you checking me out?" He taunted. I blushed, looking down at his chest. Ichigo laughed. It was full and genuine. "Well can't say I blame you- ow!"

I whacked him in the gut, not hard at all, the taut muscles hurt my hand more than I hurt him. Ichigo scoffed as I crossed my arms. A mock frown slipped onto my lips as I narrowed my eyes up at him.

"Are you really supposed to bully your girlfriend? Especially when she's just admiring the view?" God, that was embarrassing to say. Ichigo looked at me, his pupils dilating, but then he smiled and leaned down to kiss me. I returned it, smiling as I unfolded my arms. One of his hands came up to touch my cheek, then slipped halfway around to hold me in place. My fingers gripped his forearm gently, feeling his pulse beneath the tip of my middle finger. One kiss, two kisses, three-

I yanked back, making a noise of displeasure. Ichigo looked surprised, eyes opening a bit more. I bit my lip, suddenly feeling shy at the reality that I didn't mind if we skipped the walk.

"If we keep kissing, we're not walking." I pointed out. Ichigo's surprise melted into a sheepish look. He pulled back, but his hand remained on the side of my neck. I dropped my hand from his forearm.

"You're right," he stroked his thumb over my cheek, eyes thoughtful, then lowered it and forced his hands into his pockets. "I did actually come to take you for a walk, so let's get going."

It was then that my stomach growled. Loudly. It completely ruined any sort of fog I had been wandering into. Ichigo looked down at my stomach, eyes widened, like he was stunned such a noise came out of it. Then he looked up at my reddened face with wide eyes.

"I didn't get fresh produce or anything yet, everything went bad while we were gone, and I tossed it all out." I admitted, looking anywhere but his face. Ichigo chuckled.

"Why didn't you say anything? C'mon, I'll buy you breakfast." he said, gesturing for me to follow. I could've married that boy for saying those four words. I eagerly hurried up, walking beside him. Moments into our walk, I noticed how closely he walked beside me. Did we always walk this close to each other? I couldn't really remember what it was like before he kissed me. Ichigo and I had always just... interacted. We'd hugged, he'd slung his arm around my shoulders, I'd held his hand before too. But now... Now this all felt so new.

I glanced at his pocket sleeve, and considered trying to hold his hand, but then my dumb brain ended up just tugging on his sleeve. As if reading my mind, Ichigo pulled out his hand, looking at me curiously. Tentatively, I placed my hand in his, then looked up at him. His usual scowl was gone, replaced by warm honey brown eyes I knew so well. As if finally understanding, he gave a gentle smile, lacing our fingers together. I had to look away, my cheeks burning as I felt his hot hand squeeze him. I squeezed his back as he led me away for breakfast.

The day turned into a blur after that, both of us just walking and talking, sometimes holding hands, sharing food - I totally didn't steal some of his when he wasn't looking - and just enjoying each other's company. Sometime later, Ichigo led me to the park, where we sat under a tree and just relaxed in the sunlight. It had been years since we just sat, taking a nap in the afternoon sun. We both sat against the tree, side by side. The heat radiating off Ichigo was immense, and I began to wonder if he was overheating. When I looked back up at him, he had his eyes closed, his lips lightly parted.

My eyes followed his jaw, noticing how strong it was. Had his jaw always been that strong? I swallowed, looking out to the park. Today felt peaceful, almost too peaceful. My eyes felt heavy, the heat from the afternoon sun felt too good on my skin. A yawn broke from my lips. Ichigo tsked. I looked up to see him peeking out from a barely open eye at me, a lazy smirk on his face. It looked way too good on him.

"Didn't sleep?" He asked. I hummed, biting my lip. My head leaned back against the bark as a sigh escaped my lips. I slept, but... it wasn't restful. I felt anxious, like I was supposed to be moving constantly.

"I just felt like I was supposed to be doing something and couldn't settle." I admitted. Ichigo let out a humourless laugh, closing his eyes.

"Yeah, me too." He agreed. I looked back up to see him trying to relax against the tree. I smiled, noticing how his nose crinkled when he couldn't get comfortable. I let out a soft giggle. Ichigo peeked an eye open again, a smile playing at his lips. "What?"

You're too cute.

I shook my head and shifted closer to him, leaning my head on his bicep. Ichigo stayed still; his muscles flexed under his sleeve. I noticed the discomfort and moved away, looking up at him. He was looking down at me, eyes observing. He didn't look uncomfortable, but he didn't look certain in himself either. There were dozens of thoughts floating behind his eyes. His arm twitched, as if he was about to lift it, but then it settled. Still tense, but somehow not.

"Something wrong?" I asked, trying not to feel like it was a rejection, fighting the urge to reach out and touch him. Ever since he first kissed me, all I wanted to do was touch him, and it was a bit overwhelming. Touching always felt natural before, but now it was constantly on my mind. It was getting a bit ridiculous, and I was hoping it would eventually go away. Ichigo shifted, neither away nor closer, acting as if he was trying to get comfortable again. He looked away, out to the park. A sigh escaped his lips, almost sounding like he was frustrated.

"It's just," he sighed again, so dramatic. Ichigo used his arm furthest from me to scratch his neck. "I can't remember what was normal for us before Soul Society."

Well, maybe our thoughts were closer than I thought. It made me feel at ease, remembering the hesitancy he had even at the training grounds. I knew we'd broken past the understanding of we both wanted to be together, and that whatever that connection had practically lit us both on fire. However, what was the normal way we interacted? This wasn't the first time I questioned it, trying to remember how much I touched him before. In the back of my mind, I remembered the hug he gave me, when I tried to give him space. The intimacy of that moment wasn't lost to me, and it was a moment that made me realize what I felt for him. But it still felt... strange. Not bad, just... strange.

"Yeah," I agreed, laying my back against the tree again. "I was just thinking the same thing. 'Is this okay?' 'Am I doing this right?' I've been thinking like that since you kissed me."

Ichigo cleared his throat. From the corner of my eye, I could see a faint blush on his lips. I smirked, relishing the fact that he still blushed about us kissing despite him having no trouble doing that in front of several people at the time. Ichigo was quiet for a moment, so I closed my eyes to enjoy the sunlight as I tilted my head back. It was important that we were honest with each other, right? That was what we promised at Urahara's training grounds. So maybe I needed to be the one to take the leap. Ichigo had always been good at being in tune with his emotions, but he was always terrible at sharing them with others. Sometimes that even included me.

"If I'm completely honest," I started a few minutes later. "You make me really nervous."

I swallowed, then opened my eyes to look at Ichigo. He was looking at me with a sheepish look, but there was understanding in that gaze. A warm crinkle to his eyes.

"Yeah," he said softly, leaning down a bit closer to me. "I feel the same."

I took this as a chance to feel a bit braver. A smile slipped onto my lips as I looked up at him.

"Okay," I turned and sat with my legs folded underneath me, looking directly at Ichigo still leaning back against the tree. He propped one knee up, resting his arm against it. "So we should figure out what's the new normal."

Ichigo chuckled.

"Always to the point, huh?" He rested his head back, a lazy smirk on his lips again. "So where do we start then?"

Where would we start? I thought for a moment, losing a bit of confidence as I bit my lower lip. My eyes glazed over as I tried to think of what the first step would be. Wasn't the point just to figure out what was okay and what wasn't with each other first? Oh, but maybe it wasn't about that, maybe we needed to decide on other things too to get the feeling across and-

"Nao," Ichigo interrupted my thoughts. I looked up at him, noticing the lazy smirk and calming. He hesitated, his hand shifting several times, before he reached forward to tuck a loose strand behind my ear. His hand stayed on my cheek for a moment. It was so soft and warm. "I think you should know, whatever you're comfortable with, I'm okay with. So just tell me what you want, alright?"

I frowned, my brow staying soft as I felt a heavy pit in my stomach. Ichigo noticed, raising a brow with a look of confusion at my reaction. I didn't say anything right away, not sure exactly what I should say. Slowly, my hands grasped his, pulling it away from my cheek as I played with his fingers. His hands were so much bigger than mine. Being his right hand, his sword hand, there were more callouses than my own. Since I was ambidextrous my hands were both calloused, but they were still softer.

"You should tell me what you want too, y'know." I laced my fingers with his, then looked up at him again. He was watching me patiently. "I mean, I'm your girlfriend, right? That means you can ask me for things. I want you to. You can- You can touch me when you want to."

How you want to.

I ducked my head down to play with his fingers, feeling them twitch slightly after I spoke. There was no easy way to say this without feeling exposed and embarrassed, but it was Ichigo. My Ichigo, who I had known since I was a child. This was safe. I was safe. I took a breath, then looked him in the eye.

"I want you to feel safe with me, safe enough to confide in me, and to tell me what you want. Because being- being your girlfriend means I can give you those things, right? And - I want to try things with you too. It's not one sided you know. Like the training grounds- um. I want it too." I swallowed, feeling his fingers tighten around mine. It gave me a bit more nerve, my skin suddenly feeling hot. It felt like I had said too much or gone too far. I squeezed his hand with both of mine, feeling him squeeze back.

"Nao," Ichigo called, tugging my hands. Ichigo was looking at me like he had after our make out session. His eyes filled with awe and warmth. "Come here."

I obeyed, being pulled to sit between his legs. My own legs folded underneath me. As if it was a big effort, he reached for me to pull me even closer to him, wrapping his arms around my back and encouraging me to rest. I relaxed, my head laying on his chest.

"I feel the exact same," Ichigo admitted, his heart was quicker than usual. "I want you to ask me for things. I want to try things."

I settled further, one of my hands reached up to rest against his chest beside me. My fingers drew patterns on his pectoral.

"But... you should know something. It's something I've been thinking about a lot. I think, I worry about ruining things permanently between us. I'm worried it'll change things. Dunno about you, but if this doesn't work, I still will always see you as my best friend." His voice rumbled from deep within his chest. I couldn't stop a smile from resting on my face. I curled in closer, shifting my thighs to rest over top one of his thighs. Ichigo's arms wrapped around me; I could hear his heartbeat thumping loudly in his chest.

"I feel the same." I said happily. He chuckled, dragging a lazy hand up and down my back. The heat of the sun lulled me to relax further. Ichigo's heart rate slowed down, as did his breathing, and soon we were both lazily napping in the sun. Finding peace at last in our own skin.

"Could you carry some groceries for me?" I asked. Ichigo snorted but took all the bags from my hands. He only needed to take one, but he still took them all.

"What am I? A pack mule?" Ichigo grumbled. I huffed, a small smile on my lips, but still stood on my toes to kiss his cheek.

"Jerk," I teased, not moving away. Ichigo smirked, leaning down to kiss me, but I lowered away from him with a smirk. "Let's get this home first yeah?"

He scoffed but started walking beside me. His left hand was free, so I slipped my fingers into his. He muttered about me taking advantage of him, but I knew it was just a tease since he was trying to hold four bags in his one hand. He was such a diva, not wanting to admit he liked holding my hand.

The scent of flint and steel being grinded came to my senses. I stopped, turning towards the direction of the smell. It was close by, very close. Why hadn't I noticed it sooner?

"Nao? What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, tugging my hand. I turned to say something when a person came crashing into me. In shock I let go of Ichigo's hand and went spiraling with the other body to the ground. I winced, not expecting a body to come at me with such force, and such a little one at that.

"I am so sorry! I didn't see you!" A soft voice cried from above me. I opened my eyes to see a girl with green hair staring down at me. It was strange, I didn't sense her before, but up close I could smell her easily. Her brown eyes stared down at me, wide and shocked.

"Um, sure." I said quietly, smelling flint and steel closing in on us.

"Dammit Mashiro! What the Hell are you doing?" A gruff voice yelled. I sat up, watching the girl leap to her feet. Mashiro looked sheepish as she stared above me.

"Sorry Kensei! I got lost and then was trying to hurry!" She said, a faint tint of blush on her cheeks. I looked behind me to see this Kensei, realizing he was where the scent came from. His brown eyes were angrier than Mashiro's. He glared down at me, eyes narrowing. I felt a hand on my bicep and realized Ichigo was helping me stand. Getting to my feet, I stayed close to Ichigo's side, staring at the duo in front of us. It was quiet as Kensei stared straight at me, Mashiro said nothing as she looked between the three of us.

"Is there a problem?" Ichigo asked them, his voice dropping. If he wasn't on my side I would've found that tone intimidating. Kensei stared for another moment, then his gaze snapped to Ichigo. Finally, he turned around.

"Forget it. Let's go Mashiro." Kensei said, stomping away. The green haired girl followed him. I stared, memorizing their scents. Ichigo noticed my behaviour right away.

"What's wrong?" He asked while brushing a hand across my back. I hummed.

"The guy has a lot of spiritual pressure. She has some too." I said, looking up at Ichigo. He stared after their retreating forms for a while. "He feels like a captain, she a lieutenant."

"Huh, well, guess if they become a problem, we can always deal with it later." Ichigo said, then pressed his hand into the small of my back to direct me down the street. "For now, let's get you home."

"About that," I began, walking in step with him. "I was thinking tomorrow we should spend it at Urahara's."

"Hm? Already?" He asked, voice wavering slightly. I nodded, humming once.

"We still need to deal with that Hollow of yours. And I've gotta talk to Urahara about my own hollow. Just to be sure I'm helping and not hindering you." I said, feeling him pull his hand away to hold mine again.

"It's not hindering." He sounded strained. But I knew it was because he was hesitant about letting his hollow out. I would be too if I didn't know how it would go. I squeezed his hand, looking up at him to give a firm smile.

"I promise, we'll figure it out. Together." I said confidently. Ichigo stopped walking, pulling me to a halt. He still looked ahead, but just before I followed his gaze, he looked down at me. His fingers laced through mine, squeezing. He kissed me softly. It wasn't like the kiss from this morning. This one was soft, singular, and held so much tenderness it made my heart swoon. It was a long kiss, with us just standing there for what felt like ten minutes as my stomach did flips. When Ichigo pulled away, he smirked as if he knew exactly how I was feeling. My red face probably gave me away.

"Together." He confirmed. I gave a goofy giggle, swinging our arms lightly.

"So, you manage to keep it under wraps for a day or two, or so I hear." Kisuke said beneath the brim of his hat. I huffed, looking away from him as I crossed my arms.

"I was fine until I went up against a captain." I muttered, feeling a bit ashamed of my lack of strength. Kisuke fanned himself across the table from me, not saying anything for a long minute.

"Though I will say, from the report Yoruichi sent me, it sounds like it all worked out in your favour. You made quite the impression on several of the captains, so it would seem." Kisuke said. When I looked back at him, he smirked, his mouth barely visible underneath the shadow of his hat. "Well done."

"Is that why you didn't tell me everything?" I asked with a neutral expression, resting my hands on the table around my teacup. "Because you wanted me to figure it out myself?"

Kisuke chuckled.

"Always knew you were the brains between the two of you," he praised in his usual scratchy tone. Kisuke readjusted his hat as he looked at me. "Yes, I wanted you to figure it out and use it to your advantage. I figured you wouldn't settle with just my word."

"No, I didn't. But you could've told us the scope of the mission." I said, frowning. Kisuke mimicked me, lowering his gaze.

"That was why I apologized when you all returned." He said quietly, but there was something about how he was speaking that didn't sound entirely authentic. What else was he hiding?

"Hmph, still, the mission was a failure." I leaned against the palm of my hand, looking across at him. Kisuke raised his gaze, looking me dead in the eye. "Aizen took the Hōgyoku."

"It wasn't a complete failure. Soul Society will likely work with us against Aizen moving forward." As he spoke, I remembered the battle in the halls. Seeing Tōshirō get cut down beside me. The feeling of Aizen's blade, of the emotions running through them. I looked to the side, avoiding eye contact. Kisuke noticed, quieting for a moment while he sipped his tea.

"But there's something else you wanted to say to me, isn't there." He said rhetorically. I wouldn't make eye contact, still remembering how Kyōka Suigetsu felt. All the emotions that poured through his blade. Kisuke knew a lot more than he was letting on, I could practically smell it on him. But how much would he really tell me?

"I've noticed it a few times, but when my blade clashes with another, I can feel the intentions of that person," I began, eyes drifting to my tea. "Gin's blade always felt conflicted, like he had to do one thing but wanted to do another. Tōsen's blade felt certain, like he believed in himself. Kuchiki's blade felt angry, just so angry..."

I closed my eyes, sighing as I furrowed my brow. This was giving me a headache already.

"Every one of them, I could understand, on some level. I assumed Kuchiki was angry at me, but I guess he was angry at the entire situation really. But still, they all made sense." I used my free hand to circle the rim of my teacup. "But when I clashed with Aizen's Zanpakutō, I felt- lost. I felt so lonely, and sad. There was immense confidence, but also fear. There were so many contradicting emotions - I couldn't understand it at all."

Kisuke was quiet for a moment. I continued to circle the rim of the cup. Nobody said anything for a long while as I remembered the moment Aizen locked blades with me. He looked completely neutral the entire exchange, like he felt nothing from me. Was I the only one that could feel anything? I still couldn't understand how someone could feel so lost yet certain, lonely yet prideful, fearful yet confident. How did someone feel all these emotions like that and act the way Aizen acted? In the short time I had been in his presence, nothing outwardly would show any of this. In fact, had I not felt these emotions through his blade, I would've doubted anyone telling me otherwise. I couldn't wrap my head around it, not even a little bit.

"It's impressive that you could feel that. The emotions of a zanpakutō echo the owner's own feelings. When in battle, the spiritual pressure is amplified and can be felt by those of higher-level sensory abilities and spiritual power." Kisuke sipped his tea, taking his sweet time to sigh before placing it back on the table. "It means you have at least equivalent spiritual pressure to Aizen. Which is a good thing to know."

"Yeah, a lot of good that did for me," I leaned heavier on my palm, finally looking up to see Kisuke watching me. "I can barely keep up that form for more than ten minutes. Ichigo could curb stomp me if he ever started trying."

Thinking of my sparring with the carrot-top in the Soul Society had me rolling. My Hierro was impossible to cut, when I could keep it up. Even Ichigo couldn't get through it, so it would seem, but I had to actively think about it and wear my spiritual pressure sort of like a second layer of skin. It was heavy though, and my spiritual pressure felt like it was crushing me the entire time. My bones creaked at any fast movements too.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Ichigo may have a soft spot for you, but he respects you. I don't think he's pulling his punches as much as you might think." Kisuke said. I hummed, considering that. It was impossible for him to know for sure. It'd been a while since he'd seen us spar. I opted to take his word for it though, looking away from him.

"Well regardless, considering how much strength I should have, I haven't exactly done anything impressive with it." I muttered. Kisuke frowned.

"You redirected Aizen's own power back on him, and that's not impressive?" He asked. I bit my lip. "As I told you before, you're not an offensive type. You're a defensive type. So let's focus on that some more. Since you went against my word and used your hollow powers, what have you learned about them?"

Well if that wasn't a backhanded remark...

I sat up straight, thinking of all the abilities I had. Part of me didn't want to tell Kisuke everything. That little nagging feeling in the back of my head said not to trust him at all. However, I needed to get some answers, and there was no denying the man had some deep-rooted knowledge on many subjects that went over my head. So I conceded and told him the truth... more or less.

"My zanpakutō is a zanpakutō, at least in some capacity. She's the hollow within me, but also a zanpakutō spirit. I have thicker skin and can sense everything much easier when I let her out. In my released form I can redirect stronger attacks, and even fully negate certain strikes. But that takes a huge hit on my spiritual pressure." That last bit got Kisuke's attention. He perked up as he fanned himself.

"Elaborate on that last part." He urged. I thought back to when I turned Gin's shikai back to its normal length.

"I- gosh it's hard to explain but, if I focus on an incoming attack, I can completely stop it, or cancel it out. Or absorb it with my left arm. But when Gin came at me in the underground halls, I used Espejo to deflect the spiritual pressure Gin was exuding through his zanpakutō. It forced it back to its sealed state."

Kisuke stopped fanning himself, remaining frozen. I almost missed the sly smirk that slipped onto his lips.

"Now that might be your greatest asset, Ms. Sakurai," he stood, looking down at me with his face clearer in the light. "Let's test it out."

"Now?" I stood, following him. Kisuke hummed as he entered the training ground.

"Not quite. We'll use Ichigo as the guinea pig. Since you're probably eager to get that hollow of his under control and all." He peaked up at me as he descended, looking smug at my twitching brow. I tried my hardest not to show any emotions, but my shock and annoyance slipped through anyway.

"Yoruichi tell you?" I asked, descending the ladder as well. Kisuke waited until I was at the bottom, then shoved me from my body. I frowned, tugging it out of harm's way. No need to leave my corpse chilling where someone could stomp on her. It was a phrase I never thought I would be saying honestly.

"She may have mentioned a thing or two, and I doubt you and Ichigo keep any secrets from each other." He sounded so smug I rolled my eyes and looked away. Well, he wasn't entirely correct. I did have a thing or two I'd never told Ichigo about. But it wasn't like they mattered. They were in the past, he didn't need to know, and they didn't affect me now. Mostly.

"So how are we trying this?" I asked, crossing my arms. My soul form was still bandaged down my entire torso also my arms now, with no sleeves on my shihakushō. My hair was also tied back in a low ponytail with a few bangs breaking free to frame my face. Kisuke smirked, pulling out his zanpakutō.

"First, I want to see how much you've improved." He flash-stepped to my left. I drew my sword and parried with him a few times. When he appeared behind me, I pulsed my hollow powers and relied on my Hierro as I blocked him with the back of my right arm. Kisuke smirked.

"That's a fast reaction." He commented, glancing at my horns. I struck at him, he moved away. He tried to strike again but this time I caught his blade. He smirked. "I wouldn't get so cocky, Naomi. Scream, Benihime !"

The scent of rice and vinegar increased rapidly, I sonido'd away from his strike, surprising him. He swung, sending a blazing red light in my direction. I raised my left hand to absorb the attack, then sonido'd to Kisuke's far side. He smirked at me over his shoulder, raising Benihime in time to stop a punch from me. I smirked, opening my right hand to the inside of his blade, sending his own attack back at him. He moved away, and in the same step I slashed across his torso. Kisuke shifted minutely out of the way, his hat was knocked clean off his head, the trimmings of his robes were cut. He skidded back several feet, his pale blond hair ruffled from the breeze as he stared me down. A smirk slipped onto his face.

"Not bad Naomi. You've clearly improved," he held Benihime in front of himself. "You have also become quite familiar with those hollow abilities. What else can you do?"

As if the question sparked a new memory in my mind, Espejo growled in my mind. As if possessed, I lifted my left arm and pointed at him with my index and middle finger. Purple energy swirled at the tip of my fingers, surprising Kisuke.

"Cero." I muttered, my voice not entirely my own, firing a shot straight at him. Kisuke dodged, I appeared behind him. He swung Benihime at me as I parried with Espejo.

"Jeez, you're making an old man work," he teased, but then jumped back. I didn't follow him, and watched as he sheathed his sword. He stopped awfully early compared to our older sparring matches. "That's good, your defensive abilities have certainly improved, and an offensive strike will give you some sort of counterattack."

I sniffed, realizing we weren't alone anymore. My gaze shifted to the ladder as Ichigo arrived. My eyes followed him as he approached us. A smile broke across my lips when he looked at me, nodding as he approached.

"Already training huh?" He joked, glancing at the top of my head. He grabbed one of my horns gently. A blush swiped across my face, feeling a warmth spread in my chest at his lack of reaction to my appearance. I knew he didn't mind, but I always had a sliver of doubt inside of me. As if realizing he was literally tugging on the horn, Ichigo let go with a sheepish look. I smiled, turning to Kisuke as he placed his hat back onto his head.

"Well, if you're done making nice, why don't we get into the heart of the matter?" Kisuke opened his fan, watching us both. My neck felt hot, but I ignored the first comment. "Let's see what we can do about that hollow."

"You told him?" Ichigo sounded taken aback. Kisuke answered before I could.

"No, Naomi hasn't said a word. Yoruichi's report told me about everything that happened with you though. I figured if something was happening though, you would tell Naomi about it. Which you did. And that led her to ask for use of the training grounds and a barrier kidō." Kisuke assured him. I touched Ichigo's bicep, giving a soft smile.

"You ready?" I asked. Ichigo looked stiff, but I nodded encouragingly. He eventually sighed, then looked to Kisuke.

"Where do we begin?"

Every time I post a chapter I immediately find a spelling error despite re-reading these damn chapters 10+ times. A little filler-y, but some of this needed to be set up for future chapters. I'll admit, I'm not very good at writing romance, so if anything feels stiff just lemme know. I always struggle with romantic scenes hah, and yet it's a straight up romance at times. We'll have another chapter or two before the Arrancar Arc starts I think, things may start going out of order from here since Nao makes a pretty big impact on a few storylines. Some good, some not so good, so let's buckle up y'all. Poor Nao is in for some major character growth pretty soon.

Also, ngl, this chapter was like pulling teeth. I lowkey was struggling, which is why I took almost a 2 weeks to update. I was trying to force a few more scenes in the SS but then realized how shit the writing was and opted out. I'd rather move on to the arrancar arc quickly, especially since there was supposed to be a mini-arc in here but I think it fits better somewhere else.

MesmerizingMermaid: You're very welcome haha. Honestly, I felt like they deserved some fluff imo. I also didn't want this to be slowburn since the beginning, and if you follow on AO3 the tags give you a more clear view of the story fyi.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers.

Iland Girl